When Manlio Silva intrepidly began your Stockton Symphony a century ago, how different was the orchestral world! Rhapsody in Blue and The Pines of Rome had just appeared when Maestro Silva formed the orchestra’s brief precursor—Stockton’s “Little Symphony.” Gershwin hadn’t yet penned An American in Paris, and California Here I Come was becoming our unofficial state song. Back then your Symphony was already a blend of talented local musicians and players from San Francisco—so imagine the commute! With no Bay Bridge yet and no Interstate 5, those folks took the ferry and drove country roads to join the faithful locals, and the orchestra’s reward after rehearsals and concerts occurred chez Silva—a home-cooked pasta meal, and when they rolled up the rug, a lively dance.

Yet many of the treasured experiences of the typical concert hall haven’t changed much since 1926, and that’s a good thing! Despite enormous advances in electronics, synthesized sounds—and yes, AI—the thrill of hearing a live orchestral performance remains at our core. The communal engagement of the audience, the passionate virtuosity of the fabulous Symphony musicians and renowned guest artists, the journey of beautifully complex emotions that can’t be described in words—this is what we live for!

The idea of celebrating the old while exploring the new resonates on many levels. Listening to even a single work requires you to remember the music you’ve heard and enter each new passage with anticipation and expectation. Amazingly, those same principles exist in everything from Ghostbusters to Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. In a larger context, your Stockton Symphony continues to commission premieres and present adventurous contemporary works alongside celebrated masterworks. Rejuvenated musical ideas and exciting live performances keep concerts fresh and collaborations with fellow arts organizations keep our mission vital. Most of all, it’s about you. Your patronage and support keep our noble enterprise thriving—we play for YOU.

So here’s to the next 100 years! It’s a great time to embrace nostalgia and gaze ahead with wonder.

Peter Jaffe
Music Director and Conductor