Saturday, November 24, 2018, 1:00pm: FREE Family Concert
Presented by Santa Barbara Symphony
Santa Barbara Youth Symphony
Andy Radford, Youth Symphony Conductor

The Santa Barbara Symphony launches the holiday season with an afternoon of Free holiday festivities Saturday, November 24th at the Granada Theatre. The Santa Barbara Youth Symphony will perform a FREE community performance at 1pm, and the community is invited to preshow to meet Santa, explore the music van and play a variety of instruments. Tickets are available through the Granada Theatre Box Office on a first-come first-serve basis only. Tickets can be reserved by coming to the Box Office at 1214 State Street or calling (805) 899-2222. There is a 4 ticket per household limit.

Saturday, November 24, 2018, 8:00pm
Presented by Santa Barbara Symphony
Nir Kabaretti , Conductor
Capathia Jenkins, Vocals

Celebrate the start of the holiday season with the Santa Barbara Symphony and Broadway Singer and Actress Capathia Jenkins as they perform your favorite holiday songs in a program curated and led by the Symphony’s own Maestro, Nir Kabaretti. Don’t miss seasonal favorites including Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, O Holy Night, and Baby It’s Cold Outside. Prepare to be delighted with an evening of festive fun and kick off the holiday season in style, one night only at The Granada Theatre!

Tuesday, December 11, 2018, 8:00pm
Presented by CAMA
Avi Avital, Mandolin

FREE COMMUNITY CONCERT: CELEBRATING CAMA AT 100!

Founded in 1968 as an artistic outlet for the recording industry’s most gifted musicians, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra has spent the ensuing five decades methodically burnishing its reputation as one of the world’s top ensembles. A musical force in his own right, “Explosively charismatic” (The New York Times) virtuoso mandolin soloist Avi Avital has emerged as one of the foremost ambassadors for his instrument. This concert will see them team up for an all-Vivaldi program, including two of the Venetian Baroque master’s concertos for two violins; of course, no Vivaldi program would be complete without The Four Seasons, his beloved collection of violin concertos, to be performed with Avital on mandolin.

While there is no ticket fee, tickets are required, and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. CAMA season subscribers have priority and first option for reserving seats. The public will have the opportunity to reserve no-cost tickets starting Friday, September 28, 2018.

There is a 2 ticket limit per household. Seating is assigned and not general admission. The age limit is "junior high age or older."

Monday, December 31, 2018, 8:30pm -10:30pm
Presented by Santa Barbara Symphony
Bob Bernhardt, Guest Pops Conductor

The Santa Barbara Symphony’s beloved guest pops conductor Bob Bernhardt returns for this New Year’s Eve tradition! This year’s celebratory program will feature the magic of the music from Motown. Broadway stars will perform authentic arrangements and popular favorites including Dancing in the Street, Let’s Groove Tonight, and Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours alongside the Santa Barbara Symphony. Ring in the New Year with an evening that will encourage you to be Dancing in the Street!

Tuesday, January 15, 2019, 7:00pm
Presented by CAMA
Itzhak Perlman, Violin
Rohan De Silva, Piano

Cultural icon, virtuoso, transcendent superstar – when the subject is violinist Itzhak Perlman the superlatives stack up quickly, yet somehow fail to give a full account of his status, talent, and near-universal appeal. His numerous accolades include the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Kennedy Center Honor, the National Medal of Arts, and a Medal of Liberty. Maestro Perlman (Co-Chair of the CAMA Centennial Honorary Artist Council) returns for his 6th CAMA concert appearance going back 50+ years to when he first performed for CAMA as soloist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 1967 at age 21. He’ll be joined by acclaimed pianist Rohan De Silva, a Best Accompanist honoree at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow and a longtime Perlman collaborator.

