A Grammy Performance

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The El Paso Symphony Orchestra (EPSO) led by conductor Bohuslav Rattay will ring in the New Year with Grammy award-winning cellist Zuill Bailey in concerts fittingly titled A Grammy Performance.  Zuill Bailey, sponsored by Mrs. Robert M. Graham, Sr., and EPSO will take the Plaza Theatre stage on January 17 and 18, 2020, 7:30pm. These concerts celebrate the 15th annual collaboration between the El Paso Symphony Orchestra and El Paso Pro-Musica, whose joint mission is to present world-renowned artists to perform on multiple stages throughout El Paso, reaching a broader audience.

The concerts first half feature two of the pinnacles of the romantic classical repertoire: Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto No. 1 and Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations.  The concerts open with Bailey and EPSO performing Saint-Saëns Cello Concerto which is one of the best-loved of 19th-century concertos.  Next is Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations, which he wrote while going through a severe depression.  Learning to escape depression through his work, Tchaikovsky wrote the Rococo Variations for Cello and Orchestra, one of his most nostalgic affirmations of love to what he perceived as the virtuousness of the eighteenth century.

The second half of the performances highlight the orchestra in Dvořák Symphony No. 7, op. 70 in D minor.  Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony was commissioned by the Royal Philharmonic Society in 1883 and is a departure from the composer’s usual musical style, which is known for its brightness and folk theme-filled melodies.  While still containing some Slavic elements, the Seventh Symphony is a little less bright and contains less folk material than his earlier works, with prevalent tragic and dark themes.

LEARN MORE:  Join EPSO and Dr. James Welsch, EPSO Assistant Conductor, prior to each performance at Opening Notes, 6:30pm in the Philanthropy Theatre, to get insights on the program, composers and artist.

ABOUT ZUILL BAILEY: Zuill Bailey, widely considered one of the premiere cellists in the world, is a Grammy Award winner, distinguished soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, Artistic Director and teacher.  His rare combination of celebrated artistry, technical wizardry and engaging personality has secured his place as one of the most sought after and active cellists today.  Recent highlights include appearances with orchestras such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Minnesota, Israel, San Francisco, Toronto, Nashville, North Carolina, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, and the Philharmonia (UK) with conductors Itzhak Perlman, Carlos Kalmar, Neeme Jarvi, Jun Markl, Stanislav Skrowaczewski, Alan Gilbert, Andrey Borekyo, Krzysztof Urbanski, Giancarlo Guerrero, Andrew Litton, Grant Llewellyn and James DePriest.  He was honored as the distinguished Alumnus of 2014 by Johns Hopkins University Peabody Institute.

Zuill Bailey is an internationally renowned recording artist with over 20 titles. His extensive discography includes the Bach Cello Suites, the newly released Schumann, Haydn Cello Concertos and Britten Cello Symphony/Cello Sonata CD’s, all of which immediately soared to the Number One spot on the Classical Billboard Charts. The Grammy Award-winning Tales of Hemingway swept the board with three Grammy Awards including Best Solo Performance by Zuill Bailey.  Mr. Bailey performs on the “rosette” 1693 Matteo Gofriller Cello, formerly owned by Mischa Schneider of the Budapest String Quartet.  He is the Artistic Director of El Paso Pro-Musica (Texas), the Sitka Summer Music Festival/Series and Cello Seminar, (Alaska), the Northwest Bach Festival (Washington), guest Artistic Director of the Mesa Arts Center (Arizona) and Professor of Cello at the University of Texas at El Paso.

The El Paso Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department, the Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

RECAP:
Opening Notes: Friday, January 17 & Saturday, January 18, 2020, 6:30pm Philanthropy Theatre (Free)
Concerts: “A GRAMMY PERFORMANCE”

Friday, January 17 & Saturday, January 18, 2020, 7:30pm Plaza Theatre
El Paso Symphony Orchestra
Bohuslav Rattay, Conductor
Zuill Bailey, Cello
Saint-Saëns Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No. 1, op. 33 in A minor
Tchaikovsky Variations on a Rococo Theme, op. 33
Dvořák Symphony No. 7, op. 70 in D minor
Tickets: $46, $41, $35, $22, $16 and $9 and $12 for students plus applicable fees. Tickets may be purchase at epso.org, ticketmaster.com or by calling the EPSO office at (915) 532-3776.

