Don’t you just love a good story? Symphonic composers are often motivated by famous dramas, events, poetry, and myriad other sources. These extramusical inspirations figure into almost all of our concerts this season: mischievous magic in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, star-crossed lovers in Romeo and Juliet, fantasy/adventure in The Nutcracker and The Polar Express, a wild bacchanal in Samson et Delilah, glorious sunrises in Daphnis and Chloe and Also sprach Zarathustra—even songs from humpbacks in And God Created Great Whales.

For that matter, every Motown song this January tells a compelling short story with an infectious beat. And the works of Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky take you through an emotional journey even if the drama might be a bit more abstract.

Our fabulous guest artists also have amazing stories to tell, including an award-winning star still in her teens, a local nationally acclaimed AGT winner fusing Slam Poetry with Gospel traditions, and a highly talented duo of our own Symphony principals. And what an incredible arc comprises the story of the Stockton Symphony itself—from its founding by Manlio Silva to the present, anticipating our centennial!

Some of the best anecdotes might be about you—audience members bring such a wealth of stories to the table. Just three examples:

1) Last season a guitar aficionado drove all the way from LA to hear our soloist perform.

2) After years of bringing their kids to concerts, a family is sending a rising star off to Yale.

3) A real estate agent was grappling with a complex problem, and after coming to a concert he magically awoke the next day with a solution.

The story of our enterprise casts you as the hero. Our ultimate goal is that you be moved by what you hear—we play for you—and one of many sources of inspiration in live performance is seeing your fellow audience members moved along with you. As the program ends, the lights are raised and you stroll outside, realizing you have traveled much farther in the concert hall than in the round trip to get there. It’s unforgettable. So thank you for keeping our Symphony thriving by telling the story to your friends!

Peter Jaffe
Music Director and Conductor