Violinist Sandy Yamamoto and the guitar duo known as Moontower are bringing the sound of the movies to two Austin stages this November, pairing string arrangements of classic film scores with an original composition born from a 2025 silent-film revival. The concert, called Movie Magic, plays Friday, November 13 at 7:30 p.m. inside KMFA Classical 89.5's Draylen Mason Music Studio, then repeats Saturday, November 14 at 7:30 p.m. at the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Austin.
The program comes from the Austin Chamber Music Center, which is presenting the concert as part of its 46th season, according to CultureMap Austin. The lineup leans heavily on cinema staples, including Nino Rota's Godfather Theme, Carlos Gardel's Por Una Cabeza, Ennio Morricone's Se, Howard Shore's Lord of the Rings Suite, Leonard Bernstein's America, and a Studio Ghibli suite drawn from Joe Hisaishi's scores for the Miyazaki films, per the Austin Chamber Music Center. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's music from The Social Network rounds out the set list.
Also on the bill is an original composition by Matthew Lyons, adapted from the live score he wrote for the 1925 silent film The Phantom of the Opera. Lyons originally premiered that full-length score in February 2025, in a co-presentation between Austin Classical Guitar and ACMC marking the film's 100th anniversary, according to Austin Classical Guitar. The Moontower Duo, made up of Austin-based composer-guitarists Matthew Lyons and Stephen Krishnan, built its reputation blending classical guitar technique with popular genres, and the group arranged much of the film music heard across both Movie Magic performances.
A Return Engagement Between Two Austin Institutions
Movie Magic marks another collaboration between the Austin Chamber Music Center and Austin Classical Guitar, two of the city's longer-running classical presenters. The concert is folded into ACG's ACG Originals series and its 2026–2027 Friendship Package season subscriptions, according to Austin Classical Guitar. That partnership follows the pair's earlier work together on the Phantom of the Opera score, suggesting the two organizations continue to look for ways to share programming and audiences.
Leading the string side of the performance is violinist Sandy Yamamoto, who took over as ACMC's Artistic Director in September 2024. Yamamoto is also an Associate Professor of Practice at the University of Texas at Austin's Butler School of Music, co-concertmaster of the San Antonio Philharmonic, and a former member of the Miró Quartet, according to The Strad. She previously earned an Avery Fisher Career Grant and won first prize at the Banff International String Quartet Competition.
A Venue Built From Loss, Now Hosting a Season of Music
Friday's performance takes place in the 2,160-square-foot Draylen Mason Music Studio, a 139-seat hall inside KMFA Classical 89.5's East Austin station at 41 Navasota St. The space was dedicated in memory of Draylen Mason, a 17-year-old Austin double bassist who had been accepted to study music at UT Austin before he was killed in the 2018 Austin package bombings, according to KVUE. The studio has since become a regular home for Austin's classical and chamber music community, and Hoodline reported in August that 40 Austin arts groups packed the room for KMFA's sixth annual Austin Arts Mixer, an event that included both ACMC and Austin Classical Guitar among the organizations previewing their fall calendars.
Two Nights, Two Ticketing Formats
ACMC is structuring the two performances differently. Friday's studio concert at KMFA is sold via advance tickets that include a post-concert reception with drinks and light bites, while Saturday's show at the First Unitarian Universalist Church uses standard box-office pricing, with tiers ranging from $12 student passes up to $48 premium seats. CultureMap Austin lists general tickets for Movie Magic starting at $40, with full ticket information available through the event's official listing.