 

The Planets

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El Paso Symphony Orchestra Concerts
Celebrate the Celestial World

Friday, November 15, 2019 at 7:30pm
Saturday, November 16, 2019 at 7:30pm
Strauss Also sprach Zarathustra
Holst The Planets (Mars, Jupiter, Uranus) with Film
John Williams Star Wars: The Force Awaken Suite

El Paso, TX — The El Paso Symphony Orchestra’s November concerts are out of this world! The Friday, November 15 and Saturday, November 16, 2019 at 7:30pm, will present three movements from Gustav Holst’s groundbreaking masterpiece, The Planets, accompanied by a spectacular film produced by Emmy-nominated astronomer and visual artist Dr. José Francisco Salgado, KV 265 Executive Director.

Since the landmark public debut of Holst’s masterpiece in 1919, humanity has learned much about our celestial neighborhood, mounting ambitious exploration projects including the Mars Exploration Rovers, the Voyager probes, and the Hubble Space Telescope.  On this weekend, science and music will beautifully combine in Holst’s magnificent score accompanied by a spectacular film featuring visuals from NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), as well as historical illustrations.

The film takes the audience in a journey through outer space examining Mars, Jupiter, Uranus, the Sun, and beyond. This Science & Symphony film, produced by Emmy-nominated astronomer and visual artist Dr. José Francisco Salgado, is renowned for its finely tuned choreography with the music, creating an overall stunning artistic experience. Dr. Salgado explains: “The film is not intended to be seen as a documentary but rather as an art piece that aims to inspire audiences and encourage them to learn more about our solar system and the Universe. It serves as a synthesis of what humans have achieved as solar system explorers.”

The November 15 and 16 concerts begin at 7:30pm at The Plaza Theatre and open with one of today’s most famous musical passages, Strauss’ Also sprach Zarathustra which was featured in the 1968 Stanley Kubrick film 2001: A Space Odyssey.  Listeners will hear the Wyler Mighty Wurlitzer pipe organ become a part of the orchestra in this magnificent piece.  John Williams Star Wars: The Force Awakens Suite will round out the stellar program.

The November 15 & 16 EPSO concerts are generously sponsored by the Paul L. Foster Family Foundation.  Multi-Media underwritten by BBVA.

LEARN MORE:  Join EPSO prior to each performance at Opening Notes, 6:30pm in the Philanthropy Theatre, to get insights on the program, composers and artist.

ABOUT KV 265: KV 265 is a non-profit organization whose mission is the communication of science through the arts to communities in the United States and worldwide. It seeks to heighten appreciation and understanding of art, music, science, and technology, and to inspire further exploration of these disciplines among its audience members through multimedia concerts, lectures, and educational workshops. Four of KV 265 Science & Symphony films have been recognized by UNESCO for their value in education and public outreach. KV 265 has received two National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) grants to support its multimedia productions. For more information visit KV265.org.

ABOUT JOSÉ FRANCISCO SALGADO, PHD Astronomer and Visual Artist, Executive Director, KV 265: José Francisco Salgado is an Emmy-nominated astronomer (BS in Physics, Univ. of Puerto Rico; PhD in Astronomy, Univ. of Michigan), experimental photographer, visual artist, and public speaker who creates multimedia works that communicate science in engaging ways. As the Executive Director and co-founder of KV 265, a non-profit science and arts education organization, Dr. Salgado collaborates with orchestras, composers, and musicians to present films that provoke curiosity and a sense of wonder about the Earth and the Universe.

