The Universe

Join our email list for our monthly newsletter, concert announcements, behind-the-scenes updates, and ways to experience live music all season long. You may unsubscribe at any time. John Williams “Suite from Close Encounters of the Third Kind” (maybe with visuals!) Missy Mazzoli “Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres)” Gustav Holst “The Planets” The PSO launches its 29th season with a concert that brings the solar system—and all its intense, movie-worthy mystery—to life. Audiences will recognize familiar melodies from timeless favorites like “Star Wars” and “Pinocchio” in Williams’ “Suite from Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” where music becomes the way humans connect with benevolent alien beings. Mazzoli’s “Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres)” mirrors the circular nature of planets and their orbits—swirling closer before being flung back out into space at breakneck speed. Epic and moving, the distinctive celestial personas in Holst’s “The Planets,” have made it one of the most influential works in orchestral music. Each movement paints a vivid character of its planet, and its sweeping sound world has inspired generations of film composers from the “Darth Vader” theme in “Star Wars” (notably influenced by “Mars”) to the music of “Gladiator,” and other scores by Hans Zimmer. Please note additional box office fees may apply. Please see the venue website for details.