Renowned as the resident orchestra of Pasadena’s prestigious Ambassador Auditorium the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra is nothing short of a revered institution in the city’s cultural heritage. Set up as far back as the late1920’s by Reginald Bland, also its first conductor, the ensemble mainly consisted of a handful of Bland’s own students who volunteered to perform with fellow pupils under the former title as the Pasadena Civic Orchestra. With humble beginnings of an annual US$3500 budget the orchestra evolved with each passing decade to become the city’s foremost professional orchestra and secure the iconic Ambassador Auditorium as its resident venue in 2010. Having played host to some of music’s most celebrated artists and orchestras the Ambassador’s impressive legacy as the “Carnegie Hall of the West” is no mere adage when considering the global heavyweights that have graced its stage. Highlights include Placido Domingo, Yo Yo Ma, Pavarotti, Frank Sinatra and orchestras such as the likes of the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonics.
Collaborating with the Pasadena POPS since 2007 the Pasadena Symphony is now known as the Pasadena Symphony and POPS. The orchestra’s beloved repertoire was further enhanced by this association as it provides a wider range of live musical performances throughout the concert year at the stately Ambassador. Globally reputed for its exciting Classics Series which runs through October to April each year the orchestra’s eclectic mix of offerings in the 2012/2013 includes a fantastic mix of composers starting with the Rachmaninoff Season Opener which boasts a lineup of works by Beethoven, Shostakovich and the program’s namesake composer. Conducted by Mei-Ann Chen the series will kick off on October 6th. The November line up on the other hand tackles Tchaikovsky’s Fourth with Huang Li’s works also making a cameo under the purview of conductor Edwin Outwater.
The Christmas season will be marked with the Holiday Candlelight concert where West Virginia Symphony conductor Grant Cooper and famed soprano Lisa Vroman will perform renditions of yuletide classics on December 1st. A vibrant program entitled Brahms and Sibelius kick starts January with a piece from Boyer also headlining the event. February sees conductor Nicholas McGegan and Soprano Yulia Van Doren take on Mahler and Mozart while the series concludes with Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.
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