This season is all about performing music that you know, recognize, or will remember for years to come. It’s about making you feel welcome at our concerts because the music is familiar and enjoyable.
For the experienced concertgoer, it’s about rediscovering the icons you consider to be greatest hits. For new concertgoers, this season is about introducing you to the best examples of classical music to ignite your interest, passion, and appreciation for the art form.
So what makes a masterwork? Is it instant recognition after just a few notes? Is it the size of the orchestra and the scale of the music? Perhaps the piece evokes a distant memory or special feeling. I believe a masterwork is all of this and more.
When you hear Rossini’s William Tell Overture, you’ll remember watching the Lone Ranger and Looney Toons on the family television. When you feel the orchestra and chorus perform together, you’ll be awestruck by the grandeur of Iowan Elaine Hagenberg’s Illuminare.
Few composers connect the heart, mind, and soul like Antonín Dvořák. His joyful and lyrical Eighth Symphony is no exception. The drama, momentum, and power of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony make it one of the most exciting examples of classical music you’ll ever hear. Huge brass. Soaring strings. Explosive percussion. And a roller coaster of a finale that will have you on your feet before the last note.
But one work stands above all. A work made famous by four simple notes: Da Da Da Dum. For over 200 years, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony has captivated and thrilled audiences around the world. It is the Masterwork of Masterworks. And I’ve programmed it just for you. I look forward to seeing you at our 74th Masterworks Season and the many other wonderful concerts throughout the year. Thank you for your support and Welcome to the Symphony!
Robert McConnell
Music Director & Conductor
3 Great Concerts for $55
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ON SALE NOW
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3 Great Concerts for $55 • ON SALE NOW •
BEETHOVEN’S 5TH SYMPHONY
A vivacious opening overture by Iowan Linda Robbins Coleman, two of the finest examples of French Impressionism, and the masterwork of masterworks, Beethoven's 5th Symphony.
Coleman - In Good King Charles’s Golden Days Overture
Debussy - La Mer
Debussy - Afternoon of a Faun
Beethoven - Symphony No. 5
October 12, 2024 • 7:30 PM • Capitol Theater, Burlington
October 13, 2024 • 2:00 PM • Bridge View Center, Ottumwa
October 13, 2024 • 6:30 PM • Chapel Auditorium, Mt. Pleasant
DVORAK’S 8TH SYMPHONY
A 21st century soon-to-be masterpiece for chorus and chamber orchestra, our 2024 Young Artist Competition Winner, and the life-enhancing joy of Dvořák's expressive, exciting, and simply irresistible Eighth Symphony.
Hagenberg - Illuminare
Southeast Iowa Symphony Chorus
Dvořák - Symphony No. 8
Young Artist Competition Winner
March 8, 2025 • 7:30 PM • Capitol Theater, Burlington
March 9, 2025 • 2:00 PM • Bridge View Center, Ottumwa
March 9, 2025 • 6:30 PM • Chapel Auditorium, Mt. Pleasant
TCHAIKOVSKY’S 4TH SYMPHONY
A galloping Italian overture from Rossini, a mesmerizing new concerto for clarinet, and a heart-pounding symphonic roller coaster from Tchaikovsky, complete with one of the greatest orchestral finales ever written.
Rossini - William Tell Overture
Esmail - Clarinet Concerto
Artist-in-Residence Anoushka Divekar
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 4
April 26, 2025 • 7:30 PM • Capitol Theater, Burlington
April 27, 2025 • 2:00 PM • Bridge View Center, Ottumwa
April 27, 2025 • 6:30 PM • Chapel Auditorium, Mt. Pleasant