Folsom Lake Symphony - Folsom, California

T. W.

The Folsom Lake Symphony plays classical music at the Harris Center Three Stages at Folsom Lake College in Folsom.
The symphony plays both traditional classics like Dvorak's New World Symphony and more unique newer classical pieces as well.
The concert season usually includes one show with a piano virtuoso soloist, one show with one or two opera singers, a romantic focused show in February, and at least one more show that focuses on classical pop classics (like movie themes).
There are also sometimes free concerts in historic Folsom and a youth focused concert with instrument petting zoo.
The Folsom Lake Symphony is home based at the Harris Center in Folsom, in a beautiful and acoustically tuned hardwood appointed concert hall.
Maestro Peter Jaffe is the current conductor. He is an excellent and entertaining conductor who playfully educates his audience on the pieces performed. The excellent detailed program notes provided are written by his wife.
I have heard lots of variety from this symphony over multiple seasons.
The last performance of Gershwin's Piano Concerto by the symphony and piano virtuoso Gabriela Martinez followed by Dvorak's New World Symphony blew me away. It was awesome!
Probably the best symphony I have heard.
A great variety of famous and new soloists rotate through every season.
A very comfortable seats in a great venue for listening to well-played classic pieces for very reasonable prices.
All in all a great night's entertainment!

Edward Hochstatter

Attended the May the Fourth pops concert back in 2019. It was great fun! Watching the YouTube broadcast of last months pops concert this evening on July 3rd 2021. Much has transpired between those two shows but the Folsom Lake Symphony has been consistently great!

MtotheJtotheB Brazillian

Living in Sacramento - and being a relatively new classical music lover - I find my options limited as to seeing live symphonies and performances. Other places are expensive, and a drive. My favorite Symphony is Beethoven's 9th and so I jumped at the opportunity to go and see it live when the Folsom Lake Symphony Orchestra performed it this year. It was flat out amazing. The Orchestra played phenomenally - I'm sure hoity toity, stuffy, high nose classical connoisseurs who only partake in symphonies in New York and Vienna would look down upon me - but they are wrong. They are the type of people who love wine... as long as the right label is on it, not because of the taste. They love their clothes, not because they are beautiful, but because an Italian designer made them. They love their purse, not because it is sturdy and well built, but because it has a Louis Vuitton label on it. In other words - if you are objective and know what music should sound like - this little orchestra has nothing to be ashamed of and you will enjoy going to listen to the classics, and they are classic for a reason! They did an excellent job. Beethoven would have been proud of their rendition. I am SO glad I went here for my first symphony, and I hope to be at many more here soon! Keep up the good work - 5 stars.

Randh (Randy)

We heard, almost were blessed by, that most excellent performance of Beethoven's 9th, superior, I thought, in many ways to famous-orchestra recordings. Playing was very good, voices excellent and a surprise delight to find in this small town, but likely the conductor is responsible for this wonderful performance. I suspect that his grasping, corralling, capturing the work and perhaps some small adjustments raised it to the "wonderful" level. From the balcony right edge, we were surprised and dazzled. Were more bass present than usual? Bravo! Were more other instruments and notably was the bass drum added or merely pushed a bit? I'd have to see the original score, but Bravo for whatever was done. Kettledrums alone, as too usual, are sadly inadequate. A little bass drum, even a bit more than a little, is essential. We got some. Bravo. Ludwig might have faced the practical matter of expense and so likely not to think as expansively on orch. size as worshippers have since. We can read in notes of Mahler's 1895 re-orchestration CD that Stokowski, Furtwangler, Toscanini dared make changes, emphases, and even small additions. Beethoven likely couldn't gather yet alone afford an excellent 80-voice choir such as the one that thrilled us at Folsom. Were only kettledrums available or thought proper in the 1700? Sad. The big bass drum was cryingly needed. We got it. We got the great choir. Bravo.
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In the auditorium post-performance, the conductor briefly mentioned his concern for discerning the composer's intentions. I say that Ludwig would have glowed.. It was a wonderful concert, as I said to him and several choir members as I passed by.
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The impression was strengthened when compared with the Sacramento Phil's concert heard from the same seats later. Of course, no advantage of Beethoven or a great choir at the Sac Phil performance, but that wasn't the whole story.

We are looking for more Folsom Symphony performances. But how could they possibly top that 9th?

Essie Kozycz

Wonderfully skilled group.