Henry Segerstrom News

Genre-bridging musical sensation Mark O'Connor brings his celebrated Appalachian Christmas Tour to Segerstrom Center for the Arts on Tuesday, December 15 in the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.

It's a 'New World,' when East joins hands with West for Pacific Symphony's upcoming concert combining one of classical music's most 'American' symphonies on a program with Chinese influences, plus a little German and Czech thrown in for good measure. Dvorak's Symphony No. 9, subtitled 'From the New World,' artfully melds the rich folk melodies of America with classical techniques and represents both the triumph and tragedy the Czech composer saw in American music when he visited in 1892, as well as his music's impact on Americans.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts announces its first The Center Celebrates Community event on Sunday, November 15 on the Arts Plaza from 2 - 5 p.m. The afternoon's program reflects the Center's commitment to making the Arts Plaza a dynamic public gathering place.

Orange County, Calif.—Nov. 5, 2015—The young and highly talented Pacific Symphony Santiago Strings (PSSS) and Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble (PSYWE) are preparing to launch their first concerts of the 2015-16 season. First, the talented brass, woodwind and percussion musicians of PSYWE breeze onto the stage to perform a selection of European classics from the wind ensemble canon on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 1 p.m., in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. The program, “Europa,” features Rimsky-Korsakov's “Procession of the Nobles,” Grainger's “Lincolnshire Posy” and Walton's “Crown Imperial.” Then, PSSS celebrates its 25th anniversary and pays tribute to its founder, Lonie Bosserman, whose dream it was to create a middle-school string ensemble, by performing dream-like music for “Fantasize This!,” taking place Sunday, Nov. 22, at 4 p.m., at Friends Church in Yorba Linda. 

An exceptional season awaits the highly gifted Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra (PSYO), led by new Assistant Conductor Roger Kalia—kicking off this fall and culminating in a once-in-a-lifetime 10-day international tour of China next summer.

Orange County, Calif.—Nov. 3, 2015—An exceptional season awaits the highly gifted Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra (PSYO), led by new Assistant Conductor Roger Kalia—kicking off this fall and culminating in a once-in-a-lifetime 10-day international tour of China next summer. To launch this landmark season, PSYO offers an exciting palette of colors in three orchestral pillars: Sibelius' lush “Finlandia,” Bizet's energetic Suite No. 1 from “Carmen” and Mussorgsky's grand “Pictures at an Exhibition,” on Sunday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m., in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. This season, all PSYO concerts are free to attend, thanks to the generosity of sponsors (PSYO's fall concert is sponsored by Judith Posnikoff). To reserve a general admission ticket, call the Symphony's box office at (714) 755-5799 or visit www.PacificSymphony.org. 

Ina Garten, the Emmy Award-winning host of the Barefoot Contessa television show on Food Network and The New York Times best-selling author, comes to Segerstrom Center for the Arts tonight, November 5, 2015 in Segerstrom Hall.

Atlantic Records recording group Straight No Chaser has announced details of their new album. “THE NEW OLD FASHIONED” -- the world famous a cappella group's fifth full-length release -- arrives everywhere on October 30th. 

Orange County, Calif.—Oct. 26, 2015—It's a “New World,” when East joins hands with West for Pacific Symphony's upcoming concert combining one of classical music's most “American” symphonies on a program with Chinese influences, plus a little German and Czech thrown in for good measure. Dvo?ák's Symphony No. 9, subtitled “From the New World,” artfully melds the rich folk melodies of America with classical techniques and represents both the triumph and tragedy the Czech composer saw in American music when he visited in 1892, as well as his music's impact on Americans. Surrounding this audience favorite are Bruch's popular Violin Concerto No. 1, which embodies almost every desirable trait in the Romantic violin repertory. The concerto is performed by internationally acclaimed Chinese violinist Dan Zhu—praised as “an artist of affecting humility and beautiful tone production” by The Strad magazine; plus, Chinese composer Li Huanzhi's Spring Festival Overture—a work of joyous celebration—all led by Chinese-born guest conductor, En Shao. 

