Last night, Pacific Symphony’s vibrant community of patrons, musicians, and music-lovers of all kinds reunited in the beautiful Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall to celebrate three milestones: the inaugural season-opening concert of our new Artistic & Music Director, Alexander Shelley, 20 years of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 40 years of Segerstrom Center for the Arts.
The concert hall was truly a sight to behold: soft blue tablecloths, gorgeous orchids, and the excited smiles of patrons in formal wear and finery, anticipating a lovely evening of music with Joshua Bell and Alexander Shelley.
Audiences were thrilled to witness the return of Alexander Shelley to this stage – the crowd was buzzing to see the start of what is in store for this season.
Social media was buzzing after the concert, too:
“What a great concert!! We truly enjoyed it. Bravo!”
“It was an amazing performance!” I was so happy to experience it all. Bravo!”
“Such a glorious concert tonight!”
The program was woven with the threads of America’s great musical history, from Hollywood to Broadway and the many great works in between. The concert opened with The Star-Spangled Banner, as is tradition for Opening Night, followed by Jessie Montgomery’s Banner. This piece is a thought-provoking tribute to the 200th Anniversary of the national anthem. It draws on the musical and historical sources of various patriotic anthems, evoking the question of what an anthem for the 21st century could sound like.
Next, the audience welcomed GRAMMY® Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell to the stage with a roaring round of applause. He had two works to share with us.
First, a piece called “Earth” by Kevin Puts, from a larger work he commissioned called The Elements. This piece beautifully paints the imagery of the American landscape and human connection with the world around us. You could nearly feel the audience breathe together with the slow, reverent quality of the sound. The harp anchored the orchestra with a simply four-note repeated phrase that the solo violin could sing on top of. The violin section and the other instruments joining in created an atmosphere that felt like slowly gliding over golden rolling hills and breathing in the scent of fresh air.
Second, Symphonie espagnole by Édouard Lalo, a well-known work in the violin repertoire composed of five movements of vivid orchestration in the historical context of 19th-century “Spanish exoticism.” Symphonie espagnole is virtuosic and thrilling to follow. The violin leaps and bounds through scales and dramatic melodies, intertwined with sweet laments in a style distinctive to this interpretation of Spanish motifs. This piece has been performed far and wide for 150 years – and what a treat it was to hear such a renowned violinist like Joshua Bell play it for us right here in Orange County.
Intermission gave the audience a chance to rave about the artistry they had just witnessed on stage, the lobby alive with excited chatter about the beauty of Bell’s playing with the partnership of Shelley and the orchestra.
The second half was a delightful selection of Broadway overtures, film music, and celebrated works from women like Joan Tower and Florence Price. The audience gave witness first-hand to the talented musicians of Pacific Symphony, many of whom play regularly in film studios and pit orchestras for musicals. We heard Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to Candide, Joan Tower’s Sixth FanFare for the Uncommon Woman, Florence Price’s Andante Moderato, Korngold’s Kings Row Suite, Bartok’s Romanian Folk Dances, and finally, Gershwin’s Overture to Girl Crazy. It was a taste of some familiarity mixed perfectly with a story of American composers and composers who chose to call America home. To read more about each piece, read our program notes here.
This concert was a stunning way to begin our 2026-27 Season with Alexander Shelley as our new Artistic & Music Director. We hope you will join us for his next program on October 1-3, where you will hear Mahler’s “Resurrection” (Symphony No. 2) performed with Pacific Chorale. Its full emotional range and the orchestral/choral spectacle is hard to match in recorded form. You must hear it live to feel its power. Get tickets here.
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