Wesley Schulz

conductor

Symphony on the Screen

Saturday, November 21, 2026 - 7:30pm

One epic night taking you from a galaxy far, far away to Middle-Earth.

Wesley Schulz, conductor & Music Director candidate

Richard Strauss: Also sprach Zarathushtra (Fanfare)
Richard Wagner: Ride of the Valkyries
Paul Dukas: Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Howard Shore: Suite from The Fellowship of the Ring
Gustav Holst: The Planets
John Williams: Imperial March

From the iconic opening of 2001: A Space Odyssey to the Imperial March from Star Wars, your Symphony Tacoma brings the silver screen's most legendary music to life. Journey through Middle-Earth, ride with the Valkyries, and explore the cosmos with Holst's The Planets, no popcorn required.

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The Vibe

Here’s what this concert feels like, who it’s right for, and what to bring with you.

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Type of Evening

This concert works well as:

• An epic movie night, upgraded — the scores you love, played live by a full orchestra
• A family-friendly adventure that works for kids and adults alike
• A perfect first symphony experience, if you’ve never been to an orchestra concert before
• A big, bold, cinematic evening

What to Expect

From your seat, you can expect:

• The silver screen’s greatest scores
• Blockbuster themes, live and unfiltered
• Thundering brass and soaring strings
• Goosebumps from the first note

Come With

To get the most out of the night, bring:

• Your inner movie buff
• A Jedi, Hobbit, or space odyssey fan
• A sense of adventure

At the Same Time

Every score on this program reached the screen in a particular moment. Here’s what else was happening in the world the year each film arrived.

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1940

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Paul Dukas

Dukas’s Sorcerer’s Apprentice set Mickey Mouse loose on the brooms in Disney’s Fantasia in 1940 — the same year Glenn Miller recorded “Pennsylvania 6-5000,” named for the telephone number of a Manhattan hotel.

1968

Also sprach Zarathustra

Richard Strauss

Strauss’s sunrise fanfare opened 2001: A Space Odyssey in 1968 — the same year the first 911 call in the United States was placed, in Haleyville, Alabama.

1979

Ride of the Valkyries

Richard Wagner

Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries flew over Apocalypse Now in 1979 — the same year the western half of the Hood Canal Bridge broke apart and sank in a windstorm.

1980

The Imperial March

John Williams

Williams’s Imperial March made its screen debut in The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 — the same year Mount St. Helens erupted after 123 years of quiet.

1983

The Planets

Gustav Holst

Bill Conti’s score for The Right Stuff quotes Holst’s “Mars” and “Jupiter”; the film reached theaters in 1983 — the same year Sally Ride flew aboard the shuttle Challenger as the first American woman in space.

2001

The Fellowship of the Ring

Howard Shore

Howard Shore’s score for The Fellowship of the Ring reached theaters in 2001 — the same year Apple announced iTunes at Macworld in San Francisco.

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