We made much about Philip Glass turning 70, and not of a single peep when John Adams turned 60 this past February. Aw. We feel bad, since the contemporary composer lives in Berkeley, and he is ours, so to speak. (Gothamist can claim Glass. If they want.)

Actually, back then, Adams conducted the SF Symphony in the US premiere of his Flowering Tree to celebrate his big six-oh.Sadly, we were out of town, then. But now the SF Conservatory of Music is having a week long Adams celebration, giving us another opportunity to sing "Happy Birthday!"

So, be sure to check out the all-John Adams performance tonight, a concert- interview on Friday, and another concert on Saturday. Whew!

Check below the fold for the Adams in residence celebration at the SF conservatory of music!

The Adams-o-rama started last week with "Son of Chamber Symphony", the sequel to, mmmm, what could it be, Chamber Symphony? But yes! Chamber Symphony, 1992. We score two points for solving that one. Josh Kosman calls the title a "puckish nod to the traditional nomenclature of horror-movie sequels", but that's not what it is! It's an homage to our post on the Flowering Tree, titled Dr Atomic Strikes Back.

That was last week, but it was deep in the peninsula, so despite Kosman intriguing claim (the program was "larded with mild stage choreography that may or may not have enhanced the experience"), it did not really happen. Especially since San Francisco Ballet will replay the piece in the comfort of the War Memorial Opera House, well within the confines of the city. Click on the SFBallet link, you find a link "Learn more about the festival", click on it, you'll find a new link "Learn more about the festival", click on it, we've been doing it for two hours. We'll keep doing it until we know more about the festival.

So John Adams used to teach at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music between 1972 and 1983. Some of the pieces he wrote at the time, well, he does not dismiss them as youthful indiscretion. They'll be played again in two concerts, tonight and Saturday.

Tonight, it's Phrygian Gates, a work for solo commissioned at the time by Mack McGray, a pianist on the faculty of the conservatory. McGray himself will perform it again tonight, along with three other pieces performed by the conservatory orchestra, or by the New Music Ensemble (incidentally, an ensemble created by John Adams when he was at the Conservatory).

We're pretty sure John will be there tonight, but Saturday he will do the honors himself, conducting the original version of Shaker Loops and watching over the shoulder of Andrew Mogrelia leading Harmonielehre. Harmonielehre is named after Arnold Schoenberg's treaty on music rules, and we can't resist quoting what wikipedia says about Adams' piece:

Adams has stated that the piece was inspired by a dream he had in which he was driving across the San Francisco Bay Bridge and saw an oil tanker on the surface of the water abruptly turn upright and take off like a Saturn V rocket.

He has nightmares commuting over the Bay bridge! We told you he was ours. That being said, this can't have happened. Saturn V rockets are fueled with liquid hydrogen, and tankers spill oil under the bay bridge.

Friday, John Adams will subject himself to an interview with pianist Sandra Cahill. If you want to shoot him a question, just show up, it's free! All other performances are a ridiculously low price of $20/$15 students, seniors and friends of the conservatory.