Review: THE OUTSIDERS at Belk Theater
by Perry Tannenbaum
- Feb 9, 2026
Musically and dramatically, THE OUTSIDERS plays like a top-notch chamber version of WEST SIDE STORY: less-heated animosities between the gangs, no symphonic aspirations to the music, and no hormones - none of these Greaser dudes has a girl! But when the music, the jagged choreography, and the special effects get cranked up, the fanaticism of the pre-sold audience is irresistibly contagious.
Review: San Diego Symphony Performs Mahler's Seventh Symphony at Jacobs Music Center
by Ron Bierman
- Feb 5, 2026
Jaha Ling led the San Diego Symphony’s first performance of Mahler’s seventh symphony in 2014, more than a century after the orchestra was founded. He called it “the most modern of all Mahler symphonies.”
Many critics have made similar judgements, the more conservative among them meant it as a pejorative, others as a compliment. Schoenberg and Berg admired the score. But the respected classical music site Bachtrack said, “Maestro Ling deserves kudos for being brave enough to program it.”
The confused reaction to the seventh is one of the reasons it has always been the least performed of Mahler’s nine completed symphonies. Conservative listeners complain it lacks the composer’s usual use of classical forms and developments, others that its movements seem structurally unrelated and unexpected key changes hurt the music’s flow.
It doesn't help that a typical performance runs for 80 minutes and calls for more than 100 musicians and several instruments seldom used by symphony orchestras including cow bells.
In the Orchestra’s second take on the work, Conductor Rafael Payare physically mirrored my own reactions with acrobatics that may make him a favorite in any Olympic event for conductor-podium gymnastics.
Boston Symphony Orchestra Unveils 2026 Tanglewood Season
by Chloe Rabinowitz
- Jan 29, 2026
Tanglewood has revealed the details of its 2026 season, opening in late June and continuing to Labor Day weekend. The schedule brings many of the world’s most exciting musicians to the beautiful Berkshire hills of western Massachusetts.
Orchestra Of St. Luke’s Unveils Winter/spring 2026 Season
by A.A. Cristi
- Jan 29, 2026
Orchestra of St. Luke’s has announced its winter and spring 2026 season, featuring concerts at Carnegie Hall and venues across New York City. Highlights include three Carnegie Hall mainstage programs, the annual OSL Bach Festival, and appearances in the Five Boroughs Music Festival.
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