Tchaikovsky on St.Clair’s Concert List

Pacific Symphony music director Carl St.Clair will conduct his first “Tchaikovsky Spectacular” program, the traditional finish to the orchestra’s summer season at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre.

St.Clair will conduct the Tchaikovsky program Sept. 9, to close the Pacific’s 12th outdoor series. The concert will be one of three programs he will conduct and one of three featuring fireworks.

Tamaki Kawakubo, a 1997 Avery Fisher Career Grant winner, will be the soloist in Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D. The program also will include a performance of the “1812” Overture, complete with cannons.

All concerts will begin at 8 p.m. Ticket prices will be announced.

The 2000 season

* July 4: Lucas Richman, conductor; pop vocalists Beachfront Property. Program: music by Joplin, Berlin, Bernstein, Sousa, Elvis Presley, the Beach Boys. Fireworks.

* July 22: Sergei Edelmann, piano; Pacific Chorale; soprano Kirsten Leslie, tenor Christopher Pfund, baritone Kevin McMillan. Program: Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries”; Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1; Orff’s “Carmina Burana.”

* Aug. 12: Richard Kaufman, conductor; Wendy Chen, piano; Bobbi Page, vocalist. Program: film and television music by Hermann, Rosza, Steiner, Korngold, Norman, Williams. Fireworks.

* Aug. 26: Anne-Marie McDermott, piano; soprano Roberta Laws, baritone Kevin Deas; Paul Smith Singers. Program: music by Gershwin, including “Rhapsody in Blue” and excerpts from “Porgy and Bess.”

* Sept. 9: Tamaki Kawakubo, violin. Program: music by Tchaikovsky, including Violin Concerto in D, Polonaise from “Eugene Onegin,” excerpts from “Nutcracker,” and “1812” Overture. Fireworks.

All concerts will be at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, 8800 Irvine Center Drive. For more information, call (714) 755-5799.

Carl St.Clair will conduct all concerts except where indicated.