One of the most influential horror films ever made is about to get a new voice in Stockton, and that voice will come from a full symphony orchestra.
On Sunday, October 18, the Stockton Symphony will transform Atherton Auditorium into an old-fashioned movie palace for its Halloween Spooktacular: Silent Movie: Nosferatu, pairing the landmark silent film with a newly imagined full-length orchestral score by composer and guest conductor Kermit Poling. The performance begins at 2:30 p.m.
But this isn't simply a screening accompanied by familiar music. Stockton audiences will hear the world premiere of Poling's score, with Act I performed before intermission and Act II completing the film afterward.
It gives Stockton audiences an unusual opportunity: experiencing a century-old piece of cinema with music being introduced to audiences for the first time.
A Silent Movie With a Live Soundtrack
Released in 1922, Nosferatu helped establish much of the visual language audiences still associate with horror movies. Its ominous shadows, unsettling imagery and vampire Count Orlok became enduring images of early cinema.
Silent films, despite the name, were not generally intended to be experienced in complete silence. Music was an important part of the moviegoing experience, whether supplied by a pianist, organist or larger ensemble.
The Stockton Symphony is taking that concept to a much larger scale.
As Nosferatu unfolds on screen, musicians will perform Poling's score live in the auditorium, synchronizing the music with the film and using the orchestra to heighten its suspense, atmosphere and drama. The Symphony describes the production as a classic night at the movies in which the soundtrack is happening live in the room.
That combination makes the orchestra part of the storytelling rather than simply accompaniment.
Halloween Fun Beyond the Film
The afternoon isn't intended to be a solemn trip through film history.
The Stockton Symphony is turning the performance into a broader Halloween celebration suitable for audiences of different ages, complete with an old-Hollywood atmosphere and what the organization describes as playful surprises throughout Atherton Auditorium.
Audience members are encouraged to arrive in costume and participate in the Symphony's traditional onstage costume parade.
And there may be no more recognizable soundtrack for that procession than the one the orchestra has selected.
The parade will be accompanied by a live performance of Ray Parker Jr.'s "Ghostbusters."
The result should be an unusual collision of eras: a 1922 silent horror film, a newly composed symphonic score making its world premiere, a 1980s Halloween favorite and costumed Stockton families sharing the stage with the orchestra.
A Different Way to Experience the Symphony
The event also offers an approachable introduction to live orchestral music for people who might not normally think of attending a symphony concert.
There is no need to know composers, movements or classical repertoire to understand what's happening. The movie supplies the story while the orchestra demonstrates in real time how music can change the emotional impact of an image.
A quiet scene can become ominous. A shadow can suddenly feel threatening. A character entering a room can take on an entirely different meaning depending on what the audience hears.
For younger moviegoers accustomed to elaborate modern film scores, Nosferatu offers an opportunity to see that relationship between movies and music stripped down to its essentials.
And for longtime Symphony patrons, the afternoon offers something quite different from a conventional concert program.
The Halloween Spooktacular is part of the Stockton Symphony's 2026-27 centennial season, as the organization celebrates a century of making music in the community. The season continues with programs ranging from Italian opera and orchestral favorites to holiday music and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.
For one October afternoon, however, the celebration belongs to vampires, movie history, costumes and the unmistakable sound of a live orchestra.
Event Details
What: Stockton Symphony Halloween Spooktacular: Silent Movie: Nosferatu
When: Sunday, October 18, 2026
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Where: Atherton Auditorium, San Joaquin Delta College
Address: 5151 Pacific Ave., Stockton
Guest Composer & Conductor: Kermit Poling
Program: Nosferatu, Act I (World Premiere); "Ghostbusters" during the costume parade; intermission; Nosferatu, Act II (World Premiere)
Costumes: Audience members are encouraged to dress up and participate in the onstage costume parade.
Stockton Symphony Nosferatu event information and tickets
More than 100 years after Nosferatu first flickered across movie screens, Stockton audiences will get to experience the silent classic in a way its original viewers could never have imagined: with a brand-new symphonic soundtrack performed live, right in front of them.