Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Unveils 2025–26 Season with New Music Director Cristian Macelaru

Inaugural Season Marks the Beginning of a New Era with a
Celebration of Tradition and Innovation

New Works by Composers Daníel Bjarnason and Lisa Bielawa and
Pulitzer Prize-Winning Poet Rita Dove
Reaffirm the Orchestra’s Dedication to Living Composers and Artists of Today

Conducting Debuts to Include
Kristiina Poska, Oksana Lyniv, Tabita Berglund and Samuel Lee

Featured Guest Artists to Include
Cellist Yo-Yo Ma; Pianists Daniil Trifonov, Hélène Grimaud and Stephen Hough;
Violinists Renaud Capuçon and James Ehnes; Bass Morris Robinson; Orchestra Musicians Stefani Matsuo, Christian Colberg, Dwight Parry, Christopher Pell,
Christopher Sales and Elizabeth Freimuth

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra to Perform with
2025 Nina Simone Piano Competition Finalists in Special Event

CINCINNATI, OH (February 6, 2025)—Today, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) unveiled its 2025–26 season, the first under the leadership of new Music Director Cristian Macelaru. This season introduces an ambitious programming vision that balances timeless orchestral works with contemporary voices, reflecting a deep commitment to both the CSO’s history and the vibrancy of present-day cultural narratives. Drawing inspiration from both the past and future, the season includes an array of iconic works by George Gershwin, Igor Stravinsky and Margaret Bonds alongside new commissions by composers Daníel Bjarnason and Lisa Bielawa and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Rita Dove, spotlighting music and art of our time. This season features world-renowned guest artists, including Yo-Yo Ma, Daniil Trifonov and Hélène Grimaud, and conducting debuts by Kristiina Poska, Oksana Lyniv, Tabita Berglund and Samuel Lee. The season also celebrates the return of Music Director Laureate Louis Langrée, who will lead two programs that highlight his ongoing connection to the Orchestra.

 

CRISTIAN MACELARU’S INAUGURAL SEASON

This inaugural season under Cristian Macelaru’s direction blends a celebration of cultural heritage, contemporary stories and the unifying power of music to inspire reflection. The programs explore national identity and engage with social justice themes to create a platform for cultural exchange and collective reflection.

Macelaru makes his official debut as Music Director of the CSO on October 3 and 4, 2025 with a program that features pianist Hélène Grimaud, performing George Gershwin’s Concerto in F, and Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier Suite. The program also includes Anna Clyne's Abstractions, showcasing Macelaru and the Orchestra’s continuing commitment to performing music by contemporary composers.

On November 4, 2025, Grammy Award-winning cellist Yo-Yo Ma joins Macelaru and the CSO for Edward Elgar’s Cello Concerto. Ma’s appearance is bookended by Orchestra performances of Johannes Brahms’ Tragic Overture and George Enescu’s First Romanian Rhapsody, the latter of which Macelaru recorded on Deutsche Grammophon with the Orchestre National de France as part of a tribute to the Romanian composer as well as Macelaru’s own Romanian heritage. The album recently won the prestigious 2024 Diapason d’Or of the Year and Choc Classical of the Year.

On November 29 and 30, 2025, Macelaru leads a program centered on the cultural experiences, traditions and folklore that unite humanity. Macelaru will conduct the Orchestra in Antonín Dvorák’s Symphony No. 7, reflecting the composer’s own nationalistic themes and love for his Czech heritage; Aaron Copland’s Variations on a Shaker Melody from Appalachian Spring; and PULSE, a new violin concerto by Lisa Bielawa performed by violinist Tessa Lark. Written for Lark, PULSE brings together the regional, traditional music-making that Lark grew up with in her home state of Kentucky with her identity as a virtuoso classical performer, exploring the technical and expressive underpinnings of two discrete musical worlds. The program also includes Carlos Simon’s Tales: A Folklore Symphony, which explores African American folklore as well as Afrofuturism, a cultural aesthetic, philosophy and artistic movement that takes a look at the intersection of African diaspora culture with science, technology and liberated futures for Black life.

