Reading Symphony Orchestra

What a fabulous evening! The RSO has never sounded more energetic, under the baton of Maestro Andrew Constantine. In spite of his apologies for the slightly macabre music of Prokofiev's Cinderella, I found his selection of music for our New Year's Eve listening pleasure to be absolutely perfect! I would be remiss if I didn't mention the absolutely breathtaking strings of concertmaster Christopher Collins Lee on Massenet's Meditation from "Thais" . Although the music itself brings tears to my eyes, so much more so did Lee's hauntingly emotional interpretation of this gorgeous composition bring an absolute fountain of tears from my eyes. And the dessert-the lovely and well trained voice of Miss Jodi Benson! Not only did each of her vocal selections show off her gift, but they were entertaining and animated as well. Her voice is as trained and professional, and absolutely beautiful, as it was 25 years ago when she provided the voice of that well loved and (at least in my house) played to death Little Mermaid. I could have spent twice as much time listending to her melodious voice and not been in the least bored. Thanks to the RSO and Ms. Benson for a wonderful start to my New Year's Eve celebration!

An excellent performance! The most fun you can have with your FAMILY, a tradition that now spans TWO generations of my family.

The concert was excellent! The soloists were fantastic and the orchestra played brilliantly.

The show did a nice job of incorporating the local talent into a classic show. Very enjoyable.

The Nutcracker was my first ballet and I was utterly blown away by it. I have never scene something so beautiful before.

The Wagner seemed stiff with no color. The Schumann pianist performance was exceptionally well done with subtlety as needed and fire when required. The pianist technique was phenomenal. The Brahms is not one of my favorite symphonies but was enjoyable. The seats were excellent.

The Guest Conductor, Brad Thachuk, did a great job of bringing together all the players together for an entertaining evening of fun and music, including, the Reading Symphony Orchestra, the Reading Choral Society with Broadway Soloists, William Michals and Lisa Vroman.

The concert was amazing. I am a lover of Broadway show tunes and the Choral Society, Symphony Orchestra, and the soloists made my evening!

the show was good. I would have prefered to hear more of the orchrastra than singing. but overall it was a great way to spend and evening with my valentine.

What a lovely way to spend an evening. The performance was pleasant and the pace of the performances kept you interested in what was happening on stage. Wish more of this type of performance would come to Reading. With all the snow we thought the streets and sidewalks might be covered with snow or ice. We were pleasantly surpised not to have any trouble navigating to the theater at all.

The RSO program was excellent. We thoroughly enjoyed the music from the Reading Choral Society and Reading Symphony Orchestra. What a nice way to celebrate Valentine's Day. The soloist were excellent!

The RSO's Valentine's Day pops concert featured some of the greatest tunes from Rodgers and Hammerstein's Broadway musicals. The RSO sounded great, as always, and soprano Losa Vroman and Baritone William Michals were brilliant. Lisa and William had the audience enthusiastically singing along to tunes from The Sound of Music and Oklahoma. Whether you prefer pops concerts or classical concerts, you don't have to travel to Philadelphia or New York City to hear a fine professional orchestra. We have a great orchestra right here in Reading.

Berks Ballet once again did a wonderful job with the Nutcracker!

It was a great way to spend New Year's Eve. The orchestra was hot, the violin soloist Christopher Lee Collins was incredible, and Jodi Benson was phenomenal. Mrs. Benson's performances of Broadway hits and the famed "Part of Your World" (from Disney's "The Little Mermaid") was superb. It was amazing to me that her voice sounds just as strong and energetic as it did years ago when she first recorded The Little Mermaid and also performed on Broadway. Mrs. Benson has a beautiful way of telling a story as she sings...you cannot helped but be drawn into the lyrics of the song. Similarly, Christopher Lee Collins' solo performance was wonderful. He has a way of not just playing the violin, but making it sing the most beautiful song you have ever heard. Overall, the evening was quite possible my new favorite way to spend New Year's Eve!

This was by far the most enjoyable and entertaining New Years Eve Concert to date. Kudo's to Maestro Constantine!

I have seen the Reading Symphony Orchestra before and i must say that this New Year's Eve was one of their best yet. Keep up the good work.

The Reading Symphony's New Year's show was a delightful evening of classical and popular music. The featured soloist was engaging and belted out show tunes with full command of the stage. The instrumental selections were beautiful - a nice mix of tempos. What a treasure the Reading Symphony Orchestra is!

This is my third NYE RSO concert. The weakest of the three The quality of music was excellent. Jodi Benson "over sang" - in my opinion. Several songs I couldn't even understand the lyrics. She also talked too much. It was like she was trying to make it the Jodi Benson show. Other than that it was fine. It will be difficult for Maestro Constantine to live up to the first NYE show with the acrobat, juggler, etc. Last's year was very good even though there was no 'gimmicks'. This year was good.

