Puttin’ on the Ritz

International Opera Superstar Michael Spyres and his wonderfully talented family join us for a night of the best arias, duets, and ensembles from opera and Broadway. Don’t miss this spectacular night of hit tunes, like Nessun Dorma, O mio babbino caro, Time to Say Goodbye, and O Sole Mio, featuring Michael Spyres, Tara Stafford-Spyres, Sean Spyres, and Erica Spyres.

Spyres Family Concert

With Michael Spyres, Tara Stafford Spyres, Erica Spyres, and Sean Spyres

The Topeka Symphony’s got rhythm in Sound, Echo, and Silence – an electrifying new concerto by Thailand’s star composer Narong Prangcharoen for traditional Thai instruments and orchestra. This will be the US premiere of this thrilling work that will have you mesmerized and tapping your feet with the fascinating rhythms. Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony is also full of dazzling orchestral features including a pizzicato movement and a finale bursting with percussive beats and flourishes.

Prangcharoen – Sound, Echo, and Silence

With Hnugsaran Prukthaisong, Phin, and Praatchaya Nanthachai, Khaen, soloists from Thailand

Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 4

We’re puttin’ on the ritz with a night of musical fireworks, including Rimsky-Korsakov’s triumphant Procession of the Nobles and Grieg’s Piano Concerto, which is always an audience favorite, performed by former TSO Young Artist Competition winner, Chaeyoung Park. We will also perform, for the first time in the Topeka Symphony’s history, Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony, a deeply-moving musical portrait of life in Russia under Stalin, which has been hailed as a work encompassing both lofty principles and great artistry, and also a deep and poignant humanity.

Rimsky-Korsakov – Procession of the Nobles

Grieg – Piano Concerto No. 1

With Chaeyoung Park, Piano

Shostakovich – Symphony No. 10

We’ll put you in the holiday mood with all of your favorites at our traditional holiday concert, featuring the Shawnee Choral Society, in a night of both secular and sacred works, including selections from Handel’s Messiah. You’ll leave ready to celebrate the season after our annual sing-along.

Holiday favorites, including:
Adam – O, Holy Night
Franck – Panis Angelicus
Schubert – Ave Maria
Handel – Messiah Selections

With Shawnee Choral Society

On this concert we lean into the stormy side of symphonic music in Sibelius’s dramatic and beautiful 5th Symphony, and we will feature the TSO’s own concertmaster Zsolt Eder for Robert Schumann’s haunting violin concerto. We will also perform Serbian-American composer Aleksandra Vrebalov’s This Kiss For The Whole World, a beautiful recent piece inspired by the text of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony.

Aleksandra Vrebalov – This Kiss For The Whole World

Schumann – Violin Concerto

With Zsolt Eder, Violin

Sibelius – Symphony No. 5

We span the globe on this concert, performing the US premiere of Chinese composer Deqwin Wen’s New Age Symphony, alongside the work that inspired it, Dvorak’s tribute to America – his New World Symphony, one of our most-requested masterworks. We will also feature this year’s Young Artist Competition Winner as our soloist.

Deqing Wen – New Age Symphony (US Premiere)

Young Artist Competition Winner

Dvorak – Symphony No. 9 – From the New World

We go Into the Woods with another exciting collaboration with Topeka Civic Theatre for a concert performance of Stephen Sondheim’s popular and award-winning musical. Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, a Giant, a Witch, and a  couple of charming princes take us back to the stories of our childhood in this thoughtful and provocative exploration of what “Happily Ever After” really means. Into the Woods is both poignant and hilarious, and has become a favorite of the modern musical theatre repertoire.

Sondheim – Into the Woods

In collaboration with the Topeka Civic Theatre