Santa Cruz Symphony bids farewell to beloved Concertmaster Nigel Armstrong

Nigel Armstrong’s first day as Concertmaster for Santa Cruz Symphony in 2016

As our beloved former concertmaster Nigel Armstrong moves on to other career opportunities, we want to wish him a fond farewell, with gratitude for his remarkable tenure and for creating so many moments of musical magic together with Daniel Stewart and our Santa Cruz Symphony.

"Nigel’s artistry and wonderful spirit have meant so much to our orchestra and community,” said Music Director Daniel Stewart. “I can’t thank him enough for the inspirational role he’s played in the development of our orchestra, and the many unforgettable moments collaborating together.”

Daniel Stewart and Nigel Armstrong after Nigel’s performance of Salonen’s violin concerto

Particularly memorable performances have included his first concerts with the Santa Cruz Symphony in complete performances of Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia; Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons; Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade; Esa-Pekka Salonen’s violin concerto; recitals at Samper Hall; and many demonstrations of his improvisational brilliance.

We hope you’ll join us in showing our appreciation for Nigel during his final performances with us on September 23 and 24, in our Echos of Empire program!

Introducing our new Artist in Residence and Concertmaster Nancy Zhou!

Maestro Daniel Stewart is delighted to announce that internationally acclaimed violin soloist Nancy Zhou will be joining the Santa Cruz Symphony as our new Artist in Residence and Concertmaster! This special new title reflects Nancy's stature as one of the world's foremost violin virtuosos. It also means we are looking forward to her additional creative contributions to chamber music programming and the development of other special engagement projects.

The 2018 winner of the Shanghai Isaac Stern Violin Competition, Nancy Zhou is widely known as a probing musical voice infused with searing virtuosity. Her musicianship resonates with a global audience and brings her on stage with the world's leading orchestras. A lover of chamber music and an explorer of nontraditional works, Nancy also brings a commitment to guiding young musicians and an emphasis on the intersection of music, dance, and culture. Click here to learn more about Nancy.

We're honored to have Nancy as our new Concertmaster, and we know you will be impressed by her genius and artistry this season!

A very special thanks to our former Concertmaster Nigel Armstrong for his significant talents as he prepares to move on to other career opportunities. You'll still get a chance to see Nigel perform as Concertmaster for our first concert of the season, Echos of Empire, on September 23 and 24.

This season, Nancy Zhou will perform with Santa Cruz Symphony in the following three programs. Note that she will be a featured soloist in the October concert. She will transition into a full season in 2024-25.  

OCTOBER 21-22, 2023

Mozart: Overture to Le nozze di Figaro
Rossini: Overture to Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Beethoven: Leonore Overture no. 3
Verdi: Overture to La forza del destino
Bizet: Carmen Suites 1 & 2
Waxman: Carmen Fantasie (featuring Nancy Zhou as soloist)

MARCH 23-24, 2024

Jose Granero: Matsuri Overture
Schumann: Cello Concerto
Stravinsky: Petrushka

JUNE 8, 2024

John Williams Spectacular

Explore our 2023-24 season here!

Santa Cruz Symphony welcomes Nancy Zhou, our new Artist in Residence and Concertmaster

Maestro Daniel Stewart is delighted to announce that internationally acclaimed violin soloist Nancy Zhou will be joining the Santa Cruz Symphony as our new Artist in Residence and Concertmaster! This special new title reflects her stature as one of the world's foremost violin virtuosos. It also means we are looking forward to her additional creative contributions to chamber music programming and development of other special engagement projects.

Our new Concertmaster is a probing musical voice infused with searing virtuosity. The winner of the 2018 Shanghai Isaac Stern Violin Competition, Nancy Zhou’s musicianship resonates with a global audience and brings her on stage with the world’s leading orchestras.

At 13 years old, Nancy made her orchestral debut with her hometown San Antonio Symphony. She went on to collaborate with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony, St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Munich Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and many more. She has performed with stellar conductors such as Jaap van Zweden, Sakari Oramo, Peter Oundjian, Eun Sun Kim, Christoph Poppen, and others of equal stature.

Nancy loves chamber music and guiding young musicians. She has performed at many international music festivals. In 2017, she was guest artist and faculty at Encore Chamber Music Festival. Holding masterclasses and private classes, she is a guest educator at summer festivals. She also teaches global students from an online studio.

Nancy also has explored nontraditional works. She presented Zhao Jiping's first violin concerto, and she gave the US premiere of Unsuk Chin's "Gran Cadenza" for two solo violins with Anne-Sophie Mutter. She will soon perform Chen Qigang's "La joie de la souffrance" and commission composer Vivian Fung to write a work for solo violin and electronics. The goal is to explore the intersection of Nancy’s personal family oral history, folk minority culture, and music.

Born in Texas to Chinese immigrants, Nancy learned the violin from her father. She studied with Miriam Fried at the New England Conservatory while pursuing literature at Harvard University. She is also an Associated Artist of the Queen Elisabeth Chapel, where she studied with Augustin Dumay.

A very special thanks to our former Concertmaster Nigel Armstrong for his significant talents as he prepares to move on to other career opportunities. You'll still get a chance to see Nigel perform as Concertmaster for our first concert of the season, Echos of Empire, on September 23 and 24.

