Concert Calendar

The towering genius of Brahms cast a long shadow that influenced many of his contemporaries, including Dvorák, a devoted friend he mentored. The program opens with a Brahms-inspired work by a young Israeli-American composer that Orli Shaham commissioned and recorded.

Six-time Grammy Award-winner Amy Grant has enjoyed a career spanning more than 30 years, stretching from her roots in gospel music to becoming a leading pop star, songwriter, television personality and philanthropist. Grant has produced numerous hits such as “Baby Baby,” “Every Heartbeat,” “That’s What Love is For,” “I Will Remember You,” “Lead Me On,” “El Shaddai” and more.

The Symphony opens the concert with hits of the incomparable Henry Mancini, including “Pink Panther,” “Moon River” and more.

Tchaikovsky described his Fourth as "a reflection of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony." From the fateful thundering brass fanfare to the dramatic finish, this quintessentially romantic Russian music will sweep you away, evoking surging powerful emotions. This powerful work rounds out a program featuring an intriguing world premiere and Mozart’s most beloved violin concerto performed by award-winning French violinist Arnaud Sussmann, whose violin playing has been described as “reminiscent of Jascha Heifetz or Fritz Kreisler.”

Attention all Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws and Slytherins! Grab your brooms and fly away with us as Pacific Symphony performs selections from the Harry Potter films and more, complete with presentations by a professional magician. Dress as your favorite wizard, sorcerer or other Halloween character for a Hogwarts Halloween.

The spectacular finale of Tchaikovsky’s dramatic Fourth Symphony shares the program with Mozart’s most famous and beloved violin concerto and an intriguing world premiere starring the Symphony’s principal wind players in a virtuoso workout.

Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble kicks off its milestone 10th anniversary season with works of old and new! Celebrate with PSYWE during Ron Nelson's “Lauds” and bask in the sound of David Maslanka's “Requiem,” both works rooted in antiquity. Look to the future in Mason Bates “Chicago, 2012” from "Alternative Energy," a collaborative work for onstage electroacoustics. The brilliant musicians of PSYWE backed by the mighty William J. Gillespie concert organ are sure to engage and inspire. This performance features a special guest conductor, Pacific Symphony's Music Director Carl St.Clair!

Admission is free, but tickets are required. Seating is general admission.

Recently returned from its summer performance tour of China, Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra inaugurates its 2016-17 season with charismatic works performed by Southern California’s finest young orchestral musicians. Glinka’s thrilling Overture to “Ruslan and Ludmilla” ushers in an exciting evening that includes George Gershwin’s soulful “Porgy and Bess.” Feel the might of this brilliant orchestra electrified by the sound of the William J. Gillespie Concert Organ during Saint-Saëns’ powerful “Organ Symphony.”

Admission is free, but tickets are required. Seating is general admission.

This hilarious and heart-warming comedy classic features John Williams’ charming and captivating score performed live by Pacific Symphony to a screening of the film. When 8-year-old Kevin McCallister (played by Macaulay Culkin) is accidentally left behind after his family takes off on Christmas vacation, he needs to defend his home against two bungling burglars (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern).

Community musicians ages 22 and older from across Orange County will have the unique opportunity to play in the Samueli Theater in one of four chamber ensembles led by Pacific Symphony conductors and musicians. The event will include a chamber string orchestra led by cellist Ian McKinnell, a woodwind ensemble led by flutist Cindy Ellis, a brass choir led by Assistant Conductor Roger Kalia and a percussion ensemble led by Principal Percussionist Rob Slack.

Learn more about how to participate.

Friends, fans, and interested observers are invited to attend this workshop-style event for FREE, but tickets are required. Seating is general admission.

Zubin Mehta said of Spain’s pre-eminent pianist, “I have only heard this sound from Rubinstein,” while Sir Simon Rattle commented: “There is something special with Joaquín Achúcarro. Very few musicians can extract this kind of sound from the piano.” This not-to-be-missed debut is part of a program that includes Grieg’s ever popular Peer Gynt, musical fairy-tale ballet music by Stravinksy and a magical, mystical concerto from Finland that includes taped bird songs interacting with the orchestra.

Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings rings in its 26th season with works celebrating the artistic achievement and virtuosic energy of youth! In this concert, these talented young musicians perform prolific works by talented young composers who changed the world of music in their short lives. Enjoy an evening of youthful music masterfully performed by the youth of Santiago Strings! The concert opens with the Prelude Chamber Strings conducted by Helen Weed.

