‘Music with the Mendelssohns:’  UC Davis symphony begins 2026 season Saturday  

Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, Saturday, Jan. 24,  7 p.m., UC Davis 

(There is no noon concert this week)

The UC Davis Symphony Orchestra’s begins 2026 with a concert featuring works by Fanny and Felix Mendelssohn. Conducted by Matilda Hofman, UC Davis lecturer in music, the concert is Saturday, Jan. 24 at the Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts and begins at 7 p.m.

Overture in C Major by Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel was composed around 1832 but remained unpublished during her lifetime. The work was only published in 1994. Mendelssohn-Hensel was one of the most talented composers of her time, but due to social pressures and attitudes, audiences never got to see the full extent of her talents. Her Overture features sparkling melodies and evocative orchestrations, effectively showcasing her style.  

Felix Mendelssohn’s The Hebrides was composed in 1832. Considered an early tone poem, the work was inspired by a trip to the British Isles in 1829 to the Scottish island of Staffa, with its basalt sea cave known as Fingal's Cave. The overture consists of two primary themes; the opening notes state the theme Mendelssohn wrote while visiting the cave, and is played initially by the violas, cellos, and bassoons. This lyrical theme, suggestive of the power and beauty of the cave, is intended to develop feelings of loneliness and solitude. The second theme, meanwhile, depicts movement at sea and "rolling waves."

The concert’s program also includes Max Bruch’s Violin Concerto in G Minor featuring guest artist Ava Pakiam as soloist. The concerto was first completed in 1866, and the first performance was given in April 1866 with Bruch conducting. The concerto was then considerably revised with help from celebrated violinist Joseph Joachim and completed in its present form in 1867.  

Pakiam was recently awarded the 2025 Salon De Virtuosi Career Grant in New York City and her performance at their gala was recorded for New York’s WQXR’s Young Artists Showcase. She made her solo debut at eight years old in California performing the Mozart Concerto No. 2 with the Fremont Symphony. She has performed Vivaldi’s Winter Concerto with the Sempre Musik Orchestra and New York Sinfonietta in Boston and New York City, making her solo debut at Carnegie Hall at 8.

Tickets are $12 UC Davis students; $15.50 children (under 18), $24 faculty/staff $27.50 and regular (reserved seating). Tickets are available at the Mondavi Center Ticket Office in person or by calling 530-754-2787 between noon and 5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. Tickets are also available online at Tickets.MondaviArts.org.

For more information about the Department of Music in the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis, visit arts.ucdavis.edu/music.

Learn about the world, and art, of tea at annual symposium next week

Whether it’s a warm cup of oolong in the winter or an iced matcha in the summer, there are numerous ways to enjoy tea all year long. It can be taken on-the-go or part of a slow, mid-morning ritual. It can be enjoyed privately or served ceremoniously to a dignitary or group of friends.  

Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages and has been for centuries. All over the world, it’s been not only a staple item in human diets, but it’s been at the center of diplomatic negotiations, rebellions and national economies.  

This year’s annual Global Tea Institute Colloquium honors the legacy of tea with its theme: Art of Tea in Culture and Science, Society and Health. It will be held Thursday, Jan. 29, at the UC Davis Conference Center. The event is free and open to the public. 

Register now for the 11th annual Global Tea Institute Colloquium, to be held on Thursday, Jan. 29

Read the full story by Maria Sestito on the College of Letters and Science site. 

Coming in February: Public Performance of Raven Chacon’s American Ledger No. 1 at Gorman, and more. 

See next week’s Arts Blog for more on this and other arts events. 

Performance Art through Raven Chacon's American Ledger no.1

The students in Music 198 will present a public performance of Raven Chacon's American Ledger no.1 as part of Chacon's residency at UC Davis in ebruary 2026. The class will work collaboratively to decide the details of how we perform the piece.

SFMOMA offers programs, free public viewing of official Super Bowl LX Roman Numerals 

SFMOMA, in San Francisco, invites visitors and locals to enjoy a photo opportunity with the official Super Bowl LX Roman Numerals, on view for free in the museum’s Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Atrium from Jan. 29 through Feb. 8. To celebrate the game and spotlight what makes the Bay Area a beacon in the fields of art, culture, technology and sports, SFMOMA will also offer a range of programs, events, and products as part of its broader partnership with the Bay Area Host Committee. 

Also in February

Family Studio: Sports Pennants

Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026

10 a.m.–1 p.m.

Floor 2

Calling all football fans! Join SFMOMA’s Koret Education Center for a special Family Studio with SCRAP where visitors can design and make their own pennants for their favorite (or made-up) sports team. Participation in this program is free and does not require museum admission. More information here. 

Little Mermaid starts Jan. 30 at Woodland Opera House

Jan. 30 – Feb. 14, 2026, Woodland Opera House, Woodland

The Disney classic The Little Mermaid makes a splash at the historic Woodland Opera House with a magical, family-friendly stage production running Jan. 30 through Feb. 14.

The musical is presented by underwriters Kevin and Lorie Haarberg and Roger and Judy Kohlmeier.

Based on the animated film, Disney’s The Little Mermaid features an iconic score by eight-time Academy Award winner Alan Menken, with lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater. Audiences are invited to dive under the sea and follow Ariel, a curious young mermaid who dreams of a life “above the waves,” as she embarks on a thrilling journey from ocean depths to dry land.

Bursting with colorful characters, dazzling theatrical spectacle, and unforgettable songs including “Under the Sea,” “Kiss the Girl,” and “Part of Your World,” this production promises delight for Disney fans and musical theatre lovers of all ages.

Performance Schedule (12 performances):

• Week 1: Friday & Saturday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.
• Week 2: Thursday & Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at 2 & 7:30 p.m.; Sunday at 2 p.m.
• Week 3: Thursday & Friday at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday at 2 & 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are on sale now. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit the Opera House website 
You may also contact the Woodland Opera House Box Office at (530) 666-9617.

Disney’s The Little Mermaid is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com