It takes no time to be who you are, but it takes time to be misguided. And as the music started and lights dimmed at 8 p.m. at the Mondavi Center Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012, to an almost sold-out audience, a sense of time disappeared. World-famous pianist Emanuel Ax tapped lightly on the ivory keys of the antique piano in front of him, made in Vienna circa 1700 AD, while musicians playing replicas or authentic instruments of the same time period sat behind him. The Western Health Advantage Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra played Beethoven’s Concerto No. 4, using only the instruments of that period. “Baroque is the period in which the music was written and played on the instruments of that tim

The Sacramento Opera managed to collect more than $20,000 in gift pledges from private donors over the weekend, bringing the total funding needed for next season to $14,642. “I’m very hopeful that we’ll collect the rest,” said Sacramento Opera General Director Rod Gideons. “We just put out the word, and people have really been responding.” The board of directors will decide Thursday if enough money has been raised to proceed with the coming season, Gideons said. So far, $117,358 has been pledged. After canceling its last two shows of the season – “The Magic Flute” and “The Postman Always Rings Twice” – the opera is trying to raise enough of the $175,000 it needs in order to ensure the

May 12 is the deadline for the Sacramento Opera to raise the final $37,000 of its $122,000 goal by that date – or there will not be a 2011-2012 opera season. In all, the opera must raise $175,000 of pledges and gifts for the season. The opera recently reorganized, strategically aligning with the Sacramento Philharmonic as both organizations continue to suffer from funding slumps as a result of the recession. A meeting last week with 123 opera subscribers and donors to discuss the reorganization, and Sacramento Opera officials described it as “just the kind of engagement needed” in a press release this week. If the $37,000 is raised, the opera season will include “Opera at the Cathedral

Kicking off its 10th year, the Sacramento French Film Festival has invited French composer Raymond Alessandrini to direct an orchestral accompaniment for its first film/concert, which will be performed by the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra. “It’s something we’ve never done before. It’s quite exceptional,” said French Film Festival Executive and Artistic Director Cécile Downs. The show will be held at the Crest Theatre on Jan. 29 and 30. “It’s a very big event for us,” Downs said. “We (often) have guests, but usually they are just coming to present a film that is already finished. Having the composer of the score coming is more exceptional.” The film to be shown is a 1928 silent film

Tempo, a new group of young professionals, is working to create a new venue for networking while helping other young people discover the Sacramento Philharmonic. “We formed because we wanted to help support the philharmonic and all the good things they do in the community,” said Laura Braden, one of Tempo’s founders. Braden said that in addition to playing classical music concerts, musicians from the philharmonic volunteer to teach music at schools that cannot afford music programs as well as performing in hospitals for kids and cancer patients. Tempo will host themed cocktail parties or receptions in conjunction with philharmonic performances, and the first one will be Thursday. Thurs