His Science & Symphony films have been presented in 200 concerts and have reached a combined audience of more than 400,000 people in concert halls, museums, and lecture halls spanning more in 15 countries. Orchestras that have presented these works include the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, the San Francisco Symphony, New World Symphony, and the Orchestra Teatro Regio Torino. His first two films were named by the International Astronomical Union and UNESCO as Special Projects for the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009). In 2012 his film Gustav Holst’s The Planets was chosen for Ravinia Festival’s One Score, One Chicago initiative. In 2014, his collaboration with composer Christopher Theofanidis, The Legend of the Northern Lights was premiered with Grant Park Orchestra to critical acclaim in front of 32,000 people. In 2016, his short film Carol of the Lights was commissioned by Keith Lockhart and Boston Pops and presented 33 times to almost 75,000 people.

As an experimental photographer, Salgado has visited more than 30 scientific sites in places including the South Pole, the Atacama desert, the French Pyrenees, and the South African Karoo and has contributed visuals to documentaries produced for the History, Discovery, BBC, and National Geographic channels. As a public speaker, he has given presentations about science and art in all seven continents, including a presentation at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station.

The El Paso Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department, the Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

RECAP:
Opening Notes: Friday, November 15 & Saturday, November 16, 2019, 6:30pm Philanthropy Theatre (Free)
Concerts: “The Planets”
El Paso Symphony Orchestra
Bohuslav Rattay, Conductor
Friday, November 15 & Saturday, November 16, 2019 7:30pm Plaza Theatre
El Paso Symphony Orchestra
Strauss Also sprach Zarathustra
Holst The Planets (Mars, Jupiter, Uranus) with film
John Williams Star Wars: The Force Awaken Suite
Tickets: $46, $41, $35, $22, $16 and $9 and $12 for students plus applicable fees. Tickets may be purchase at epso.org, ticketmaster.com or by calling the EPSO office at (915) 532-3776.

Disney and Pixar’s Coco Will Come to Life on Stage at the Plaza Theatre with the El Paso Symphony Orchestra

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El Paso, TX – To celebrate Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), the El Paso Symphony Orchestra is giving new life to one of Disney/Pixar’s most beloved films: Coco on Saturday, November 2, 2019, 7:30pm at the Plaza Theatre.

Conductor James Welsch will lead the El Paso Symphony Orchestra performing Michael Giacchino’s beautiful score on the Plaza Theatre stage, while the award-winning film plays on a screen above the orchestra.

The film Coco is set during the Diá de los Muertos, the Mexican holiday of remembrance.  It tells the story of a boy named Miguel and his music-filled journey to the “Land of the Dead” where he meets his ancestors and uncovers a hidden secret about his family.

“We are so thrilled to bring this unique film and event that celebrates the traditions, love for culture and family that our community holds dear!” says Ruth Ellen Jacobson, Executive Director.  “Being able to present it on Dia de los Muertos day, Saturday, November 2, 2019, made perfect sense.”

Tickets are on sale now – Friday, September 13, 2019 at 10am.
Ticket prices are $60, $55, $45 and $25 plus fees. 
Tickets may be purchased at ticketmaster.com, epso.org,

at the Plaza Theatre box office or by calling the EPSO office at (915) 532-3776.

 

The El Paso Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department, the Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

 

RECAP:
Disney Pixar’s Coco in Concert Live to Film
Saturday, November 2, 2019, 7:30pm Plaza Theatre
with the El Paso Symphony Orchestra
James Welsch, Conductor
Tickets: $60, $55, $45 and $25 plus fees. 
Tickets may be purchased at ticketmaster.com, epso.org, at the Plaza Theatre box office or by calling the EPSO office at (915) 532-3776.

Presentation licensed by Disney and Pixar

 

Violinist, Yevgeny Kutik, Makes Debut with EPSO

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Violinist Yevgeny Kutik
Makes Debut with El Paso Symphony Orchestra
Performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto

El Paso, TX — On Friday, October 18, 2019 and Saturday, October 19, 2019 at 7:30pm, Russian-American violinist Yevgeny Kutik, known for his “dark-hued tone and razor-sharp technique” (The New York Times), makes his debut with El Paso Symphony Orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto.  Led by Music Director Bohuslav Rattay, the program also features Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7 “Leningrad Symphony.” Both performances begin at 7:30pm at The Plaza Theatre.

“Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto is one of the crown jewels in our repertoire for good reason,” says Kutik. “The melding of Russian sound, soul, folk music and virtuosity into one epic work is unparalleled, and I’m thrilled to make my debut with El Paso Symphony Orchestra to perform it.”

This concert will also feature a special collaboration with the Tom Lea Institute to present a unique multimedia experience incorporating Tom Lea’s iconic WWII paintings, sketches and photos of his time as the first embedded artist correspondent for WWII. These elements will be synched with the powerful last movement of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7 “Leningrad Symphony.”

Concert ticket prices are $46, $41, $35, $22 and $16 plus fees.  Student tickets for $9 and $12 plus fees are available.  Tickets may be purchase at epso.org, ticketmaster.com

or by calling the EPSO office at (915) 532-3776.

The October 18 & 19 EPSO concerts are generously sponsored by the Helen of Troy.  Yevgeny Kutik is underwritten by Judy & Kirk Robison.

ABOUT THE SOLOIST: Yevgeny Kutik has captivated audiences worldwide with an old-world sound that communicates a modern intellect. Praised for his technical precision and virtuosity, he is also lauded for his poetic and imaginative interpretations of standard works as well as rarely heard and newly composed repertoire. A native of Minsk, Belarus, Yevgeny Kutik immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of five. His 2014 album, Music from the Suitcase: A Collection of Russian Miniatures (Marquis Classics), features music he found in his family’s suitcase after immigrating to the United States from the Soviet Union in 1990, debuting at No. 5 on the Billboard Classical chart. The album garnered critical acclaim and was featured on NPR’s All Things Considered and in The New York Times.

In 2019, Kutik launched a new commissioning and recording project titled Meditations on Family via Marquis Classics. He commissioned eight composers to translate a personal family photo into a short musical miniature for violin and various ensemble, envisioning the project as a living archive of new works inspired by memories, home, and belonging. Each track was released digitally weekly, and the full EP CD, produced by four-time Grammy winner Jesse Lewis, was released on March 22, 2019. Strings Magazine featured Kutik and Meditations on Family as its cover story for the March/April issue. Kutik’s other recordings include his debut album, Sounds of Defiance (Marquis 2012), and Words Fail (Marquis 2016), both released to critical acclaim.

Yevgeny Kutik made his major orchestral debut in 2003 with Keith Lockhart and The Boston Pops as the First Prize recipient of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Young Artists Competition. In 2006, he was awarded the Salon de Virtuosi Grant as well as the Tanglewood Music Center Jules Reiner Violin Prize. Yevgeny Kutik began violin studies with his mother, Alla Zernitskaya, and went on to study with Zinaida Gilels, Shirley Givens, Roman Totenberg, and Donald Weilerstein. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Boston University and a master’s degree from the New England Conservatory and currently resides in Boston. Kutik’s violin was crafted in Italy in 1915 by Stefano Scarampella. For more information, please visit www.yevgenykutik.com.

THE TOM LEA INSTITUTE presents a unique multimedia experience incorporating Tom Lea’s iconic World War II paintings, sketches and photos of his time as the first embedded artist correspondent for WWII.  Using state-of-the-art editing techniques, special effects, and animation, Tom Lea’s art will be portrayed as never before. Synched with the powerful last movement of Shostakovich’s Leningrad symphony, viewers travel with Lea over 100,000 miles as an eyewitness to WWII.  Tom Lea provided insight into his approach as an artist correspondent, “I went out to the war as a reporter.  I absolutely was not going to do anything that I didn’t see and know-because I was there to record it, not as I thought it should be or not as an object of art.”  His painting “The Price” hung in the offices of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon for many years, as a reminder of the cost of the decisions made.

