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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.

Serpentine Fire’s dynamic and fast paced journey through the 70’s and 80’s features greatest hits of Earth, Wind and Fire. Long Beach Symphony Pops concludes the season with uplifting and funky music in this irresistible crowd-pleasing show. “Serpentine Fire” – the music of Earth, Wind & Fire is a first-class performance of this universally known music for audiences of all ages.

We begin our final concert of the season with one of Mozart’s best-known and most beloved works: Eine kleine Nachtmusik (or A Little Night Music) and like most of Mozart’s works, it sounds so simple and completely belies the composer’s sophistication. We actually don’t know for sure why Mozart composed this piece. He rarely composed without a specific purpose or commission. And there’s no mention of this work in his letters or those of his contemporaries. All we know is that he finished it when he was 31 years old in Vienna—the same year he wrote his opera Don Giovanni. Maybe it was one of several works written for a friend of his, Gottfried von Jacquin, in Vienna. Jacquin’s sister, Franziska, was a pupil of Mozart, and together, they met as a group at Jacquin’s home for what they called “discussions, games, and merrymaking.” Mozart actually wrote several works for the Jacquin household, and A Little Night Music may well have been one of them. And maybe it’s an example of party music—who knows? In any case, it is great music, lots of fun to play and to listen to.