OCTOBER 4 & 5, 2025
Demarre McGill

“From his first notes, the effect was astonishing. It was the tone he drew from his instrument which caught the ear first, and continued to throughout the performance. Totally clean, liquid, mellifluous—i.e., honeyed—in the best sense of the word, rounded and beautiful, it beckoned you in.”

Season 77 opens with a powerhouse program and a stellar soloist. Flutist Demarre McGill - one of today’s most compelling musical artists and soloist with the world’s top orchestras - performs two enthralling solo works. Lara Webber returns to lead the Symphony in three virtuoso orchestral masterworks.

SATURDAY / OCTOBER 4, 2025 - 7:30pm - Heritage Theatre, Campbell

SUNDAY / OCTOBER 5, 2025 - 2:30pm - San Mateo Performing Arts Center

  • Carlos Simon, Breathe
    Charles Tomlinson Griffes, Poem
    Jacques Ibert, Flute Concerto
    Sergei Prokofiev, Lieutenant Kijé Suite
    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Francesca da Rimini

  • Demarre McGill has gained international recognition as one of today’s most compelling flutists, celebrated for his lyrical expressiveness and technical prowess. A recipient of both the prestigious Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Sphinx Medal of Excellence, McGill has appeared as a soloist with many of the nation’s leading orchestras, including the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the San Francisco, Seattle, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Grant Park, San Diego, Chicago, and Baltimore Symphony Orchestras. His captivating performances have earned him critical acclaim and a distinguished place in the world of classical music.

    Currently serving as the principal flute of the Seattle Symphony, McGill has previously held principal flute positions with the Dallas Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Florida Orchestra, and Santa Fe Opera Orchestra. He has also served as acting principal flute with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. READ MORE

  • Lara Webber, guest conductor