The Santa Barbara Symphony continues its 2023/24 season with musical year-end festivities for the community. Guest conductor and host Andrew Lipke is putting the “new” in The Santa Barbara Symphony’s New Year’s Eve celebration with a rousing evening of pop, rock, and Broadway classics, along with familiar classical selections. The concert is from 8:30 to 10 pm on Sunday, December 31 at The Granada Theatre, complete with complimentary champagne and party favors. Subscribers save 20% off single-ticket prices for this bonus event. Single tickets start at $55.
“This is a one-night-only spectacular event, truly not to be missed,” said Nir Kabaretti, Santa Barbara Symphony Music & Artistic Director. “Andrew Lipke, our guest conductor and host, and singer Christina Maxwell will have the audience on their feet with excitement and singing along for the perfect end-of-year celebration,” he added.
With something for everyone, the diverse program includes an uplifting and wide mix of rock, pop, and Broadway. In a festive evening of music, in some pieces, Lipke trades the conductor’s baton for his guitar to create some symphonic surprises. The Santa Barbara Symphony’s traditional salute to the military and Auld Lang Syne sing-along will round out the evening.
“I have such a love for both classical and non-classical music and can speak both languages,“ said Andrew Lipke. “In this program, the emotional power of pop music has the pacing, depth, and patience of classical music and they actually lift each other up,” he added.
The Artists
Andrew Lipke, Guest Conductor – Originally from South Africa, Lipke is a multi-talented, composer, producer, arranger, conductor, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist. He was also the keyboardist, guitarist, and vocalist for the Led Zeppelin tribute band Get The Led Out!
Christina Maxwell, Singer – Christina is a graduate of the University of Michigan’s acclaimed Musical Theatre department, Maxwell performs across the globe. Recent performances include featured soloist with Festival Napa Valley, Festival of the Arts Boca, the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, and at the United Nations’ 67th Annual Commission on the Status of Women.
The Music
Andrew Lipke has curated and largely arranged an original program specially for The Santa Barbara Symphony that will appeal to audiences of all ages and varied musical tastes. This thematic, 90-minute journey through “time” traverses musical styles, eras, and artists as varied as Beethoven, The Beatles, The Byrds, Cyndi Lauper, Debussy, Pink Floyd, and Strauss. Audiences can expect to be entertained, feel moments of awe, and be emotionally moved.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased in-person, online, or by calling the Granada Theatre box office at (805) 899-2222 or visiting thesymphony.org.
