THE EL PASO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES ITS 2024-2025 SEASON

For 94 years, EPSO has cultivated community through classical music. “As we embark on another exciting season, I am filled with a profound sense of anticipation and gratitude. It is your unwavering support and enthusiasm that fuel our passion for bringing extraordinary music to life,” Music Director Bohuslav Rattay says.

The maestro adds that the new season, which kicks off September 14 with a “Latin Night” gala, offers “a rich tapestry of performances that will take us on a journey through time, across continents, and into the depths of human emotion. From the beloved classics that have stood the test of time to contemporary works that challenge and inspire us, our program reflects the diverse and dynamic world of music today.”

EPSO’s season begins with dinner, dancing, and La Loteria on “Latin Night,” a fundraiser celebrating 94 years, at 6:30 pm on Saturday, September 14, at the El Paso Country Club.

The classical series opens at 7:30 pm September 20-21 at the Plaza Theatre with the captivating sounds of Vivaldi’s masterpiece, The Four Seasons, composed to mirror the spirit of each season through descriptive sonnets, and Mahler’s thrilling Symphony No. 1.

As part of our long-standing commitment to partnership with local arts groups, we will join forces with the El Paso Opera for “Great Italian Areas” at 7:30pm October 18-19, 2024 at the Plaza Theatre.

The first half of the season concludes with “Christmas in Vienna” at 7:30pm December 6-7 at the Plaza Theatre, which will showcase the incredible voices of The Choral Union and the talented Candice Reyes as we capture the enchanting spirit of wintertime in Vienna.

Also this fall, EPSO is thrilled to continue the Harry Potter film series with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Concert™ at 7 pm November 9 at the Plaza Theatre.  The El Paso Symphony Orchestra will accompany the film on the big screen, performing Oscar®-winning composer John Williams’ musical score.

The second half of the season begins January 24-25, 2025, with “Beethoven – Love in the Age of War,” our annual collaboration with El Paso Pro-Musica.  The program will include Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 and Piano Concerto No. 3, with critically acclaimed pianist Awadagin Pratt. The February 21-22, 2025, concerts will embrace Romeo & Juliet and the theme of love. Our 94th season will conclude April 25-26, 2025, with “Fabulous Finale – Classical Trio,” featuring the music of Dvořák, Rachmaninoff, and Stravinsky.

Download Season Brochure here: EPSO Brochure 2024-2025 Final

SEASON TICKETS:  Season tickets are available through the El Paso Symphony Orchestra (915) 532-3776. Season ticket prices (6 classical concerts): $246, $210, $183, $102, $72 plus fees. Discounts for the season tickets are 20% senior and active-duty military, 30% educator, and 50% students.

SINGLE TICKETS for classical concerts are on sale now. Individual prices are $49, $44, $37, $23, and $17 plus fees.  Student tickets for $9 and $12 plus fees are available. Tickets may be purchased at epso.org, ticketmaster.com, or by calling the EPSO office (915) 532-3776.

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 artists.

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.

For further information, contact EPSO at (915) 532-3376 or email rosemary@epso.org. The El Paso Symphony Orchestra is presented with the support of the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Planets

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.

February Classical Concerts: Night at the Met: Opera’s Finest

Night at the Met: Opera’s Finest
February 21 & 22, 2020, 7:30pm Plaza Theatre

El Paso Symphony Orchestra
Bohuslav Rattay, Conductor
UTEP Union Chorale
Heather Dials, Soprano
Cherry Duke, Mezzo-soprano
Paul Groves, Tenor

Join us for a glorious night of operatic moments. The El Paso Symphony Orchestra led by Bohuslav Rattay, featuring the UTEP Choral Union, will transform the Plaza Theatre stage into a Night at The Met performing some of Opera’s most famous arias.

Strauss Die Fledermaus Overture
Bizet Habanera from Carmen
Verdi Brindisi from La Traviata
Strauss Sing to Love from Die Fledermaus
Puccini Humming Chorus from Madama Butterfly
Puccini Nessun Dorma from Turandot
Verdi Witches’ Chorus from Macbeth
Bernstein Make Our Garden Grow from Candide
and many more favorites!

February 2020 Program Notes

Tickets $16, $22, $35, $41 & $46

Buy Tickets

OPENING NOTES

Join Dr.  James Welsch, EPSO Assistant Conductor, 6:30pm Philanthropy Theatre prior to each classical concert for insights on the evening’s program.

October Classical Concerts: A Multimedia Experience

A Multi-Media Experience
October 18 & 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 Listen Here

Shostakovich Symphony No. 7, op. 60 in C major “Leningrad Symphony” Listen Here

The Tom Lea Institute presents 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. Synched with the powerful last movement of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 7 “Leningrad Symphony.”

WATCH YEVGENY KUTIK

Tickets $16, $22, $35, $41 & $46

Buy Tickets

OPENING NOTES

Join Dr.  James Welsch, EPSO Assistant Conductor, 6:30pm Philanthropy Theatre prior to each classical concert for insights on the evening’s program.

September Classical Concerts: Four Guitars

FOUR GUITARS
September 20 & 21, 2019, 7:30pm Plaza Theatre

El Paso Symphony Orchestra
Bohuslav Rattay, Conductor
Università Guitar Quartet: Hiram Rodriguez (UTEP-UACJ), Martin Espinoza (UACH), Jesus Manuel Flores (UACH) and Daniel Monroy (UACJ)
Click here to learn more about Universita Guitar Quartet

Handel Royal Fireworks: Overture
Rodrigo Concierto andaluz for 4 solo guitars LISTEN NOW
Brahms Symphony No. 1, op. 68 in C minor

Tickets $16, $22, $35, $41 & $46

BUY TICKETS

OPENING NOTES

Join Dr.  James Welsch, EPSO Assistant Conductor, 6:30pm Philanthropy Theatre prior to each classical concert for insights on the evening’s program.