Admission is free, but tickets are required. Seating is general admission.

Praised for her “bountiful gifts and passionate immersion into the music she touches” (The Plain Dealer), Chinese pianist Fei-Fei Dong was a finalist at the 14th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. She continues to charm audiences with her “winning stage presence” (Dallas Morning News).

Laguna Art Museum hosts this multimedia event spotlighting the art-evoked inspiration which drives artists in every field to create great new works. Featuring a fantastic Pacific Symphony sextet, the program includes music inspired by poetry, dance galvanized by poetry and music, a fascinating video about Georgia O’Keeffe, a new piece by local composer James Hopkins sparked by a painting in the Museum’s collection and the culmination of a music-focused art competition with the audience choosing the winner.

Free with museum admission: General Admission $7, Students and Seniors (60+) $5, Children under 12 and LAM Members Free. Space is limited; PRE-REGISTER HERE.

This tribute to the charming Viennese waltz—featuring music by Richard Strauss and Johann Strauss—is sure to sweep you off your feet! In the 1800s, Vienna was the glittering cultural jewel at the heart of Europe and Brahms spent his entire life there. Performing his First Piano Concerto will be Jeremy Denk, the winner of many celebrated awards, including the coveted MacArthur ‘Genius” Fellowship.

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.

“Home for the Holidays” is a magical experience for the whole family that will dazzle, delight and captivate audiences. Join Australia’s rockstars of the opera as they amaze and enthrall with their unique selection of traditional and contemporary seasonal favorites. With soaring versions of “Joy to the World,” “Sleigh Ride,” “White Christmas,” “Winter Wonderland” and many more, “Home for the Holidays” is the perfect way to celebrate the spirit of the season.

Celebrate the season with the king of instruments! Enjoy a magnitude of musical splendors with a world-class organist 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 $3.1 million William J. Gillespie Concert Organ.

One of Tchaikovsky’s best known works and among the most famous in all of classical music, the First Piano Concerto is a deeply expressive and romantic tour de force. Gold Medal winner of the 2009 Van Cliburn Competition, Haochen Zhang performs this great masterwork. Prokofiev’s Fifth is one of the great orchestral works of the 20th century. Written during the dark days of World War II, Prokofiev intended his Fifth to be "a hymn to free and happy Man, to his mighty powers, his pure and noble spirit."

Enjoy image magnification on our big screens throughout the concert for a closer look at pianist Haochen Zhang, Music Director Carl St.Clair and the musicians of Pacific Symphony!

This fairytale adventure tells the story of two hungry children lost in an enchanted forest, an inviting gingerbread house and a wicked witch. This kid-friendly production features spoken narration, as well as the most charming and catchy tunes from the original opera, sung by talented opera singers, including students from Chapman University, who are joined by The All-American Boys Chorus.

Prokofiev described his Fifth as “the culminating point of my creative life. I imagine the Symphony as the expression of the grandeur of the human spirit.” Experience one of the great orchestral works of the 20th century.

Celebrate the Lunar New Year and usher in the Year of the Rooster with music and dance, featuring Pacific Symphony and members of the Yaya Dance Academy. The program includes the popular Spring Festival Overture by Li Huanzhi, the traditional "Jasmine Flower" and the delightful Butterfly Lover’s Concerto with George Gao on erhu. The evening culminates in the inspirational "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, when Pacific Chorale is joined by a community chorus.

Former assistant conductor of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, David Danzmayr makes his Pacific Symphony debut conducting a program that presents three different musical perspectives evoking the wild Romantic landscapes of Scotland. Well known are Max Bruch’s fantasy on Scottish folk melodies for violin and Mendelssohn’s “Scottish” Symphony inspired by a walking tour of the ruins of Edinburgh’s Holyrood Palace. Less known is romantic Scottish composer Hamish MacCunn’s “charming Scotch overture that carries you over the hills and far away,” as George Bernard Shaw once described it.

Hailed as a charismatic rising star with “an exceptional ability to connect with an audience combined with an easy virtuosity” (Huffington Post), 27-year-old American pianist Sean Chen was the third prize winner at the 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, in addition to other awards.

Get ready for a romantic and unforgettable evening with this multi- Grammy Award-winning singer/ songwriter, who has sold more than 55 million albums and singles worldwide. Known for his soulful voice and poignant lyrics, Michael Bolton will perform a concert featuring blockbuster hits, soulful classics and such favorite pop songs as “How Am I Supposed to Live Without You,” “When a Man Loves a Woman,” “How Can We Be Lovers, ” “That’s What Love is All About,” “Time, Love and Tenderness,” “Stand By Me” and many more.

