Welcome to Orchestra Iowa’s 2024-2025 Season

When planning a season, sometimes we stumble upon happy, serendipitous threads that unexpectedly but beautifully tie a year’s programming together. On reflection, so many of our concerts this year revolve around “storytelling”, whether it’s The Music of Harry Potter ; our feature film with live orchestra, Home Alone in Concert; or a musical parable of political defiance with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. All of our series – our Pops, Masterworks, and even our Family and Chamber performances – are imbued with this overarching theme.

For the holidays, we feature our annual Nutcracker performances that bring Clara’s adventures with her nutcracker hero to life, as well as our annual Holiday Spectacular, which is always filled with great holiday traditions and musical storylines.

In our chamber series, we’re doing something new with our third concert by partnering with Cedar Rapids Opera to add a dramatic fairy tale to the season. And our Family Concert presents the (true) story of when Tchaikovsky Discovers America.

Perhaps most exciting of all, in partnership with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, we’re featuring Field of Dreams: Film with Live Orchestra. Catch Iowa’s favorite baseball movie on the stadium’s Jumbotron while Orchestra Iowa plays the inspiring score in real time, live on the field. Be sure to grab a dog and a beer – it’s the making of a magical summer day.

The fact is, there is a story behind almost every one of our programs. For example, this season marks KCCK ’s 50^th anniversary and the 100^th anniversary of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Our opening concert pays tribute to both by pairing the classic Gershwin piece with a contemporary re-imagining of another one of Gershwin’s popular melodies. Pianist Stewart Goodyear performs the noted Rhapsody in Blue, and The Menefield/Phillips Quartet gives us a jazzy spin on I’ve Got Rhythm. Gershwin found his unique voice by fusing jazz, Broadway, and klezmer with concert hall traditions to create a sound that we all recognize to this day as “American”.

I’m proud to feature Principal Cellist Philip Bergman as soloist performing Tan Dun’s Crouching Tiger Concerto, based on the hit film score Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. I’m also looking forward to welcoming a new addition to the orchestra this year – a brand new harp. Our third Masterworks of the season features the Grammy Award winning violinist and founder of the Harlem Quartet, Melissa White, performing Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy, with the new harp a beautiful complement to her violin concerto.

For the Lenten season, we’re performing Mozart’s Requiem, arguably his most signature work, together with Mendelssohn’s Reformation Symphony, where influences from his Jewish heritage blend with Protestant musical tradition. The bookends to that concert are two pianists, Lorraine Min and Miko Kominami, each headlining her own Masterworks concert with what I know will be powerful and expressive performances.

The stories and music you will hear this season fuse various styles of music to create new contexts that bridge past with present, East with West, and jazz and world music with symphonic canon, all with impressive artists on stage joining in the fun. What you will hear … will be AMAZING!

Subscription Information

When subscribing to an Orchestra Iowa series, patrons not only make an important contribution to the arts in our community, but also receive a variety of benefits to enhance their concert experience.

Some of these benefits include…

– Get the best seats in the house! Subscribers receive first choice seating at sign-up and throughout the Season. Renewing subscribers can keep their preferred seats from year to year.

– Unlock exclusive access to single tickets! When added onto any subscription package, subscribers can purchase single tickets before they go on sale to the public.

– Enjoy a superior ticketing and concert experience! Subscribers have the same seats throughout the season getting to know other fellow patrons. Subscribers also have access to ticket replacement, exchanges, sharing, and renewals.

– Save the most all Season! Subscribers receive the lowest prices on packages and single tickets and the best savings on fees.

Subscribe online or simply call, email, or visit the Ticket Office!

Important Dates

April 23, 2024: Subscriptions on sale

July 7, 2024: Save-Your-Seats Renewal Deadline

July 22, 2024: Single Tickets on sale

Ticket Office Information

119 Third Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids

319-366-8203

tickets@orchestraiowa.org