Six evenings of music you can’t afford to miss. Join Music Director Carl St.Clair and exciting guest conductors for a concert series personally curated to create perfect romantic date nights!
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This series consists of 6 performances.
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Rachmaninoff & Beethoven
September 26 - 28, 2024
Carl St.Clair, conductorClaire Huangci, piano
TICHELI: Shooting Stars
RAVEL: Alborada del gracioso
RACHMANINOFF: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 7
Opening Night! Ticheli’s musical fireworks give way to Ravel’s musical portrait of Spain’s sunny spirit in Alborado del gracioso. The work dances with vivacious high spirits from beginning to end. Rachmaninoff’s 24 spectacular variations on a violin caprice by Paganini provide the perfect showcase for the dazzling technique of Claire Huangci, winner of the 2018 Geza Anda Competition. Best known is the lushly romantic 18th variation that was featured in the movie Somewhere in Time. Beethoven spoke of his Seventh Symphony fondly as “one of my best works.”
Gluzman Plays Brahms
November 14 - 16, 2024
Valentina Peleggi, conductorVadim Gluzman, violin
BARBER: Symphony No. 1
TCHAIKOVSKY: Francesca da Rimini
BRAHMS: Violin Concerto
Universally recognized among today’s top performing artists, Vadim Gluzman breathes new life and passion into the Romantic era of the 19th century violin repertoire. Musical America raved: “He demonstrated his mastery from the start, dominating the platform with his golden tone and command of the long lyrical line. His rich, warm, and generous sound soared above the orchestra.”
Four Seasons & Strauss
January 09 - 11, 2025
Carl St.Clair, conductorDennis Kim, violin and leader
Tobias Melle, visuals
VIVALDI: The Four Seasons
STRAUSS: An Alpine Symphony (with jaw-dropping visuals!)
Vivaldi transports you to Italy for spring’s fragrant blossoming, the tourist-roasting heat of summer, autumn’s abundant harvest, and the teeth-chattering chill of winter, all with virtuosic flair. Strauss’s final tone poem unfolds as a masterpiece that takes you on an auditory hike through high Alpine peaks, from sunrise to mountain-rattling thunderstorm, and finally nightfall’s calm. Visuals projected on a large screen above the orchestra transform the concert into an immersive cinematic event, offering an enveloping narrative that will captivate both eyes and ears.
Carmina Burana & Bach
February 27 - 01, 2025
Carl St.Clair, conductorPacific Chorale―Robert Istad, artistic director
Southern California Children’s Choir―Lori Loftus, founding director
Benjamin Pasternack, piano
Alisa Jordheim, soprano
Nicholas Phan, tenor
Hugh Russell, baritone
MORTEN LAURIDSEN: O Magnum Mysterium
BACH: Keyboard Concerto in D minor, BWV 1052
ORFF: Carmina Burana
Immerse yourself in the raw visceral power of the human voice. The opening evocative work for solo voices contrasts the intricate weavings of Bach’s masterful blending of complexity and beauty. The GRAMMY® Award-winning Pacific Chorale takes centerstage for Carmina Burana, the most frequently performed choral work of the 21st century. This popular work (celebrating “Springtime,” “In the Tavern,” and “The Court of Love”) has been featured regularly in pop culture: from video games and reality television to flash mobs and Disney!
Curse of the Ring
April 10 - 15, 2025
Carl St.Clair, conductorBrian Staufenbiel, stage director
Cast to be announced
WAGNER: Das Rheingold
Gods, Rhine mermaids, and dwarves…oh my! Step into the mythical work of Wagner’s first opera in the iconic Ring Cycle whose story influenced Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and whose music inspired John Williams’ iconic soundtrack to Star Wars. Under the masterful baton of Carl St.Clair—a tried-and-true Wagnerian who conducted the entire 15-hour Ring Cycle from memory in Weimar!—Pacific Symphony invites you to experience the raw power and gripping narrative of this mythic prologue, where the stakes are as high as the heavens and as deep as the Rhine itself.
Cathedrals of Sound
May 15 - 17, 2025
Carl St.Clair, conductorPaul Jacobs, organ
Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey
TRADITIONAL: Gregorian Chant
BACH: Sinfonia in D Major, BWV 1045
GUILMONT: Symphony No. 1
BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 7
Experience a spiritual odyssey beginning with the timeless serenity of Gregorian chant, transporting you to the vaulted arches of ancient abbeys. The journey continues with Bach’s Sinfonia, where melodic lines weave a complex yet harmonious tapestry, reminiscent of stained-glass patterns cast in sunlight. The sonic architecture ascends with Paul Jacobs on the organ, presenting a piece that showcases the grandeur and dynamic capabilities of the king of instruments. The evening culminates with a work that combines Bruckner’s devout faith with his rich symphonic voice, creating towering soundscapes that promise to resonate within the soul.
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