PRESS RELEASE 2025-2026 Season

Zephyr Symphony Unveils its 2025–2026 Season

performed at St. Mark’s Church, San Francisco

Four concert events explore divine drama, classical mastery, and the eternal beauty of spring.

For Immediate Release

San Francisco, CA — The Zephyr Symphony (formerly known as The Lakeside Symphony & Chorus), one of San Francisco’s leading ensembles dedicated to excellence in choral-orchestral performance, announces its thrilling 2025–2026 season, presented at the historic and acoustically resplendent St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. Under the visionary leadership of conductor Don Scott Carpenter, the Zephyr ensembles will present a series of four compelling programs that range from the sublime to the celebratory, featuring some of the most beloved and monumental works in the Western classical tradition.

With acclaimed guest soloists and repertoire spanning the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic eras, the season offers a deep and satisfying journey through joy, reflection, renewal, and grandeur. The four major programs—Mozart, Messiah, Elijah, and Spring—invite audiences to experience the transcendent power of live performance in a setting that honors both musical intimacy and sonic majesty.

MOZART

September 20, 2025

7:30 PM

Laut verkünde unsre Freude, K.623

Per questa bella mano, K. 612

Exsultate, Jubilate, K. 165

Symphony No. 41 in C Major, K. 551

The season opens with a radiant all-Mozart program that reflects the brilliance and humanity of the composer at the height of his powers. This evening offers a rare and richly varied glimpse into Mozart’s vocal, instrumental, and symphonic genius.

The concert begins with Laut verkünde unsre Freude, K. 623, a jubilant cantata composed for a Masonic celebration in 1791, just months before the composer’s untimely death. This brief but powerful work is marked by its ceremonial grandeur and rich harmonic texture—a fitting overture to the season.

Next, baritone Julio Ferrari and virtuoso bassist Daniel Turkos take the stage in Per questa bella mano, K. 612, a breathtaking concert aria written for baritone and obbligato double bass. This unique piece is a rare gem in Mozart’s output, showcasing the expressive warmth of the voice alongside dazzling instrumental passagework for the double bass—one of the few solo showpieces written for the instrument during the Classical period.

Soprano Chelsea Hollow, widely lauded for her technical agility and radiant tone, brings her artistry to Exsultate, Jubilate, K. 165. Written for a castrato soloist in 1773, this motet brims with youthful energy and concludes with the exuberant "Alleluia" that remains a favorite of audiences and singers alike.

The program concludes with one of Mozart’s towering achievements: Symphony No. 41 in C Major, “Jupiter”, K. 551. This final symphony is a synthesis of Classical form and contrapuntal complexity, culminating in a fugato finale that defies imagination. Its nickname “Jupiter”—bestowed posthumously—speaks to the divine architecture and Olympian scope of its musical ideas.

MESSIAH

December 21, 2025

4:00 PM

Handel | Messiah - abridged

A beloved holiday tradition returns as Zephyr Symphony and Zephyr Chorus present an abridged version of Handel’s Messiah, offering the spiritual drama and grandeur of this masterwork in a form that invites both long-time devotees and newcomers to experience its timeless message.

Conductor Don Scott Carpenter leads the performance, bringing deep interpretive insight and a historically sensitive approach to the work. A distinguished quartet of soloists joins the Zephyr ensembles: soprano Shawnette Sulker, known for her luminous presence; countertenor Kyle Tingzon, whose voice blends purity and pathos; tenor Alexander John Perkins, praised for his elegant phrasing and clarity; and baritone Corby York, who brings gravitas and resonance to the prophetic texts.

Handel’s Messiah is more than a seasonal favorite—it is a cultural cornerstone. From the hushed awe of “For unto us a child is born” to the majestic triumph of the “Hallelujah” chorus, this performance promises inspiration, jubilation, and a celebration of renewal at the heart of the holiday season.

ELIJAH

March 7, 2026

7:30 PM

Mendelssohn | Elijah

The season’s dramatic apex comes with Felix Mendelssohn’s oratorio Elijah, a vivid retelling of the prophet’s life drawn from the Hebrew scriptures. This masterwork brims with theatrical intensity, lyrical beauty, and choral splendor, affirming Mendelssohn’s place among the great dramatists of sacred music.

Bass-baritone Andrew Thomas Pardini anchors the performance in the title role, delivering a portrayal of Elijah that is both commanding and deeply human. He is joined by an outstanding cast: Mary-Hollis Hundley, soprano, whose expressive power brings warmth and nobility to her solos; contralto Leandra Ramm, whose rich, dusky timbre evokes ancient depth; and tenor Elliott James-Ginn Encarnácion, whose crystalline voice lends intensity and clarity to the narrative.

The oratorio’s structure alternates between arias, recitatives, and towering choruses, including the ferocious “Baal, we cry to thee” and the transcendent “He, watching over Israel.” Mendelssohn’s Elijah is not only a dramatic tour de force but also a deeply spiritual experience, calling on the listener to contemplate faith, doubt, and divine intervention.

SPRING

April 18 2026

7:30 PM

Vivaldi | Spring from Four Seasons

Mozart | Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major

Brahms | Symphony No. 3 in F Major

The season concludes with a vibrant celebration of nature and renewal in a program aptly titled Spring. Evoking the earth’s rebirth and the enduring vitality of the human spirit, this final concert brings together Baroque elegance, Classical brilliance, and Romantic depth in a luminous trio of masterpieces.

Antonio Vivaldi’s Spring from The Four Seasons bursts with color and vitality, capturing birdsong, murmuring brooks, and rustic revelry through the composer’s vivid musical imagination. Violinist Gail Hernández Rosa brings technical finesse and interpretive warmth to this iconic work, inviting listeners to rediscover joy and wonder through sound.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major offers grace and lyricism in perfect balance. Known widely through its association with the film Elvira Madigan, the second movement stands as one of Mozart’s most serene and dreamlike creations. Pianist Franz Zhao lends expressive nuance and Classical poise to this radiant concerto, illuminating its beauty with clarity and sensitivity.

The program concludes with Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 3 in F Major, a mature and deeply reflective work that navigates between nostalgia and resolution. The celebrated third movement—haunting and tender—has become a staple of cinematic soundtracks and concert halls alike. The symphony as a whole reveals Brahms’ profound understanding of the human condition: wistful, searching, and ultimately, life-affirming.

This final concert offers a fitting close to the season—rooted in the cycles of nature, glowing with expressive richness, and brimming with the promise of renewal.

Join Us at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church

Located in the heart of San Francisco, St. Mark’s Lutheran Church (1111 O’Farrell Street) offers an ideal venue for choral and orchestral performance, with its warm acoustic, soaring architecture, and central accessibility. All concerts are open to the public, and tickets will be available for single performances ($25-$65) as well as season subscriptions which receive 15% off all ticket prices.

The Zephyr Symphony continues to be a vibrant force in the BayArea’s musical landscape, offering performances that are at once artistically ambitious and warmly inviting. Join us this season as we honor the enduring power of live music and the timeless stories it tells.

For tickets and more information, visit: ZephyrSymphony.org
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