For Lea, it all began early in March 1941.  Life’s Dan Longwell, then the magazine’s executive editor, who had been impressed by Lea’s illustrations for J. Frank Dobie’s “The Longhorns,” decided to see what Lea could do for a story the magazine was planning to run on the 1st Cavalry Division. As Lea describes it: “ World War II came riding a horse right up in front of my studio door, dismounted, and put a foreshadowing finger on my easel in the spring of 1941, ten months before Pearl Harbor.  The March winds were blowing through the Pass, howling across the boondocks, rattling sand in grainy blasts against my studio window the day a totally unexpected telegram came from New York.  It was signed by a stranger, with an identifying tagline “Editorial Staff Life Magazine.”  It was a query.  It asked if I would take a commission to make a drawing of a typical cavalry trooper and his mount, to fit a story feature Life was doing with the 1st Cavalry Division stationed at Fort Bliss.”

Tom Lea went on to become the most prolific and published artist correspondent for Life Magazine during WWII.

ARTFUL PRELUDES: Yevgeny Kutik will join EPSO Music Director Bohulav Rattay at the El Paso Museum of Art for a discussion and sampling of the El Paso Symphony October concerts on Thursday, October 17, 12pm.  Artful Preludes is presented in collaboration with the El Paso Museum of Art is free and open to the public.  Attendees are welcomed to tour the museum prior to or after the program.

LEARN MORE:  Join EPSO prior to each performance at Opening Notes, 6:30pm in the Philanthropy Theatre, to get insights on the program, composers and artist.

The El Paso Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department, the Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

RECAP:

Artful Preludes: Thursday, October 17, 12pm, El Paso Museum of Art (Free)
Opening Notes: Friday, October 18 & Saturday, October 19, 2019, 6:30pm Philanthropy Theatre (Free)
Concerts: “Four Guitars”

Friday, October 18 & Saturday, October 19, 2019 7:30pm Plaza Theatre

El Paso Symphony Orchestra
Bohuslav Rattay, Conductor
Yevgeny Kutik, Violin
Tchaikovsky Concerto for Violin, op. 35 in D major
Shostakovich Symphony No. 7, op. 60 in C major “Leningrad Symphony”

Tickets: $46, $41, $35, $22, $16 and $9 and $12 for students plus applicable fees. Tickets may be purchase at epso.org, ticketmaster.com or by calling the EPSO office at (915) 532-3776.

  

Classical Series Opens with Four Guitars

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EL PASO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
READY TO OPEN 2019-2020 CLASSICAL SERIES
with “Four Guitars” performing Rodrigo’s Concierto Andaluz

The El Paso Symphony Orchestra (EPSO) is celebrating 89 years and still going strong.  It has the honor of being the oldest continuously running Symphony in Texas.  On September 20 & 21, 2019, Music Director Bohuslav Rattay, entering his seventh season with EPSO, and the El Paso Symphony Orchestra joined by the Universita Guitar Quartet take the stage at the Plaza Theatre, 7:30pm, to start a new season that promises to entertain, enrich and engage our community.

The Universita Guitar Quartet join the El Paso Symphony Orchestra led by Bohuslav Rattay to perform an El Paso audience favorite, Rodrigo’s Concierto AndaluzI for four guitars. The Concierto Andaluz was written by Spanish composer Joaquin Rodrigo for the The Romeros, also known as The Royal Family of Guitar.  The influence of the folk music of Spain and its rhythms resonate throughout the piece.

The program will open with the Overture of Handel’s Royal Fireworks.  During Handel's time in England (as almost everywhere), fireworks were a favorite way to celebrate major occasions. Handel's Royal Fireworks was written to celebrate the signing of a peace treaty -- the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle. The opening classical concerts of EPSO’s 89th Anniversary Season will end with Brahms’ first symphonic masterpiece, his Symphony No. 1.

ABOUT THE SOLOISTS: The Universita Guitar Quartet started in 2016 as a collaborative project between the guitar area faculty members of the University of Texas at El Paso, the Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez and the Universidad Autonoma de Chihuahua. Its members are Hiram Rodriguez (UTEP-UACJ), Martin Espinoza (UACH), Jesus Manuel Flores (UACH) and Daniel Monroy (UACJ). Each one of them has been developing academic activities in their own universities as well as participating in guitar festivals as performers and adjudicators for guitar competitions in Mexico, Europe and Latin America. The ensemble has performed at guitar festivals and competitions at the Juarez and Chihuahua universities in 2016, 2017 and 2018.  The quartet performs works by several Mexican composers.  Currently Joaquin Rodrigo’s “Concierto Andaluz” is the new project the UGQ has embarked on and has been invited to perform with symphony orchestras in Mexico, including the Orquesta Sinfonica de la UACH.

