“Circles Around Berio”

It’s a terrifically busy week at Penn. In addition to the Marilyn Nonken recital on Wednesday, Jan. 27 that begins the series of three “Eighty-Eight Lately” programs of contemporary piano music, there is a big array of events around this coming Sunday’s Curtis Institute performance of the Berio Sinfonia, led by Ludovic Morlot. Jamuna Samuel has organized talks and concerts that will look at Berio from many different points on the curve, so to speak. Click here for a detailed listing. The events include two talks by Christoph Neidhöfer; Tom Kraines playing the cello Sequenza, with Jim Sykes offering commentary; and a panel (in which I will participate) before a concert of Berio’s chamber music at Curtis on Saturday night.