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WELCOME TO THE 2025/26 SEASON
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Celebrating Nir Kabaretti's 20th Anniversary
The Symphony’s 2025/26 Season
The Symphony’s
2025/26 Season
SEASON OPENER WITH
STATE STREET BALLET
Saturday, October 18, 2025 | 7:30 PM
Sunday, October 19, 2025 | 3:00 PM
Nir Kabaretti, conductor
State Street Ballet
Santa Barbara City College Brass
SHOSTAKOVICH Festive Overture
RACHMANINOFF Symphonic Dances, Op. 45
PROKOFIEV scenes from Romeo and Juliet
(with State Street Ballet)
A love forbidden. A love immortal. The greatest moments from Prokofiev’s
greatest ballet – the ardent “Romeo and Juliet” performed with grace and passion
by dancers from State Street Ballet on The Granada’s stage. These concerts –
and the season – begin as Nir Kabaretti and the Santa Barbara Symphony
perform Shostakovich’s spirited Festive Overture and Rachmaninoff’s late,
luxuriant Symphonic Dances.
MOZART REQUIEM
Saturday, November 15, 2025 | 7:30 PM
Sunday, November 16, 2025 | 3:00 PM
Nir Kabaretti, conductor
Christian Lindberg & Dillon MacIntyre, trombones
Anastasia Malliaras, soprano
Christina Pezzarossi, mezzo-soprano
Lawrence Barasa, tenor
Colin Ramsey, bass
Santa Barbara Symphony Chorus
AARON JAY KERNIS Musica Celestis
ANDREA TARRODI Double Trombone Concerto
(co-commissioned by The Symphony)
MOZART Requiem
The genius of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart revealed itself early, developed swiftly,
and vanished all too soon. Nir Kabaretti leads the Santa Barbara Symphony, the
Santa Barbara Symphony Chorus, and soloists in the deeply affecting Requiem,
the final testament Mozart would never live to complete. Plus, the radiant Musica
Celestia of Aaron Jay Kernis, and a newly commissioned work from brilliant,
colorful composer Andrea Tarrodi, her Double Trombone Concerto featuring The
Symphony’s own Dillon MacIntyre and Swedish brass virtuoso Christian
Lindenberg.
ALL BEETHOVEN’S FIVE PIANO CONCERTOS IN TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS OVER THE WEEKEND
BEETHOVEN CONCERTO MARATHON
Saturday, January 17, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Sunday, January 18, 2026 | 3:00 PM
Nir Kabaretti, conductor
Soloists: 5 winners & medalists of different international piano competitions
CONCERTO NO. 1 (Sun) Dmitry Shishkin
(International Tchaikovsky and Geneva
International competitions)
CONCERTO NO. 2 (Sun) Angie Zhang
(American Piano Awards)
CONCERTO NO. 3 (Sat) Min Joo Yi
(Music Academy of the West 2025 Solo Piano Concerto Competition)
CONCERTO NO. 4 (Sat) Evren Ozel
(Cleveland International competition)
CONCERTO NO. 5 (Sun) Jonathan Mamora
(Palm Springs International Piano competition)
Alongside his Symphonies, the Piano Concertos of Beethoven have been
towering masterworks for two centuries. Nir Kabaretti and The Symphony
present all five of Beethoven’s Concertos across a single weekend. From the
youthful First Piano Concerto, composed at age 25, to the grand “Emperor”
Concerto written in the war-torn Vienna of 1809. Each is performed by a winner
from prestigious international piano competitions.
VALENTINE'S WEEKEND
ROMANTIC HOLLYWOOD
Saturday, February 14, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Sunday, February 15, 2026 | 3:00 PM
Richard Kaufman, conductor
Valentine’s weekend brings the sweep of cinema’s most romantic melodies. A concert of love themes, stories, and songs from nearly a dozen Hollywood classics: Out of Africa, Dr. Zhivago, To Kill a Mockingbird, and more!
Valentine’s weekend brings the sweep of cinema’s most romantic melodies. A
concert of love themes, stories, and songs from Hollywood classics: Out of
Africa, Dr. Zhivago, To Kill a Mockingbird, and more!
BELLA ITALIA
Saturday, March 28, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Sunday, March 29, 2026 | 3:00 PM
Nir Kabaretti, conductor
Hanzhi Wang, accordion
VIVALDI “Winter” from The Four Seasons
CRISTIAN CARRARA Red Ferrari Accordion Concerto
PUCCINI Capriccio Sinfonico
RESPIGHI The Pines of Rome
A five-century survey of Italian classics. From Vivaldi’s perennial The Four
Seasons, to Puccini’s youthful Capriccio Sinfonico (an early working of tunes to
later appear in La Bohème!) to Respighi’s thunderous The Pines of Rome with
brass blazing from the four corners of The Granada Theatre. And discover a
recent, lively concerto by Christian Carrara inspired by the dazzling Red Ferrari
Accordion.
AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
Saturday, April 18, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Sunday, April 19, 2026 | 3:00 PM
Nir Kabaretti, conductor
Alexi Kenney, violin
IVES Three Places in New England
BARBER Violin Concerto
JENNIFER HIGDON Blue Cathedral
GERSHWIN An American in Paris
Gershwin’s jazzy musical postcard, An American in Paris, highlights this program of
America’s masters as the nation turns 250. Alexi Kenny, acclaimed by The New
York Times for virtuosity that is “breathless and often daring” plays Barber’s
haunting Violin Concerto. Charles Ives’ vibrant Three Places in New England
presents portraits of patriotism. And the inner glow of Jennifer Higdon’s Blue
Cathedral will soothe long after its sumptuous sound fades to silence.
SEASON FINALE:
MAHLER'S RESURRECTION
Saturday, May 16, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Sunday, May 17, 2026 | 3:00 PM
Nir Kabaretti, conductor
Johanna Will, soprano
Felicia Gavilanes, mezzo-soprano
Santa Barbara Symphony Chorus
MAHLER Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection”
A concert experience unlike any other. Nir Kabaretti leads the Santa Barbara
Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony Chorus, and soloists in Mahler’s
monumental Symphony Number Two. The awe-inspiring “Resurrection”
Symphony is a must-see concert event that will bring the 2025-26 season to a
triumphant, roaring close!
SUBSCRIBERS—Your Questions Answered
What seats do I have?
As a Symphony Subscriber, you have the benefit of selecting your own seats. Once the renewal priority window closes on March 23, we begin the process of fulfilling seat requests. We make every effort to accommodate your selection and, if needed, will offer an alternative as close as possible to your original request.
When will I receive my tickets?
Tickets will be mailed to you about one month before the first concert of the 2025/26 season.
Will there be a Season Brochure?
Yes! Keep an eye on your mailbox for our 2025/26 Season brochure, which will arrive in late February/early March.
How can I sponsor a concert, guest artist, or selection? / How can I join the Heritage Society or Crescendo? / How can I support your music education programs?
To discuss any of our vital programs that impact our community, please contact Juli Askew, Development Manager at [email protected] or (805) 898-8785.
BE INSTRUMENTAL
Please consider including a donation with your subscription renewal. Your generosity supports our musicians and students, and allows us to continue to present world-class performances.
Have additional questions? You can reach us by phone at (805) 898-9386 or email [email protected].
*All programs and artists are subject to change.
