2015-16 Season

Summer in the City Festival Concert
Encore Performance of "Music Speaks" Concert
Symphony No. 5 in D minor - Dmitri Shostakovich
June 22, 2016
8PM - 9PM
San Jose State University Concert Hall
1 Washington Square, San Jose
Invitation Only Event

The Summer in the City Camp (SITC) at San José State University was established in 2007 to offer junior high and high school students a week of musical immersion and social interaction with one another. Young musicians have the opportunity to work with instructors from San José State University School of Music and Dance as well as renowned musicians from across the country. This summer the Cambrian Symphony will take part in the Festival Concert along with SITC student ensembles

Press Release>>

Music Speaks
June 10, 2016
7:30 PM
San Jose State University Concert Hall
1 Washington Square, San Jose
Free Admission

Program
Violin Concerto in D Major - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, featuring Ken Lin, violin
Symphony No. 5 in D minor - Dmitri Shostakovich

Ken Lin
Violinist Ken Lin enjoys a career in performing as soloist, chamber musician, and orchestra player. He is the top prize winner of the National Violin competition of Taiwan when he was 12. Mr. Lin holds a Bachelor of Music in Violin performance with distinction from the University of Victoria, also Master of Music and Professional studies diploma in Violin performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Being a distinguished scholarship student from both music institutes, Mr. Lin has served as Concertmaster and was the winner of the Concerto competitions, which led him to appear as soloist with orchestras. As a full scholarship recipient from the Quartet Festival in Waterloo, Aspen Music festival, and the Mendocino music festival, Mr. Lin has studied with Sharon Stanis, Ian Swensen, Henryk Kowalski and has collaborated with renown artists such as Robert Mann, Gilbert Kalish, and Martha Katz. He has also appeared in the master class of Charles Castleman, Mauricio Fuks, members of Juilliard, Cleveland, Lafayette, and Penderecki string quartet.

After graduating from the conservatory, Mr. Lin has performed with the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, California Symphony, Marin Symphony, and Santa Cruz Symphony. In 2005, he was invited to perform an exclusive concert for the former President of Taiwan, Den Huei Lee, and conducted Master classes throughout Taiwan, Korea, and USA. As founder of the acclaimed KAS piano trio, he has toured Asia and North America in 2007 with a 1713 “Wirth” Stradivarius Violin sponsored by Chi-mei fine art Ltd, and the trio’s performances were featured in major radio stations in Asia. From 2008- present, Mr. Lin has devoted himself to teaching young talents, and at the same time giving numerous concerts in California and Vancouver, Canada. As a section violinist of the Vancouver Opera Orchestra since 2012, Mr. Lin also performs regularly with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

Premiere In Spring
February 6, 2016
7:00 PM
San Jose State University Concert Hall
1 Washington Square, San Jose
Free Admission

Program
Fanfare for the Common Man - Aaron Copland
Pendulums - Concerto for Flute and Orchestra - Robert Denham
featuring Brian Bensing, flute
   I. Blue Pendulum
   II. Upon the Departure of a Loved one
   III. Automaton
Academic Festival Overture - Johannes Brahms
Appalachian Spring Suite - Aaron Copland

Brian Bensing
Brian Bensing’s unique flute playing inspires and entertains audiences throughout the United States and abroad. He is a flutist "with a style all his own," writes world-renowned flutist and composer Gary Schocker. Brian has been heard in such prestigious venues as the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall with the Monokrome Flute Quartet, receiving brilliant reviews. A native of Concord, CA, he began his music studies at the age of 6 with the piano. While attending Biola University, Brian spent a semester at the University of Sheffield in Sheffield, England, where he played in the orchestra for Britten's War Requiem. Other overseas engagements include playing flute and piccolo with the Orquesta Sinfonico in Monterrey, Mexico. In 1999, Brian won the concerto competition at San Jose State University and performed Mozart's Concerto for Flute in G Major with his own cadenzas. Throughout the course of his studies, Brian has participated in masterclasses with some of the world's best known flutists, including Julius Baker, Michel Debost, Gary Schocker, Keith Underwood, Trevor Wye, and Robert Stallman, to name just a few.

Brian is extremely excited and honored to give the world premiere performance of Robert Denham’s concerto for flute and orchestra, Pendulums. Prior to this work, he commissioned and performed two other works by Denham: High Meadow for solo flute and The Lament of Aeneas for alto flute and piano, which can be heard on his debut recording New. Both works are dedicated to him. Brian currently works as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the East Bay. He is married to his beautiful wife Dena and loves being a daddy to his 10 month old son, Luke.

Visit his website at Brianbensing.com.

Robert Denham
Robert Denham’s music includes works of every genre and has been performed to great acclaim across the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia.  He has worked closely with Carl St. Clair and the Pacific Symphony Chamber Orchestra, who recently gave two world premiere performances with the Biola Conservatory Chorale of his 65-minute oratorio, Under the Shadow; these concerts were made possible through generous gifts from Howard and Roberta Ahmanson (Fieldstead and Company) and Biola University.  The composer recently traveled with Tyler Thompson and Emily Helvey on a premiere tour (5 performances) of his 60-minute song cycle, Sutter Creek: 21 Songs for Tenor and Piano.  Other champions of Denham’s music include Timothy Lees (Concertmaster, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra), Ilan Morgenstern (Bass Trombone, San Antonio S.O. and Houston Grand Opera), Charles Koontz (Tuba, Burbank Philharmonic, Brass Pacifica), Rodney Winther (Conductor, CCM Wind Symphony and Chamber Players), Elizabeth Larson (Credo Trio), and Susan Ali (Mezzo-soprano).

A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Robert Denham holds a DMA in composition from the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music (CCM) where he studied with Michael Fiday, Joel Hoffman, and Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon. His other degrees are from UCLA (MA Composition) where he studied with Roger Bourland, Ian Krouse, and the late Jerry Goldsmith, and Biola University (BM, Trumpet Performance). Dr. Denham managed the annual new music festival MusicX for four years, and currently leads the New Music Ensemble at Biola University where he serves as an Associate Professor.  In 2014, he and his students hosted the National CFAMC Conference (Christian Fellowship of Art Music Composers).  This event featured 12 concerts, 4 panel sessions, and guests Ivan Moody, Paul Barnes, Richard Zeller, The Cadillac Moon Ensemble, Ensemble Christo, and the Paul Barnes Singers.  He has received annual awards from ASCAP since 2005.

An avid conductor, and member of ASCAP, CFAMC, and SCI, Denham's music is published by Cimarron Music Publishing, Falls House Press, GIA Publishing, Imagine Music Publishing, Pasquina Publishing Company, Pelican Music Publishing, and Tuba Euphonium Press.  For recordings and videos of his music and performances, please visit www.RobertDenham.com.