Conductor

The annual Holiday Pops is a musical celebration of the season. The Cape Ann Symphony Chorus now under the direction of Brittany Betts will join the orchestra for a Holiday Pops series for the whole family. The ever popular audience sing-along concludes the performance.

EPSG:4326

2025 Holiday Pops Concert

Ipswich High School

Manchester Essex Regional High School

Cape Ann Symphony 75th Fantastique! — a breathtaking French masterworks program that launches our historic season in spectacular style. Experience Lili Boulanger's shimmering D'un matin de printemps (Of a Spring Morning), a luminous impressionistic gem by one of the first women to win the prestigious Prix de Rome. Debussy's evocative three-movement seascape La Mer follows, painting the ocean from dawn to noon, the play of waves, and the dialogue of wind and sea in glorious orchestral color. The program culminates with Berlioz's monumental Symphonie Fantastique — a revolutionary five-movement journey through an artist's obsessive passion, complete with a haunting recurring melody (the idée fixe), a dramatic "March to the Scaffold," and the wild, supernatural "Dream of a Witches' Sabbath." It's one of the most dramatic and imaginative works in the orchestral repertoire and an unforgettable way to celebrate 75 years of musical excellence.

75th Fantastique!

Our Holiday Pops Concert returns as a beloved family favorite, featuring the Cape Ann Symphony Chorus under the joyful direction of Brittany Betts. This festive celebration brings seasonal magic through multiple performances filled with warmth and cheer. The program sparkles with Leroy Anderson's joyful Christmas Festival and a gorgeous arrangement of the timeless Greensleeves. Tchaikovsky's beloved Nutcracker Selections transport audiences through the enchanted world of Clara and her Prince with favorites including the spirited Trepak, elegant Waltz of the Flowers, and charming character dances. The concert celebrates the Festival of Lights with both Custer's grand Chanukah Festival in full orchestra splendor and Holcomb's Festive Sounds of Hannukah. Broadway magic shines through John Higgins' delightful Christmas on Broadway arrangement, while Sebesky's playful Christmas Scherzo and Pinkzebra's tender Winter Lullaby add moments of whimsy and reflection. The program also features John Rutter's exquisite choral work What Sweeter Music and the jubilant Rejoice! How Great Our Joy. The concert concludes with a joyous sing-along that brings the entire audience together in the spirit of the season — a perfect way to celebrate the holidays with your community!

2026 Holiday Pops

Ipswich Middle School

All American Celebration Concert — a vibrant showcase of American musical brilliance featuring pianist Michael Lewin. The program opens with Copland's spirited An Outdoor Overture, a joyful and optimistic work that captures the boundless energy and open-air spirit of America. Gershwin's iconic Rhapsody in Blue follows, beginning with its unforgettable clarinet glissando and weaving together classical sophistication with the rhythms and soul of jazz — it's one of the most beloved works in American music, and Michael Lewin's artistry will bring its dazzling piano part to life. Gottschalk's Grande Tarantelle adds 19th-century virtuosic flair, a brilliant showpiece for piano and orchestra by one of America's earliest classical composers. The concert concludes with Grofé's majestic Grand Canyon Suite, a five-movement musical journey through one of America's natural wonders. From the glowing Sunriseto the playful clip-clop of donkeys in On the Trail, the shimmering colors of Painted Desert, the serene Sunset, and the dramatic Cloudburst finale, this vivid orchestral portrait brings the grandeur of the American landscape to breathtaking life. It's a purely American program that celebrates the creativity and spirit of our nation's musical heritage.

All American Celebration

75th Season Finale! — a monumental celebration that honors our past while looking boldly to the future. The concert opens with the world premiere of a new work by acclaimed local composer Robert Bradshaw, written especially for the Cape Ann Symphony's 75th anniversary. This commission celebrates our deep roots in the community and the continuing tradition of creating new music for future generations. The evening culminates with Beethoven's transcendent Symphony No. 9 — the "Choral Symphony" and one of the most celebrated masterworks in all of classical music. Beethoven's final complete symphony breaks all boundaries, calling for vocal soloists and chorus to join the orchestra in the legendary final movement. Set to Schiller's immortal poem, the "Ode to Joy" is a universal anthem of brotherhood, hope, and shared humanity that has moved audiences for two centuries. From its mysterious opening to the electrifying choral finale, the Ninth Symphony represents the pinnacle of Beethoven's genius and the ultimate expression of joy through music. It's the perfect triumphant ending to our historic 75th season — a work that reminds us why orchestral music matters and why we've been bringing it to Cape Ann for three-quarters of a century.

Conductor

Yoichi Udagawa

Events

Upcoming events

Sep 27, 2026

75th Fantastique! · Cape Ann Symphony

28 - 29 Nov, 2026

2026 Holiday Pops · Cape Ann Symphony

Mar 14, 2027

All American Celebration · Cape Ann Symphony

May 9, 2027

75th Season Finale! · Cape Ann Symphony

Past events

29 - 30 Nov, 2025

2025 Holiday Pops Concert · Cape Ann Symphony

Future and recently performed repertoire

Conductor in Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin

Cape Ann Symphony

Conductor in Symphonie fantastique by Berlioz

Cape Ann Symphony

Conductor in An Outdoor Overture by Copland

Cape Ann Symphony

Conductor in Grand Canyon Suite by Grofé

Cape Ann Symphony

Conductor in D'un matin de printemps by Boulanger

Cape Ann Symphony

Conductor in Winter Lullaby by

Cape Ann Symphony

Conductor in Chanukah Festival Overture by Custer

Cape Ann Symphony

Conductor in Symphony No. 9 by Beethoven

Cape Ann Symphony

Conductor in La mer by Debussy

Cape Ann Symphony

Conductor in Christmas Festival by Anderson

Cape Ann Symphony

Conductor in What Sweeter Music by Rutter

Cape Ann Symphony

Conductor in The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky

Cape Ann Symphony

Conductor in Greensleeves by Reed

Cape Ann Symphony

Conductor in Grande Tarantelle by Gottschalk

Cape Ann Symphony

About

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