Helena Symphony to present Tchaikovsky Pathétique with violin soloist Richard Amoroso

The Helena Symphony will return to the Helena Civic Center Auditorium on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. for a Masterworks program pairing Tchaikovsky’s Sixth Symphony, the Pathétique, with Prokofiev’s Second Violin Concerto featuring guest soloist Richard Amoroso. The city’s civic calendar lists the concert at 340 Neill Ave and directs ticket buyers to the Helena Symphony and Civic Center ticketing links on the City of Helena event page.

The program juxtaposes Tchaikovsky’s final, emotionally charged symphony with Prokofiev’s technically demanding violin concerto. Program notes on the event listing highlight the Pathétique’s dramatic arc and identify Amoroso as the featured soloist for Prokofiev’s work, framing the concert as both a local cultural highlight and a display of orchestral and solo virtuosity.

For Helena residents, the concert is more than an evening of music. Municipal posting of the event underscores the Civic Center’s ongoing role as a downtown anchor for performing arts, drawing residents and visitors to nearby restaurants, shops, and services. The concert’s timing on a Saturday evening suggests potential spillover benefits for local hospitality businesses that rely on weekend cultural traffic.

From a policy perspective, municipal promotion of symphony programming signals continued public-sector support for cultural infrastructure. Maintaining regular Masterworks offerings at the Civic Center helps justify ongoing operating budgets and supports long-term planning for arts programming in Lewis and Clark County. Civic venues that host touring soloists and standard orchestral repertoire can strengthen Helena’s cultural profile and help retain audiences that might otherwise travel to larger regional centers.

Audience impact will hinge on the handling of two contrasting works: the mournful, large-scale proportions of Tchaikovsky’s Sixth and the bright, athletic solo writing in Prokofiev’s concerto. String lovers and patrons of orchestral repertoire will find particular reason to attend, while casual concertgoers can experience an accessible program with recognizable names and dramatic musical storytelling.

Ticketing and additional information are available through the Helena Symphony and Civic Center ticketing links on the city event page. If you plan to go, consider securing seats early given the Civic Center’s role as the primary local venue for large-scale concerts.

Our two cents? Treat this as a downtown night out: grab tickets, make a dinner reservation nearby, and support the Civic Center’s calendar that keeps Helena’s cultural life humming.