Feb
3
6:00 PM
Bella Notte ‘27 Midnight in Manhattan
Beethoven’s Eroica and Rautavaara’s Cantus Arcticus
Saturday, January 30, 2027, 7:00 pm
Included in Season Subscription Purchases
St Andrew Baptist Church, Corner of Beck and 15th Street, Panama City, Florida
Join us at the St. Andrew Baptist Church for a profound musical journey that bridges the heroic human spirit and the ethereal beauty of the natural world. This evocative program features Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica,” a revolutionary masterwork that forever changed the landscape of classical music with its themes of struggle, triumph, and grandeur. Complementing this monumental piece is Einojuhani Rautavaara’s Cantus Arcticus, a uniquely haunting “Concerto for Birds and Orchestra” that incorporates recorded songs of birds from the Arctic Circle, creating a lush, atmospheric dialogue between symphony and wilderness. Within the superb acoustics of our new venue, this concert promises an immersive experience that celebrates both the strength of the individual and the vast, serene mystery of the Great North. Come early and enjoy refreshments in the foyer.
Mystery Finalist Number Three is Revealed! This high-stakes performance serves as a live audition for a premier candidate vying to become our next Music Director and Conductor.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
Einojuhani Rautavaara · Cantus Arcticus, Op. 61
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky · Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 — Movement I
Mana Takahashi, violin
World Premiere Commission · Composer TBA
Mana Takahashi, violin
Ludwig van Beethoven · Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major, Op. 55 “Eroica”
FINALIST NUMBER THREE REVEALED!
RYO HASEGAWA WILL TAKE THE BATON!
Experience this concert as Dr. Hasegawa navigates the heroic depths of Beethoven and the ethereal landscapes of Rautavaara, marking a decisive moment in the future of our orchestra.
CLICK TO LEARN MORE ABOUT DR. RYO HASEGAWA
GUEST VIOLINIST, Mana Takahashi
As the first-place winner in the High School Division of the Panama City Symphony’s 2026 Emerging Artist Competition, violinist Mana Takahashi captivated the judges with her performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35 (1st Movement). She earned a $1,000 cash prize, a feature in the orchestra’s solo recital series, and the honor of performing as Panama City Symphony’s guest artist. Highlighting her appearance with the will be a world premiere of an original work composed specifically for Mana to showcase her extraordinary technique and artistry.
Born in Kanagawa, Japan, Mana Takahashi began studying the violin at age four after her family relocated to Okinawa following the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. She was selected as one of the youngest participants in the ACROS Fukuoka Violin Seminar in 2017, where she studied under renowned professor Seiji Kageyama. In 2021, Mana and her family moved to Tampa, Florida, due to her father’s work commitments, where she continued her musical studies and performance career. She graduated from Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School in 2026 and served as concertmaster of the Tampa Metropolitan Youth Orchestra from 2023, Florida All-State Orchestra in 2025, and many more. Her teachers have included Mika Miyara, Yuko Kageyama, Madeleine Jansen, Carolyn Stuart, and Michelle Kim-Painter, and she currently studies with Yefim Romanov.
Mana has received numerous awards, including first prizes at the Ryukyu Shimpo Violin Competition (2016–2020), the International School Violin Competition (2016–2017), the Tampa Metropolitan Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition (2022), the Tampa Young Artists Competition (2023, 2025), and the University of Tampa Concerto and Aria Competition (2024) and the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition (2026). Following her first-prize win, she is scheduled to appear as a soloist with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra in November 2026. As a soloist, she has also performed with the Tampa Metropolitan Youth Orchestra (2023), the Florida College Symphony Orchestra (2024), and the University of Tampa Symphony Orchestra (2025).
Deeply passionate about chamber music, Mana has participated as a scholarship student in several summer festivals, including the Luzerne Music Center Summer Festival (2022–2023), the Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival, and the Shinshu Kreutzer Summer Festival (2020–2021, 2024–2026).
Having experienced firsthand how music became a universal language and connector during her transition from Japan to the United States, Mana strongly believes that music can communicate and express more than words, especially during times of hardship, conflict, and change. She aspires to combine careers in music and medicine, becoming both a professional violinist and a physician, and hopes to use the two fields together to bring comfort, healing, and hope to patients. Through her music, she also hopes to inspire young musicians to help create a more compassionate and peaceful world through the joy of music-making.
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