Saturday, January 19, 2019, 8:00pm
Sunday, January 20, 2019, 3:00pm
Presented by Santa Barbara Symphony
Nir Kabaretti, Conductor
Jessica Guideri, Violin
Trevor Handy , Cello

Brahms’ daring Double Concerto for Violin and Cello ingeniously combines the sonority and range of both instruments. Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition is a musical succession of striking tableaus, followed by Maurice Ravel’s hypnotic and seductive work, Boléro.

Tuesday, February 5, 2019, 8:00pm
Presented by CAMA
Nicholas McGegan, Music Director
Rachel Barton Pine, Violin

Renowned as an interpreter of a wide range of classical music, English-born conductor Nicholas McGegan was appointed Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) for “services to music overseas” by Queen Elizabeth in 2010. He has served since 1985 as Music Director of the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra, establishing it as the leading period performance ensemble in the United States. The Philharmonia is dedicated to capturing the spirit and distinctive sound of music from the Baroque to the early Romantic periods using authentic instruments and stylistic conventions. American violinist Rachel Barton Pine, the youngest-ever gold medal winner of the International Johann Sebastian Bach Competition, will join the orchestra for the rarely performed Violin Concerto in D major of violinist Franz Clement (one of Beethoven’s closest friends, for whom he composed his own Violin Concerto in D major).

Saturday, February 16, 2019, 8:00pm
Sunday, February 17, 2019, 3:00pm
Presented by Santa Barbara Symphony
Nir Kabaretti , Conductor
Paul Huang, Violin
Ani Aznavoorian, Cello
Gilles Vonsattel, Piano

Co-commissioned by the Santa Barbara Symphony, Schwantner’s enchantingly delicate Chasing Light sets the stage for Beethoven’s unique and expansive Triple Concerto. Robert Schumann’s Symphony No.3 is a musical landscape inspired by the history and spirit of Europe’s mighty Rhine river.

Wednesday, February 27, 2019, 8:00pm
Presented by CAMA
Mikhail Pletnev, Conductor
George Li, Piano

The Russian National Orchestra was founded by Mikhail Pletnev in 1990 as a courageous demonstration of artistic freedom during the Soviet regime and has risen to the pinnacle of the classical music world; it was selected recently as one of the world’s top orchestras by a panel of international critics. The RNO will perform a special all-Rachmaninoff program celebrating the 100th Anniversary of his arrival in America in 1918, when he took up permanent US residence for the rest of his life (and performed twice for CAMA at the Lobero in 1929 and 1941). The all-Rachmaninoff program will include his ever-popular Second Piano Concerto featuring Tchaikovsky Competition silver medalist George Li.

Friday, March 8, 2019, 7:00pm
Presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures
with Lambert Orkis, piano

Anne-Sophie Mutter is a musical phenomenon: For 40 years, the German violin marvel has been a fixture on the international stages of the world’s major concert halls, making her mark on the classical music scene as a soloist, mentor and visionary. A four-time Grammy Award winner, the supreme virtuoso’s artistry embraces tonal richness, transcendent expression and profound musicianship.

Tickets may also be purchased directly through the UCSB Arts & Lectures website.

Saturday, March 16, 2019, 8:00pm
Sunday, March 17, 2019, 3:00pm
Presented by Santa Barbara Symphony
Dirk Brossé, Conductor
Santa Barbara Symphony Chorus
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Composer

Amadeus – The Film Accompanied by Live Orchestra

Experience the motion picture Amadeus on HD screen while Mozart’s most celebrated works are performed live by the Santa Barbara Symphony and chorus. Winner of eight Academy Awards® including Best Picture, Milos Foreman’s sumptuous Amadeus is an aural and visual treat for all the senses.

MPAA Rating: R for sexual content, nudity and language.