Grammy Award-winning Mexican-American music star Lila Downs celebrates Dia de los Muertos on Sunday, October 25, 2015 with a special concert in the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall at 6 p.m. As a prelude to Downs' concert, the Center is throwing a FREE Party on the Plaza with entertainment, dancing, food trucks and more.

Most folks didn't discover the world of classical music through formal concerts. They discovered it through Elmer Fudd singing 'Kill the Wabbit!' and by watching Mickey Mouse trying to stop an army of living broomsticks from drowning him. That same spirit of curiosity, discovery, informality and playfulness fills the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall tonight, Oct. 24, at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., as Pacific Symphony launches its 2015-16 Family Musical Mornings season, sponsored by Farmers & Merchants Bank, with 'Phantoms of the Orchestra.'

Pacific Symphony and Music Director Carl St.Clair explore great masterworks by Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms, two Romantic-era composers who were united by their friendship, passion for music and love of the same woman: Clara Wieck. A virtuosic pianist herself, Clara's influence prevails throughout the music of both composers. Shortly after marrying Schumann, she encouraged her new husband (although they had been friends for years) to write a piano concerto for her to premiere. The result has become one of the most popular piano concertos of the repertoire. Interpreting its unpredictable moods and colorful emotions for the Symphony's concert is French pianist David Fray. Son-in-law of the great conductor Riccardo Muti, Fray has gained a reputation for his individualistic, expressive and meditative performances. “David Fray is alive to the way the music moves at every point and skilled at evoking worlds of sound beyond the piano,” wrote Gramophone Online.

Marking their 19th visit to Segerstrom Center for the Arts, audience favorite Emerson String Quartet returns to Samueli Theater tonight, October 22 at 8 p.m. in a program featuring Haydn's dazzling String Quartet in D minor 'Fifths,' Bartok's String Quartet No. 4 and the rarely performed String Quartet No. 15 in G major by Schubert.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts has scheduled six special shows to fill the holiday season with music, dance and stellar entertainment.

Zoltan Maga, Hungary's foremost violin virtuoso and PBS television star, brings his fiery Gypsy music to Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Today, October 16, 2015 at 8 p.m., for one night only. Joining Maga, direct from Budapest, will be beautifully-costumed folk dancers, a cast of hand-picked singers, ballroom dancers and his orchestra.

Broadway veteran Cheyenne Jackson will make his Segerstrom Center for the Arts debut with his new show Hello Gorgeous: Cheyenne Jackson Goes To The Movies on November 21, 2015 in the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Jackson will perform musical gems from shows such as Gypsy and Little Shop of Horrors, as well as classic film favorites from Breakfast at Tiffany's, Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz and James Bond films.

Music Director Alan Gilbert will lead the New York Philharmonic on the CALIFORNIA 2016 tour, May 3-7, 2016. The tour will feature four orchestral concerts with appearances in Costa Mesa, San Diego, and San Francisco.

Atlantic Records recording group Straight No Chaser has announced details of their new album. “THE NEW OLD FASHIONED” -- the world famous a cappella group's fifth full-length release -- arrives everywhere on October 30th. 

Orange County, Calif.—Sept. 2, 2015—Almost two years ago, Pacific Symphony and Music Director Carl St.Clair charged Composer-in-Residence Narong Prangcharoen with setting Orange County to music. Since then, the composer has been on a journey to discover what makes OC home to more than 3 million people. The project titled “OC in Unison,” funded by The James Irvine Foundation, officially began in January 2014 when Prangcharoen began touring the region. Inspired by the diverse landscape and the stories of the people, the piece—“Beyond Land and Ocean”—began to take shape. Brought to the Symphony's attention when he entered and won the Symphony's American Composers Competition in 2005, Prangcharoen has been tasked with encapsulating the diverse aspects of the county (founded in 1889) into a single 20-minute piece of music. “I'm not sure how he's going to do it,” St.Clair admitted earlier this year. “But if anyone can, it's him.” 

For more than 50 years, The National Circus and Acrobats of The People's Republic of China has been entertaining and mesmerizing generations of audiences around the world with incredible feats. Segerstrom Center welcomes, direct from Beijing, The National Circus and Acrobats of The People's Republic of China in the program 'Peking Dreams' today, September 26 with two performances at 2 and 8 p.m. in the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.