Experience the magic of summer like never before at Pacific Symphony's SummerFest, now at our enchanting new venue, Great Park Live in Irvine. Prepare for a series of five spectacular evenings under the stars, each filled with music that moves the soul. From stirring patriotic anthems to the unforgettable scores of beloved films and timeless classical masterpieces, SummerFest promises a mesmerizing soundtrack to your perfect summer season.
Buy Season Tickets***The Great Park Live is a new venue experience. All Subscribers will be given first-priority table seating within their chosen price level. Renewing subscribers will be given similar seating and placement from last year in the best locations available within their chosen price level.
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This series consists of 5 performances.
July 4 Spectacular: Music of Chicago
July 04, 2024
Richard Kaufman, conductorBrass Transit, Chicago Tribute & Cover Band
Pacific Symphony
Celebrate the Fourth with the music of Chicago — known as the “rock and roll band with horns” — including hits like “You’re the Inspiration,” “If You Leave Me Now” and “Hard to Say I’m Sorry.” Plus, patriotic tunes, a salute to the Armed Forces and a dazzling fireworks finale!
Brass Transit brings together accomplished and award-winning musicians for the sole purpose of paying tribute to the decades-long, multi-platinum songbook of CHICAGO!
Rhapsody in Blue at 100
July 27, 2024
Carl St.Clair, conductorJeffrey Biegel, piano
BERNSTEIN: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
BOYER: Rhapsody in Red, White, & Blue (California Premiere)
- Intermission -
GERSHWIN: An American in Paris
GERSHWIN: Rhapsody in Blue
George Gershwin composed it all — taking Broadway by storm, selling out concert halls and opera houses and defining an era! In his ever-popular Rhapsody in Blue, premiered 100 years ago, he married classical music to the most unique of American art forms, Jazz.
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert
August 10, 2024
Film with Live OrchestraChristopher Dragon, conductor
Pacific Symphony
“I am a Jedi, like my father before me...”
In the spectacular climactic sixth episode of the Star Wars saga, Darth Vader readies the second Death Star to unleash the final blow to the Rebel Alliance. Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) joins his droid allies R2-D2 and C-3PO, along with Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher), to free his comrade Han Solo (Harrison Ford), imprisoned by the vile crime lord, Jabba the Hutt. Reunited, the Rebels race to the moon of the planet Endor where they launch a desperate attack upon the entire Imperial Fleet. But the ultimate battle is between father and son, as Luke faces Darth Vader one last time, for the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance.
© 1983 & TM Lucasfilm Ltd.
Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts in association with 20th Century Fox Film Corp, Lucasfilm and Warner/Chappell Music. © All rights reserved.
John Williams' Magical Music of Harry Potter
August 23, 2024
Enrico Lopez-Yañez, conductorPacific Symphony
Music by John Williams, Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, Alexandre Desplat from all eight Harry Potter films
Embark on a magical orchestral journey outdoors, under the stars, when Enrico Lopez-Yañez takes the audience on a class reunion remembering the memorable professors, characters, and magical creatures from the beloved film franchise. Revel in the spellbinding scores that defined the iconic Harry Potter saga, from the awe-inspiring compositions of John Williams to the mystical works of Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, and Alexandre Desplat. This one-night spectacle celebrates the legendary music of all eight films—a must-attend event for wizards and Muggles alike at Great Park Live.
Tchaikovsky Spectacular
September 07, 2024
Carl St.Clair, conductorPhilippe Quint, violin
KHACHATURIAN: Sabre Dance
TCHAIKOVSKY: Grand Pas de deux from The Nutcracker
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Capriccio Espagnol
~Intermission~
GLINKA: Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla
TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto
TCHAIKOVSKY: 1812 Overture
Enjoy Tchaikovsky’s passionate Violin Concerto performed by “truly phenomenal” violinist Philippe Quint (BBC Music Magazine). Plus, Rimsky-Korsakov's colorful Capriccio Espagnol, hailed by Tchaikovsky as "a colossal masterpiece of instrumentation," a dance from The Nutcracker and Tchaikovsky’s thrilling “1812” overture, complete with a brilliant fireworks finale!
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