Jeffrey Kahane to Launch Harmonium of Texas as Founding Artistic Director in San Antonio
The new orchestra's inaugural season will feature Joshua Bell, Emanuel Ax, and Roomful of Teeth as artistic partner.
Conductor, pianist, and educator Jeffrey Kahane has announced the launch of Harmonium of Texas, a new orchestra and educational initiative based in San Antonio.
Founded by Kahane, who will serve as Founding Artistic Director, Harmonium of Texas will bring together exceptional musicians from across Texas and beyond for orchestral, chamber, and cross-genre performances at venues throughout the city, while building major education and community partnerships designed to serve young musicians, adult learners, and audiences of all ages.
The inaugural season features guest artists including Joshua Bell and Larisa Martínez, Emanuel Ax, Nancy Zhou, Inna Faliks, Daniela Liebman, Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, Tommy Mesa, Roomful of Teeth, and more. The orchestra will present a two-part Beethoven Bicentenary Celebration; Bach's St. Matthew Passion and the complete Brandenburg Concertos; new and recent works by Composer-in-Residence Andrea Casarrubios, Clarice Assad, Oswald Huynh, Juan Pablo Contreras, and others; concerts led by Principal Guest Conductor Cosette Justo Valdés and guest conductor Stephanie Childress; partnerships with the San Antonio Mastersingers; and side-by-side performances with the Youth Orchestras of San Antonio (YOSA) throughout the year. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday, July 27, 2026 at 8:00AM Central.
Founded in the seventh-largest city in the United States, and a community already home to multiple orchestral and musical organizations, Harmonium of Texas seeks to add a distinctive new voice to the region's cultural landscape: one rooted in artistic excellence, civic engagement, collaboration, and the enduring power of live performance. Harmonium of Texas has already secured significant early philanthropic commitments from supporters who believe in Kahane's vision for an artistically ambitious and education-centered musical initiative rooted in San Antonio's long and distinguished musical traditions.
"Harmonium of Texas grows out of my deep affection for San Antonio and my belief in the extraordinary musical potential of this city," says Jeffrey Kahane. "San Antonio has a distinctive cultural identity that sets it apart from any other major city, a passionate community of music lovers and committed supporters of the arts, and a wealth of musical talent not only from San Antonio, but also across Texas and beyond. It is my firm conviction that an orchestra can and must serve as an instrument of community, both as a musical instrument and as an instrument of community-building. In that spirit, a portion of the proceeds from each concert will be placed into a special fund exclusively to provide families in need with access to borrowed or purchased musical instruments, and to facilitate music lessons with Harmonium members. Our intention is that Harmonium can become both a home for performances of the highest caliber and a place where musicians, students, artists, and audiences come together in a spirit of discovery, generosity, and shared purpose."
Yoojin Muhn, Music Director at San Antonio Mastersingers, says, "The Mastersingers and I are honored to begin this collaboration with Maestro Jeffrey Kahane and the Harmonium of Texas, and we look forward to presenting beloved masterworks together, inspired by his exceptional musical insight."
Harmonium's 2026-2027 season opens on October 2, 2026 at Lila Cockrell Auditorium with John Adams's Short Ride in a Fast Machine, violinist Tessa Lark in Michael Torke's Sky, and Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, performed side-by-side with YOSA and featuring the San Antonio Mastersingers and Children's Chorus of San Antonio.
The orchestra's Beethoven Celebration Part 1 takes place from January 8 to 10 and 15 to 17, 2027, at venues across the city, with programs pairing Beethoven's first four symphonies, first three piano concertos, and his Triple Concerto with more recent works, such as the Texas premiere of Andrea Casarrubios's Afilador, Mary Kouyoumdjian's Tagh, and Britten's Simple Symphony. Pianists Daniela Liebman, Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, and Kahane are featured on the series, as well as cellist Tommy Mesa alongside Kahane in the Triple Concerto, and guest conductor Stephanie Childress leading the first two programs. Kahane will also host an interactive special event, A Journey into Eroica, exploring Beethoven's watershed Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major.
On February 13 and 14, 2027, at multiple venues around the city, San Antonio native Nancy Zhou joins Harmonium for Bach's Violin Concerto in E Major and Mexican-American composer Juan Pablo Contreras's scintillating new violin concerto La Minerva, which was nominated for a 2024 Latin GRAMMY Award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition. In honor of Valentine's Day, the program closes with Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 2 in E minor, one of the crown jewels of late Romantic symphonic repertoire by a composer especially close to Kahane's heart.
On February 20 and 21, 2027 at Stable Hall at The Pearl, harpsichordist David Belkovski will lead Bach's complete Brandenburg Concertos.
From February 26 to 28, 2027, at venues around San Antonio, Kahane leads Bach's St. Matthew Passion with the San Antonio Chamber Choir under the direction of Rick Bjella, the Children's Chorus of San Antonio under the direction of Carolyn Cruse, and a distinguished cast of soloists.
From March 19 to 21, 2027, Principal Guest Conductor Cosette Justo Valdés leads a program featuring pianist Inna Faliks in Clarice Assad's Lilith; Derrick Skye's Prisms, Cycles, Leaps; and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 in another side-by-side performance with YOSA.
On April 4, 2027, violinist Joshua Bell and soprano Larisa Martínez appear in a special concert at Lila Cockrell Auditorium. The first half features Joshua Bell performing sonatas, joined by Jeffrey Kahane at the piano. The second half features Bell and Kahane alongside Larisa Martínez in a program titled Voice and the Violin, interweaving classical works with musical theater numbers and selections by Latinx composers.
On April 14, 2027, celebrated pianist Emanuel Ax joins the orchestra for Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466, on a program that also includes Oswald Huynh's Nước and Sibelius's Symphony No. 2 in D Major.
