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Immerse yourself in an evening of enchanting melodies and cultural celebration with the Long Beach Symphony's "Love Stories" concert on June 7, 2025, at the Long Beach Terrace Theater. Under the baton of esteemed Music Director Eckart Preu, this special event promises a journey through love's many facets, showcased through a diverse and evocative program. The concert will commence at 7:30 PM, with doors opening at 6:00 PM to welcome guests into an evening filled with music, culture, and community. Attendees are invited to enhance their experience with a Pre-Concert Talk at 6:30 PM, offering insights into the evening's programming and the stories behind the music. "Love Stories" will open with the traditional Cambodian music of the Master Ho Pin Peat Ensemble, setting the stage with the ethereal performances of the Modern Apsara dancers. This segment celebrates Long Beach's vibrant Cambodian community and the Symphony's meaningful relationships within the city. The program will feature Chinary Ung's "Water Rings, Overture," a piece that weaves traditional Cambodian melodies with avant-garde elements, followed by the mesmerizing "The Butterfly Lovers’ Violin Concerto" by He Zhanhao and Chen Gang, with guest artist Gao Can on violin. The evening will culminate with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, a powerful narrative of the composer's emotional landscape and a nod to the Symphony's history, echoing its performance from the orchestra's first season in 1935. Located at 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90802, the Long Beach Terrace Theater offers a stunning backdrop for this musical celebration. Guests can enjoy the theater’s dazzling fountains and fire pits, live ensemble performances in the lobby, and the opportunity to sip and enjoy in the concert hall, making for a fun and elegant evening. For more information and to purchase tickets, contact the Symphony box office at 562-436-3203 ext. 1, or buy through TICKETMASTER with additional fees applicable. Don't miss this opportunity to renew your Classical Subscription or to become a new subscriber, starting at just $120, for a season of unforgettable musical journeys with the Long Beach Symphony.

This free festival-style event will be filled with activities, live music, interactive booths, and kid-friendly food. Children will be able to play with symphonic musical instruments at the “Instrument Petting Zoo” and crafting their own batons for “Conducting 101” with our assistant conductors. Enjoy arts and crafts, lawn games and activities, and more! Children are encouraged to come in their favorite costume!

Our opening concert begins with a work by Haitian American composer Sydney Guillaume. Titled Lavil Okap, or “the city of Cap-Haïtien” in Haitian Creole, the piece was composed in 2020. The music draws inspiration from the African rhythms that enslaved people brought to Haiti, and from the very first notes, it projects a jubilant atmosphere driven by catchy rhythms throughout. He really brings Haitian street music to the concert hall. It’s a piece that is a lot of fun to play, and I know you’ll love listening to it. As a special treat, the composer himself will join us for the performance.

Long Beach Symphony Pops Season opens with a salute to the classic rock band. Relive the 70s and 80s and enjoy an evening of catchy, emotive pop-rock hits paired with an orchestra, rock band, and brilliant vocals. Get ready to dance the night away to some of Journey’s most popular songs, such as Any Way You Want It, Separate Ways, and of course, Don’t Stop Believin’!

We open this program with a piece by a Lebanese composer, Houtaf Khoury. He studied in Tripoli, Lebanon, and in Kiev, Ukraine. He has composed five symphonies, several concertos for various instruments, as well as chamber and solo music. What you are about to hear is a touching, beautiful, rich, and honest work called The Journey. It is scored for solo violin and strings. It is a magical work that will feature our concertmaster, Roger Wilkie, on solo violin.

Starring Capathia Jenkins & Ryan Shaw, this musical celebration features tunes by legendary artists who changed music forever, including Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, Elvis Presley, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, and many others.

Our third program features two of my favorite composers, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Richard Strauss. Tchaikovsky didn’t have an easy life. After his failed—actually, disastrous—marriage and subsequent suicide attempt by drowning in the Moscow River, Tchaikovsky’s patron, Nadezhda von Meck, gave the composer money for a holiday. She told him, “Go away, go away from Russia—go to Switzerland and recover your spirits.” And so, he did. On this trip, Tchaikovsky was accompanied by a friend, the violinist Josef Kotek. When they arrived in Switzerland, they had a lot of time to kill, so together, they read through tons of violin music.

Grab your sweetheart and join our superstar vocalists Chester Gregory & Shayna Steele for a romantic evening of classic love songs for the ages! Featuring some of the greatest solos and duets of all time, Endless Love includes classics like Could It Be I’m Falling in Love, What’s Love Got To Do with It, Let’s Get It On, (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher & Higher, Stand By Me, At Last, When I Fall in Love, Unforgettable & The Best!

Our fourth classical concert is very special because we celebrate the return of Pepe Romero to Long Beach Symphony. Pepe is a living legend who is not only one of the most wonderful musicians I have ever worked with, but also an incredible person who brings an irresistible humanity to the stage and to his music. I think it is that combination of incredible artistry and personality that makes his music-making so unique. I hope you can join us for this singular event. Pepe will perform the guitar concerto of all guitar concertos, the Concierto de Aranjuez by Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo, a concerto that transports us to Spain. The first movement is infused with dance-like rhythms– but I really think that the crown jewel of this work is the truly magical second movement, the slow movement and its haunting melody for English horn. It is one of the most beautiful melodies ever composed.

Travel back to the heart of the 1960s and 70s California rock scene with a tribute to the legendary artists who defined a generation and continue to inspire countless artists today. This unforgettable concert brings to life the spirit of Laurel Canyon with the timeless music of groundbreaking artists like Buffalo Springfield, The Doors, Fleetwood Mac, The Mamas & The Papas, Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, The Eagles, and James Taylor.