The Long Beach Symphony will be having its 2018-2019 Classical Concert Series including six concerts starting September 29, 2018 and ending on June 8, 2019.

“I wanted to present an exciting variety of composers, styles and experiences from the small but fiery ensembles of Frank Zappa’s G-Spot Tornado to the monumental Ninth Symphony by Beethoven,” said new Music Director Eckart Peru in a statement.

The opening night on September 29 will be a combination of contemporary American works in celebration of the 100th birthday of Leonard Bernstein. American Fusion will begin with Frank Zappa’s G-Spot Tornado, then transition to Gerschwin’s jazz-infused Second Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra and Rhapsody in Blue and Bernstein’s former protégé, Mason Bates, will be composing Mothership. The shows will end with music by Berstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.

“Some people associate contemporary music with atonality and dissonance, but that is simply not true,” said Peru. “Many recent works are so sublime that they foster meditation and introspection.”

Brahms & Dvořák on November 10 will begin with Out of the Mist by British composer Lilian Elkington, which is one of her only known works after her death. Concertmaster Roger Wilkie will play Brahms’ Violin Concerto and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7 with Salvonic folk melodies.

Beethoven’s Eroica on February 2, 2019 will include Overture to L’amant anonyme by Josef Boulongne, the first classical composer of African ancestry. Haydn’s Symphony No. 85, La Reine, will be performed and last will have Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, Eroica.

Northern Lights on March 9, 2019 will consist music of various vintages from Iceland, Russia and Finland, starting with Rautavaara’s Symphony No. 7, Angel of Light. The concert will continue in Finland with Sibelius’ Syphony No. 3 and Finlandia. Then the concert will present Bow to String by Icelandic composer Daniel Bjarnason and end the night with Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme.

Mozart’s Jupiter on April 29, 2019 will feature Arvo Pärt’s Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten, Mozart’s Syphony No. 41, Jupiter, Golijov’s Sidereus written by Argentine composer to commemorate Galileo and Violin concert by Hollywood film composer Erich Korngold done by guest soloist Simone Porter.

Beethoven’s Ninth on June 8, 2019 will celebrate the end of the season with Handel’s Royal Fireworks Music and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 incorporating four vocalists and a chorus from Ode to Joy.

“He [Peru] has crafted a season with the intention of showcasing the immense talent of our ensemble while considering the audience’s musical journey,” said Executive Director Kelly Lucera in a statement.

All concerts begin at 8:00PM and will be held in Terrace Theater of the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. Tickets for these concerts will go on sale in September. There will be six subscription options ranging from $126-$480 for all six concerts.

For more information on the concerts or to purchase tickets, click here.

The Long Beach Performing Arts Center is located at 300 East Ocean Boulevard.