Pacific Symphony: Bach & Beethoven with Alexander Shelley, cond. 

An Evening with Pacific Symphony with Alexander Shelley, cond. and Dennis Kim & Yoomin Seo, violins 

FEATURED ARTISTS:

Pacific Symphony Chamber Orchestra
Alexander Shelley, Conductor
Dennis Kim, violin

Yoomin Seo, violin

PROGRAM:

BACH Concerto for Two Violins
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 4

ALEXANDER SHELLEY

A natural communicator, both on and off the podium” (The Daily Telegraph”, Alexander Shelley performs across six continents with the worlds finest orchestras and soloists. 

With a conducting technique described as “immaculate” (Yorkshire Post) and with a “precision, distinction and beauty of gesture” (Le Devoir), Shelley is known for the clarity and integrity of his interpretations and for the creativity and vision of his programming. To date he has spearheaded over 40 major world premieres, highly praised cycles of Beethoven, Schumann and Brahms symphonies, operas, ballets and innovative multi-media productions.

In September 2015, Shelley succeeded Pinchas Zukerman as Music Director of Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra, the youngest in its history. The ensemble has since been praised as “an orchestra transformed … hungry, bold, and unleashed” (Ottawa Citizen) and his programming credited for turning the orchestra “almost overnight … into one of the more audacious orchestras in North America.” (Maclean’s Magazine). Together they have undertaken major tours of Canada, Europe and to Carnegie Hall, where they premiered Philip Glass’s 13th symphony.

Since 2015 he has served as both Music Director of Canada’s National Arts Centre Orchestra and as Principal Associate Conductor of London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. In 2024/25, he also began his tenure as Artistic and Music Director of Artis−Naples in Florida, providing artistic leadership for Naples Philharmonic, as well as for the entire multidisciplinary arts organization. In August 2017, Shelley concluded his eight-year tenure as Chief Conductor of the Nürnberger Symphoniker, a period that was hailed by press and audience alike as a golden era for the orchestra.

Winner of the ECHO prize and the Deutsche Grunderpreis, Shelley was conferred with the Cross of the Federal Order of Merit by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in recognition of his services to music and culture in April 2023. 

He regularly gives informed and passionate pre- and post-concert talks on his programs, as well as numerous interviews and podcasts on the role of classical music in society. During his time in Nuremberg, he hosted more than half a million people at the annual Klassik Open Air concerts – Europe’s largest classical music event. Born in London in October 1979 to celebrated concert pianists, Alexander studied cello and conducting in Germany and first gained widespread attention when he was unanimously awarded first prize at the 2005 Leeds Conductors’ Competition, with the press describing him as “the most exciting and gifted young conductor to have taken this highly prestigious award.” 

PACIFIC SYMPHONY

Pacific Symphony is the largest orchestra formed in the United States in the past 50 years and has earned national recognition for its adventurous programming, community engagement, and artistic growth. Founded in 1978, the Symphony has been led for 35 years by Music Director Carl St.Clair, one of the longest-serving music directors of a major American orchestra. 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.

With a purpose to lift the human spirit through the power of music, the Symphony is a pillar of the cultural landscape of Southern California, enriching lives and bringing communities together through creative and diverse programming. As the resident orchestra of the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, the Symphony presents more than 100 concerts and events each year and a rich array of education and community engagement programs, reaching more than 300,000 residents of all ages.