By GARY DEMUTH
Unveiling a symphonic stew of delectable musical works from a rich cream of classical composers, the Salina Symphony is preparing a 2026-2027 season menu of concerts and special programs to satisfy every listener’s taste.
Under the collective banner “Music for All,” the upcoming season promises to be just that, said Yaniv Segal, the Salina Symphony’s conductor and music director.
“There’s something for everybody,” he said. “It’s so fun to get to craft a season with intent and then see how all the puzzle pieces fit together, much like a menu in a restaurant.”
Segal said all six mainstage concerts have been given a two-word title, providing concertgoers with a brief description of what to expect from this season’s “menu.”
The opening concert, “Rhythm & Soul,” will feature works by acclaimed 20th century jazz-influenced composers Duke Ellington and George Gershwin, as well as a fiery, Latin-inspired violin concerto, “Fandango,” by Mexican composer Arturo Marquez.
The concert will be performed by the Salina Symphony at 4 p.m. Oct. 11 at the Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts, 151 S. Santa Fe.
Segal hopes both new and returning concertgoers will not only enjoy the artistry of Salina Symphony musicians and special guests but appreciate how each program was designed to give listeners a unique and diverse experience.
“You don’t want to give audiences too many potatoes or too many desserts,” Segal said, continuing the musical menu metaphor. “I think all the concerts this season will speak for themselves.”
Season opener
The season opener, “Rhythm & Soul” (Oct. 11), will feature violinist Risa Hokamura, a member of the Young Concert Artists (YCA), one of the world’s preeminent career-launching organizations for exceptional emerging musicians, based in New York City. Hokamura will perform “Fandango,” a three-movement piece, each movement paying
tribute to a different Latin dance while incorporating elements of the driving rhythms of the fandango. The concert will open with the piece “Jubilee” from “Symphonic Sketches” by G.W. Chadwick, an emblematic piece combining American aesthetics and the Germanic musical tradition.
The second half of the program will feature Duke Ellington’s “Black, Brown and Beige” and close with Gershwin’s masterpiece “An American in Paris.”
“Ellington and Gershwin are synonymous for expanding the reach and scale of what jazz means,” Segal said. “Ellington’s ‘Black, Brown and Beige’ is one of the masterpieces of jazz that debuted at Carnegie Hall. Gershwin’s ‘An American in Paris’ was so good they created a musical around it. It’s quite challenging for the orchestra.”
The second concert of the season, “Rach and Rhapsody” (Nov. 8), will feature piano virtuoso Ignacio “Nachito” Herrera, who thrilled Salina audiences in October 2023 with his Latin-infused rendition of Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.” Herrera will perform Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Piano Concerto No. 2,” which the pianist first performed at age 12 and was the first piece he played with a live orchestra.
Additionally, Herrera will perform contemporary composer Michael Schachter’s “Being and Becoming, Rhapsody for Piano and Orchestra,” which Schachter was commissioned to write for the 100th anniversary of “Rhapsody in Blue.” The concert opens with the Salina Symphony’s performance of Franz Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2.”
“With Nachito coming back, we wanted to make this concert very much piano-centered,” Segal said. “He wanted to come back to Salina to perform the Rachmaninoff, so I asked him while he was here, could he do the Schachter as well.”
The first half of the season will conclude with two performances of “The Nutcracker” (Dec. 12-13), which has become a tradition on the Salina Symphony’s schedule every other year. The production, presented in partnership with Ballet Salina, will feature professional lead dancers and more than 80 dancers from the community.
“This is a show that consistently sells out, so people should get their tickets early,” Segal said.
Second half of season
The Salina Symphony will begin 2027 with “Nature & Grandeur” (Jan. 17), which features two epic symphonic pieces: Ludwig van Beethoven’s “Symphony No.6,” also known as the “Pastoral” symphony, and Camille Saint-Saen’s “Symphony No. 3” or the “Organ Symphony.” The Beethoven piece is a serene, heartfelt tribute to nature that captures birdsong, flowing streams and the quiet joy of the countryside. The “Organ Symphony,” featuring organist Audrey Pickering, pairs lush orchestral color with the awe-inspiring sound of the organ, building to a soaring, majestic finale.
“The Saint-Saens has a larger-than-life quality with a huge part for the organ,” Segal
said. “We rented an organ for this concert. It’s not a pipe organ, but it’s an electric organ that has the incredible sound of a pipe organ. It’s a piece you won’t forget when you hear it.”
In March, “Film & Fantasy: A Night at the Movies” (March 7) will showcase the memorable music behind some of the most epic films ever produced. The program will feature music from “The Dark Knight,” “Jurassic Park,” “Back to the Future,” “Star Wars,” “Game of Thrones,” “Spider-Man,” “Harry Potter” and of course, “The Wizard of Oz.” Also featured will be the Kansas Wesleyan University Philharmonic Choir and select ensembles from area high schools.
The mainstage season concludes with “Mist & Mystery” (May 2), featuring five compositions: J.S. Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto No. 3,” Felix Mendelssohn’s “The Hebrides Overture: Fingal’s Cave,” Pable Sarasate’s “Navarra,” Edward Elgar’s “Enigma Variations” and Segal’s own original piece, “Madhouse Rondo.”
The concert will feature violinists Will Haapaniemi and Heidi Han, as well as imagery by renowned National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson, a Lindsborg resident and long-time photographer with National Geographic whose photos will be projected during the Mendelssohn piece.
Haapaniemi and Han will be performing a duo violin piece written for them by Segal and joining the Salina Symphony to play other pieces.
“This particular program developed when I knew Will and Heidi would be joining us,” he said. “I’ve known them for years. They are fantastic musicians who have been part of the Detroit Symphony for 15 years.”
Additional events
Additional Salina Symphony season events will be a chamber concert, “Salute to America.” Part of the Encore Performances series, the concert will feature the Salina Symphony Brass Quintet and McPherson College Jazz Band. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2 at the Brown Grand Theatre, 310 W. Sixth, Concordia; and at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 3 at the Homewood Suites Courtyard, 115 E. Mulberry. Tickets are $40 for the Salina performance.
In April, a Silent Film Night will showcase Buster Keaton’s epic Civil War comedy “The General” with live musical accompaniment by Salina Symphony musicians. The film will be shown at 7:30 p.m. April 23 at the McPherson Opera House, 219 S. Main, McPherson; and at 7:30 p.m. April 24 at Theatre Salina, 303 E. Iron. Tickets are $40.
Season and single tickets
Season tickets are now available for the entire mainstage season, which includes the beloved holiday classic “The Nutcracker,” starting at $240 for adults and $135 for students. New subscribers are being offered a buy-one, get-one deal that includes two season tickets for the price of one.
Both season and BOGO tickets are available at the Salina Symphony office at the Stiefel Theatre from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays or by calling (785) 823-8309.
Single tickets also may be purchased for each mainstage concert. Adult tickets start $45, and student tickets are $25. Ticket may be purchased at the Stiefel box office, by calling (785) 827-1998 or online at www.salinasymphony.org
For more information, contact Salina Symphony executive director Adrienne Allen at (785) 823-8309.