Press Release: Modesto Symphony Orchestra 92nd Season Opens With Rhapsody In Blue
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) welcomes conductor Christopher Dragon as they open their 92nd Season on Friday, October 21 and Saturday, October 22, 2022. The program will open with Florence Price’s Concert Overture No. 2 then will feature pianist Gabriela Martinez on George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. The evening concludes with Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”. And as part of the opening weekend festivities, the MSO will have complimentary wine and non-alcoholic beverages for all in attendance.
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Contact:
Caroline Nickel
cnickel@modestosymphony.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / October 6, 2022
(Pictured from left to right: Christopher Dragon, conductor; Gabriela Martinez, piano)
Modesto Symphony Orchestra 92nd Season Opens With Rhapsody In Blue
Opening Weekend program features works by Florence Price, George Gershwin, and Antonin Dvořák
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) welcomes conductor Christopher Dragon as they open their 92nd Season on Friday, October 21 and Saturday, October 22, 2022. The program will open with Florence Price’s Concert Overture No. 2 then will feature pianist Gabriela Martinez on George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. The evening concludes with Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”. And as part of the opening weekend festivities, the MSO will have complimentary wine and non-alcoholic beverages for all in attendance.
“We’re excited to introduce our guest conductor Christopher Dragon to Modesto,’” says Caroline Nickel, President and CEO of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra. “Christopher has put together a wonderful program that highlights the ‘American Sound’. We’ll go on a journey of American music with Florence Price, who has had much of her music rediscovered in the past decade, to Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 which was inspired by his travels through America and its music. And we are thrilled to bring back pianist Gabriela Martinez to perform the piece that is hailed as a landmark in American music and propelled American composer George Gershwin to fame, Rhapsody in Blue.”
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Rhapsody in Blue
Friday, October 21, 2022 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, October 22, 2022 at 7:30 pm
Christopher Dragon, conductor
Gabriela Martinez, piano
PROGRAM
Florence Price: Concert Overture No. 2
George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Antonin Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor
Gallo Center for the Arts, Mary Stuart Rogers Theater
1000 I Street, Modesto
Tickets
Pricing: $19 / 29 / 39 / 49 / 69 / 94
$12 student tickets available at the Gallo Center Ticket Office. Students can purchase two $12 tickets with their student ID.
Tickets are available online through ModestoSymphony.org or through the Gallo Center for the Arts Ticket Office at (209) 338-2100.
Group Prices available: Groups of 10+ receive a 15% discount on tickets. Call (209) 338-5064 for more information.
Gallo Center Ticket Office Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00am-6:00pm / Saturday 12:00pm-6:00pm
Artist Bios
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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.
Press Release: Modesto Symphony Orchestra’s Picnic At The Pops Returns
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) presents Picnic at the Pops: The Music of Elton John starring Michael Cavanaugh with the Modesto Symphony on September 10, 2022 at 7:30pm. Held on the grounds of the E. & J. Gallo Winery, this family-friendly event attracts thousands of guests from Modesto and the neighboring communities for an evening of music, dancing, and fun beneath the stars. This will be the first presentation of the community-favorite concert since 2019.
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Contact:
Caroline Nickel
cnickel@modestosymphony.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / August 23, 2022
(Pictured from left to right, top row: Ryan Murray, conductor; Michael Cavanaugh, guest artist; bottom row: Picnic at the Pops!)
Modesto Symphony Orchestra’s Picnic At The Pops Returns
Featuring The Music Of Elton John Starring Michael Cavanaugh
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) presents Picnic at the Pops: The Music of Elton John starring Michael Cavanaugh with the Modesto Symphony on September 10, 2022 at 7:30pm. Held on the grounds of the E. & J. Gallo Winery, this family-friendly event attracts thousands of guests from Modesto and the neighboring communities for an evening of music, dancing, and fun beneath the stars. This will be the first presentation of the community-favorite concert since 2019.
“To say we are thrilled to bring back Picnic at the Pops is an understatement,” said Caroline Nickel, President and CEO of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra Association. “This concert is our largest of the season, our biggest fundraiser of the year, and has truly become a community tradition. From seeing family and friends enjoying their picnics to seeing everyone’s faces light up as the stage lights come on and the orchestra perform – it’s something we’ve missed dearly and are so excited to have Picnic at the Pops again.”
Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket, pack a picnic, and enjoy all that the space has to offer. Outside alcohol is prohibited; wine and an assortment of beverages are available for purchase, with all proceeds benefiting the MSO. For those not looking to pack their own picnic, patrons may pre-order meals from The Village Butcher or purchase food on-site from local food trucks and vendors. Full details on our food offerings will be available at our website at ModestoSymphony.org/picnic.
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Picnic at the Pops: The Music of Elton John starring Michael Cavanaugh with the Modesto Symphony
Saturday, September 10, 2022
Grounds Open at 5:00 pm
Concert Starts at 7:30 pm
Ryan Murray, conductor
Michael Cavanaugh, guest artist
E. & J. Gallo Winery Grounds
600 Yosemite Blvd., Modesto
Tickets
General Lawn Seating: Adults $45 / Youth $12
Reserved Lawn Seating: Adults $75 / Youth $20
Groups of 10+ save 20% on General Lawn Adult tickets
(Youth prices for ages 4 through 17, 3 & under are free)
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
Artist Bios
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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.
Press Release: The Modesto Symphony Orchestra 2022-23 Season On Sale Now
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) presents their 92nd season. The MSO’s season will kick off with Picnic at the Pops! This is the first time the organization has been able to present the community favorite concert since 2019. The MSO’s first concert at the Gallo Center for the Arts will be in October when they open their Classics Series with George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Contact:
Caroline Nickel
cnickel@modestosymphony.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / August 4, 2022
Click to download high-resolution photos. (Pictured from left to right: top row: Christopher Dragon, Nicholas Hersh, Andrew Grams, Anthony Parnther; Gabriela Martinez, George Li, Simone Porter, MSO Chorus; Picnic at the Pops, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert
The Modesto Symphony Orchestra 2022-23 Season On Sale Now
The MSO’s 92nd season features outstanding guest conductors, guest artists, and the MSO Chorus.
The Classics Series will feature pieces by Florence Price, Dvořák, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, and more.
The Pops Series will be conducted by the newly appointed Principal Pops Conductor Ryan Murray and includes Holiday Pops! and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert!
Picnic at the Pops! returns with a tribute to Elton John
MODESTO, CA – The Modesto Symphony Orchestra (MSO) presents their 92nd season. The MSO’s season will kick off with Picnic at the Pops! This is the first time the organization has been able to present the community favorite concert since 2019. The MSO’s first concert at the Gallo Center for the Arts will be in October when they open their Classics Series with George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
This year there will be four Classics concerts and each will have performances on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 PM at the Gallo Center for the Arts. In addition to the Classics Series, the MSO also offers a three-concert Pops Series which includes Holiday Pops and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert. The Pops Series will be conducted by the newly appointed Principal Pops Conductor, Ryan Murray.
“We are thrilled to present our 92nd Season! The MSO was so eager to return to the stage last year and to perform for our community again. We are taking that momentum into our new season this fall with our exiting, ambitious, and dynamic programs created with our guest conductors,” said Caroline Nickel, President and CEO of the Modesto Symphony Orchestra Association. “We are ecstatic to bring back Picnic at the Pops this September. That concert is not only a favorite of ours, but we know it’s a community favorite as well. There truly is something for everyone this season from our Classics Series with Rhapsody in Blue and Mozart’s Requiem, to the full-length movie, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert. We look forward to seeing everyone at the concert hall!”
MODESTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 2022-23 Season overview
Classics Series:
4 concerts performed on both Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 PM in the Mary Stuart Rogers Theater at Gallo Center for the Arts
Opening the Classics Series on October 21 & 22, 2022 is a program lead by guest conductor Christopher Dragon that starts with Price’s Concert Overture No. 2 and then will feature pianist Gabriela Martinez performing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. The evening will end with Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”.
Guest conductor Nicholas Hersh will lead the MSO on November 11 & 12, 2022. Hersh’s program will open with his own arrangement of Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 “Death and the Maiden”. Then we will feature pianist George Li on Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini and conclude with Sibelius’ Symphony No. 5.
On February 10 & 11, 2023 the MSO will feature violinist Simone Porter as she performs Barber’s lyrical and wildly virtuosic Violin Concerto with guest conductor Andrew Grams leading the Modesto Symphony Orchestra. The program will also include Brouwer’s Remembrances and conclude with Brahms’s Symphony No. 2.
The MSO will conclude its Classics Series on May 12 & 13, 2023 with a program led by guest conductor Anthony Parnther. The program will feature the MSO Chorus on the monumental piece, Mozart’s Requiem. That weekend’s program will conclude similarly to how it began with Price’s Symphony No. 3. This symphony beautifully celebrates Price’s heritage with influences from blues, jazz, ragtime, and a Juba, which is a dance style created by central Africans enslaved on plantations in the American South.
