Daniel Hope, violin and Jeffrey Kahane, piano February 10, 2011

San Francisco Performances presents two exploratory and virtuosic artists, violinist Daniel Hope and pianist Jeffrey Kahane, at the Herbst Theatre Thursday, Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. They will perform Brahms, Messiaen, Franck and Schulhoff.

Hope, who made his SF Performances debut in 2006, and Bay Area resident, conductor/pianist Kahane, who first appeared with SF Performances in 1985, are known for their forays through a broad musical spectrum. Hope has completed projects in jazz and new music, and Kahane won the 2008 ASCAP Award for adventurous programming as the former music director of the Colorado Symphony as well as the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.

The Denver Post noted Kahane's tenure as CSO music director as a "period of continued artistic growth and an abundance of high-quality, often daringly adventurous programs." Hope was described by The New York Times as an artist who "puts classical works within a broader context-not just among other styles and genres but amid history, literature, and drama-to emphasize music's role as a mirror for struggle and aspiration." The quality, adventure and thoughtfulness of both musicians are reflected in the Feb. 10 recital here.

Opening with Brahms's moving Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Major, Regenlied-composed shortly after Brahms's godson Felix Schumann died at age 24-they will also play Messiaen's colorful Theme et Variations, Schulhoff's impressionistic Sonata No. 2 and Franck's poignant Sonata in A Major. Schulhoff, who died in a Nazi concentration camp during World War II, was an experimental composer whose works were largely forgotten until recent championing by artists such as Kahane and Hope, as well as James Conlon.

Tickets to Hope and Kahane's Feb. 10 recital start at just $35. For more information, call (415) 392-2545 or visit sfperformances.org.

Official Website: http://sfperformances.org/performances/1011/HopeKahane.html