South Valley Symphony kicks off its 53rd season Oct. 4 at 3pm at Guglielmo Winery in Morgan Hill, opening a four-concert season built around a single unifying idea: celebrating America’s 250th anniversary.
“We wanted to primarily continue celebrating America’s 250th anniversary,” said Anthony Quartuccio, the orchestra’s music director and conductor for the past 20 years. “That’s the main focus, not just for the upcoming concert but for several others this season.”
The opening program is devoted entirely to American music, spanning classical roots, film scoring and folk traditions. It includes the first movement of Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “From the New World;” the march from John Williams’ score for “1941;” Morton Gould’s “American Salute;” Claire Grundman’s “American Folk Rhapsody No. 1;” Calvin Custer’s “The American Frontier;” and Howard Hanson’s Symphony No. 2, “Romantic.”
Quartuccio said the program traces American musical identity “from its classical roots with European composers, to African American composers, to other composers from various parts of the country,” including a piece by a European composer who wrote American-style music after visiting the United States.
The remaining three concerts are scheduled for Dec. 12 at the Sobrato Performing Arts Center in Morgan Hill; March 13, 2027, at a venue still to be finalized; and Mother’s Day, May 9, 2027, back at Guglielmo Winery. All performances begin at 3pm.
Rob Howe, the orchestra’s board president, said Guglielmo Winery, in particular, is a favorite venue for the symphony.
“The atmosphere is fantastic,” Quartuccio said. “The audience picnics under the tent are wonderful, and the acoustics are such that the orchestra can be heard without amplification most of the time. It’s just a beautiful venue for an afternoon experience.”
South Valley Symphony draws its roughly 45-50 core musicians from across South Valley, from San Jose to Hollister, supplemented as needed by paid “ringers” who fill gaps in string and other sections.
Howe, who took up cello in his mid-30s and now leads the cello section, said the orchestra tries to avoid overburdening any one volunteer, whether on stage or on its board.
“You wouldn’t think a board this size could function well, but we do,” Howe said. “We’re not cautioning extra strain on anyone by having them do too much.”
Programming decisions are made by a music advisory committee of four to eight orchestra members who spend months gathering suggestions before Quartuccio finalizes a season’s repertoire.
“I really believe the orchestra should have input on what we play, so I don’t just dictate the program,” Quartuccio said. “That’s another difference from professional orchestras, where the music director generally just dictates what’s going to be played, without much input from the members. For a community orchestra, having buy-in is really important for people to stay committed and happy with the music.”
That approach extends to how Quartuccio runs rehearsals. The orchestra holds eight rehearsals per concert, considerably more than a professional ensemble typically gets. This extra time allows for a more collaborative process with a back-and-forth dialogue between musicians and director, he said.
“Everyone is giving their time freely and participating because they love what they do,” Quartuccio said. “I believe our number one job, beyond making the music sound good, is to help people love music more.”
Later in the season, audiences can expect Broadway selections, including highlights from “Wicked,” at the December concert, and a season-closing program in May featuring tango music.
Quartuccio said the orchestra is also exploring adding music from video games, arranged for full orchestra, to the March program, though the plan isn’t finalized.
One highlight, Quartuccio said, is Gould’s “American Salute,” based on the tune “When Johnny Comes Marching Home.” Gould wrote the piece overnight for a patriotic broadcast on NBC. Copyists transcribed the individual instrument parts by morning, the orchestra received them the same day, and it was performed live on the air that evening.
“I like including that kind of background in the program notes because I want to give the audience something interesting to know,” Howe said.
Both Howe and Quartuccio emphasized that the orchestra, made up largely of volunteer musicians, wants to remain accessible to families. Students can attend any South Valley Symphony concert for free, and Quartuccio said the orchestra welcomes children in the audience rather than discouraging them, as some ensembles do.
“The community aspect of what we do is something I’d like to encourage,” Quartuccio said. “Any student can come free to any of our concerts.”
Tickets and the full season schedule are available at southvalleysymphony.org.
