C.V. Symphony to Mark 50th Year with Keezer, Korean Drums, and More
orchestra unveils lineup for golden anniversary season, which starts in September
The Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra has announced the lineup for its 50th anniversary season, which beginning this fall will take audiences around the world thanks to the talents of the Eau Claire-based ensemble and a plethora of guest performers.
The season, entitled “Celebrating Symphony Gold,” will feature five major concerts under the baton of Music Director and Conductor Nobuyoshi Yasuda between September and May 2025. All will be held in the RCU Theatre of the Pablo Center at the Confluence. They include:
• On Saturday, Sep. 21, at 2pm, CVSO will perform “Passport to Music: A Symphonic World Tour.” Audiences will experience a spellbinding Korean three drum dance in “Impressions of Cheonmachong” by UW-Eau Claire graduate Kyle Newmaster and Han G-In Brooke Newmaster and also hear melodies from Europe, South America, and Africa. Plus, 2024 Young Artist Competition winner Harold Fang will solo with the orchestra on the dramatic first movement of Grieg’s Piano Concerto.
• On Saturday, Oct. 12, at 7:30pm, CVSO will celebrate its roots in “Echoes of Eternity: A Journey Through the History of the Chippewa Valley,” welcoming Teng Li, principal violist for the Los Angeles Philharmonic, for the premiere of a new viola concerto by award-winning Chippewa Valley composer Chiayu Hsu. The concerto is inspired by the history of the Chippewa Valley and was commissioned especially for CVSO’s 50th anniversary season. Also on the program will be Czech composer Dvořák’s experience of America reflected in his Symphony No. 9 “From the New World.”
• CVSO will ring in the holiday season on Saturday, Dec. 14, at 2pm with “A Christmas Jubilee: Celebrating 50 Years of Music.” The performance will feature a variety of Christmas favorites, including a trio of sleighride pieces by Mozart, Prokofiev, and Anderson. Joining CVSO will be top high school choristers from around the Chippewa Valley for Robert Shaws’ “The Many Moods of Christmas.”
• An Eau Claire native with direct ties to CVSO headlines the concert on Saturday, March 1, at 7:30pm. “Homegrown Harmony: Featuring Geoffrey Keezer” welcomes the Grammy-winning pianist to the CVSO stage for the world premiere of his new work, written as a tribute to the orchestra’s anniversary. Aaron Copland and Leonard Bernstein round out the all-American program which includes Bernstein’s “Make Our Garden Grow” featuring local choir Schola Cantorum.
• CVSO will conclude its season on Friday, May 9, 2025, at 7:30pm with “New Frontiers: Mahler’s Resurrection Symphony,” an epic performance of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in collaboration with Chippewa Valley Festival Choir and guest soloists Christine Amon and Emily Sternfeld-Dunn.
• In an effort to provide symphonic experiences to an expanding audience, CVSO is again offering a special option for prospective audience members this season: on Saturday, Sep. 21 at 10:30am, CVSO will present selections from the “Passport to Music” program in a special relaxed concert. The shortened concert is specially designed for patrons of all ages with sensory sensitivities, young children, and others who would benefit from a more informal concert environment. Tickets for this relaxed performance are general admission and priced at $5 per person, including fees. Attendees are encouraged to come as they are, be themselves, and enjoy symphonic music from around the globe.
Season tickets – both for renewing and new ticket holders – are open for purchase, and tickets will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, June 11 • Tickets may be purchased through the Pablo Center at the Confluence box office via its website (www.pablocenter.org), by phone at 715-832-2787, or on the AXS app • Although other sites may offer tickets, it is recommended that patrons only use the Pablo Center box office to avoid mark-ups • The Pablo Center box office is open to the public 10am to 2pm Monday through Friday plus one hour before Pablo Center events.
