Past Events › Music: Symphony

This concert begins with hidden stories. While Anna Clyne based “This Midnight Hour” on two very different poems, by Juan Ramón Jiménez and Charles Baudelaire, she explicitly avoided depicting any specific narrative. She wrote, “my intention is that it will evoke a visual journey for the listener.” The visual imagery in Debussy’s La Mer is astonishing. Debussy portrays subtle shifts on the water, the play of the waves, the swells of the ocean so vividly it makes one taste the…

One of America’s most unique voices, Joan Tower has always followed her muse. Tambor, the Spanish word for drum, features the members of the KC Symphony percussion section – their rhythmic vitality will certainly get your heart pumping. Mozart’s final year was miraculously inspired, and among the many works he completed just months before he died was his only concerto for the clarinet. Our own Principal Clarinetist Raymond Santos brings his artistry to this achingly wistful and singing masterpiece as…

As the undisputed stars of their era, they ignited the stage when they joined forces. Relive the magic of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald with their classics “The Lady Is a Tramp,” “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” “Body and Soul” and so many more. Amazing chanteuse Capathia Jenkins and crooner extraordinaire Tony DeSare join the orchestra to recreate the special friendship between Frank and Ella that led to so many exquisite performances together. Please note: Sunday subscribers will…

The timeless Prokofiev tale of Peter & the Wolf is just the beginning, as we also perform music from other classic stories and adventures near to far.

The world’s top ABBA tribute band joins your Kansas City Symphony to perform the iconic songs of a generation. “Dancing Queen,” “Mamma Mia,” “Waterloo,” “SOS,” “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” and many more will have you dancing in the aisles and singing along.

While visiting Mexico in 1932, Aaron Copland visited a popular dance hall and was entranced by the freshness and beauty of Mexican folk melody. He set about composing a piece to reflect the lively spirit he felt there. El Salón México includes bits of Mexican songs woven together with Copland’s characteristic zest. Multitalented Conrad Tao has garnered international acclaim as a pianist, composer, and recording artist and will be making his debut with the Symphony to perform Rachmaninoff’s Fourth Piano…

There’s dreadful news from the concert hall — the composer is dead! Where exactly were the violins on the day in question? Did anyone see the harp? Is the trumpet protesting a bit too boisterously? his perplexing Lemony Snicket mystery is but one of the musical stories on a well-orchestrated afternoon program that super sleuths of any age will enjoy.