South Florida Symphony Orchestra Unveils 2026/27 UNSTOPPABLE Masterworks Season
The upcoming season will feature works by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Florence Price, Jennifer Higdon, and more across Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Key West.
South Florida Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2026/27 “Unstoppable” Masterworks season, led by award-winning Maestra Sebrina María Alfonso. The 29th season will feature performances in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Key West, combining orchestral classics with contemporary works and SFSO premieres.
The season will include music by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Shostakovich, Barber, Florence Price, Jennifer Higdon, Reena Esmail, and Chen Gang & He Zhanhao.
“Our 2026/27 season features larger-than-life music that flies straight to the heart,” Alfonso said in a statement. “We aim to connect our audiences to the timeless power of the world's greatest composers, coupled with the thrill of some of today's most influential voices.”
TCHAIKOVSKY'S PIANO CONCERTO NO. 1 & SHOSTAKOVICH'S TWELFTH SYMPHONY
WITH HIGDON'S “CATHEDRALS” FROM ALL THINGS MAJESTIC
“Join Maestra Alfonso as she launches an ‘Unstoppable’ 29th season! Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 (with special guest artist Sheng Cai) blazes with fiery virtuosity, Shostakovich's Symphony No.12 pulsates with drama and wit, and Pulitzer Prize and three-time GRAMMY winner Jennifer Higdon's ‘Cathedrals’ from All Things Majestic, evokes nature's awe-inspiring grandeur.”
Performance Dates
- Wed., November 11, 2026, 7:30 p.m.: The Parker, Fort Lauderdale
- Fri., November 13, 2026, 7:30 p.m.: New World Center
Program
- Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1
Featuring Sheng Cai, piano - Shostakovich: Symphony No. 12, “The Year 1917” (SFSO Premiere)
- Jennifer Higdon: “Cathedrals” from All Things Majestic (SFSO Premiere)
HANDEL'S MESSIAH AND HOLIDAY POPS
“The sun is out. Joy is in. South Florida Symphony Orchestra's cherished holiday tradition returns with Handel's Messiah (Part 1, the Christmas portion) crowned by the triumphant ‘Hallelujah’ chorus, a moment that never fails to lift the spirit and bring audiences together. This festive family concert opens with a sparkling selection of Holiday Pops and inspirational favorites, performed by dazzling guest vocalists and the South Florida Symphony Chorus.”
Performance Dates
- Sat., December 5, 2026, 7:30 p.m.: The Parker, Fort Lauderdale
- Sun., December 6, 2026, 4:00 p.m.: Shepard & Ruth K. Broad Performing Arts Center at Barry University, Miami Shores
BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH WITH BOTTESINI'S DOUBLE BASS CONCERTO NO. 2
WITH MOZART
“A sonic tour de force that spans centuries. Four thundering notes and you immediately know the grip of Beethoven's enigmatic Fifth. Rising star, Nina Bernat, steps into the spotlight with two strikingly different works—Esmail's searching Perhaps and Bottesini's electrifying Double Bass Concerto No. 2. And Mozart unleashes a world of intrigue, tension, and theatrical fire with his vivid Overture to Don Giovanni.”
Performance Dates
- Wed., January 20, 2027, 7:30 p.m.: The Parker, Fort Lauderdale
- Sat., January 23, 2027, 7:30 p.m.: Tennessee Williams Theatre, Key West
Program
- Beethoven: Symphony No. 5
- Bottesini: Double Bass Concerto No. 2 (SFSO Premiere)
Featuring Nina Bernat, double bass - Esmail: Perhaps (2005, rev. 2015) (SFSO Premiere)
Featuring Nina Bernat, double bass - Mozart: Overture to Don Giovanni
Florence Price'S VIOLIN CONCERTO NO. 1 & BARBER'S ADAGIO FOR STRINGS
WITH NIELSEN
“Time and breath stand still in Barber's Adagio for Strings. Florence Price's expressive Violin Concerto No. 1, featuring violinist Melissa White, blends the Romantic era with musical influences rooted in African American spirituals and folk idioms. Closing the program is Carl Nielsen's Symphony No. 2, ‘The Four Temperaments,’ a vivid psychological portrait drawn in sound.”
Performance Dates
- Tues., February 9, 2027, 7:30 p.m.: New World Center, Miami Beach
- Wed., February 10, 2027, 7:30 p.m.: The Parker, Fort Lauderdale
- Sat., February 13, 2027, 7:30 p.m.: Tennessee Williams Theatre, Key West
Program
- Barber: Adagio for Strings
- Price: Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major (SFSO Premiere)
Featuring Melissa White, violin - Nielsen: Symphony No. 2, “The Four Temperaments”
BEETHOVEN'S NINTH & GRAND OPERA ARIAS
WITH THE SOUTH FLORIDA SYMPHONY CHORUS AND SPECIAL GUEST VOCALISTS
“Two hundred years after his death, Beethoven's Ninth remains an unstoppable force. Considered one of the greatest pieces of music ever written, and culminating in the famous ‘Ode to Joy’ chorus, its powerful message of hope and brotherly love is equally relevant today and is a testament to the composer's genius. Performed with the South Florida Symphony Chorus and special guest vocalists, the commemorative evening opens with a selection of popular opera arias.”
Performance Dates
- Sat., March 20, 2027, 7:30 p.m.: Tennessee Williams Theatre, Key West
- Tues., March 23, 2027, 7:30 p.m.: New World Center, Miami Beach
- Wed., March 24, 2027, 7:30 p.m.: Broward Center for the Performing Arts Au-Rene Theater, Fort Lauderdale
Program
- Beethoven: Symphony No. 9
Featuring the South Florida Symphony Chorus and special guest vocalists - Grand Opera Arias
BRAHMS' FOURTH SYMPHONY
WITH CHEN & HE'S BUTTERFLY LOVERS AND BEETHOVEN'S CORIOLAN OVERTURE
“SFSO's ‘Unstoppable’ season concludes with an emotional reckoning of love and passion. Featuring the Romantic-era masterpiece Brahms' Symphony No. 4, Chen and He's Butterfly Lovers, known as the ‘Romeo and Juliet of the East,’ and Beethoven's Coriolan Overture, a stormy thriller of vengeance and familial love.”
Performance Dates
- Wed., April 14, 2027, 7:30 p.m.: The Parker, Fort Lauderdale
Program
- Brahms: Symphony No. 4
- Chen Gang & He Zhanhao: Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto (SFSO Premiere)
Featuring Huifang Chen, violin - Beethoven: Coriolan Overture
SUBSCRIPTIONS AND TICKETS
Season subscriptions are on sale now for performances in Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Key West. Subscription packages may be purchased through South Florida Symphony Orchestra or by calling (954) 522-8445.
Subscribers save up to 20 percent off single ticket prices and receive early access to seating. Flexible ticket packages and single-show tickets will go on sale September 1, 2026.
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