A backyard garden in Willow Glen will provide the backdrop for an intimate classical concert on Saturday [cq comment=”Oct. 21)”.
Rainbow Chamber of Commerce Silicon Valley and Chamber Music Silicon Valley are co-hosting a pop-up performance there featuring a lineup of rising young talent from the South Bay.
Ray Furuta, founder of Chamber Music Silicon Valley and the show’s headliner, said in an interview that the “goal is to just amp up the classical experience and tailor it to the audience here in the Bay Area and Silicon Valley in particular.
“We’re trying to make classical music accessible,” Furuta added. “By doing that, I like to say we’re turning the volume up a bit on it. We’re trying to add a more modern and hip aesthetic to the production. We’re presenting experiences, not just concerts.”
Rainbow Chamber president Roark Clayton and Furuta started discussing ways for the two groups to support each other earlier this year. Clayton said he was intrigued when Furuta explained the pop-up concert concept and wanted to host one that would benefit both groups.
“We thought it would be a great idea to connect, so we came up with this idea to put a concert on,” Clayton said.
There’s no specific theme for the concert but Furuta, an accomplished flutist with numerous international performances under his belt, said, “It’s going to be a pretty eclectic program; one piece is not necessarily going to relate to the other.”
The program includes works by Beethoven, Mozart, tango composer Astor Piazzolla and a “pretty flashy piece” by Handel-Halvorsen.
“It’s more like a showcase of the talent than the music itself,” Furuta said. “It all came down to what music people were going to enjoy and what pieces I knew were going to be impressive.”
The talent on display Saturday will hopefully leave people “feeling inspired to help these two great organizations” and their respective missions, he added, especially after such a close encounter with the artists.
“Someone will be less than a foot away while I’m performing, and so it really amps up the experience,” Furuta said. “When we’re close like that, we feed off each other’s energy. It’s a really special experience for everybody.”
Furuta is just one up-and-coming musician from Chamber Music Silicon Valley who will be performing Saturday.
“We’re really the only program in this area that’s really giving in-depth experience to a small handful of musicians,” he said. “It really speaks to the need of something like this.”
The Rainbow Chamber plans to use proceeds from the show to support local LGBTQ businesses and promote “supplier diversity” in the marketplace. The term refers to “groups of people not (traditionally) included in the supply chain, like women or minority businesses, disabled veterans businesses.” The chamber also uses funds to upgrade its software and help cover administrative costs.
“The other thing we do is we give back to local LGBT groups, usually youth groups,” Clayton said. “We don’t have the funds earmarked for anything in particular, but we do try to grow the organization.”
Hors d’oeuvres, wine and other drinks will be provided. Tickets are free, but an RSVP is required and a $50 donation is suggested. To RSVP, visit evenbrite.com and search “Rainbow Chamber benefit pop-up.”