Macelaru and the CSO present George Frideric Handel’s Messiah on December 5 and 6, 2025. Soprano Lauren Snouffer, mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, tenor Nicholas Phan, bass Jonathan Lemalu in his CSO debut and the May Festival Chorus, under the direction of Matthew Swanson, join the CSO for selections from this timeless oratorio.

Pianist Daniil Trifonov joins Macelaru and the CSO for Ludwig van Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 on January 10 and 11, 2026. The program also includes the U.S. premiere of the complete Trilogy for Orchestra by composer Daníel Bjarnason. A CSO co-commission, the Orchestra gave the U.S premiere of Part I: “Echo/Narcissus” in November 2023.

On January 16 and 17, 2026, Macelaru conducts a program in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that aims to create a space for reflection and dialogue around civil rights, justice and the power of music to bring communities together. The program features CSO premieres of Margaret Bonds’ Montgomery Variations, composed in the wake of the 1963 firebombing of Birmingham, Alabama’s 16^th Street Baptist Church; and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Wynton Marsalis’ Blues Symphony, a sonic journey through America’s revolutionary era, which was recorded by The Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Macelaru and released in 2021. The program also includes a pairing of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings with original poetry written by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and Akron, Ohio native Rita Dove, the first African American to serve as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress. It will be performed by narrator and bass Morris Robinson.

On April 24 and 25, 2026, Macelaru conducts the full production of Igor Stravinsky’s The Firebird paired with the storytelling power of larger-than-life, multi-medium puppets created and designed by South Africa’s Janni Younge, world-renowned for her powerful visual storytelling. Macelaru reunites with Younge for this evocative production which draws from the symbolism and dramaturgy of Michel Fokine’s original ballet and reinterprets them in a contemporary South African setting. Choreographed by Jay Pather, who was awarded the Order of Arts and Letters in 2017 (shortly after the production’s premiere), towering puppets maneuvered by expert puppeteers and dancers will join Macelaru and the CSO for this sonic and theatrical depiction of The Firebird that builds to a dramatic, fiery finish.

“It is with great excitement that I look forward to each and every concert in my first season as Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The opportunity to share music that represents my Romanian heritage, and bring a special focus to the American culture which I embrace, is an absolute honor,” said Macelaru. “In my inaugural season, I will be joined by the superb musicians of the CSO and many of my closest artistic partners who will help me achieve the excellence the Cincinnati community has come to expect. I have come to know Cincinnati as a special place with a deep love for the arts. Through music, I look forward to creating a deeper sense of knowing and understanding each other, and I can’t wait to begin our journey together.”

 

MUSIC DIRECTOR LAUREATE LOUIS LANGRÉE RETURNS

This season, Music Director Laureate Louis Langrée returns to the CSO for two dynamic and varied programs that highlight his longstanding connection to the Orchestra.

On November 21 and 22, 2025, Langrée leads a vibrant program that includes Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, featuring CSO principal musicians. The program also includes blue cathedral by Jennifer Higdon, a piece that explores themes of grief, reflection and transcendence. Completing the program is Igor Stravinsky’s Petrushka, a dramatic and colorful ballet score that evokes the emotional tension and vibrancy of Russian folk life.

On March 6 and 7, 2026, Langrée reunites with the CSO and pianist Clayton Stephenson for performances of Johannes Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2. Stephenson was the inaugural winner of the 2023 Nina Simone Piano Competition, a biennial competition created by Awadagin Pratt and Art of the Piano to showcase and support talented young African American pianists; Stephenson performed in the finals with the CSO under Langrée. The March program will also include Schumann’s Symphony No. 4.

 

CONDUCTING DEBUTS

In the 2025–26 season, the CSO welcomes an exciting roster of debut conductors, each bringing their unique artistry to the podium.

Oksana Lyniv makes her highly anticipated debut on January 30 and 31, 2026, leading a program that includes Evgeni Orkin’s Five Interrupted Lullabies, Sergei Prokofiev's Violin Concerto No. 1 featuring returning violinist Esther Yoo, and Dvorák's evocative Golden Spinning Wheel. The program also highlights the iconic Vltava from Bedrich Smetana’s Má vlast.

