It's not too late to get season tickets!

All photos from Symphonic Dances concert are by Kevin Monahan

If you missed the deadline for buying a full season subscription for the 2022-23 season, you can still get the benefits of being a subscriber by purchasing a mini-subscription for the last four regular classical series concerts in the season. In addition, when you buy a mini-subscription, you have the option to purchase tickets to the Family Concert and the Pops Concert for a reduced price. Good seats are still available for this fabulous season of classical music!

Want to share your love of the Symphony with someone else? Gift vouchers are available for mini-subscriptions. Contact the Symphony office at 831-462-0553 x10 or office@santacruzsymphony.org for more information.

Here's what people are saying about our 65th season so far:

"Maestro Stewart is no longer just the Wunderkind of classical music he was some ten years ago. He has evolved into a highly respected, mature conductor, not only with the established classical music repertoire, but also an oblique exploration and commitment to perform outstanding contemporary music performances that have brought new excitement to his audiences, and a podium Master Class as well... What a wonderful opening to the 2022-2023 Symphony season, BRAVO Maestro, BRAVO Santa Cruz Symphony!" - Josef Sekon, D.M.A.

"The Santa Cruz Symphony opening concert on September 17 was stupendous! Music Director Daniel Stewart and the orchestra filled the Civic with incredible "dance" music that included a massive percussion section. The folkloric dances from across the world plus Watsonville's Esperanza del Valle Baile Folklorico were a perfect way to start the 65th Symphony season." - Nancy Meyberg

Get ready for the KAZU Symphonic Dances Concert Rebroadcast!

Symphonic Dances:

LISTEN TO THE COMPLETE CONCERT 

Our first concert weekend to open the 22-23 season was a hit! If you missed the concerts, or just want to relive this around-the-world musical tour of symphonic dance music, you can hear the concert rebroadcast this coming weekend.

At 4 PM on October 2, go to KAZU.org's classical station (or click the button below to be taken there) to experience the entire program performed by the Santa Cruz Symphony!

Here's how to listen: when you're on the KAZU website, click "All Streams" underneath the red Donate button and select the Classical station from the drop-down menu. Then just click the play button in the grey bar at the top left part of the page, right underneath the logo. At 4 PM on Sunday, clicking this button will play the Symphonic Dances concert.

You can find more information about listening to KAZU broadcasts here, including how to tune in on your HD radio station.

Symphonic Dances: Come Dance With Us!

The Santa Cruz Symphony is celebrating its 65th year of presenting live, exciting classical music concerts for Santa Cruz County. This year’s opening concert will get your feet moving with 11 symphonic dances from around the world.

Over the centuries, countless compositions have been inspired by the connection between music and dance.

  • In 1879, Johannes Brahms composed 21 Hungarian Dances, based directly on Hungarian folk tunes. The Santa Cruz Symphony will perform Nos. 1 and 5. During the same period, Antonin Dvořák wrote 16 Slavonic Dances using his own melodies in combination with traditional rhythms and patterns from the rich Bohemian folk culture. We will be featuring two of those dances on this concert. 

  • Nearly 75 years later in Shenyang, China, composer Huanzhi Li compiled several Chinese folk tunes into the lively Spring Festival Overture. Traditional drums beat and cymbals crash in this brilliant celebration of the Lunar New Year written in the Western style. 

  • In a truly global embrace, American composer Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser arranged the South African greeting tune, Hlonolofatsa, for a symphonic orchestra. Alongside the usual instruments of a modern orchestra, the piece features a collection of djembes, traditional African drums, and the marimba.

  • Finally, the concert will conclude with the boisterous Huapango, by Mexican composer José Pablo Moncayo. The huapango itself is a style of Mexican folk music from which Moncayo drew his inspiration. To accompany this piece, the Santa Cruz Symphony is pleased to feature Esperanza Del Valle Baile Folclorico from Watsonville as our guest artists. They will thrill the audience with the beauty and excitement of traditional Mexican dance. 

Saturday, September 17 at Civic Auditorium

Sunday, September 18 at Mello Center

 You don't want to miss this inspiring opening concert. We hope to see you this weekend!

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