2026-2027 Season
Rach 2 with Elizabeth Dorman
Sunday, October 11, 3:00 p.m.
Miossi Hall, Performing Arts Center
The Cal Poly Symphony begins the season with two exciting collaborations. We will perform side-by-side with the San Luis Obispo Youth Symphony and welcome pianist Elizabeth Dorman as a soloist to perform Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. The orchestra will also play Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's colorful Capriccio Espagnol.
Repertoire:
Mikhael Glinka: Overture to Ruslan and Lyudmila (with the San Luis Obispo Youth Symphony)
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Capriccio Espagnol
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, op. 18 (Elizabeth Dorman, piano)
Student Soloist Showcase and Rodeo
Friday, December 4, 7:30 p.m.
Miossi Hall, Performing Arts Center
Every year, the Symphony holds auditions for student soloists and composers of any major. The prize for several of them - a performance with the Symphony, of course! Come hear this year’s winners and celebrate musical talent from across the University.
The orchestra will also perform two contrasting American works to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence: George Walker’s Lyric for Strings and music from Aaron Copland’s Rodeo, including Buckaroo Holiday and Hoe Down.
Repertoire:
Student Solos TBD
George Walker: Lyric for Strings
Aaron Copland: music from Rodeo
Cal Poly Band and Orchestra Festival
Saturday, April 3, 6:30 p.m.
Miossi Hall, Performing Arts Center
The Cal Poly Band and Orchestra Festival brings together outstanding student musicians from across the region for two days of inspiring performances, collaboration, and musical excellence. The festival culminates each evening with featured concerts by Cal Poly’s premier ensembles. On April 2, the celebration concludes with an exciting performance by Cal Poly Jazz in Spanos Theater. The second day, April 3, features a grand finale concert showcasing the Cal Poly Symphony and Bands in a program spanning beloved classics and cinematic favorites. Join us for this dynamic festival experience celebrating the power of music and performance.
Repertoire:
TBD
Cal Poly Open House Showcase
Saturday, April 10, 7:30 p.m.
Miossi Hall, Performing Arts Center
Experience the vibrant musical community of Cal Poly at the annual Open House Collage Concert, featuring performances by a diverse array of Music Department student ensembles. This fast-paced showcase highlights the talent and creativity of Cal Poly musicians through performances by the Choirs, Symphony, Wind Bands, Arab Music Ensemble, and Jazz ensembles.
Designed especially for prospective students and their families, the concert offers a glimpse into the many opportunities available to student musicians from every academic major. Whether performing classical masterworks, jazz standards, global traditions, or contemporary repertoire, Cal Poly students demonstrate how music remains an integral part of the university "Learn By Doing" experience. Join us for an inspiring celebration of artistic excellence, collaboration, and the unique ways students can stay engaged in music while pursuing any field of study.
Repertoire:
TBD
Season Finale: Mahler 1
Friday, May 7, 7:30 p.m.
Miossi Hall, Performing Arts Center
Gustav Mahler famously said “my time will come.” His idiosyncratic, groundbreaking symphonies were not universally understood in his own lifetime but have become some of the most celebrated works of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. For our season finale, the Cal Poly Symphony will perform Mahler’s first work in the genre that would define him: the symphony.
In his Symphony No. 1 in D Major, Mahler draws heavily on music he wrote for the autobiographical song cycle “Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen” (Songs of a Wayfarer). In the symphony, he embraces the full range of images and emotions, from nature awakening and birds singing about spring to a funeral march, from a village band to a “heart wounded to the quick.”
Repertoire:
Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 1 in D Major, "Titan"