On Saturday, November 14, Panama City Symphony will perform Las Cuatro Estaciones Porteñas by Astor Piazzolla (1921-1992), translated to The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, arranged by Leonid Desyatnikov. This concert will feature our second Music Director & Conductor Finalist, Alex Amsel. “Every piece is a dance,” states Amsel. “A matador dances with a bull. Two people dance the tango, with melancholy always cutting in. And Carmen dances with life itself, right to the very end. Three stories of the heart, told by strings, and every one of them aches.”
Amsel shares his insight into the music. “Tango is a dance for two, but there’s always a third partner: melancholy. Piazzolla grew up playing it, tried to leave it behind for ‘serious’ music, and was told by his teacher in Paris that tango was his true voice. Thank goodness he listened. His four seasons aren’t about weather; they’re about the moods of Buenos Aires. Summer sweats and swaggers. Autumn sighs. Winter aches with loneliness. Spring bursts back to life.” Join us for a spectacular evening! Showtime is 7 PM at St. Andrew Baptist Church. Come early to enjoy light, pre-show refreshments.
On Saturday, December 5, experience the wonder of the season with A Grand Symphony Christmas – a breathtaking celebration featuring the combined power of our Adult and Children’s Choruses – at the Barbara W. Nelson Fine Arts Center (Bay High School), 1200 Harrison Ave., Panama City. Formerly known as Holiday by the Bay, this event is a cornerstone of our season, especially following the magical inaugural chorus performance with our orchestra in December 2025, which left the audience in awe and brought the entire house to its feet. We are thrilled to bring these talented choruses back to the stage to harmonize with the symphony’s majestic sounds of the season, creating an atmosphere filled with joy and holiday spirit.
Award-winning conductor Nathaniel Efthimiou, Associate Conductor of the Jacksonville Symphony and a four-time recipient of the prestigious Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award, will return to conduct A Grand Symphony Christmas. Recently named a Young Conductor Fellow at the Salzburg Festival by members of the Vienna Philharmonic, Nathaniel brings a multifaceted background as a conductor, composer, pianist, and violinist to this vibrant holiday performance.
Tickets are available for both performances at PanamaCitySymphony.org.
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