Pacific Symphony, Segerstrom Concert Hall, Alexander Shelley, Conductor – October 3, 2026
My neighborhood contact had comp tickets available for this show. My usual partner-in-crime for classical shows has moved away, but not to worry – I found someone else to join me. We went down a little early and had a delicious bougie dinner at AnQI Bistro before the concert and despite the slow service, we made it with plenty of time to spare. There are a few parking lots scattered around the Segerstrom Center For The Arts complex. I have learned that the best parking lot for this venue is the one off of Anton and Park Center. It also seems to be where the musicians park.
This time the comp tickets were in the balcony, but not the tippy-top of the balcony, and pretty close to center. As you can see from the photo, there were A LOT of people on stage. For portions there were 10 horns! And for some sections, musicians performed offstage. I was wondering why the organ was lit and then someone walked up to the organ and played. Add to that the full chorale and two singers! This was certainly an expensive concert to produce.
The piece was really wonderful. I enjoyed it from the first notes through all 5 movements. I think this may have been my first Mahler concert, but I can say that now I’m a fan. The curtain call seemed to go on FOREVER, so everyone else must have enjoyed it as well.
The only unfortunate aspect of the evening was our fellow concert goers. I got the feeling that many of them were friends and family of the musicians – including their children who were perhaps a little young for an entire concert, and their spouses who couldn’t be bothered to put their cell phones away. Many people around us continued holding conversations once the music started and the usher for our section did not wait for a break in the music to seat a whole bunch of late arrivals and talked them to their seats. Yikes! Sadly, these distractions really seem to be the norm these days. I did my best not to let it ruin my experience though.