All Concerts

"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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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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.

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In a much-anticipated return to the concert hall, Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings presents an exciting and varied program of favorites, old and new!

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

Please view our mandatory vaccination and masking policies.

Under the direction of Dr. Gregory X. Whitmore, Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble kicks off its 2021-22 season with a program of cutting-edge works by celebrated contemporary composers. Revel in a wide-ranging program that includes works of Adam Schoenberg, Frank Ticheli, Kelijah Dunton, and more.

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

Please view our mandatory vaccination and masking policies.

Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra inaugurates its 2021-22 season a with stirring program of brilliance, depth, and grandeur.

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

Please view our mandatory vaccination and masking policies.

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.”

Established as one of the foremost violinists of his generation, Milenkovich is an internationally sought-after soloist and recitalist. He joins Pacific Symphony Chamber Orchestra and Maestro St.Clair in a program that 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.

Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra performs its 2021-22 mid-season concert.

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

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.”

Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble welcomes special guest artists, Dr. Dustin Barr and Dr. James Tapia in a program featuring an exciting array of 20th and 21st century works, including music of Grainger, Bernstein, Shapiro, Mackey and more.

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

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.

Image magnification (IMAG): During the performance, close-ups of the orchestra musicians, conductor and pianist Joyce Yang will be projected onto the big screen above the orchestra.

Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings wraps up their 2021-22 season with a program of rousing and engaging works from many eras. From the ethereal beauty of Gerald Finzi to the brilliance and drama of Tchaikovsky, this program is sure to provide new and exciting musical vistas for all to enjoy!

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

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 caps off this delightful afternoon with Ravel’s colorful and climatic piano trio. Before that, 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!

Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra wraps up its 2021-22 season with a special program featuring a performance by the winner(s) of PSYO’s annual concerto auditions, a much anticipated and truly thrilling event!

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

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.

Experience 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!

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.

Wrapping up their 2021-22 season, Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble presents a program of soaring beauty and quirky wit, including the world premiere of Steven Mahpar’s Simurgh, and Giovanni Santos’s I Dream Awake.

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

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.

Image magnification (IMAG): During the performance, close-ups of the orchestra musicians, conductor and pianist Alexander Romanovsky will be projected onto the big screen above the orchestra.

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.