Mansions for music - music performances at estates in San Francisco Bay Area - Brief Article

From sophisticated classical to searing jazz, historic Bay Area estates host indoor and outdoor concerts

Tom Gilman is an architect by training but a music lover at heart. His two passions intersect when he describes Kohl Mansion's Great Hall, with its high Tudor ceiling, dark paneling, massive black onyx fireplace, and soaring wall of leaded glass windows. "It's the kind of space that you'd expect chamber music was originally played in," he says. "The space blends beautifully with the music."

His love of beautiful music in elegant settings is not uncommon in the San Francisco Bay Area, where several mansions have opened their doors or garden gates to music aficionados. These stately homes provide a welcome alternative to sterile concert halls and mobbed amphitheaters.

* SARATOGA. A Mediterranean-style villa built in 1912 by former San Francisco mayor and United States Senator James Duval Phelan, Villa Montalvo has hosted events for more than 45 years. It will offer more than 100 concerts this season.

The 175-acre estate has three concert venues. The front lawn hosts festival-style concerts for 2,000 people, the Garden Theatre amphitheater holds 1,200, and the Carriage House Theatre--Senator Phelan's former garage--seats just 300. Bring blankets and picnics (no cans or bottles) for the front lawn.

Highlights of the 2001 season (performances are year-round) range from New Zealand soprano Kiri Te Kanawa to Cuba's Buena Vista Social Club. Ticket prices and parking vary. 15400 Montalvo Rd.; (408) 961-5858 or www.villamontalvo.org.

* BURLINGAME. Completed in 1914, Kohl Mansion was the home of Charles Frederick Kohl, the son of a shipping tycoon. Kohl's mistress inherited the home, called the Oaks, in 1921; in 1924 she sold it to the Sisters of Mercy, who continue to run a high school on the property.

The mansion hosts an intimate chamber music series. The 14 concerts, running from October through May, showcase string quartets and small ensembles from the United States and Europe. Wine and appetizers are served after each concert, and the mansion is open for exploring.

Most of the 200 general-admission tickets are sold to subscribers, but limited seating and standing-room places in two small balconies are usually available at the door. $5-$25, free parking: 2750 Adeline Dr.; (650) 343-8463 or www.musicatkohlmansion.org.

* OAKLAND. Dunsmuir Historic Estate has outdoor musical events on its sunny meadow. The Neoclassical home, built in 1899, was originally owned by Alexander Dunsmuir, the son of a Scottish coal baron.

Dunsmuir offers a range of concerts that take advantage of the mansion's magnificent, secluded site in the Oakland hills. The Scottish Highland Games, held on July 14 and 15, feature a variety of traditional and contemporary Scottish music and athletic events. Radio station KBLX hosts a "Stone Soul Picnic" on Labor Day with several soul, jazz, and R&B acts performing.

Picnics (no cans or bottles) are welcome; arrive early for best parking ($5) and to explore the 50-acre grounds. 2960 Peralta Oaks Court; (510) 615-5555 or www.dunsmuir.org.

COPYRIGHT 2001 Sunset Publishing Corp.
COPYRIGHT 2001 Gale Group