The 2026-27 season opens with bravura to the tune of Copland’s patriotic Fanfare for the Common Man. Brahms’s double concerto for violin and cello follows, with the MSO’s own Concertmaster Jinwoo Lee and Principal Cello Susan Babini collaborating on this unusual and impassioned combination. Guest conductor Michael Sanderling concludes this dramatic opening concert with Tchaikovsky’s fifth symphony, full of patriotic meaning for the composer — “I am Russian in the fullest sense of the word,” he declared.

How you’ll feel: energized, inspired, and excited to begin a phenomenal season.

What to listen for:

To put it simply, listen for fate — after all, that’s who comes knocking throughout Tchaikovsky’s fifth symphony in a recurring motif.
The very first notes of the entire season are the opening to Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, which you’re likely to recognize. Hear a version here.
Watch as two of the MSO’s own principals to take the stage! Read about Susan Babini’s connection to her cello in Strings Magazine, and learn about Jinwoo Lee’s MSO appointment in The Strad.

Season Opening Fanfare

Start Time

conductor

violin

cello

Copland

Brahms

Tchaikovsky

CONCERT DETAILS

ABOUT THIS PERFORMANCE

MEET THE MUSIC

Food & Beverage Service featuring Staccato Bites