Featuring a Legendary Masterpiece, a New Work, Standout Soloists, Brass Brilliance, and 150+ Performers, including the Newly Formed Santa Barbara Symphony Chorus
The Santa Barbara Symphony continues its milestone 2025/26 Season—celebrating Music & Artistic Director Nir Kabaretti’s 20th anniversary—with a weekend of monumental music that spans heaven and earth.
On Saturday, November 15, at 7:30 PM and Sunday, November 16, at 3:00 PM at the Granada Theatre, Maestro Kabaretti leads The Symphony, the new Santa Barbara Symphony Chorus, and a stellar cast of soloists in a powerful program that includes Aaron Jay Kernis’ Musica Celestis, Andrea Tarrodi’s co-commissioned Double Trombone Concerto, and Mozart’s immortal Requiem.
A Program That Spans Centuries—and the Heavens
In this extraordinary program, audiences are invited to soar through the celestial and the human. Adapted from its quartet version and scored for a string orchestra, Kernis’ Musica Celestis opens the concert with ethereal, luminous strings that evoke the sound of angels singing.
Tarrodi’s new Double Trombone Concerto follows, bringing the audience earthbound in a vivid musical dialogue between Swedish brass virtuoso Christian Lindberg and the Symphony’s own Principal Trombonist Dillon MacIntyre. This imaginative new work, also known as Memoria, is dedicated to Dillon MacIntyre; and to Daniel Téllez Gutiérrez and Tarrodi’s father, Christian Lindberg, who, together, premiered the concerto earlier this month at Tonhalle Düsseldorf, a co-commissioner of the piece with the Santa Barbara Symphony.
“I met Nir Kabaretti for the first time in Stockholm, and we immediately clung on together musically! He presented me with the idea of commissioning this double concerto at that time, and now I am so excited to perform the amazing piece that Andrea Tarrodi wrote,” Lindberg shared. “It is a true masterpiece, and I know that the audience will be completely knocked out by the creativity of the score, as well as the exciting duel between the two trombones, especially in the Cadenza. I am so much looking forward to making music together with Nir and the amazing solo trombonist of the orchestra, Dillon Macintyre!”.
In Memoria, Tarrodi revisits her childhood memories, such as listening to her father practice the trombone or singing together when she was young. This is not cerebral or austere music; rather, it’s a deeply personal story, laden with wit and pathos. It’s no surprise that Gutiérrez, Lindberg, and Tarrodi were met with a standing ovation at their debut.
In the concert’s second half, the journey continues with Mozart’s Requiem, an eternal masterpiece that continues to fascinate audiences for its drama, mystery, and transcendent quality. Nearly 200 performers will fill the Granada stage, including the Santa Barbara Symphony Chorus and soloists Anastasia Malliaras (soprano), Christina Pezzarossi (mezzo-soprano), Andrew Gilstrap (bass-baritone), and Brad Bickhardt (tenor).
Kabaretti on the Power of the Requiem
“The enigma and mysterious circumstances surrounding Mozart’s Requiem have fascinated musicians and audiences for generations,” said Kabaretti. “But beyond that legend, the music itself is astonishing. You hear the drama of Don Giovanni in the Dies Irae, and the tenderness of his most intimate operas in the Lacrimosa. For me, it’s always inspiring to connect with this giant of a composer and to share his profound humanity through this music.”
Kabaretti also reflected on how the concert’s opening works illuminate Mozart’s genius in new ways: “Kernis’ Musica Celestis, which literally means ‘heavenly music’ is the perfect prelude and lifts us into the atmosphere of angels. Tarrodi’s Double Trombone Concerto directly echoes Mozart’s own innovation, quoting and reflecting on the iconic Tuba Mirum theme from the Requiem. Featuring Christian Lindberg, one of the greatest trombonists of our time, alongside our own Dillon MacIntyre, creates a truly special dialogue across centuries of musical imagination”
The Program
Aaron Jay Kernis | Musica Celestis
Andrea Tarrodi | Double Trombone Concerto (Co-commissioned by the Santa Barbara Symphony and Tonhalle Düsseldorf. Dedicated to Christian Lindberg, Daniel Téllez Gutiérrez, & Dillon MacIntyre)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Requiem
The Artists
Nir Kabaretti, conductor
Christian Lindberg & Dillon MacIntyre, trombones
Anastasia Malliaras, soprano
Christina Pezzarossi, mezzo-soprano
Andrew Gilstrap, bass-baritone
Brad Bickhardt, tenor
Santa Barbara Symphony Chorus
Performance Details
Tickets for Mozart Requiem can be purchased at the Granada Theatre Box Office online, by phone at (805) 899-2222, or in person at 1214 State Street. For more information or subscription tickets, visit TheSymphony.org or call (805) 898-9386.
Pre-Concert Conversations
Audiences can enhance their experience with a free pre-concert chat at The Granada Theatre led by KUSC-FM’s Classical California on-air host Jennifer Miller Hammel that includes insights about the music and interviews with guest artists.
- Saturday, November 15, 2025 | 6:30 – 7:00 PM
- Sunday, November 16, 2025 | 2:00 – 2:30 PM
2025/26 Sponsors
Season Sponsor: Sarah & Roger Chrisman
Season Corporate Sponsor: Montecito Bank & Trust
Grand Venue Sponsor: The Granada Theatre
Mozart Requiem Concert Sponsors
Principal Concert Sponsor: Sarah & Roger Chrisman
Choral Sponsor: Anonymous
Selection Sponsors: Eve Bernstein, Davis & Bobsey Fansler, Chris Lancashire, Jean Rogers, and Howard Jay Smith & Tricia Bivans Dixon
About Christian Lindberg
Christian Lindberg is internationally recognized as one of the greatest brass players in history—hailed by Classic FM as “The Greatest Brass Player of All Time” and named International Classical Music Awards Artist of the Year in 2016. A true pioneer of the trombone, he has premiered over 300 works (including 135 concertos), recorded more than 150 solo albums, and inspired an international competition in his name. Beyond his legendary performing career, Lindberg is an acclaimed conductor and prolific composer with over 50 commissions worldwide, leading orchestras across Europe, Asia, and the Americas with unmatched artistry and innovation. For the full Lindberg biography, click here.
About Dillon MacIntrye
Dillon MacIntyre, Principal Trombonist of the Santa Barbara Symphony, is an acclaimed performer and educator active throughout Southern California and beyond. He has performed with premier ensembles including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, and Denmark’s Prinsens Musikkorps, touring extensively across Europe and Asia. A versatile studio musician, his recordings appear on major films such as Despicable Me 4 and Twisters. A first-prize winner at the American Trombone Workshop and International Trombone Festival, MacIntyre teaches at Cal State LA and Cal State Northridge. He holds degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, Royal Academy of Music (Aarhus), and Northwestern University. For full MacIntyre biography, click here.
