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Pacific Symphony invites audiences on an extraordinary musical journey, culminating in Respighi’s magnificent “Pines of Rome,” a breathtaking tone poem that captures the grandeur, history and spirit of the Eternal City. Guided by the masterful direction of Music Director Carl St.Clair on Feb. 6-8, this awe-inspiring performance is paired with the excitement of two world premiere commissions by celebrated American composers. A new piano concerto by esteemed African American composer Adolphus Hailstork receives its world premiere by Jeffrey Biegel, one of the most prolific pianists of his generation having commissioned more than 25 works by living composers. The second half opens with a new and colorful orchestral piece, “Marine Layer,” by Pacific Symphony’s Vietnamese American composer-in-residence Viet Cuong. For the finale, Respighi’s masterpiece delights audiences with an iridescent and opulent quality, painting a picture of a day spent in the historic city.

“For decades, we have been very intentional in expanding the repertoire for Pacific Symphony and I am thrilled to present two newly commissioned pieces to our dedicated audience, performed by our illustrious orchestra this season,” said Maestro St.Clair. “Also, thanks to Respighi’s aural imagination, we’ll be transported to Rome hearing the hushed beauty of a Roman nocturne to the triumphant splendor of a sunrise on the Via Appia.”

This concert is part of the continuation of Carl St.Clair’s final season as music director, celebrating his remarkable 35-year tenure. With a legacy of artistic excellence and community engagement, St.Clair’s final performances promise to showcase the very best of his historic contributions to the orchestra and the Southern California arts community.

Leonard Bernstein’s high-spirited musical prelude of "Slava!” opens the concert. The piece was composed in 1977 in just 10 days as a birthday tribute to Mstislav Rostropovich (conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C.), who alongside Bernstein used his musical fame and international standing to promote human value as well as music. The theme of humanity continues with Hailstork’s Piano Concerto No. 3 subtitled “The Way Things Are,” inviting listeners to consider their place in the world, as two wars began during the composition of the work.

This is followed by Cuong’s composition, whose music is often whimsical and rich in surprises, with a style described as imaginative and wildly inventive. “For ‘Marine Layer,’ our composer-in-residence Viet Cuong takes inspiration from his home surroundings, living in Laguna Niguel, to share a colorful and effervescent work we are all excited to perform,” said St.Clair. “This will be the fifth piece of his we’ve performed, and his music has become a joy for our audiences to hear.”

The program reaches its triumphant conclusion with Respighi’s “Pines of Rome,” a dazzling symphonic journey that begins with children at play and culminates in a majestic sunrise over ancient Roman roads. Featuring a recorded Italian nightingale and shimmering orchestral textures, this iconic work has captivated listeners since its premiere a century ago and concludes with one of the most powerful conclusions in the orchestral repertoire as antiphonal fanfares radiate across the concert hall.

Taking place Thursday-Saturday, February 6-8 at 8 p.m. in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, the concert includes a preview talk with KUSC midday host Alan Chapman at 7 p.m. This concert is part of the 2024-2025 Classical Season and is sponsored by Hal and Jeanette Segerstrom and Family Foundation. The 2024-25 season piano soloists are generously sponsored by The Michelle F. Rohé Fund. Tickets are $30-$160. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (714) 858-0945 or visit pacificsymphony.org.

About Pacific Symphony
Pacific Symphony, under the dynamic leadership of Music Director Carl St.Clair since 1990, has been the resident orchestra of Orange County’s Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall for over 15 years. Founded in 1978, the Symphony is the largest orchestra formed in the U.S. in the last 50 years and is not only a fixture of musical life in Southern California but is also recognized as an outstanding ensemble making strides on both the national and international scenes. The orchestra presents more than 100 concerts and events each year and a rich array of education and community engagement programs, reaching more than 300,000 residents of all ages.

Pacific Symphony made its debut at Carnegie Hall in 2018, where it was invited to perform as part of a yearlong celebration of composer Philip Glass' 80th birthday. The Symphony made its first-ever tour to China the same year, with performances in five cities, including Shanghai and Beijing. The Symphony has been recognized with multiple ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming and included among the country’s five most innovative orchestras by the League of American Orchestras.

Pacific Symphony’s discography comprises 15 recordings, mostly of 20th- and 21st-century music by such American composers as William Bolcom, John Corigliano and Richard Danielpour. In 2012 for Naxos, St.Clair and the orchestra recorded Philip Glass’s The Passion of Ramakrishna, a Pacific Symphony commission that appeared on the Carnegie Hall program. The Symphony has also recorded for Harmonia Mundi, Koch International Classics, Reference Recordings, and Sony Classical, among other labels. The Symphony has been recognized with multiple ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming and included among the country’s five most innovative orchestras by the League of American Orchestras. The Symphony’s education and community engagement activities have also been recognized by the League, as well as the National Endowment for the Arts.

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