The Salina Symphony announces the 2023-2024 season, “Music Speaks.”
“I am elated to continue the Salina Symphony’s musical journey next season,” said Yaniv Segal, music director. “From the first notes to the last, be ready to be transported by masterpieces of the repertoire, the return of Cirque de la Symphonie featuring movie music, and genre-defying works such as Rhapsody in Blue, a tango concerto for accordion, and Trail of Tears by Grammy Award winning composer Michael Daugherty. Together, let’s explore the many ways music moves us and speaks to us!”
Kick off the mainstage season Oct. 1 at the Stiefel Theatre with the sounds and spirit of the Roaring Twenties! Grammy-award winning Afro-Cuban jazz pianist Nachito Herrera will thrill the audience with a riveting performance of Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody in Blue. The evening will end with a dazzling display of virtuosity and Latin rhythms that celebrate Classical, Jazz, and beyond.
Embark on an emotionally rich musical journey Nov. 5 as flutist Daniel Velasco performs Midwest native Michael Daugherty’s virtuosic and heart-wrenching Trail of Tears, a work that pays tribute to the trials endured by Native Americans in the 19th Century. The Symphony will also perform Barber’s thoughtful Adagio for Strings and Penderecki’s intensely romantic and lush Second Symphony, “Christmas.”
The Symphony’s cherished holiday tradition continues Dec. 9 and 10 with the return of the Christmas Festival. Audiences will be treated to song and dance from the Symphony, Iron Street Dance Company, Tamara Howe School of Dance, Salina Chorale, Kansas Wesleyan University Chorale, and Salina Youth Choir.
Cirque de la Symphonie returns to the Stiefel Theatre stage March 2 with an all new program of awe-inspiring physical feats of power and beauty. Paired with music from blockbuster movie classics, this visual thrill ride will feature acrobats, a touch of magic, and aerial flyers soaring high above the orchestra.
The mainstage season will close May 5 with Tango Classic, featuring a dazzling concerto by Piazzolla performed by young accordion phenom Hanzhi Wang. The program begins with Black Swan, Bright Sheng’s lyrical tribute to Johannes Brahms. The Symphony’s mainstage season will come to a heroic conclusion with Brahms’ own majestic First Symphony.
Encore performances
Join the Symphony for the inaugural concert of its new concert series, Out of the Box, performed Jan. 27, 2024, in the intimate setting of Theatre Salina’s Black Box Theatre. The Salina Symphony welcomes back Samantha Rose Williams, who dazzled our community last season. Williams serves as creative producer of American Patriots, a theatrical song-cycle that captures the contemporary American experience from four vastly different perspectives. Featuring newly commissioned songs set to the unaltered text of interviews with more than 35 Americans, American Patriots takes an unflinching look at the lived reality of American ideals today.
Bring the whole family to the Symphony Jan. 28 for an afternoon of music and more with The Harmony Games, a story that tells of four families who, after fighting for as long as anyone could remember, come together through the power of music. Young concertgoers will be introduced to the instruments that comprise the orchestra while also learning how music and math are connected. The concert will also feature the wildly popular and adventurous music from Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean.
Enjoy a delightful spring evening April 20th at the Homewood Suites Courtyard while basking in the classical sounds of a string quartet and brass quintet performed by your Salina Symphony musicians (including the Maestro himself). The program will also include Astor Piazzolla’s toe-tapping Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, tangos inspired by Vivaldi’s timeless Four Seasons.
The annual Symphony at Sunset D-Day Commemoration Concert will be held June 1 on the grounds of the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene. The outdoor event will feature live music from the Salina Symphony and the Fort Riley 1st Infantry Division Band.
Season tickets on sale now
Season tickets are available for $195 and $165. Tickets may be ordered by phone at 785-823-8309 or in person at the Symphony Office, located on the second floor of the Stiefel Theatre. Single tickets will go on sale Sept. 5.
The Salina Symphony is dedicated to enriching lives through artistic music performance and education. For more information, contact the Symphony Office at 785-823-8309 or visitsalinasymphony.org.
