Hopeful Symphony staff and musicians prepare for an exciting comeback
HYANNIS, MA—June 17, 2020
Not even a pandemic can prevent the Cape Symphony from planning another season of inspiring joy. The 2020/21 Cape Symphony season, bookended with tributes to Beethoven for his 250th birthday, is fun-filled and uplifting.
“We want to thank our customers for their incredible loyalty. We’re working hard to create a safe environment for our audience, musicians, and staff and are optimistic about returning to perform,” said Michael Albaugh, Executive Director of the Cape Symphony & Conservatory. “We look forward to bringing everyone together again for the experiences that only the Cape Symphony can present.”
In addition to a season-long tribute to Beethoven’s 250th birthday, which includes Beethoven’s 9th Symphony in May 2021, the 2020/21 season features a commemorative “Mayflower 400” concert as one of the premier events during the statewide 400th anniversary celebration of the ship's arrival. Of course, the Holiday on the Cape performances will be a wonderful celebration to kick off the season.
The Cape Symphony visits Hungary in the “Passport Series,” featuring the music of Lizst, Bartók and Brahms along with a world-renowned Gypsy ensemble. The orchestra takes a little cruise down memory lane performing the unforgettable soundtrack to “Grease” live to the full-length film.
The annual New Year’s Day Party features ViVA Trio, a group of operatic sopranos. The “Perfectly Paired” concert originally scheduled for April 2020 will be presented in April 2021, while in June 2021, Classical Mystery Tour returns to the Cape as the Beatles, featuring their ultimate tribute to the Fab Four.
“Beautiful and emotional music is comfort food for the soul, and I am hopeful we are able to proceed with this year’s season as planned because it is such a celebratory, inspiring and soul-soothing line-up. I can’t imagine a better way for us to all come together again,” said Cape Symphony Artistic Director & Conductor Jung-Ho Pak.
Albaugh noted, “Jung-Ho has created an extraordinary, heart-warming season. We sincerely hope that we will be able to bring these concerts to the Cape community as planned.”
While ticket sales and subscription renewals for the 2020/21 season will be announced at a later date, the following is a sneak peek of what is on the schedule for Cape Symphony performances.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEETHOVEN!
Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27
Featuring: Charlie Albright, piano
Put on a party hat and join the Cape Symphony in wishing Beethoven a happy 250th birthday! The celebration for the masterful composer begins with Piano Concerto No. 5, known as the Emperor Concerto. Award-winning pianist and talented improviser Charlie Albright is known for channeling the spirit of great classical composers, and will join the Cape Symphony for the concerto. Also on the repertoire for the season opener is the bright, joyful Symphony No. 2 from Johannes Brahms, a musical heir to Beethoven.
BY POPULAR DEMAND
Saturday, October 17 and Sunday, October 18
Featuring: Siren Mayhew, vocals; LaKisha Jones, vocals; Siobhan Magnus, vocals
The Cape Symphony is bringing back the most popular singers ever: Siren Mayhew, LaKisha Jones and the Cape’s own American Idol, Siobhan Magnus! These powerhouse vocalists will send their voices soaring in some of the most popular songs of all time, including “Respect,” “I’m Every Woman,” and “Proud Mary.” They’ll perform the greatest hits of Whitney Houston, Tina Turner, and Aretha Franklin, as well as a celebration of the great Bond songs including “Goldfinger,” “Diamonds are Forever,” and “Skyfall.”
MAYFLOWER 400
Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8
Featuring: Jonathan James-Perry, vocals; Kristin Watson, vocals; Josh Delaney, Narrator
A three-masted ship, battered by the North Atlantic winds, sails into a harbor, sheltered by the hooked shape of the land. Its exhausted passengers had hoped to reach Virginia, but instead, found themselves facing an uncertain future. This was a momentous time in the history of America and the Cape community in particular. The Cape Symphony is honored to present one of the premier events during the statewide 400th anniversary celebration of the Mayflower's arrival. In partnership with the Plymouth Philharmonic, the Cape Symphony will commission two new works: “Mayflower,” commemorating the signing of the Mayflower Compact and “Wampanoag: Stories For All Time.”
HOLIDAY ON THE CAPE
Friday, Dec. 4 | Saturday, Dec. 5 | Sunday, Dec. 6
Featuring: David Pogue, Guest Star; Deanna Loveland, piano, harp & vocals; Keb Hutchings-McMahon, Guitar and vocals; and The Chatham Chorale with Joseph Marchio, Music Director
Year after year, the Cape community gathers to share joyous music to kick-off the holiday season. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Cape’s beloved Chatham Chorale so this performance will shine a spotlight on them. Joining the celebration will be Deanna Loveland, a Nashville singer/songwriter and Orleans guitarist and singer Keb Hutchings-McMahon, a former member of the Cape Conservatory’s CJazz ensemble. Emmy-winning author and journalist David Pogue of “CBS Sunday Morning” and the New York Times will appear in his roles as musician, conductor and music lover.
NEW YEAR’S DAY PARTY
Friday, January 1, 2021
Featuring: ViVA Trio
Spend the afternoon enjoying a mix of old and new – Viennese waltzes and marches in the spirit of a New Year’s celebration in Vienna combined with a fresh take on pop hits and operatic classics. The Cape Symphony will once again highlight Beethoven’s birthday with Concertmaster Jae Cosmos Lee performing “Romance for Violin and Orchestra.” The three sopranos of the ViVA trio will showcase their vocal prowess to ensure the annual New Year’s Day Party is a fun-filled variety show guaranteed to make the first day of the year a happy one!
