Starting in March of 2024, California Symphony will be heard on 68 radio stations covering 338 markets across the country, as part of the WFMT Radio Network’s Orchestra Series. The orchestra’s live concert recordings are featured as part of the Winter 2024 installment of WFMT’s Orchestra Series, which also includes the Dresden Staatskapelle, The Hallé, Royal Liverpool Orchestra, German Symphony Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, and China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts. The series also includes performances from the Los Angeles Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony.
The California Symphony programs to be broadcast nationwide feature riveting new orchestral pieces by composers Viet Cuong, Anna Clyne, and Gabriela Lena Frank, and stunning performances by soloists Sarah Cahill, piano; Inbal Segev, cello; Charlie Albright, piano; and Nathan Chan, cello. Stations broadcasting the California Symphony’s programs include WQXR in New York, NY; WFMT in Chicago, IL; WRTI in Philadelphia, PA; WCLV in Cleveland, OH; WBJC in Baltimore, MD; KCNV in Las Vegas, NV; KMFA in Austin, TX; KBCS in Seattle, WA; and many more. Check local listings for schedules.
I’m very excited and proud to be sharing these live performances by my incredible California Symphony colleagues and extraordinary soloists, with a radio audience that spans the entire country. The repertoire we perform is diverse and eclectic, truly showcasing and celebrating the music that only an orchestra can offer.”— Donato Cabrera, Artistic and Music Director
UPCOMING EPISODES
PROGRAM 1
California Symphony’s first broadcast program features the premiere performance of Stargazer by recent Composer-in-Residence Viet Cuong, with Sarah Cahill at the piano. Walton’s Symphony No. 1 continues Donato Cabrera’s exploration of works written around the time of the Second World War, and Ravel’s audience favorite Mother Goose Suite ends the program.
PROGRAM 2
Donato Cabrera leads the California Symphony in a program of dances and melodies in the second broadcast program. Kodály’s Dances of Galánta begins the concert, contrasted with Anna Clyne’s DANCE for Cello and Orchestra, featuring cellist Inbal Segev as soloist. Ukrainian composer Myroslav Skoryk’s emotional and tragic Melody begins the second half. The program concludes with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 2, which uses Ukrainian folk songs to great effect.
PROGRAM 3
The third broadcast from California Symphony brings a rousing set of works from Bernstein, Debussy, and Gabriela Lena Frank all focused on the theme of dance. Nestled in between, hear pianist Charlie Albright perform Beethoven’s virtuosic Piano Concerto No. 3.
PROGRAM 4
In this final program, California Symphony celebrates the music of Viet Cuong with his emotional and intricate work Next Week’s Trees, commissioned by the California Symphony early in Cuong’s tenure as Composer-in-Residence with the orchestra. Captivating cellist Nathan Chan performs Elgar’s Cello Concerto, and Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony concludes the concert.
WFMT, SEASON ONE: EPISODE ONE (Theofanidis)
On air at WFMT on August 24, 2022
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTIST Maria Radutu, Piano
AMERICAN COMPOSER Christopher Theofanidis
Theofanidis Peace Love Light (California Symphony Commission)
Mozart Piano Concerto K. 488
Beethoven Symphony No. 4
Originally recorded on 1/22/2017.
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CONCERT PROGRAM BOOK
WFMT, SEASON ONE: EPISODE TWO (Puts 1/2)
On air at WFMT on August 31, 2022
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTIST Annie Wu, Flute
AMERICAN COMPOSER Kevin Puts
Puts Network (California Symphony Commission)
Mozart Flute Concerto in G
Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2 in E minor, Op. 27
Originally recorded on 9/18/2016.
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CONCERT PROGRAM BOOK
WFMT, SEASON ONE: EPISODE THREE (Puts 2/2)
On air at WFMT on September 7, 2022
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTIST Annie Wu, Flute
AMERICAN COMPOSER Kevin Puts
Mozart Symphony No. 1
Puts Flute Concerto
Haydn Symphony No. 104
Originally recorded on 11/17/2019.
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CONCERT PROGRAM BOOK
WFMT, SEASON ONE: EPISODE FOUR (Stookey)
On air at WFMT on September 14, 2022
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTIST Maria Valdes, Soprano
AMERICAN COMPOSER Nat Stookey
Barber Knoxville: Summer of 1915
Stookey YTTE (Yield To Total Elation)
Mahler Symphony No. 4
Originally recorded on 9/24/2017.
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WFMT, SEASON ONE: EPISODE FIVE (Visconti 1/2)
On air at WFMT on September 21, 2022
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTIST Adam Golka, Piano
AMERICAN COMPOSER Dan Visconti
Visconti Breakdown (California Symphony Commission)
Grieg Piano Concerto
Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4
Originally recorded on 5/3/2015.
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CONCERT PROGRAM BOOK
WFMT, SEASON ONE: EPISODE SIX (Visconti 2/2)
On air at WFMT on September 28, 2022
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTIST Inbal Segev, Cello
AMERICAN COMPOSER Dan Visconti
Beethoven Coriolan Overture Op. 62
Visconti Tangle Eye (California Symphony Commission)
Bruckner Symphony No. 6
Originally recorded on 5/7/2017.
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CONCERT PROGRAM BOOK
WFMT, SEASON ONE: EPISODE SEVEN (Frank 1/2)
On air at WFMT on October 5, 2022
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTIST Rachel Calloway, Mezzo-Soprano
AMERICAN COMPOSER Gabriella Lena Frank
Beethoven The Creatures of Prometheus Overture
Frank La Centinela y la Paloma (The Keeper and the Dove)
Mahler Lieder (Songs)
Beethoven Symphony No. 5
Originally recorded on 9/15/2019.
