Anne Viricel, the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestras executive director, has a gift suggestion for Mom.

What better way is there than to spend a Mothers Day afternoon with the family, doing nothing but relaxing and enjoying beautiful classical music, she said, referring to ensembles performance at 3 p.m. Sunday. Taking Mom to the concert will be a truly special way to treat her.

Most season-finale concerts are programmed for a Saturday night, to be celebrated with champagne and balloons. The schedule at the California Theatre of the Performing Arts in San Bernardino didnt allow for that, but opened the door to the notion of creating a special Mothers Day event.

Besides, this is a really beautiful concert, Viricel added. The music is absolutely wonderful.

The program includes Franz Schuberts Symphony No. 6 in C Major, Beethovens Symphony No. 1 in C Major, and Jacques Francois Antoine Iberts Flute Concerto, to be performed by the orchestras principal flutist, Patricia Cloud.

First on the program will be the Schubert symphony.

We believe audience members of all ages will love hearing this piece, said Frank Paul Fetta, conductor. Each instrument is beautifully highlighted to be easily identified and showcased.

Although Schubert died at age 31, his work was discovered and championed by 19th-century greats Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms. Today, he is ranked among the outstanding composers of the late Classical and early Romantic musical eras.

We titled the entire season A Season of Firsts, Viricel said. The programmed work had to be a work this orchestra would perform for the first time, or a first composition by a particular composer. For this concert, we will perform Beethovens first symphony.

Still under the heavy influence of the Classical composers including his teacher Joseph Haydn, Beethoven premiered this symphony in 1800. According to Fetta, the work still bears many of the composers unique and identifiable characteristics, especially the frequent use of sudden, strong musical emphases.

Nestled between the two very familiar works, the Ibert concerto fits into the first category, as the orchestra will be performing it for the first time.

This is a modern piece, Viricel said. Ibert composed this in 1934, but its beautiful, full of gorgeous melodies. Its so difficult for the soloist, and its really long. The audience will really appreciate the artistry which Patricia Cloud brings to the work.

Musicians of Patricias caliber are rare, but San Bernardino is incredibly fortunate to have an orchestra full of some of the finest musicians in the country, said Fetta in a press release.

Cloud is a native Southern California performer and teacher, and has played with Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony and Mozart Orchestra, as well as serving as principal flute for the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra.

Our mission, in short, is to present accessible music that is fun and good, Viricel said. This concert is well-established classical music fare, and for a good reason. Simply put, it is beautiful music that has proven itself over the centuries to endure and still attract audiences, whether they are aficionados or new to the scene. Thats why we believe this is a marvelous Mothers Day gift.

As a bonus, every mother at the concert will receive a flower.

San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra When: 3 p.m. Sunday, May 14 Where: California Theatre of the Performing Arts, 562 W. Fourth Street, San Bernardino Tickets: $25-$60; students and military with ID are $10 Information: 909-381-5388, http://www.sanbernardinosymphony.org

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San Bernardino Symphony presents a musical treat for Mother's Day - Press-Enterprise