JANUARY 24, 2025, JACKSONVILLE, OR — The Britt Festival Orchestra (BFO) announces its 2025 season, with three weeks of exciting outdoor programming in historic Jacksonville, Oregon, June 12 – 28, 2025. Under the leadership of four guest conductors, Damon Gupton (June 12-13); Chia-Hsuan Lin (June 15-18); Roberto Kalb (June 21-23); and Normal Huynh (June 26-28) the Orchestra’s 63rd season highlights a feature film alongside beloved classical favorites.

The season features seven extraordinary guest artists: pianist Clayton Stephenson performing Ravel’s Concerto in G Major; violinist William Hagen performing Korngold’s Concerto in D Major; violinist Tessa Lark and cellist Wei Yu performing Brahms Double concerto for Violin & Violoncello in A minor; vocalist Sun-Ly Pierce performing Ravel’s Shéhérazade; pianist Jaeden Izik-Dzurko performing Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 3 in D minor; and violinist Simone Porter performing Stravinsky’s Violin Concerto in D and Ravel’s Tzigane. The season will begin with two evenings of Jurassic Park in Concert where John Williams’ score will be performed live-to-picture by the full orchestra in one of the most beloved films of the 20th Century.

Season Overview

THU 6/12 & FRI 6/13 @ 8:00 PM

Jurassic Park in Concert

Damon Gupton, guest conductor

​​The action-packed adventure pits man against prehistoric predators in the ultimate battle for survival. Featuring visually stunning imagery and groundbreaking special effects, this epic film is sheer movie magic 65 million years in the making.

Now audiences can experience Jurassic Park as never before:  projected in HD with a full symphony orchestra performing John Williams’ iconic score live to picture.

Welcome… to Jurassic Park!

 

SUN 6/15 @ 8:00 PM

Lin Conducts Rachmaninoff & Ravel

Chia-Hsuan Lin, guest conductor | Clayton Stephenson, piano

Brian Raphael Nabors                     Pulse

Maurice Ravel                                  Concerto in G Major                      Clayton Stephenson, piano

Sergei Rachmaninoff                       Symphonic Dances, Op. 45

 

WED 6/18 @ 8:00 PM

Lin Conducts Brahms & Korngold       

Chia-Hsuan Lin, guest conductor | William Hagen, violin

Ke-Chia Chen                                   A Lasting Bond

Erich Wolfgang Korngold              Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35

William Hagen, violin

Johannes Brahms                 Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68

 

SAT 6/21 @ 8:00 PM

Kalb Conducts Beethoven & Brahms

Roberto Kalb, guest conductor | Tessa Lark, violin | Wei Yu, cello

Gabriela Lena Frank            Apu: Tone Poem for Orchestra (2017)

Johannes Brahms                 Double Concerto for Violin & Violoncello in A minor, Op. 102

Tessa Lark and Wei Yu, violin & cello

Ludwig van Beethoven                   Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92

 

MON 6/23 @ 8:00 PM

Kalb Conducts Mendelssohn, Ravel, & Sibelius    

Roberto Kalb, guest conductor | Sun-Ly Pierce, mezzo-soprano

Felix Mendelssohn               The Hebrides, Op. 26 (Fingal’s Cave)

Tobias Picker                        Old and Lost Rivers

Maurice Ravel                      Shéhérazade

Sun-Ly Pierce, mezzo-soprano

Jean Sibelius                          Symphony No. 7 in C Major

Benjamin Britten                  Peter Grimes: Four Sea Interludes, Op. 33a

 

THU 6/26 @ 8:00 PM

Huynh Conducts Strauss & Rachmaninoff    

Norman Huynh, guest conductor | Jaeden Izik-Dzurko, piano

Sergei Rachmaninoff                       Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor, Op. 30

Jaeden Izik-Dzurko, piano

Anna Meredith                                 Nautilus

Richard Strauss                                Death and Transfiguration, Op. 24

 

SAT 6/28 @ 8:00 PM

Huynh Conducts Copland, Bartok, & Stravinsky

Norman Huynh, guest conductor | Simone Porter, violin

Aaron Copland                               Appalachian Spring

Igor Stravinsky                                Violin Concerto in D

Simone Porter, violin

Maurice Ravel                                  Tzigane

Simone Porter, violin

Bela Bartók’s                                      The Miraculous Mandarin, Op. 19: Suite

 

Concertgoers are invited to attend free pre-concert talks at the Sam & Hannelore Enfield Stage in the Performance Garden. Each talk begins at 7:00 PM and features a discussion about the performance of the evening. Come and enjoy a full Britt experience at every BFO concert.

Tickets and Other Information

Tickets will go on sale beginning at 10:00 AM, Friday, February 24 on the Britt website: brittfest.org. There will not be a Member pre-sale for the Britt Festival Orchestra concerts. Britt recommends making sure you are using the website brittfest.org, as there are several websites that look official while charging higher prices and inflated fees. Tickets may also be purchased at the Britt Box office, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM weekdays at 216 W. Main St, Medford, Oregon, or by calling 541-773-6077.