Pacific Symphony’s Glamorous Gala Benefit Raised Funds for Music Education and Artist Programs
Pacific Symphony 2022 Gala – “A Night in Old Hollywood” was held at the Potocki Center for the Arts in Mission Viejo, California on June 18, 2022. All photos by Doug Gifford unless otherwise noted.
Pacific Symphony presented “A Night in Old Hollywood” on Saturday, June 18 at Potocki Center for the Arts World Cup Field in Mission Viejo. One of the premier philanthropic events in the Southland, the Symphony’s Gala Benefit honored Valerie and Hans Imhof for their dedicated philanthropy and advocacy of Pacific Symphony’s music education initiatives.
The festive evening featured a chic red-carpet entrance leading to an elegant reception on a black-and-white silent movie set, gourmet dinner of cuisine inspired by the iconic Brown Derby restaurant associated with the Golden Age of Hollywood and a lively auction of luxury items and experiences. Broadway star Lisa Vroman made a surprise appearance performing such Judy Garland favorites as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “The Trolley Song” as well as classics from the American Songbook The event finished with late-night dancing under the stars to the sounds of the JT and Friends with bandleader and tech executive John Tu of Kingston Technology on the drums. In addition to making beautiful music, John Tu and his wife Mary announced the pledge of a $1 million challenge grant to encourage Orange County donors to match their gift dollar-for-dollar.
The sold-out Gala Benefit Evening event, chaired by Joann Leatherby, Judy Whitmore and Pat McAuley, was attended by 380 guests. It raised $2,313,200 with proceeds benefiting Pacific Symphony’s education and community engagement programs and artistic programming.
Gala-goers arriving at Potocki Center for the Arts found themselves transported back in time to the glitz and glamour of Old Hollywood. Garlands of white flowers—peonies, Phalaenopsis orchids, tulips and baby’s breath—were draped dramatically throughout the entire setting. Black-and-white movie impersonators Charlie Chaplin, Mae West, Gene Kelly, living “Oscar” statues and feathery show girls posed for photo ops with the guests. Additional pre-dinner entertainment included a strolling saxophonist and tuxedo-clad tap-dancing Top Hat Dancers. Artists Creating Entertainment (A.C.E.), an experiential entertainment booking agency based in LA, provided all the performers.
Here are some photos from the event. You may want to consider attending next year!
Row 1. L-R. Photo 1: Gala entrance. Photo by Annie White. Photo 2: Pre-concert performers. Photo 3: Charlie and Ling Zhang. Row 2. L-R. Photo 1: The Imhofs with Ben Smolen. Photo 2: Richard Kaufman, Carl St.Clair and Jake Sustaita. Photo 3: Diana Martin, John Forsyte, and Heidi Zuckerman. Row 3. L-R. Photo 1: Scharrell Jackson and friend. Photo 2: John and Mary Tu with Carl St.Clair. Photo 3: Feathered showgirls. Photo by Annie White.
Gary Good addressing Symphony donors and colleagues. All photos in this post are by Doug Gifford.
After an illustrious 48-year arts management career with a wide range of orchestras and opera companies, Gary Good will be transitioning from his present work with Pacific Symphony as senior executive for endowment and legacy giving.
With so many achievements in a long and prestigious career, highlights of Gary Good’s work in the performing arts field range from his beginnings with the Boston Symphony to achieving notable “firsts” for a number of orchestras: Under Good’s leadership, Baltimore Symphony toured Europe for the first time and became the first America orchestra to tour East Germany; and the following year the orchestra played the inaugural concert in their new venue, Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. Gary Good was the longest serving CEO for the Buffalo Philharmonic. He led the orchestra to its first Carnegie Hall appearance and its first international tour with Semyon Bychkov. While at the helm of the Milwaukee Symphony, he led the orchestra on two international tours and built a 400 station syndication radio network, along with production of more than two dozen recordings for Koss Recordings. He also initiated major fundraising efforts for the Omaha Performing Arts Center and the opening of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County in Florida.
At John Forsyte’s invitation in the fall of 2008, Gary Good came to Pacific Symphony where he worked in a variety of fundraising and project roles over the past 14 years. His many achievements with the orchestra include the following:
Endowments for three new principal chairs;
Building of the Opera-Vocal Initiative and growth of Opera Focus;
Special campaigns, including “Music for Generations,” Carl St.Clair’s 25th and 30th anniversaries, Pacific Symphony’s 40th anniversary and the expansion of the “Heartstrings” program; and
Stewardship of the “Ellis Island Medal of Honor Pacific Symphony project and subsequent national PBS Great Performances broadcast.