On February 6 and 7, 2026, Tabita Berglund takes the podium for Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, an exploration of life in heaven through a child’s vision. Soprano Camilla Tilling joins Berglund and the CSO for performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 as well as his Rückert-Lieder. The program opens with ARCHORA by Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottir.

After substituting for Louis Langrée during the 2023–24 season, Samuel Lee makes his CSO subscription series debut on February 28 and March 1, 2026 with a French-inspired program that includes Louise Farrenc’s Overture No. 2, Maurice Ravel’s Le tombeau de Couperin and Piano Concerto for the Left Hand with Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 4. Lee is the 2024 Malko Competition Winner and a former CSO Associate Conductor.

Finally, Kristiina Poska joins the CSO on April 17 and 18, 2026, conducting a program that includes Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 2 with pianist Lise de la Salle, last seen with the Orchestra in 2019, alongside Mendelssohn's Scottish Symphony and Julia Adolphe’s Underneath the Sheen.

 

RETURNING GUESTS

Throughout the season, the Orchestra will also welcome an array of esteemed instrumentalists and returning guest conductors.

A renowned expert in Mozart, Dame Jane Glover returns to the Orchestra on October 18 and 19, 2025 to conduct a program celebrating the genius of the composer. The concert opens with Mozart’s Overture to Lucio Silla, followed by Sinfonia Concertante, featuring the Orchestra’s own Concertmaster Stefani Matsuo and Principal Viola Christian Colberg. The program concludes with Mozart’s final symphony, Symphony No. 41, Jupiter.

On October 24 and 25, 2025, the Orchestra, under the leadership of guest conductor Giancarlo Guerrero, will present the CSO premiere of Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 4, a piece rooted in the composer’s life-or-death struggle for creative expression under a repressive regime. On the same program, award-winning violinist Stella Chen makes her CSO debut with Barber’s Violin Concerto, a piece written during the outbreak of World War II.

On November 8 and 9, 2025, CSO Creative Partner Matthias Pintscher conducts a program with two works connected by the ancient Dies irae hymn and tolling bells: Rachmaninoff’s The Bells, a choral symphony that will feature the May Festival Chorus, directed by Matthew Swanson; and Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, featuring the CSO’s very own pair of bronze bells that were made by Cincinnati bell manufacturing company, Verdin.

Conductor James Conlon returns to lead the Orchestra on March 20 and 21, 2026 in a program featuring key works from the Classical period: Franz Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 103, Drum Roll; Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3, Strassburg, with violinist Renaud Capuçon; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2.

On April 11 and 12, 2026, Ramón Tebar conducts a program rooted in the late Romantic tradition. The program includes Margaret Brouwer’s Pulse, a contemporary work that explores rhythmic and textural innovation; Max Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy, featuring violinist James Ehnes; and Sergei Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2, a pivotal work in the composer’s life that reflects the sweeping melodies and emotional intensity that would become his signature style.

The CSO season concludes on May 8 and 9, 2026 with Roderick Cox conducting the Orchestra in a program featuring Jennifer Higdon’s Fanfare Ritmico; Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, Emperor, with Stephen Hough; and Tchaikovsky’s beloved Symphony No. 4.

The list of esteemed guest artists includes returns by Jean-Efflam Bavouzet (piano), Renaud Capuçon (violin), Sasha Cooke (mezzo-soprano), James Ehnes (violin), Hélène Grimaud (piano), Stephen Hough (piano), Tessa Lark (violin), Yo-Yo Ma (cello), Nicholas Phan (tenor), Morris Robinson (bass, narrator), Lise de la Salle (piano), Lauren Snouffer (soprano), Clayton Stephenson (piano), Daniil Trifonov (piano) and Esther Yoo (violin). Orchestra musicians include: Principal Horn Elizabeth Freimuth, Concertmaster Stefani Matsuo, Principal Viola Christian Colberg, Principal Oboe Dwight Parry, Principal Clarinet Christopher Pell and Principal Bassoon Christopher Sales. Guest conductors include Roderick Cox, Dame Jane Glover, Giancarlo Guerrero, CSO Music Director Laureate Louis Langrée, former CSO Associate Conductor Samuel Lee, CSO Creative Partner Matthias Pintscher and Ramón Tebar.

