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Also, Ravel’s jazz-infused Piano Concerto in G features piano sensation Alexandra Dariescu; plus the United States premiere of Cassandra Miller’s “Swim”

With sweeping melodies and vivid storytelling, Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” Suite envelops listeners in one of classical music’s most romantic tales when Pacific Symphony continues its 2025–26 Classical Series, December 4–6.The program features Ravel’s jazz-influenced Piano Concerto in G Major featuring Alexandra Dariescu, hailed as one of the most inspiring pianists of her generation, and opens with the United States premiere of Cassandra Miller’s “Swim.” Born in China and raised in New Zealand, guest conductor Tianyi Lu—winner of the Sir Georg Solti and Guido Cantelli conducting prizes—returns to Pacific Symphony following her triumphant 2024 debut. 

“Pacific Symphony welcomes Tianyi Lu back with open arms,” said Pacific Symphony President John Forsyte. “Her international experience and radiant energy shine through her performances, revealing a deeply creative approach to the repertoire and a warm, open-hearted style of leadership. I’m certain our audiences will enjoy experiencing Tchaikovsky and Ravel’s masterpieces under her direction.”

Cassandra Miller’s “Swim,” which opens the concert, was inspired by both literary and musical sources, taking from Schumann’s Third Symphony, “Renish,” and the imaginative journey described in Ann Carson’s essay, “Water Margins: An Essay on Swimming by My Brother.” The 16-minute work creates a deeply emotional and reflective experience of swimming, conveying both the physical movement and the mind’s tendency to dissolve thoughts while under water. The work first premiered with Dinis Sousa and Royal Northern Sinfonia in 2024, followed by performances from Ryan Bancroft and the Tapiola Sinfonietta, the Vancouver Symphony and Ludovic Morlot and the Barcelona Symphony.

“‘Swim’ is a deeply contemplative work that invites the audience to reflect on their own personal connection to the music,” said Forsyte. “Its serene quality encourages curiosity and introspection, allowing each listener to take away a uniquely personal experience. We look forward to sharing its U.S. premiere with our audience.”

Before intermission, Alexandra Dariescu—the first female Romanian pianist to perform at the Royal Albert Hall—takes the stage to perform Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major. Ravel’s travels to North America in the late 1920s inspired this piece and it reflects the jazz era and the fast-moving lifestyle he found. In typical Ravel fashion, he treats the wind instruments as soloists which punctuate the piano as it expands the orchestra’s jazz motifs. The second movement opens with a nostalgic and bittersweet theme from the piano soloist that expands to the orchestra. Then, the finale kicks off a race between both orchestra and piano in a virtuosic display of the collaboration between Dariescu, Lu and the Symphony musicians.

For the concert finale, Tchaikovsky’s Suite(s) from “Swan Lake” transports listeners into a realm of otherworldly beauty and drama. Like many 19th-century story ballets, “Swan Lake” unfolds in an enchanted world of forests and palaces, where noble heroes, ethereal spirits, and dark sorcery intertwine. The music captures this duality with sweeping melodies and rich orchestral color—juxtaposing tenderness and tension, whimsy and foreboding. Through its lush harmonies and dynamic contrasts, Tchaikovsky’s score paints a timeless portrait of love, transformation, and sacrifice.

 The concert titled “Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake” takes place Thursday-Saturday, December 4-6, 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. Tickets are $36-$252. For more information or to purchase tickets, call (714) 755-5799 or visit pacificsymphony.org. Pacific Symphony’s Classical Series is made possible by the Hal and Jeanette Segerstrom Family Foundation, with additional support from Classical California KUSC, Avenue of the Arts Costa Mesa, The Park Club and PBS SoCal. 

For additional bios and photos, please view Pacific Symphony 2025-26 Press Kit.

Internationally recognized for her thrilling energy on the podium, deeply creative interpretation, and open-hearted leadership, Chinese-born New Zealander Tianyi Lu collaborates with leading orchestras and opera houses around the world. Her work is driven by an ethos of empowerment, creating connection and compassion across diverse communities through music. 

After winning first prize in 2020 at both the Sir Georg Solti International Conductors' Competition and the International Conducting Competition ‘Guido Cantelli’ in Italy, Tianyi Lu was appointed Conductor-in-Residence with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra in Norway, a position she held until the end of the 2023-24 season. She served as Principal Conductor of the St Woolos Sinfonia in the UK until 2024 and was Assistant Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra from 2017 to 2019. 

Recent highlights include Tianyi Lu’s BBC Proms debut with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Sol Gabetta, as well as performances and recordings with the New York Philharmonic, Montreal Symphony, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sydney Symphony and many others. A former Dudamel Fellow, she made her Hollywood Bowl debut with the LA Philharmonic in 2021 and returned for her Walt Disney Concert Hall debut in 2023. Her operatic engagements include “Rigoletto” at Aalto-Musiktheater Essen and the 2023 world premiere of “Marie & Pierre” at Theater Basel.

Deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to fostering a more empathetic world through the arts, Lu serves on the Board of Directors of the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and is an Artist Ambassador for Opera for Peace. She is frequently invited to collaborate with communities and institutions, sharing her insights on empowering leadership, cultural transformation, resilience, and wellbeing.

Lu completed her Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting with Distinction at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 2015, studying under David Jones. She has assisted or participated in masterclasses with Sir Andrew Davis and Xian Zhang (Melbourne Symphony Orchestra), Daniele Gatti (Concertgebouworkest), and Bernard Haitink (Lucerne Festival Orchestra). Lu is also an alumna of the Hart Institute for Women Conductors at The Dallas Opera. Her teachers and mentors include Sian Edwards, Carlo Rizzi, Neemi Järvi, Alexander Polianichko, Kenneth Kiesler, Carlo Montanaro, and Alice Farnham.

Alexandra Dariescu, the visionary pianist behind “The Nutcracker and I,” brings fearless curiosity, innovation and deep artistic integrity to her programs and performances. From cherished classics by Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Rachmaninov, Ravel and Chopin, to the rediscovered works of Clara Schumann, Nadia & Lili Boulanger, George Enescu and Doreen Carwithen, she stands out as a distinct and original voice on the international piano stage.

A sought-after soloist worldwide, Dariescu has forged strong relationships with orchestras such as the BBC Symphony, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Detroit Symphony and Melbourne Symphony. Eminent collaborations include London Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre National de France, London Philharmonic, the Royal Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen Philharmonics and the Sydney, Houston, Detroit, Seattle and Vancouver Symphonies. Among the renowned conductors Dariescu has worked with are Ádám Fischer, Cristian Măcelaru, Alain Altinoglu, Sakari Oramo, John Storgårds, Fabien Gabel, Vasily Petrenko, Ryan Bancroft, James Gaffigan, and JoAnn Falletta.

In 2017, Dariescu took the world by storm with her successful piano recital production “The Nutcracker and I”, an original ground-breaking multimedia performance for piano solo with dance and digital animation, which has since enjoyed international acclaim and has drawn thousands of young audiences into concert halls across Europe, Australia, China, the Emirates and the US, realizing Dariescu’s vision of building bridges and making classical music more accessible to the wider public.

Mentored by Sir András Schiff and Dame Imogen Cooper, Dariescu studied at the Royal Northern College of Music with Nelson Goerner, Alexander Melnikov, Dina Parakhina, Mark Ray; at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama with Ronan O’Hora; and in her hometown Iasi with Mihaela Constantin and Cornelia Apostol. 

She was a Laureate of the Verbier Festival Academy, receiving the UK’s Women of the Future Award in the Arts and Culture category. Dariescu holds many special accolades including Cultural Ambassador of Romania, Officer of the Romanian Crown from the Royal Family and Young European Leader by Friends of Europe. In 2020, Dariescu received the Order 'Cultural Merit' in the rank of Knight from the Romanian President and became an Associated Member of the Royal Northern College of Music, where she also held the distinguished position of Professor of Piano for two years. From September 2024, Dariescu begins a new tenure as Professor of Piano at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.

For more information visit, https://www.alexandradariescu.com/biography. 

Pacific Symphony is the largest orchestra formed in the United States in the past 50 years and is ranked among the top orchestras in the U.S. by the League of American Orchestras. In 2024, Alexander Shelley was appointed to become Pacific Symphony’s third artistic leader, taking the title of Artistic and Music Director, beginning in the 2026-27 season. He is serving as Artistic and Music Director Designate during the 2025-26 season, which marks Pacific Symphony’s 47th season. Founded in 1978, the Symphony was led for 35 years by Carl St.Clair, who is honored with the title of Music Director Laureate starting in the 2025-26 season.

In its 47-year history, Pacific Symphony has gained national and international recognition, with recent highlights including a 2018 Carnegie Hall debut in celebration of composer Philip Glass; a five-city tour of China; and a PBS Great Performances broadcast of Peter Boyer’s “Ellis Island: The Dream of America.” In 2024, Pacific Symphony released the world-premiere recording of “Fiat Lux,” a stirring new commission by composer Sir James MacMillan performed with long-time artistic partner Pacific Chorale. 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.

With a purpose to lift the human spirit through the power of music, the Symphony is a cornerstone of the cultural landscape of Southern California, enriching lives and bringing communities together through creative and diverse programming. As the resident orchestra of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, the Symphony 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.

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