St.Clair and Pacific Symphony Shine Up Wagner’s ‘Rheingold’
REVIEW: Strong singing cast and imaginative semi-staged production bring the opera to life.
April 11, 2025
Protests and Tchaikovsky with the Israel Philharmonic in O.C.
REVIEW: The performance, which also included Jewish-themed music by Bruch and Bernstein, was a mixed bag but proceeded without a hitch.
March 28, 2025
Something for Everyone at the Orange County Museum of Art – Including an Umbrella?
REVIEW: There’s a sense of things nearly getting out of control in Sun Yu-Xin’s latest body of work, and that seems appropriate for these times.
March 21, 2025
Vienna Philharmonic Brings Distinctive Sound to Beethoven and Strauss
REVIEW: Yefim Bronfman shines as soloist, Nézet-Séguin almost makes ‘Ein Heldenleben’ work.
March 10, 2025
London Symphony Shows its Stuff in Mahler
REVIEW: Newly appointed chief conductor sweated the details with Mahler; pianist Yunchan Lim balanced chops and restraint with Rachmaninoff.
February 21, 2025
Electric Company Theatre’s ‘White Rabbit Red Rabbit’ Surprises with its Unrehearsed Spontaneity
REVIEW: With a new actor performing every night, each show sparks with hesitations, discomforts and vulnerabilities.
February 14, 2025
SCR World Premiere Paints A New Portrait of Joan Rivers
REVIEW: Tessa Auberjonois’ uncanny, tour-de-force realization of the icon elevates Daniel Goldstein’s script.
November 4, 2024
London Philharmonic Provides Luxury Tchaikovsky but is Outshone by Soloist
REVIEW: Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja put on a show with Shostakovich.
October 14, 2024
St.Clair Opens His 35th Pacific Symphony Season with Nostalgic Agenda
REVIEW: Duplicating his first program, he all but admits it’s his final season.
September 27, 2024
Just How Great is Great Park Live?
We assess Irvine’s shiny new “temporary” amphitheater during a recent Pacific Symphony performance.
August 7, 2024
Tianyi Lu Leads Pacific Symphony in a Singing Account of Sibelius
REVIEW: The young conductor from New Zealand makes a big impression in the composer’s Second Symphony, and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4.
May 17, 2024
Shiyeon Sung Leads Pacific Symphony in Impressive Performance of Tchaikovsky
REVIEW: The Korean conductor, the first woman to try out for the orchestra’s music directorship, exhibits authority and intelligence. Shiyeon Sung became the first woman conductor this season to try...
April 26, 2024