The CSO season is presented by Western & Southern Financial Group.

 

SPECIAL EVENT: NINA SIMONE PIANO COMPETITION FINALS

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra will participate in the Nina Simone Piano Competition on September 10, 2025 at Music Hall. Created for Black American pianists and supported by the Sphinx Organization, the Nina Simone Piano Competition was launched in 2023 in collaboration with the Art of the Piano Festival presented by Awadagin Pratt and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. 

***PROGRAMMING FOR CINCINNATI POPS, CSO PROOF, CLASSICAL ROOTS, YOUTH CONCERTS AND LIVE FROM MUSIC HALL DIGITAL CONCERT SERIES TO BE ANNOUNCED AT A LATER DATE***

 

SUBSCRIPTION & TICKET INFORMATION

CSO 2025–26 season ticket packages are currently on sale. Individual tickets for the new season go on sale to the general public on July 21, 2025. As part of the CSO’s ongoing commitment to access, individual ticket discounts are available for first-time attendees, students, groups, military and senior citizens—see the CSO’s Music for All page for full details. Visit cincinnatisymphony.org or call the CSO’s box office, 513.381.3300, for more information and to purchase tickets.

 

MUSIC DIRECTOR CRISTIAN MACELARU

Grammy-winning conductor Cristian Macelaru is the Music Director Designate of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, artistic director of the George Enescu Festival and Competition, music director of the Orchestre National de France, artistic director and principal conductor of the Interlochen Center for the Arts’ World Youth Symphony Orchestra, music director and conductor of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music and chief conductor of the WDR Sinfonieorchester in Cologne, where he will serve through the 2024–25 season and continue as artistic partner for the 2025–26 season.

Macelaru recently appeared at the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony, which was broadcast to 1.5 billion viewers worldwide. He led the Orchestre National de France and Chœur de Radio France in the performance of the Olympic Anthem as the Olympic Flag was raised beneath the Eiffel Tower. Macelaru and the Orchestre National de France continue their 2024–25 season with tours throughout France, Germany, South Korea and China. Guest appearances include his debuts with the Oslo Philharmonic and RAI National Symphony Orchestra in Turin as well as returns with the Wiener Symphoniker, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin and Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich in Europe. In North America, Macelaru leads the Pittsburgh Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Minnesota Orchestra and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.

Macelaru’s previous seasons include European engagements with the Philharmonia, London Philharmonic Orchestra, NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchester, Concertgebouworkest, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Staatskapelle Berlin and Budapest Festival Orchestra. In North America, he has led the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, The Cleveland Orchestra and The Philadelphia Orchestra.

In 2020, he received a Grammy Award for conducting the Decca Classics recording of Wynton Marsalis’ Violin Concerto with Nicola Benedetti and The Philadelphia Orchestra. His most recent album features Enescu’s Symphonies and two Romanian Rhapsodies with the Orchestre National de France, released on Deutsche Grammophon and winner of the 2024 Diapason d’Or of the Year and 2025 International Classical Music Awards.

 

CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

With a legacy dating back 130 years, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is considered one of America’s finest and most versatile ensembles. In the 2025–26 season, Cristian Macelaru joins the Orchestra as its 14th Music Director, after serving as Music Director Designate in the 2024–25 season. The Orchestra also performs as the Cincinnati Pops, founded by Erich Kunzel in 1977 and currently led by John Morris Russell with Damon Gupton serving as Principal Guest Conductor. The CSO further elevates the city’s vibrant arts scene by serving as the official orchestra for the Cincinnati May Festival, Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Ballet.

Since its inception in 1895, the CSO has dedicated itself to seeking and sharing inspiration with the Greater Cincinnati community through the transformative power of music. With a vibrant and dedicated history, the CSO has commissioned more than 200 new works and presented more than 300 world or U.S. premieres, solidifying its role as a cornerstone of musical innovation. The CSO’s commissioning legacy includes two Fanfare Projects, the first during World War II and the second during the Covid-19 pandemic, that sought to inspire, uplift and provide meaning during pivotal moments in our nation’s shared history through the universal language of music. In addition to its commissioning efforts, the CSO and Pops can be heard around the world through more than 300 commercial recordings, including those on the Orchestra’s own label, Fanfare Cincinnati.