Our semi-staged concert opera productions have been extremely popular and always sell out. Continuing in that tradition, we present Verdi’s most popular opera. “Aida” tells the story of a doomed love triangle involving the Pharaoh’s daughter, the enslaved Nubian princess Aida and the ambitious soldier they both love. Aida reflects Verdi’s great musical genius at its most voluptuous. Thrill to some of opera’s greatest arias, most powerful choruses and the stirring Triumphal March.

Brazil’s greatest composer, Villa-Lobos mined the rich exotic sound world of his native country’s folk music. Argentina’s Ginastera followed suit and also inspired a young Piazzolla, who played the tango accordion (bandoneón) to follow his muse as the father of “new tango.” Come early for tango dancing in the lobby!

In the pantheon of pop, few groups have enjoyed the success of The Beach Boys. Their close vocal harmonies and “Good Vibrations” conjure timeless memories of surf, sun and endless summers. Known for such irresistible chart-topping hits as “Surfin’,” “Fun, Fun, Fun,” “I Get Around,” “Kokomo,” “Help Me Rhonda” and “California Girls,” these Rock and Roll Hall of Famers have performed more concerts than any major rock band in history.

Fritz Lang’s sci-fi masterpiece influenced such films as “Star Wars” and “Blade Runner.” Experience this cinematic tour de force projected on the big screen while organ virtuoso Peter Richard Conte performs the unforgettable soundtrack live.

Pianist Zhang Zuo makes her Pacific Symphony debut performing Beethoven’s mighty Third Piano Concerto. The Los Angeles Times described the gifted young pianist (affectionately nicknamed “Zee Zee”) as “a powerful, passionate and compelling representation of pure artistry.” The concert opens with the captivating “Folk Songs for Orchestra” by Chinese-American composer Huang Ruo. Elgar’s intriguing “Enigma Variations” closes the program.

Enjoy image magnification on our big screens throughout the concert for a closer look at pianist Zhang Zuo, guest conductor Darrell Ang and the musicians of Pacific Symphony!

Camelot, gallant knights in shining armor and fair damsels in distress. With advice from the old wizard Merlin, King Arthur hunts the dragon in a dangerous quest that is the stuff of legend. Will he slay the dragon and save the magic kingdom? You’ll have to see the concert to find out! Featuring the gifted young musicians of Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra in our annual side-by-side concert and including adventurous music from “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and Rossini’s “William Tell Overture.”

Join Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble as it seeks to explore music's connection to those most basic of human experiences: good and evil. Optimistic and yearning in both color and character, “House Plants in Terracotta Pots” by Roy Magnuson opens the performance in a minimalistic beckoning of curiosity, followed by Brian Balmages' introspective “Kindred Spirits.” Bask in Aaron Perrine's “Only Light” and experience the power of David Maslanka's tone poem “Liberation,” featuring a full chorus performing alongside one of the nation’s greatest youth wind ensembles.

Admission is free, but tickets are required. Seating is general admission.

We invite you to experience the virtuosity of Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra in an evening of symphonic masterpieces. Lose yourself in the lush fanfares of Wagner’s Overture to "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg," experience the home-grown Americana of Copland’s "Billy the Kid" Suite and find tranquility in Respighi’s “Church Windows.” Don’t miss this memorable showcase of young talent and awe-inspiring artistry!

Admission is free, but tickets are required. Seating is general admission.

The New Yorker’s critic Alex Ross described John Adams’ music as “present-tense American romanticism.” In celebration of this new-music luminary’s 70th birthday, Pacific Symphony performs “The Dharma at Big Sur,” with Tracy Silverman, “the greatest living exponent of the electric violin” (BBC Radio). The Grammy-nominated “Ellis Island: The Dream of America” is a stirring work that celebrates the hopes and fears of immigrants who arrive at Ellis Island in search of a utopian dream. 

This concert is part of Pacific Symphony's American Composers Festival 2017.

Peter Boyer’s compelling work celebrates the hopes and fears of immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island in search of a utopian dream.

This concert is part of Pacific Symphony's American Composers Festival 2017.

Long before becoming world renowned as the quirky and neurotic George Costanza on “Seinfeld,” Jason Alexander was a Tony Award-winning Broadway song-and-dance man. His evening with Pacific Symphony brings a hilarious re-telling of his journey to and on the Broadway stage, which features a program of great music from the theater along with comedy and audience interaction. It’s a much heralded night of music, laughter and fun.

