Cape Ann Symphony to Open 75th Diamond Anniversary Season This Month
Conductor Yoichi Udagawa leads the North Shore orchestra as it marks a milestone rarely reached by regional ensembles.
Cape Ann Symphony has announced the opening of its landmark 75th Diamond Anniversary season on Sunday, September 27 at 2:00 PM with The 75th Fantastique! Concert at Manchester-Essex Regional High School auditorium on 36 Lincoln Street in Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA. The The 75th Fantastique! Concert launches the year-long celebration of three-quarters of a century of Cape Ann Symphony bringing world-class orchestral music to Boston's North Shore.
Tickets are on sale now for the Diamond Anniversary Season. Season subscriptions offering discounted tickets are available to purchase in 3 and 4 concert packages. Single ticket prices are $65 for adults, $60 for senior citizens, $20 for students of any age with valid Student ID; $5 for youth 12 years old and under. For information and to purchase subscriptions and single tickets, call 978-281-0543 or visit www.capeannsymphony.org
"For 75 years, the Cape Ann Symphony has been defined by the shared joy of live music," says Cape Ann Symphony Board President Tom Mannle, "This season, we celebrate the generations of musicians and listeners who kept that music alive. What began in Sam and Helen Gordon's Gloucester living room with thirty friends who happened to be devoted amateur musicians, and a borrowed auditorium has, three quarters of a century later, become a 72 member all-professional regional orchestra. The opening of our 75th season represents a milestone very few regional orchestras achieve. Thanks to our dedicated supporters, passionate musicians, and an energized leadership team, CAS will continue to bring the music you love to the place we call home for decades to come. We invite everyone on the North Shore and beyond to join us for this historic year of unforgettable performances." "But", continues President Mannle, " get your tickets now! Many concerts sold out in Season 74. I highly recommend getting your season subscription NOW so you will not miss a note of Season 75 !"
Cape Ann Symphony Music Director and Conductor Yoichi Udagawa looks forward to this very special season, "Stepping onto the podium to kick off our historic 75th season is an incredible honor. Three-quarters of a century of music-making on the North Shore has built an undeniable bond between this orchestra and our community. This upcoming season is a heartfelt celebration of this long standing bond between our orchestra and the wonderful community we serve. The musicians and I are immensely grateful for the privilege of sharing the joy of live symphonic music with our amazing audiences."
"Our season opens in September with an exciting program of French masterworks, followed in November by the festive energy of our ever-popular Holiday Pops," shares Maestro Udagawa, "In March, we explore the rich tapestry of our country's musical heritage with an All American Celebration, and we bring this 75th year to a close in May with a world premiere work written for our 75th Anniversary Season from celebrated local composer Robert Bradshaw and Beethoven's monumental Ninth Symphony with special guests the Cape Ann Symphony Chorus and the New World Chorale." Maestro Udagawa points out, " Since 2001 CAS has performed19 world premieres, 7 of which were written by Bradshaw. His newest work is the perfect way to close this important season."
THE CAPE ANN SYMPHONY SEASON 75
THE DIAMOND-ANNIVERSARY SEASON: 1952-2027
THE 75th FANTASTIQUE!
Performance: Sunday, September 27, 2026: 2:00 PM
Manchester-Essex Regional High School, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA
The Cape Ann Symphony's 75th Fantastique! Concert is the spectacular opening of Cape Ann Symphony's historic 75th Anniversary Season. Under the direction of Conductor and Music Director Maestro Yoichi Udagawa, the concert features an all-French masterworks program spanning from Lili Boulanger's shimmering D'un matin de printemps (Of a Spring Morning), a luminous impressionistic gem by one of the first women to win the prestigious Prix de Rome; to Claude Debussy's evocative three-movement seascape La Mer , painting the ocean from dawn to noon, the play of waves, and the dialogue of wind and sea in glorious orchestral color; and the program culminates with Hector Berlioz's monumental Symphonie Fantastique.
THE HOLIDAY POPS CONCERT
Performances:
Saturday, November 28 2026: 2:00 PM
Dolan Performing Arts Center, Ipswich High School. Ipswich, MA
Saturday, November 28, 2026: 7:30 PM
Manchester-Essex Regional High School, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA
Sunday, November 29, 2026: 2:00 PM
Manchester-Essex Regional High School, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA
The Holiday Pops Concert, Cape Ann Symphony's joyful holiday tradition, features a program of holiday favorites, the return of Cape Ann Symphony Chorus led by Rockport's Brittany Betts, now in her third season as the Director of the Cape Ann Symphony Chorus. The program for Holiday Pops 2026 includes Selections from The NutCracker, and Christmas on Broadway arranged by John Higgins, the timeless Greensleeves, celebrates the Festival of Lights with both Custer's grand Chanukah Festival in full orchestra splendor and Holcomb's Festive Sounds of Hannukah. plus many other holiday favorites for orchestra and chorus. The concert will conclude with the CAS beloved tradition of an audience sing along.
ALL AMERICAN CELEBRATION
Featuring Acclaimed Pianist Michael Lewin
Performance: Sunday, March 14, 2027: 2:00 PM
Manchester-Essex Regional High School, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA
This showcase of American musical brilliance features Aaron Copland's spirited An Outdoor Overture; Louis Moreau Gottschalk's Grande Tarantelle ; and Ferde Grofé's majestic Grand Canyon Suite, a five-movement musical journey through one of America's natural wonders. Cape Ann Symphony welcomes back internationally acclaimed pianist Michael Lewin for George Gershwin's iconic Rhapsody in Blue.
75th SEASON FINALE
Featuring Bradshaw and Beethoven
Performance: Sunday, May 9, 2027: 2:00 PM
Manchester-Essex Regional High School, Manchester-by-the-Sea, MA
The 75th Season Finale is a momentous concert celebration that honors Cape Ann Symphony's rich musical past while showcasing the profound, vibrant energy of the orchestra today. The concert opens with the world premiere of a new work by acclaimed local composer Robert J. Bradshaw written especially for the Cape Ann Symphony's 75th anniversary. This commission celebrates our deep roots in the community and the continuing tradition of creating new music for future generations. The concert program culminates with one of the most celebrated masterworks in all of classical music, Beethoven's transcendent Symphony No. 9. In Beethoven's final complete symphony the Cape Ann Symphony Chorus led by Brittany Betts and the New World Chorale led by Holly Krafka join the orchestra for the legendary final movement.
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