Orchestral brilliance marks the season’s opening concert, beginning with Weber’s sparkling Overture to Euranthye and Elgar’s richly melodic Introduction and Allegro.  The program culminates in Chopin’s grand Concerto No 1 in E-minor, featuring Haochen Zhang, the exciting Gold Medal Winner of the recent Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

• Weber    Euranthye Overture
• Elgar   Introduction and Allegro
• Chopin    Concert No. 1 in e minor

Schubert’s tuneful Overture “In the Italian Style” prefaces David Bowerman’s alluring Fantasy on a Theme of Elgar.  Diana Galvydyte, winner of multiple international competitions, plays the greatest of English violin concertos, that of Edward Elgar.  “The melody lingers on . . .” 

• Berlioz  Benvenuto Cellini Overture
• Bowerman     Fantasy on a Theme of Elgar
• Elgar     Violin Concerto

The Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra and Civic Dance Center will celebrate their 32nd anniversary of performing Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker together.  The beautiful music of Tchaikovsky and magical dancing combine to bring the story of the Nutcracker to life!

Rossini’s extraordinary Overture to The Siege of Corinth prepares the listener for a symphonic premiere by CSUB’s award-winning composer, Doug Davis. Boris Blacher’s Concertante Musik offers a scintillating interplay of solo instruments, and then Gustav Mahler serenely beautiful “Adagietto” from his Symphony No. 5 will set the stage for Mendelssohn’s own Fifth Symphony, the “Reformation.” 

• Rossini   The Siege of Corinth
• Davis       TBD
• Blacher   Concertante Musik
• Mahler     Adagietto from Symphony No. 5
• Mendelssohn   Symphony No. 5 "Reformation"

The last symphony of the great master, the mighty Symphony No. 9 in D with vocal soloists and the combined Bakersfield Masterworks Chorale and CSUB Singers.  This is prefaced by Beethoven's Overture to Egmont and Dvorak's Slavonic Dance, Opus 72, No. 2.  Music to embrace all mankind!

• Beethoven     Overture to Egmont, Opus 84
• Dvorak          Slavonic Dance in e minor, Opus 72, No. 2
• Beethoven     Symphony No. 9 in D "Choral"
  Featuring Bakersfield Masterworks Chorale
  and CSUB Singers
  Soloists: Erin Wood, soprano
               Geeta Novotny, mezzo soprano
               Robert MacNeil, tenor
               James Martin Schaefer, baritone

The late 18^th century comes alive with a sparkling overture from Cimarosa’s comic opera “The Secret Marriage” and Mozart’s irresistible Sinfonia Concertante for four solo wind instruments.  The evening culminates with a work with which Haydn introduced himself to English audiences, the stirring Symphony No. 92 (“Oxford”).  Powdered wigs are optional. 

• Cimarosa     The Secret Marriage Overture
• Mozart        Sinfonia Concertante
• Haydn         Symphony No. 92 "Oxford"

 The season finale opens with an audience favorite, Robert Schumann's brilliant Symphony No. 1 in B-flat, the "Spring," and concludes in triumph as the gifted and outgoing pianist Roberto Plano returns as soloist in the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-minor. A concert sure to please everyone!

• Schumann       Symphony No. 1 in B-flat "Spring"
• Brahms           Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-minor, Opus 15
                   Soloist: Roberto Plano