Gary Good and his wife Jackie have been generous contributors to Pacific Symphony’s Annual Fund and special events. They will be relocating to Kansas City this summer, where Jackie will be sustaining her longtime financial consulting business, and they will be closer to children and grandchildren. Good will continue his relationship with Pacific Symphony in a consulting role and as an author of guest blog posts. Pacific Symphony expresses its appreciation to Gary Good for his many contributions to Pacific Symphony during his distinguished 14-year tenure with the organization.
L-R. Photo 1: Gary Good with Music Director Carl St.Clair. Photo 2: Gary with his wife, Jackie. Photo 3: President & CEO John Forsyte presents a gift basket to Gary.
Sen. Dave Min announces Pacific Symphony as “Nonprofit of the Year” while Carl St.Clair (left) and John Forsyte (right) look on. Photo by Doug Gifford.
Senator Dave Min (D-Irvine) announced the 37th Senate District’s 2022 Nonprofit of the Year honoree, Pacific Symphony. The resident orchestra of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Pacific Symphony is renowned for its outstanding ensemble, in addition to a robust set of education and community engagement programs that cultivate new artists and inspire a love of music in children and adults. Its music director of 32 years, Carl St.Clair, is one of America’s most visionary musicians with a strong belief that music is a birthright and that Pacific Symphony must be an orchestra for the community.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization closed its doors and shutdown operations—a devastating blow to Orange County’s arts and entertainment epicenter. Quick to adapt to these challenging circumstances, Pacific Symphony offered virtual performances as well as online educational activities that captivated and engaged audiences at home.
Throughout the pandemic, the Symphony maintained its strong commitment to the community by producing and distributing an extraordinary number of free online and virtual opportunities. The orchestra bounced back with a resounding return to live music and performances when COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. Pacific Symphony retains its position as a national leader among American orchestras. Senator Min presented the “Nonprofit of the Year” award to Carl St.Clair and John Forsyte onstage before the beginning of the Mozart & Mahler concert on June 25.”
“It is my distinct honor to announce that Pacific Symphony has been selected as the 37th Senate District’s Nonprofit of the Year for 2022,” said Senator Min. “Pacific Symphony has always served as a pillar of the arts here in Orange County, but during the pandemic, it has stepped up its cultural and educational contributions to our lives at a time when we needed it most. As we celebrate the return of live music, let us also recall the innovative spirit that led to so many virtual and outdoor performances and remote educational efforts over the past two years. Pacific Symphony has been a guiding star and a stalwart of resiliency for all of us, and I want to thank the entire Symphony family for keeping our spirts up throughout the pandemic.”
President and CEO of Pacific Symphony, John E. Forsyte added, “On behalf of the musicians, board of directors, staff, and Music Director Carl St.Clair, Pacific Symphony is humbled and deeply gratified to receive the honor of ‘2022 Nonprofit of the Year’ for the 37th Senate District. We strongly believe in the role of music to uplift, connect diverse people, and celebrate our common humanity. Pacific Symphony’s comprehensive education and community engagement programs provide services for under-resourced, Title I and other underserved communities of Orange County. The Symphony devotes more resources per capita to children’s education and those in high need. Through these efforts, the orchestra dedicates 10% of its annual operating budget—among the highest of any orchestra in the country—for education and community engagement programs. From fundamental arts education to world-class performances, Pacific Symphony, its Music Director Carl St.Clair and 77 exceptional professional musicians continue to seek ways to educate children, provide therapeutic benefit, and inspire audiences throughout the region.”
L-R Photo 1: Sen. Dave Min with his wife Jane K. Stoever, who is a law professor at UCI, attended the June 25th concert; Photo 2: Sen. Dave Min (center) meets Pacific Symphony concertmaster and 37th district resident Dennis Kim (left) with John Forsyte (right) backstage before the onstage award presentation; Photo 3: During the concert intermission, Sen. Dave Min (right) discusses the concert with Assistant Conductor Dr. Jacob Sustaita.
A Tribute Portfolio Hotel, and the official hotel of Pacific Symphony.
