Classics

Three vivid musical canvases launch the Mobile Symphony's season with spectacular colors, as we celebrate the connection between the visual and musical arts. Berlioz's Roman Carnival depicts a wild Mardi Gras celebration during the lifetime of Renaissance sculptor Benvenuto Cellini. Our former Composer-in-Residence Kenji Bunch brings the bold cartoon imagery of Pop art to life in a contemporary masterpiece inspired by the paintings of Roy Lichtenstein. And Mussorgsky/Ravel's Pictures at an Exhibition portrays the whimsical, fantastical, sometimes monstrous creations of artist Viktor Hartmann. Together these works highlight the power of music to paint pictures with the limitless palette of the modern symphony orchestra.

Dress down for one of the most uplifting concerts of the year. This program contains TWO fifths of Beethoven -- the symphony and the piano concerto. Beginning with the most famous four notes in music history, Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 is the ultimate journey from struggle to triumph. The majestic Piano Concerto No. 5 ("Emperor") features the sensational virtuosity of pianist Stewart Goodyear, joining us for the very first time. And the concert begins with "Seven O'Clock Shout," Valerie Coleman's moving and electrifying tribute to frontline workers during the pandemic.

A fiery fuse burns throughout this concert of sweeping Romantic and Eastern European melodies. Presented here for the first time, Johann Strauss's exuberant overture to The Gypsy Baron fills the stage with Hungarian flair and operatic melodrama. The emotional heart of the concert beats during Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto No. 1, a dramatic tour de force brought to life by the rising star cellist Benett Tsai. The concert culminates in Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2, a work brimming with youthful energy and brilliant orchestrations of traditional Ukrainian folk tunes.

It's eight seasons for the price of four! Beloved violinist Chee Yun returns to Mobile with her signature double-take on The Four Seasons. The colorful Baroque tone-paintings of Antonio Vivaldi -- some of the earliest true masterpieces of musical description and humor -- alternate with the Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, reimagining the concept through the sultry, syncopated lens of mid-20th-century Argentine tango composer Astor Piazzolla. Don't miss this sparkling conversation across the hemispheres, and across the centuries.

One of the finest pianists of our time, Emanuel Ax has the soul of a poet, the technique of a dynamo and the spirit of a collaborator. For his first visit to Mobile, he brings the deeply lyrical Piano Concerto No. 2 by Frederic Chopin, a work overflowing with graceful melodies and acrobatic pianistic pyrotechnics. Mendelssohn's joyful "Italian" Symphony captures the sunshine, color, and vitality of the Mediterranean. And the concert opens with 19th-century French composer Louise Farrenc’s dramatic and driving Overture No. 2. From Paris to Warsaw, from Berlin to Rome, this program celebrates some of classical music's most luminous voices.

The Mobile Symphony closes out their 2026-2027 Season with a sweeping collection of John Williams’ most popular works from his Star Wars soundtracks - just in time for May the Fourth! From its unforgettable 1977 opening fanfare from a galaxy far away, John Williams's music to Star Wars has defined the movies for three generations. This program brings together the most memorable musical moments from the entire Star Wars saga in one concert -- including the Main Title, Princess Leia's Theme, Yoda's Theme, the Imperial March, Cantina Band, the Asteroid Field, Anakin's Theme, Duel of the Fates, Rey's Theme, Battle of the Heroes, and The Rebellion is Reborn. What a thrilling way to end our season!