Friday, October 13, 2017 - 8:00 pm
Saturday, October 14, 2017 - 2:00 pm

Enjoy Tim Burton’s enduring animated classic on the big screen – with dialog and effects – accompanied by Danny Elfman’s enigmatic score played live by your Modesto Symphony Orchestra. Follow Jack Skellington, Halloween Town’s resident Pumpkin King, through his adventure to Christmas Town as he aims to shake up the holidays. “A stunningly original, visual delightful work,” this is one live performance you’ll have to see (and hear) to believe. Halloween costumes encouraged!

Friday, November 10, 2017 - 8:00 pm
Saturday, November 11, 2017 - 8:00 pm

Our 87th Classics Season begins with a program devoted to the common elements that make us all American. John Williams’ Hymn to the Fallen highlights the Grammy-winning soundtrack to Steven Spielberg’s World War II epic Saving Private Ryan, and is considered by many as his most powerful and significant musical work in decades. Time For Three's Nick Kendall returns to perform Gershwin's Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra on Porgy and Bess, and we conclude the evening with Copland’s Appalachian Spring concludes the concert capturing the sentimentality and gentle spirit of the American heartland.

Saturday, November 11, 2017 - 2:00PM

The MSYO serves nearly 100 member musicians and their families from over 40 public and private schools in the Central Valley. Attracting a diverse group of outstanding students, the program is comprised of two, skill-based ensembles, a Symphony and Concert Orchestra. In addition to performances, our young musicians benefit from workshops, side-by-side performances and student music clinics from experienced musicians, conductors and guest artists.

Friday, Dec. 1, 2017 - 8:00 pm
Saturday, Dec. 2, 2017 - 2:00 pm

Start the holidays on the right note! One of Broadway’s brightest stars and most sought-after vocalists, Ashley Brown, joins MSO to present a colorful array of holiday favorites, as well as some well-known Disney classics. Best known for her critically acclaimed title role in the Broadway and touring smash hit Mary Poppins, Brown has also performed with virtually all the top American orchestras. The MSO Chorus and newly formed Modesto Symphony Youth Chorus join in on the celebration to leave listeners infused with holiday spirit.

Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2017

Our annual community favorite returns to St. Stanislaus Catholic Church for an evening of warmth and cheer. Celebrate family, community and the beauty of chamber music while enjoying traditional hymns and carols performed by the MSO Chorus and the Modesto Symphony Youth Chorus, alongside the Opus Handbell Ensemble. This concert reminds listeners of the true meaning of the season and warms the soul just in time for the holiday. Last year’s performance was completely sold out, so get your tickets early!

Friday, February 2, 2018 - 8:00 pm
Saturday, February 3, 2018 - 8:00 pm

It’s easy to fall in love while listening to this collection of passionate pieces from some of Russia’s greatest classical composers. Famed soloist Dylana Jenson returns to Modesto for a can’t miss – and MSO premier – performance of Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No. 2. Perhaps one of his lesser-known pieces, Symphony No. 5 has been characterized as “classic Tchaikovsky”: well crafted, colorfully orchestrated and delightfully melodic. An overall spirit of triumph unifies this vibrant and festive program.

Saturday, February 3, 2018 - 2:00PM

The MSYO serves nearly 100 member musicians and their families from over 40 public and private schools in the Central Valley. Attracting a diverse group of outstanding students, the program is comprised of two, skill-based ensembles, a Symphony and Concert Orchestra. In addition to performances, our young musicians benefit from workshops, side-by-side performances and student music clinics from experienced musicians, conductors and guest artists.

Friday, March 9, 2018 - 8:00 pm
Saturday, March 10, 2018 - 8:00 pm

Looking for something new in a Classics Series concert? Continuing our series of Baroque explorations, this program takes some well-known pieces and adds a bit of flare to create something fresh and exciting. Dynamic young soloist Amanda Heim, will take Bach's Air on the G String to new heights by substituting the violin with saxophone. MSO Associate Concertmaster, Ilana Blumberg-Thomas will also take center stage to perform a Bach concerto, while the evening concludes with an explosive rendition of Handel's Royal Fireworks Music.

Friday, April 13, 2018 - 8:00 pm
Saturday, April 14, 2018 - 8:00 pm

Travel from Spain… to Brazil… and back to California during this dramatic evening of musical debuts. First, talented Venezuelan pianist Gabriela Martinez performs Spanish composer Manuel de Falla’s intimate Nights in the Gardens of Spain for the first time in Modesto. The program continues building as the MSO Chorus takes the stage to perform Villa-Lobos’ Chôros No. 10. The Chorus and Symphony will then join forces with the Modesto Symphony Youth Chorus, as well as a community chorus, to perform Sean Ivory’s inspirational choral piece, I Will Rise.

Friday, May 11, 2018 - 8:00 pm

No other composer in the history of cinema has had such a profound impact on an audience, and added so much texture to a film, as John Williams. Star Wars… Jaws… Superman… Harry Potter. These are just a handful of the scores we’ll feature during our final POPS concert, which honors the enormous legacy of this movie giant.