PASSPORT TO HUNGARY
Saturday, January 30, 2021 and Sunday, January 31, 2021
Featuring: Roby Lakatos, gypsy violin and The Roby Lakatos Ensemble
With the blue Danube flowing between the mighty cities of Buda and Pest, and its blend of Western European and Gypsy cultures, Hungary is a powerful inspiration for artists whose imaginations were captured by its romantic beauty. Hungary’s greatest classical composers Frank Lizst, with his famous “Hungarian Rhapsody,” and Béla Bartók, who wrote “Hungarian Sketches,” were inspired by their country’s folk traditions and thrilling Gypsy melodies as was Johannes Brahms with his “Hungarian Dances.”
GREASE: THE FILM WITH LIVE ORCHESTRA
Saturday, February 20, 2021 and Sunday, February 21, 2021
“Why, this car is automatic. It’s systematic. It’s hyyyyydromatic. Why, it’s Greased Lightnin’!” And it’s coming to Hyannis with the Cape Symphony! The 1979 summer blockbuster Grease, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, launched some of the most popular songs of all time, including “Summer Nights,” “You’re the One That I Want,” “We Go Together,” and more. Forty-plus years after the film’s release, Grease remains one of the most popular movie musicals of all time. The T-Birds and Pink Ladies of the Cape Symphony will perform the unforgettable soundtrack live to the full-length film.
PERFECTLY PAIRED
Saturday, April 10, 2021 and Sunday, April 11, 2021
Featuring: Christina and Michelle Naughton, piano
Great things often come in pairs. Twin sisters Christina and Michelle Naughton astound worldwide audiences who have seen them playing with incredible synchronicity. The Juilliard graduates perform Francis Poulenc’s “Concerto for Two Pianos,” a delightful dialogue between the two pianists and the orchestra. The Cape Symphony will also present “Concerto for Orchestra” by Béla Bartók, featuring the famous “Game of Pairs” movement with pairs of bassoons, oboes, clarinets, flutes, and trumpets, each pair performing its own solo. This concert was rescheduled from 2020.
BEETHOVEN’S 9th: ODE TO JOY
Saturday, May 1, 2021 and Sunday, May 2, 2021
Featuring: Chelsea Basler, Soprano; Laurel Semerdjian, Mezzo Soprano; Adrian Kramer, Tenor; Zachary James, Bass
The pinnacle of Beethoven’s 250th celebration is, of course, Beethoven’s very best: the towering Ninth Symphony. “Ode to Joy,” the final movement, is many things: a protest anthem, a celebration of music, a call for unity among all humankind. One of the reasons the Ninth is so special is that Beethoven was the first major composer to include the human voice in a symphony. Requiring a brilliant chorus, outstanding soloists, and an enormous orchestra, Beethoven’s Ninth is perhaps the greatest triumph of Western classical music, and the perfect joyful end to a year-long celebration of Beethoven’s birthday.
CLASSICAL MYSTERY TOUR: THE BEATLES TRIBUTE
Saturday, June 12, 2021 and Sunday, June 13, 2021
Featuring: Classical Mystery Tour
Returning to wow you again, Classical Mystery Tour is returning to the Cape Symphony stage for an encore performance after sold-out audiences gave this acclaimed group and the orchestra multiple standing ovations. Hear “Penny Lane” with a live trumpet section, experience the beauty of “Yesterday” with an acoustic guitar and string quartet, enjoy the classical/rock blend on “I Am the Walrus,” and relish the cascading orchestral crescendo on “A Day in the Life.” For Beatles fans, this may just be as close as you can get to the real thing.
The Cape Symphony recognizes the ongoing uncertainty around the COVID-19 health crisis and the lack of clarity regarding the duration of the pandemic. The organization will continue to monitor the governor’s phased re-opening plan and the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and provide additional updates about ticket and subscription sales as they become available.
Though the Cape Symphony is announcing its planned performances for the 2020/21 season and hopes the season will proceed without interruption, the organization is prepared to respond to all recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the Town of Barnstable, should circumstances necessitate changes to the performance schedule or to health and safety procedures.
Should the Cape Symphony need to cancel or change elements of the season, the organization will communicate about those changes in a timely manner with all its customers and the Cape community. The Cape Symphony’s highest priority is the health and well-being of its audience, musicians, and staff. The Cape Symphony office, including the Box Office, at 1060 Falmouth Road in Hyannis remains closed. For questions, please call 508.362.1111 or email
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About Cape Symphony & Conservatory
Cape Cod’s very own orchestra, Cape Symphony, performs at the Barnstable Performing Arts Center in Hyannis. From popular hits to magnificent classics, highlighting hidden gems and putting a new twist on standards, the emphasis is always on fun, surprises, and beautiful music. Led by Artistic Director and Conductor Jung-Ho Pak, the Cape Symphony provides an experience like no other. Cape Conservatory’s commitment to arts education for all ages includes musical instruction as well as classes in dance and visual art at campuses in Barnstable and Falmouth. Its Preschool program is known for blending traditional academics with the arts. Through community outreach programs, Cape Conservatory brings an array of engaging programs to thousands of students on the Cape and Islands. Visit www.capesymphony.org and www.capeconservatory.org for more information.