Yet another wonderful performance by the RSO providing an uplifting transition to the new year. My wife and I have made this our New Year's Eve tradition and we wouldn't miss it. It is a tribute to the RSO and the Berks County area that they attract top notch talent as solo artists to accompany the resident talent of the RSO. This year was no different with the magical voice and performance of Jody Benson. We look forward to next year's show.

The NY concert was just great!!! We go every year and this one wos one of the best.

I was lucky enough to attend the Saturday 12/19 4:30 performance of The Nutcracker. The dancing, acting, staging, choreography, costumes, and orchestra were wonderful. The winter weather could have certainly put a damper on the audience attendance, but the performers put their hearts and souls into the performance nonetheless. BRAVO!

My daughter & I go every year. It has been interesting how things have changed since the first time we saw the production about 20 years ago. We thought the interpretation of Herr Drosselmeyer was a little strange this year. What was the reason for the eye patch? The dance solos were great!

The orchestra, the ballet, costumes and everything was fantastic. Even the snowstorm added to the festive atmosphere.

Great show! Quin Kelly gave a stellar performance. Bravo!

Percussion section was awfully louder than the orchestra, and too close to the audience. Other than that, performance of orchestra and actors was magnificient.

We took my three children and parents to the Friday evening performance of the Nutcracker. I wasn't expecting my boys age 10 and 6 to like it, but they really enjoyed it. They are sports fanatics so I wanted them to see a fine arts production and it was a great choice. Performances were terrific (not professional caliber ballet ), but good enough for children. A lot of energy from the performers and excellent orchestra! A great Christmas time activity for the family!

It was an amazing show. The dancers were really talented. Definitely a good show to go see to get into the holiday spirit!

The symphony and the dancers were outstanding. It made for a very enjoyable evening.

Wonderful music , the orch seating difficult to see

With George Gershwin as my favorite Twentieth Century Composer, I had to see the RSO's version of American in Paris, Rhapsody in Blue (plus Love is Here To Stay) and Porgy and Bess. I was not disappointed. I only question why the featured performers were not introduced. Great music with wonderful vocalizations.

Reading Symphony was great. HS Orchestra also superb. Amazing sound from musicians.

I took my mom to Soaring Strings and both of us agreed that we were shocked when the concert was over and nearly two hours had passed. That's what good music does--it takes you to a place where you forget about time and just enjoy. The only downside was the parking. There was a section of the lot that was reserved for those who'd purchased more expensive tickets (we hadn't), but there were no signs explaining which sections we could park in--only signs about hospital parking for the facility across the street. We wandered the parking lot for about 20 minutes trying to figure out where we could park.

We enjoyed the concert very much. The sound was amazing

I always wanted to visit the Reading Symphony Orchestra. What a treat! The Orchestra was outstanding and the guest star - Ellis Hall was remarkable. His talent is out of this world. I would recommend this as a must see.

Ellis Hall was so much fun on NYE -- the perfect closing to 2016. He's an amazing talent, and I send kudos to the Reading Symphony Orchestra for bringing him to Reading. The symphony sounded at its best -- perfect blend with Ellis' Motown playlist. Loved it. It's become our tradition to attend these NYE concerts then have a party with friends afterward. Perfect way to ring in the new year!

Haven't been to an RSO concert in years. Pleasantly surprised at the improvement the group shows. Well on their way to being the premier regional orchestra in SE Pennsylvania.

Aside from a delay in entering the PAC due to newly installed metal detectors, the night was pleasant as always when listening to the Reading Symphony Orchestra. The use of six French horns (four featured performers) during the second set, following the performance featuring their string section, a brief intermission followed by Junior and Senior student performers intermingled with veteran musicians and topped off by a performance of Beethoven's Fifth concluded the night; resulting in a standing ovation and a second curtain call for the maestro, Andrew Constantine. Bravo!

If I could use only one word - it word be "AWESOME!"

The Simon & Garfunkel Retrospective was a great way to celebrate New Year's Eve. Beedle and Swearingen captivated the audience with their rich, soul full harmonizing.

The symphony playing Simon and Garfunkel along with the voices of AJ and Jonathan was amazing and powerful.

The combination of "Simon" and "Garfunkel" with the RSO was awesome! We loved hearing the SRO playing their hit medley as well as the medley of other hits in that era. Having the duo with guitar was authentic and nostalgic. But the combination numbers were brilliantly planned. All musicians worked really hard to arrange and play those pieces. The exceptional talent of the conductor is phenomenal, in recognizing the possibility of this show, in directing, in humorously relating to the audience, and in playing the piano. We could have listened for more hours. Our only disappointment was that there was only one encore.

Excellent evening. Hope they continue this tradition on New Years's Eve. Lov ed the Beatles last year as well.

