Symphony of the Southwest

04/17/2026

A behind the scenes look at rehearsal for Joseph Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 2 🎻

Featuring our principal cellist, Blythe Tretick, in one of the most well-known works for cello and orchestra.

Experience Rising live with Symphony of the Southwest at the Mesa Arts Center.

Don't miss our season finale, tomorrow night at 7 PM in the beautiful Ikeda Theater.

🎟️ Get your tickets now: https://mesaartscenter.com/show-details/symphony-of-the-southwest-rising-sots

04/17/2026

Our final concert of the season - THIS SATURDAY April 18 - 7 PM

Watch Music Director Julie Desbordes preview our final concert of the 2025 / 2026 Season - entitled RISING. A celebration of the artistry and talent of some ...

04/17/2026

Haydn's Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Major 🎻

Joseph Haydn composed this concerto in 1783, at a time when the cello was rarely featured as a solo instrument. For many years, its authorship was even debated—until the original manuscript was rediscovered in 1951, confirming it as one of Haydn’s works.

In this piece, the cello steps into the spotlight. Haydn explores the instrument’s full expressive range, from its warm lower register to a higher, more lyrical voice that allows it to truly sing.

The concerto unfolds in three movements: a graceful and expansive opening, a deeply expressive Adagio, and a lively rondo finale—balancing elegance with moments of technical brilliance.

Today, it remains one of the most celebrated works in the cello repertoire.

Experience it live this Saturday at 7 PM at the Mesa Arts Center, performed by our principal cellist, Blythe Tretick.

🎟️ Get your tickets now and hear it come to life.

https://www.mesaartscenter.com/show-details/symphony-of-the-southwest-rising-sots

04/15/2026

Rising 🎶

Hear from Julie Desbordes and Blythe Tretick as they bring Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 2 to life ahead of this Saturday’s concert.

Don’t miss the season finale on April 18 at the Mesa Arts Center.

🎟️ Tickets available now: https://www.mesaartscenter.com/show-details/symphony-of-the-southwest-rising-sots

04/14/2026

Support the music—and take home something truly special.

Our “Southwest Symphony” quilt, handcrafted by Janet Haas, is a one-of-a-kind piece inspired by the beauty of the Southwest. Every raffle ticket directly supports the musicians and programs that bring live orchestral music to our community.

The drawing takes place at our April 18 concert, Rising. If you cannot make the concert, no worries - the winner will be contacted directly.

Purchase tickets now for your chance to win: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/symphony-of-the-southwests-quilt-raffle--2025

04/10/2026

Meet the Soloist: Blythe Tretick

At Rising, our 69th season finale, we’re shining a spotlight on our own principal cellist, Blythe Tretick, performing Cello Concerto No. 2 in D major by Joseph Haydn—a work known for its lyricism, elegance, and expressive range.

Blythe Tretick is from a notable family of musicians, parents and four siblings. In her high school years she attended the Interlochen Arts Academy, Aspen Music Festival and Music Academy of the West. As a student of Janos Starker at Indiana University, she made her solo debut with the Indianapolis Symphony in a series of ten performances.

Blythe's later solo repertoire with orchestra has included concerti of Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, Haydn, Lalo, Couperin and Korngold. Blythe's orchestral career began as the youngest member of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Her subsequent position as principal cello of the Grand Rapids Symphony and DeVos string quartet was followed by appointment as interim professor of cello at Ball State University and cellist of the American Piano Trio.

She took a leave of absence to study the Barber Concerto with Raya Garbousova, for whom it was written, and then became principal cello of The Florida Orchestra and Central City Opera before deep family ties brought a move to Arizona as associate principal and acting principal cello of the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra for twenty seasons.

Don’t miss the chance to hear this stunning concerto performed live.

