Pines of Rome

Program Highlights

Pianist Taya Gabrielian, featured on Manuel de Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain. Credit: Shervin Lainez

World Premiere: Paul Novak, California Symphony Composer-in-Residence

Be among the first to hear a world premiere by Paul Novak, the California Symphony’s newly-appointed Composer-in-Residence, showcasing innovative orchestral writing and contemporary classical music from a leading American composer.

Spanish Elegance: Manuel de Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain

Manuel de Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain blends impressionistic textures with flamenco-inspired rhythms, creating evocative and luminous orchestral soundscapes inspired by Spanish gardens. Bay Area pianist Tanya Gabrielian brings expressive lyricism and technical brilliance to this iconic Spanish orchestral work.

Mexican Inspiration: Manuel Ponce’s Chapultepec

Manuel Ponce’s Chapultepec celebrates the iconic park in Mexico City, combining Mexican folk influences with classical orchestral elegance to evoke a vivid cultural and musical landscape.

Orchestral Splendor: Respighi’s Pines of Rome

Ottorino Respighi’s Pines of Rome showcases the full orchestra, conjuring vivid imagery—from dawn in a Roman park to nocturnal city streets—demonstrating the composer’s mastery of coloristic orchestration.

Musical Landscapes Across Spain, Mexico, and Italy

This concert program highlights how Falla, Ponce, and Respighi transform place, memory, and national identity into sweeping orchestral narratives.