The September 20 & 21 EPSO concerts are generously sponsored by the Marlene and J.O. Stewart, Jr. Foundation.

 Concert ticket prices are $46, $41, $35, $22 and $16 plus fees.  Student tickets for $9 and $12 plus fees are available.  Tickets may be purchase at epso.org, ticketmaster.com or by calling the EPSO office at (915) 532-3776.

ARTFUL PRELUDES: Universita Guitar Quartet will join EPSO Music Director Bohulav Rattay at the El Paso Museum of Art for a discussion and sampling of the El Paso Symphony September concerts on Thursday, September 19, 12pm.  Artful Preludes is presented in collaboration with the El Paso Museum of Art is free and open to the public.  Attendees are welcomed to tour the museum prior to or after the program.

LEARN MORE:  Join EPSO prior to each performance at Opening Notes, 6:30pm in the Philanthropy Theatre, to get insights on the program, composers and artist.

SEASON TICKETS:  Season tickets are available through the El Paso Symphony Orchestra (915) 532-3776.  Season ticket prices (6 classical concerts): $228, $195, $168, $96, $66 plus fees. Discounts for the season tickets are: 20% seniors and active military, 30% educators, 50% students

The El Paso Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department, the Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

RECAP:

Artful Preludes: Thursday, September 19, 12pm, El Paso Museum of Art (Free)
Opening Notes: Friday, September 20 & Saturday, September 21, 2019, 6:30pm Philanthropy Theatre (Free)
Concerts: “Four Guitars”
Friday, September 20 & Saturday, 21, 2019, 7:30pm Plaza Theatre
El Paso Symphony Orchestra
Bohuslav Rattay, Conductor
Universita Guitar Quartet: Hiram Rodriguez, Martin Espinoza, Jesus Manuel Flores, Daniel Monroy
Handel Royal Fireworks, Overture
Rodrigo Concierto Andaluz
Brahms Symphony No. 1, op. 68 in C minor

Tickets: $46, $41, $35, $22, $16 and $9 and $12 for students plus applicable fees. Tickets may be purchase at epso.org, ticketmaster.com or by calling the EPSO office at (915) 532-3776.

89 Years and Going Strong!

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EPSO celebrates its 89th Anniversary

The longest continuously running symphony in the state of Texas!

 Opens season with The Music of ABBA “Dancing Queen”

 El Paso, Tex - As the oldest performing arts organization in El Paso and the longest continuously running symphony orchestra in Texas, the El Paso Symphony Orchestra (EPSO) has spearheaded cultural activities in El Paso for 89 years. To celebrate this significant milestone, EPSO will open the season dancing to ABBA’s greatest hits at its 89th Anniversary Gala on Friday, August 23, 2019, 6pm at the El Paso Country Club, followed by a concert on Saturday, August 24th at the Plaza Theatre, 8pm, featuring The Music of ABBA performed by the El Paso Symphony Orchestra, full rock band and vocalists.

Tickets for the gala and concert are on sale now at www.epso.org, or call (915) 532-3776. In addition, tickets for the Saturday concert can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com.

EPSO’s rich history traces from a performance in December 1893. There were at least eight other attempts to bring symphonic music to El Paso before an orchestra was officially established in 1931. In the initial performance on January 26, 1931, H. Arthur Brown conducted his first concert with the El Paso Symphony at the Scottish Rite Auditorium. Brown remained as conductor until 1951.

