OUR MUST-SEE SEASON PREMIERE starts with an episode full of seduction, passion, and romance. Composer Richard Strauss’s tone poem brings to life Don Juan, possibly the most famous and unscrupulous lover of Western lore. We’re thrilled to present one of the 2025 Van Cliburn Winners (yet to be announced) in their debut season as a winner of this coveted international award, and we’ll round out the evening with Topeka’s premiere of Valerie Coleman’s Umoja, the Swahili word for “unity,” a joyful and inspiring piece about hope.

Strauss – Don Juan
Valerie Coleman – Umoja
Van Cliburn Competition Winner

WE PRESENT STORIES of light, color, and hope in this concert featuring works by two Kansas composers. Gordon McQuere invites us to contemplate kindness, perseverance, and wisdom in his optimistic and
colorful Three Essays, and Alyssa Morris’s Color and Light (Tlapalli Tlahuilli) takes inspiration from the book “Musicians of the Sun” which details the Aztec myth of how the world received its color and light. We then present Brahms’s delightful Haydn Variations, a perennial symphonic favorite that shows off Brahms’s musical genius as he inventively riffs on a simple chorale, transforming it into a virtuosic showpiece for the orchestra.

Gordon McQuere – Three Essays
Alyssa Morris – Tlapalli Tlahuilli
With Hannah, Alyssa, Alex, Alan
Brahms – Haydn Variations

TIME TO PUT ON YOUR SWEATERS and cozy up for an evening celebrating the magic of the season with a heartwarming concert filled with holiday cheer! Journey into the wonder of the award-winning animated film The Snowman, and relive timeless holiday favorites—all brought to life by the symphony. This concert is made even more special by the angelic voices of the Kansas Youth Chorale, adding warmth, wonder, and a touch of nostalgia to this festive night.

John Williams – Three Holiday Songs from Home Alone,
our annual carol sing, and other holiday favorites

Young Artist Competition Winner

SADDLE UP, FOLKS, as we bring you a night of the tales from yesteryear and the trailblazing sounds of the new. We start with the old-timey in Aaron Copland’s Western ballad of Billy the Kid, and Debussy’s sensual Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun. Then, hang on to your hats with Boyer’s exciting Fanfare, Hymn, and Renewal and prepare to be amazed when Viet Cuong’s Re(new)al rides in with a bold, high-energy new piece performed by the fantastic Sandbox Percussion Ensemble.

Boyer – Fanfare, Hymn, and Finale
Viet Cuong – Re(new)al
With Sandbox Percussion Ensemble
Debussy – Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
Copland – Billy the Kid

IN THIS PERFORMANCE created by Alice Wiley Pickett for actors, singers, and the orchestra, we will enter the deeply emotional and intensely creative world of French composer Maurice Ravel, who lived during the rich explosion of arts and sciences in Paris in the first part of the 20th century. Through Ravel’s own words and the words of both his most beloved friends and his harshest critics, and through his revolutionary and wildly, beautifully inventive music, we will paint an impressionistic picture—at times whimsical and at other times tragic—of this enigmatic genius.

Music of Maurice Ravel
Including Bolero, Daphnis and Chloe,
Piano Concerto in G, Ma mere l’Oye,
Pavane for a Dead Princess, Alborada del Gracioso

TUNE IN for a night of mystery, intrigue, and spectacular beauty. Stravinsky’s Petrushka unravels a dark tale of manipulation and jealousy with an ill-fated puppet whose desperate fight for love ends in tragedy. Reena Esmail’s ReMember weaves together powerful themes of identity and connection, blending Eastern and Western influences in a stunning musical tapestry. And join us in welcoming to the stage rising star Aubree Oliverson on Tchaikovsky’s virtuosic, passionate, and beguiling Violin Concerto. This will be a night to remember!

Reena Esmail – ReMember
Tchaikovsky – Violin Concerto
With Aubree Oliverson, Violin
Stravinsky – Petruska

TUNE IN for an epic night dedicated entirely to the music of John Williams, one of Hollywood’s greatest composers, whose music instantly evokes adventure, nostalgia, and movie magic! From the triumphant brass of Star Wars to the haunting strings of Schindler’s List, John Williams’s symphonic film scores have shaped the sound of modern cinema. This electrifying concert highlights the genius behind the music that has defined decades of movies and transforms the orchestra into the ultimate blockbuster experience.

Music from Star Wars, Harry Potter,
Jaws, Catch Me If You Can,
Schindler’s List, Indiana Jones, and more.