Picture an aerialist flying out over the audience, acrobats suspended from silk fabric, the wizardry of jugglers and magicians, the strength and flexibility of the strongmen and contortionist. Now picture this in a concert hall as you are surrounded by the magnificent sounds of a live orchestra on stage.

This is what audiences will experience at the Inland Empire premiere of Cirque de la Symphonie on Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m. at the historic California Theatre of the Performing Arts.

Cirque de la Symphonie is a unique and exciting production designed to bring the magic of cirque to the music hall. It is an elegant fusion of cirque and orchestra, adapting the stunning performances of cirque artists with the majesty of the full symphony orchestra.

Cirque de la Symphonie performs with orchestras worldwide, showcasing some of the most accomplished veterans of exceptional cirque programs including world record holders, gold-medal winners, Olympians and some of the most original talent ever seen.

These cirque artists will share the stage with San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra members in front of – and sometimes above – the musicians, with choreography that perfectly matches each musical arrangement. The cirque feats contribute to the spirited performance of the orchestra, providing a visual enhancement to the magnificence of a live symphony concert.

Specifically selected for this concert are Dvorak’s Carnival Overture, Bizet’s Music from Carmen, Khachaturian’s Sabre Dance, Charbrier’s Espana, Ravel’s Bolero, De Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance, Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries, Tchaikovsky’s Music from Swan Lake and Brahms’ Hungarian Dance No. 6.

“This is the ultimate concert to introduce young people to orchestral music,” said Dean McVay, president of the symphony board. “We especially chose this collaboration as part of our season because of the unique ability of this concert to connect with audience members of all ages and musical familiarity. We expect something magical to happen when these cirque veterans take the stage in front of our wonderful orchestra. It is our hope that the experience of both hearing the music and seeing it interpreted so uniquely will become a treasured memory for each member of our audience and we cannot thank the San Manual Band of Mission Indians, our presenting sponsors, enough for their generosity.”

The California Theatre of the Performing Arts is located at 562 W. 4th Street, San Bernardino. Concert tickets may be purchased at www.sanbernardinosymphony.org or by calling (909) 381-5388. Students and active military tickets are just $15. General admission tickets are $30, $45, $55 and $65.