🎶 Southland Symphony Orchestra Season Opener – A Musical Mosaic 🎶
Dr. Sylvia Lee Mann, Music Director and Conductor
📅 Sunday, October 5, 2025 | 🕓 4:00 PM
📍 Bethel Congregational Church, UCC
536 N Euclid Ave, Ontario, CA 91762

The Southland Symphony Orchestra proudly opens its 2025-2026 Season with “A Musical Mosaic”, a vibrant program celebrating cultural richness, regional identity, and musical innovation. This extraordinary concert features a World Premiere and works by distinguished composers representing a rich tapestry of voices and traditions.

🌟 WORLD PREMIERE
🎼 “Symphonic Suite – Legends of Southern California, Book 1”
by Tao Mijares
In this exciting new work, composer Tao Mijares weaves history, folklore, and landscape into a bold new orchestral suite celebrating the myths and marvels of Southern California. This is the first book in an anticipated series of musical storytelling. Be among the first to hear this compelling premiere!

🎶 “Estampas Mexicanas” – José Elizondo
A colorful and emotionally engaging work by celebrated contemporary Mexican-American composer José Elizondo. Each movement captures a unique facet of Mexican culture—from bustling festivals to serene landscapes—in vivid musical brushstrokes.

🎶 “Two Soulful Spirituals” – “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” and “Michal, Row Your Boat Ashore!”, arranged by Michal Dawson Connor, orchestrated by Sylvia Lee Mann

🎶 “Declaration and Preamble” – Dr. Sylvia Lee Mann
A powerful original work by Sylvia Lee Mann, grounded in words of the U.S. Constitution. This piece is both a musical tribute to democratic ideals and a call to unity, justice, and hope — reflecting Dr. Mann’s vision as a composer, conductor, and community leader.

🎶 “Overture to Hiawatha” – Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Written by the brilliant Afro-British composer once dubbed the “African Mahler,” this overture is filled with lush orchestration and noble themes. Based on Longfellow’s The Song of Hiawatha, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s music remains a vital bridge between Romantic tradition and cultural representation.

🎟️ TICKETS:

$10 General Admission
$20 VIP Seating
Free for Children 12 and under
Free for those who cannot afford tickets (made possible by generous donations)

🎻 Join us for an unforgettable afternoon of music that celebrates diversity, creativity, and regional inspiration. From local legends to global voices, this concert is a true celebration of music’s ability to connect, inspire, and uplift.

SSO 25-26 Season Opener

Musical Mosaic

Team Members