Boston Philharmonic to Conclude a Half Century of Music in June 2027: Organization will transform into the newly created Zander Center

Boston Philharmonic Managing Director Sean Lewis announces that the organization—founded in 1979 by Conductor Benjamin Zander and which includes the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) and the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (BPYO)—will celebrate its final season in 2026-2027. After nearly half a century of inspiring audiences of all ages and levels of experience to have a passionate and informed relationship with classical music, the organization will embark on an exciting new legacy project, the Zander Center, in July 2027.

The 2026-2027 season will be designed as a year-long celebration of the artistry, curiosity, and passion that have defined the Boston Philharmonic for nearly five decades. Signature repertoire, including a return to Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 by the BPO and Mahler’s Symphony No.2 (“The Resurrection”) by the BPYO, will anchor the programming. In honor of the musicians and community who helped build its remarkable legacy, the BPO’s 2026-27 season will end with a performance of a work that launched its formation in 1979: Mahler’s Symphony No. 9. At the end of the season in June 2027, the BPYO will take its last tour to the most renowned concert halls of the major European centers of music.

“For nearly 50 years, the Boston Philharmonic has educated and delighted audiences under the musical and humanitarian leadership of Maestro Benjamin Zander,” said Lewis. “Audiences can expect nothing less during our final season.”

The decision follows years of thoughtful discussion and strategic planning by the Boston Philharmonic’s leadership and Board of Directors, chaired by Erik Ryan. It is timed to ensure a smooth transition from two performing orchestras to a legacy-focused institution, the newly established Zander Center.

Ryan acknowledged the bittersweet, but still joyous occasions to come as the organization plans its next steps: “To every musician, subscriber, donor, and supporter who has been part of this journey—this orchestra exists because of them. The final season is our opportunity to celebrate what we have built together and to step forward into the next expression of the Boston Philharmonic’s vision. We offer a special thanks to the kind generosity of Hansjoerg Wyss whose support of the BPO and BPYO has allowed us to thrive and to reach audiences all over the world.”

The Zander Center will serve as the headquarters for Benjamin Zander’s artistic and educational endeavors, housing the Boston Philharmonic’s digital media holdings, which expand access to his renowned Interpretation Classes and other educational materials. Through digital means—recordings, livestreams, and other web content—the BPO has become world renowned, reaching an expansive international community. The Zander Center is designed to bring this musical insight to new generations worldwide, representing the Boston Philharmonic’s vision: Passionate Music Making Without Boundaries. 

Over five decades, the Boston Philharmonic grew from an ambitious community orchestra into a cornerstone of Boston’s cultural life, with a reputation that has gone far beyond the confines of the city. Its membership has always been a unique mix of top freelance professionals, outstanding graduate music students, and skilled avocational musicians. Under Zander’s leadership, it became known for its highly accomplished performances, illuminating and provocative interpretations of standard repertoire, and for his popular pre-concert talks, where he often says, “Everybody loves classical music—they just haven’t found out about it yet!”  

The BPO’s influence has extended beyond the stage, fostering a loyal, multigenerational community of supporters. The creation of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in 2012 significantly enhanced its influence. This musical and leadership training ground provides tuition-free musical education and cultural immersion through its annual tours, which have brought performances to full houses across three continents, and will add China and Japan in June 2026. Throughout the year, Zander teaches these aspiring young players an approach to life through music, reflecting BPYO’s motto: “shaping future leaders through music.” The BPO has also served as a laboratory for revolutionary, transformational ideas about leadership—expressed in the 2000 best-seller The Art of Possibility, co-written by Rosamund Zander and Benjamin Zander, as well as in Mr. Zander’s TED talks. Many of these ideas have become part of the international conversation about effective leadership. Zander has given hundreds of talks at major international corporations and organizations as a result. 

For more information about the Boston Philharmonic, visit www.bostonphil.org.

About the Boston Philharmonic
The Boston Philharmonic is an internationally recognized orchestral organization founded in 1979 by Conductor Benjamin Zander, dedicated to creating transformative experiences through live performances of great music. The Boston Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) and Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra’s (BPYO) exceptional musicians inspire and educate audiences, fostering a love for classical music and its power to uplift the human spirit. As one of Boston’s premier musical organizations, the BPO includes professional, student, and amateur musicians who perform inspiring renditions of celebrated masterworks. The BPYO offers year-long, tuition-free orchestral and leadership training at the highest level for talented musicians ages 12 to 21 and the opportunity to go on tours and cultural exchanges each June.

About Benjamin Zander
Mr. Zander occupies a unique place as a master teacher, a deeply insightful and probing interpreter, and profound source of inspiration for audiences, students, musicians, corporate leaders, and politicians for nearly 60 years. He has engaged some of the most well-informed musical and public intellectuals in a quest for insight and understanding into the Western musical canon and the underlying religious, social, and political issues that inspired its creation.

Zander started out as a cellist and composer, studying composition under Benjamin Britten and Imogen Holst at age twelve. At age fifteen, he trained for five years in Florence and Cologne with the great Spanish cellist Gaspar Cassadó. After completing his degree at the University of London, he received a Harkness Fellowship, which brought him to the United States. He began his journey as a conductor after settling in Boston in 1965. Since then, he has appeared as a guest conductor with orchestras all over the world.

From 1965-2012, he served on the faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC), where he taught musical interpretation and conducted the Youth Philharmonic and Conservatory orchestras. He was the founding Artistic Director of NEC’s joint program with the Walnut Hill School for the Performing Arts.

In 1979, he founded the BPO. Thirty-three years later in 2012, he founded the BPYO.

Zander has also had a unique relationship with London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, recording a series of Beethoven and Mahler symphonies. High Fidelity named his Mahler’s 6 as Best Classical Recording; the 3rd won the German Record Critics Prize (Deutschen Schallplattenkritik); and the Mahler 2, 9 and Bruckner 5 recordings were all nominated for Grammy Awards.

Zander also enjoys an international career as a speaker on leadership. He has given several keynote speeches at the Davos World Economic Forum, where he received the Chrystal Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Arts and International Relations. His TED Talk, “The Transformative Power of Classical Music,” has had over 35 million views, and the best-selling book, The Art of Possibility, co-authored with the late psychotherapist Rosamund Zander, has been translated into twenty-seven languages. Other accolades include: the Caring Citizen of the Humanities Award from the United Nations in 2002; a Lifetime Achievement Award at the ABSA Achievement Awards in Johannesburg in 2019 (the first non-South African to receive it; previous recipients include Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu); the Julio Kilenyi Medal of Honor from the Bruckner Society of America in 2021; and the very first Titan Award from the Gustav Mahler Society of New York in July 2023. Zander holds Honorary Doctorates from New England Conservatory and Leeds University.

Learn more about Benjamin Zander at www.benjaminzander.org.