After the world’s hottest June on record, Stanford’s deceivingly named Frost Amphitheater is heating up in a different way, with a summer lineup of concerts ranging from classical to rock.
The festivities kick off on July 10, with an all-Tchaikovsky performance led by classical composer Gemma New of the San Francisco Symphony and featuring violinist Gil Shaham. The concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. PST.
New, a 33-year-old New Zealand native, is a conductor whose career began as a violinist in her local youth orchestra. Her first opportunity to conduct arrived in the form of a student-led appreciative piece performed when her favorite teacher left the school. Since then, her love for conducting has only grown.
“I loved the fact that everyone had to come together to value and trust each other in order to create a successful performance, and that the composers’ aims were often to help us all dream beyond current life realities,” New wrote in an email to The Daily.
New will return to Frost on July 13 and 14, this time to conduct an epic harmony featuring Beethoven’s Symphony No.9, which brings her back to her childhood.
“The text epitomizes the message that initially got me interested in music: how we can create something so beautiful, moving and powerful when we unite and support each other,” New wrote.
In a rapid switch of genres, the Frost Amphitheatre will host EDM musical duo Odesza to perform its newest album, “A Moment Apart,” on July 17-18 at 6 p.m. Known for its dramatic light shows and accompanying beats, Odesza often draws hordes of fans, many of them Bay Area natives, to other performances at music festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza.
“We’ve never played at Stanford before, but we’ve played the Bay Area many times and noticed fans making the drive up from campus to see us there, wrote Clayton Knight, one member of the EDM duo, in an email to The Daily. “We’re very appreciative of that and it feels nice to return the favor.”
Odesza’s emphasis on creating matching visual elements and music in each concert is another reason why the duo is looking forward to performing at the Frost Amphitheater.
“The natural landscape plays such a prominent role in the design, and that’s something we love about our favorite venues,” Knight added.
Tickets are already sold out, and minors are not allowed to attend.
August’s first concert features Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, a rock band performing on August 17 at 6:30 p.m. The band is composed of four artists: guitarist Scott Metzger, lead singer Tommy Hamilton, Dave Dreiwitz, Marco Benevento and Joe Russo. Together, the four weave a playful and adventurous rendition of many The Grateful Dead’s most iconic songs for the audience to enjoy from the lawn.
The summer concludes with a performance by renowned singer Lionel Richie on Saturday, August 24 at 6:30 p.m. At the concert, expect Richie to perform a series of his greatest hits throughout his career to take the audience on a nostalgic trip of his spectacular musical career.
An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that minors may attend the Odesza concert if accompanied by an adult. The Daily regrets this error.
Contact Claire Li at 2020claireli ‘at’ gmail.com.