Classical Hits (2026)

Classics IV

Classical Hits

Celebrate the brilliance of musical genius with three timeless works from history’s greatest composers – Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A major, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 “Eroica”.

Saturday, March 7, 2026, 7:30pm

Performing Arts Center San Luis Obispo

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Sponsored by Jeff and Melodee Brady

Program Details

BACH

Brandenburg Concerto No.2

Featuring Suzanne Duffy, Devin Henderson, Jessica Hoffman & Emily Lanzone

  • Composed in 1721
  • Famous for its trumpet part

MOZART

Clarinet Concerto in A 

Featuring Richard Dobeck

  • Composed in 1791
  • Mozart’s last completed instrumental work, written shortly before his death in 1791

 BEETHOVEN

Symphony No.3 in Eb op.55 ‘Eroica’ 

  • Composed in 1804
  • Originally dedicated to Napoleon Bonaparte, whom Beethoven admired as a symbol of freedom—until Napoleon crowned himself emperor. Beethoven angrily scratched out the dedication.
  • Featured in Mr. Holland’s Opus, and the BBC’s Doctor Who.

Enhance Your Experience

Symphonic Foray — Pre-Concert Talk

  • Join us at 6:30pm for a special Symphonic Forays!
  • Go behind the scenes with Maestro Sewell, one of our soloists, and a guest from Viking River Cruises
  • Learn more about the history of the music
  • Free to all concert ticket holders
  • Sponsored by Jill Anderson & Steven Jobst

No Ties Allowed — Open Rehearsal

  • Preview the concert during a working rehearsal at 11:00 AM the same morning
  • While this rehearsal is open to the public, we kindly ask that you be respectful of the musicians as they rehearse. If you need to talk or make noise, please step into the lobby. You’re welcome to come and go as you wish — we’re glad you’re attending!
  • Sponsored by Kathryn Lawhun
  • Learn more about No Ties Allowed events.

Access for All

At the SLO Symphony, we believe everyone deserves access to the inspiring experience of live music.

We’re excited to introduce a limited time program designed to make this concert more affordable and welcoming for our community. A select number of tickets are available for only $20 – no promo codes, discounts, or special steps required. These tickets are simply priced with accessibility in mind, so more of our community can experience this powerful performance. Availability is limited, and tickets will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. This pilot program is made possible through the stewardship of our Board of Directors and thanks to generous donors. 

More about the Program

About our SLO Symphony Soloists

Richard H Dobeck is an active orchestral clarinetist in Los Angeles, the Central Coast, and the Central Valley of California. He is the Principal Clarinet of the San Luis Obispo Symphony, the Principal Clarinet of the Sequoia Symphony, and the Second/E-flat Clarinet of the San Bernardino Symphony. Additionally, he regularly performs with the Opera San Luis Obispo, the Lompoc Pops Orchestra, and is a substitute for several more orchestras. He was previously a member of the American Youth Symphony and the Young Musicians Foundation’s Debut Orchestra.

Richard received his Bachelor of Music from The University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, and his Artist Diploma from The Royal Conservatory of Music’s Glenn Gould School. His teachers include Amanda Walker, Richie Hawley, Benjamin Freimuth, Yehuda Gilad, and Joaquín Valdepeñas.

Principal Flute with Opera SLO, SLO Master Chorale, Orchestra Novo, Lompoc Pops; 2nd Flute & Piccolo, Opera Santa Barbara, Suzanne has also performed for the Ventura College Opera Theatre, Palm Beach Opera, Florida Philharmonic, and the Indianapolis Symphony.  Duffy also had the great pleasure of participating in two Bach Aria Group festivals (Stony Brook, NY) in the 1990s.

Former Lecturer in Flute, Cal Poly-SLO (2013-2025) where Suzanne annually performed as part of their Bach Week festival, her pre-college students in the area have long been participants in the SLO Youth Symphony programs, including concerto winners (this March 2026, that would be SLOHS’ flutist Mary Kay Fidopiastis!).

Duffy has flute performance degrees from Northwestern University (B.M), Indiana University (M.M.), post-graduate studies at SUNY-Stony Brook, and was a four-season member of the New World Symphony, an orchestral fellowship training program led by Artistic Director Michael Tilson Thomas.

Devin Henderson is a freelance trumpet player, producer, audio engineer, and content creator out of San Diego, CA. When they’re not in SLO performing with the symphony, they enjoy playing trumpet in local musical theater, listening to new music, and writing silly songs on the internet. Devin received two Bachelor’s degrees in Performance and Music Education from California State University Long Beach in 2014, and a Master’s Degree in Trumpet Performance from Arizona State University in 2016, and has studied with David Hickman, Christopher Still, and Rob Frear. Devin once had tacos with Doc Severisen, which was pretty cool.

Originally from Colorado, Jessica Hoffman attended UCLA where she majored in Mechanical Engineering and studied the oboe. Jessica performed with the Los Angeles Music Center Opera, American Youth Symphony, Long Beach Ballet, Los Angeles Symphony and more, sharing the stage with world-class musicians including Yo-Yo Ma, Emmanual Ax, Andre Watts, and Zuben Mehta. More recently, Jessica appreciated as a soloist with Santa Maria Philharmonic, symphony of the Vines, and now her 14th season as principal oboist of the San Luis Obispo Symphony. When not playing the oboe, Jessica travels through the world as the Aftermarket Manager at Atlas Copco Mafi Trench.

Violinist Emily Lanzone has served as Concertmaster of the San Luis Obispo Symphony since 2020.  A frequent guest in several California orchestras, including Santa Cruz, Monterey, Fresno, and Santa Barbara, she is also a member of the Oregon Coast Music Festival in Coos Bay, Oregon.  Lanzone serves on the faculty of Cuesta College and Cal Poly, while maintaining a thriving private violin/viola studio.  Her education is rounded out by Rice University, University of Oregon, University of Nevada, Reno, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.  Originally from Portland, OR, Lanzone and her musical family now happily reside in Los Osos.  

Listen In

Enjoy this curated playlist of the concert program.