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Featuring delightfully strange and sweeping music from Beetlejuice, Batman, Corpse Bride, Edward Scissorhands and more, Feb. 13-14

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Pacific Symphony invites couples and film fans alike to experience the surreal and whimsical worlds of Tim Burton and Danny Elfman for an evening devoted to one cinema’s most iconic creative partnerships. The theatrical concert presentation puts Elfman’s unmistakable music—which draws from old Hollywood, circus music, gothic romance and late-Romantic traditions—center stage. With the orchestra led by conductor Sarah Hicks, the performance also features firebrand violinist Sandy Cameron and the ethereal voices of California State University, Fullerton’s (CSUF) University Singers, who further lure listeners into the composer’s fantastical mindscape. Part of the Pacific Symphony Pops series, the concert takes place February 13 and 14 at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.

Paired with visual elements, the performance features music from films including Batman, Big Fish, Beetlejuice, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride and The Nightmare Before Christmas. Drawn from Elfman’s original scores and arranged into sweeping orchestral suites, the music captures the composer’s signature blend of gothic romance, mischievous whimsy and emotional depth.

Violinist Cameron, a leading interpreter of Elfman’s music, brings a haunting and expressive presence to the stage. She has appeared in this concert with orchestras nationwide and is known for her dramatic intensity and stylistic range. Her soaring solos add emotional resonance to Elfman’s most lyrical and poignant moments, including music from Edward Scissorhands.

Also featured are the CSUF University Singers whose participation underscores Pacific Symphony’s commitment to collaboration with local arts and education partners. The ensemble’s voices add emotional power and dramatic lyrics to the orchestral sound while spotlighting emerging local talent.

Together, orchestra, soloist, singers and visuals conjure a strange and beautiful soundscape where fantasy, nostalgia and theatrical storytelling converge. The result is a Pops concert that speaks equally to film lovers, symphonic music fans and anyone drawn to the imaginative, slightly offbeat worlds that have defined Tim Burton’s films for decades.

Pacific Symphony performances of “Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton” take place February 13 and 14 at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall on. Tickets start at $61 and are available at PacificSymphony.org or by calling the box office at (714) 755-5799. These concerts are underwritten by the Sharon J. and Thomas E. Malloy Family. Additional support comes from Avenue of the Arts Costa Mesa, The Park Club, PBS SoCal and K-EARTH 101.

About Conductor Sarah Hicks
Sarah Hicks's versatile and vibrant musicianship has secured her place as an in-demand conductor across an array of genres, and as an educator, arranger, producer, writer and speaker committed to creating connections through music. Her career has seen collaborations with diverse artists, from Hilary Hahn and Dmitiri Hvorostovsky to Rufus Wainwright, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson; during the summer of 2011 she toured with Sting as conductor of his Symphonicities Tour. Her passion for cross-genre partnerships led to a 2019 album with rap artist Dessa and the Minnesota Orchestra, with whom she holds a titled position.

A specialist in film music and the film in concert genre, she is thrilled to create concert experiences which combine sight and sound, and that welcome new audiences to the orchestral genre. She has premiered Pixar in Concert and Disney-Pixar’s Coco; her live concert recordings can be seen on Disney+ (A Celebration of the Music from Coco) and heard on broadcast for ABC (The Little Mermaid). Her concerts with the Danish National Symphony Orchestra of film music, The Morricone Duel was released as an album in 2018, has been broadcast around the world and has garnered over 80 million views on YouTube.

A highly sought-after guest conductor, Hicks has worked extensively both in the States and abroad. Notable ensembles include the Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Pops, Cincinnati Pops, Dallas Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, Toronto Symphony, Melbourne Symphony, RTE (Dublin) Orchestra, Czech National Symphony Orchestra, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Tokyo Philharmonic, and Malaysian Philharmonic, among others. Her opera appearances include the East Slovak State Opera Theater and the Curtis Opera Theater, as well as operas in concert with the Minnesota Orchestra and RTE Orchestra. Her commitment to new music led to the creation of an innovative micro-commission project which led to the premier of a major work by Judd Greenstein, and her recording of new concertos, Triple Doubles has been released by the Bridge label.

