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This year the MSO celebrates the holidays with “Christmas Around the World.” Baritone Ricardo Jose Rivera joins the orchestra on a global musical journey, featuring beloved carols and festive favorites from nearly a dozen countries. From the timeless melodies of Europe to the rhythmic beats of Latin America and beyond, this concert bridges cultures and traditions, uniting hearts in the warmth and goodwill of the season.

The MSO’s February concert opens with Steve Reich’s groundbreaking Clapping Music, a minimalist marvel that challenges conventional notions of rhythm and ensemble performance. Featuring precise handclap patterns that gradually shift and evolve, Reich’s composition mesmerizes with its hypnotic simplicity and intricate rhythmic interplay. Speaking of rhythm, we next present Philip Glass’s Concerto Fantasy for Two Timpanists, starring our own Principal Timpanist Laura Noah alongside guest percussionist Peter Ferry. Glass’s mesmerizing concerto is a rhythmic blast, showcasing the timpani’s versatility and expressive power in a dialogue that spans resonant depths and ethereal heights.

In April we present some of the greatest movie music ever composed, featuring masterpieces from the 20th and 21st centuries. From the silver screen to the symphonic stage, the MSO takes a hair-raising journey through the film scores that have shaped cinematic history.

We celebrate the joy and renewal of spring with an uplifting performance of Handel’s most beloved oratorio. A cherished tradition in many countries, Messiah tells the story of Christ’s birth, passion, resurrection, and resurrection through sublime choruses, stirring arias, and majestic orchestration. From the exhilarating “Hallelujah” chorus to the tender beauty of “He shall feed his flock,” Handel’s music conveys the profound spirituality and universal themes of hope and redemption.

The Mobile Symphony Orchestra’s 2024-2025 season ends in a blaze of glory, highlighting three masterful French composers. Maurice Ravel’s La Valse opens the concert with its intoxicating whirl of waltzes, shimmering with kaleidoscopic colors. The music first draws us into a world of swirling dance and poignant nostalgia — and then devolves into a stunning depiction of the devastation of the early 20th century.