Avenue of the Arts Costa Mesa
Pacific Symphony gratefully acknowledges the generous sponsorship of Avenue of the Arts. This award-winning hotel, just steps from Pacific Symphony, is sponsoring Beethoven Piano Concertos (June 9-11) and Mozart & Mahler (June 23-25).
Nestled in the hub of Orange County’s Theater and Arts District, the Four Diamond award-winning Avenue of the Arts Costa Mesa, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel offers art enthusiasts and locals the perfect City of the Arts experience.
• 238 Stylish Rooms and Suites with Hardwood Floors • Modern Art • Scenic Lake or Garden Views • Award-Winning Dining at Silver Trumpet Restaurant & Bar • Vibrant Cocktail Lounge and Outdoor Patio with TVs and Firepits • Year-Round Heated Outdoor Pool • Wireless Internet • Complimentary Shuttle to John Wayne Airport
Experience an award-winning hoteljust steps from Pacific Symphony.
Silver Trumpet Restaurant & Bar
Silver Trumpet Restaurant & Bar
Silver Trumpet Restaurant and Bar, the hotel’s award-winning signature restaurant, presents modern California cuisine using fresh, locally sourced, sustainable ingredients and house-made desserts.
The lakeside hideaway offers an elegant private dining room styled with warm modern décor and seamless glass windows providing fabulous lake or city views. All complemented by the contemporary bar lounge and newly enhanced outdoor patio space, which features custom firepits, lounge seating, and flat-screen TVs. Perfect for enjoying SoCal’s ideal weather. Perfect for pre-concert dining and post-concert cocktails.
Pacific Symphony on the Celebration Stage at Star Wars Celebration 2022. Photo by Walt Disney Studios.
Pacific Symphony became a part ofStar Wars history when they participated in the Lucasfilm’s Studio Showcase panel at Star Wars Celebration, Thursday, May 26 in Anaheim, California. Under the baton of five-time Academy Award-winning composer John Williams, the orchestra performed the live premiere of the new theme from the Disney+ Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
Pacific Chorale opened the Obi-Wan Kenobi segment performing “Duel of the Fates” (from Star Wars:The Phantom Menace) culminating instars Ewan McGregor (Obi-Wan Kenobi) and Hayden Christensen (Darth Vader) walking out on stage to greet the crowd. The original limited series marks a special return for McGregor and Christensen to the Star Wars franchise after their last performance together in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (2005). You can watch a more in depth interview the co-stars had with Star Wars Celebration host Anthony Carboni here.
Pacific Symphony looks on as Maestro John Williams takes a bow. Photo by Star Wars Celebration.
Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy then came on stage to set the scene for a historic musical moment. “So, when we began working on Obi-Wan Kenobi, we were struck by the fact that he didn’t have a theme. How could that be? It is with profound gratitude and excitement I am pleased to announce that you will all now become a part of Star Wars history as the new Obi-Wan theme is played live for the first time ever,” Kennedy said. Maestro Williams received a standing ovation as he came out to conduct Pacific Symphony, with whom many of the musicians have worked with him on projects before.
After the orchestra played the Obi-Wan Theme, John Williams transitioned to Indiana Jones. “I know that this is a Star Wars Celebration but here’s a little piece that’s not Star Wars. But you might know it,” Williams said. The orchestra also performed “Raiders March” from Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark and “The Imperial March” from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
Harrison Ford wished five-time Academy Award®-winning composer John Williams a happy 90th birthday today at #StarWarsCelebration. As on all four previous #IndianaJones films, Williams is composing the score for the new film. pic.twitter.com/0ABnBeo4Zr
Star Harrison Ford and filmmakers James Mangold, Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall of the upcoming fifth installment of the Indiana Jones franchise took the stage to unveil an early photo from the film, and to wish composer John Williams a happy 90th birthday. As on all four previous Indiana Jones films, Williams is composing the score for the new film, which opens on June 30, 2023.
It all came to a close when fans started singing happy birthday to him as he left. Congratulations to everyone involved! It was an honor to be a part of that moment with all of you. To read through some of the highlights from the Lucasfilm’s Studio Showcase panel, please click here.
As many orchestras across our nation celebrate a year of live concerts, here at Pacific Symphony, YOU are the celebration.
Whether you attended a concert, special event, volunteered, made a gift, donated tickets or a little bit of each, you made dreams come true.
From the orchestra members on stage to the tens of thousands of children and adults served in the community, you fulfilled dreams through your dedication to Pacific Symphony. Your support is an investment in education, the arts and the people of Orange County. In fact, your dedication has inspired renowned Orange County philanthropist and Pacific Symphony Board Member, Joann Leatherby, to match your next gift.
