Tactus SF presents

Palestrina 500

Songs of Faith and Love

Sacred and Secular Music by the Master of Renaissance Polyphony

Sven Edward Olbash, Director
Eugene Petrushansky, Organ

February 27, 2025 - Thursday, 7:30 pm
St. Matthew's Lutheran Church (3281 16th St, San Francisco, CA)
SF Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the door

February 28, 2025 - Friday, 7:30 pm
St. Mark's Episcopal Church (2300 Bancroft Way Berkeley, CA 94704)
Berkeley Tickets: $20 in advance, $25 at the door

Live Stream Tickets: $5
Live stream of the Friday concert (on sale through Friday, March 14), can be watched on-demand anytime. You will receive a link within 24 hours before the start of the concert.

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Feast your ears as 24-voice Renaissance vocal ensemble Tactus SF celebrates the 500th birthday of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, arguably the most-celebrated composer of the 16th century-with a concert of his works.

The program features Palestrina’s splendid Missa Tu Es Petrus for six voices, one of the most renowned of his 105 settings of the Roman Catholic mass. Written in brilliant counterpoint, uses movement is based on his motet by the same name, translated: “You are Peter [literally, 'the rock'], and on this rock I will build my church.”

Along with sacred music, Tactus SF will also sing secular love songs from Musica Transalpina, a 1580s collection of madrigals adapted to appeal to English-speaking audiences—a testimony to Palestrina’s international popularity. Guest organist Eugene Petrushansky rounds out the program with selected keyboard works often attributed to Palestrina.

A reception will follow each concert.

PARKING FOR THURSDAY CONCERT (San Francisco):
Guests can park in the parking lot behind Mission Dolores. Access to the lot is from Church Street, just south of 16th Street. You can exit the lot on 16th Street. You should exit by 9:30 pm or you may be locked in.

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Tactus SF performing in St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Oakland. (Photo credit: Elizabeth Kimble)

Tactus SF announces 2024-2025 season

Spanish Music for the Day of the Dead - Nov 2 & 3, 2024

Reflect on the Day of the Dead with meditative Spanish polyphony for four, five, and six voices by Victoria, Morales, Franco, and Vasquez and Gregorian chant from the Officium Defunctorum

Palestrina 500 - Feb 27 & 28, 2025

Celebrate the 500th birthday of legendary Renaissance composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina with a concert devoted to his sacred and secular choral works including selected madrigals and the Missa Tu es Petrus

Arise, my Love II - May 17 & 18, 2025

We return to a theme from our 2017 program of motets from the biblical Song of Songs, this time in new-to-us settings in German and Latin by H. Praetorius, M. Franck, and J. Handl

Times and locations in San Francisco and East Bay to be announced.
Watch this space and sign up for our mailing list for updates.

Welcome our new Music Director

Tactus SF is thrilled to welcome Sven Edward Olbash as our Music Director beginning with the 2024–2025 season. Sven is a specialist in music before 1600 and has an interest in the therapeutic potential of music, particularly for those dealing with grief. His album you who sow in tears will reap in joy with medieval vocal ensemble Euouae is available for streaming at euouae.bandcamp.com. He teaches Vocal Physiology and Voice Pedagogy at San Francisco Conservatory and individual singing lessons through Voice Science Studio.

Sven has been a guest conductor for San Francisco Renaissance Voices and the Gregorian Institute of Canada and has completed two Music Performance Residencies with SF Opera. As a singer, Sven has performed in recital at Old First Concerts & Center for New Music, at Other Minds Festival, and with new music ensemble Volti. He holds degrees in singing and voice pedagogy from Boston University and New England Conservatory and lives in Lower Haight with his chihuahua Tupperware.

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