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Korngold’s lush Violin Concerto featuring themes from classic Hollywood films showcases acclaimed young soloist Aubree Oliverson

Marking a breakthrough that catapulted young Igor Stravinsky onto the international stage, “The Firebird” ballet of 1910 both shimmered with ethereal beauty, and had a look and sound that shocked listeners at the time. Now, Southern California audiences have the chance to experience the magical melodies and thrilling story rooted in folklore, when Artistic and Music Director Designate Alexander Shelley leads Pacific Symphony for his third concert of the 2025-2026 Classical Series on January 15-17, at 8 p.m., with a matinee on January 18, at 3 p.m.

The evening concerts open with John Adams’ “Short Ride in a Fast Machine,” followed by Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s cinematic Violin Concerto, performed by rising American violinist Aubree Oliverson. Composed in 1945, the concerto draws on themes from Korngold’s celebrated Hollywood scores—including Another Dawn, Juárez, Anthony Adverse, and The Prince and the Pauper—reshaping cinematic melodies into a richly expressive and technically dazzling concert work. The Firebird provides a thrilling finale, enhanced by a full-length animated film by Fowler Amusement created especially for these performances.

“We begin this year of America 250 celebration with a program of masterpieces by composers who have lived in the U.S., specifically California, and who have formed part of the musical tapestry of the nation,” explains Shelley. “John Adams has made California his creative home for more than half a century, and his work as a composer, conductor, and creative force has profoundly shaped American music. Korngold and Stravinsky were European émigrés who found tremendous success in the U.S., theirs is a distinctly American story, underscoring the rich cultural and artistic exchange between Europe and the United States in the 20th century,” he adds.

Stravinsky composed “The Firebird” for Serge Diaghilev and the Ballets Russes in Russia before coming to America in 1937. Korngold was a native of Austria who composed his Violin Concerto in 1945 after already working in Hollywood as a film composer.

Setting the stage with an exhilarating opener is “Short Ride in a Fast Machine” from another American composer, John Adams. Composed in 1986, the piece is a fast-paced musical fanfare, presenting a steady, persistent woodblock pulse paired with complex, orchestral textures. Adams described the work as capturing the thrill of riding in a high-powered sports car, a metaphor used to describe the meticulous engineering of the piece that parallels the sense of freedom and thrill that it evokes.

“‘Short Ride in a Fast Machine’ is about five minutes of pure energy,” says Shelley. “John Adams evokes both the exhilaration and anxiety of taking a ride in a friend’s very fancy Italian sports car. It’s an amazingly conceived sprint and truly virtuosic for the orchestra.”

Following, American violinist Aubree Oliverson, acclaimed as a “masterful” soloist by San Diego Story, brings her deeply communicative artistry to Korngold’s Violin Concerto. Long cherished by violinists for its soaring lyricism and brilliant finale, the concerto offers both intimate nostalgia and radiant showmanship, making it one of the most beloved violin works of the 20th century.

“As we look toward America 250, it feels especially fitting to spotlight the next generation of American soloists. Aubree Oliverson and I met several years ago, and I have been delighted to watch her career blossom. Korngold’s Violin Concerto is an exceptionally beautiful listening experience and her warmth and artistry pair very well with the sweeping Romanticism and virtuosic demands of the work,” says Shelley.

Following intermission, the story of a rare and radiant mythical bird with flame-like feathers comes to life through a mix of orchestral mastery (taught by Stravinsky’s mentor Rimsky-Korsakov) and revolutionary new sounds. It was “The Firebird” that catapulted Stravinsky’s career, but the ballet was a risk for all involved as the first production of the Ballets Russes to feature an entirely new score. Created during a time when 19th-century ballets were dominated by elegance and picturesque delicacy on stage, “The Firebird” stood out by blending grand storytelling gestures with the simplicity of folk songs. For Pacific Symphony audiences, Stravinsky’s orchestral suite becomes an enchanting journey that captures the awe one feels amid nature’s vastness.

