Praised by The New York Times as 'poignant ... a monument to the courage of one man to foster hope among prisoners with little other solace,' Defiant Requiem: Verdi at Terez n will be performed by Pacific Symphony on April 16, 2019 at 8 p.m. at the Ren e and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall (600 Town Center Drive) in Costa Mesa, CA. The 'extraordinarily beautiful and moving' concert/drama commemorates the courageous Jewish prisoners in the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp during World War II who performed Verdi's Requiem 16 times, as an act of defiance and resistance to their Nazi captors. Defiant Requiem is a complete live performance of Verdi's Requiem interspersed with historic film, testimony from survivors and narration that tells this tale of audacious bravery. For this performance, Murray Sidlin will conduct the full Verdi Requiem with the soloists, Pacific Chorale and Pacific Symphony.
Pacific Symphony brings silent film organist Dennis James to the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall to perform on the iconic William J. Gillespie pipe organ on Sunday, March 17 at 3 p.m. James will play the chilling organ accompaniment to the horror classic, "Phantom of the Opera," while the 1925 black-and-white film starring Lon Chaney is projected on a huge high-definition screen above the stage
Pacific Symphony has once again put together an entertaining SummerFest program for 2019 at Pacific Amphitheatre (located in the heart of Orange County). Pop open a bottle of wine, kick back, relax and enjoy the perfect soundtrack for summer evenings under the stars. This season features the classic rock'n'roll energy of "Hotel California: A Salute to the Eagles" (July 4); John Williams' thrilling soundtrack of "Star Wars: A New Hope In Concert" performed live to film (Aug. 17); and everyone's favorite summer finale: Tchaikovsky Spectacular (Sept. 7), with guest violinist Benjamin Beilman, first prize winner in the 2010 Young Concert Artists International Auditions and the 2010 Montreal International Musical Competition.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts, in collaboration with Disney Theatrical Productions, has brought its Disney Musicals in Schools program to four additional Title I public elementary schools during the 2018 - 2019 school year. Disney Musicals in Schools is a 17-week musical theater residency that culminates with a 30-minute Disney KIDS musical.
Popular saxophonist Kenny G returns to the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall as Pacific Symphony's guest artist for the "Valentine's Day with Kenny G" concert, led by guest conductor Albert-George Schram. After Pacific Symphony opens the show with lush love themes by Puccini, Offenbach and Gottschalk, including Richard Rodgers' "My Funny Valentine," Kenny G will perform his greatest hits.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts announces the return of popular musical ensemble Postmodern Jukebox on Saturday, June 15, 2019 in the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall as part of its Welcome to the Twenties 2.0 World Tour.
Carl St.Clair, music director of Pacific Symphony and John Forsyte, the Symphony's president, announce programming for the orchestra's 2019-20 season. Pacific Symphony will celebrate Carl St.Clair's 30th year as music director of the orchestra and pays homage to Beethoven to honor the 250th anniversary of the great composer's birth. This landmark season commences on Thursday, Sept. 26 with Maestro St.Clair conducting the combined forces of Pacific Symphony and Pacific Chorale in a program featuring two great blockbusters: Beethoven's Choral Fantasy, a forerunner to his mighty Ninth Symphony along with Carl Orff's popular masterpiece Carmina Burana, the most frequently performed choral work of the 21st century.
For the fourth year in a row, Pacific Symphony and South Coast Chinese Cultural Center (SCCCC)/ Irvine Chinese School (ICS) join hands to present a free, fun, family-friendly Lantern Festival, commemorating the end of the Lunar New Year celebration. The festival, spread throughout the concert hall and the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza, features culture, music and arts, including a variety of colorful performances showcasing local music and dance groups. Entire families are encouraged to come and celebrate the Year of the Pig with numerous activities traditionally associated with Lantern Festival, a Chinese festival traditionally celebrated on the fifteenth day of the Lunar New Year! Make sure to stay updated on our social media channels, as we broadcast live some of the event's highlights on Facebook and Instagram.
Popular saxophonist Kenny G returns to the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall as Pacific Symphony's guest artist for the "Valentine's Day with Kenny G" concert, led by guest conductor Albert-George Schram. After Pacific Symphony opens the show with lush love themes by Puccini, Offenbach and Gottschalk, including Richard Rodgers' "My Funny Valentine," Kenny G will perform his greatest hits.