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CONCERT PROGRAM BOOK
WFMT, SEASON ONE: EPISODE EIGHT (Frank 2/2)
On air at WFMT on October 12, 2022
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTIST Charlie Albright, Piano
AMERICAN COMPOSER Gabriella Lena Frank
Bernstein Overture to Candide
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3
Frank Three Latin-American Dances for Orchestra
Bernstein Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
Originally recorded on 9/3/2018.
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CONCERT PROGRAM BOOK
WFMT, SEASON ONE: EPISODE NINE (Balch 1/2)
On air at WFMT on October 19, 2022
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTIST Robyn Bollinger, violin
AMERICAN COMPOSER Katherine Balch
Balch Artifacts, Violin Concerto (California Symphony Commission)
Bruckner Symphony No. 7
Originally recorded on 5/5/2019.
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CONCERT PROGRAM BOOK
WFMT, SEASON ONE: EPISODE TEN (Balch 2/2)
On air at WFMT on October 26, 2022
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTIST Haochen Zhang, Piano
AMERICAN COMPOSER Katherine Balch
Balch like a broken clock (California Symphony Commission)
Sibelius Symphony No. 3
Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2, Op. 830
Originally recorded on 5/6/2018.
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CONCERT PROGRAM BOOK
WFMT, SEASON ONE: EPISODE ELEVEN (Sparr)
On air at WFMT on November 2, 2022
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTIST Ilya Yakushev, Piano
AMERICAN COMPOSER DJ Sparr
Sparr Dreams of the Old Believers (California Symphony Commission)
Rachmaninoff Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini
Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade
Originally recorded on 5/4/2014.
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CONCERT PROGRAM BOOK
WFMT, SEASON ONE: EPISODE TWELVE (Cuong)
On air at WFMT on November 9, 2022
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTIST Nicholas Phan, tenor; Meredith Brown, horn
AMERICAN COMPOSER Viet Cuong
Cuong Next Week’s Trees
Schoenberg Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night)
Britten Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings
Originally recorded on 5/8/2021, 5/15/2021, and 5/22/2021.
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WFMT, SEASON ONE: EPISODE THIRTEEN (Montgomery)
On air at WFMT on November 6, 2021
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTIST Alexi Kenney, violin
AMERICAN COMPOSER Jessie Montgomery
Walker Lyric for Strings
Vivaldi Four Seasons
Montgomery Starburst
Schubert Death and the Maiden (arr. Mahler)
Originally recorded on 11/6/2021.
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CONCERT PROGRAM BOOK
KDFC Season 2, Ep. 1: ICONIC BEETHOVEN
On air at KDFC on September 26, 2021 at 8:00 pm
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTIST Rachel Calloway, Mezzo-Soprano
Beethoven The Creatures of Prometheus Overture
Frank La Centinela y la Paloma (The Keeper and the Dove)
Mahler Lieder (Songs)
Beethoven Symphony No. 5
Original performance date: 09/15/2019
Listen to KDFC On Demand
KDFC Season 2, Ep. 2: PASTORAL BEETHOVEN
On air at KDFC on October 24, 2021 at 8:00 pm
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTIST Alexi Kenney, violin
Smetana Vltava (Die Moldau)
Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1
Beethoven Symphony No. 6
Original performance date: 01/20/2018
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KDFC Season 2, Ep. 3: MOZART REQUIEM
On air at KDFC on November 28, 2021 at 8:00 pm
MUSIC DIRECTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST CONDUCTOR Ragnar Bohlin
GUEST ARTISTS Esther Tonea, soprano
Kaitlin Bertschi, mezzo-soprano
Jimmy Kansau, tenor
Brandon Bell, baritone
San Francisco Conservatory of Music Chorus
Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Part Te Deum
Mozart Requiem
Original performance date: 03/17/2018
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KDFC Season 2, Ep. 4: RHAPSODY IN BLUE
On air at KDFC on January 23, 2022 at 8:00 pm
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTIST Charlie Albright, Piano
Stravinsky Scherzo a la russe
Milhaud La creation du monde
Bernstein Prelude, Fugue, and Riffs
Weill A Little Three-Penny Music
Gershwin Rhapsody in Blue
Original performance date: 01/24/2016
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KDFC Season 2, Ep. 5: LYRICAL DREAMS
On air at KDFC on February 27, 2022 at 8:00 pm
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTIST Maria Valdes, Soprano
Barber Knoxville: Summer of 1915
Stookey YTTE (Yield To Total Elation)
Mahler Symphony No. 4
Original performance date: 09/24/2017
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KDFC Season 2, Ep. 6: BRAHMS FEST
On air at KDFC on March 27, 2022 at 8:00 pm
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTISTS Alina Kobialka, violin; Oliver Herbert, cello
Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 6
Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 5
Brahms Symphony No. 3
Brahms Concerto for Violin and Cello
Original performance date: 02/01/2020
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KDFC Season 2, Ep. 7: FOUR SEASONS
On air at KDFC on April 24, 2022 at 8:00 pm
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTISTS Alexi Kenney, violin
Walker Lyric for Strings
Vivaldi The Four Seasons
Montgomery Starburst
Schubert Death and the Maiden (arr. Mahler)
Original performance date: 11/07/2021
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KDFC Season 2, Ep. 8: BEETHOVEN & BERNSTEIN
On air at KDFC on May 22, 2022 at 8:00 pm
CONDUCTOR Donato Cabrera
GUEST ARTIST Charlie Albright, Piano
Bernstein Overture to Candide
Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 3
Frank Three Latin-American Dances for Orchestra
Bernstein Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
Original performance dates: 09/23/2018
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