Since then, EPSO has been under the baton of six conductors. In 1951, young Italian violinist and conductor Orlando Barera took over the podium for the next 20 seasons. The 41st consecutive season of the El Paso Symphony opened in October 1972 with William Kirschke leading for the next three seasons. On March 24, 1975, the El Paso Symphony Orchestra Association appointed native son Abraham Chavez, Jr. as the new Music Director and Conductor. Gürer Aykal succeeded Maestro Chavez in 1992.  Sarah Ioannides became EPSO’s first female Conductor in 2005. Following a 2-year search, Bohuslav Rattay was named EPSO’s Music Director starting with the 2013-2014 Season.

Since its inception, EPSO has made downtown El Paso its home, performing at the Scottish Rite Auditorium, Liberty Hall, Abraham Chavez Theatre and currently in the historic Plaza Theatre.

Today, EPSO is the largest arts nonprofit in the region, employing over 200 people per performance. It attracts 90,000 annually to its programs, which extend beyond the stage. It has presented and performed with renowned artists Yo-Yo-Ma, Wynton Marsalis, Tito Puente and Celia Cruz, Tony Bennett, Juan Gabriel and the Bolshoi Ballet to name a few.

EPSO acknowledges the rich diversity in our community and seeks to include people from every part of our community through varied concerts and events like the annual Pop Goes the Fort concert, with an audience of over 20,000; and sold-out performances of pops concerts with a rock twist, like the “Classical Mystery Tour” and “The Music of Queen.”

With a strong commitment to education and outreach, EPSO reaches over 40,000 children and students in the region every year. The longest-running EPSO education program, the El Paso Electric Young People’s Concerts, entering their 80th year this season, have introduced more than 750,000 5th grade students to live classical music in a fun, energetic and interactive environment. EPSO’s Brass in Class and Strings in Schools programs have been a presence in the classroom for over 40 years.

EPSO’s principal education program, the El Paso Symphony Youth Orchestras (EPSYOs), is celebrating its 14th anniversary. EPSYOs serves over 300 students annually and is open to all orchestral musicians ages 7 -23. EPSYOs continues to grow and serves its members’ diverse musical interests with programs like the Concerto Competition, the Chamber Music Program and a week-long Summer Camp. Students rehearse on weekends throughout the school year, with four schedule performances. In addition, EPSYO musicians participate in performances at the Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony, Alamo Drafthouse and with artists such as The Piano Guys and Lindsey Stirling.

The El Paso Symphony Orchestra’s Tocando Music Project is an after-school program that currently provides music learning and performance opportunities to students in elementary through middle school. Students enjoy weekly classes, bi-monthly visits to the El Paso Museum of Art, UTEP Career Days, out-of-town overnight trips to week-long Summer Music Camps, and tickets to each EPSO Classical Concert for themselves and their families.  Students perform concerts at their home schools as well as various venues throughout the community and city including the Plaza and Chavez Theaters.

Tocando Music Project launched in September 2013 at Hart Elementary in downtown El Paso. In 2017, the Feeder School Initiative, Tocando has expanded to Guillen Middle School. Tocando now has students from 3 schools in Bowie High School’s feeder pattern: Hart and Aoy Elementary and Guillen Middle School. Tocando is supported through the PlayUSA initiative of Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute and a generous grant from the American Orchestras’ Futures Fund, a program of the League of American Orchestras made possible by funding from the Ann & Gordon Getty Foundation.

With a strong belief and commitment from EPSO’s Board of Trustees, conductor, musicians, staff and our community, EPSO will continue to flourish and create beautiful music in our culturally rich city,

The El Paso Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department, the Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Pop Goes The Fort

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9th ANNUAL “POP GOES THE FORT”
INDEPENDENCE DAY CONCERT & FIREWORKS CELEBRATION
THURSDAY, JULY 4, BIGGS PARK, FORT BLISS

The El Paso Symphony Orchestra will perform a free concert celebrating America’s Independence on Thurday, July 4, at Biggs Park, 11388 Sergeant Major Blvd. EPSO Assistant Conductor James Welsch will lead the El Paso Symphony in a patriotic and pops concert featuring USO Show Troupe in salute of the brave men and women of Fort Bliss and all those who served to protect our country.

