Join Pacific Symphony as you savor 12 magical evenings of classical masterworks, the world’s most sought-after guest artists and exciting new music in celebration of Music Director Carl St.Clair's 35th Anniversary Season. Guarantee the best music at the best price with season tickets starting at just $27 per concert.These magnificent evenings of music will free your soul and let your spirit soar!
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This series consists of 12 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.”
Classical Spooktacular
October 17 - 19, 2024
Carl St.Clair, conductorMeredith Crawford, viola
WILLIAMS: “Devil’s Dance” from Witches of Eastwick
BUNCH: The Devil’s Box
BERLIOZ: Symphonie Fantastique
Experience the shadowy allure of Halloween and surrender to the cinematic frights and delights of “Devil’s Dance,” written by the greatest film composer of our lifetimes. Revel in the mystical thrills of Bunch’s The Devil’s Box with virtuoso Meredith Crawford on amplified viola, and let Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique cast a spell over you with its haunting narrative and chilling melodies. A concert that promises a spine-tingling blend of musical sorcery and symphonic spectacle—it’s a bewitching evening.
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.”
Art of the Spanish Guitar
December 05 - 07, 2024
Rune Bergmann, conductorMak Grgić, guitar
FUNG: Prayer
RODRIGO: Fantasy for a Gentleman
DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 8
Described by The New York Times as “a gifted guitarist,” two-time GRAMMY®-nominated artist Mak Grgić [GER-gich] is a star on the worldwide stage. For his Pacific Symphony debut, he performs Rodrigo’s masterful Fantasy for a Gentleman, filled with lively, dancing melodies, and musical sunshine.
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.
Pines of Rome
February 06 - 08, 2025
Carl St.Clair, conductorJeffery Biegel, piano
BERNSTEIN: Slava!
HAILSTORK: Piano Concerto (world premiere)
CUONG: World Premiere
RESPIGHI: Pines of Rome
Celebrate the power of nature and new horizons in music: The dazzling razzmatazz of Bernstein’s high-spirited musical prelude sets the stage for two contemporary works that follow: a new piano concerto by esteemed composer Adolphus Hailstork and a new and colorful orchestral work by Pacific Symphony’s Composer-in-Residence, Viet Cuong. Respighi’s tone poem paints in music the grandeur and history of the Eternal City, including a recording of an actual Italian nightingale singing a serene nocturne!
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!
Koh Plays Mendelssohn
March 20 - 22, 2025
Paolo Bortolameolli, conductorJennifer Koh, violin
MENDELSSOHN: Scherzo from Midsummer Night’s Dream
MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 10
Do not miss this opportunity to witness the synergy of GRAMMY® Award-winning Jennifer Koh’s artistry paired with the young Chilean-Italian conductor Paolo Bortolameolli’s animated direction, a combination that promises to bring a fresh and vibrant spirit to the concert hall. Prepare for a night where classical music not only entertains but also inspires and challenges the status quo.
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.
Beethoven's Emperor
May 01 - 03, 2025
Eduardo Strausser, conductorGeorge Li, piano
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”
MAHLER: Symphony No. 1
Brazilian conductor Eduardo Strausser has gained a reputation for his intelligent programming and powerful style on the podium. Daily Revolution described him as, “a real force of nature. His conducting is imbued with charisma, stage presence, and good chemistry with the orchestra.” He conducts with, “smooth sovereignty…with brilliant accuracy” (Neue Musikzeitung), which will illuminate the brilliant Romantic concerto of Beethoven performed by Li.
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.
Verdi's Requiem
June 05 - 07, 2025
Carl St.Clair, conductorPacific Chorale ― Robert Istad, artistic director
Vocal soloists to be announced
VERDI: Messa da Requiem
Verdi’s monumental work has been described as an “opera in ecclesiastical dress” due to its theatrical power and dramatic force that is as compelling and intense as any of his operas. The Requiem is rich with emotional contrasts and unforgettable arias, like the “Libera me” for soprano, that showcases Verdi’s lyrical genius. With its soaring choral lines, striking orchestral forces, and the visceral impact of the “Dies irae” and the ethereal beauty of the “Sanctus,” this Verdi masterpiece transcends the traditional liturgical settings. It is a celebration of human emotions in the face of mortality.
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