Press Release: Modesto Symphony Orchestra & Chorus to Perform Carmina Burana, Celebrating 95 Years of Music
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Contact:
Caroline Nickel
(209) 523-4156
cnickel@modestosymphony.org
For Immediate Release: April 9, 2026
(Pictured from left to right, row 1: Nicholas Hersh, music director; Modesto Symphony Orchestra & Chorus; row 2: Anastasia Malliaras, soprano; Daniel Ebbers, tenor; Malcolm MacKenzie, bass)
Modesto Symphony Orchestra & Chorus to Perform Carmina Burana, Celebrating 95 Years of Music
May 8 & 9, 2026 - Modesto Symphony Orchestra & Chorus perform Carmina Burana featuring four guest soloists
May 9, 2026 – Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra performs Season Finale concert featuring Concerto Competition Winner, Peter Buie, cello.
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) will close their Classics Series with performances of Carmina Burana on May 8 & 9, 2026 led by Music Director Nicholas Hersh. The concerts will feature the MSO Chorus, directed by Daniel R. Afonso Jr., the Central Valley Youth Chorus, directed by Beth Holtan, and will also feature guest soloists: soprano Anastasia Malliaras, tenor Daniel Ebbers, and bass Malcolm MacKenzie. Members of the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra will have the opportunity to perform side-by-side with the professional musicians of the MSO on Glinka’s Overture from Ruslan und Ludmilla.
“Carmina Burana—I can't imagine a more perfect way to close our season and celebrate a triple anniversary of our orchestra, chorus, and youth orchestra! This piece is a non-stop musical thrill ride, giving our orchestral and choral artists a rewarding workout and our audience a truly epic listening experience,” says Nicholas Hersh MSO Music Director. “We'll open the celebrations with a spine-tingling brass fanfare before our MSYO students join us onstage for a side-by-side performance of Glinka's effervescent Overture to Ruslan and Ludmilla, the same piece that opened the very first MSO concert 95 years ago!”
“Reaching our 95th Season is a testament to the bond between the MSO and our community,” says Caroline Nickel President & CEO of the MSOA. “Our Carmina Burana concerts are a celebration of our 95th season, the MSO Chorus’ 25th season, and the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra’s 50th season. But beyond these milestones, we also celebrate the community that has embraced us for nearly a century. We are deeply honored by this community’s unwavering support and look forward to the music and the future we will create together.”
The weekend also includes the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra (MSYO) in their Season Finale Concert on May 9, 2026. The MSYO is comprised of two orchestras with students from grades 5 through 12 and is led by a deeply engaged leadership team. Their Season Finale Concert will feature works by Handel, Vivaldi, Glinka, and more. This concert will also feature the MSYO's annual Concerto Competition winner, Peter Buie, performing the first movement of Joseph Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C Major. Learn more about the MSYO at ModestoSymphony.org/about-msyo.
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PERFORMS CARMINA BURANA
A Powerful Tribute to 95 Years of Music
Friday, May 8, 2026, at 7:30 pm
Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 7:30 pm
Nicholas Hersh, conductor
MSO Chorus, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., chorus director
Anastasia Malliaras, soprano
Daniel Ebbers, tenor
Malcolm MacKenzie, bass
Central Valley Youth Chorus, Beth Holtan, artistic director
Members of the Modesto Symphony Youth Orchestra side-by-side, Elisha Wells, MSYO music director
PROGRAM
Giovanni Gabrieli, arr. Nicholas Hersh: Canzon per sonar noni toni a 12
Mikhail Glinka: Overture from Ruslan und Ludmilla
Carl Orff: Carmina Burana
Gallo Center for the Arts, Mary Stuart Rogers Theater
1000 I Street, Modesto
Tickets:
Pricing: $23-$103
Student Tickets available: $15 student tickets available at the Gallo Center Ticket Office. Students can purchase two $15 tickets with their student ID.
Ticketing Information:
Tickets are available online through ModestoSymphony.org or through the Gallo Center for the Arts Ticket Office at (209) 338-2100.
Gallo Center Ticket Office Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm / Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm
Group Prices available: Groups of 10+ receive a 15% discount on tickets. Call (209) 338-5064 for more information.
MODESTO SYMPHONY YOUTH ORCHESTRA PERFORM SEASON FINALE CONCERT
Saturday, May 9, 2026, at 2:00 pm
Elisha Wells, MSYO music director & symphony orchestra conductor
Stephanie Rawls, MSYO concert orchestra conductor
PROGRAM
Featuring the works of Handel, Vivaldi, Glinka, and more. MSYO Concerto Competition Winner, Peter Buie, will perform the first movement of Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C Major.
Gallo Center for the Arts, Mary Stuart Rogers Theater
1000 I Street, Modesto
Tickets:
Pricing:
Adult ticket pricing starts at $17
Youth ticket pricing starts at $8
Ticketing Information:
Tickets are available online through ModestoSymphony.org or through the Gallo Center for the Arts Ticket Office at (209) 338-2100.
Gallo Center Ticket Office Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm / Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm
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The Modesto Symphony Orchestra is a Resident Company of The Gallo Center for the Arts.
The DoubleTree Hotel is the official hotel of the MSO.