STOCKTON — Stockton Symphony’s new season that opens this month is offering everything from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 to the music of Billy Joel, to the anticipated return of Cirque de la Symphonie and more. 

Proclaimed as a season of blockbusters—magnificent works of music that are as familiar as they are revered—subscription sales for the 2014-15 Season are underway and are available by calling the Stockton Symphony office at 209.951.0196 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. All concerts but the season’s finale take place in the Warren Atherton Auditorium, San Joaquin Delta College; the final Pops Series concert, “Piano Men” will be performed in the Bob Hope Theatre in downtown Stockton.

The upcoming season marks the 88th year of the Stockton Symphony, making it the third oldest performing orchestra in California, after the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony.  And it marks the 20th year under the baton of Maestro Peter Jaffe.

“I was in my first term as President of the Symphony when Peter joined us in 1995,” notes Stockton Symphony Association (SSA) President Pam Lee. “It is a delight for the Symphony family to honor his service to our community.  The orchestra has grown artistically, new commissioned works have been performed, and many community partnerships have been created under his musical leadership.” 

A celebration of Maestro Jaffe’s 20 years is being planned for the fall.

The season begins Saturday, Sept. 13, with the return of Cirque de la Symphonie for two new performances. The company wowed Stockton in their debut performance in September 2012 with a “Cirque” style show, complete with aerial flyers, acrobats, contortionists, dancers, jugglers, balancers and strongmen performing to orchestral works selected by Maestro Jaffe. The company has performed with the San Francisco Symphony, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Boston Pops, to name but a few. The concerts, performed Sept. 13, at 6 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 14, at 2:30 pm, are sponsored by Joan and Dino Cortopassi. 

Subscription packages for the four-concert Pops Series or the five-concert Classics Series range from $94 to $295. Single tickets range from $25 to $69.