The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is joined by two incredible vocoalists (Rihab Chaieb and Ben Gulley) and two dynamic Kalamazoo performing arts organizations (Ballet Arts Ensemble and Kalamazoo Choral Arts) for a passionate and exhilarating performance.

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The musical soundscapes of two cultures collide in a program full of Spanish rhythms, folk songs, and dances imagined through the eyes of their French neighbors.

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Love... jealousy... freedom. Highlights from Georges Bizet's opera share the story of the fiery Carmen, a woman determined to live life on her own terms... no matter the consequences.

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The wildly popular Bolero was inspired by a Spanish dance form of the same name. It is a one-movement orchestral piece by Maurice Ravel. Originally composed as a ballet commissioned by Russian ballerina Ida Rubinstein, the piece, which premiered in 1928, is Ravel's most famous musical composition.

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Claude Debussy had spent less than a day in Spain when he created the swirling colors of Iberia. He composed his impressionistic Iberian homage with little direct experience of Spain, but by instead relying on books and the musical expertise of his Spanish musician friends. Iberia uncannily evokes a dreamy and dancing world drenched in Spanish scents and flavors, infused with the essence of Spanish folk tunes, Moorish-influenced melodies, and Spanish dance rhythms.

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The concert is on Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 7:30pm at Miller Auditorium. Tickets may be purchased through the Tyler Little Community Box Office (269.250.6984) or by clicking the link below. Reserved seats are priced from $18 - $68.

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