Orchestral brilliance marks the season’s opening concert with Brahms’ imposing Academic Festival Overture and Tchaikovsky’s seductive Serenade for Strings.  The program culminates in a grand concerto featuring Haochen Zhang, the Gold Medal Winner of the 2009 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. 

• Brahms    Academic Festival Overture
• Tchaikovsky     Serenade for Strings
• Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Gold Medal Winner  -- Concerto TBD

Schubert’s tuneful Overture “In the Italian Style” prefaces David Bowerman’s alluring Fantasy on a Theme of Elgar.  Diana Galvydyte, winner of multiple international competitions, plays the greatest of English violin concertos, that of Edward Elgar.  “The melody lingers on . . .” 

• Schubert     Overture in D, D. 590 "In The Italian Style"
• Elgar/Bowerman     Fantasy on a Theme of Elgar
• Elgar     Violin Concerto - Diana Galvydyte, soloist

A new composition by CSUB’s Doug Davis will serve as prologue to music of Gustav Mahler.  The serenely beautiful “Adagietto” from Mahler’s Symphony No. 5 will be paired with his most directly appealing composition, the sensual and radiant Symphony No. 4.   

• Davis       TBD
• Mahler     Adagietto from Symphony No. 5
• Mahler     Symphony No. 4

The last two symphonies of the great master: the luminous Symphony No. 8 in F, and the mighty Symphony No. 9 in D, with vocal soloists and the combined Masterworks Chorale and CSUB University Singers.  Music to embrace all mankind.

• Beethoven      Symphony No. 8
• Beethoven      Symphony No. 9
                        with Bakersfield Masterworks Chorale and CSUB Choir
                         Soloists:  TBD

The late 18^th century comes alive with a sparkling overture from Cimarosa’s comic opera “The Secret Marriage” and Mozart’s irresistible Sinfonia Concertante for four solo wind instruments.  The evening culminates with a work with which Haydn introduced himself to English audiences, the stirring Symphony No. 92 (“Oxford”).  Powdered wigs are optional. 

• Cimarosa     The Secret Marriage Overture
• Mozart        Sinfonia Concertante
• Haydn         Symphony No. 92 "Oxford"

The season concludes with an end and a beginning: Brahms’ final and most monumental orchestral setting, the Symphony No. 4, is paired with Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1.  The gifted and outgoing pianist Roberto Plano returns as soloist.  Brahms and Chopin: Two leading voices of musical Romanticism bring the season to a brilliant conclusion. 

• Schumann      Symphony No. 1 "Spring"
• Chopin        Piano Concerto No. 1 in e minor
                       Soloist: Roberto Plano