Pacific Symphony will present a special new addition to the "Family Musical Morning" series with the "Lunar New Year for Kids" concert in celebration of the Year of the Pig.
Pacific Symphony's "Lunar New Year," an evening of rich, colorful and festive music and dance, welcomes the Lunar New Year with a special, inspiring concert performance. Ushering in the "Year of the Pig" (according to the Chinese zodiac), Music Director Carl St.Clair leads the orchestra as it is joined by a range of talented dancers and singers for a program that is both a visual and aural spectacle. Intertwining Eastern and Western cultures for a celebration unlike any other in Orange County, this concert offers a program of considerable breadth, covering a wide spectrum of entertainment, all in celebration of the Lunar New Year, the first day of which falls on Feb. 5.
Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Martinez makes a welcome return to Costa Mesa to perform Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 with Pacific Symphony in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, January 10-12. Guest conductor David Danzmayr leads the orchestra in the program that contrasts Russian music of the 19th and 20th centuries by Mussorgsky and Prokofiev, respectively, with Chopin's glorious Piano Concerto No. 1.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts presents an incredible evening of jazz featuring the Branford Marsalis Quartet and Yuko Mabuchi Trio for one performance only on January 25, 2019 at 8:00pm. Led by Jazz Master and Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis, the quartet was declared by the Associated Press as "one of the most cohesive, intense small jazz ensembles on the scene today." Quartet members include Joey Calderazzo, piano; Eric Revis, bass; and Justin Faulkner, drums. Opening the program is pianist Yuko Mabuchi whose trio of musicians includes Del Atkins on bass and Bobby Breton on drums.
Let the holiday ring with the sounds of the organ as the musicans of Pacific Symphony join forces with the $3.1 million William J. Gillespie Concert Organ in the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall for the "Holiday Organ Spectacular Concert" with guest artist and host Todd Miller, and featuring solos from Pacific Symphony musicians Barry Perkins, trumpet; Mindy Ball, harp; Joseph Morris, clarinet; Elliot Morreau, basson; and Dennis Kim, concertmaster.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts proudly presents Pasek And Paul: Up Close and Personal with Special Guests, an exclusive one-night-only event featuring the acclaimed Tony Award-winning duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul on January 7, 2019 at 7:00 p.m. in Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall.
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who are best known for their songwriting work on Dear Evan Hansen, The Greatest Showman, and La La Land, will appear at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, California on January 7th.
After becoming a sensation on YouTube, Jackie Evancho, went on to audition for America's Got Talent, sweeping the competion at only 10 years old and capturing the hearts of millions.This early success propelled her career to what it is today at just age 18. Among her six albums, she has produced two Christmas albums, "Heavenly Christmas" and "Someday at Christmas," including a performance during the lighitng of the National Christams Tree in Washington, D.C. a few years ago and a special Christmas performance back on the America's Got Talent stage in 2016.
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. Awe-inspiring sounds of praise ring out as Pacific Symphony is joined by Pacific Chorale for the triumphant annual holiday celebration, "Handel's Glorious Messiah," celebrating the birth of Christ. A holiday tradition across the world, "Messiah" has been performed for more than 275 years, but with each new conductor, orchestra and soloists, it becomes a fresh and newly invigorating experience. This year Christopher Warren-Green mans the podium to lead the Symphony along with the Chorale and a host of globally distinguished soloists, including the soprano Klara Ek, counter-tenor David Trudgen, tenor Nicky Spence and bass-baritone Daniel Okulitch. Full of brilliant choral writing, "Messiah" energizes its audience and leaves them singing, "Hallelujah!"
December 2018 will see Orange County's Pacific Chorale give voice to the holiday spirit with two contrasting concerts: "Carols by Candlelight" at Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic Church in Newport Beach and "Tis the Season!" at Segerstrom Center for the Arts' Renee and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa. The first of the two "Tis the Season!" performances will be followed by the Chorale's annual Holiday Gala fundraising dinner, "Imagine, Inspire, Create," at The Center Club, located just across the Argyros Plaza from the concert hall.