The CSO is committed to its vision to be the most relevant orchestra in America, realized through a focus on serving the entire community and continually innovating ways in which the Orchestra presents music. Recent examples include One City/One Symphony, fostering city-wide discussions through music; Lumenocity®, blending music and visual art with Music Hall’s illuminated façade; Look Around, uniting

Cincinnati’s arts community at Washington Park; and CSO Proof, the Orchestra’s flagship program for innovative concert experiences and formats.

The CSO is also dedicated to enriching and expanding access to music education through the power of culturally inclusive music to nurture and inspire lifelong learning. Focusing on Learning, Playing and Developing, the Orchestra brings music education to the Greater Cincinnati community through youth orchestras, Musicians in Schools and one of the United States’ longest-running Young People’s Concerts series, launched over 100 years ago.

A leader in diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), the CSO was among the first American orchestras to establish and endow a Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer role, integrating best DEI practices into all aspects of the organization. In 2007, the CSO created the Nouveau program, which has supported increased participation in classical music, providing equitable opportunities for music study and performance for more than 80 African American and Latine student musicians. The CSO served as an incubator and continues to be a partner with Equity Arc, a consortium addressing racial equity in classical music by uniting orchestras, musicians and educators to support and strengthen the development of classical instrumentalists of color throughout all stages of their pre-careers.

 

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The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra gratefully acknowledges support from:

CSO Season Sponsor

Annual Support

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra 2025–26 Season
Chronological Listing

CSO Special Event
WED SEP 10 | 7:30 PM
NINA SIMONE PIANO COMPETITION CONCERTO FINALS
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

CSO Season Opener
CRISTIAN MACELARU’S DEBUT
FRI OCT 3, 2025 | 7:30 PM
SAT OCT 4, 2025 | 7:30 PM
Cristian M?celaru conductor
Hélène Grimaud piano
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Anna Clyne Abstractions
George Gershwin Piano Concerto in F Major
Richard Strauss Der Rosenkavalier Suite

DAME JANE CONDUCTS MOZART
SAT OCT 18, 2025 | 7:30 PM
SUN OCT 19, 2025 | 2 PM
Dame Jane Glover conductor
Stefani Matsuo violin
Christian Colberg viola
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Overture to Lucio Silla
Sinfonia Concertante
Symphony No. 41, Jupiter

BARBER & SHOSTAKOVICH
FRI OCT 24, 2025 | 11 AM
SAT OCT 25, 2025 | 7:30 PM
Giancarlo Guerrero conductor
Stella Chen violin
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Samuel Barber Violin Concerto
Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 4

CSO Special Event
YO-YO MA PLAYS ELGAR
TUE NOV 4, 2025 | 7:30 PM
Cristian M?celaru conductor
Yo-Yo Ma cello
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Johannes Brahms Tragic Overture
Edward Elgar Cello Concerto
George Enescu Romanian Rhapsody No. 1

THE BELLS & SYMPHONIE FANTASTIQUE
SAT NOV 8, 2025 | 7:30 PM
SUN NOV 9, 2025 | 2 PM
Matthias Pintscher conductor
May Festival Chorus, Matthew Swanson director
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Sergei Rachmaninoff The Bells
Hector Berlioz Symphonie fantastique

LOUIS CONDUCTS PETRUSHKA
FRI NOV 21, 2025 | 7:30 PM
SAT NOV 22, 2025 | 7:30 PM
Louis Langrée conductor
Dwight Parry oboe
Christopher Pell clarinet
Elizabeth Freimuth horn
Christopher Sales bassoon
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Jennifer Higdon blue cathedral
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Sinfonia Concertante for Four Winds
Igor Stravinsky Petrushka

DVORÁK SYMPHONY NO. 7
SAT NOV 29, 2025 | 7:30 PM
SUN NOV 30, 2025 | 2 PM
Cristian M?celaru 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