Amadeus Live is a production of Avex Classics International

Wednesday, March 20, 2019, 8:00pm
Presented by CAMA
Esa-Pekka Salonen, Conductor

Local favorite Esa-Pekka Salonen, former music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, returns to Santa Barbara for the third time as principal conductor of London’s world-class Philharmonia Orchestra. This will be Salonen’s 14th appearance as conductor for CAMA over the past 25+ years – 11 concerts with the LA Phil from 1993 to 2008 followed by 3 concerts with the Philharmonia – more than any other conductor in the 100-year history of CAMA! Fittingly, he’ll lead the Philharmonia in a performance of Arnold Schoenberg’s Romantic tone poem Verklärte Nacht – originally a string sextet later arranged for string orchestra – as well as Anton Bruckner’s expansive Symphony No.7.

Friday, April 5, 2019, 8:00pm
Presented by CAMA
Thomas Søndergård, Conductor
Olga Kern, Piano

Since its founding in 1891, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra has played an integral role in the musical life of its namesake country, including performing at the opening ceremony of the Scottish Parliament building in 2004. Known originally as the Scottish Orchestra, the ensemble was awarded Royal Patronage in 1977. Today the orchestra is led by the brilliant Danish conductor Thomas Søndergård serving his first season as music director. The RSNO program will feature symphonies by Sibelius and Prokofiev and also will celebrate Rachmaninoff’s 100th Anniversary in the US with a performance of his Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini with Russian-American piano soloist Olga Kern, the first woman to receive the Gold Medal at the prestigious Van Cliburn Piano Competition, back in 2001.

Saturday, April 13, 2019, 8:00pm
Sunday, April 14, 2019, 3:00pm
Presented by Santa Barbara Symphony
Nir Kabaretti , Conductor
Colleen Daly, Soprano
Harold Meers , Tenor
Luca Dall’Amico , Bass
Community Chorus

Best known for his operas Aida, Rigoletto, and La Traviata, Giuseppe Verdi’s powerful Requiem combines the drama of opera and the thrill of outstanding symphonic writing. In the words of Johannes Brahms, “Only a genius could have written such a work.”

Friday, April 26, 2019, 8:00pm
Presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures

Heroes Take Their Stand

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, the Grammy Award-winning Silkroad Ensemble will perform the world premiere of a bold new project,Heroes Take Their Stands. This evening-length multimedia program tells the stories of five heroic figures from diverse cultures – from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to Elektra of Greek mythology, to Arjuna of Hindu epic poetry – capturing the drama of the moral borderland between conflicting values, and asking, “What does it mean to take a stand in a moment of moral uncertainty? What does an everyday hero look like? And how can an ordinary person make a difference?” Arts & Lectures is thrilled to be the lead commissioner on this new project with the renowned Silkroad Ensemble and its collaborating partners, including Bharatanatyam dancer/choreographer Aparna Ramaswamy (working with Colin Jacobsen) and puppeteer/filmmaker Hamid Rahmanian (working with Kayhan Kalhor).

Tickets may also be purchased directly through the UCSB Arts & Lectures website.

Tuesday, May 7, 2019, 7:00pm
Presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures

In a joint performance by a standout trio of virtuosic performers, three longtime friends and collaborators come together to offer an unparalleled evening of music. Violinist Joshua Bell, British cellist Steven Isserlis and pianist Jeremy Denk are not only among today’s most notable musicians, but also compelling ambassadors who have defined what it means to be a classical musician in the 21st century. Together, these masters at the top of their crafts bring bravura, beauty and “magical intimacy” (The Strad, U.K.) to a program rich in Romantic melody and color.

Tickets may also be purchased directly through the UCSB Arts & Lectures website.

Saturday, May 11, 2019, 8:00pm
Sunday, May 12, 2019, 3:00pm
Presented by Santa Barbara Symphony
Nir Kabaretti , Conductor
Leann Sandel-Pantaleo, Mezzo-Soprano

Shakespeare’s immortal tragedy Romeo and Juliet has inspired many masterful scores and Tchaikovsky’s is perhaps the most emotionally resonant of them all. Next: Elmer Bernstein’s eclectic, post-Romantic Songs of Love and Loathing before concluding the 65th Anniversary season in high style with Antonín Dvorák’s euphoric Symphony No. 8.