Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Pops Announce Sixth Season of Live from Music Hall

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops Announce Sixth Season of Live from Music Hall Digital Concerts and November 4 CSO Watch Parties

Six Full-Length Concerts Will Be Livestreamed for Free on the CSO’s YouTube Channel Beginning November 30

CSO Music Director Cristian Macelaru, Cincinnati Pops Conductor John Morris Russell and CSO Music Director Laureate Louis Langrée to Conduct

CSO Program Highlights Include:
Lisa Bielawa’s PULSE for Violin and Orchestra featuring Tessa Lark
Carlos Simon’s Tales: A Folklore Symphony
Barber’s Adagio for Strings with Poetry by Rita Dove Honoring Martin Luther King, Jr.
Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 featuring Clayton Stephenson
Classical Roots with the Classical Roots Community Choir

Pops Program Highlights Include:
A Celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary with Martin Sheen
Holiday Pops with Cody Fry

Four Cincinnati Community Centers to Host Free Watch Parties for Simulcast of November 4 CSO Concert Featuring the Orchestra’s New Music Director Cristian Macelaru and Celebrated Cellist Yo-Yo Ma

CINCINNATI, OH (October 7, 2025) — The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and Cincinnati Pops have announced the sixth season of its Live from Music Hall Digital Concert Series, including six fulllength, full-orchestra concerts livestreamed for free on the Orchestra’s YouTube channel. The Orchestra also announced that CSO Watch Parties will take place at four community hubs across Greater Cincinnati for free on November 4 to expand access to a CSO concert conducted by the Orchestra’s new Music Director Cristian Macelaru and joined by celebrated cellist Yo-Yo-Ma.

LIVE FROM MUSIC HALL

The sixth season of the CSO and Pops’ Live from Music Hall Digital Concert Series will feature six fulllength, full-orchestra concerts digitally streamed for free through the CSO’s YouTube Channel.

Music Director Cristian Macelaru will conduct two CSO programs on the digital concert series. On November 30, 2025, Macelaru will conduct a program that includes Carlos Simon’s Tales: A Folklore Symphony, Lisa Bielawa’s PULSE for violin and orchestra featuring Tessa Lark, Copland’s Variations on a Shaker Melody from Appalachian Spring, and Dvorák’s Symphony No. 7. Macelaru will also conduct the CSO program on January 17, 2026, celebrating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. The January program includes select movements from Margaret Bond’s Montgomery Variations, Barber’s Adagio for Strings with new poetry by former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove and narrated by bass Morris Robinson, and conclude with select movements from Wynton Marsalis’ Blues Symphony.

Cincinnati Pops Conductor John Morris Russell will conduct three programs on the digital concert series. On December 14, 2025, Russell will lead Holiday Pops, featuring Grammy Award-nominated singersongwriter Cody Fry, Cincinnati’s own Studio for Dance, Sycamore High School Select Ensemble, SCPA Chorale, Wynton Woods Varsity Ensemble and May Festival Youth Chorus. On March 15, 2026, Russell will conduct a program called American Mosaic, a celebration of America’s 250th Anniversary, featuring acclaimed actor and Dayton-native Martin Sheen. On March 28, 2026, Russell will conduct the CSO’s annual celebration of Black music, Classical Roots, featuring the Classical Roots Community Chorus.

CSO Music Director Laureate Louis Langrée will conduct the CSO program on March 7, 2026, featuring Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 with 2023 Nina Simone Piano Competition winner Clayton Stephenson. The program also includes Robert Schumann’s Symphony No. 4.

For more information on the 2025–26 Live from Music Hall series, visit the CSO and Pops’ website.

CSO WATCH PARTIES, FEATURING YO-YO MA PLAYS ELGAR

On Tuesday, November 4 at 7:30 p.m. community centers across Greater Cincinnati will host free CSO Watch Parties featuring a broadcast of the CSO’s Yo-Yo Ma Plays Elgar concert live from Music Hall. The program will include CSO performances of Elgar’s Cello Concerto with celebrated cellist Yo-Yo Ma, Brahms’ Tragic Overture and Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody No. 1, conducted by the CSO’s new Music Director Cristian Macelaru. Locations for the watch parties include:

• Clifton Cultural Arts Center: 3412 Clifton Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45220
• Kennedy Heights Arts Center: 6546 Montgomery Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45213
• The Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library’s Forest Park Branch: 660 Northland Blvd., Cincinnati, OH 45240
• ARCO in Price Hill: 3301 Price Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45205

Each watch party will feature a projection of the concert with seats for viewing. More information on each location’s watch party will be updated on the CSO’s website.

