2024-25 Classical CYO 4
2024-25 9 Performances Included
Please note: Each performance added must contain the same number of seats. Seating is at the discretion of the box office. The prices in the drop-down menu are per concert.
Included Performances for this Package
Art of the Spanish Guitar
- December 5, 2024 | 8:00 PM
Mak Grgić, guitar
VIVIAN 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 9, 2025 | 8:00 PM
Dennis 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 6, 2025 | 8:00 PM
Jeffery Biegel, piano
BERNSTEIN: Slava!
HAILSTORK: Piano Concerto No. 3, The way things really are (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, 2025 | 8:00 PM
Benjamin Pasternack, piano
Alisa Jordheim, soprano
Nicholas Phan, tenor
Hugh Russell, baritone
Pacific Chorale - Robert Istad, artistic director
Southern California Children’s Choir - Lori Loftus, founding director
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, 2025 | 8:00 PM
Jennifer 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, 2025 | 8:00 PM
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 1, 2025 | 8:00 PM
Alexander Shelley, conductor
George Li, piano
TAN DUN: "Jubilation" from Heaven Earth Mankind
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”
~ Intermission ~
IMAN HABIBI: Jeder Baum spricht (Every Tree Speaks)
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5
Experience Pacific Symphony’s next artistic and music director, Alexander Shelley, in his first concert since his appointment!
Cathedrals of Sound
- May 15, 2025 | 8:00 PM
Paul Jacobs, organ
Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey
TRADITIONAL: Gregorian Chant
BACH: Sinfonia in D Major, BWV 1045
GUILMANT: 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 5, 2025 | 8:00 PM
Pacific Chorale, Robert Istad, artistic director
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.
Artists
Carl St.Clair
Conductor
Pacific Symphony
Pacific Chorale
Dennis Kim
Violin
Hugh Russell
Baritone
Alisa Jordheim
Soprano
Rune Bergmann
Guest Conductor
Mak Grgić
Guitar
Southern California Children’s Chorus
Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael's Abbey
Paolo Bortolameolli
Guest conductor
Jennifer Koh
Violin
Jeffrey Biegel
Paul Jacobs
Organ
George Li
Piano
Alexander Shelley
Conductor
Nicholas Phan
Tenor