The Symphony’s season highlights include a Mozart Marathon with eight masterworks over two days of concerts, a two-concert residency by legendary violinist Gil Shaham, the sultry Storm Large, and Brahms’ Requiem in a community collaboration – all on The Granada Stage from October 2024 through May 2025
The Santa Barbara Symphony announces its vast, star-studded 2024/2025 season line-up featuring world-renowned guest artists, opening on Saturday, October 19, 2024 and Sunday, October 20, 2024 with guitarist Pablo Sáinz-Villegas. Subscriptions to the new season are now on sale and can be purchased in-person, online, or by calling The Symphony box office at (805) 898-9386 or visiting subscribe.TheSymphony.org.
“We are thrilled to bring our Santa Barbara community a rich and culturally expansive experience. Beloved masterworks of Mozart, Brahms, Dvořák, and Tchaikovsky will be heard alongside the cabaret vocals of Storm Large, a centennial cinematic classic with Charles Chaplin, and more, featuring extraordinary guest artists, including our own musicians,” said Nir Kabaretti, Music and Artistic Director of the Santa Barbara Symphony.
“The Symphony has so much to say this season that our traditional schedule can’t contain it all. January 18 and 19, 2025 will present a Mozart Marathon with four masterworks on Saturday and another four on Sunday. To close the season, the legendary Gil Shaham will be in residence performing three different concertos over two days, including a world premiere, featuring his wife, violinist Adele Anthony,” shared Symphony President & CEO Kathryn R Martin. “Collaborations will shine the spotlight on the exemplary choruses here in Santa Barbara, and Artist Residencies will create once-in-a-lifetime opportunities for our local students,” she added.
The 2024/2025 Santa Barbara Symphony season calendar includes the following programs and artists:
Saturday, October 19, 2024 – 7:30 pm and Sunday, October 20, 2024 – 3:00 pm
Opening Weekend: TCHAIKOVSKY’S FOURTH
The return of guitar sensation Pablo Sáinz-Villegas playing Rodrigo’s haunting Concierto de Aranjuez, in a program also featuring Tchaikovsky’s passionate Symphony No. 4.
Nir Kabaretti, conductor
Pablo Sáinz-Villegas, guitar
Beethoven: Leonore Overture No. 3
Rodrigo: Concierto de Aranjuez
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4
Sunday, November 17, 2024 – 3:00 pm (one performance only)
FRENCH CONNECTIONS
David Greilsammer, “One of the most accomplished and adventurous musicians of his generation,” (The New York Times) leads music from across three centuries by Rameau, Haydn, and Milhaud, and conducting from the keyboard, plays Ravel’s jazz-inspired Piano Concerto in G. Both Saturday and Sunday subscribers will attend this very special performance! (Seating will be similar to the usual subscriber seats.)
David Greilsammer, conductor and pianist
Rameau: Orchestral Suite from Platée
Ravel: Piano Concerto in G
Haydn: Symphony No. 85, “La Reine”
Milhaud: Le Boeuf sur le Toit
Saturday, January 18, 2025 – 7:30 pm and Sunday, January 19, 2025 – 3:00 pm
MOZART MARATHON!
A Mozart Marathon—with different programs on Saturday and Sunday of exquisite serenades, concertos and symphonies. (Subscribers can add the second concert to their series.)
Nir Kabaretti, conductor
and featuring the musicians of the orchestra as soloists!
Saturday program features:
Amy Tatum, flute • Michelle Temple, harp • Jessica Guideri, violin
Mozart: Overture to The Impresario
Mozart: Concerto For Flute and Harp
Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 4 in D
Mozart: Symphony No. 35, “Haffner”
Sunday program features:
Lara Wicks, oboe • Natasha Kislenko, piano
Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Mozart: Oboe Concerto
Mozart: Symphony in D, K 196 / 121
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 23 in A, K 488
Saturday, February 15, 2025 – 7:30 pm and Sunday, February 16, 2025 – 3:00 pm
Valentine’s Weekend
CHAPLIN’S MASTERPIECE @ 100 – THE GOLD RUSH
With Chaplin’s enchanting blend of pantomime and music, his masterwork, “The Gold Rush,” has endured for a century. The Symphony performs Chaplin’s own score LIVE as the movie classic is projected on the big screen! Share the laughs with family, kids, or that special someone on Valentine’s Weekend.
Saturday, March 22, 2025 – 7:30 pm and Sunday, March 23, 2025 – 3:00 pm
THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS
The sensational and sultry Storm Large will get the pulse racing with her unique take on Kurt Weill’s seductive The Seven Deadly Sins.
Nir Kabaretti, conductor
Storm Large, vocalist
The Hudson Shad Quartet
Ibert: Divertissement
Still: Seven Little Pieces from The Black Belt
Jessie Montgomery: Strum
Weill / Brecht: The Seven Deadly Sins
Saturday, April 26, 2025 – 7:30 pm and Sunday, April 26, 2025 – 3:00 pm
BRAHMS’ REQUIEM
Nir Kabaretti conducts Brahms’ powerful and poetic musical settings from the Bible, A German Requiem, a community collaboration featuring three choirs massed overflowing The Granada stage.
Nir Kabaretti, conductor
Magdalena Kuźma, soprano
Navasard Hakobyan, baritone
Quire of Voyces
Santa Barbara Choral Society
Westmont College
Mahler: Three Rückert-Lieder
Brahms: A German Requiem
Saturday, May 17, 2025 -7:30 pm and Sunday, May 18, 2025 – 3:00 pm
Season Finale: GIL SHAHAM WEEKEND!
A weekend residency by violin virtuoso Gil Shaham joined by his wife, violinist Adele Anthony. Gil Shaham plays three different violin concertos over two concerts. (Subscribers can add the second concert to their series.)
Nir Kabaretti, conductor
Gil Shaham, violin
Saturday program features:
Gil Shaham, violin
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto
Dvořák: Symphony No. 8
Sunday program features:
Gil Shaham, violin
Adele Anthony, violin
J.S. Bach: Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor
Avner Dorman: Double Concerto (West Coast premiere)
Dvořák: Symphony No. 8
