California Symphony: Brahms Obsessions

In the California Symphony’s season finale, Artistic and Music Director Donato Cabrera reunites the music of Johannes Brahms and Clara Schumann. Described by The New York Times as “music’s unsung renaissance woman,” Clara Schumann was an acclaimed composer and pianist in the 1800s. In this concert, her only surviving piano concerto is performed by featured soloist Robert Thies, alongside Brahms’ brilliant first symphony. Both the object of Brahms’ affections, Clara Schumann, and his mountainous task of succeeding Beethoven’s symphonic legacy is showcased in the California Symphony’s program titled Brahms Obsessions. The music of Brahms and Clara Schumann are accompanied by a world premiere of California Symphony Resident Composer Saad Haddad’s newest work. Haddad’s music explores the relationship between the West and the East by translating traditional Arab instruments to a Western symphonic context.

California Symphony takes the stuffiness out of the concert experience: Take selfies at the photo booth, order a signature cocktail, and sip at your seat. Tickets include a free 30-minute pre-concert talk by award-winning instructor Scott Foglesong, starting one hour before the show.