🎟️ Secure your seats for April 18 at the Mesa Arts Center: https://www.mesaartscenter.com/show-details/symphony-of-the-southwest-rising-sots

04/09/2026

Hear from our Music Director about Rising, a program that celebrates the artistry of our musicians, honors women in music, and brings together powerful works by Joan Tower, Joseph Haydn, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Featuring our own Blythe Tretick as soloist, this is a night that showcases everything our orchestra can do.

Join us April 18 at the Mesa Arts Center.
🎟️ Get your tickets today: https://www.mesaartscenter.com/show-details/symphony-of-the-southwest-rising-sots

04/07/2026

Today is Arizona Gives Day!

Communities across Arizona are coming together to support the nonprofits that make a difference — and you can be part of it.

Your donation to the Symphony of the Southwest helps us continue to bring live music to the stage and directly supports the talented musicians behind every performance.

🎶 Make your donation today: https://mtyc.co/8uxzig

04/07/2026

Symphony No. 5 in E minor, Op. 64 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was composed in 1888, during a period when the composer was grappling with self-doubt about his work. Despite his own concerns, it has become one of his most frequently performed symphonies.

Premiered on November 17, 1888 at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg with Tchaikovsky conducting, the symphony is built around a recurring “motto theme,” often interpreted as representing fate. This theme appears in all four movements, transforming over the course of the piece—from a dark, subdued opening in E minor to a triumphant finale in E major.

The second movement is especially known for its lyrical horn solo, while the third offers an elegant waltz. The final movement brings the entire symphony together, revisiting earlier material before driving toward a powerful, march-like conclusion.

Experience this monumental work performed live at Rising, the Symphony of the Southwest’s season finale.

📍 April 18 | 7:00 PM
📍 Mesa Arts Center
🎟️ Get your tickets now: https://mesaartscenter.com/show-details/symphony-of-the-southwest-rising-sots

04/03/2026

Don’t miss the final concert of the season!

On April 18, Rising brings Symphony of the Southwest’s 69th season to a close with a powerful program that showcases both the full orchestra and the musicians behind it.

The evening features Joan Tower’s Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman #6, a special performance by principal cellist Blythe Tretick as soloist in Haydn’s Cello Concerto No. 2, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 — a sweeping, dramatic work that fills the hall from start to finish.

If you’ve been meaning to experience the symphony live, this is the concert to see.

Join us 7PM on April 18th at the Mesa Arts Center.

🎟️ Tickets are on sale now — get yours here: https://www.mesaartscenter.com/show-details/symphony-of-the-southwest-rising-sots

04/03/2026

Arizona Gives Day is April 7, but you don’t have to wait—early giving is open now!

This statewide day of giving brings together thousands of donors to support nonprofits that strengthen and enrich communities across Arizona.

By donating to Symphony of the Southwest, you’re helping sustain live orchestral music, support local musicians, and keep the arts thriving in our community.

Make your gift today and be part of

🎶 Donate here:

Your support will help us pay a portion of the expenses for another season of beautiful music.

04/02/2026

🎶 Joan Tower: Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 6

Joan Tower is a Grammy-winning contemporary American composer, pianist, and conductor whose orchestral works have been performed by major ensembles across the world. She began her Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman series in 1987 as a response to Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, creating a set of works dedicated to women who have made significant contributions to music.

Fanfare No. 6 was composed in 2014 for solo piano and later arranged for full orchestra in 2016. It is dedicated to Cuban-American composer and conductor Tania León. Unlike earlier fanfares in the series that focus primarily on brass and percussion, this version expands to full orchestra, incorporating strings and winds alongside the brass.

The piece premiered by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under conductor Marin Alsop and is characterized by steady rhythmic motion, shifting meters, and layered orchestral textures.

It’s a thrilling opening to our Rising concert and a powerful statement of voice and artistry.

✨ Hear it live on April 18 at the Mesa Arts Center.
🎟️ Get your tickets now: https://www.mesaartscenter.com/show-details/symphony-of-the-southwest-rising-sots

Photo: Bernard Mindich