Best of the City 2025:
Best Aria-versary
The Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera led by conductor Daniel Bartholomew Poyser (Photo by Joel Ginsberg, courtesy of the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera)
When the Sacramento Philharmonic and the Sacramento Opera merged in 2013 to better position each company financially, the move felt more like a shotgun wedding than a purely harmonious union. But after going dark for a season, the reborn Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera roared back in 2015 with the brash, smart choice of Mahler’s Resurrection. The mellifluous melding of violins and sopranos proved that the pairing infused both entities with vigor, as did the decision to feature a series of rock-star-level guest conductors and unconventional concerts like those featuring the music of Prince or David Bowie. In May, the company celebrated the end of their 10th season with a fittingly symbolic performance of Mahler’s Titan symphony, and now often sells out its new home, the SAFE Credit Union Performing Arts Center, where it has been breaking attendance records year after year. And they’re building a passionate new audience base too, in part with singular events like the upcoming live-scored Harry Potter movie concerts on Oct. 17 and 18. To which we say, “Expecto Bravissimo!” sacphilopera.org
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