Two of Canada’s brightest classical music stars perform a program that celebrates the spirit of France. Mozart composed his Symphony No. 31 specifically to please and impress Parisian audiences. Chopin called “The City of Lights” home for most of his adult life, and Debussy and Ravel are two of France’s greatest composers. BBC Music Magazine commented on Louis Lortie’s gifts as an interpreter of Chopin: “Lortie is a model Chopinist: eloquent but never sentimental, elegant, harmonically luminous, structurally immaculate—and surprising.”

Pacific Symphony brings a zoo to musical life with the Bob Brown Puppets and a narrator to tell the story. Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Carnival of the Animals” features each animal in its own descriptive song, from the royal march of the stately lions, to hippity-hopping kangaroos, lumbering elephants, a gracefully swimming swan and more.

Van Cliburn International Piano Competition silver medalist and Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient, Joyce Yang, captivates audiences with her virtuosity, lyricism and interpretive sensitivity. “Her attention to detail and clarity is as impressive as her agility, balance and velocity” (Washington Post).

The U.S. Naval Academy’s Chapel organist Monte Maxwell has played for diplomats and national leaders from around the world, and now he performs for you! Hear this outstanding virtuoso on a wide-ranging program from Baroque and beyond.

We owe a huge debt of gratitude to “Papa Haydn,” who has been called the father of the string quartet because he was instrumental in the development of chamber music. For most of his career Haydn was not only considered the most celebrated composer in Europe, but he also guided and mentored two star pupils: Mozart and Beethoven!

The 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. Ravel’s “Morning Song of the Jester,” incorporating Spanish musical themes, opens the program. Closing the evening is Strauss’ tone poem inspired by the Cervantes novel, with the solo cello—Pacific Symphony’s own Timothy Landauer—starring as the “ingenious gentleman,” Don Quixote de la Mancha.

Enjoy image magnification on our big screens throughout the concert for a closer look at the soloists, Music Director Carl St.Clair and the musicians of Pacific Symphony!

In its energizing season finale performance, Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings presents you with an afternoon of masterpieces from our own backyard! Experience a bit of Americana through the folk tunes and masterworks that built the American classical canon – from “Simple Gifts” to Bernstein’s “West Side Story.” This performance presented by the high-achieving musicians of Santiago Strings will be sure to amaze and inspire!

Admission is free, but tickets are required. Seating is general admission.

Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble gears up to embark on its first international tour of Austria in July 2017 and concludes its 10th anniversary concert season by paying homage to the band tradition as well as the ensemble’s history in the Pacific Symphony family. Basler’s thrilling "Carnival" excitedly kicks off this performance followed by Giroux’ brand new work, "One Life Beautiful." Two cornerstone works for wind ensemble, Vaughn Williams’ "English Folksong Suite" and Holst's First Suite in Eb, celebrate the wind band culture’s deep rooted tradition.

Admission is free, but tickets are required. Seating is general admission.

Energized from a season of artistic achievement, the accomplished Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra will wow the crowd with its vibrant display of young musical talent. Join this high-caliber orchestra as it delves into the mind of Gustav Mahler through the sounds of his great Symphony No. 2. The winner(s) of this season’s concerto competition will also be featured during this performance.

Admission is free, but tickets are required. Seating is general admission.

Academy and Grammy Award-winner John Williams has made cinematic history as the composer of some of Hollywood’s most popular and recognizable film scores including “Jaws,” “Star Wars,” “Superman,” “Indiana Jones,” “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” “Jurassic Park,” and the first three “Harry Potter” films. Maestro Kaufman pays tribute to the genius of John Williams on the occasion of his 85th birthday.

In Mahler’s Second Symphony, the composer ponders the question of life, death and transcendence and in so doing pens some of his most sublime music. Meditating on these questions required Mahler to compose the largest symphony ever known at that time—with massive instrumental and vocal forces, daring harmonic structure, and expansive length—all to astonishing effect. As the composer once said, "The term 'symphony' means creating a world with all the technical means available." This great masterpiece will be performed in celebration of John Alexander’s remarkable 45-year tenure as Artistic Director of Pacific Chorale.

Mahler’s Second is a monumental symphony on a grand scale and—reminiscent of Beethoven’s Ninth—it culminates in an exhilarating chorus that sings of man’s highest hopes and heavenly visions. The work takes you on incredible journey, from death and dissolution to renewal and redemption.