Concert Calendar

With 106 symphonies to his name, Joseph Haydn is known as the “Father of the Symphony” He contributed considerably to the development of Classical symphonic form, writing most of his symphonies for the orchestra of his employer, Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy. Symphony No. 88 is one of Haydn’s best-known works.

This performance is available for FREE streaming through August 6.

Our third Family Musical Moment explores the second movement of Felix Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4,  known as the “Italian" Symphony. When Mendelssohn was 21 years old, he took a 10-month trip to Italy, and that’s when he wrote it. It is one of Mendelssohn’s happiest and most enjoyable pieces.

As Dr. Jacob Sustaita guides you through the symphony, you’ll enjoy the fun, color commentary cartoon pop-ups in the video that tell you what’s happening in the music.

This performance is available for FREE streaming through Aug. 8.

Beethoven's first symphony is indebted to his teacher Joseph Haydn, the father of the classical symphony. At the same time, it foreshadows Beethoven's future development of the genre, including the more independent use of wind instruments and the transformation of the third movement, traditionally a stately minuet, into what in his later symphonies would become the lively scherzo.

This performance is available for FREE streaming through August 13.

It's the perfect way to end a lazy summer day. Pack a picnic, grab a lawn chair or blanket and gather the family for an evening of free music and outdoor summer fun! Enjoy a potpourri of popular classics, pop tunes and a sing-along of patriotic favorites. And kids have the chance to learn how to conduct with Maestro St.Clair and later help lead the orchestra during the concert.

Prelude in the Park starting at 4 p.m.
Family-friendly activities from the Symphony on the Go! mobile stage starting at 4 p.m.
Concert featuring Pacific Symphony: 7 p.m.
Oso Viejo Community Park on the Village Green, 24932 Veterans Way, Mission Viejo

It's the perfect way to end a lazy summer day. Pack a picnic, grab a lawn chair or blanket and gather the family for an evening of free music and outdoor summer fun! Enjoy a potpourri of popular classics, pop tunes and a sing-along of patriotic favorites. And kids have the chance to learn how to conduct with Maestro St.Clair and later help lead the orchestra during the concert.

Family-friendly activities from the Symphony on the Go! mobile stage starting at 5:30 p.m.
Pacific Symphony concert starts at 7 p.m.
Mike Ward Community Park Woodbridge, 20 Lake Road, Irvine

West Coast 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.

It's the perfect way to end a lazy summer day. Pack a picnic, grab a lawn chair or blanket and gather the family for an evening of free music and outdoor summer fun! Enjoy a potpourri of popular classics, pop tunes and a sing-along of patriotic favorites. And kids have the chance to learn how to conduct with Maestro St.Clair and later help lead the orchestra during the concert.

Family-friendly activities from the Symphony on the Go! mobile stage starting at 5:30 p.m.
Pacific Symphony concert starts at 7 p.m.
Aitken Arts Plaza at Musco Center for the Arts at Chapman University
One University Drive, Orange, CA

After standing ovations and shouts of “Bravo!” during their last visit, Pacific Symphony has invited this popular band to return with their rollicking, around-the-world musical adventure. Pink Martini is part big band, part classical ensemble, part salsa troupe and all fun!

No SummerFest is complete without Pacific Symphony performing Tchaikovsky’s thrilling “1812” Overture, complete with live cannons and brilliant fireworks. Plus, critically acclaimed pianist and International Tchaikovsky Competition Silver Medalist George Li joins the orchestra to perform Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini.”

"His greatness, his overwhelming authority as musician, technician and probing intellect emerges quickly as he plays. Within minutes, we are totally captured by his intensity and pianistic achievement." —Los Angeles Times

Celebrate a return to the concert hall during opening weekend with the unparalleled Emanuel Ax performing Mozart’s charming Piano Concerto No. 17.  Maestro St.Clair concludes the evening with Tchaikovsky’s moving Fifth Symphony.

Pacific Symphony and Maestro Carl St.Clair make their return to the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall with Tchaikovsky’s achingly beautiful fifth symphony. A reflection of the troubled composer’s self-doubt, the work serves as a landmark in the Romantic era filled with moments of melancholy but ends with a triumphant finale.