Through your support of Pacific Symphony’s OperaFOCUS, you made dreams come true for these talented young singers as they performed next to world-class opera star Kelebogile Besong during the 10th Anniversary performances of Otello.
Your support expanded Santa Ana Strings to include a new mentorship and coaching program for high school students.
Your support helped us serve 206 regional non-profits with 21 partnerships, enriching lives with wellness, education and healing to some of Orange County’s most diverse communities.
Your support covered financial assistance for most arts-X-press middle schoolers from 17 school districts.
Your support created the opportunity for PSYE to perform two world premiere compositions. Accolades like this attracted the famous Peabody Conservatory at Johns Hopkins University to invite two PSYE graduating seniors to apply for admission with substantial scholarships attached. Talk about a dream come true!
And, as we look towards our summer Symphony on the Go!and Symphony in the Cities concerts, your support brings Pacific Symphony to you, your family and your friends in your neighborhood and to non-profit partners such as Age-Well Senior Services and Orange County Rescue Mission.
Your dream-making power is a game-changer! Your investment ensures music and dreams will remain woven into the fabric of our Orange County communities for years to come.
The Board of Directors of Pacific Symphony With Event Co-Chairs Joann Leatherby, Pat McAuley and Judy Whitmore Invite You to Walk the Red Carpet at Our 2022 Gala
Honoring Valerie and Hans Imhof for Outstanding Philanthropy and Leadership
Featuring Entertainment by Pacific Symphony Musicians And the Big Band Sounds of JT & Friends
The Symphony Gala is one of the most exciting and anticipated cultural events in Orange County. Last year’s Gala raised more than $2 million to support the orchestra’s artistic and award-winning education programs. The Gala is not only a marvelously successful fundraiser, it is a “can’t miss” evening of entertainment, grand cuisine and dancing that the leaders of Orange County prioritize on their social calendars.
This year’s Gala theme is A Night in Old Hollywood—a theme so vast that anyone can find an aspect for which to be passionate. Our evening will focus on the Hollywood films, trends and celebrities that graced the silver screens before 1950.
On May 8, we’ll be performing the Fantasie for Flute and Piano by Philippe Gaubert and a flute movement from Martinu’s Sextet, the Serenade for String Trio by Ernst von Dohnanyi, and we’ll wrap up the program with the fabulous Piano Trio by Maurice Ravel.
I love all the players on this program, as always: Ben Smolen, Dennis Kim, Meredith Crawford and Warren Hagerty. I enjoy this combination of Czech and French music that will “speak” to each other in this program. There’s a lot of intimate music making here, with small forces in each of the pieces. It’s a lovely way to end our Cafe Ludwig season, with these duos and trios, displaying the deep personal connections which we all have and which we’re all so grateful for.
The Ravel Piano Trio is one of my absolute favorite pieces of chamber music, so I’m particularly excited to play it with Dennis Kim and Warren Hagerty. It’s so perfectly thought out, so delicate, so full of imagination, and demands so much of each of the players. That’s one of the reasons I thought this is a perfect setting for it. Dennis and Warren and I have established a wonderful rapport together, and we’ve tackled chamber music in all sorts of contexts by now, and we’ve gotten to know each other well as players. We’re excited to come together as a trio and play a piece like this, which requires such cohesion among the players. It asks us to set a scene, without letting any part of that scene go untouched. It was the final piece that he wrote before heading out to the front, as a volunteer soldier for World War I. It was particularly important to him to make sure it was well edited and that everything was in place because he had a palpable sense that it might end up being his last piece. It didn’t, but he thought of it that way. In many ways, it brought his level of composition to an entirely different place than where it had been before, with that awareness that it might be his final statement. ~ Orli Shaham, Curator and Host of Café Ludwig
Pacific Symphony announces its highly anticipated 2022-23 Pops Season led by Principal Pops Conductor Laureate Richard Kaufman and underwritten by the Sharon and Tom Malloy Family.
As a Season Special, Pacific Symphony will perform Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone™ in Concert, Oct. 28-29 in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. The concert will feature John Jesensky conducting Pacific Symphony in performing live, to picture, every note from Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone™. Audiences will be able to relive the magic of the entire film in high-definition on a 40-foot screen while hearing Pacific Symphony perform John Williams’ unforgettable score live.
