Berkeley Symphony to Present WORLDS BEYOND As Part Of Its 2025–26 Symphonic Series

Berkeley Symphony continues its 54th season with Worlds Beyond, the third concert in its 2025–26 Symphonic Series, on Sunday, November 16, 2025, at 4 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Berkeley (2345 Channing Way).

The performance will be led by Berkeley Symphony Associate Conductor Ming Luke, whose visionary artistry and dynamic approach have earned him acclaim on stages around the world.

“This program explores artistic voice at moments of transition—where memory, imagination, and transformation converge,” said Executive Director Marion Atherton. “Each piece invites us to cross boundaries, whether through cultural celebration, cosmic wonder, or the poignancy of human experience.”

Program Overview

The concert opens with Alma Monarca, a new work by Latin Grammy-nominated composer Juan Pablo Contreras, co-commissioned by Berkeley Symphony. Inspired by Día de los Muertos traditions in his grandfather’s hometown of Pátzcuaro, Mexico, the piece evokes the vivid colors, textures, and emotions of remembrance and renewal.

Soprano Laquita Mitchell then joins the orchestra for Richard Strauss’s Four Last Songs, a transcendent song cycle written near the end of the composer’s life. These meditations on love, loss, and acceptance represent some of Strauss’s most emotionally profound music.

After intermission, Missy Mazzoli’s Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres) propels audiences into the cosmic—its shimmering, circular sonorities evoke celestial movement and the vastness of space.

The evening concludes with Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9, a work of biting wit and energetic resilience. Composed at the end of World War II, the symphony juxtaposes levity and unease, closing the program on a note of spirited defiance and hope.

About the Artists

Ming Luke, described as a conductor of “energy, creativity, and charisma not seen since Leonard Bernstein,” maintains an international career that spans symphonic, operatic, and dance repertoire. He currently serves as Music Director of Nashville Ballet, Principal Guest Conductor of San Francisco Ballet, and Music Director of the Las Cruces Symphony, Merced Symphony, and Berkeley Community Chorus & Orchestra. As Berkeley Symphony’s Associate Conductor and Education Director, he has led more than 150 concerts for Bay Area students.

Laquita Mitchell, praised for her “sumptuous soprano” and “commanding presence,” has performed with leading institutions such as the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, and Boston Symphony Orchestra. Equally passionate about contemporary repertoire, she has premiered works by many of today’s leading composers.

About Berkeley Symphony

Founded in 1971, Berkeley Symphony is recognized for its adventurous programming, community engagement, and championing of new and diverse musical voices. The orchestra has become a cultural cornerstone of the East Bay, pairing contemporary innovations with classical masterworks to create performances that reflect the artistic vitality of its home city.

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