New Music Director Brett Mitchell Is Launching a New Era for Pasadena Symphony

Brett Mitchell (Photo – Roger Mastroianni)

Brett Mitchell Is Only the Sixth Conductor to Helm Pasadena Symphony in Its 96-Year History. Announcement Comes on the Heels of Pasadena Symphony’s Highest-Grossing Season Ever.

By News Desk

Highlights of 97^th Season, which opens October 26, 2024, include:

• Six distinctive programs, all led by Brett Mitchell; with matinee and evening performances at the orchestra’s long-time home at Pasadena’s Ambassador Auditorium;
• Bold season-opener that gives a nod to Pasadena and the Orchestra’s rich history and looks ahead;
• Range of Contemporary Works by Mason Bates; Peter Boyer; Adolphus Hailstork; Jessie Montgomery; and Samuel Jones, one of Mitchell’s Early Mentors;
• Landmark Orchestral Works, Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, “Titan”; Mozart’s Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter”; Prokofiev’s Classical Symphony; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral”;
• Eminent guest artists:
  • Violinists William Hagen (Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1), Stefan Jackiw (Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5, “Turkish”), and Akiko Suwanai (Korngold’s Violin Concerto);
  • Pianists Inon Barnatan (Price’s Concerto for Piano in One Movement) and Stewart Goodyear (Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue); and
  • Cellist Mark Kosower (Dvorák’s Cello Concerto);
• Popular Holiday Candlelight Concert, with Mitchell on the podium, at All Saints Church, Pasadena.

2024-25 Season

Pasadena Symphony’s 2024-25 season, the first to be programmed and led by recently appointed Music Director Brett Mitchell, features six distinctive programs selected by Mitchell to spotlight the critically acclaimed orchestra’s virtuosic artistry, deep community roots, and unwavering commitment to championing emerging and established composers. The programming also reflects the considerable impact many of the orchestra’s gifted musicians have had on the film industry and incorporates some of the musical influences on Mitchell’s own career. Mitchell will conduct all six of the programs during his debut season with the orchestra, which marks Pasadena Symphony’s 97^th season.

“I’m particularly pleased during my first season with Pasadena Symphony to explore a wide variety of repertoire that will showcase the breadth and scope of my brilliant colleagues’ musicianship while also featuring an inclusive roster of soloists and composers,” says Mitchell. “My intention is to showcase great music performed by great musicians. I will strive to cover as many bases as I possibly can with each season’s programs. That means we’ll present works from the Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20^th Century, and contemporary eras as well as a broad range of styles within each of those periods.

Pasadena Symphony President & CEO Andrew Brown states, “This is a tremendously exciting time for the Pasadena Symphony as we embark on our next chapter under Brett Mitchell’s artistic leadership. He has crafted a season of incredible music that touches, enthralls, inspires, challenges, and intrigues. We can’t wait for audiences to experience all that he brings to the concert hall.”

During Mitchell’s inaugural season, he conducts from the canon of landmark orchestral works Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, “Titan,” a staggering work of tremendous emotional depth for massive forces; Mozart’s masterly final symphony, Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter,” completed just three years before the composer’s death; Prokofiev’s impeccably crafted Classical Symphony; and Beethoven’s cheerful Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral,” expressing the joy of nature.

Pasadena Symphony and POPS

Formed in 1928, the Pasadena Symphony and POPS is an ensemble of Hollywood’s most talented, sought-after musicians. With extensive credits in film, television, recording and the orchestral industry, the artists of the Pasadena Symphony and POPS are some of the most heard in the world.

Brett Mitchell assumed the post of Pasadena Symphony Music Director on April 1, 2024. Michael Feinstein – the multi-platinum-selling, two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award-nominated entertainer dubbed “The Ambassador of the Great American Songbook” – leads the POPS as Principal Pops Conductor, succeeding Marvin Hamlisch.

Pre-Concert Talks, Tickets, and Information

Each of the Pasadena Symphony’s concerts during the 2024-25 season will include Insights, a pre-concert conversation hosted by KUSC Classical California’s Brian Lauritzen, who will interview Brett Mitchell, special guests, and many of the artists appearing with the orchestra, offering a deep and entertaining dive into every program.

Pasadena Symphony season subscriptions (starting at $99) are available now. Single tickets (starting at $45) go on sale July 15, 2024. For tickets and information, visit pasadenasymphony-pops.org.