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Local News for a Global Village | www.VoiceSB.com
December 19, 2025
Seventy-Six Trombones and All that Jazz to Light Up SB Symphony’s New Year’s Eve Concert
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By Daisy Scott / VOICE
T IS SAID BROADWAY ALWAYS WEARS A SMILE, and so will the Granada Theatre as it welcomes hundreds of music lovers for the Santa Barbara Symphony’s annual New Year’s Eve concert. Led by guest conductor Stuart Malina and starring soprano Madison Claire Parks, the night will ring in 2026 with champagne, laughter, and a lineup of hit show tunes and songs from the silver screen.
Malina is celebrating his 25th season as the Music Director and conductor of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra. He has made a name for himself in the realms of classical music and Broadway, having won the 2003 Tony award for orchestration along with rockstar Billy Joel for the musical Movin’ Out.
Photos courtesy of SB Symphony
“This New Year’s Eve, on the brink of our nation’s 250th birthday, we salute two great American contributions to the world of music,” said guest conductor Stuart Malina to VOICE. “The composers of Hollywood and Broadway are among our country’s greatest creative artists. We’ve put together a program that will be as uplifting as it will be entertaining, featuring memorable film scores and the best of Broadway show tunes.” Guest conductor Stuart Malina
Vocalist Madison Claire Parks also arrives in Santa Barbara with a keen sense of Broadway glitz, recently performing a two year stint with the Broadway National Tour of Wicked. She has performed on stages across the country, including starring roles in Guys & Dolls, Something Rotten!, 9 to 5: The Musical, and more. “Stuart Malina and Madison Claire Parks are two extraordinarily talented artists,” shared Renee Cooper, SB Symphony Marketing Manager, with VOICE. “Stuart’s charisma and depth of experience instantly Vocalist Madison Claire Parks elevate the entire concert, while Madison’s voice brings star power and emotional warmth that audiences connect with immediately. Paired with our Symphony musicians—some of the most sought-after studio, film, and orchestral players on the West Coast—audiences can expect the energy, excitement, and entertainment that define our annual New Year’s Eve celebration.” On December 31st, Granada guests will kick off the party with complimentary champagne, party hats, and noisemakers available in the theatre lobby prior to the concert.
“We put this program together to give audiences an evening full of joy, connection, and that wonderful feeling of ‘wow.’ These Broadway and Hollywood favorites are the songs and stories so many of us grew up with, and they bring people together instantly,” said Cooper. “New Year’s Eve is all about renewal, and this concert lets our community step into the new year feeling uplifted, inspired, and wrapped in the magic of live symphonic music.” The December 31st concert will run from 8:30pm to 10pm with no intermission. For tickets (single tickets start at $65; group discounts start at 20 percent for ten or more seats; and SB Symphony subscribers enjoy a 20 percent discount) visit thesymphony.org
Solstice Celebration PRESENTS
WINTER SOLSTICE 500-700 Block of STATE STREET
Sat. Dec. 20, 5-9 pm Light up Costume Party
While the full program will be announced from the Granada stage, concertgoers can anticipate a stirring performance of cherished classics such as Rodgers & Hammerstein’s romantic Carousel Waltz, Leonard Bernstein’s Overture to West Side Story, and Meredith Willson’s Seventy-Six Trombones, which will be conducted by Symphony board member Dr. Bob Weinman. Additional highlights will include John Williams’ Academy Award-winning score Adventures on Earth, from the film E.T. and the traditional sing-along to Auld Lang Syne.
SB Symphony attendees will enjoy complimentary champagne, party hats, and noisemakers
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