Mahler’s fifth symphony is a dramatic journey through life, death, and everything in between — in other words, it’s Mahler at his finest. Guest conductor Jader Bignamini, Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, returns to conduct this epic masterpiece, which pairs heartbreaking funeral marches with the blinding rays of hope we expect from this … Continued

Stephanie Childress — a conductor with “irresistible, headlong energy” (Financial Times) — leads one of classical music’s grandest spectacles: Holst’s The Planets. With movements including the ethereal “Neptune, the Mystic” to the thundering “Mars, the Bringer of War,” this iconic suite sweeps you to the heavens. The MSO’s own Margaret Butler takes center stage with … Continued

Ukrainian conductor Kirill Karabits — “an inspired architect with an energizing presence” (The Telegraph) — makes his MSO debut with Tchaikovsky’s second symphony, called the “Little Russian” for its use of Russian and Ukrainian folk themes throughout; this is some of Tchaikovsky’s most cheerful music, reflecting his deep love for the region. Another fellow countryman, … Continued

In Beethoven’s first piano concerto, we begin to hear the composer step away from imitation and into his own true voice; Orli Shaham performs this daring concerto. Schumann’s “Rhenish” symphony was inspired by a happy vacation along Germany’s Rhine river, and its music glitters with sunlight. Guest conductor Kristiina Poska — “an iron baton in … Continued

2026 Grammy Award-winning conductor Kwamé Ryan helms the MSO in Schubert’s ninth symphony, better known as “The Great” for both its scale and its majesty; “The Great” includes homages to Schubert’s idol, Beethoven. Pianist Marc-André Hamelin has been called “a true Midas of the keyboard” (Presto Music) while Gramophone claims “The man is a miracle” … Continued

A critic once said of Beethoven’s seventh symphony that it “speaks inwardly even to those who have no training in music” and that the symphony has a “certain secret magic.” Driving that secret magic is guest conductor Paolo Bortolameolli, whom the Los Angeles Times has praised for his “crisp, dynamic performance.” Versatile pianist David Fray … Continued

Music has the power to move us — literally! Artistic Partner David Roberston leads a rhythmic program full of music created expressly for movement and dance. First up are two pieces by Chopin — a Parisian-style waltz and a graceful nocturne — arranged by the dance-minded Stravinsky for Diaghilev’s ballet Les Sylphides. Diaghilev also commissioned … Continued

With failing health and his own end on his mind, Shostakovich peppered his final symphony with references to ideas he loved, sampling his own motifs, music by beloved composers such as Rossini and Wagner, and other nods so subtle that musicologists are still discovering them over 50 years later. Guest conductor Andris Poga conducts Shostakovich’s … Continued

Has a tune ever stuck in your head and refused to leave? When this happened to composer Edward Elgar, his beloved wife encouraged him to put the tune to paper. After a good deal of play and exploration, that music became the “Enigma” variations, an inventive 14-piece suite that Elgar is best known for even … Continued

MSO Associate Conductor Ryan Tani takes the podium for a charismatic program beginning with Medea’s Dance of Vengeance, a passionate climax from Barber’s ballet about the murderous Medea. Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances also began as ballet music, but evolved into the composer’s most important symphonic work, full of ghostly waltzes, jazzy inflections, and more. Violinist Julian … Continued