The Philharmonic Society of Orange County moves forward from “a model of purely visiting orchestras” to a more inclusive and comprehensive model.
When it comes to classical music in Orange County, March is a special month. That’s because on four separate occasions over the past 28 years, the Vienna Philharmonic has made concert stops here, and is about to clock in with number five.
The performances, at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall on March 9 and 11, provide locals a rare opportunity to experience what the Philharmonic Society refers to in its press materials as “one of the world’s most illustrious orchestras.” Both are part of an exclusive residency program created and run by the Society, and both are being led by Grammy Award-winning conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
The March 9 program features Beethoven and Strauss, as pianist Yefim Bronfman joins the orchestra for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and Strauss’s monumental Ein Heldenleben. Two days later, the orchestra will perform Schubert’s Symphony No. 4 in C minor (the “Tragic” symphony) and Dvořák’s beloved Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”).
Demand for tickets has been so pronounced that the March 9 event is already sold out – but patrons can still get tickets to the March 11 concert.
The two-day series of joint concerts between the Society and the Vienna Philharmonic span nearly three decades and have featured four different conductors at two prominent Orange County concert venues.
As such, they’re part of a long-standing, comprehensive effort at outreach to the community – more far-reaching than simply inviting an orchestra to stop off in Orange County for a guest performance.
Tommy Phillips, president and artistic director of the Philharmonic Society of Orange County, said that this week’s particular appearance “came about through a partnered effort with Cal Performances at the University of California, Berkeley.”
“We collectively worked with the Vienna Philharmonic to create an exclusive appearance by the orchestra for our two organizations this season.”
The Vienna Philharmonic’s California tour brings the orchestra and conductor Nézet-Séguin to the West Coast for an exclusive residency and performances this month.
The tour begins in Northern California with three concerts March 5, 6 and 7 hosted by Cal Performances at Zellerbach Hall and concludes with next week’s two performances here in Orange County. Phillips said this statewide tour “is made possible by major funding from longtime California arts enthusiasts and philanthropists Maria Manetti Shrem from the San Francisco Bay area, and Elizabeth Segerstrom of Orange County.”
The Society, Phillips said, typically makes a point of creating an “event” type of buzz surrounding its special guest appearances by world-renowned orchestras.
This time around, both performances have been preceded by a pre-recorded video lecture by KUSC’s Brian Lauritzen, available on YouTube.
Also enhancing the elegance of the week’s activities is a Philharmonic Ball the Society is hosting on Sunday evening, March 9, at The Westin South Coast Plaza – an event inspired by Gustav Klimt’s art that will feature live music and gourmet cuisine.
Phillips notes that at the event, Shrem and Segerstrom will be presented with the California Performing Arts Visionary Award in honor of their arts philanthropy, and that “every amount raised will help sustain youth music education in Orange County.”
Phillips said that to devise this as an exclusive residency, his organization “made a commitment to the orchestra for a certain number of concerts, which ensured that we would be the only presenters this year outside of Carnegie Hall.”
SIDE BAR: Past guest appearances by the Vienna Philharmonic through the Philharmonic Society of Orange County
A look at the residency program
Phillips provided more details about the Society’s overall residency program, starting with the question of whether the program is modeled after others that existed before it began here.
“We have moved forward from a model of purely ‘visiting’ orchestras to a more inclusive and comprehensive model or ‘in residency,’” he said. “This change has evolved over time, where we intentionally plan for more time with these orchestras while here in Orange County, ensuring that they make a greater impact on the fabric of our community. This comes through visits to schools and community centers – small ensemble performances throughout the community, including at hospitals, and much more.
“A wonderful example of this approach can be found in our past residency with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in January of 2024, where the orchestra worked over the span of a week to integrate their artistic and educational models into various corners of our community, including our youth orchestra, free family concerts at Santa Ana High School, multiple school and medical center visits, all seeding a great example of community enrichment.”
Phillips said this year’s residency with the Vienna Philharmonic “was given birth through the generous philanthropy of Elizabeth Segerstrom and Maria Manetti Shrem. The leadership gift from these two amazing women made the residency for our organizations possible, and was then appropriately given the title of the ‘Maria Manetti Shrem and Elizabeth Segerstrom California Orchestra Residency.’”
