Sponsored by the Department of Music, the UC Summer Symphony is a fully student-run ensemble that rehearses between June through August each summer, and gives two public performances every August in Hertz Hall. Rehearsals for the 2023 season will be held Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7:30-10 PM beginning Thursday July 6th in Hertz Hall on the UC Berkeley Campus. If you are interested in auditioning, please refer to the normal UCBSO requirements and submit your tapes no later than Friday, June 30th, at 11:59pm.

Summer Symphony 2023

Mahler, Symphony No. 4 Jesslyn Thomas, Soprano

Mendelssohn, Midsummer Night’s Dream (excerpts)

Ravel, Ma Mere l’Oye

Eda Er, Luminescence: From Venus

Saturday, August 12, 8 pm and Sunday, August 13, 2 pm

Thomas Green, Noam Elisha, and Rebecca Kim, conductors

$15 Suggested Donation

The UC Berkeley Summer Symphony started in 1978 by Michael Senturia as a small chamber orchestra comprised of students from the university and members of the Berkeley community. Since then, it has grown into a full-sized orchestra, performing major works from the standard classical repertoire. Currently, the UC Berkeley Summer Symphony draws its players from the University, Cal State East Bay, San Francisco Conservatory, and the Oakland and San Francisco Youth Orchestras.

The UC Berkeley Summer Symphony is led by student conductors under the tutelage of UCBSO Music Director David Milnes. The experience provides a valuable learning opportunity for the student conductors, giving them first-hand experience in preparing a concert program, rehearsing an orchestra, and working with the administrative staff. In turn, the orchestra members have a chance to provide feedback while learning how to adapt to different conductors and styles.

Past conductors include: Jennifer Huang, Grady Lai, Jean Ahn, Ankush Bahl, Tom Busse, Gene Chang, Hoh Chen, Richard Cheetham, Andrew Chung, Brian Current, Stefano Flavoni, Alexander Kahn, Jane Kim, Nicholas Koo, Mei-Gang Li, Melissa Panlasigui, Henry Shin, Kumiko Takahashi, Reynold Tharp, Dmitiri Tymoczko, Linda Wang and Garrett Wellenstein.