The best way to enjoy the symphony
is from your favorite seats!
Our 2024-2025 Concert Season
Season Prelude Gala
Please join us for a delightful afternoon of good conversation, a special performance by the Temporary Resonance Trio, elegant hors d’oeuvres by Brett Shuler Fine Catering, wine, and an exciting auction, all in a beautiful setting. Additional details are forthcoming. Advanced purchase tickets will be available until September 13.
The Uncommon Woman
The season opens with a flourish in a program celebrating the work of inspiring women in classical music. A Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman is described by composer Joan Tower as “a tribute to women who take risks and are adventurous.” The captivating, Grammy-nominated Kara Huber will treat you to a dazzling performance of Mozart Piano Concerto K. 466. The evening concludes with Symphony No. 2 in E minor by Emilie Mayer, a Romantic composer beloved in her lifetime whose works are being celebrated in concert halls once again.
DIVINE INSPIRATION
Welcome the holiday spirit with the G.F. Handel’s glorious Messiah. The brilliant quartet of vocal soloists that captivated the audience last season (Clara Lisle, Sara Couden, David Powell, and Kevin Thompson) will join the Eureka Symphony and Chorus for an inspired rendition of this cherished holiday tradition. Because what’s the holiday season without the Hallelujah chorus?
CHAMBER MUSIC BENEFIT CONCERT
Break winters spell with an exceptional concert by the Temporary Resonance Trio. In addition to the special insights about the music shared by Terrie Baune, John Chernoff, and Carol Jacobson, there will be sweet and savory treats paired with coffee and tea to make the afternoon even more delicious. Since there is limited general seating for this event, it’s best to order these $30 tickets early.
Sponsored by Pam Cahill
MUSIC AS LEGEND
The concert begins with Chokfi’: Sarcasm for String Orchestra and Percussion by Chickasaw composer Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate. This piece is a “character sketch” of a trickster character in Southeast American Indian legends named “Chokfi’”–– a rabbit person with a “complicated and diabolical personality.” In a dramatic shift to the mid-18th century, soloist Evan Kahn, the distinguished principal cellist of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, will charm you with the classic and joyous Haydn Concerto in C Major. The program concludes with American composer Howard Hanson’s Symphony No. 2 in Db Major, a piece said to reflect his Scandinavian heritage and “the wide, open sound of the American frontier.”
MUSIC OF THE SPHERES
Overture to Il Mondo Della Luna is a window into Joseph Haydn’s quirky vision of life on the moon written in the comic opera buffa genre. The charismatic duo Liana Bérubé and Ivo Bokulić will return to the stage for an elegant performance of W.A. Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in Eb Major. We conclude with the timeless and evocative suite The Planets by Gustav Holst. His fascination with astrology helped him capture the essence of each planet. No matter what your sign or horoscope is, you are sure to love this magical work.
In conjunction with this concert, we present our annual Schools to Symphony program. Committed to high quality music education in Humboldt County, the symphony brings approximately 1500 students (grades 4 to 6) to share the excitement of live symphonic music.
A GRAND FINALE
Featuring the esteemed pianist Daniela Mineva, we will perform Grażyna Bacewicz’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, a late-Romantic style work inspired by Polish folk songs. Professor of Music at Cal Poly Humboldt, Dr. Mineva has been hailed as a “vibrant and expressive performer” (New York Times). The season concludes with one of the monuments of classical music: Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 in A Major. Beethoven himself fondly considered this symphony among his best works. The exquisite second movement was so popular that the audience demanded an encore at the premiere.
Musical Notes
Enjoy even greater appreciation for Music Director/Conductor Carol Jacobson’s musical selections by attending Musical Notes at 6:30 p.m. before each concert. Hosted by Concertmaster Terrie Baune with help from John Chernoff and special guests, this pre-concert talk is an informal and informative way to learn about the composers and pieces to be played that evening. You’ll learn enthralling facts about the music and the era of each piece, plus hear from guest artists who share their background and insights into the music they will perform.
There is no assigned seating for these talks, so you can be as close to the stage as you wish or experiment by sitting in different sections of the beautiful Arkley Center for the Performing Arts. Again, Musical Notes now begins at 6:30 p.m. and lasts about half an hour, leaving you time to stretch your legs and find your assigned seat before the concert begins.