Vallejo Festival Orchestra
Johannes Brahms and the Romantic Spirit
Saturday, September 14, 2024 at 7:30 in the evening
During the Romantic period, which lasted from the late 18th to the early 19th century, composers sought to evoke deep feelings and to express personal experiences through their music. Brahms, whose music explores themes such as love, nature, the supernatural and the sublime, is the quintessential Romantic composer. His compositions are characterized by rich harmonies, memorable melodies, and powerful emotions.
In Johannes Brahms and the Romantic Spirit, the Vallejo Festival Orchestra, under the direction of Grammy award-winning conductor Thomas Conlin, will perform two of Brahms’s greatest and most-loved masterpieces: his gloriously joyful Violin Concerto and his tumultuous and tragic final symphony. Both works convey a wide range of emotions: tenderness, passion and melancholy, and both are monuments to the highest musical craftsmanship.
Our soloist is the brilliant violin virtuoso Nigel Armstrong, a finalist in the 14th Tchaikovsky International Competition and a prize-winner in the Yehudi Menuhin International Violin competition, the International Violin Competition in Buenos Aires, and the Corpus Christi International Competition. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music, he has been soloist with orchestras in Europe, Asia, South America, and with the Boston Pops and numerous other orchestras in the United States.
Maestro Thomas Conlin studied under Leonard Bernstein, Erich Leinsdorf, Seiji Ozawa and Sir Adrian Boult. He assisted Karl Böhm and Herbert von Karajan at the Metropolitan Opera and has conducted opera, ballet and symphony orchestras on five continents. He won a Grammy award for his recording with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus of the orchestral works of American composer George Crumb. In 2020 he founded the Vallejo Festival Orchestra, resident ensemble of the Vallejo Center for the Arts.
Recent Events
Reviews
One of the joys of living in the Bay Area is the riches offered by local and regional music organizations, a testament to the depth and breadth of musical talent here. On March 11, the Vallejo Festival Orchestra, under the leadership of Thomas Conlin, added to these joys with an all-Jean Sibelius program called “Music From the Land of Midnight Sun.”
Lisa Hirsch on March 14, 2023
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Empress Theater
Established 1911

:30Contact Info
Empress Theatre
330 Virginia St, Vallejo, CA 94590
Please call 707-552-2400
for assistance with tickets.
The Box Office opens two hours prior to performances.
GUIDE TO ATTENDING EVENTS
The Vallejo Center for the Arts (VCA)and the Empress Theatre are committed to
ensuring that all patrons have a wonderful time while they are here! We ask our guests
to conduct themselves in a respectful way in accordance with the code of conduct and
all laws and local ordinances.
The Empress Theatre is located at 330 Virginia Street Vallejo, CA. The theater is
wheelchair accessible from the main entrance.
SEATING:
Wheelchair accessible seating is available in the Orchestra section of the auditorium.
The Empress Theatre does not provide wheelchairs and the staff is not able to assist
patrons in transferring to or from a wheelchair, theater seat, or vehicle; operate
motorized mobility aids such as scooters; or to provide personal attendant services such
as assisting patrons in the restroom, or with similar activities.
RESTROOMS
Wheelchair-accessible restrooms are located in the lobby of the Empress Theatre.
ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES
A wireless FM Assistive Listening System is available for all performances. Headsets
and neck loops with T-coil functionality are available free of charge in the Empress
Theatre lobby (see House Manager). A valid I.D. or credit card is required as a security
deposit and will be returned upon return of the headset.
CHILDREN
Patrons of all ages are welcome at our venue and are expected to be considerate of
other patrons in attendance.
ANIMALS
Service Animals are welcomed at the Empress Theatre. As of March 15, 2011, only
dogs are recognized as service animals under titles II and III of the ADA. In addition, the
service dog must be individually trained to do work or perform tasks that are directly
related to the person’s disability. Dogs whose sole function is to provide comfort or
emotional support no longer qualify as service animals under the ADA. For more
information, please visit www.ada.gov.
ALCOHOL BEVERAGE POLICY
The Vallejo Center for the Arts strictly adheres to all local and state laws regarding
alcohol consumption. Wine and beer, along with other assorted beverages, and snacks
may be purchased in the Empress Lounge and at the concession booth in the Empress
lobby. Guests should expect to be carded for appropriate identification.
No outside alcohol is permitted.
SMOKING/VAPING
Smoking/Vaping and use of tobacco, including e-cigarettes, will be prohibited at the
Vallejo Center for the Arts.
LOST AND FOUND
Lost and Found items may be claimed by conducting the Box Office. If you are seeking
lost items, please call 707.552.2400.
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