Name: Jon Nakamatsu
Start: 2026-02-01T14:00:00
Location: Cabrillo College

Jon Nakamatsu

Santa Cruz Symphony

Our Holiday Pops Concert offers festive favorites including holiday music by Leroy Anderson, the lighthearted and nostalgic Symph-Hanukkah, selections from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite, and singalong tunes in a variety of December traditions. It’s the best way to celebrate the season with friends and family in a joyfully-decorated venue.

Holiday Pops Concert

Civic Auditorium Santa Cruz

An afternoon of elegant, electrifying piano music performed by Van Cliburn medalist Jon Nakamatsu.

Cabrillo College

Weeks of innovative educational programming wrap up with our Family Concert, featuring Carnegie Hall Link Up’s The Orchestra Swings and showcasing our community arts partners with a multicultural offering of tunes and dances. After intermission, stay for the brilliant Carnival of the Animals, where our multi-talented emcee Omari Tau will continue to entertain. Bring the kids, and stay for the instrument “petting zoo” after the concert!

Carnival of the Animals

An afternoon of dazzling, colorful piano music performed by authoritative Ravel interpreter Gwendolyn Mok.

Gwendolyn Mok

The magic of Peter Shaffer's play Amadeus comes to life with our Symphony orchestra and professional actors working together to tell the story of the rivalry between Mozart and Salieri. Conceived by Maestro Stewart for the concert stage, this production features Santa Cruz Shakespeare Artistic Director Charles Pasternak and a cast of theatrical stars in a melding of live theater and symphonic music.

Amadeus

Watsonville High School

An afternoon of powerful, groundbreaking vocal music performed by tenor Joshua Stewart.

Joshua Stewart

Beethoven’s immortal Symphony No. 9 features soloists from the Metropolitan Opera in collaboration with the Cabrillo Symphonic Chorus. The concert opens with Dvořák’s Carnival Overture, an exuberant symphonic poem, followed by the world premiere of a new composition for piano and orchestra by virtual reality guru Jaron Lanier, written specifically for the Santa Cruz Symphony and featuring groundbreaking pianist Serene.

Beethoven Symphony No. 9

It’s Movie Night at the Civic Auditorium! We’re featuring music from movie blockbusters including Titanic, Lord of the Rings, Interstellar, Avengers, Pirates of the Caribbean, and more. Children and adults will delight in this popular concert of brilliant music composed for the screen.