Even in recognizing that Fresno has a strong musical community spanning a wide range of genres and styles, you can’t go wrong with the classics. Talk about old school—music of the 1700s, 1800s, and early 1900s that has stood the test of time! Fresno is very fortunate (especially considering our size) to have both the Fresno Philharmonic Orchestra and the Fresno Grand Opera.

The Fresno Philharmonic, which incorporated as a nonprofit in 1954, is the largest orchestra between San Francisco and Los Angeles. It has 68 musicians under a 5-year contract, with another 20-30 musicians performing with them when needed.

Each Fresno Grand Opera production brings in world-renowned performers for the major roles, though you may recognize some local Fresnans in the chorus. Translations are always projected onto the walls (even for the operas written and performed in English). The production quality has been consistently strong. For each performance I’ve been to (six, now), I’ve recognized either the story or one of the songs within the opera, so the performances have always felt somewhat familiar.

Fresno is very fortunate in that supporting the Philharmonic and Opera, experienced and new patrons alike are treated to both quality and a profoundly non-stuffy experience. Audience members in their finery mingle and talk with other patrons in jeans in the lobby of the recently renovated William Saroyan Theatre.

Each season, there are about eight Philharmonic concerts (each with two performances, Saturday and Sunday, and occasional special events) and three or four Opera events (two operas with two performances each, Friday and Sunday, and a guest artist concert, for which a musical was performed in the 2006-2007 season). The Philharmonic and Opera repertoire has been fantastic and varied.

For the 2006-2007 season, tickets for the Philharmonic started at $26, and tickets for the Opera started at $24.50. If that’s still more than you want to spend, sign up for the Philharmonic’s “E-notes” on the Philharmonic website; they occasionally send out emails with pre-concert sales a couple of weeks before the actual concerts. You can also consider the Philharmonic and Opera volunteer programs. I volunteered for the Opera as an usher for five performances. Opera volunteers get to see the Wednesday final dress rehearsal/student night performance free of charge, and they can sometimes catch portions in-between ushering duties during the regular performance. Season tickets can help you save a little if you know you’re going to want to go to several concerts. You can buy individual tickets or season tickets on their websites.

Read the Undercurrent reviews of the most recent Philharmonic and Opera performances at www.fresnoundercurrent.net. The upcoming 2007-2008 season marks the 55th season for the Philharmonic and the 10th season for the Opera! Check http://www.fresnophil.org/ and http://www.fresnograndopera.org/ as more information on this big year becomes available!