Spring 2025
Music Physics: Impressive vocal forces + colorful orchestral dynamism = sound explosion, generated by our largest ensembles presenting Hanson's "Sea Symphony" and Vivaldi's Gloria.
Also: Mozart Regina Coeli
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Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
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Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College
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Fasten your seatbelts, Beethoven's 5th symphony drives this concert plus Concertmaster Ondrej Lewit will be playing Kurt Weill's highly original Violin Concerto! Fortissimo Orchestra will also join us to showcase their talents!
Soloist, Ondrej Lewit
Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
Fortissimo Orchestra, Shannon Yandall, Director
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Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College
Fall 2024
Mussorgsky's beloved "Pictures at an Exhibition" breathes colorful and rhythmic life into a walk through an art gallery. The images dance and leap off the canvas! Two pieces inspired by paintings – Hindemith’s “Mathis Der Maler,” first movement, and the epic “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Modest Mussorgsky, arranged by Maurice Ravel.
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Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
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Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College 1150 West Mission Rd. San Marcos, CA 92069
Plug into the first orchestra concert of the season featuring the electrifying energy of piano virtuoso Dr. Ching-Ming Cheng in Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor." Also presented was a surprise encore featuring the Joplin PineApple Rag arranged by Dr. Ellen Weller.
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Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
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Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College 1150 West Mission Rd. San Marcos, CA 92069
Spring 2024
The PSO and Palomar Choirs and invited choirs present Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Requiem.”
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Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
Palomar Chorale, Palomar Chamber Singers, Dr. John Russell, Director
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Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College 1150 West Mission Rd. San Marcos, CA 92069
Discover the next generation of musicians as Palomar student composers and soloists unite with the Palomar Symphony Orchestra in a spectacular Palomar Music Showcase! We also welcome back our young partner ensemble, Fortissimo Orchestra, directed by Shannon Yandall.
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Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
Fortissimo Orchestra, Shannon Yandall, Director
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Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College 1150 West Mission Rd. San Marcos, CA 92069
Fall 2023
Celebrate the 10th anniversary of the remodeled Howard Brubeck Theatre as Professor Emeritus Dr. Peter Gach performs George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” which turns 100 years old in 2024!
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Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
Piano Soloist, Dr. Peter Gach
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Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College 1150 West Mission Rd. San Marcos, CA 92069
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The Palomar Chorale and Palomar Chamber Singers join with the Palomar Symphony Orchestra to present selections from Shawn Kirchner’s “The Light of Hope Returning” and viola soloist Ondrej Lewit in Ellen Weller’s “Intervals of Peace.”
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Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
Palomar Chorale, Palomar Chamber Singers, Dr. John Russell, Director
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Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College 1150 West Mission Rd. San Marcos, CA 92069
Spring 2023
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The Palomar Symphony Orchestra teams teams up with the Palomar Choirs, members of the San Diego Master Chorale, San Diego Children’s Choir, and other guest choruses to present Carl Orff’s masterwork “Carmina Burana” and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ “Five Mystical Songs” in a concert that will reveal music’s power to explore life’s unknowable mysteries.
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Palomar Chamber Singers, Dr. John Russell, Director
Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
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Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College 1150 West Mission Rd. San Marcos, CA 92069
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Come wander through woods and streams, and sail the mighty and mysterious ocean with the Palomar Symphony Orchestra as we present Mendelssohn’s “Hebrides Overture” and Beethoven’s glorious Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral.” We will also welcome back our young partner ensemble, Fortissimo Orchestra, directed by Shannon Yandall.
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Palomar Chamber Singers, Dr. John Russell, Director
Fortissimo Orchestra, Shannon Yandall, Director
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Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College 1150 West Mission Rd. San Marcos, CA 92069
Fall 2022
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Dark Magic and the Fantastic! with the Comet Concert Band, directed by Maestra Heather Barclay. Two powerful instrumental ensembles team up to present a wickedly delightful and family-friendly program of pre-Halloween pieces that will fire up the imagination. The Comet Concert Band will bring you under its spell with Danse Macabre by Saint-Saens, music from the Harry Potter movies and more! Then, the PSO will conjure up scary-good selections from Broadway to the ballet and opera. In a phantasmagorical finish, the two monstrous ensembles will combine for Mussorgsky’s epic “A Night on the Bald Mountain.”
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Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
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Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College 1150 West Mission Rd. San Marcos, CA 92069
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With the power of melody and harmony to transport us to faraway places, the PSO presents a program that will take you far away, without leaving the Howard Brubeck Theatre! Voyage down the Moldau river with Smetana, explore Puerto Rico with Louis Gottschalk, reflect on our inner landscape with Weller’s Intervals of Peace, and accompany Grieg as he sends Peer Gynt into the wide world!
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Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
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Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College 1150 West Mission Rd. San Marcos, CA 92069
Spring 2022
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Celebrate the arrival of Spring with the Palomar Chamber Singers, Chorale and the Palomar Symphony Orchestra! The vocal ensembles will offer a colorful bouquet of joyful and reflective pieces in preparation for an upcoming performance at New York City’s Carnegie Hall! The PSO Orchestra will delight the senses with a fragrant assortment of delightful pieces, some of which will be featuring “budding” young musicians! Stay tuned for more details!
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Palomar Chamber Singers, Dr. John Russell, Director
Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
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Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College 1150 West Mission Rd. San Marcos, CA 92069
Maurice Ravel Piano Concerto in G Major with Dr. Ching-Ming Cheng
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Join the revelry(!) in an all-Ravel program featuring the enchanting virtuosity of local artist, Dr. Ching-Ming Cheng, performing the vibrant Concerto in G Major. Emilia Lopez- Yañez, the Palomar’s newest oboe faculty member at Palomar College, Emilia Lopez-Yañez, will be featured in Ravel’s sparkling suite, “Le Tombeau de Couperin.” And what concert hailing the master of orchestration
would be complete without the sinuous and iridescent “Bolero?” An experience that will leave you cheering!