The 2022-23 Pops Season officially begins Nov. 4-5, 2022, with a tribute to legendary film composer Maestro John Williams in honor of his 90th birthday. Five other blockbuster shows in the Pops series include renowned artists across jazz, pop, disco, Broadway and rock: The Manhattan Transfer, Kristin Chenoweth, Gloria Gaynor, The Music of The Rolling Stones and Renée Elise Goldsberry. The finale of the 2022-23 Pops Season will close June 9-10, 2023, with Hamilton: An American Musical alumna and Girls5eva star Renée Elise Goldsberry. One additional concert to be announced
All concerts begin at 8 p.m. and take place at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, CA. Subscriptions for the seven-concert series are now available and start at $245. Single ticket sales begin in August and start at $35. Lobby doors open approximately one hour before curtain. For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact our Patron Services team at (714) 755-5799, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or learn more at PacificSymphony.org.
Programs, artists, prices and dates are subject to change.
Maestro John WilliamsThe Manhattan TransferKristin ChenowethGloria GaynorMick AdamsRenée Elise Goldsberry
PACIFIC SYMPHONY 2022-23 POPS SEASON
HARRY POTTER AND THE SORCERER’S STONE™ IN CONCERT (Season Special) Oct. 28 • 8 p.m.; Oct. 29 • 3 & 8 p.m. John Jesensky, conductor
In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone™ Harry Potter learns on his 11th birthday that he is the orphaned son of two wizards and possesses magical powers of his own. At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardy, he leans the high-flying sport of Quidditch and plays a ‘live’ chess game en route to facing a Dark Wizard bent on destroying him.
Relive the film that started it all. Watch the wand choose the wizard, a troll run amok and magic mirrors in high-definition while Pacific Symphony performs John Williams’ iconic score. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime event as Harry, Ron, Hermione and all your favorite characters return to the screen and enchant the world all over again.
JOHN WILLIAMS: A 90th BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION Nov. 4-5 • 8 p.m. Richard Kaufman, conductor
Pacific Symphony’s history wouldn’t be the same without Maestro John Williams. After all, it was Williams who encouraged his Boston Symphony colleague Carl St.Clair to apply for the music director position opening at Pacific Symphony after a trip in the late 1980s. The rest as they say, is history. The music of John Williams has transported us beyond our imagination. To new worlds. Through heart-pounding adventures. Be there as Pacific Symphony performs all your John Williams favorites: Superman, Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, and of course, Star Wars. The force is with you for this 90th birthday celebration of cinema’s symphonic master.
HOLIDAY POPS WITH THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER Dec. 16-17 • 8 p.m.
Evan Roider, conductor
Warmth, joy and magic are only some of the words that can be used to describe the holiday season. Those are also the same words that can be used to describe jazz vocal group The Manhattan Transfer’s The Christmas Album and An Acapella Christmas albums. Founded by Tim Hauser in 1969, the group has gone on to receive both critical praise and commercial success ever since. Both holiday-themed albums include standards such as “Happy Holiday,” “Let It Snow,” “Christmas Time Is Here,” “Jingle Bells” and more. Celebrate the season with family and friends with Pacific Symphony in the holiday-decked Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. Sparkling classics and favorites for the season—even a visit from Santa!
You may know her as Sally Brown from You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Glinda the Good Witch from Wicked or Mildred Layton from Apple TV+’s Schmigadoon! but Emmy and Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth also has a rival solo career and has become a concert hall favorite. Her latest album, For the Girls, was released in 2019 and features hits such as “Desperado,” “The Man That Got Away” and “It Doesn’t Matter Any More.” Kristin Chenoweth joins Pacific Symphony for this spectacular concert of classic songs of love and empowerment. Entertainment Weekly raves: “her set-list spans so many different genres, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.”
GLORIA GAYNOR – THE QUEEN OF DISCO Apr. 14-15, 2023 • 8 p.m.
Sarah Hicks, conductor
There is no doubt that Grammy-award winner and Dance Music Hall of Famer Gloria Gaynor is one of disco’s greatest icons. Before she became a solo artist, Gaynor started singing with the Soul Satisfiers in the 1960s. It wasn’t until the 70s when she really began doing things on her own. Since the release of her first studio album Never Can Say Goodbye in 1975, she has gone on to record more than 15 studio albums. Her latest album, Testimony, was released in 2019. She also won the first and only Grammy for Best Disco Recording for “I Will Survive” in 1980.
