Close Listening with Jonathan Khuner and the Berkelium String Quartet

A free lecture will feature Jonathan Khuner and the Berkelium Quartet discussing the music in detail planned for the full length performance on February 8th 2026 at the Hillside Club. Similar in concept and execution to the series of performances and lectures on Schoenberg hosted at the Hillside Club in 2024 everyone is invited to this free talk and performance.

Berkelium Quartet Performance - February, 8th at 7pm - Tickets

Jonathan Khuner Jonathan Khuner, appearing frequently as an opera conductor in the bay areaand beyond, is Musical Director of West Edge Opera andPacific Northwest Opera. A veteran of the three largest U.S. Opera companies,he also has lectured on music for UC Berkeley (his alma mater), San Francisco Opera,various Wagner Societies, and recently at the Hillside Club, where he presented a 5-lecture/recital series on the music of Arnold Schoenberg.

The Berkelium String Quartet is a new chamber ensemble of celebrated Bay Area musicians, founded in September, 2024. While they don’t yet have accolades as the Berkelium String Quartet, the members each have impressive careers. They hold degrees from Yale University, Juilliard School of Music, UC Berkeley, Cleveland Institute of Music, and Bern Conservatory of Music. They perform with SF Symphony, SF Opera, SF Ballet, SF Chamber Orchestra, New Century Chamber Orchestra, Oakland Symphony, and hold principal positions with Berkeley Symphony, Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera, Santa Rosa Symphony, and West Edge Opera.

They have taught at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, SF State, Mills College, and The Crowden School. These musicians have performed solo and chamber performances across the US and Europe, and collectively, they have premiered hundreds of new works. Their primary focus as the Berkelium String Quartet will be the seminal works of the string quartet repertoire, with a special focus on the sixteen quartets of Beethoven.

Dan lives in Berkeley and teaches at UC Berkeley, Karen earned her BA from UC Berkeley, Jacob grew up in Berkeley, and Mike occasionally eats in Berkeley.

The Artists:
Dan Flanagan - violin
Jacob Hansen-Joseph - viola
Michael Graham - cello
Karen Shinozaki Sor - cello

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