Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra Unveils Expanded 25th Anniversary Season

Twenty-five years after it was founded in response to the events of September 11, Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra has revealed its 2026–2027 25th Anniversary Season, a nine-performance celebration honoring the orchestra's enduring mission to bring Brooklyn together through live music.

Founded in 2002 by Brooklyn-born conductor and Music Director Philip Nuzzo, Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra began with fifteen volunteer musicians presenting only a handful of performances each season. Twenty-five years later, the orchestra presents a nine-performance subscription season, engages approximately 60 professional musicians, 200 choral singers, and 15 guest artists annually, and serves nearly 6,000 audience members through orchestral, choral, educational, and family programming. As Brooklyn's only resident professional chamber orchestra presenting a regular subscription season, it has become a cultural home for audiences throughout the borough and beyond.

Highlights include the official 25th Anniversary Concert featuring acclaimed pianist Konstantin Soukhovetski performing Liszt's Totentanz; the return of A Very Merry Brooklyn and Handel's Messiah with the New York Choral Society; a program devoted to Mozart, Britten, and Richard Strauss; an evening celebrating the music of Spain featuring flutist Eva Ding; and a season finale pairing Haydn's monumental The Creation with Beethoven's exuberant Symphony No. 2.

The 2026–2027 season also marks a significant period of organizational momentum. Over the past two years, Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra has increased ticket revenue by more than 67 percent while expanding from its original six-concert model to nine public performances. Despite its growth, Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra has remained intentionally lean, allowing approximately 70 percent of its operating budget to be invested directly in musicians and artistic programming. This model enables the orchestra to continue engaging world-class artists while maintaining affordable ticket prices, student discounts, complimentary ticket initiatives, autism-friendly performances, and partnerships with schools and community organizations.

As it enters its second quarter-century, Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra continues to invest in the artists, audiences, and partnerships that have defined its first twenty-five years. What began with a chance encounter on a Brooklyn-bound subway ride has grown into a year-round professional orchestra where thousands of people gather each season to share the experience that inspired its founding: the simple act of listening to live music together.

2026–2027 Season Highlights

The Phantom of the Opera (1925)

Saturday, October 24, 2026
The return of Lon Chaney's silent film masterpiece, accompanied live by the Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra.

25th Anniversary Concert

Sunday, November 22, 2026
A celebratory anniversary program featuring pianist Konstantin Soukhovetski performing Liszt's Totentanz alongside works by Korngold, Verdi, Johann Strauss (ii), and an additional anniversary work to be announced.

A Very Merry Brooklyn

Saturday, December 12 & Sunday, December 13, 2026
The Brooklyn Chamber Orchestra and the New York Choral Society continue their annual holiday tradition featuring soprano Amelia Milo.

Handel's Messiah

Sunday, December 20, 2026
One of the season's most cherished traditions returns with the New York Choral Society.

Strauss, Mozart & Britten

Saturday, February 27, 2027
Three master composers meet in a program showcasing orchestral color, lyricism, and virtuosity.

A Spanish Celebration

Saturday, April 10, 2027
Flutist Eva Ding joins the orchestra for an evening inspired by the vibrant colors and rhythms of Spain.

Season Finale: Beethoven & Haydn

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