Sunday, March 1, 2026 2:30PM
“Dreams and Destinations”
Hammer Theatre Center – 101 Paseo De San Antonio , San Jose, CA 95113
Galen Lemmon, Xylophone
| Florence Price | Andante moderato | |
| Grace Williams | Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes | |
| Alan Hovhaness | Fantasy on Japanese Woodprints for Xylophone and Orchestra Galen Lemmon, Xylophone |
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| Amy Beach | Symphony No. 2, Gaelic |
Guest Performers from Pioneer High School
Please click here for more information about Galen
These four works—by Florence Price, Grace Williams, Alan Hovhaness, and Amy Beach—reflect a shared commitment to cultural expression through orchestral music. Each composer draws inspiration from distinct national or ethnic traditions: Price weaves elements of African American spirituals into a lush Romantic idiom; Williams reimagines Welsh nursery tunes with both charm and sophistication; Hovhaness evokes the aesthetics of Japanese woodblock prints through meditative textures and exotic modes; and Beach crafts a grand symphony rooted in Irish folk melodies. Together, these pieces celebrate the diversity of global musical heritage within the classical tradition.
Equally significant is the historical context in which these composers worked. Beach, Price, and Williams were pioneering women who overcame societal barriers to establish lasting legacies in a male-dominated field. Their music—alongside Hovhaness’s spiritually rich and cross-cultural vision—offers not only artistic beauty but also a broader, more inclusive view of classical music’s possibilities. These works stand as powerful examples of how deeply personal and culturally rooted music can speak with universal resonance.
Sunday, May 24, 2026, 2:30PM ~
“Countryside to Cosmos”
Hammer Theatre Center – 101 Paseo De San Antonio , San Jose, CA 95113
Rufus Olivier, Bassoon
| Arthur Honegger | Pastorale d’Été |
| Carlos Simon | Breathe |
| Frederick Delius | Two pieces for small orchestra |
| Vivaldi | Concerto for Bassoon in E minor no. 6, RV 484 Rufus Olivier, Bassoon |
| Ludwig van Beethoven | Symphony No. 6, Pastorale |
Please click here for more information about Rufus
These works share a profound connection to nature and the human spirit, expressed through richly textured orchestral music. From Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral” and Honegger’s Pastorale d’Été, which vividly evoke landscapes and seasonal moods, to Delius’s Two Pieces for Small Orchestra that paint serene scenes of spring and summer, each piece invites listeners into an immersive sonic world. Even Carlos Simon’s Breathe channels emotional depth and a call for renewal, reflecting on human resilience and hope. Vivaldi’s Concerto for Bassoon adds a vibrant Baroque contrast, showcasing the lively, expressive qualities of the bassoon within a richly crafted orchestral dialogue.
Across these works, the composers use orchestral color and atmosphere to create vivid soundscapes that transport audiences beyond the concert hall. Whether through the impressionistic harmonies of Delius, the lyrical melodies of Beethoven, or the contemporary sensitivity of Simon, the music evokes both external environments and deep inner emotions. Spanning from the Baroque era to the present day, this diverse program highlights the enduring power of orchestral music to celebrate nature, express the human condition, and connect us across time and culture.
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Sunday, June 14, 2026, 3:00PM ~
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Five Wounds Portuguese National Church, 1375 E. Santa Clara St., San Jose
José Corvelo, baritone
The Mission Chamber Orchestra returns to the beautiful Five Wounds National Portuguese Church to perform Music of Portugal, conducted by the orchestra’s former conductor, Emily Ray. Baritone José Corvelo also travels from Portugal for a third time to perform popular arias in French, Italian, and Portuguese. Works by two young, living composers will be featured: delightful Portuguese dances by Tiago Derriça and From the Dark, a new symphonic tone poem by Azorean film composer Pedro Macedo Camacho. More dance music, Alfama Ballet Suite by Joly Braga Santos, and a symphonic tone poem by Luiz de Freitas Branco in honor of one of Portugal’s most famous poets round out the program.
| Tiago Derriça | Danças Portuguesas |
| Pedro Macedo | Camacho From the Dark |
| Jean-Paul-Égide Martini | Plaisir d’amour |
| Christop Willibald Gluck | O del mio dolce ardor |
| Antero Ávila | Os Bravos e o Meu Bem |
| Giuseppe Verdi | Alzati….Eri tu |
| Paolo Tosti | A Vucchella |
| Teodoro Cottrau | Santa Lucia |
| Ernesto De Curtis | Torna a Surriento |
| Eduardo Di Capua | O Sole mio |
| Luiz de Freitas Branco | Anthero de Quental |
| Braga Santos / arr. Álvaro Cassuto |
Alfama Concert Suite |
José Corvelo is now one of the most sought-after Portuguese baritones. In 2000 he began a regular collaboration as a soloist with Circulo Portuense de Ópera, Teatro Nacional de São Carlos, Orquestra do Norte and The Portuguese Opera Company. His vast concert repertoire includes Händel’s Messiah, Mozart’s Requiem and Coronation Mass, Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9, Schubert’s Mass in G, Faurè’s Requiem, Rossini’s Stabat Mater, John Rutter’s Mass of the Children, and Orff’s Carmina Burana, among others. Recently he had a participation, as singer/actor, in a film by Michael Sturminger, “The Casanova Variations”.