Symphony League Concert Preview Luncheon: See what you've been missing!

Do you know about the Santa Cruz Symphony League? This organization is a community of music-loving friends dedicated to supporting the Santa Cruz Symphony through fundraising, educational, and fun social events. If you've attended a concert, you may have seen the League's table in the lobby. The Santa Cruz Symphony League is the largest donor of funds to the Santa Cruz Symphony! 

The Symphony League sponsors Concert Preview events, which are held the Friday prior to each Santa Cruz Symphony concert weekend. You're always welcome to sign up to attend these events. In addition to enjoying a wonderful lunch or reception at either a local restaurant or home of a League member, you will be able meet Maestro Daniel Stewart and listen to him discuss the upcoming concert.

The Symphony League held their most recent Concert Preview Luncheon on February 11, 2022, offering us a presentation by Daniel Stewart and Destiny Muhammad, our guest soloist and composer for the Beethoven and the Hill We Climb concerts. We're pleased to share the video of that presentation with you now.

If you would like to learn more about the Santa Cruz Symphony League and their Preview Luncheons, socials, and other events, please visit www.santacruzsymphonyleague.org.

Watch for an announcement of our encore showing of the Beethoven and the Hill We Climb concert video. Enjoy this presentation!

WATCH THE CONCERT PREVIEW LUNCHEON VIDEO

Beethoven & The Hill We Climb

Dear Santa Cruz Symphony Patron,

Your Symphony is proud to present “Beethoven & The Hill We Climb”. It is a concert of works by Beethoven that represent a panorama of the composer’s output and sensibilities, along with works that were inspired by his genius. The program is set for this Saturday, February 12, at 7:30pm at the Civic Auditorium and Sunday, February 13, at 2:00pm at the Mello Center for the Performing Arts.  

Beethoven’s Overture to Coriolan portrays the intensity and tragedy of the ill-fated ancient Roman general. It contrasts starkly against the deeply intimate and heartfelt third movement of his String Quartet No. 15, known as Holy Song of Thanks. Your Symphony will present this movement in an arrangement by Maestro Daniel Stewart for full string orchestra. 

For the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, South Korean composer Unsuk Chin took a cue from Coriolan and wrote the opening of her subito con forza to mimic the opening of Beethoven’s overture, albeit with contemporary percussion and composition techniques. 

A perennial favorite, the Moonlight Sonata inspired Polish composer Jakub Kowalewski to set the work for string orchestra. This will provide the background for vocalist Destiny Muhammad to recite Amanda Gorman’s uplifting, uniting poem “The Hill We Climb”. Ms. Muhammad, also a harpist, brings a trio of jazz colleagues to perform her arrangement of the traditional tune, Butterfly Jig, and her new work, We Are the Ones, arranged by Matt Wong. 

Finally, to conclude a concert of inspiration and gratitude, the orchestra will perform the final movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, subtitled as Shepherd’s song: happy and thankful feelings after the storm. 

Live Streaming Returns, by Popular Demand

Once again, we are offering the option of streaming the upcoming concert online, including bonus features. This means you can attend in person, wearing a mask and showing your Covid vaccine ID or negative Covid test. You can view the program at home on your computer or computer-enabled TV. Or you can do both!

·  If you prefer to attend in person and don’t already have tickets, great seats are still available. Just go to santacruztickets.com to purchase tickets for the live performance. AND you will automatically receive a link to view the video stream when it is broadcast.

·  If you prefer to attend in person and already have tickets, attend at the usual time and place. Nothing changes. AND you will automatically receive a link to view the video stream when it is broadcast. 

·  If you prefer to watch from home and already have tickets, Your Symphony will automatically email a link that allows you to stream the program for a few days. We will have strategically placed cameras to capture the entire performance. 

·  If you prefer to watch from home and do not have tickets, you may purchase the video stream by going to santacruztickets.com and purchasing any available ticket. Make sure to provide an email address when ordering your ticket.

The streaming program will be available for viewing any time from Saturday-Monday, February 26-28, 2022. A few days before those dates, we will email the link.

Thank you for your continued support and faithfulness! Please know that Your Symphony sincerely appreciates all you do for us and for the artistic community.