HANDEL’S MESSIAH
FRI DEC 5, 2025 | 7:30 PM
SAT DEC 6, 2025 | 7:30 PM
Cristian M?celaru conductor
Lauren Snouffer soprano
Sasha Cooke mezzo-soprano
Nicholas Phan tenor
Jonathan Lemalu bass
May Festival Chorus, Matthew Swanson director
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

George Frideric Handel Messiah

TRIFONOV PLAYS BEETHOVEN
SAT JAN 10, 2026 | 7:30 PM
SUN JAN 11, 2026 | 2 PM
Cristian M?celaru conductor
Daniil Trifonov piano
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 2
Daníel Bjarnason I Want to Be Alive – Trilogy for Orchestra (Co-Commission, U.S. Premiere)

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra co-commission and U.S. premiere of I Want to Be Alive – Trilogy for Orchestra by Daníel Bjarnason is made possible by a generous gift from Ann and Harry Santen.

AMERICAN VOICES
FRI JAN 16, 2026 | 11 AM
SAT JAN 17, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Cristian M?celaru 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 from Rita Dove
Wynton Marsalis Select movements from Blues Symphony

SLAVIC LEGENDS
FRI JAN 30, 2026 | 7:30 PM
SAT JAN 31, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Oksana Lyniv conductor
Esther Yoo violin
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Evgeni Orkin Five Interrupted Lullabies
Sergei Prokofiev Violin Concerto No. 1
Antonín Dvorák Golden Spinning Wheel
Bedrich Smetana Vltava (“The Moldau”) from Má vlast (“My Country”)

MAHLER SYMPHONY NO. 4
FRI FEB 6, 2026 | 11 AM
SAT FEB 7, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Tabita Berglund conductor
Camilla Tilling soprano
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Anna Thorvaldsdottir ARCHORA
Gustav Mahler
Rückert-Lieder
Symphony No. 4

BEETHOVEN & RAVEL
SAT FEB 28, 2026 | 7:30 PM
SUN MAR 1, 2026 | 2 PM
Samuel Lee conductor
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet piano
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Louise Farrenc Overture No. 2
Maurice Ravel Le tombeau de Couperin
Piano Concerto for the Left Hand
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 4

BRAHMS & SCHUMANN
FRI MAR 6, 2026 | 11 AM
SAT MAR 7, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Louis Langrée conductor
Clayton Stephenson piano
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

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

BEETHOVEN, MOZART & HAYDN
FRI MAR 20, 2026 | 7:30 PM
SAT MAR 21, 2026 | 7:30 PM
James Conlon conductor
Renaud Capuçon violin
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Franz Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 103, Drum Roll
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Violin Concerto No. 3, Strassburg
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 2

The appearance of Clayton Stephenson is made possible by a generous gift from the William Hurford and Lesley Gilbertson Family Fund for Guest Pianists.

RACHMANINOFF SYMPHONY NO. 2
SAT APR 11, 2026 | 7:30 PM
SUN APR 12, 2026 | 2 PM
Ramón Tebar conductor
James Ehnes violin
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Margaret Brouwer Pulse
Max Bruch Scottish Fantasy
Sergei Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2

MENDELSSOHN SYMPHONY NO. 3
FRI APR 17, 2026 | 11 AM
SAT APR 18, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Kristiina Poska conductor
Lise de la Salle piano
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Julia Adolphe Underneath the Sheen
Frédéric Chopin Piano Concerto No. 2
Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3, Scottish

STRAVINSKY’S FIREBIRD
FRI APR 24, 2026 | 7:30 PM
SAT APR 25, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Cristian M?celaru conductor
Janni Younge director
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Gustav Mahler Totenfeier
Igor Stravinsky The Firebird

The Firebird is generously supported by the David C. Herriman Fund of Greater Cincinnati Foundation. The Presenting Sponsors for this program are Peter E. Landgren and Judith Schonbach Landgren.

BEETHOVEN & TCHAIKOVSKY
FRI MAY 8, 2026 | 11 AM
SAT MAY 9, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Roderick Cox conductor
Stephen Hough piano
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra

Jennifer Higdon Fanfare Ritmico
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5, Emperor
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4

 

All events are located at Music Hall Springer Auditorium.

All programs, artists, dates and prices are subject to change.

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