Experience Beethoven’s thrilling “Eroica” symphony—a work so innovative and influential it changed the course of music history. And revel in the beauty and technical mastery of Tchaikovsky’s unofficial cello concerto, Variations on a Rococo Theme featuring cellist Gabriel Martins, winner of the 2020 Concert Artists Guild – Young Classical Artists Trust Grand Prize and the 2020 Sphinx Competition.

Welcome back to the concert hall—for the first time in forever—with the magical music of Disney! Be our guest and enjoy your favorites from “Frozen,” ”Beauty and the Beast,” “Lion King” and “Star Wars.” Come dressed as your favorite Disney or Star Wars character and be ready to celebrate a return to live music with the Symphony!

Enjoy a return to the intimate Samueli Theater with chamber music from recognizable composers and some of today’s brilliant minds. Barber and Brahms treat you to heart wrenching melodies of the Romantic era, Ives brings a modernism ahead of his time and the music of Tanaka, Montgomery and Cuong showcase the best contemporary music of the present.

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.”

New music meets established favorites. First, the music of Gabriela Lena Frank takes inspiration from her own Peruvian heritage and melds the British sounds of composer Benjamin Britten. Following is Mendelssohn’s indelible violin concerto featuring the striking and charismatic Rachel Barton Pine. On the second half, music from two Pulitzer Prize winners: Caroline Shaw’s Entr’acte takes you in a time machine through music’s Baroque, Classical and Contemporary eras. And finally Aaron Copland’s joyous Appalachian Spring Suite captures the essence of the American sound and spirit.

An evening of greatness begins with world-class pianist Haochen Zhang who has been described by The Washington Post as having an “imagination that keeps you on the edge of your seat and breathless to hear what comes next”—a worthy challenger to Rachmaninoff’s Second Piano Concerto.

Following are two pieces drawn from fantasy: first, Debussy sets the scene for fauns and nymphs in Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun; next, Stravinsky transports you to a world where an evil sorcerer collides with a magical firebird.

Visions of sugarplums and beautiful ballerinas will dance in your head after seeing Tchaikovsky’s delightful Christmas ballet, performed in a condensed 45-minute version created just for kids. This annual favorite finishes with a grand finale sing-along and a jolly visit from Santa himself!

A beloved holiday tradition, Handel’s celebrated oratorio — with its blazing trumpets, thundering timpani and spectacular “Hallelujah!” chorus — provides a moment during the busy season to experience reflection, renewal and joy.

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.

Celebrate the season with the king of instruments! Enjoy a magnitude of musical splendors with world-class organist Todd Wilson and members of Pacific Symphony performing a delightful mix of sacred and holiday music. Favorite Christmas carols share the bill with traditional organ works that highlight the 4,322-pipe, $3.1 million William J. Gillespie Concert Organ.

 

Awe is the only adjective to describe twin piano phenoms, Christina Naughton and Michelle Naughton; watch as they take Mozart’s rarely performed Concerto for Two Pianos to the stage. On the second half, Mahler’s popular Symphony No. 4 evokes memories of youthful innocence and rustic German countryside. 

Inspired by a Bavarian folk poem and a song he wrote, Gustav Mahler’s fourth symphony is an exploration of the idea of heaven from the perspective of a child. Come experience the sunniest of all his symphonies as soprano Celena Shafer performs her role “with childlike, cheerful expression.”

Recognized as one of the most celebrated violinists of his generation, Stefan Milenkovich enjoys a prolific career as an internationally sought-after soloist and recitalist. The program includes Ticheli’s piece of fragile beauty and quiet dignity, and Beethoven’s only concerto for one of the most popular instruments of his day: the violin. 
  

Bomsori Kim, “internationally recognized as one of the most dynamic and exciting violinists of today” (NDR), joins Pacific Symphony with Tchaikovsky’s delightful and ever-popular violin concerto. Following is Brahms’ Second Symphony, a work touched by dark despair but countered by the beautiful light of serenity

This enchanting rags-to-riches fairy-tale opera adapts Rossini’s sparkling work especially for young audiences. From start to finish, you’ll be swept away by show-stopping vocal fireworks, toe-tapping tunes, high-spirited comedy and colorful costumes — all leading up to a happily-ever-after grand finale!

Join us for Pacific Symphony’s annual festivities honoring the Lunar New Year! Celebrating the Year of the Tiger, this performance is sure to sell out once again as audiences from across our communities come together to feast on a colorful presentation of Eastern and Western music and dance.

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.