What a delightful performance. One that you simply did not want to end!!

Pianist and orchestra were marvelous! Program choice of rachmaninoff 2nd symphony was poor given so many other russian orchestral works. Symphony has no memorable themes and was a let down after piano concerto.

A wonderful performance by the Reading Symphony Orchestra this evening. The Mahler piece was particularly rousing. I enjoyed the four cellos and first violinist/concert master. He played with passion. Maestro Constantine was masterful as he wove the orchestra through this work. Kudos to all!

Wonderful concert! The music was excellent. Even the quietest notes were perceptible everywhere. The Lark Ascending left me breathless!

This is the first time I have heard the Reading Symphony Orchestra. The Valentine's Day Motown show was a pleasant surprise. Two top quality Broadway singer's took us on a tour of some of Motown's greatest hits. The sound quality of the Santander Performing Arts Center added to the experience. Reminds you of one of the Broadway theaters. Sadly, many seats were vacant on all levels.

The concert was outstanding as usual, always look forward to the Valentine's Day concerts.

The music of Billy Joel & Elton John was SUBURB!!! The symphony, along with "Jeans & Classic", did an outstanding job. The vocalist was great and his wit was enjoyable. This is the second New Year's Eve event my husband & I have attended. We brought another couple and they enjoyed the concert as well and we hope that this event is continued next New Year's Eve.

Sheer perfection. It doesn't get any better than this! Loved every minute. Wish they played longer.

So much fun and perfect way to celebrate the New Year! Very enjoyable musical event.

A great New Year's Eve event! If you enjoy music it made you enjoy some great hits

I would highly recommend going. A great night out the music was fantastic.

Our first time to the Reading Symphony and the Rajah Theater. What a wonderful way to welcome the New Year! You certainly did justice to Billy Joel and Elton John. The theater itself is a treat....keep it going!

I thought the merger was very natural joining Billy Joel and Elton John with the RSO. Song choices were excellent, and varied enough to hit everyone's playlist. Thoroughly entertaining.

I found the concert very enjoyable! I thought that the RSJSO played some ambitious music, maybe a little above their capabilities, but I thought that the young students performed well for the difficulty of the music. The RSYO sounded wonderful, as always. I was not a fan of the dancers; I felt that they were not very prepared for their performance. While Tamara Black is a marvelous singer, I felt that the soloist should have been a younger group of students. A professional opera singer, such as herself, did not really fit into the rest of the performance. Overall, I really enjoyed the concert and I would definitely attend in the future. I also have a recommendation for the conductors of the groups. I think that many people, especially returning members such as myself, would love to be able to visit with and talk to the conductors after the show. If they would make an appearance in the lobby, I think that many would enjoy to see them there.

Wonderful music! Both Junior and Youth orchestras were outstanding. Enjoyed the accompanying dancing. The sing a long was fun, but would suggest making a bit shorter.

If you have a chance to see the Junior String Orchestra and the Youth Orchestra DO SO. You will not believe you are watching grade-school and high-school kids.

TOO MUCH STUFF BEFORE THE MUSIC !cUT OUT THE OPRNING ACTS AND GTE DOWN TO BUSINESS.

There was nothing wrong with the orchestra. The musicians did their job. Unfortunately, the opening act was a piece of very inferior writing - a badly directed bad play, actually more of a skit, about the life of the composer. The acting was extraordinarily uneven; the direction often inexplicable. Why, for example did the opening narrator proclaim his lines, as opposed to telling the story? The movement was often artificial and ridiculously overwrought. The cobwebby piano prop baffled me. It was ugly and for some reason seemed to be impossible to move. It should have been on wheels. Many of the costumes appeared ill-fitting.( Wrist-length gloves on the young woman were not appropriate - elbow-length would be correct.) I fail to understand the purpose of all this rigmarole. It added nothing to the excellent performance of the 7th which was the second half of the evening. In fact it distracted from it. If the symphony is going to continue to give us these, to my mind unnecessary, additions to the concerts, someone should monitor the quality and be sure it matches that of the orchestra.

My wife and I went to the symphony for the first time to see this show. We loved every minute of it. The venue was very nice and the orchestra was outstanding from start to finish!

Reading is fortunate to have a fine symphony orchestra, and that fact was (mostly) borne out in Saturday's season opening concert. The selfie silliness at the beginning was cute for the first couple of minutes, but, combined with the Manager's long opening remarks, it was too long to have to wait for the music to start. Ancient Airs and Dances was delicately performed. Nicely done! The Double concerto was ably played by the cellist, but the violinist could not be heard for much of his performance. And when he was heard, it was rather thin. Tchaikovsky's 4th is always a delight, but the beautiful second movement just didn't come together for this performance. But the brass and percussion were certainly up to the challenge for the fabulous closing minutes of the symphony. Will I be back? You bet!

