The Los Angeles Post

MUSIC DIRECTOR BRETT MITCHELL CLOSES INAUGURAL SEASON WITH A JUBILANT PROGRAM OF BRUCH AND BEETHOVEN

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Acclaimed Violinist William Hagen Performs Bruch Violin Concerto

Pasadena, CA – Music Director Brett Mitchell and the Pasadena Symphony close the 2024-25 season with Beethoven Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral” on Saturday, May 3, 2025 with performances at 2:00pm and 8:00pm at Ambassador Auditorium. Chadwick’s A Pastoral Prelude for Orchestra will open the bucolic program, followed by the Bruch Violin Concerto, and concluding with Beethoven’s sonic painting of the great outdoors, drawing the listener in with themes of spiritual renewal, pastoral landscapes, dramatic storms and startling beauty.

Acclaimed Violinist William Hagen returns to the Ambassador stage to perform Bruch’s playfully acrobatic and virtuosic Violin Concerto – a true showpiece for the master violinist. A “brilliant virtuoso” (Dallas Morning News), Hagen will delight audiences with his playing described as “… captivating, floating delicately above the orchestra” (Chicago Classical Review). Maestro Mitchell wraps his inaugural season in a cloak of musical beauty with this breathtaking season finale, closing with the optimism and joy of Beethoven’s expansive “Pastoral” Symphony.

The Pasadena Symphony provides a vibrant experience specially designed for the music lover, the social butterfly or a date night out. Want to learn more about the music? Arrive early for Insights, the pre-concert discussion with KUSC Host Brian Lauritzen and Music Director Brett Mitchell, which begins one hour prior to each performance. Or enjoy a bite or a glass in the Symphony Lounge, a posh setting along Ambassador Auditorium’s beautiful outdoor plaza with a full-service beverage center serving coffee, spirits and wine, plus sandwiches, soup, appetizers and dessert before the concert and during intermission.

All concerts are held at Ambassador Auditorium, 131 South St. John Ave, Pasadena, CA. Single tickets start at $49 and may be purchased online at www.pasadenasymphony-pops.org or by calling (626) 793-7172. Subscriptions for the 25/26 season now available.