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Ticket Price$20-80Students Half Price
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Duration1 hr 35 minOne intermission
- Saturday, March 14, 2026 7:30PM — Des Moines Civic Center Tickets →
- Sunday, March 15, 2026 2:30PM — Des Moines Civic Center Tickets →
Reflection – Smetana & Beethoven
Stella Chen debuts for Beethoven’s lyrical Violin Concerto. Mozart’s “Prague” Symphony masterfully showcases the composer’s bold orchestration and reflects his admiration for the city. The sweeping melodies of Smetana’s The Moldau from Má vlast closes the concert, taking audiences on a musical journey along the Vltava River from Prague to the Czech countryside.
DMSO Remix Podcast
The DMSO Remix Podcast features professor and professional musician Dr. Eric McIntyre discussing pieces that will be performed at each Masterworks weekend. Learn about the rich history of both contemporary and past composers and their Classical works as Dr. Eric McIntyre dives into why this music is so powerful and enduring.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.
Event Sponsors
Visiting Artist in Residence Sponsors
- Fred & Charlotte Hubbell
Media Partner
Tickets
Single tickets are $20-$80 and are available through Des Moines Performing Arts. Ticket prices are subject to a $5 increase on the day of the concert, excluding student rush tickets.
Student tickets are $7.50-$35 and are available through the Civic Center Ticket Office. Student rush tickets, subject to availability, are $5 for junior high and high school students and $10 for all other students the day of the concert through the Civic Center Ticket Office. One ticket sold per valid Student ID.
Learn More
Join us 45 minutes before the concert in the Prairie Meadows (East) Lobby for a free Concert Prelude Talk. Led by Dr. Eric McIntyre of Grinnell College, these discussions are complimentary to ticket holders and offer engaging and topical commentary on the featured program.
Digital Program Books
In an effort to reduce our environmental impact and preserve natural resources, we now offer a Digital Program Book. Click here to read about the program, guests artists and composers featured this weekend.
Joseph Giunta Conductor
One of America’s most distinguished, versatile and dynamic conductors, Joseph Giunta is a musician of international acclaim. He is recognized as an important American conductor for his innovative programming and for his compelling interpretations of traditional and new music. His musical depth combined with his boundless energy and contagious enthusiasm makes him one of the most respected and successful orchestra leaders in the United States.
Stella Chen Violin
Gramophone 2023 Young Artist of the Year Stella Chen garnered worldwide attention with her first-prize win at the 2019 Queen Elizabeth International Violin Competition, followed by the 2020 Avery Fisher Career Grant and 2020 Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award.
Since then, Stella has appeared across North America, Europe, and Asia in concerto, recital, and chamber music performances. She recently made debuts with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra, Israel Philharmonic, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, Baltimore Symphony, Belgian National Orchestra, and many others and appeared at the Vienna Musikverein and Berlin Philharmonie. In recital, recent appearances include Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, the Phillips Collection, Rockport Music Festival, and Nume Festival in Italy. She appears frequently with Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center both in New York and on tour.
Stella has appeared as a chamber musician in festivals including the Ravinia, Seattle Chamber Music, Perlman Music Program, Music@Menlo, Bridgehampton, Rockport, Kronberg Academy, and Sarasota. Chamber music partners include Itzhak Perlman, James Ehnes, and Matthew Lipman.
She is the inaugural recipient of the Robert Levin Award from Harvard University, where she was inspired by Robert Levin himself. Teachers and mentors have included Donald Weilerstein, Itzhak Perlman, Miriam Fried, and Catherine Cho. She received her doctorate from the Juilliard School where she serves as teaching assistant to her longtime mentor Li Lin.
Stella plays the 1720 General Kyd Stradivarius, on generous loan from Dr. Ryuji Ueno and Rare Violins In Consortium, Artists and Benefactors Collaborative and the 1708 Huggins Stradivarius courtesy of the Nippon Music Foundation.