RSO was, as usual, outstanding under its guest conductor. Adding three accomplished Broadway veterans in a salute to Broadway was genius. Songs ranged from an instrumental medley from Chicago to West Side Story to Jesus Christ Superstar, and the individual songs were from musicals such as Gypsy, Company, The King and I, Chicago, Les Miserables, and Phantom of the Opera. Overall, a spectacular evening and one I'm looking forward to attending next year as well.

Wonderful !!! The singers were very talented and the symphony was excellent

What an enjoyable evening. The Reading Symphony Orchestra showed just what a gem they are, providing the backdrop for the amazing Broadway talent of these three performers. And when they were spotlighted playing overtures...just beautiful. Such talent and such a FUN evening.

Excellent concert. The guest soloist....violinist Nigel was wonderful.....outstanding! Gracious to play an encore!!

The RSO as back-up to Jeans n Classics, playing Sgt. Peppers no less, was one of the most enjoyable times my wife and i have had in recent memory. The band truly did justice to the music and memories with the Orchestra seeming to truly enjoy themselves on this little side journey. I'm still smiling days later; a memory I'll cherish into the beyond.

My wife & I both enjoyed the show. That was our first visit and we both enjoyed the show. Musicians were good and the singers were good.

How many chances to you get to hear Sgt. Peppers done by a rock group & orchestra!?! Phenomenal! Don't miss this next time it comes around! The audience was amazing also, 6 to those elderly in wheel chairs!

My wife and I were blown away by the magnificent presentation of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band. The orchestra and guest band truly captured the essence of the Beatles. My wife commented, " I want to see that again!". It was a remarkable experience for us both!

This was a very good musical time machine that took my wife and me back to a wonderful, exciting, and tense era of possibilities. We looked foward to the evening even though it was a last minute decision to go. This night was my wife's 64th birthday so the song "When I'm 64"was the highlight of the evening.

Delightful and light musical event. Orchestra was great and the two female performers were very good. Missed Andrew Constantine. our outstanding conductor!

The Reading Symphony Youth Orchestra did a fabulous job of transporting us to the carnival and introducing all of the beautiful "animals" from the Berks Ballet. My daughter had a fabulous time. It was extremely kid friendly. The activities on the mezzanine after the concert were almost as fun as the concert itself.

Christopher Collins Lee was amazing on violin as the soloist for this concert. He redefines the range and beauty of the violin!! The RSO performance was beautiful. And the Jr Strings Orchestra in Grades 4-8 were charming and very professional as the "warm up act" for the 2nd half of the show. It was a very special night!

Great family event for New Years Eve. The band in conjunction with the Symphony really made it work for the kids.

We enjoyed the Jeans and Classics event featuring the Bond music so much at the Reading Sovereign Performing Arts Center that we have firmly decided to make it our new tradition for early on New Year's Eve. The event is audience friendly, the music and vocals are terrific, and the venue is comfortable and festive.

While nicely done and entertaining this variety show lacked the grace, warmth, and reverie of the "old-fashioned" New Year's eve programs. Not a word from the director, none of the "old" traditions, no Radetzki... the message?... let's throw away everything old because it has no value. I treasure the old values.

The show was excellent with very talented people. The music was great.

I was very impressed with the berks ballet theater performance of the nutcracker this year! Impressive dancing by Clara and many others, my personal favorite was the Russian dancer. I enjoyed the mice and how they changed the show to include them more this year- they looked as if they had a ball!

Amazing performance! The young performers should be so proud.

Enjoyed the performance with my family. Appreciate the hard work that went into it. Glad to have such a quality show locally.

Everything about the RSO/BBT production of Nutcracker was wonderful. The music was artfully performed, the costumes were beautiful and the dancing was inspiring. I especially liked the performance by Miss Wilson as the Dew Drop Fairy.

The Reading Symphony and the Berks Ballet Theater provided a very good performance of the 2012 Nuickcracker. This is a time honored Christmas tradition that should be treasured by all of Berks County.

Always an excellent performance from the Berks Ballet!

The performance of the dancers was excellent and pure enchantment.

We had great seats and the music was very good. We always enjoy the symphony, there is nothing like getting all dressed up and going out to the Reading symphony to enjoy classical music.

Great seats! Excellent performance! The Reading Symphony does a phenomental job of entertaining.

If you have an appreciation for clasical music the RSO offers a very talented orchestra. The performing art center is easy to get to and a pleasure to view events at. The soloist for this particular show was a pleasure to listen too and watch, a very talented musician.

In my opinion, was truly an artist . The Cello came to life before our eyes and ears. I wish, he could have played more but perhaps next time. As usual, the night was a complete success via Andrew Constantine, Music Director. The Reading Sympathy Junior String Orchestra was a delight. Of course, the Reading Sympathy Orchestra is one of the best.