Dancing sweets, a sorcerer’s apprentice, and a boy who outsmarts a wolf await at Pacific Symphony’s 2025-26 Family Musical Mornings. This four-concert series, led by Assistant Conductor Pola Benke, offers engaging live orchestral concerts with multimedia, guest performers, and interactive elements designed especially for young listeners and their families.
“Orchestral music holds a unique ability to unite, inspire, and awaken the imagination of people of all ages,” said Pola Benke, assistant conductor of Pacific Symphony. “Through Family Musical Mornings, we hope to cultivate a lifelong love of classical music by choosing popular pieces that everyone will enjoy. The 45-minute concerts offer families and children a welcoming way to explore orchestral music together, while creating lasting memories.”
This year’s Family Musical Mornings kicks off with “Disney’s Fantasia in Concert Live to Film.” Scenes from Fantasia and its sequel Fantasia 2000 are projected on a large screen above the orchestra, which performs classical selections from the films including Debussy’s “Clair de Lune” and Dukas’ “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” featuring Mickey Mouse! Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts. ©Disney
Next, the annual “Nutcracker for Kids” invites audience members along Clara’s enchanting journey through Tchaikovsky’s beloved holiday ballet, brought to life with narration and dazzling dancers from the American Ballet Theater William J. Gillespie School.
Then, children and families can discover Prokofiev’s timeless musical tale in “Peter and the Wolf,” where each instrument represents a character in young Peter’s thrilling adventure.
Finally, everyone’s friend, Leopold appears in “Leopold & The Magic Flute: Opera for Kids,” a family-friendly adaptation of Mozart’s opera, “The Magic Flute.”
Pacific Symphony’s Family Musical Mornings concerts take place at 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa. Special activities for children are offered in the concert hall lobby and align with the theme of the concert. Activities include coloring, crafts, photos, S.T.E.A.M. projects and more, and take place from 9-9:45 a.m. for 10 a.m. concertgoers, and from 12:15-1 p.m. for 11:30 a.m. concertgoers.
For more information or to purchase tickets, call (714) 755-5799, or visit PacificSymphony.org.
About Assistant Conductor Pola Benke
Pola Benke is a distinguished conductor and cellist, celebrated for her innovative approach to orchestral leadership and her commitment to standardizing diverse programming in the modern symphonic repertoire. Joining Pacific Symphony as Assistant Conductor in 2025-26, Benke also serves as the Music Director and Conductor for the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra, the premier training orchestra of Orange County, recognized as one of the most outstanding youth orchestras in the country.
About Pacific Symphony
Pacific Symphony is the largest orchestra formed in the United States in the past 50 years and is ranked among the top orchestras in the U.S. by the League of American Orchestras. Founded in 1978, the Symphony has been led for 35 years by Carl St.Clair who is honored with the title of Music Director Laureate starting in the 2025-26 season. In 2024, Alexander Shelley was named Artistic and Music Director Designate for the 2025–26 season and will begin his full-time tenure in the 2026–27 season, marking a bold new chapter in the Symphony’s artistic evolution.
PACIFIC SYMPHONY ANNOUNCES 2025-26 FAMILY MUSICAL MORNINGS SEASON
