Prepare to be enchanted and thrilled by a series of captivating performances in Central Texas, brought to you by the Waco Symphony Orchestra. From the timeless holiday classic 'The Nutcracker' to the exhilarating virtuosity of violin superstar Ray Chen, and the cinematic marvel of 'Jurassic Park in Concert,' these events promise to inspire and entertain. Culminating in a breathtaking season finale, these performances offer an extraordinary celebration of music, art, and cultural heritage that are sure to delight audiences of all ages.

A Symphony of Wonders: Unforgettable Performances in Central Texas

With toy soldiers, dancing snowflakes, and the Sugar Plum Fairy, you won’t want to miss The Nutcracker — a treasured holiday tradition and the only production with live orchestra in Central Texas. Back by popular demand, Ballet Frontier returns to Waco to inspire a childlike wonder in all of us.

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The Nutcracker

Baylor University

Winner of the Gold Medal at the 1997 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Jon Nakamatsu will be featured on the ever-popular Piano Concerto No. 2 by Rachmaninoff. The inventive and talented Dallas-based composer Quinn Mason will delight audiences with his 2023 work called Inspiration! - Festive Overture. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” is inspired by the memory of a hero and is one of the most revolutionary symphonies ever written.

Jon Nakamatsu Plays Rachmaninoff

The opening concert of Maestro Lawrence Loh’s first season as Music Director celebrates the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with pianist Orli Shaham. In addition to performing with orchestras all over the world, Shaham is the co-host of NPR’s From the Top, a winner of the Avery Fisher Career Grant and a faculty member at The Juilliard School.

Rhapsody in Blue

This star-studded concert will be full of music from your favorite sci-fi films. Emmy Award-winning journalist and film critic Gary Cogill returns to the WSO stage to share film insights behind the music.

Sci-Fi Spectacular: Sun, Moon & Superstars

Inspired by the distant and unknown, music by Dvořák and Puts bring faraway ideas close to home.

Exploring the Great Unknown

Epic works by Rachmaninov, Beethoven, and a new genre-defying piece by Ben Johansen combine to create an evening full of extraordinary feats by composers and musicians alike.

Extraordinary Feats

With brave toy soldiers, dancing snowflakes, and the sparkling Sugar Plum Fairy, you won’t want to miss The Nutcracker—a treasured holiday tradition. Back by popular demand, Ballet Frontier returns to Waco to inspire a childlike wonder in all of us.

The program will open with a blast of heat from the Brazilian Carnival in Clarice Assad’s Bonecos de Olinda, her stunning musical depiction of larger-than-life puppets dancing through the festive streets of São Paulo.

Larger than Life

Puerto Rican-born composer Angélica Negrón’s genre-defying music transports the listener to another world. American Composer Aaron Copland wrote Lincoln Portrait during the early years of World War II, combining music and spoken word in a groundbreaking way to raise the spirit of our country.

Breaking Boundaries

Born in Taiwan and raised in Australia, violinist Ray Chen has exploded on social media over the past decade where he has nearly a million fans on Instagram! His creative and hilarious videos have sparked a new generation of music lovers.

Violin Superstar Ray Chen

"Welcome…to Jurassic Park!” Celebrate the 31st Anniversary of Jurassic Park by experiencing this film live in concert. The WSO will perform John Williams’s iconic film score while you watch the full-length film projected in HD on a giant screen above the musicians. Featuring visually stunning imagery and groundbreaking special effects, the action-packed adventure of Jurassic Park is sheer movie magic 65 million years in the making; it pits man against prehistoric predators in the ultimate battle for survival. Don’t miss this unique and entertaining concert experience, an epic first for the Waco Symphony. Visit the website for other fun details.

Jurassic Park in Concert

Our season finale will take us on a scenic journey! Principal Clarinet of the New York Philharmonic Anthony McGill performs Richard Danielpour’s Clarinet Concerto “From the Mountaintop” inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., and the orchestra will perform Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 “Organ” featuring the Dallas Symphony’s Resident Organist and Baylor graduate, Bradley Hunter Welch. This symphony has been featured in several television shows and films, most famously in Babe (1995). Conveying a pioneering spirit, the orchestra will also perform Brian Tyler’s theme to Yellowstone from the hit TV series!

Waco Symphony Orchestra

Jan 21, 2025

Violin Superstar Ray Chen

Mar 22, 2025

Jurassic Park in Concert

Apr 3, 2025

From Yellowstone to the Mountaintop

14 - 15 Dec, 2024

The Nutcracker

Nov 7, 2024

Jon Nakamatsu Plays Rachmaninoff

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Waco Symphony Orchestra