Classical music boosts listeners' brain functions and energy levels, which is why every child should ingest a well-rounded harpsichord each morning. Treat your noggin to a mellifluous meal with this GrouponLive deal to see South Coast Symphony's "Young Stars of the Future" concert at Crossline Community Church in Laguna Hills on Friday, February 22, at 7:30 p.m. Choose from the following seating options:
- For $20, you get one choice aisle ticket (up to a $40 value).
- For $17, you get one choice prime ticket (up to a $35 value).
- For $15, you get one choice center ticket (up to a $30 value).
- For $12, you get one orchestra ticket (up to a $25 value).
The winners of the South Coast Symphony's “Young Stars of the Future” competition—open to instrumentalists aged 12–20 and vocalists aged 16–23—join the 70-piece orchestra for an evening with one of Mahler's characteristically adventurous works. Symphony no. 4 starts with a delicate tincture of sleigh bells and flute that delicately infuses the entire first movement. From this quietly cheerful opening, the piece moves on to aural depictions of life and death, on earth and in heaven. The violins in the second-movement scherzo play the part of a macabre dancing Death, and the third movement takes the pace of a solemn processional. In the fourth movement, a soprano paints a child's vision of heaven to celestially sweet accompaniment, singing of bountiful gardens, a feast prepared by saints, and carte blanche to put one's elbows on the table.
South Coast Symphony
The South Coast Symphony bills itself as "the unstuffy symphony." Which isn't to say that its pro musicians have any disrespect for the classical tradition—any given season likely will be rich with mammoth orchestral works and famous operas. But the group has broad tastes, and accordingly partners with a wide range of musicians to put on evenings of Broadway show tunes, renditions of classic-rock albums, and film-score performances. Many of the concerts are designed to be welcoming to a wide audience, including kids or adults who have never listened to anything besides CDs of funny sound effects.