Biggs Park will be open at 4:30pm and the festivities will begin at 5:30pm with a Cannon "Salute to the Union.” Concert begins at 7:30pm and the evening culminates with a spectacular fireworks display.
“We are so honored to continue this wonderful collaboration with the MWR. This will be our 9th consecutive year of performing for our troops at Fort Bliss and the El Paso Community” said Ruth Ellen Jacobson, Executive Director of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra Association. “James has put together an exciting and varied program mixing traditional patriotic music, contemporary patriotic music, and pop music performed with the USO Show Troupe.

This concert would not be possible without the financial support of our community who support the El Paso Symphony Orchestra especially Pioneer Services and Clark McCarthy Healthcare Partners II (Clark Construction and McCarthy Building Companies), Marathon Petroleum and the Hunt Family Foundation.
The El Paso Symphony is working with the Fort Bliss, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) to make this event a fun-filled family day for everyone. The MWR will have vendors selling food, drinks and beer and activities for the entire family.

The concert and activities are free and open to everyone. Simply present valid ID for access to Biggs Park through Biggs gate. Lawn chairs and coolers are welcome. Pets, alcohol and glass containers are prohibited. Food and beer is available for purchase.

RECAP:
9th Annual Pop Goes the Fort
4:30pm: Gates Open
5:30pm: Cannon Salute to the Union
7:30pm: El Paso Symphony Orchestra with special guests USO Show Troupe followed by Fireworks
The El Paso Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

EPSO Holds Auditions May 19

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EL PASO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA HOLDS AUDITIONS MAY 19

El Paso, Tex. – The El Paso Symphony Orchestra will be holding auditions on Sunday, May 19, 2019 from 11am to 7:00pm in the Fox Fine Arts Recital Hall at the University of Texas at El Paso, for the following positions:

  • Principal 2nd Violin
  • Section Violin
  • Section Viola
  • 3rd Oboe/English Horn
  • 2nd Clarinet
  • 3rd Bassoon/Contra Bassoon

Should any position be filled by a current member of the EPSO, the resulting vacancy(s) may be filled at these auditions.

Audition application can be downloaded below. Requirements and music for violin, viola, oboe and bassoon positions are posted under repertoire. Clarinet requirements will be posted soon.

For further information contact El Paso Symphony Personnel Manager Leann Isaac at (915) 637-8144. Applications are due by May 3, 2019.

Tickets On Sale for Video Games LIVE!

Posted on by EPSO

EL PASO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS VIDEO GAMES LIVE
A Video Game Multimedia Symphonic Concert Experience!

Tickets go on today Wednesday, December 5, 2018, 10am

Video Games Live (VGL) takes the gaming experience light years beyond with a “captivating, proudly bombastic show” (The New York Times) that combines video game music masterfully performed by the El Paso Symphony Orchestra with the explosive energy of a rock concert in the Plaza Theatre on April 13, 2019 at 8PM. Includes music from Final Fantasy, Zelda, Mario, Kingdom Hearts, Metal Gear Solid, Skyrim, Castlevania, Halo, World of Warcraft, Pokemon AND MANY MORE!!

Tickets for Video Games Live go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, December 5, 2018, 10am and can be purchased at www.epso.org, www.ticketmaster.com, or call the Symphony office at (915) 532-3776, and at the Plaza Theatre Box Office. Tickets prices are $30, $45, $60 to $75 (plus applicable service charges) and are subject to change.

VGL was created by industry legend, composer Tommy Tallarico. The multimedia concert introduces new audiences—families, video game enthusiasts and non-gamers—to the symphonic experience with exclusive video footage and music arrangements, synchronized lighting, well-known Internet solo performers, electronic percussion, live action and interactive segments. The “ingenious and fantastic” (Los Angeles Times) show spotlights the music that enhances the most gripping video game moments—rescuing the princess, winning the boss fight, saving the galaxy from aliens or defeating the undead—with performances from recent blockbusters and iconic classics.

Praise for the immersive concerts is abundant, with VGL being heralded as a “beautiful performance” (USA Today), “simply breathtaking” (IGN.com), “Thrilling!” (The London Times) and “…a feast for the eyes and ears” (Seattle Times).

The El Paso Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.