THE MUSIC OF THE ROLLING STONES May 5-6, 2023 • 8 p.m. Enrico Lopez-Yañez, conductor
Since their first live production of classic rock music with orchestra in 1995, Windborne Productions, Inc. have gone on to create several memorable tribute shows. The Music of the Rolling Stones features Mick Adams on lead vocals. Let’s spend the night together, when Pacific Symphony, backed by a full rock band, presents “The Music of the Rolling Stones.” A celebration of nearly 60 years of Stone’s hits. It’s a gas, gas, gas!
RENÉE ELISE GOLDSBERRY June 9-10, 2023 • 8 p.m. Richard Kaufman, conductor
Drama Desk and Tony Award winner Renée Elise Goldsberry made her debut as Nala in Disney’s The Lion King on Broadway and was the last Mimi in Jonathan Larson’s Rent, but it was her role as Angelica Schuyler in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton: An American Musical that recently made her become a household name. Principal Pops Conductor Laureate Richard Kaufman leads Goldsberry and the Symphony for an evening of renditions of some of her favorite songs and maybe even a few selections from Hamilton! Hear her golden voice fill the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in a collection of showstoppers as only she can sing them.
Pacific Symphony today announced the 2022-23 Family Musical Mornings series presented by Farmers & Merchants Bank. The series includes 45-minute, kid-friendly concerts that engage and entertain young audiences, setting them on the path to a lifelong love of music. The Family Musical Mornings series comprises ten Saturday morning concerts, consisting of five programs with two performances each day at 10:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Tailored for children and their families, each program explores a different theme and is designed to be interactive, engaging and participatory. Pacific Symphony, led by Dr. Jacob Sustaita, Assistant Conductor (and Music Director for the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra), is joined by singers, actors and dancers to take audiences on a musical journey through the secrets and inner workings of the orchestra with a captivating, multimedia format.
The Symphony gratefully acknowledges Farmers & Merchants Bank for its strong support as the presenting sponsor of the Family Musical Mornings series. Pacific Symphony’s President and CEO John Forsyte commented, “We are proud to be in partnership with Farmers & Merchants Bank, and we are deeply grateful for their past support and continuing commitment. Pacific Symphony can continue music education and family programming only because of wonderful investors like Farmers & Merchants.”
Tickets go on sale beginning May 2 and are priced starting at just $60 for five magical musical experiences. Subscriptions can be purchased by calling the Symphony Box Office at (714) 755-5799, going online at PacificSymphony.org or by mailing Pacific Symphony at 17620 Fitch, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92614.
2022-23 FAMILY MUSICAL MORNINGS SERIES
THE SORCERER’S APPRENTICE Oct. 22 • 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Learn about the magical, mystical powers of the orchestra through the eyes of a wizard’s young apprentice. You’ll hear selections from A Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and even Harry Potter. Don’t forget to wear your Halloween costume!
NUTCRACKER FOR KIDS! Dec. 3 • 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Festival Ballet Theatre – Salwa Rizkalla, Artistic Director
Visions of sugarplums and beautiful ballerinas will dance in your head after seeing Tchaikovsky’s delightful Christmas ballet, performed in a condensed version created just for kids. This annual favorite finishes with a jolly visit from Santa Claus himself!
GREAT MUSIC IN THE GREAT OUTDOORS Feb. 22, 2023 • 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Experience the sweeping sounds of the great outdoors brought to life in the concert hall when Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra joins forces with Pacific Symphony for this side-by-side performance. You’ll hear the sound of swirling waters and majestic scenes from nature as painted by the musical pen of famous composers.
WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS, A DECADE IN CONCERT Mar. 18, 2023 • 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Celebrating iconic musical moments from favorite films released over the last decade, this melodic journey explores Disney Animation’s latest stories through unforgettable film clips and scores performed live by a symphony orchestra. This thrilling performance includes music from Moana (2016), Academy Award-winning Frozen (2013), Academy Award-winning Big Hero 6 (2014) and Tangled (2010). Come dressed as your favorite Disney character!
HANSEL & GRETEL—OPERA FOR KIDS! Jun. 3, 2023 • 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
This fairytale adventure tells the story of two hungry children lost in an enchanted forest, an inviting gingerbread house and a wicked witch. This kid-friendly production features spoken narration and acting, as well as the most charming and catchy tunes from the original opera, sung by talented opera singers.
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