The Long Beach Symphony will continue its Classical Series with a concert that feels less like a routine program and more like a moment of wonder, dubbed “Pepe Romero Returns,” on Saturday, Feb. 28.
And truly, we are lucky to behold it.
To hear “Concierto de Aranjuez” performed live is rare enough. To hear it played by Pepe Romero, one of the living legends of the guitar, is something else entirely.
Under the baton of Music Director Eckart Preu, the evening celebrates Romero’s long-awaited return to Long Beach.
“Our fourth classical concert is very special because we celebrate [his] return to our Symphony,” Preu said. “Pepe is a living legend who is not only one of the most wonderful musicians I have ever worked with, but also an incredible person who brings an irresistible humanity to the stage and to his music.”
That humanity is central to the magic of Rodrigo’s concerto. Composed by Joaquín Rodrigo in 1939, the piece has become the classic guitar concerto, the gold standard against which all others are measured. Its first movement dances with Spanish rhythms, bright and buoyant.
But it is the second movement that stops time. Preu calls it “the crown jewel of this work… the truly magical slow movement and its haunting melody for English horn. It is one of the most beautiful melodies ever composed.”
Hearing that melody unfold is precisely the kind of musical privilege that reminds us why live performance matters.
The evening will open with Gabriela Lena Frank’s “Elegia Andina for Orchestra,” a lush work that explores her Peruvian heritage.Inspired by the zampoña, or Andean pan flute, the piece unfolds like what Preu describes as “A Day in the Jungle.” Night gives way to dawn, a solo flute becomes the first bird awake, creatures stir, a tropical storm flashes and disappears, and dusk settles into a clarinet duet.
The second half turns to Baroque splendor with selections from George Frideric Handel’s “Water Music Suites.” Originally written for King George I’s famously extravagant boat party on the River Thames, the piece is built on the dance forms of the day — minuets, gavottes, and more.
At the heart of this concert, though, is a singular moment: A master guitarist returning to a city that welcomes him back.
The show will get underway at the Terrace Theater at 7:30 p.m.
Head to shorturl.at/MPPfL for tickets.
Alex’s Bar
Crate diggers rejoice — the Alex’s Bar Record Swap will return this Saturday, Feb. 28, transforming the beloved Fourth Street venue into a swap meet of sound.
Running from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. with free entry, the afternoon gathering will feature more than 20 record vendors offering vinyl of every imaginable genre and era.
The swap is built for browsing and buying — and yes, trading, if both parties are game.
This isn’t just about transactions, though. Records are more than just a format for music, they’re pieces of art in themselves. Album covers have long served as canvases for bold graphic design, iconic photography, and subversive storytelling.
So, to flip through crates at Alex’s Bar is to flip through decades of visual and sonic history.
Adding to the atmosphere, live DJs will keep the vibe spinning throughout the day, while tacos from Bocaditos and a full bar will ensure no one leaves hungry or thirsty.
As with any great record swap, part of the magic will lie in the unplanned conversations, the shared recommendations and the newly sparked friendships.
Head to alexsbar.com for additional details.
Playhouse
The Long Beach Playhouse’s Mainstage will welcome a landmark of American theater this weekend with August Wilson’s “Gem of the Ocean,” directed by Rovin Jay.
Written by August Wilson, the play blends naturalism, mysticism, and magical realism to explore the spiritual and historical foundations of Black life in America at the turn of the 20th century.
Set in 1904 Pittsburgh, the story follows Citizen Barlow as he seeks refuge in the Hill District home of Aunt Ester, a 285-year-old matriarch and spiritual guide who sends him on a metaphysical journey aboard the legendary slave ship Gem of the Ocean to the City of Bones, the resting place of the ancestors.
This work holds a singular place in Wilson’s “Pittsburgh Cycle” of plays. Though it was one of the last plays he wrote, it is the earliest chronologically, laying the groundwork for the nine plays that follow.
In that sense, it serves as a touchstone for everything else Wilson created —and Long Beach Playhouse is proud to bring Wilson’s themes of legacy, community, and healing to their Mainstage.
The production features a strong ensemble cast including Gary Gibson as Eli, Asim Rashad as Citizen Barlow, Daphne Jones as Aunt Ester Tyler, Chaunice Hendking as Black Mary, Bob Baumstem as Rutherford Selig, Deacon Hampton as Solly Two Kings, and Dan White as Caesar Wilks.
Performances begin with a half-price preview on Friday, Feb. 20 at 8 p.m., followed by opening night (paired, as always, with a champagne gala) on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 8 p.m.
The show runs through March 21.
For tickets and more information, visit lbplayhouse.org.
CSULB
The Bob Cole Conservatory of Music will welcome an internationally celebrated virtuoso to its stage with a free piano recital and masterclass by Rixiang Huang on Wednesday, Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. in the Daniel Recital Hall.
Lauded by New York Concert Review as “superb,” Huang has built a global reputation for performances that are both technically commanding and emotionally magnetic.
A graduate of the USC Thornton School of Music and The Juilliard School, Huang has studied with some of the best, including distinguished pianists Jeffrey Kahane and Ick Choo Moon.
The Daniel Recital Hall program offers a compelling snapshot of Huang’s wide-ranging artistry, built largely around transcriptions and shorter character pieces — an ideal format for showcasing color, nuance, and pianistic imagination in concentrated form.
The recital opens with Sergei Rachmaninoff’s “Vocalise” in Earl Wild’s transcription, followed by the Andante from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 23” in A Major, K. 488, in a transcription by Carl Reinecke. Camille Saint-Saëns’ “Le Cygne” (The Swan) appears in Leopold Godowsky’s shimmering arrangement, and Erik Satie’s “Je te veux” arrives via Kotaro Fukuma’s elegant reworking.
From there, the program pivots to Beethoven, Granados, Kapustin, and Ravel’s swirling soundworld.
As a whole, this repertoire reads like a tour of pianistic possibility. By centering on transcriptions alongside a variety of shorter masterworks, Huang’s program promises not just a recital, but a tasting menu of styles.
Admission is free, offering Long Beach audiences an opportunity to experience a world-class soloist up close, both in performance and in dialogue with students during an accompanying masterclass.
Head to shorturl.at/YeEA2 for additional details.