Brahms & Dvořák To Die For

Johannes Brahms spent nearly 20 years in a soul-searching struggle to compose his First Symphony. With that behind him, the great German Romantic composer created his sunny and serene Symphony No. 2 while on a summer vacation. Antonín Dvořák was living in New York City when he composed his Cello Concerto. Widely regarded as the most beautiful concerto ever written for the instrument, it features the brilliant cellist Johannes Moser, a laureate of the International Tchaikovsky Competition, as soloist. Opening the program is a work by Amanda Harberg, an American composer acclaimed for her beautiful music.

Amanda Harberg: Solis

Dvořák: Cello Concerto

Brahms: Symphony No. 2

Tito Muñoz, conductor

Johannes Moser, cello

2023

MESA ARTS CENTER

Friday, October 13 – 7:30 pm

SYMPHONY HALL

Saturday, October 14 – 7:30 pm

Sunday, October 15 – 2:00 pm

Carlos Simon: Breathe

Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto

Beethoven: Symphony No. 5

Vinay Parameswaran, conductor

Alena Baeva, violin

2023

SYMPHONY HALL

Friday, November 3 – 7:30 pm

Saturday, November 4 – 7:30 pm

Sunday, November 5 – 2:00 pm

Beethoven’s Fifth & Magnificent Mendelssohn

In all of classical music, no opening is more famous than that of Beethoven’s earth-shattering Fifth Symphony. Guest conductor Vinay Parameswaran leads The Phoenix Symphony in the work that blazes a trail from turbulence to triumph. The magnetic violinist Alena Baeva joins the orchestra for Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, acclaimed as one of the greatest in the repertoire.

Mature Masterpieces by Mozart & Rachmaninoff

Mozart: The Magic Flute: Overture, K. 620

Florence Price: Violin Concerto No. 2

Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances

José Luis Gomez, conductor

Rachel Barton Pine, violin

2023

MESA ARTS CENTER

Friday, November 17 – 7:30 pm

SYMPHONY HALL

Saturday, November 18 – 7:30 pm

Sunday, November 19 – 2:00 pm

Enjoy music by composers at the pinnacle of their powers but also near the end of their days. Mozart’s Overture to The Magic Flute sets the scene for his final opera. Guest conductor José Luis Gomez whips up a frenzy of emotion with Rachmaninoff’s tumultuous Symphonic Dances. The eminent violinist Rachel Barton Pine returns to The Phoenix Symphony as soloist for the Violin Concerto No. 2 composed by Florence Price, the first African-American woman to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra.

Wagner: Siegfried Idyll

David Ludwig: Violin Concerto

Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique”

Tito Muñoz, conductor Bella Hristova, violin

2024

MESA ARTS CENTER

Friday, January 5 – 7:30 pm

SYMPHONY HALL

Saturday, January 6 – 7:30 pm

Sunday, January 7 – 2:00 pm

Tchaikovsky’s “Pathétique”

Richard Wagner composed his Siegfried Idyll as a birthday present for his wife, Cosima, following the birth of their son Siegfried. The dazzling violinist Bella Hristova joins The Phoenix Symphony to play a violin concerto that her husband, composer David Ludwig, wrote especially for her as a wedding present. Music Director Tito Muñoz ends the program with Tchaikovsky’s passionate Symphony No. 6, “Pathétique.”

Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez

Hovhaness: Symphony No. 2, “Mysterious Mountain”*

Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez

Sibelius: Symphony No. 5

Ankush Kumar Bahl, conductor

Pablo Sáinz Villegas, guitar

2024

MESA ARTS CENTER

Friday, February 2 – 7:30 pm

SYMPHONY HALL

Saturday, February 3 – 7:30 pm

Sunday, February 4 – 2:00 pm

Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez, the most popular concerto for guitar and orchestra, is inspired by the Royal Gardens at Aranjuez in Spain and features spellbinding Spanish guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas as soloist. Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5 begins with the breadth and majesty of a Nordic landscape and ends with one of the most dramatic finales in classical music. Guest conductor Ankush Bahl leads the Symphony in ArmenianAmerican composer Alan Hovhaness’ popular Symphony No. 2, “Mysterious Mountain.”