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Soloist, Dr. Ching-Ming Cheng
Soloist, Emilia Lopez- Yañez
Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
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Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College 1150 West Mission Rd. San Marcos, CA 92069
Fall 2021
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The Palomar Symphony Orchestra emerges from its Heart2Heart online season with a LIVE concert of music that speaks to our shared humanity. Bizet’s opera, Carmen, explores the darker side of ecstatic love and hate, while Copland’s suite from “Our Town” celebrates the simple joys of family and community. A world premiere orchestration of Bob Weller’s gentle and exquisite “Uncle Russ” reminds us of the sweetness of memory. Schubert’s Symphony No. 8 (“Unfinished”) transports us from its stormy first movement into a sunny and peaceful second movement – then stops! Finally, Stravinsky’s Berceuse and Finale from the Firebird will leave you breathless with the magic and power of live orchestral performance!
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Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
Palomar Contemporary Dance Ensemble, Dr. Molly Faulkner, Director
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Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College 1150 West Mission Rd. San Marcos, CA 92069
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Spring 2021
Fall 2020-Spring 2021 marked an interesting time for Palomar Symphony Orchestra, since the COVID-19 pandemic forced the orchestra to shift to an all online format. It was a rough transition at first in trying to learn how to use new technology, equipment and digital platforms but our players continued to grow and blossom, creating beautiful music in ways we may not have thought possible before the pandemic.
We may not have met face-2-face, but we were certainly meeting heart-2-heart.
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Emergency and Emergence
Join the Palomar Chamber Singers, Chorale, and Symphony Orchestra as we celebrate the completion of the 2020-2021 season: Not Face 2 Face but Heart 2 Heart! This program travels between the extremes of emotions with music that includes the tumultuous first movement of Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor, Antonio Estevez' evocative "Mata del Anima Sola," and two excerpts from Haydn's uplifting oratorio, The Creation. Haydn, 'Chaos' from The Creation
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Palomar Chorale and Palomar Chamber Singers, Dr. John Russell, Director
Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
Zoom conferencing media
April Virtual Concert
Palomar Symphony Orchestra holds its second ever virtual concert with J.C. Bach's Sinfonia in Bb Major, Mvt 1 and Anna Amalia's Divertimento in Bb Major, arranged by John "Nico" Villarin.
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Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
Zoom conferencing media
Fall 2020
December Virtual Concert
Palomar Symphony Orchestra holds its first ever virtual concert with Handel's Water Music Suite, mvt 6 arranged by Hamilton Harty.
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Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
Zoom conferencing media
Spring 2020
Five Mystical Songs - CANCELLED due to Covid-19
Ralph Vaughan Williams’ haunting settings of poems by 16th century Welsh poet George Herbert for baritone soloist, choir and orchestra anchor our final concert of the season. The program features music that moves from darkness to light, from meditation to unbridled joy, and from despair to triumph, including Beethoven’s Leonore Overture No. 3, part of our continued celebration of all things Beethoven.
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Palomar Chorale and Palomar Chamber Singers, Dr. John Russell, Director
Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
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Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College 1150 West Mission Rd. San Marcos, CA 92069
Beethoven Symphony No. 9 - POSTPONED due to Covid-19
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We are celebrating Beethoven’s 250th birthday year with Beethoven on every 2020 concert, starting with the mighty and iconic 9th Symphony. A remarkable coalition of musical forces including the Mira Costa Masterworks Chorale, the Palomar Chorale, the Palomar Chamber Singers will join with instrumentalists from several local orchestras, magnificent vocal soloists and the Palomar Symphony Orchestra onstage at the California Center for the Arts Escondido. This will be a transcendent and unforgettable performance!
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Mira Costa Masterworks Chorale, Dr. Arlie Langager, Director
Palomar Chorale and Palomar Chamber Singers, Dr. John Russell, Director
Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
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California Center for the Arts, Escondido 340 North Escondido Boulevard, Escondido, CA 92025
Fall 2019
The Uncommon
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The Palomar Chorale, Chamber Singers and Palomar Symphony Orchestra present a program full of wonderful surprises including Carols and Lullabies (Christmas in the Southwest) by Conrad Susa, Dvorak’s brilliant Symphony No. 8 in G Major, and Joan Tower’s Sixth Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman.
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Palomar Chorale and Palomar Chamber Singers, Dr. John Russell, Director
Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
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Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College 1150 West Mission Rd. San Marcos, CA 92069
Dreaming of music : Palomar Music Performers – Past, present and future!
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The Palomar Symphony Orchestra welcomes back Palomar alumna Emily Harrington to perform a movement from Mozart’s Flute Concerto in G major in this musical celebration of Palomar’s Music Majors. Current student Shawn Jerge will dive into Gershwins’ Piano Concerto in F major, and our future students in the Cadencia ensemble of College for Kid’s Fortissimo program lead by director Anna Piland. The PSO will delight you selections from Mendelssohn’s fantastical imagining of Shakespeare’s masterwork,
A Midsummer’s Night Dream.
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Palomar Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Ellen Weller, Director
Cadencia ensemble of College for Kid's Fortissimo program, Anna Piland, Director
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Howard Brubeck Theatre, Palomar College 1150 West Mission Rd. San Marcos, CA 92069