Acadiana Symphony Orchestra & Conservatory of Music

The mission of the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra & Conservatory of Music is to inspire culture through music. Their vision is to bolster our cultural economy and uphold unparalleled civic value through the power and joy of music by providing excellence in orchestral performances of diverse repertoire, and educational experiences to inspire and enrich our future generations, thus creating a vibrant community in which to live and work.

2023/2024 Schedule of Performances

As a season theme, Reflections is a sentimental look-back at where the Symphony has been as individuals, as a community, and as the world. It’s an exploration of the warm nostalgia we often feel for eras gone by in our lives – unique to each of us – where memories of some of our happiest moments exist, somewhere between the realms of myth and actuality. Reflecting on our past experiences can provide wisdom, strength and resolve, preparing us for the present, and propelling us toward the future with a greater sense of hope.

Reflections is a jam-packed season that will include another screening of a blockbuster film, performed with live orchestral soundtrack by the Symphony, a night of The Eagles greatest hits, performed by the only cover group with official authorization from The Eagles to perform their catalog of music, and a Christmas concert with beloved Lafayette rockstar, Marc Broussard. There’ll also be performances by Placido Domingo, Jr., son of the renowned opera singer and member of The Three Tenors, as well as Elizabeth Pitcairn, the violin virtuoso who’s famously known for performing on the legendary 1720 Red Mendelssohn Stradivarius violin – the inspiration behind the 1998 Academy Award winning film, The Red Violin. The season will culminate next May, with ASO’s first-ever international debut, a 10-day concert tour of Poland, where the Symphony will travel with Pitcairn and her Red Violin, performing at some of the country’s most prestigious concert halls and music festivals.

See below for a list of upcoming performances.

Thursday, September 21, 2023 at 7 pm
Elegant Liaisons featuring Placido Domingo Jr. & Alicja  Wegorzewska
Acadiana Center for the Arts
Tickets

Reflections on early pop music. Medieval French troubadours were among the first masters a popular song and known for writing folk songs about love and courtship. Elements of their music, along with influence from a variety of local folk traditions, later inspired classical European composers to utilize this type of art in their compositions. This concert will explore pop music of the 1950s, when interest in popular art song saw another magnificent renaissance in Europe. During this time, singer/songwriters like Edith Piaf and Tino Rossi became widely favored, partly due to the general public’s increased enjoyment of gathering in coffee houses, pubs, and night clubs to dance and listen to live music. Featuring Placido Domingo, Jr., son of the renowned opera singer and member of The Three Tenors.

Thursday, October 26, 2023 at 7 pm
Cinema & The Symphony: A Night at the Movies
Heymann Performing Arts Center
Tickets

Reflections on movies that defined generations. Join us for a Night at the Movies! Featuring a well-known and highly acclaimed blockbuster film, brought to life by a LIVE orchestral soundtrack, performed by Acadiana Symphony Orchestra. It's gonna be big. It's gonna be loud. It's gonna be the coolest event you attend all year! Be on the lookout for an official movie title announcement later this summer.

Friday, November 10, 2023 at 7 pm
A Tale of Two Times: The Music of Antonin Dvorak
St. John's Cathedral
Tickets

Reflections on cultural contrasts. In the 19th century, famous Romantic composers such as Dvorak and Brahms were known for their ability to connect the ideas, feelings, and collective conscience of people across many cultures and generations, through their compositions. Dvorak’s style was noted for having two sides, as it were – one inspired by his experiences with folk cultures in Moravia and North America, and the other, inspired by his interaction with European religious traditions, including sacred music written for Psalms and Mass. Often referred to as the “master of fusion”, his final work, New World Symphony, perfectly reflects the two sides of his life experiences.
Featured Guest Artist
LSU Chorus

Thursday, December 14 at 7 pm
The Christmas Concert featuring Marc Broussard
Heymann Performing Arts Center
Tickets

Reflections on a local Christmas tradition. The ASO Christmas concert is the Symphony’s longest-running tradition, and one of Acadiana’s most cherished holiday celebrations. "The Christmas Concert”, as it has come to be known to our musicians and the community alike, is noted for combining traditional orchestral selections with popular holiday tunes, and featuring revered local guest artists and youth musicians. This year’s concert will bring together more than 100 musicians on stage, including beloved Lafayette rockstar, Marc Broussard, to perform your favorite sounds of the season. Together, we'll joyfully carry on this tradition for its 25th year.
Other Featured Guest Artists
Acadiana Symphony Youth Orchestra
Lafayette High School Chorus
Chorale des Amis

Thursday, February 15, 2024 at 7 pm
Forbidden Dance featuring Krzysztof Meisinger
Acadiana Center for the Arts
Tickets

Reflections on love languages. Human concepts of love and romance, as well as the complicated and sometimes messy emotions associated with them, have remained the primary basis of inspiration for artistic expression throughout history. Music and dance in particular, have been most popularly used in courtship and conveying adoration toward a partner. This concert will explore the love languages of music and dance that came about in the 1920s and 30s, when tango first burst into the mainstream. Classical and flamenco guitarist, Krzysztof Meisinger will present an audibly stunning interpretation of some of the most famous tango pieces ever written.

Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 7 pm
Hotel California: A Salute to the Eagles
Heymann Performing Arts Center
Tickets

Reflections on classic rock. A night of greatest hits by one of the most popular American classic rock bands of all time – The Eagles – performed by Hotel California, A Salute to the Eagles, and Acadiana Symphony Orchestra. This concert will feature original songs, accompanied by specially curated symphonic arrangements, to offer the audience a unique experience of the music that defined a generation. Hotel California is the most successful and longest running show of its kind, and is the only cover group with official authorization from The Eagles to perform their catalog music. By respectfully and accurately reproducing the Grammy award winning sounds of the Eagles, this legendary Southern California band has touched the hearts of fans all over the world.

Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 7 pm
The Red Violoin featuring Elizabeth Pitcairn
St. Mary's Church
Tickets

Reflections on a legendary story. The 1720 Red Mendelssohn Stradivarius violin is said to be one of the world’s most legendary instruments. Its mysterious history and whereabouts after it went missing for 200 years, has inspired much speculation, and many tellings of its story, including the 1998, Academy Award winning film, The Red Violin. And the story of how it came into the hands of its current owner? It’s just as fascinating. Join us for a performance by world-renowned violin virtuoso, and longtime keeper of The Red Violin, Elizabeth Pitcairn, who, along with her legendary instrument, will lead the ASO Chamber Ensemble in performing captivating arrangements from the now famous movie. This concert will double both as the Season 39 finale, as well as the premiere for ASO’s first-ever international debut, a 10-day concert tour of Poland, where the Symphony will travel with Pitcairn and her Red Violin, performing at some of the country’s most prestigious concert halls and music festivals.