“Many people are accustomed to hearing the suites from ‘The Firebird,’ but the full ballet is absolutely extraordinary,” says Shelley. “This season, we’ve focused on works with powerful narratives, and I am convinced that the experience of the Firebird is enhanced and transformed when audiences see the story unfold as they listen. For this reason, I was keen to commission a version that could live in the concert hall. I am deeply grateful to Fowler Amusement for their custom animation. I believe this experience will resonate with all ages and backgrounds, and it marks the beginning of our exploration of new interdisciplinary partnerships to deepen our storytelling.”

The concert program, titled “Shelley Conducts Stravinsky’s Firebird,” takes place Thursday-Saturday, January 15-17 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. A Sunday matinee of “The Firebird” only, takes place January 18, at 3 p.m. with commentary from Shelley. Tickets start at $36. 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.

About Aubree Oliverson
Praised for her evocative lyricism and joyful, genuine approach, young American violinist Aubree Oliverson is proving to be one of the most compelling artists of her generation, distinguishing herself with clear, honest, and colorful performances, which have been described as “powerful… brimming with confidence and joy” by the (Miami New Times).

Acclaimed as a “masterful” soloist (San Diego Story), Aubree’s 2025-26 season features debut performances with the Thailand Philharmonic Orchestra (with Carl St.Clair conducting), Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (Parnther), and Florida Orchestra (Watanabe), as well as return engagements with the Princeton Symphony Orchestra (Milanov) and Pacific Symphony (Shelley). A distinguished recitalist as well, she makes her debut at the Harrogate International Festival and returns to the Aspen Music Festival alongside Tony Yanfeng Bai.

A dynamic recitalist and sensitive chamber musician, Oliverson recently toured Europe with Jean-Yves Thibaudet, Clive Greensmith, and Tatjana Masurenko and collaborates this season with Anne Akiko Meyers and the Philharmonic Society of Orange County in duo works of Bach, Philip Glass, and Handel-Halvorsen. Other engagements include festivals such as the Aix-en-Provence Easter Festival with Gil Shaham, the Rome Chamber Music Festival, Oropa Music Festival, Moab Music Festival, ChamberFest West, and recitals at the Grand Teton Music Festival and SOKA Performing Arts Center, among many others. Oliverson has collaborated with world-renowned artists such as Robert McDuffie in Harris Hall at the Aspen Music Festival, Gil Shaham on tour in Mexico, Renaud Capuçon in France, Joseph Silverstein in Salt Lake City, and Lynn Harrell, Orli Shaham, Robert Chen, and Andrew Marriner in Los Angeles.

Dedicated to reaching a broader audience and the importance of music education from a young age, Oliverson has traveled to over 100 schools throughout the Western United States and spoken at national education conventions, encouraging thousands of children to work hard and participate in music. Recently, Oliverson presented digital master classes for organizations including the Orchestra of the Americas, Music to Save Humanity, and Kontrapunktus Baroque, and she participated in a masterclass and side-by-side performance with the Esperanza Azteca Youth Orchestra in Mexico.

Oliverson won the ‘Special Prize of Merit’ for violin at the prestigious Verbier Festival Academy, the Aspen Music Festival Dorothy Delay competition, a National YoungArts Foundation award, was honored as a United States Presidential Scholar in the Arts, and most recently named the 2023 Francis Rosen Prize recipient at the Colburn Conservatory, where she also obtained her Bachelor’s Degree and Artist Diploma. A former student of Debbie Moench, Eugene Watanabe, Danielle Belen, and Boris Kuschnir at the Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien, Aubree graduated from the Colburn Music Academy in 2016 and from the Colburn Conservatory in 2023, studying with the Jascha Heifetz Distinguished Violin Chair, Mr. Robert Lipsett, for nine years.

Aubree plays a very fine Giovanni Battista Guadagnini violin, kindly loaned to her by Irene R. Miller through the Beare's International Violin Society, and a Jean “Grand” Adam bow on loan from the Metzler Violin Shop.

About Pacific Symphony
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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