Dedicated to passing on to young musicians her passion for connecting to audiences, Hicks is a frequent guest lecturer and panelist and was on faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music from 2000 to 2005 and Staff Conductor until 2012. Her presentation, The Art of Conducting, has illustrated the idea of collaborative leadership to numerous organizations, civic groups and corporations. Her interest in the intersection of mental health and music led to the production of a concert titled Music and the Mind and her commitment to open conversation about mental health issues continues through her blogs, online advocacy and development of a Musical Mindfulness course.

Sarah Hicks was born in Tokyo, Japan and raised in Honolulu, HI. Trained on both the piano and the viola, she was a prizewinning pianist by her early teens. She received her B.A. magna cum laude from Harvard University in composition. She holds an Artists' Degree in conducting from the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with the late renowned pedagogue Otto-Werner Mueller.

About Violinist Sandy Cameron
Declared “brilliant” by The Washington Post, violinist Sandy Cameron is one of the most strikingly unique artists of her generation. Since her debut at the age of 12 in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, Cameron has performed extensively as a soloist throughout the world.

The most noteworthy, and a truly rewarding experience of Cameron’s career as a concert soloist is Danny Elfman’s Violin Concerto, “Eleven Eleven.” Elfman wrote this concerto for Cameron, and she presented the world premiere with conductor John Mauceri at the Prague Proms in June 2017. It was received with great success, and Cameron continues to enjoy performing the piece for audiences worldwide. Other special stage appearances include performances for Cirque du Soleil, Tan Dun’s Martial Arts Trilogy, and Danny Elfman's Music from the Films of Tim Burton.

Cameron is also featured in performances with renowned jazz trumpeter-composer Chris Botti, with whom she has toured globally. Additionally, Cameron has written and performed her own musical arrangements for a number of productions at the Hollywood Bowl, including Disney's The Nightmare Before Christmas Live in Concert, Disney's The Little Mermaid Live in Concert, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory Live in Concert, and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Live in Concert. Currently, Cameron is partnered with the illustrious composer, Marco Beltrami, in an exciting new project: Bach by Beltrami. For more information, visit www.sandycameron.com.

About CSUF University Singers
As one of the nation’s premiere collegiate choral ensembles, California State University, Fullerton’s University Singers have epitomized excellence for more than 50 years. Under the baton of Dr. Robert Istad, the University Singers are internationally acclaimed for their exquisite musicianship and have performed with renowned orchestras in prestigious venues at home and abroad, touring more than a dozen countries since 2007. Continuing to build upon this remarkable legacy, Istad and the University Singers regularly collaborate with professional orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Pacific Symphony, the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra. They have earned praise for their professionalism and expressive musicality from conductors they have worked with including Carl St.Clair, John Mauceri, John Williams, Eugene Kohn, Sir Neville Marriner, James Conlon, and Keith Lockhart.

Whether performing under the batons of John Williams or Gustavo Dudamel at the Hollywood Bowl; backing the vocals of Andrea Bocelli; or featured at Carnegie Hall, Chartres Cathedral, or Cal State Fullerton’s own Meng Concert Hall, the University Singers never fail to deliver the unmistakable sound synonymous with their reputation. In 2017, they recorded an album with Sony Classical under the baton of John Williams in a recording of music he composed for Steven Spielberg. Also in 2017, Istad and the University Singers released a commercial recording with Yarlung Records entitled “Nostos: The Homecoming of Music”– eleven vocal works sung and recorded in one take, without sheet music or editing. Not content to merely excel in the classical realm, the University Singers have also performed with Juanes, M83, Beck, Beach House, and Sean Lennon and can be seen in the PBS production “The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses.”

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.

Pacific Symphony features an expansive range of programming through the Classical Series, the beloved Pops Series led by Principal Pops Conductor Enrico Lopez-Yañez, SummerFest at the Great Park Live Amphitheatre in Irvine, and engaging Family Musical Mornings concerts for young children and their families. Signature cultural concerts for Lunar New Year and Nowruz are joyful musical celebrations that promote understanding and appreciation of the arts from around the world—a priority for Pacific Symphony, which is dedicated to the power of music to unite and inspire. The Symphony in the Cities program brings free outdoor concerts and interactive musical activities to cities across Orange County, making live symphonic music accessible to all.

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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