We are excited to share our new logo and 2024-2025 season with you! A new Waco Symphony website is coming soon.
Lawrence Loh, Music Director & Conductor

Letter from the Music Director


Greetings and welcome to the 2024 season of the Waco Symphony and my first season as your new Music Director. We promise to deliver powerful, emotional and scintillating performances all season!

From the appearance of violinist superstar Ray Chen to a performance of the movie Jurassic Park, the very first live film in concert by the WSO, our season has much to look forward to. We will visit the classics like Saint-Saëns Organ Symphony, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 “Eroica,” as well as newer voices, including Missy Mazzoli and Quinn Mason.

I can’t wait to see you at the concert hall!

Classical Season

At this time season tickets for our Classical Season are available only to those patrons renewing their season tickets. Season tickets without renewal options will be available for purchase in mid-August. Individual performance tickets will go on sale in early September.
October 3, 2024
Rhapsody in Blue
The opening concert of Maestro Lawrence Loh’s first season as Music Director celebrates the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue with pianist Orli Shaham. In addition to performing with orchestras all over the world, Shaham is the co-host of NPR’s From the Top, a winner of the Avery Fisher Career Grant and a faculty member at The Juilliard School.

Our concert will explore new frontiers with the rhythmic Danzón No. 2 by Mexican composer Arturo Márquez. Aaron Copland’s powerful Third Symphony remains one of the most iconic American symphonies and features his popular Fanfare for the Common Man. Embark on this musical journey that will delight the soul!

Opus Classical Season Sponsor

Virtuoso Sponsors
The Honorable and Mrs. Lyndon Olson, Jr.

Sonata Sponsors
Ann and Mike Harder

Presto Friends of the Symphony
Central National Bank

Overture Sponsors
Dr. Anna and Kent Vanderheiden
JRBT

November 7, 2024
Jon Nakamatsu Plays Rachmaninoff
Winner of the Gold Medal at the 1997 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Jon Nakamatsu will be featured on the ever-popular Piano Concerto No. 2 by Rachmaninoff. The inventive and talented Dallas-based composer Quinn Mason will delight audiences with his 2023 work called Inspiration! - Festive Overture. Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” is inspired by the memory of a hero and is one of the most revolutionary symphonies ever written.

Opus Classical Season Sponsor

Virtuoso Sponsors
Georgia and Robin Baird

Crescendo Sponsors
The Honorable and Mrs. Lyndon Olson, Jr.

Concertmaster Sponsors
Judy and David Guyer
Virginia and Don Lewis

Sonata Sponsors
Debra and John Burleson Family

Overture Sponsors
Ruth and Bill Pitts

January 21, 2025
Violin Superstar Ray Chen
Born in Taiwan and raised in Australia, violinist Ray Chen has exploded on social media over the past decade where he has nearly a million fans on Instagram! His creative and hilarious videos have sparked a new generation of music lovers.

He is the very definition of a 21st Century classical music superstar. Ray will be joining Maestro Loh and the Waco Symphony to perform Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto. Missy Mazzoli’s Sinfonia for Orbiting Spheres features the full orchestra along with a set of harmonicas and, you guessed it, a boom box. Prokofiev’s massive Symphony No. 5, written during World War II, will be performed on the second half. It is a symphony inspired by humanity’s pure and noble spirit.

Opus Classical Season Sponsor

Sonata Sponsor
Sue Getterman

Presto Friends of the Symphony
Ben E. Keith
Mayer LLP

Overture Sponsors
Drs. Sharon and Charles Stern

April 3, 2025
From Yellowstone to the Mountaintop
Our season finale will take us on a scenic journey! Principal Clarinet of the New York Philharmonic Anthony McGill performs Richard Danielpour’s Clarinet Concerto “From the Mountaintop” inspired by Martin Luther King Jr., and the orchestra will perform Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 “Organ” featuring the Dallas Symphony’s Resident Organist and Baylor graduate, Bradley Hunter Welch. This symphony has been featured in several television shows and films, most famously in Babe (1995). Conveying a pioneering spirit, the orchestra will also perform Brian Tyler’s theme to Yellowstone from the hit TV series!

Opus Classical Season Sponsor

Special Performances

At this time individual tickets to our Special Performances are available only to season ticket renewers.
December 14 and 15, 2024
The Nutcracker
With toy soldiers, dancing snowflakes, and the Sugar Plum Fairy, you won’t want to miss The Nutcracker — a treasured holiday tradition and the only production with live orchestra in Central Texas. Back by popular demand, Ballet Frontier returns to Waco to inspire a childlike wonder in all of us.

With its cast comprised of professional dancers, talented local students, dazzling costumes, world-class choreography, and the Waco Symphony playing Tchaikovsky’s beloved score under the baton of Maestro Beau Benson (Music Director/Conductor of the Temple Symphony Orchestra and the Waco Symphony Youth Orchestra), the stage is set for an unforgettable experience for all ages!

Visit the Nutcracker Market in the lobby to purchase nutcrackers and themed ornaments. Sales benefit the Waco Symphony.

Bon Bon Cookie and Snacks Sponsor
The Olive Branch Bakery & Café

March 22, 2025
Jurassic Park in Concert
"Welcome…to Jurassic Park!” Celebrate the 31st Anniversary of Jurassic Park by experiencing this film live in concert. The WSO will perform John Williams’s iconic film score while you watch the full-length film projected in HD on a giant screen above the musicians. Featuring visually stunning imagery and groundbreaking special effects, the action-packed adventure of Jurassic Park is sheer movie magic 65 million years in the making; it pits man against prehistoric predators in the ultimate battle for survival. Don’t miss this unique and entertaining concert experience, an epic first for the Waco Symphony. Visit the website for other fun details.

Note: The concert will last 2.5 hours with intermission.

Maestro’s Circle Sponsors
UBS Calao Wealth Management

Concertmaster Sponsors
TFNB Your Bank for Life

Sonata Sponsors
Beverly and Harry Harelik

Sponsorship Opportunities

Explore our exciting sponsorship opportunities for the 2024-2025 season, featuring a range of performances from classical concerts to pops and holiday events. Our sponsorship packages offer opportunities for corporate, individual and family donors with extensive benefits designed to achieve your goals. Whether you choose to support our classical season, the enchanting Nutcracker performance, or the thrilling Jurassic Park in Concert, you will receive prominent recognition across various media platforms, exclusive event invitations, premium seating, and more. To learn more about how you can partner with the Waco Symphony and make a significant impact, click download our detailed sponsorship packet.

WSO String Auditions

The WSO will hold auditions for violin, viola, cello, and bass on Saturday, August 24, Sunday, August 25, and Monday, August 26 (if needed) at Roxy Grove Hall on the campus of Baylor University. To register for an audition, contact Personnel Manager Mark Whitney at wsopersonnel@gmail.com.

Season Brochure

Explore the exciting performances we have planned for our "New Frontiers" 2024-2025 season. View our season brochure to learn more about the world-class performances that await you.


Contact Us
254-754-0851

info@wacosymphony.com

Mailing address:
P.O. Box 1201, Waco, TX 76703

Office:
600 Austin Ave., Suite 10, Waco, TX 76701

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Lawrence Loh, Music Director
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