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This week, favorite performer Hershey Felder returns to TheatreWorks’ stage; drummer Akira Tana leads the ensemble Otonowa in jazz interpretations of Japanese pop and folk songs; Palo Alto author Gloria L. Huang shares her new middle-grade novel; singer-songwriter duo The Complements perform at the Belle Haven Library; Reverón Piano Trio highlights works by Latin American composers and 3rdThursday holds its first free music event of 2025 on Jan. 16.
‘Hershey Felder: Rachmaninoff and the Tsar’
Pianist/writer/performer Hershey Felder is a TheatreWorks Silicon Valley favorite, thanks to his compelling musical biographies and virtuosic piano and storytelling skills. Though he often appears solo, in his newest musical play, “Hershey Felder: Rachmaninoff and the Tsar,” he’s joined by British-Italian actor Jonathan Silvestri. Felder plays the composer and musician Sergei Rachmaninoff, who left Russia after the revolution in 1917 and moved to California but always longed for the Tsarist Russia of his youth (Silvestri plays Tsar Nicholas II). Felder will perform some of Rachmaninoff’s best-loved compositions as part of the show. TheatreWorks’ production is the regional premiere for this work.
Jan. 10-Feb. 9, Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View; $59-$99; theatreworks.org/mainstage/rachmaninoff-tsar.
Otonowa
Acclaimed California drummer Akira Tana leads Otonowa, an ensemble playing jazz interpretations of Japanese pop and folk songs. Otonowa means “sound circle” and the group was formed in 2013 by Japanese and Japanese-American musicians, originally to perform a benefit concert for victims of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami tragedy in Japan. Otonowa has gone on to release multiple albums and has performed in the U.S. and Japan. The group heads to Meyhouse Palo Alto this week. In addition to Tana, the lineup includes Masaru Koga on reeds and shakuhachi, Art Hirahara on piano and Ken Okada on bass.
Jan. 11, shows at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. (doors at 5 and 8); Meyhouse Palo Alto, 640 Emerson St., Palo Alto; $50; meyhousejazz.com/event-details/otonowa-w-akira-tana.
Gloria L. Huang
Kaya is a 13-year-old living on Maui who’s always been terrified of the ocean (among other fears). However, when odd things begin to happen, Kaya learns she’s the direct descendant of the Chinese water goddess Mazu, with a magical connection to the sea. Can she reckon with her own anxiety and emotions, connect with her Chinese family’s history and master her powers? Kaya is the protagonist of “Kaya of the Ocean,” a new middle-grade novel by Palo Alto author Gloria L. Huang, described as “a coming-of-age fantasy about Chinese American identity, mental health, the immigrant experience, and the complexities of family.” Huang will come to Linden Tree to discuss the book with Misa Sugiura.
Jan. 11, 11 a.m., Linden Tree Books, 265 State St., Los Altos; lindentreebooks.com/events-calendar.
The Complements
Best friends Greg and Aleesha form The Complements, an acoustic singer-songwriter duo from the Bay Area that’s performed around the U.S. and Canada and specializes in vocal harmony. Bringing together classical training (Greg) and a musical theater background (Aleesha), the two aim to spread a positive message through their music and will perform at the Belle Haven Library this week.
Jan. 11, 1 p.m., Belle Haven Library, 100 Terminal Ave., Menlo Park; free; menlopark.gov.
Reverón Piano Trio
Reverón Piano Trio (featuring Simon Gollo, violin; Horacio Contreras, cello; and Ana Maria Otamendi, piano) is a chamber music ensemble that has a particular passion for championing work by Latin American composers. Its three members originally hail from Venezuela but now call the U.S. home. In addition to recording and performing from their existing repertoire, the group also commissions new works. At its performance at Kohl Mansion, the trio’s program includes compositions by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Teresa Carreño, Astor Piazzola, Gabriela Lena Frank and Ricardo Lorenz. There will be a pre-concert talk by St. Lawrence String Quartet cellist and Stanford University lecturer Christopher Costanza at 6 p.m. and a post-concert refreshments celebration at 9 p.m.
Jan. 12, 7 p.m.; Kohl Mansion, 2750 Adeline Drive, Burlingame; $30-$62; musicatkohl.org/reveron-trio-2025-1-12.
3rdThursday
What better way to kick off a new year than with live music — and for free, no less? 3rdThursday, Palo Alto’s monthly free music event, presents its first edition of 2025, with the theme “Wellness Reset.” The event features performances by Plasticities Jazz Band, singer-songwriter Enzo Anchietta and soul, disco and funk band Shakedown. Guests can also enjoy community art sharing, a photo booth and extended hours and specials at some area restaurants and merchants during the event.
Jan. 16, 6-9 p.m. along California Avenue, Palo Alto. 3rdthursday.fun.
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