Symphonic World Cup

The FIFA 2026 World Cup comes to Santa Clara County, but before any of the globe’s greatest soccer players hit the pitch, Symphony San Jose’s all-star musicians will showcase a lineup of international greats of their own. This concert features the Symphony’s first performance of a work by Denmark’s most prominent composer, Carl Nielsen, as he recounts the ancient myth of Helios. From Argentina, Alberto Ginastera’s concerto brought the harp out from its clichéd angelic past and into the forefront of solo virtuosity. Bringing this fiery work to life is Katherine Siochi, widely recognized as one of the leading harpists of her generation. The program concludes in Russia with Shostakovich’s heroic masterpiece, written as a defiant tribute against Stalin’s oppressive regime. His greatest symphony remains a beacon of hope for the future of all mankind.