The New York Times calls Scottish composer Sir James MacMillan as “ceaselessly inventive, evocative and penetrating.” He joins Pacific Symphony on a spiritual journey with his major commission Fiat Lux (“Let There Be Light”); a perfect pairing to Strauss’ eternal tone poem Death and Transfiguration.

You won’t want to miss the continuing adventures of Captain Symphony! Pacific Symphony is joined by the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra for this side-by-side concert featuring music from “The Incredibles,” “Superman” and heroic classical favorites such as Rossini’s dashing “William Tell Overture”. Come dressed as your favorite superhero!
 

Inspired by the poetry of Nathaniel Bellows, Snider’s “The Currents” puts Shaham’s complete skills as a formidable pianist on display; it’s expressive, poetic and lyrical, telling a story of both innocence and coping with an unpredictable world. Next, experience a world premiere from Israeli composer Avner Dorman who draws on cultural and historical influences in his music. And finally, Schubert’s atypical chamber instrumentation for his “Trout” quintet; a work featuring beloved melodies from his song "Die Forelle" ("The Trout").

Organist Dennis James provides a chilling soundtrack for the silent-film classic, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame." The 1923 film, based on Victor Hugo's 1831 novel of the same name, is known for the grand sets that recall 15th century Paris as well as for Lon Chaney's performance and make-up as the tortured hunchback Quasimodo, the deaf, half-blind, hunchbacked bell-ringer of the famous Cathedral of Notre Dame.

Hailed by The London Times as a “violinist in a class of his own,” James Ehnes joins legendary conductor Edo de Waart with Prokofiev’s Spanish-inspired second violin concerto; a work that perfectly blends drama with technical virtuosity. On the second half, revel in the majestic power of the William J. Gillespie Concert Organ in Saint-Saëns‘ most popular symphony featuring a melody that was later adapted for film and the 1977 hit song “If I Had Words.”

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.”

Celebrate Nowruz, the Iranian New Year, with 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.

Love, betrayal and jealousy – all trademarks of great tragic opera – Otello embraces these themes to the fullest. Written decades after going into retirement, Verdi’s interpretation of Shakespeare’s tale takes you on a journey through a passionate romance destroyed by one of opera’s most loathsome villains.

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.

Symphony + Circus = a spectacular show, created especially for kids! Experience 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.

 

Schumann’s Symphony No. 4 is a work that leads you from gorgeous melodies to unforgettable themes, all without pause. Earlier in the evening, piano phenom Joyce Yang dazzles with Rachmaninoff’s tour-de-force of the keyboard, Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

Grammy Award-winning organist Paul Jacobs, a Pacific Symphony favorite, returns to the William J. Gillespie Concert Organ to perform a program of virtuosic organ music.

Enjoy image magnification on our big screens during the concert for a closer look at the organist!

French Impressionism bookends this delightful afternoon: Debussy opens the program with the dreamy sounds that made him famous featuring the sounds of flute, viola and harp; concluding is Ravel’s colorful and climatic piano trio. Music by the Hungarian composer, Ernst von Dohnányi treats you to shifting chromatic tonality while Czech composer, Bohuslav Martinů, explores virtuosity between flute and viola. 

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!

Wolfgang comes to life in this all-Mozart evening!  Maestro St.Clair conducts the legendary composer’s charming overture to Don Giovanni and the gloriously dark and transcendent Requiem, interspersed with a portrayal of his greatest rival, Antonio Salieri, performed by SCR Artistic Director David Ivers.

Maestro Carl St.Clair and David Ivers, actor and artistic director at South Coast Repertory, explore Mozart’s “Requiem” — one of the most enigmatic pieces ever composed, mainly due to the myths and controversies surrounding it. Mozart’s “Requiem,” which was left unfinished at the time of the composer’s death, now enjoys an elevated status as one of the most magnificent achievements in sacred music.

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.

An all-Beethoven weekend – in celebration of the iconic composer’s 251th birthday – featuring all five piano concertos with the lavishly talented Alexander Romanovsky.

Pianist Alexander Romanovsky returns to the stage with one of Beethoven’s most beloved works—his Fifth Piano Concerto, “Emperor.” From sheer beauty to dazzling grandeur, the “Emperor” requires extreme virtuosity from its soloist, making it an ideal centerpiece in the hands of the talented Romanovsky.