This season, Nancy Zhou will perform with Santa Cruz Symphony in the following three programs. Note that she will be a featured soloist in the October concert. She will transition into a full season in 2024-25.

OCTOBER 21-22, 2023

Mozart: Overture to Le nozze di Figaro
Rossini: Overture to Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Beethoven: Leonore Overture no. 3
Verdi: Overture to La forza del destino
Bizet: Carmen suites 1 & 2
Waxman: Carmen Fantasie feat. Nancy Zhou as soloist

MARCH 23-24, 2024

Jose Granero: Matsuri Overture
Schumann: Cello Concerto
Stravinsky: Petrushka

JUNE 8, 2024

John Williams Spectacular

single tickets on sale now!

You could use a night out. With friends. Santa Cruz Symphony is here to help!

After a tough week, everyone needs a break. Why not join your friends at a concert? Classical music actually has mental health benefits, and it’s more fun than professional therapy.

You can buy an entire season’s subscription, or buy single tickets for the concerts you like best. Both subscriptions and single tickets are on sale right now. So, go for it!

Our 2023-24 season starts on September 23 and 24 with Echos of Empire, featuring the mischief of Richard Strauss’ medieval rogue Till Eulenspiegal. (It’s OK if you can’t pronounce it.) The concert also features Respighi’s vivid depictions of ancient Rome, plus a drumset concerto. (Yes, it actually works!)

Opera is simply a comedy or tragedy set to music. Our October 21 and 22 concerts bring excerpts from several operas set in Seville, including Carmen, the scandalous tale of a sexy seductress in a love triangle. Lively pieces from Mozart, Rossini, Beethoven, and Verdi will round out the performance. You’ll likely recognize many of them.

On January 20 and 21, recover from the holidays with Daphnis et Chloe, Ravel’s sensuous depiction of romance in Greece’s golden days. The Adagio from Mahler’s Tenth Symphony will transport your imagination, and you’ll hear incredible melodies from a gayageum. (We spelled that correctly. It’s a Korean type of zither.)

Even if you’re not a kid, the always popular Family Concert on February 25 will revive the fun from your youngest days. This program features Carnival of the Animals, a light-hearted musical suite from Camille Saint-Saens.  

Welcome springtime on March 23 and 24 with Festivals, featuring an homage to Japan’s Shinto celebrations. Our talented soloist will release Schumann’s Concerto for Cello from her instrument. (We promise, you’ll be amazed!) And then Stravinsky’s Petrushka tells the story of a puppet that longs to be human.

If you’re a fan of sumptuous chorale music, then Bach’s Mass in B minor is just the thing! These concerts on May 4 and 5 showcase the vocal talents of the Cabrillo Symphonic Chorus. (Our own singing is limited to the shower and the car.)

The Pops Concert on June 8 is a rousing way to wrap up the season. This time, we’re presenting a John Williams Spectacular with movie themes from all your favorites – Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park, Indiana Jones, and a lot more. We even have a lively street party beforehand to get you in the mood. 

So, with all that on tap, how about buying a season subscription? You have until September 21 to do it. Benefits? Of course, there are benefits! You’ll save 15% off the price of single tickets. You'll have priority reserved seating for the entire season that you can renew year after year. And remember that mental health thing? Yes, you'll have that too.

Want to purchase tickets to individual concerts in this season? They're available starting today at https://santacruztickets.com.

We appreciate the Santa Cruz Symphony League!

The Santa Cruz Symphony League surprised us with a check for $95,000! It was one of their largest donations ever. In a time of tight budgets for arts organizations everywhere, this was a welcome surprise. Every year, the League presents a check to the Santa Cruz Symphony, the result of that year's fundraising. This year's proceeds were truly impressive!

What is the Santa Cruz Symphony League? It's a community of music-loving friends dedicated to supporting the Santa Cruz Symphony with fundraising, education, and social events. They are the largest private donor of funds to the Symphony.

This donation represents many hours of dedicated work by the League members. We are incredibly grateful for their support and their commitment to helping the Santa Cruz Symphony succeed in its mission to educate, engage, and inspire. THANK YOU, SYMPHONY LEAGUE!

 
What does the Santa Cruz Symphony League do?

Events:

• Previews before each concert, featuring Maestro Daniel Stewart and guest performers

• The Holiday Faire, an opportunity to buy beautiful gifts and luscious treats made by local artisans and League members while supporting Santa Cruz Symphony

• The Home Tour, a festive annual tradition featuring tours of amazing homes and a chance to stock up on unique gifts

• The Gala each spring, an annual fundraiser with dinner, dancing, and both live and silent auctions

• 20/20 intimate gatherings throughout the year

Musician Support:

• Provide meals for the orchestra during rehearsals

• Provide housing for visiting musicians

Education:

• Volunteer at our Youth Concerts every spring
   
  Love Santa Cruz Symphony? You too can be a part of the Symphony League!

As a Symphony League member, you will meet many others who also enjoy helping bring classical music to our community. It’s not just an organization, it’s a network of connection and a chance to have fun while supporting Your Symphony! To learn more, visit www.santacruzsymphonyleague.org. 

The Santa Cruz Symphony League Board 

Join a community of music lovers and receive the best seats, prices and personalized service when you become a Santa Cruz Symphony season subscriber! Not only will you save 15% on concert tickets when you subscribe, you’ll enjoy each concert from priority seats that you can renew season after season. Order now to get the best seats!