Concert Calendar

Stravinsky’s “Pulcinella” could be described as “back to the future” music, with a score written in 1700, but re-imagined in 1920.

• Challenged by Serge Diaghilev to revisit Pergolesi’s works and turn them into a ballet, Stravinsky added intricate, modern harmonies and altered rhythms to the music while retaining the 18th-century melodic charm of the original work.
• The result is a gloriously lyrical and appealing work, both classic and modern at the same time, that delights the ear from start to finish.

This performance will be available for FREE streaming through April 16.

Tonight’s program unfurls a magical mystery tour that sweeps us away to the mysterious innocence of childhood and French fairy tales and continues on to the magic and majesty of Russian folklore. Carl St.Clair has selected the final movements of Ravel’s “Mother Goose” Suite and Stravinsky’s “Firebird.” Both works are colorfully orchestrated special arrangements for chamber ensembles, rather than large orchestra. And—spoiler alert—both have deliriously happy endings.

This performance will be available for FREE streaming through April 23.

From the Vault: Prepare to be bedazzled when Olga Kern performs Rachmaninoff’s diabolically delightful variations based on a virtuosic violin caprice by Paganini. This electrifying Van Cliburn competition-winning pianist has a special gift that captivates audiences the world over. As The Washington Post says: “Call it star quality—music loves Kern the way the camera liked Garbo.” 

This performance will be available for FREE streaming through April 30. 

Celebrate Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, online with the Farhang Foundation and Pacific Symphony! A traditional festival that marks the beginning of spring, Nowruz is a time to celebrate the “rebirth of nature” and wash away the past. Guest artists include pianist and composer Shardad Rohani and Sohrab Pournazeri improvising on the tanbour from Tehran.

This performance will be available for FREE streaming through May 2.

From the Vault: Internationally celebrated pianist Orli Shaham, a “first-rate Mozartean” according to the Chicago Tribune, takes center stage in Mozart’s sunny Concerto No. 17, with the famous third movement theme inspired by the composer’s melodic pet starling.

This performance will be available for FREE streaming through May 7. 

Pianist Claire Huangci joins Pacific Symphony to perform Bach's Keyboard Concerto No. 1. The young American pianist, winner of the first prize and the Mozart prize at the 2018 Geza Anda Competition, continuously captivates audiences with her “radiant virtuosity, artistic sensitivity, keen interactive sense and subtle auditory dramaturgy” (Salzburger Nachrichten).

This performance will be available for FREE streaming on our YouTube and Facebook channels from April 15 through May 14. Check back in on April 15 for the links.

Concertmaster Dennis Kim and Pacific Symphony Oboist Ted Sugata take center stage in Bach's Concerto for Violin and Oboe.

This performance will be available for FREE streaming on our YouTube and Facebook channels from April 22 through May 21. Check back in on April 29 for the links.

One of today’s most sought-after concert organists, Juilliard-trained Hector Olivera is a passionate musician, whose interpretations of both classical and popular music have amazed and delighted audiences around the world. "The Times Reporter" describes an evening with Hector Olivera as “an event, a happening, a joyful celebration of the sheer power and pressure that a true virtuoso like Olivera can unleash in a concert hall.”

This 75-minute performance will be streamed LIVE at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 25 on our YouTube channel and will be available afterwards for viewing through May 23. Check back in on April 23 for the direct link.

Today, Bach's Brandenburg Concertos are widely regarded as some of the best orchestral compositions of the Baroque era. And yet they were never performed during the composer's lifetime. After Bach gifted the manuscript of the five concertos to the Margrave of Brandenburg in 1721, it languished on library shelves until it was rediscovered in 1849. Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, performed here, contains one of the most difficult parts in the trumpet repertoire.

This performance will be available for FREE streaming on our YouTube and Facebook channels from April 29 through May 28. Check back in on April 29 for the links.

“Your Song.” “Rocket Man.” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” The hit singles of mega pop star Elton John are endless. Starring Craig A. Meyer as “Almost Elton John,” this spectacular musical journey celebrates the decades of chart-topping hits of Sir Elton John.

Plus, enjoy patriotic favorites, our traditional salute to the U.S. armed forces and a brilliant fireworks finale!

Spend a special evening with the original Jersey Boy, backed by the Hollywood sound of Pacific Symphony. Frankie Valli, who came to fame in 1962 as the lead singer of the Four Seasons, is hotter than ever in the 21st century. Thanks to the volcanic success of the Tony-winning musical Jersey Boys, which chronicles the life and times of Frankie and his legendary group, such classic songs as “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Rag Doll,” and “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” are all the rage all over again. 

World Premiere Live-to-Film Event!

Two rival toys — a lanky, likable cowboy named Woody and Buzz Lightyear, the fearless space ranger — vie for a place in the heart of their owner, Andy. The toys plot against each other, but when they’re separated from their human, they find a way to work together as friends to be reunited with Andy again. Considered by many to be one of the best animated films ever made, Toy Story received three Academy Award nominations, including one for “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” by Randy Newman.
 
Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts. © All rights reserved.

No SummerFest is complete without Pacific Symphony performing Tchaikovsky’s thrilling “1812” Overture, complete with live cannons and brilliant fireworks. Enjoy the spectacle as you also listen to the greatest hits of some of Russia’s greatest Romantic composers.

Back by popular demand, 16-time Grammy Award winner David Foster returns to Pacific Symphony to perform songs from his unparalleled catalog. Popular hits — written for artists including Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Josh Groban, Olivia Newton-John, Barbra Streisand and many others — include “You’re the Inspiration,” “The Prayer,” “The Glory of Love” and “St. Elmo’s Fire.”

From The Four Seasons to the Holiday Season! The Midtown Men, reuniting stars from the Broadway smash hit "Jersey Boys," deck the hall with festive cheer, timeless tunes, top-shelf choreography and incredible vocal performances! Featuring iconic yuletide classics such as "Winter Wonderland," "Let It Snow" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," as well as their signature renditions of the greatest rock-and-roll hits of the 1960s.

Treat your date to an evening with Britain’s exciting crossover pop star, Katherine Jenkins. She has performed all over the world — for the pope, for presidents and for the Royal Family. Featured on “Dancing with the Stars,” she has also embarked upon numerous sold-out tours and duetted with such names as Andrea Bocelli, Il Divo and many more.

In an acclaimed career spanning nearly five decades, singer, songwriter and guitarist Boz Scaggs has explored the realms of soft rock, blues, R&B and jazz to produce instantly recognizable hits such as “Lowdown,” “Lido Shuffle” and “Look What You’ve Done to Me.”

Beauty, thrills and majesty! This popular troupe returns with a show featuring a jaw-dropping fusion of fliers, acrobats, contortionists, dancers, jugglers and strongmen who perform their cirque acts while Pacific Symphony provides a soundtrack of classical masterpieces and contemporary favorites.

The world’s top ABBA tribute joins Pacific Symphony to perform some of the most iconic songs ever written: “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” “Waterloo,” “S.O.S.,” “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme” and so many more will have you dancing in the aisles and singing along. With hundreds of performances over the past two decades, The Music of ABBA has audiences all in agreement: This is the closest to ABBA you’ll ever get!

It’s a show-tune song and dance extravaganza! Celebrate “Hamilton,” “Wicked,” “The Lion King,” “The Phantom of the Opera,” “Jersey Boys” and more in one thrilling crowd-pleasing performance. The only thing better than spending an evening at a hit Broadway show is spending an evening with ALL of them.