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Classics I
Organ Spectacular

Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo

RAVEL Menuet Antique
JONGEN Sinfonia Concertante, Op. 81 (1926), featuring Felix Hell
BRAHMS Symphony No. 4 in E Minor, Op. 98

Our 24/25 Classics season kicks off on Saturday October 5th with a celebration of the mighty Forbes Organ at the PAC, with guest soloist, Felix Hell, performing the Belgian composer Joseph Jongen’s iconic Sinfonia Concertante an orchestral work, normally in several movements, in which one or more solo instruments contrast with the full orchestra for Organ and Orchestra from 1926.  We open with a magical dance from olden times, originally written for piano and later orchestrated by Maurice Ravel, his Menuet Antique. We conclude with Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 in E Minor op. 98 opus: a separate composition or set of compositions by a particular composer, usually ordered by date of publication from 1883, a work of both sweeping gestures, soulful yearning and sublime passion.

Concert Sponsor: Len Jarrott
Soloist Sponsor: Bert and Candace Forbes

Classics II
Paderewski Gala

Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo

MOZART Magic Flute Overture
PADEREWSKI Piano Concerto in A Minor, Op. 17, featuring Janina Fialkowska
PODELL Cayucos by the Sea, commissioned by Klaus and Monika Gottlieb
MUSSORGSKY/RAVEL Pictures at an Exhibition

Our second Classics concert partners with the Paderewski Festival in Paso Robles to bring famed Polish-Canadian pianist, Janina Fialkowska, to San Luis Obispo, to perform Paderewski’s Piano Concerto in A minor.  A work inspired by the concertos of contemporaries – Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and Shostakovich – the second movementA unit of a larger work that may stand by itself as a complete composition, is a beautiful song to life. Mozart’s Overture an instrumental introduction to the Magic Flute begins this concert, with the famed opening three chords signifying Sarastro banging on the door. We celebrate the 100th anniversary year of Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition with the famous orchestrated writing music for an orchestra or of adapting music composed for another medium for an orchestra version by Maurice Ravel.  This work has come to symbolize the great Russian tradition as well as Ravel’s expert orchestration. From the opening Promenade music heard on the trumpet to the bold brass theme that opens the final movement the Great Gate of Kiev.  A work of multiple components with walking or “promenade” music in between nine fully executed movements, as the composer takes us on a musical journey of great art. We will also feature the world premiere of “Cayucos by the Sea” from local composer Stefan Podell, commissioned by Symphony patrons Klaus and Monika Gottlieb.

Concert Sponsors: City of San Luis Obispo, Foundation for the Performing Arts Center

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New Year’s Eve
Rhapsody in Blue

Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo

GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue, featuring Maxim Lando, piano

Ring in the New Year with the San Luis Obispo Symphony! Details to come. Tickets go on sale Monday, August 12, 2024!

Guest Artist Sponsored by: Mark Sherman and Denise Barilla

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Classics III
Classical Hits
Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven

Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo

SCHUBERT Symphony No. 7
TCHAIKOVSKY Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 6

This all-orchestral program includes two symphonies by famed contemporaries, Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony and Beethoven’s “Pastoral” Symphony. Tchaikovsky’s tone poem, Romeo and Juliet Fantasy is more like a virtuoso work for orchestra, replacing the traditional concerto for this program.

Concert Sponsor: Jeff and Melodee Brady

Classics IV
Novacek Plays Brahms

Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo

MYERS Changes
FARRENC Symphony No. 3 in G Minor
BRAHMS Piano Concerto No. 2 in B Flat, featuring John Novacek

John Novacek is well known to San Luis Obispo audiences through performances with Festival Mozaic, and as their 23/24 Artist in Residence.  His acumen for big works will be on full display as he performs Brahms mighty Piano Concerto No.2 in B flat. We open with a work by northern Californian composer, Andre Myers. Myers serves on the composition faculty at Redwood University, and we conclude with Symphony No.3 by mid-nineteenth century French composer, Louise Farrenc. Farrenc served for more than twenty years, as professor of composition at the Paris Conservatoire, and was herself a virtuoso pianist. She wrote three symphonies, choral and chamber works as well as many works for the piano.

Guest Artist Sponsored by: Minke Winklerprins

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Classics V
Elgar Cello Concerto

Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo

MENDELSSOHN Overture to The Hebrides, Op. 26
ELGAR Cello Concerto in E Minor, Op. 85, featuring Amit Peled
PODELL new work, commissioned by Ingrid and Carol Siegel
DVORAK Symphony No. 8, Op. 88

We welcome the return of Amit Peled to perform Elgar’s sublime Cello Concerto in E minor, a work considered to be the greatest cello concerto of the twentieth century. Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture recounts in music Mendelssohn’s seas journey to Fingal’s Cave in the Hebrides. We conclude with the popular Symphony No. 8 in G major by Dvorak, a work abounding in melody especially for the cello section. We will also feature a world premiere from local composer Stefan Podell, commissioned by Symphony patrons Ingrid and Carol Siegel.

Guest Artist Sponsored by: Cricket Handler and Jerry Boots

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Pops by the Sea – Movie Magic

Avila Beach Golf Resort