Symphonies of Spain

When Ventura County Symphony conductor Frank Salazar steps onto the stage Saturday and lifts his baton, a bustling Oxnard Civic Auditorium audience will see and hear him bring in the symphony’s 1991-92 season.

The Pearl Anniversary Season to be exact, marking 30 years of continuous programming by the Ventura County Symphony Assn.

“Since starting in 1962, the symphony has grown in stature along with the county,” Salazar said recently. “At times, it has led the cultural atmosphere here and has been a hub of a lot of musical development in the county.”

A program celebrating the Spanish empire’s 500th anniversary will open the new season.

Salazar will lead the symphony orchestra and pianist Gustavo Romero in Manuel de Falla’s “Night in the Gardens of Spain.” The acclaimed Romero has performed with such ensembles as the New York Philharmonic, Boston Pops, Los Angeles Philharmonic and Radio France Orchestra. “Romero is a very fine interpreter of Spanish symphonic literature,” Salazar said.

The evening will also include a suite from the ballet “El Amor Brujo” by de Falla, the “Goyescas Suite” by Enrique Granados and “La Oracion del Torero” by Joaquin Turina.

The auditorium is at 800 Hobson Way, Oxnard. A dinner reception will be held at 6 p.m., featuring a lecture by Salazar. Tickets to the dinner are $75, $50 or $27.50; proceeds will benefit the symphony association. The performance begins at 8:15 p.m. Tickets for the concert are $12 to $25. For more information or reservations for the pre-concert gala, call 643-8646.