Important Note: If you are attending in person, please check our website, santacruzsymphony.org, for the latest health and safety requirements. Of course, regular safety protocols will remain in place, as required by the cities and county.

RITES OF PASSAGE CONCERT VIDEO IS COMING SOON!

Dear Symphony Ticket Holders and Patrons:

Thank you for your dedicated support for Your Symphony! As many of you know, we will be offering a video rebroadcast of the Rites of Passage Concerts originally performed by Santa Cruz Symphony on January 15 at the Civic Auditorium and January 16 at the Mello Center for the Performing Arts.

The link to watch the concert video will be sent by email on Friday afternoon, January 28, and will be available to watch anytime from 12:01 am January 29, 2022, until 11:59pm January 31, 2022. Friday's email will contain more details about the video.

To ensure proper delivery of the video link email to you, please add office@santacruzsymphony.org to your email contacts.

If you have any questions, please call 831-462-0553 x10, or email office@santacruzsymphony.org. 

We look forward to sharing the concert recording with you!

Concert Tonight!

Your Symphony will present Rites of Passage this evening, Saturday, January 15, 2022, at 7:30pm at the Civic Auditorium in Santa Cruz and again on Sunday, January 16, 2022, at 2:00pm at the Mello Center in Watsonville. Maestro Danial Stewart will be conducting Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, Caroline Shaw’s Entr’acte, local composer John Wineglass’s Unburied, Unmourned, Unmarked, and Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 4 in E minor, op 98. We know you will thoroughly enjoy this wonderful concert.

We will, of course, be observing all Public Health Rules for the safety of our patrons, musicians, and production staff. Please arrive a little early to allow time to present your photo ID and evidence of vaccination, or of a negative PCR within 48 hours, or an Antigen test within 24 hours. Masks will be required while inside either venue.

Please check our website https://santacruzsymphony.org/covid-info for the latest updates on attending the concert There will be an intermission, but no food or drink will be served.

If you are a ticket holder who cannot attend in person, you will be able to view a streaming video of the concert about two weeks after the live performance. Two days before the stream is available, every ticket holder will be emailed a link and a password to watch the video in their homes at any time of the day or night from January 29, 2022 to January 31, 2022. We hope that even if you attend the concert, you will watch this streaming program, which will include the entire concert and some fun surprises!

We look forward to seeing you tonight.

Surprise! A new way to enjoy Your Symphony’s Rites of Passage Concert!

Dear Santa Cruz Symphony Patron,

The Covid-19 pandemic certainly has tested our flexibility during the past two years! It seems that the target keeps moving. Your Symphony Board of Directors, Music Director Daniel Stewart, musicians, production staff, and Symphony staff are doing our best to present a memorable season while keeping you safe. 

Given the changing Covid levels in our county, we have come up with a new way for all of us to enjoy the Symphony. We are now offering the option of streaming the upcoming concert online. This means you can attend in person, wearing a mask and showing your Covid vaccine ID or a negative test. Or you can view the program at home on your computer or computer-enabled TV.

Our musicians and auditorium crews are enthusiastic about making this option possible. It allows them to continue working, and it allows you the choice of how to attend. 

•    If you prefer to attend in person, regular safety protocols will remain in place, as required by the cities and county. Please check our website, santacruzsymphony.org/covid-info for the latest requirements. Attend at the usual time and place. Nothing changes. AND you will automatically receive a password to view the video stream later when it is available.

•   If you prefer to watch from home and already have tickets, Your Symphony will automatically email a password that allows you to stream the program for a few days from the comfort of your home. We will have strategically placed cameras to capture the entire performance, along with some surprise bonus features. 

•   If you prefer to watch from home and do not have tickets, you may purchase the video stream and bonus features by going to santacruztickets.com and selecting the Pre-Recorded Virtual Concert option. Please ensure that you have provided your most current email so we can send the password.

The streaming program will be available for viewing any time from Saturday-Monday, January 29-31, 2022. A few days before those dates, we will email instructions and the password.

Thank you for your continued support and faithfulness! Please know that Your Symphony considers the safety of our patrons, musicians, and staff to be of the utmost importance. We are pleased to be able to offer these viewing options for our Rites of Passage concert. Your Symphony sincerely appreciates all you do for us and for the artistic community.