"As I begin my first season with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, I'm thrilled to be able to share our music with even more of this wonderful city and beyond," Macelaru said. "We want to welcome Cincinnati's community of music lovers to our concert hall, but we likewise want to bring our music Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops Announce Sixth Season of Live from Music Hall Digital Concerts | 3 directly to them. I can think of no better way to engage with our friends and supporters than over the artistry of the brilliant Yo-Yo Ma."

BIOGRAPHIES: Cristian Macelaru, John Morris Russell, Louis Langrée, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops

 

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The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops gratefully acknowledge support from:

CSO Season Sponsor

Cincinnati Pops Season Presenter

Classical Roots is financially assisted by:

Encore Sponsor

American Mosaic Concert Sponsors:
Kelly Dehan and Rick Staudigel

Violin Concerto No. 2, ‘Pulse’ by Lisa Bielawa is made possible by Kari and Jon Ullman

The appearance of Martin Sheen is made possible by a generous gift from The George and Margaret McLane Foundation.

Annual Support
    

 

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops’ 2025–26 Live from Music Hall series includes:

DVORÁK SYMPHONY NO. 7
Sunday, November 30, 2025 | 2 PM ET
Cristian Macelaru, conductor
Tessa Lark, violin
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Carlos Simon Tales: A Folklore Symphony
Lisa Bielawa PULSE for violin and orchestra (Co-Commission)
Aaron Copland Variations on a Shaker Melody from Appalachian Spring
Antonín Dvorák Symphony No. 7

This Thanksgiving, explore the meaning of “home” with music from composers deeply influenced by their cultural roots and traditions.

HOLIDAY POPS
Sunday, December 14, 2025 | 2 PM ET
John Morris Russell, conductor
Cody Fry, vocalist
Studio for Dance Sycamore High School Select Ensemble
SCPA Chorale
Winton Woods Varsity Ensemble
May Festival Youth Chorus
Cincinnati Pops Orchestra

This December, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Cody Fry will join JMR, the Pops, choruses and dancers from around the city to bring holiday favorites to life.

AMERICAN VOICES
Saturday, January 17, 2026 | 7:30 PM ET
Cristian Macelaru, conductor
Morris Robinson, narrator & bass
Rita Dove, poet
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Margaret Bonds Select movements from Montgomery Variations
Samuel Barber Adagio for Strings with poetry commissioned by the CSO
Wynton Marsalis Select movements from Blues Symphony

Featuring music from across genres, this program honors Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy, and the values and ideals he fought for his entire life.

BRAHMS & SCHUMANN
Saturday, March 7, 2026 | 7:30 PM ET
Louis Langrée, conductor
Clayton Stephenson, piano
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Johannes Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2
Robert Schumann Symphony No. 4

Music Director Laureate Louis Langrée and 2023 Nina Simone Piano Competition winner Clayton Stephenson come together to perform Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 before Schumann’s Fourth Symphony.

AMERICAN MOSAIC
Sunday, March 15, 2026 | 2 PM ET
John Morris Russell, conductor
Martin Sheen, narrator
Cincinnati Pops Orchestra

Celebrate the land, cities, towns, people and spirit of the United States for its 250th birthday. Daytonnative actor Martin Sheen narrates.

CLASSICAL ROOTS
Saturday, March 28, 2026 | 7:30 PM ET
John Morris Russell, conductor
Classical Roots Community Choir, Jason Alexander Holmes, resident conductor
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

For over two decades, Classical Roots has been a Cincinnati community staple celebrating the rich legacy of African American music. Love and community will ring throughout Music Hall when the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Classical Roots Community Choir, Nouveau Program and more come together for an evening of song conducted by JMR.

All Live from Music Hall digital concerts are located on the CSO’s YouTube Channel.
All programs, artists, dates and prices are subject to change.

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