Name: Critical Hits: Music of Games and Fantasy
Start: 2027-06-13T19:30:00
Location: Skagit Valley College

Michael Wheatley

Skagit Symphony

Christmases Past is a nostalgic holiday journey, blending warmth, wonder, and a touch of the unexpected. Coleridge-Taylor’s Christmas Overture and Prokofiev’s spirited Troika evoke festive cheer, while Scriabin’s Piano Concerto, featuring Sophia Chou, adds shimmering lyricism. Schoenberg’s Weihnachtsmusik offers a rarer voice of the season, and Al Call narrates The Night Before Christmas. Music by Respighi and our own Barry Ulman round out this richly colored celebration.

Christmases Past

Skagit Valley College

Mother of Exiles honors the voices of composers who made America their home. Bloch’s Printemps opens with vivid spring color, followed by Korngold’s lush Violin Concerto, featuring Kinga Augustyn. Rachmaninoff’s haunting Isle of the Dead adds depth and mystery, before Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis brings the program to a brilliant, energetic close—a celebration of artistry shaped by journeys across borders.

Mother of Exiles

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité celebrates the elegance and color of French music. Debussy’s Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun opens with sensual beauty, followed by Françaix’s playful Flower Clock with oboist Adam Parnell. Vox Pacifica and soloists bring Debussy’s The Blessed Damoiselle to life, before Ravel’s ever-building Boléro closes the season in hypnotic, unforgettable fashion.

Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité

Critical Hits: Music of Games and Fantasy brings epic worlds to life in a high-energy Pops concert for fans and gamers alike. From the sweeping landscapes of The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones to the iconic themes of Zelda, Mario, Skyrim, and more, this program is packed with adventure, nostalgia, and pulse-pounding moments—an orchestral celebration of the soundtracks that have accompanied quests, battles, and countless hours of play.