Journey through Europe when the Des Moines Symphony performs Mozart’s Prague Symphony, Smetana’s Moldau and Beethoven’s only Violin Concerto!

DES MOINES, IA — The Des Moines Symphony (DMSO) performs Masterworks 5: Reflection – Smetana & Beethoven at 7:30 PM on Saturday, March 14 and 2:30 PM on Sunday, March 15 at the Des Moines Civic Center (221 Walnut Street, Des Moines).

The Des Moines Symphony’s March program will take audiences on a tour of Europe, beginning with Mozart’s Prague Symphony, which showcases the composer’s bold orchestration and portrays the city. Then, the Orchestra meanders down the Vltava River from Prague to the Czech countryside with Smetana’s beloved Moldau. The journey concludes with Beethoven’s only Violin Concerto, featuring violinist Stella Chen in her Des Moines Symphony debut.

ABOUT STELLA CHEN

Praised for her “silken grace” and “brilliant command” (The Strad), American violinist Stella Chen first gained international attention as the winner of the 2019 Queen Elizabeth International Violin Competition. Her debut album Stella x Schubert (Platoon/Apple Music, 2023) received critical acclaim and earned her Gramophone’s Young Artist of the Year award.

Chen 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, and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, and has performed in leading venues including the Vienna Musikverein, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, and Berlin Philharmonie. She is a frequent guest of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.

Highlights of the 2025/26 season include concerto debuts with the Vancouver, Cincinnati, and Antwerp Symphony orchestras, as well as an American tour with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, featuring a return to Carnegie Hall. She also appears at La Jolla Music Society, Chamber Music San Francisco, and leads a residency at the San Francisco Conservatory.

A devoted chamber musician, Chen has participated in festivals such as the Kronberg Academy, Moritzburg, Ravinia, Seattle Chamber Music Society, Perlman Music Program, Music@Menlo, Bridgehampton, Rockport, and Sarasota, where she returned as faculty in 2025. Chen is the inaugural recipient of Harvard University’s Robert Levin Award. Her mentors include Donald Weilerstein, Itzhak Perlman, Miriam Fried, Li Lin, Catherine Cho, and Robert Levin. She earned her doctorate from the Juilliard School, where she recently joined the College Division String Faculty. She also serves as Visiting Assistant Professor at Shenandoah Conservatory and teaches at the Nume Festival and Academy in Cortona, Italy.

Chen performs on the “General Kyd” 1720 Stradivarius, generously on loan from Dr. Ryuji Ueno and Rare Violins in Consortium.

CONCERT TICKETS

Single tickets range from $22 to $89.60 and are available online through dmsymphony.org (up until two hours prior to performances) and at the Civic Center Ticket Office (515.246.2300), 221 Walnut Street, Des Moines; open 10 AM-5 PM Monday through Friday and two hours prior to performances. Single tickets, excluding student rush tickets, increase $5 on the day of the concert.  

Student tickets are half-price in all sections and are available through the Civic Center Ticket Office with valid student ID. 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. Tickets will be available at the door. 

LEARN MORE 

Audiences can learn more about the pieces performed during each Masterworks concert in the Symphony’s “DMSO Remix” podcast (get it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts) or by attending free Concert Prelude Talks led by Dr. Eric McIntyre, Professor of Music at Grinnell College, 45 minutes prior to each Masterworks concert in the Prairie Meadows (East) Lobby.

REFLECTION – SMETANA & BEETHOVEN
Sat Mar 14 at 7:30 PM & Sun Mar 15 at 2:30 PM
Des Moines Civic Center

Joseph Giunta, conducting
Stella Chen, violin

MOZART                  Symphony No. 38 in D Major, K. 504, “Prague”
SMETANA                 Vltava (The Moldau) from Má Vlast 
BEETHOVEN           Violin Concerto in D Major

MORE INFORMATION

2025-2026 Masterworks concerts take place at 7:30 PM on Saturdays and 2:30 PM on Sundays at the Des Moines Civic Center (221 Walnut Street, Des Moines IA, 50309). For complete program details, please use the links below:

• Mar 14 & 15 / Masterworks 5: Reflection – Smetana & Beethoven
• Mar 28 / The Wizard of Oz in Concert
• April 18 &19 / Masterworks 6: Hope – Copland & Gershwin

Visit dmsymphony.org for complete season details. Find more information, including where to park and what to expect, at dmsymphony.org/about/plan-your-visit/

Visit us at Facebook.com/DMSymphony and Instagram.com/desmoinessymphony

For questions or interview requests, please contact Calla Whipp at calla@dmsymphony.org or 515.419.2124.

Click here for high res photos.