Fill Up on Classical at Aqus Cafe

You don’t have to drive all the way to San Francisco or even Santa Rosa to hear live classical music.

Starting this Wednesday, will host the American Philharmonic of Sonoma County, a concert that will become a regular feature of the already impressive lineup of musical events at the community cafe.

Don’t worry. The entire 70-member plus orchestra will not be in attendance. Instead, four musicians will assemble a horn quartet and play an eclectic mix of music for Petaluma audiences starting at 7pm. Admission is free.

“The idea is to raise consciousness about classical music in Sonoma County,” says Aqus co-owner John Crowley, a big fan of philharmonic music. “Petaluma doesn’t have a venue for classical music so I wanted to bring that in.”

The idea of the horn ensembles and quartets arrived in the United States from Europe in ballets and operas. Today, there are many operas and some ballets featuring hunting horn ensembles, such as the “Hunting Chorus” from Der Freischutz.

The American Philharmonic series will be held on the first Wednesday of every month from 7 to 9pm. Other events at the cafe include a jazz jam, Celtic Night, improv comedy, pub trivia, bluegrass jam, language groups and business networking events. For a detailed calendar of concerts and events, click here.