The Lubbock Symphony Orchestra is gearing up for its upcoming season, celebrating its 80th anniversary through a series of concerts from September 2026 through May 2027.
David Cho, LSO’s director for the last 15 years who has become a staple in the community, met up with the A-J to discuss what to expect for the symphony’s upcoming season, along with Cho’s creative vision and journey during his time at LSO.
David Cho reflects on 15 years at Lubbock Symphony Orchestra
When Cho immigrated to the United States from South Korea more than 40 years ago, he spoke little English and would’ve never imagined becoming a symphony conductor.
He started by playing the piano, and gradually began conducting through the years.
“I had not in a million years known I would first of all become a conductor, let alone reside in Lubbock, Texas,” Cho said. “To this day I am convinced that this is such a special community with a world-class ensemble, a world-class venue – Buddy Holly Hall – and I feel so lucky, I have to say.”
Cho describes LSO as the flagship orchestra of Lubbock, a jewel tucked away in a pocket of West Texas.
“I think it’s just a miracle of an event for 80 people, 80 musicians to come together from all different backgrounds, with dozens of different instruments that have totally and completely different technique to come together and play with a unified sound, whether it’s Beethoven, Mozart, or Tchaikovsky,” Cho said.
During his time with LSO, Cho has become a prominent figure in the Lubbock community, known not only for his musical excellence but for his deep commitment to the city.
“Over the course of 15 years, the love of the community adopted me as if I am their son, grandson, nephew, brother, what have you?” Cho said.
When Cho first began as director, his vision was to maintain and improve the orchestra’s sound. He said the vision has now grown and evolved to be more complex, focusing not only on the orchestra’s musical excellence but expanding its reach throughout the community.
“I coax our education director, our CEO, our musicians, and the staff to visit our rural school areas, rural school districts, to spread the word of the upcoming concerts and invite them to the Buddy Holly Hall, and I think we are reaping benefits little by little, slowly but surely,” Cho said. “We try to save one soul at a time.”
He said those efforts, along with outreach to community organizations such as Rotary and Lions clubs and visits to classrooms at Texas Tech University, have helped the orchestra build lasting connections with the community.
“Being a conductor here in West Texas, I think just the West Texas hospitality has become part of my DNA, and my oh my, owing to the community, I will remember it for the rest of my life. This is truly, truly a special place,” Cho said.
Heather Hocker, president and CEO of LSO, said Cho’s tenure has brought exponential growth to the symphony, as he guided the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, transitioning from entertaining patrons online before returning to live performances at Buddy Holly Hall.
“We went from the Civic Center to Buddy Holly Hall for our Masterworks concerts and doubled the size and had to shift from two nights of concerts to one night, so I think he has he has balanced all of that beautifully,“ Hocker said.
Hocker said Cho is very intentional about his craft and how he prepares musicians, how he prepares behind the scenes elements, how he prepares the audience, and stressed that LSO couldn’t ask for a better music director/maestro.
“You ask David to go anywhere, be anywhere, talk to anyone, and it’s always yes, of course,” Hocker said. “He has always made Lubbock a priority, and he lives here, and we are we are so fortunate for that.”
Hocker said she’s looking forward to this upcoming season as each concert is special in its own way.
“This season, in particular, I think Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (In Concert) is going to be absolutely fantastic,” she said. “I think you do not want to miss our first Masterworks concert with Clayton Stephenson. He’s going to be a treat.”
Hocker encourages Lubbock residents to attend at least one of the symphony’s concerts, as their music spans generations and offers something for everyone.
“Try it a couple of times because music soothes the soul,” she said. “You know, you could be having a horrible day, and you can walk into Betty Holly Hall, and we are so lucky to have a world-class facility, and you can sit in those seats and sit back and just let your mind wander and listen to beautiful, beautiful music, and have no distraction whatsoever.”
What to expect from LSO’s 2026-27 season
To kick off their season, LSO is presenting a program part of their Masterworks Series titled Prokofiev & Shostakovich at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sep. 3 at the Buddy Holly Hall Helen Devitt Jones Theater.
There will be a pre-concert by the John Sprott Blues Band at 6 p.m., with a performance from Van Cliburn International Piano Competition finalist Clayton Stephenson, performing Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No 3.
Then, LSO presents Classical Icons, a concert featuring music from some of the most famous composers and icons of the “Classical Era”, like Mozart and Beethoven.
The program is a part of their Chamber Series, played by the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, and will run at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sep. 19 at the Buddy Holly Hall Crickets Theater.
LSO presents The Verdi Requiem as a part of their Masterworks Series at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 15 at The Buddy Holly Hall Helen Devitt Jones Theater. The concert explores “Italian operatic composer Giuseppe Verdi’s take on the Catholic funeral mass–a dramatic exploration of spirituality and humanism,” according to their website.
“I was struggling a little bit (on) how we can celebrate our 80th birthday with a … requiem, as you know, requiem is a Roman Catholic mass, funeral mass,” Cho said. “However, this funeral mass actually explores more of a spiritual and humanism. Although very dark, it features hope.”
There will be a pre-concert at 6 p.m. in the lobby from the Keegan Peck Quartet, a local Lubbock band that specializes in jazz standards. The program will feature vocalists from The Lubbock Chorale, a community-based ensemble.
On Tuesday, Dec. 1, LSO will host their Holiday Concert at 7:30 p.m. at the Buddy Holly Hall Helen Devitt Jones Theater.
The concert will feature The Lubbock Chorale, West Texas Children’s Chorus, FUMC Chancel Choir, to “celebrate the magic of the holidays in a vibrant program featuring festive classics, contemporary favorites, and timeless traditional hymns.”
The program will be conducted by Eric Allen and feature Amy Owens, award-winning multi-genre vocalist.
LSO will feature Brahms: Double Concerto as a part of their Masterworks Series, conducted by a guest conductor, where the symphony will perform ‘three works that represent the depths of life and emotion.’
The concert will feature two musicians from the Lubbock Symphony: Evgeny Zvonikov, on violin, and Michael Newton, on the cello. The program will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 22 at the Buddy Holly Hall Helen Devitt Jones Theater.
LSO’s fourth concert in the Masterworks Series will be Opera’s Funniest Romance, performing Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, “a comedy of errors that explores issues of inheritance, class, and true love.” The program will feature Amanda Key as their soprano vocalist.
LSO will present Fantasy & Enchantment at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 2 at the Buddy Holly Hall Crickets Theater, “for a night of whimsical music to lighten your soul” as the second in the Chamber Orchestra Series.
The concert is conducted by Eric Allen and will feature the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra.
As the fifth concert of the Masterworks Series, LSO presents Ride of the Valkyries side-by-side with students of the Lubbock Youth Orchestras at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 16 at the Buddy Holly Hall Helen DeVitt Jones Theater.
To close off their season, LSO presents Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back in Concert at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 4 at the Buddy Holly Hall, featuring a screening of the fifth episode of Star Wars with a live orchestra soundtrack.
Sofia Bueno is a 2026 summer reporting intern for the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal and a journalism student at Texas Tech. Have a news tip? Email the A-J at newmedia@lubbockonline.com.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Maestro Cho reflects on 15 years at LSO as symphony enters 80th season
Reporting by Sofia Bueno, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sofia Bueno, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal | USA TODAY Network
