Season Prelude Gala 2026

Sunday, September 13, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.

At the Fortuna River Lodge, 1800 Riverwalk Drive.

RSVPs due Monday, September 6.

Sponsored by:
Luther Cobb & Ellen Mahoney

Come celebrate the Eureka Symphony’s 35th Anniversary Season with a Season Prelude Gala on Sunday, September 13th, from 2 to 5 p.m., at the Fortuna River Lodge. You are warmly invited to ring in the 2026-2027 concert season with a delightful afternoon of conversation, fine wines, and delicious hors d’œuvres by Cassaro’s Catering.

Gather with friends, fellow music lovers, and Symphony supporters as we look to the season ahead. Meet and celebrate our long-standing concert sponsors, generous donors and dedicated musicians, including two who have been part of the orchestra from the very beginning and are still playing!

Our Auctioneer, 4th District Supervisor Natalie Arroyo, will tempt us at a live auction with items that range from enticing getaways, to live music in your home,  to conductor Carol Jacobson’s fabled dinner for six. A silent auction will be offer more delights to enjoy while supporting the Symphony.

The afternoon will be enhanced by the beautiful live music of Claire Bent — and perhaps a surprise or two. After the auction, a concert by the Temporary Resonance Trio–concertmaster Terrie Baune, conductor Carol Jacobson, and celebrated pianist John Chernoff –will be a fitting musical finale to an afternoon of friendship, celebration, and inspiration. Everyone is welcome!

Tickets are $60. Or support the Symphony even more by purchasing eight seats at special Conductor’s Circle tables for $600 (first come, first served, space is limited).Reserve your space by Monday September 6.

More details are below. Call (707) 845-3655 if you would like assistance or email ticketing@eurekasymphony.org.

Program

2:00 – Doors open – eat, drink and be merry! Silent Auction begins. Two composer card pulls this year: Wine & Spirits, and Locally Made goods. Claire Bent will sing and play music to mingle by.

3:00 – Announcements and Composer Pull winners announced

3:30 – Silent Auction ends and Live Auction with Natalie Arroyo begins.

4:30 – Temporary Resonance Trio Concert

Temporary Resonance Trio

Be sure to stay after the auction for a concert by the Temporary Resonance Trio, featuring violinist and Eureka Symphony concertmaster Terrie Baune, cellist and conductor Carol Jacobson, and pianist John Chernoff.

Temporary Resonance Bios

Terrie Baune is concertmaster of the Eureka Symphony and the North State Symphony, and co-concertmaster of the Oakland Symphony. She is a member of the professional new-music ensemble Earplay and Director of the Humboldt Chamber Music Workshop. Terrie’s professional credits include four years as a member of the National Symphony of Washington DC and two years as a member of the Auckland Philharmonia of New Zealand, where she also performed with the Gabrielli Trio, a New Zealand National Ensemble. She has held concertmaster positions with the Fresno Philharmonic, the Santa Cruz County Symphony, and the Rohnert Park Symphony, and has performed as concertmaster with many other orchestras including the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, El Paso Opera, and the Santa Rosa Symphony. For over twenty years Terrie was concertmaster of The Women’s Philharmonic, during which time she participated in over a hundred premieres, made several recordings, including one as soloist in the Maddalena Lombardini Violin Concerto #5, and as soloist in the world premiere of Chen Yi’s Chinese Folk Dance Suite for Violin and Orchestra, commissioned for her. Well known for her work with living composers, Terrie has had solo pieces written for her by Pablo Ortiz, Richard Festinger, Ross Bauer, and many others. Most recently she toured a Libby Larson concerto, a world premiere. Terrie graduated from the Oberlin Conservatory of Music with a Bachelor of Music degree, having won the Oberlin Concerto Competition and Grand Prize at the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.

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Carol Jacobson has been the Music Director and Conductor of the Eureka Symphony for sixteen years.  Former teacher and conductor of the award-winning Arcata/McKinleyville High School Orchestra and Madrigal Choir for 20 years, she has inspired numerous young people to excel.  She says, “Once you have experienced the magic of exceeding your expectations, your life is never the same again.” The North Coast Journal referred to Ms. Jacobson as a “force of nature.” An accomplished cellist, Ms. Jacobson earned her bachelor’s degree at Humboldt State University, with further chamber music studies with Endre Wolf at The Royal Danish Conservatory, master classes with Antonio Janigro at the Salzburg Mozarteum, and chamber studies at the Netherlands Royal Conservatory in The Hague. She was a member of the Netherlands National Ballet Orchestra in Amsterdam, the Netherlands Radio Symphony, the Oslo Opera Orchestra and the Netherlands Strijkers Ensemble.  She has worked with many conductors including Valery Gergiev, Kent Nagano, Jaap van Zweden, Sixten Ehrling and Edo deWaart. She is currently studying conducting with Scott Seaton. She was conductor of the Humboldt State University Orchestra, directed the Humboldt Music Academy and coaches ensembles in the Humboldt State University Chamber Music workshops. Carol plays in the Temporary Resonance Trio and is principal cellist in the North State Symphony.

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John Chernoff is an active pianist in a variety of musical genres, performing across the United States, including appearances at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, and Symphony Space in New York City. John has also served as an accompanist for the Heifetz International Music Institute, coach for the Sequoia Chamber Music Workshop, Humboldt Chamber Music Workshop and soloist with the Eureka Symphony.  He is a frequent performer on the North State Symphony chamber music series at CSU Chico. His specialties include chamber music, art song, musical theater and orchestral concerto piano reductions.   John is known for his capacity to read anything. Musicians and audiences agree that he can play any genre of music. He lights the audience on fire; he lights his colleagues on fire as well.

Cassaro’s Catering

Serving delicious hors d’oeuvres, including:

  • Crostini Bar with hummus, olive tapenade, & sun-dried tomato pesto
  • Grilled salmon with lemon, capers, and crackers
  • Mini meatball marinara 
  • Vegetarian stuffed mushrooms – GF
  • Assorted fruits, veggies, cheeses & dips
  • Spinach Artichoke Dip (GF)
  • Brownies and cookies
  • Italian almond bars
  • Chocolate-dipped strawberries

    Live Auction

    Enjoy a rousing live auction hosted by Supervisor Natalie Arroyo with Carol Jacobson, featuring exciting new themed packages and some of our favorites. Details will be posted soon!

      Claire Bent

      Music for mingling – Claire will sing and play for us as we kick off our afternoon together.

      Silent Auction

      Back by popular demand, we are assembling a compelling selection of items that we think you will be excited to bid on!

      Beverages

      Quench your thirst with fine wines, including North Story Wines’ Cabernet Sauvignon/Petite Sirah Blend.

      We’ll also be serving assorted beers, and an expanded selection of non-alcoholic beverages.