A Look Back at our 2008-2009 Season....

On September 6th we kicked-off our new season with a fabulous pops concert, sponsored by the Elsinore Valley Arts Network, at McVicker Park in Lake Elsinore. The program "MUSIC UNDER THE STARS" featured two outstanding vocalists: John Atkins, tenor and Catherine Ireland, soprano. The evening's concert was highlighted by renditions of Broadway musicals, patriotic favorites, popular classics, and contemporary orchestral pops music. Record numbers of people came out to enjoy the evening and to listen to music under the stars! The symphony hosted a raffle and gave away three sets of concert tickets to three winners.

October 25th was our opening Gala Concert & Dinner which was held at the Callaway Vineyard & Winery in Temecula. We featured the vocal talents of John Atkins and Catherine Ireland while guests enjoyed wine and a fabulous meal. The program included operatic favorites from Mozart, Verdi, Gounod and Puccini and popular Broadway songs from The King and I, The Wizard of Oz, My Fair Lady, Carousel, Porgy And Bess and West Side Story. The concert was a huge success and guests all vowed to come back again next year for another memorable evening of music at Callaway.

In November our concert includes music from European Romantics with a program including the Overture to La forza del destino by Verdi, Symphony No. 1 by Brahms and the Weber Clarinet Concerto No. 2, featuring Inland Valley Symphony's principal clarinetist Lecia Cecconi-Roberts.

Back by popular demand, Ryan MacEvoy McCullough once again "wowed" the audience with a Rachmaninoff favorite at our two January concerts. The symphony has received rave reviews!

On March 1st the symphony was pleased to feature the world-renown violinist Martin Chalifour, the Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mr. Chalifour performend Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto in E minor with the symphony to a full house. The audience raved about Martin's debut performance at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater. The Inland Valley Symphony opened the concert with Academic Festival Overture by Brahms and closed out with the powerful Symphony No. 4 by Tchaikovsky.

HOLLYWOOD & BROADWAY SHOWSTOPPERS! was performed on May 3, 2009 (Sun.) 2 p.m. starring Catherine Ireland and John Atkins who returned to perform with the symphony at the California Theatre of the Performing Arts in San Bernardino! Dr. Jeanine Trent, Music Director, put together a stellar program of musical favorites from the Broadway stage to the Hollywood Silver Screen. The audience enjoyed selections from popular musicals, Cole Porter's song book and more. The symphony also performed Gershwin's American in Paris. At the conclusion of the concert the audience enthusiastically provided a standing ovation, acknowledging the superb performances of John, Catherine and the symphony.

On May 14 & 17th, The Inland Valley Symphony announced the winners of its 2009 Young Artist Competition! Andy Leu, violin - 1st place. Josiah Tolopilo, alto recorder - 2nd place. Alex Few, piano - 3rd place.

The symphony presented their final concert of the 2008-2009 season, featuring the three finalists who performed their concertos with the orchestra. The program included: Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 with Josiah Tolopilo on alto recorder, Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite No. 1, Haydn's Piano Concerto No. 2 featured Alex Few, Peter and the Wolf by Prokofiev with Michael Stairs as narrator, Music from the Lord of the Dance by Hardiman and Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D Major which featured Andy Leu, concertmaster of the San Diego Youth Symphony.

This wraps up a very ambitious and successful concert season. We have more exciting soloists scheduled for the 2009-2010 season and look forward to seeing you at our concerts!