He said additional support for this year’s residency is being provided by two foundations: the Donna L. Kendall Foundation and the Shanbrom Family Foundation.
Phillips notes that the Philharmonic Society of Orange County is “steeped in our community in terms of engagement and community enrichment” and that it offers “10 different youth programs, free of charge to local schools, which provide unique experiences that are essential for building a foundation of appreciation and an enthusiasm for music that can last a lifetime.”
He said that since its inception, the Society has reached more than 7 million children through its programs.
One example is the Youth Music Education Programs that are offered at no charge to schools, students or parents, and are available to all Orange County public and private schools. Phillips defines these as “one of the primary supplements to make up for past lacks in funding for music education in our county’s schools.”
“In addition to these age-based programs,” he said, “the Philharmonic Society, primarily through our Orange County Youth Symphony, has developed strong partnerships with local community programs including: CHOC Hospital, Pretend City and UCI’s Claire Trevor School for the Arts.”
Transforming lives through outreach
Phillips said this year’s residency and those of previous years “would also not be possible without the additional support from the Donna L. Kendall Foundation, whose continued and lasting support has helped the Philharmonic Society bring countless world-renowned orchestras and ensembles to our community for the last decade. We are grateful for the collective support from all of our sponsors.”
As board vice chair of the Philharmonic Society: Kendall sponsors multiple concerts as part of the Donna L. Kendall Classical Series and through her foundation.
Kendall told Culture OC she’s “passionate about classical music and its ability to enrich and transform lives. The Philharmonic Society of Orange County is committed to bringing the world's best orchestras and soloists to our community, and it's an honor to play a part in bringing the Vienna Philharmonic to Orange County.”
She said the Society “features a robust, fully donor-funded music education program that serves every school district in Orange County. I have always believed in giving back to my community and am delighted to have this opportunity.”
‘An essential part of our mission’
Another key figure in this story is Katherine Yang, the Society’s vice president of education and community engagement, who said “providing music education engagement opportunities is an essential part of our mission, in addition to presenting national and international performances of the highest quality in Orange County.
“When we bring a world-class orchestra like the Vienna Philharmonic to the community, we get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not only present them on stage, but to introduce them to a community of aspiring young musicians and potential future patrons of the arts.
“We are grateful for our partnerships with local schools and universities, which allow us to work together to provide meaningful experiences that leave lasting memories and a profound impact on students. During the Vienna Philharmonic’s residency, music students at Beckman High School (in Irvine) will get the chance to hear and learn from a Vienna Philharmonic Chamber Ensemble consisting of strings and horns.”
In addition to Beckman High, Vienna Philharmonic musicians will also visit Concordia University in Irvine for what Yang calls “an engaging master class, where they will coach some Concordia students majoring in music as well as two of our principal Orange County Youth Symphony musicians. We are thrilled to offer these enriching moments with Vienna Philharmonic for the Orange County community.”
Yang said in her role with the Philharmonic Society, “one of my greatest joys is delivering instruments and music materials to schools across Orange County through our ‘Strike Up the Band’ program.”
This initiative, she said, “puts instruments and essential music materials directly into the hands of students, and it has been incredible to witness the growth of music programs year after year as a result.”
“Strike Up the Band,” Yang noted, “thrives thanks to the generous funds raised at the Philharmonic Society’s gala, and the entire community is immensely grateful for this unwavering support.”
She said these opportunities ignite and fuel young musicians’ passions for music. This, in turn, “reaffirms our commitment to music education and community engagement.”
Vienna Philharmonic
When: 8 p.m. March 11 (March 9 performance is sold out)
Where: Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, 615 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa
Admission: Starting at $99.44 on March 11. March 9 has a waitlist signup form on the Philharmonic Society's waitlist.
Tickets: 949-553-2422, philharmonicsociety.org
Classical music coverage at Culture OC is supported in part by a grant from the Rubin Institute for Music Criticism. Culture OC makes all editorial decisions.
