A message from Santa Cruz Symphony Board President Linda Burroughs

MUSIC – THE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE

Welcome to the 65th season of the Santa Cruz Symphony. Sixty-five years is a long time to survive in this fragile world of symphonic music, and we are proud to be celebrating another year with you. Because of your support we are strong and looking forward to another incredible year.

We hope we have made it through the bulk of the pandemic and things will start looking a bit more normal, whatever that turns out to be. Our hopes are that you, our wonderful patrons, will feel safe in attending our live musical performances and will continue to support us with your generosity. Maestro Stewart has an outstanding season planned for you, and we hope you will be able to attend every one of our concerts. And invite your friends to enjoy our performances, too. Help spread the word that Santa Cruz has a world-class symphony!

We have an outstanding support team that helps to make our concerts happen. Of course, we are incredibly fortunate to have Danny Stewart as our Maestro, and I couldn’t be more happy knowing that he will be with us for at least 10 more years. Our small staff does an amazing job keeping things organized, creative and moving seamlessly forward. Our Board of Directors is dedicated, hard-working and committed to making sure that Your Symphony remains vital and an important part of our community.

Our mission is to “inspire, educate and engage through artistic excellence, distinctive musical performances and varied activities that celebrate and enhance the cultural vibrancy of our community.” We keep that mission in mind with every decision that we make. We have a strong educational influence in our county with our varied youth and adult education programs. We believe in the power of music, in particular live performances.

If you want to be part of our dynamic team, feel free to contact me or the Symphony office. We always need help in some capacity. Here are some ways you can help: invite your friends to our concerts, join our Board, join the Symphony League, volunteer to be a docent at one of our Youth Concerts or school visits, become a sponsor or donor, contribute to our Endowment, or join our Legacy Society.

Music is transformative and is a universal language for humans and animals. Whenever I played my piano, my previous cats and dogs were drawn to the music and would lay down calmly close to the piano. When we attend outside performances it’s apparent the impact of music when birds suddenly start flying around or sitting peacefully on a nearby tree. Music affects us all, and we’re happy to be part of providing this beautiful music for your enjoyment.

Linda Burroughs, Santa Cruz Symphony Board President

Welcome to our 65th year!

The Santa Cruz Symphony kicks off its 65th season with Symphonic Dances. You will be tapping your feet to 11 magnificent dance pieces from around the world. Truly, an unforgettable musical and visual experience as you watch Esperanza del Valle Baile Folclorico dancing to Moncayo’s Huapango.

THIS IS IMPORTANT! If you are sick or have any symptoms of COVID-19, please stay home for your own health’s sake and to help keep others safe and well!

ALL patrons entering the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium or the Mello Center for the Performing Arts must present proof of vaccination, OR a negative PCR test taken within the last 48 hours, OR a negative Antigen test taken within the last 24 hours. YOU WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO ENTER WITHOUT ONE OF THESE ITEMS.

The Symphony will NOT refund any tickets to anyone who cannot attend because they were denied entrance for not complying with these requirements.

To ensure that everyone will be as safe as possible, the Symphony strongly recommends that all patrons wear a mask inside the venues regardless of their vaccination status. Our volunteers and staff will also be required to be vaccinated and wearing masks.

An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public space where people are present. By attending a Santa Cruz Symphony event you expressly agree to comply with all policies and safety guidelines put in place by the event organizers, and voluntarily assume all risks related to exposure to COVID-19, waiving all claims and potential claims against the event organizers, and their affiliated companies relating to such risks.

We are enthusiastic about this season and appreciate everyone’s understanding. Your Symphony is always committed to providing performances of the highest quality and with your safety as our number one priority.

We look forward to seeing you all at the concert! 

If you haven’t bought your ticket yet, there are good seats still available. Please visit www.santacruztickets.com or call 831-420-5260.

We’d Like Your Opinions on Health & Safety Protocols

We’d Like Your Opinions on Health & Safety Protocols

Our new season begins this weekend, and we are very interested in hearing how you and other patrons feel about health and safety protocols for concerts this fall.

The health and safety of our patrons, musicians, staff, and volunteers is a top priority. Decisions on health and safety protocols are guided by the advice of the CDC, the City of Santa Cruz, and the Santa Cruz County Department of Health. We would also like to hear from you. Would you please take a few minutes to complete our online survey? It should take no more than 2 minutes.

Thank you for participating!

Your Symphony needs volunteers to house a musician

The combination of good programming, inspired conducting, and outstanding musicianship are what make the Santa Cruz Symphony performances such an enriching experience. The 2022-23 season will be no exception.

Daniel Stewart brings together talented musicians from San Francisco and the Bay Area to supplement our local talent. Those who travel have been welcomed into the homes of local individuals and families, an enhancing experience for both the hosts and the musicians.

The Host Program is one of the special benefits of performing with our Symphony and this year, more than ever, we need your help! In particular, there is a need for hosts in the immediate Santa Cruz area. Hosting does not require anything more then providing a guest room. Please consider hosting a musician for one or more concerts this season. The larger our list of volunteers, the fewer times we will need to contact you. Please keep in mind that vacations, other guests, and medical situations understandably occur and you are not expected to host every concert.

If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about our Host Program or is interested in hosting, please email the Housing Coordinator, Julia Fuerst, at scsymphonyhousing@gmail.com. Feel free to forward this email to your friends and neighbors.

Our celebratory season begins in September with thrillingly grand symphonic treatments of folkloric dances from across the world including Slavonic, Chinese, Rumanian, Hungarian, South African, and Mexican traditions, featuring a special collaboration with Watsonville’s own Esperanza del Valle Baile Folclórico.

Ready to learn about Symphonic Dances?

Dear Symphony Music Lovers and Lifelong Learners,

Our 2022-23 concert season is almost here! You’re invited to join us for the first of this season’s series of online education classes on Thursday September 8, 2022 at 7 pm with Professor Don Adkins. Come learn about the thrilling pieces we’ll hear in Symphonic Dances, the season’s first concert on September 17 and 18.

The season's first Symphony performance will be a true celebration of dance! Maestro Stewart has programmed a dance party that circles the globe with a stunning array of diverse music that can be danced to. He writes: “We'll feature 11 thrillingly grand symphonic treatments of folkloric dances, representing five continents and nine distinct cultural traditions, specifically Slavonic, Chinese, Argentinian, Rumanian, Spanish (via a French composer), Moroccan (via a Norwegian composer), Hungarian (via a German composer), South African (via a Canadian composer), and Mexican.”

Professor Adkins will lead a class on Thursday evening September 8, 2022 at 7 pm. He will dive into these pieces with his wealth of musical knowledge and perspective. And all in the comfort of your home!

Allow up to 90 minutes for this class, which will go into greater depth than time permits at Don’s preview presentations before the concerts. We will record this class for those who can’t attend so you can view the recording ahead of the concert. The recording will be available before the concert dates. We are delighted to enhance your concert-going and musical experience through Don’s expertise. 

The cost of this class is $25. To sign up, click the button below. You’ll be taken to a webpage where you can complete the payment process.

After you've paid for the class, we'll send you an email on Tuesday, September 6 with instructions with the Zoom link for the class and some important details.

Put on your metaphorical dancing shoes and join your Symphony friends for this excellent class! Please share this email with any friends who may not be on our mailing list. We look forward to seeing you!

Save the Date: The class before our second concert will be October 19, 2022 with UCSC Professor Emeritus Dr. Anatole Leikin.