The San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra has quite a weekend coming up and invites you to be a part.

The Symphony’s 96th performance season begins on March 22 with “Storm and Seduction: Reformation vs. Carmen,” a creative juxtaposition of two Romantic/Classical favorites which will be held at the historic California Theatre of the Performing Arts in downtown San Bernardino.

In the first half of this 3 p.m. matinee, Symphony Music Director and Conductor Anthony Parnther will lead the Orchestra in Felix Mendelssohn’s powerful and evocative Fifth Symphony in D minor, known as the “Reformation” Symphony. In the second half, Maestro Parnther will welcome to the stage noted vocalists Maria Dominique Lopez, Orson Van Gay II, and Jose Luis Maldonado for electrifying selections from Georges Bizet’s beloved opera, Carmen.

“While we have presented a variety of repertoire as of late, the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra celebrates music of every genre, especially the cornerstone orchestral music for which we have long been known,” explained Maestro Parnther. “I invite our community, and especially those new to orchestral performance, to give this concert a try. I can guarantee it will not be what you’d expect!”

Meet the Featured Artists

Praised as “a rich-voiced mezzo” (Operawire) and “a real tour-de-force” (Splash Magazine), Mexican-American mezzo soprano Maria Dominique Lopez has sung operatic roles and symphonic works throughout the United States and Europe for over a decade. Additionally, she has recorded vocals for independent films and major motion pictures, including Golden Globe and Academy Award Winning Disney/Pixar film, “Coco,” (which she describes as her “proudest vocal achievement”) and New Line Cinema’s horror film, “The Curse of La Llorona.”

Symphony patrons will recognize American Operatic Tenor Orson Van Gay II from a number of previous appearances with the orchestra. He was first introduced to Symphony audiences when he performed as part of the stellar group of vocalists at our 2023 concert under the stars. Van Gay has captivated audiences in classical and contemporary opera and concert performances with his charisma and “fine heroic tenor” (San Francisco Classical Voice). He has garnered acclaim for roles in his home of Southern California and across the United States, with Broadway World declaring, “his sound was fluent and his high notes golden,” and Voix des Arts stating, “The vitality of his work was gratifyingly unflappable.”

Hailed by Opera News as a “seemingly unlimited baritone,” International vocalist Josè Luis Maldonado, from Los Angeles attended Cal State Fullerton (BM), and Manhattan School of Music (MM); he is currently attending Michigan State University as a candidate for a doctorate in music, vocal performance. He is a career grant recipient from the Opera Buffs Inc. and Richard F. Gold Career Grant recipient from the Shoshana Foundation.  He will soon make his Lincoln Center debut as Escamillo in Carmencita, an Argentinian adaptation in Spanish of Bizet’s Carmen.

Opening weekend will also feature the Symphony’s 96th Season Gala which will benefit youth music education and access programs. Scheduled for Sunday, March 23 at 2 p.m. at the Barbara and Art Culver Center of the Arts, the event is themed “Music at the Foot of the Mountains” in honor of Symphony’s 2024 commissioned work “Al Pie de la Montaña” by Composer-In-Residence Fernando Arroyo Lascurain. Tickets are still available online or by calling the Symphony office at (909) 381-5388.

“This is our first Sunday afternoon gala,” shared Symphony President Elect and Gala Chair Sonietta M. Brown. “With the positive response to our matinee concerts, this seemed a lovely way to keep the momentum going. Further, holding the event in a gallery without the traditional table assignments is part of our commitment to creating inviting and inclusive events to uplift and spotlight the Inland Empire growing arts scene.”

While full season concert tickets are the most economical way to enjoy the full SBSO performance year, single concert tickets are also available at $20-$100 per seat, with student seats priced at $15 with an accompanying adult. Venue box office sales are planned prior to all concert performances, but the availability of seats can never be guaranteed, so securing seats early is always highly suggested. The historic California Theatre of the Performing Arts is located at 562 W. Fourth Street in downtown San Bernardino. Free, lighted parking is available adjacent to the venue. Doors open one hour prior to concert time.

Gala tickets are $96 per person and sponsorships, most of which include both gala and concert tickets, are still available. The Barbara and Art Culver Center of the Arts is located at 3834 Main Street in downtown Riverside. Free parking is available directly across from the venue.

Both concert and gala tickets may be purchased online or by calling the Symphony office at (909) 381-5388.