Harmonium's Beethoven Bicentenary Celebration continues with Part 2 from May 6 to 9 and May 13 to 16, 2027, with performances of Beethoven's Symphonies Nos. 5, 6, 7, and 8 led by Michael Stern and Kahane, Piano Concertos Nos. 4 and 5 performed by Roman Rabinovich and Kahane, and Carlos Simon's Fate Now Conquers. The celebration culminates at Lila Cockrell Auditorium on May 21, 2027 with the San Antonio premiere of Luciano Berio's 1968 masterpiece Sinfonia, featuring Roomful of Teeth, paired with Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, also featuring Roomful of Teeth alongside soloists to be announced, and the San Antonio Mastersingers.
Education and community engagement are central to Harmonium's mission. Through its partnership with YOSA, Harmonium will provide advanced young musicians with multiple opportunities to rehearse and perform alongside professional colleagues, and to interact with the internationally acclaimed artists appearing with the orchestra. Harmonium will also collaborate with the San Antonio Mastersingers on major choral-orchestral works and will offer an adult education component, including interactive lecture-performances led by Kahane and distinguished guest artists for music lovers seeking a deeper understanding of the repertoire.
"Harmonium is built on the idea that a great orchestra must be more than a performing institution," says Kahane. "It should be a catalyst for educational experiences for people of all ages and backgrounds, an artistic home for musicians, a partner to existing cultural organizations, and a gathering place for a city. The generosity and encouragement this vision has already received have been deeply moving and reflect a shared belief in what orchestral music can mean for San Antonio. We are beginning with a season that reflects that vision: treasured masterworks, important new music, world-renowned artists, San Antonio-based talent, and meaningful opportunities for students to stand onstage with professionals."
2026-2027 Season Calendar
Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Monday, July 27, 2026 at 8:00AM Central Time.
Tax-deductible donations can be made by contacting info@harmoniumoftexas.org.
Opening Weekend: Tessa Lark and Carmina Burana
October 2, 2026 | Lila Cockrell Auditorium
John Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine
Michael Torke: Sky
Orff: Carmina Burana
Jeffrey Kahane, conductor
Tessa Lark, violin
Rachele Gilmore, soprano
Brian Giebler, tenor
Christopher Rodriguez, baritone
San Antonio Mastersingers
Children's Chorus of San Antonio
Youth Orchestras of San Antonio
Beethoven Celebration Part 1
January 8-10, January 15-17, 2027 | Multiple Venues
Program 1:
Britten: Simple Symphony
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2 in B-flat Major
Beethoven: Symphony No. 1 in C Major
Stephanie Childress, conductor
Daniela Liebman, piano
Program 2:
Mary Kouyoumdjian: Tagh
Beethoven: Triple Concerto
Beethoven: Symphony No. 2 in D Major
Stephanie Childress, conductor
TBA, violin; Tommy Mesa, cello; Jeffrey Kahane, piano
Program 3:
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major
Andrea Casarrubios: Afilador [Texas Premiere]
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Major
Jeffrey Kahane, piano and conductor
Special Event: A Journey into Eroica
Led by Artistic Director Jeffrey Kahane with the full orchestra onstage, this interactive evening explores Beethoven's watershed Symphony No. 3, "Eroica"
Program 4:
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor
Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major "Eroica"
Jeffrey Kahane, conductor
Jeneba Kanneh-Mason, piano
Nancy Zhou Plays Bach and Contreras
February 13 & 14, 2027 | Multiple Venues
Bach: Violin Concerto in E Major
Juan Pablo Contreras: La Minerva
Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2 in E minor
Jeffrey Kahane, conductor
Nancy Zhou, violin
The Complete Brandenburg Concertos
February 20 & 21, 2027 | Stable Hall at The Pearl
Bach: The Complete Brandenburg Concertos
David Belkovski, harpsichord and leader
Members of Harmonium
St. Matthew Passion
February 26-28, 2027 | Multiple Venues
Bach: St. Matthew Passion
Jeffrey Kahane, conductor
San Antonio Chamber Choir
Rick Bjella, director
Children's Chorus of San Antonio
Carolyn Cruse, director
Soloists TBA
Skye, Assad, and Tchaikovsky
March 19-21, 2027 | Multiple Venues
Derrick Skye: Prisms, Cycles, Leaps
Clarice Assad: Lilith Concerto for piano and orchestra
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5
Cosette Justo Valdés, conductor
Inna Faliks, piano
Youth Orchestras of San Antonio
An Evening with Joshua Bell, Larisa Martínez, and Jeffrey Kahane
April 4, 2027 | Lila Cockrell Auditorium
Joshua Bell, violin
Larisa Martinez, soprano
Jeffrey Kahane, piano
Emanuel Ax Plays Mozart
April 14, 2027 | Venue TBA
Oswald Huynh: Nước
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, K. 466
Sibelius: Symphony No. 2 in D Major
Jeffrey Kahane, conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano
Beethoven Celebration, Part 2
May 6-9; May 13-16; May 21, 2027 | Multiple Venues
Program 1:
Beethoven: Symphony No. 6 in F Major "Pastorale"
Carlos Simon: Fate Now Conquers
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 in C minor
Michael Stern, conductor
Program 2:
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major
Beethoven: Symphony No. 8 in F Major
Michael Stern, conductor
Roman Rabinovich, piano
Program 3:
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4 in G Major
Piazzolla (arr. John Adams): Three Tangos
Beethoven: Symphony No. 7 in A Major
Jeffrey Kahane, conductor and piano
Program 4:
Luciano Berio: Sinfonia
Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D minor
Jeffrey Kahane, conductor
Roomful of Teeth, Artistic Partner
Soloists TBA
San Antonio Mastersingers
Videos
