New Century Chamber Orchestra

04/30/2026

"...NCCO played, as it has all season, with the warmth and depth of sound that makes the ensemble so special."

We are beaming from our weekend performances of RADIANCE IN RHYTHM, with guitarist Pablo Sainz Villegas and Violinist & Guest Leader Blake Pouliot. What a way to close our season!

Take a look at San Francisco Classical Voice's review 👇

The guitarist played a Concierto de Aranjuez for the ages and the orchestra premiered Henry Dorn’s seductive Blues Variations.

04/24/2026

We join our community in mourning the loss of Maestro Michael Tilson Thomas. Below is a message shared from Music Director Daniel Hope:

"The passing of Michael Tilson Thomas is an immeasurable loss not only to the world of music, but especially to San Francisco and the entire Bay Area, whose cultural identity he helped shape with vision, intelligence, and extraordinary humanity.

My colleagues and I at New Century mourn his loss deepy; his legacy of curiosity, communication, and artistic courage remains a guiding light."

04/20/2026

🎻 Welcome to New Century, Blake Pouliot! 🎻

See him in concert with guitarist Pablo Sainz Villegas and New Century this weekend 👉 ncco.org/concert-season/radiance-in-rhythm

04/17/2026

Reminder, Berkeley Music Fans: The location of our upcoming concert on Friday, April 24 is at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, at 2407 Dana Street. This is different than our normal Berkeley concert venue.

📍Located in the heart of Berkeley, First Pres Berkeley is just steps away from Telegraph Aveue and UC Berkeley.
🚗 Parking is availble in the First Pres garage, accessible via Channing Street, or in the Telegraph Channing Garage, which is across the street from First Pres.
🌐 Learn more about the venue at https://www.fpcberkeley.org/
🎟️ Don't forget your concert tickets! ncco.org/concert-season/radiance-in-rhythm

04/16/2026

🚨 Important Concert Update 🚨

Music Director and Concertmaster Daniel Hope was recently involved in an accident and sustained a lower-body injury. He is recovering well, but on the advice of his medical team, he will be unable to travel for the next three weeks and will miss the upcoming performances of our season finale, Radiance in Rhythm.

In Daniel’s place, we are excited to welcome New York–based Canadian violinist Blake Pouliot, who will join us as Guest Leader and Concertmaster. Our musicians have been eager to collaborate with him! We look forward to the energy and perspective he will bring to these performances with renowned guitarist Pablo Sainz Villegas.

Secure your seats now to Radiance in Rhythm, and join us in welcoming Blake to the New Century stages!
📅 April 23-25
📍 Rohnert Park, Berkeley, SF
🎟️ Get tickets at ncco.org/concert-season/radiance-in-rhythm

04/15/2026

Get a peak behind the curtain at our Open Rehearsal for RADIANCE IN RHYTHM. Witness the lively process of our Musicians and Music Director communicating throughout the rehearsal process, confirming details from the score, establishing visual cues, and aligning the overall interpretation of each piece.

📅 Wednesday, April 22
⏰ 10:00 AM-12:30 PM
📍 Wilsey Education Studio, Level 4, 401 Van Ness Ave, SF
🌐 ncco.org/open-rehearsals
📨 RSVP by email to [email protected]

04/14/2026

Our Season Finale features the world premiere of "Blues Variations" from Minnesota-based composer Henry Dorn, New Century's 2024 winner of the Emerging Black Composers Project.

The Emerging Black Composers Project was launched in 2020 by the San Francisco Symphony and San Francisco Conservatory of Music as a 10-year commitment to spotlight early-career Black American composers and their music.

Dorn is a is a highly recognized composer and conductor, recipient of the ASCAP Foundation Morton Gould Young Composer Award, and was an Inaugural Future of Music Faculty Fellow with the Cleveland Institute of Music. His compositions encompass intimate narratives often told from the lens of being a musician and African American.

Don't miss the World Premiere of "Blues Variations" with New Century, April 23-25 in Rohnert Park, Berkeley, and SF.

🎫ncco.org/concert-locations/radiance-in-rhythm

04/10/2026

📣 Attention Berkeley Music Fans! The location of our upcoming concert on Friday, April 24 is at First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley, 2407 Dana Street. This is different than our normal Berkeley concert venue.

📍Located in the heart of Berkeley, First Pres Berkeley is just steps away from Telegraph Aveue and UC Berkeley.
🚗 Parking is availble in the First Pres garage, accessible via Channing Street, or in the Telegraph Channing Garage, which is across the street from First Pres.
🌐 Learn more about the venue at fpcberkeley.org/
🎟️ Don't forget your concert tickets! ncco.org/concert-season/radiance-in-rhythm

04/09/2026

Acclaimed guitarist Pablo Sainz Villegas joins New Century for two strikingly different works—Rodrigo’s lyrical Concierto de Aranjuez and Daugherty’s vivid Bay of Pigs.

Since his debut with the New York Philharmonic, Pablo has played in more than 40 countries and invited to play with orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Philharmonic of Israel, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the National Orchestra of Spain, making him a benchmark for the symphonic guitar.

“I do what I do because I believe and have experienced a better world through music in our lives. Music is a perfect vehicle to tell stories, transmit values, erase borders, celebrate diversity and bring people together by sharing our emotions.”

Learn more on about Pablo as a musician, activist, teacher, speaker and cultural ambassador, and an advocate for creating new music 👉 pablosainzvillegas.com/

Secure your seats to see him live with New Century, April 23-25 👉 ncco.org/concert-season/radiance-in-rhythm

04/07/2026

"This is one of the most exciting and eclectic programs that I've ever been part of."
-- Daniel Hope , Music Director & Concertmaster

RADIANCE IN RHYTHM, April 23-25, Rohnert Park, Berkeley & SF

🎟️ ncco.org/concert-season/radiance-in-rhythm