Downey Symphony to open season with free ‘Viva la Música’ concert

Classical guitarist Robert Wang will perform Joaquín Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez” with the Downey Symphony on Oct. 24 as the orchestra opens its 2026-27 season with “Viva la Música.” Admission is free.

DOWNEY – The Downey Symphony Orchestra will open its 2026-27 season Saturday, Oct. 24, with a free concert celebrating Spanish-inspired music, a composition written for the city’s orchestra and the beginning of Music Director Sharon Lavery’s 20th anniversary season.

“Viva la Música,” at the Downey Theatre, will feature guitarist Robert Wang performing Joaquín Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez,” along with two works by Spanish composer Óscar Navarro and Maurice Ravel’s “Boléro.”

The performance also marks the 15th anniversary of the premiere of Navarro’s “Downey Overture,” a piece written especially for the Downey Symphony that has since been performed by ensembles around the world.

The orchestra will revisit the entire program from that 2011 concert, connecting the season opener to a milestone in its history.

Admission will be free as the Downey Symphonic Society continues its effort to make live orchestral music accessible to the community.

“We are thrilled to continue offering our concerts free of charge and to welcome everyone in our community to experience live orchestral music together,” society President Anthony Crespo wrote in his message for the concert program.

The evening will begin with “Downey Overture,” whose origins reflect the relationship between Lavery and Navarro. The two met while Navarro was studying composition at USC’s Thornton School of Music, where Lavery recognized his promise as a composer, according to program notes by Lars Clutterham.

Navarro has since developed an international career as a composer and conductor, with much of his work centered in his native Spain. The overture has carried Downey’s name into concert programs beyond the community for which it was written.

Wang will then join the orchestra for Rodrigo’s “Concierto de Aranjuez,” a three-movement guitar concerto written in 1939. Its title refers to the gardens of the Royal Palace of Aranjuez in Spain.

The concerto’s movements — “Allegro con spirito,” “Adagio” and “Allegro gentile” — will give audiences an opportunity to hear Wang in a featured role before the program turns to larger orchestral works after intermission.

Wang’s musical interests range from Renaissance repertoire to contemporary compositions. In addition to classical guitar, he performs on historical plucked instruments, including the theorbo, lute and baroque guitar, and works as a composer.

He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in classical guitar performance at USC’s Thornton School of Music, receiving its 2025 Outstanding Graduate Award in the Master of Music category. His teachers have included William Kanengiser, Scott Tennant, Brian Head and Pepe Romero.

His performances have taken him to venues including the Getty, Jordan Hall and the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, and he has been featured on “CBS Sunday Morning.”

Wang also has explored unconventional concert formats. His 2022 project “FOOTPRINT,” hosted by the Institute for Art and Olfaction, paired classical and baroque guitar music with a lineup of perfumes he formulated himself. His recent recording work includes “FILAMENTOS,” an album with Canadian composer Liova Bueno.

After intermission, the orchestra will perform Navarro’s “Noah’s Ark,” a symphonic poem that follows the biblical story through 10 sections.

The work moves through scenes depicting Noah’s family, birds and sea life before reaching the storm, destruction and the emergence of a new earth. During the performance, onscreen descriptions provided by Lavery will appear above the orchestra to help audiences follow the music’s narrative.

The concert will conclude with “Boléro,” Ravel’s 1928 work. Although written by a French composer, its Spanish dance character connects it to the evening’s theme. Its deliberately repetitive structure is central to the piece, according to Clutterham’s notes.

For Lavery, the concert begins a season recognizing two decades of leadership in Downey. She has served as the orchestra’s music director since 2007 while maintaining a career as a conductor and educator.

At USC’s Thornton School of Music, she serves as resident conductor of the Thornton Symphony, Chamber Orchestra and Wind Ensemble. She also teaches instrumental conducting and chairs the Winds and Percussion Department.

Her guest conducting appearances have included the National Symphony Orchestra of Costa Rica, Vermont Symphony, Hollywood Chamber Orchestra, La Jolla Symphony and San Bernardino Symphony. She previously served as assistant conductor of the Pasadena Symphony and held cover conductor positions with the Pacific Symphony and San Diego Symphony.

Music education also has been a focus of her work. Lavery has conducted all-state orchestras and wind ensembles across the country and served on the conducting faculty of Interlochen Arts Camp and the International Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall.

The Downey Symphonic Society’s mission combines public performances with educational programs for people of all ages. Contributions from individuals, businesses, foundations and public agencies help support that work and keep concerts free.

The orchestra’s announced spring concert is scheduled for April 10, 2027, at the Downey Theatre. That program will feature Clutterham’s “Arc of My Life,” Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with pianist Anne Liu, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. Admission will again be free.

For information about the Oct. 24 concert, future performances or supporting the orchestra, visit downeysymphony.org.