Pops Series:
3 concerts on Fridays at 7:30pm with Saturday matinee performances at 2pm for two of the concerts performed in the Mary Stuart Rogers Theater at the Gallo Center for the Arts. Conducted by Principal Pops Conductor Ryan Murray.
The Pops Series begins with a celebration of the Holiday Season with the ever-popular Holiday Pops! concert lead by conductor Ryan Murray. The MSO will bring back Broadway’s Ashley Brown to kick off the holiday season with the MSO and MSO Chorus on December 2, 2022 at 7:30 pm and December 3, 2022 at 2pm.
The second concert in the Pops Series will be on March 17, 2023 and will be led by Ryan Murray. Program to be announced.
The Pops Series will close with Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert lead by conductor Ryan Murray! Fans will be able to experience the full movie with the MSO performing the full score live to film on June 2 & 3, 2023.
Special COMMUNITY ConcertS:
Picnic at the Pops on September 10, 2022 and the Holiday Candlelight Concert on December 20, 2022
The Modesto Symphony Orchestra will present their 26th Annual Picnic at the Pops on September 10, 2022 with the The Music of Elton John featuring Michael Cavanaugh and the Modesto Symphony. Grounds open at 5pm and the concert begins at 7:30pm at the E. & J. Gallo Winery.
MSO Chorus Director Dr. Daniel R. Afonso Jr. once again leads the Modesto Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, plus the Opus Handbell Ensemble in a special concert that has become a treasured community tradition, the Holiday Candlelight Concert at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church.
Tickets
Subscription packages and single tickets for the MSO’s 2022-23 Season are on sale now, online, by phone, and at the Gallo Center for the Arts Ticket Office. Visit ModestoSymphony.org for full details.
Gallo Center Ticket Office
Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00am to 6:00pm and Saturdays 12:00pm – 6:00pm.
Phone: 209.338.2100
Full 2021-2022 Season Listing
CLASSICS SERIES
Rhapsody in Blue
October 21 & 22, 2022 at 7:30pm
Christopher Dragon, guest conductor
Gabriela Martinez, piano
Florence Price: Concert Overture No. 2
George Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Antonin Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the New World”, Op. 95
Rachmaninoff & Sibelius
November 11 & 12, 2022 at 7:30pm
Nicholas Hersh, guest conductor
George Li, piano
Franz Schubert arr. Hersh: Variations on String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, “Death and the Maiden”, mvt. II
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Jean Sibelius: Symphony No. 5 in E-flat major, Op. 82
Barber & Brahms
February 10 & 11, 2023 at 7:30pm
Andrew Grams, guest conductor
Simone Porter, violin
Margaret Brouwer: Remembrances
Samuel Barber: Violin Concerto, Op. 14
Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73
Mozart Requiem
May 12 & 13, 2023 at 7:30pm
Anthony Parnther, guest conductor
MSO Chorus, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., chorus director
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Requiem, K. 626
Florence Price: Symphony No. 3 in C minor
POPS SERIES
Ryan Murray, Principal Pops Conductor
Holiday Pops!
December 2, 2022 at 7:30pm
December 3, 2022 at 2:00pm
Ryan Murray, conductor
Ashley Brown, vocalist
MSO Chorus, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., director
Pops Concert 2
March 17, 2023 at 7:30pm
Ryan Murray, conductor
Program to be announced
Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert
Live Orchestra with Full Length Film
June 2, 2023 at 7:30pm
June 3, 2023 at 2:00pm
Ryan Murray, conductor
© 1980 & TM LUCASFILM LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © DISNEY. Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts in association with 20th Century Fox, Lucasfilm Ltd., and Warner/Chappell Music.
Special Community Concerts
Picnic at the Pops! The Music of Elton John
Starring Michael Cavanaugh with the Modesto Symphony
September 10, 2022
E. & J. Gallo Winery Grounds
Grounds open at 5:00pm
Concert starts at 7:30pm
Ryan Murray, conductor
Michael Cavanaugh, guest artist
Holiday Candlelight Concert
December 20, 2022 at 8:00pm
St. Stanislaus Catholic Church
Daniel R. Afonso Jr., conductor
MSO Chorus, Daniel R. Afonso Jr., director
Opus Handbell Ensemble, Richard Colla, director
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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.