Santa Barbara Symphony To Perform Disney's FANTASIA, 1/28-29

The Santa Barbara Symphony, under the baton of guest conductor David Lockington, will provide stirring orchestral accompaniment to screened excerpts from Disney's beloved Fantasia films at the Granada Theatre on January 28 and 29. Also featuring Hindemith's richly colorful Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber as well as Maestro Lockington's own Ceremonial Fantasy Fanfare, the performances will take place at 8 pm on Saturday, January 28, and at 3 pm on Sunday, January 29. Tickets are now available.

High-definition footage from both the original Fantasia (1940) and Fantasia 2000 will be shown. Accompanying repertoire will include Beethoven's Symphony No. 5, Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite, Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, Ponchielli's Dance of the Hours, Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1 (with Donald Duck), and Dukas' The Sorcerer's Apprentice (starring Mickey Mouse).

"Our first concerts of 2017 promise an abundance of visual and musical delights for audiences of all ages," said Santa Barbara Symphony Executive Director Kevin A. Marvin. "We are especially pleased to present scenes from Disney's iconic Fantasia films in high definition, and wish to thank Sarah and Roger Chrisman for generously funding the Granada Theatre's state-of-the-art digital projection system."

A native of Great Britain, Maestro Lockington serves as music director of the Modesto and Pasadena symphonies, and previously served in the same capacity with the Grand Rapids Symphony, the Ohio Chamber Orchestra, the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, and the Long Island Philharmonic. His guest conducting engagements have included appearances with the Saint Louis, Houston, Detroit, Seattle, Toronto, Vancouver, Oregon, Baltimore, and Phoenix symphonies; the Rochester and Louisiana philharmonics; and the Orchestra of St. Luke's at Carnegie Hall. Internationally, Maestro Lockington has conducted the Northern Sinfonia in Great Britain, the Israel Chamber Orchestra, and the China Broadcasting Symphony Orchestra. He served as assistant principal cellist with the Denver Symphony Orchestra for three years before turning to conducting.

The Santa Barbara Symphony will next present the West Coast premiere of American composer Jonathan Leshnoff's Clarinet Concerto as wells as Aaron Copland's Symphony No. 3 on February 11 and 12. Additional season highlights include a pairing of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons and Piazzolla's The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, with guest violinist Philippe Quint (March 18 and 19); Sibelius' Symphony No. 5 and Grieg's famed Piano Concerto, featuring guest soloist Lilya Zilberstein (April 15 and 16); and a celebration of Paris, including Mozart's Symphony No. 31, Saint-Saëns' Cello Concerto (with guest artist Zuill Bailey), Liszt's Les préludes, and Gershwin's An American in Paris (May 13 and 14).

The Granada Theatre is located at 1214 State Street in Santa Barbara. Complete season program information is available online at www.thesymphony.org.

The concerts on January 28 and 29 are generously supported by Sarah and Roger Chrisman, the Elaine F. Stepanek Foundation, and the Lampson Team at On Q Financial.

Tickets start at $29 and can be purchased at www.granadasb.org or by calling 805-899-2222. Group sales discounts of as much as 20 percent are available. Patrons ages 20-29 can purchase $20 tickets; students with valid ID can purchase $10 tickets. Seating in both cases is confined to selected sections of the Granada Theatre.

The Santa Barbara Symphony was founded in 1953 on the belief that a special city deserves a special orchestra. Consistently lauded for its unique ability to present brilliant concerts, engage the community, and deliver dynamic music education programs, the organization prizes both innovation and artistic excellence, and is widely recognized as one of the region's premier cultural institutions. Its award-winning Music Education Center serves more than 8,000 students throughout Santa Barbara County each year. Charismatic Israeli conductor Nir Kabaretti was appointed music director of the Santa Barbara Symphony in 2006. For additional information, visit www.thesymphony.org.

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