The Oakland Symphony Presents: Hammond | Saint-Saëns & the Organ

Under the direction of Kedrick Armstrong, this electrifying program puts the organ front and center — from groove-driven brilliance to symphonic thunder. The evening opens with Clarice Assad’s Baião N’ Blues, a rhythmically charged fusion of Brazilian flair and bluesy color.

Then composer-organist Brian Raphael Nabors takes the spotlight in his own Hammond Organ Concerto, a genre-bending showpiece that brings the iconic Hammond sound into the orchestral spotlight. Nabors is joined by organist Jerome Lenk for a program that celebrates the instrument’s full expressive range — from soulful warmth to stadium-sized power.

The night culminates in Camille Saint-Saëns’s Symphony No. 3, “Organ” — the legendary “Organ Symphony.” Majestic, dramatic, and gloriously over-the-top in the best way, it builds to one of the most thrilling finales in all of symphonic music.

🎶 Come early for a pre-concert talk at 7:05 pm with John Kendall Bailey.

✨ With Groupmuse Nights Out, you’re not just getting discounted tickets — you’re plugging into a community that shows up for bold programming and epic live sound. It’s the perfect excuse to gather your music-loving crew and experience a night that will quite literally shake the walls.

What's the music?

Brian Raphael Nabors Organ

Jerome Lenk Organ