Boston Philharmonic to Present Final Season at Symphony Hall

The Boston Philharmonic has announced its 48th and final celebratory season featuring a series of four programs by the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) and three programs by the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (BPYO), all led by Maestro Benjamin Zander at Symphony Hall. The BPO's 2026-2027 season, filled with orchestral favorites and electrifying soloists from around the world, includes works by great composers of the Classical and Romantic eras, including Beethoven, Britten, Brahms, and more. The BPO concerts are paired with Maestro Zander's popular pre-concert talks, engaging classical music novices and aficionados alike in the concert experience.

The season opens on Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. with a program tracing the evolution of German Romanticism across the nineteenth century with works by Beethoven, Weber, and Brahms. Weber's Der Freischütz Overture ushered in the Romantic opera tradition while Beethoven's Violin Concerto in D, performed here by violinist Guy Braunstein, transformed the concerto with its symphonic scope. The work is featured alongside Brahms's Fourth Symphony, illuminating Brahms's influence and inspiration from his predecessor.

On Sunday, November 22, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. the BPO performs a program exploring the Austrian symphonic tradition, featuring Schubert's 'Unfinished' Symphony No. 8 - one of classical music's great enigmas that displays extraordinary emotional depth despite its only two finished movements. The grand musical structure of Bruckner's Symphony No. 5 culminates in a contrapuntal finale renowned for its double fugue combining a Baroque academic approach with Romantic orchestration that reflects the composer's admiration for Bach and Beethoven.

The third BPO concert of the season on Sunday, February 14, 2027 at 3:00 p.m. features an all-Beethoven program including his Symphony No. 9, in which the composer uses chorus and vocal soloists in its final movement to expand the symphony into a statement on humanity, freedom, and brotherhood that stands the test of time. Soloists include soprano Angel Blue, mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, tenor Nicholas Phan, and bass Solomon Howard together with Chorus pro Musica, under the direction of Jamie Kirsch. The program also includes Beethoven's Coriolan Overture which was inspired by Heinrich Joseph von Collin's 1804 five-act tragedy 'Coriolan,' and tells of a semi-mythic Roman general who was exiled from Rome for his despotic behavior, playing out themes of honor and inner turmoil.

Widely celebrated as one of the foremost Mahler interpreters of his time, Zander leads the BPO in its final concert on Sunday, April 11, 2027 at 3:00 p.m., featuring Mahler's Symphony No. 9 together with Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem. The program brings together two deeply personal meditations on mortality, grappling with themes of grief, transcendence, and renewal. Britten composed his largest orchestral work, Sinfonia da Requiem, in 1940 at the age of 26 as Europe descended into war, while Mahler's Ninth Symphony is widely regarded as his final farewell before he died at the age of 50. The two works explore loss and the empowering endurance of the human spirit.

The Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra - comprised of 120 young musicians from across the northeastern United States ages 12-21 - opens its 2026-2027 season on Friday, November 6, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. with a program highlighting the evolution of Russian orchestral music with works by Glinka, Stravinsky, and Tchaikovsky. Glinka, often called the father of Russian classical music, composed his opera Ruslan and Ludmila, permanently changing the trajectory of Russian classical music by creating a national voice with the use of Russian folk melodies, advanced chromatic harmony, and thematic leitmotifs. The famous Overture is said to have been written in a fit of inspiration over the course of 24 hours. Stravinsky's trailblazing ballet Petrushka also used music as a storytelling device, with the famous 'Petrushka chord' used to represent the puppet character's dual nature. Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5 is unified by a recurring 'fate' motif and remains one of his most celebrated works.

On Friday, February 26, 2027 at 8:00 p.m., the BPYO performs a program exploring the relationship between the individual and society. Ravel's La Valse was composed on the heels of World War I, a tribute to the waltz that starts lusciously before the music distorts, alluding to the fall of 19th-century imperial society. Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5 balances artistic expression with political commentary, using sarcasm, irony, and clever orchestration as a hidden protest against Russian propaganda and artistic censorship. The concert also features pianist George Li performing Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2, a work written during a period of profound struggles with mental health that were overcome through hypnotherapy with Dr. Nikolai Dahl, to whom the work is dedicated.

The BPYO performs its final concert on Sunday, April 25, 2027 at 3:00 p.m. with Mahler's Symphony No. 2 featuring soprano Shiyu Zhuo, mezzo-soprano to be announced, and Chorus pro Musica, directed by Jamie Kirsch. The 'Resurrection' Symphony is an epic 85-minute masterpiece demanding a massive orchestra, offstage brass, a full choir, and even an out-of-tune, distant cowbell. Performing the work requires exceptional musical maturity, making it a fitting artistic milestone for the BPYO and a testament to the orchestra's accomplishments under Benjamin Zander's leadership.

Boston Philharmonic Orchestra Program Information

WEBER / BEETHOVEN / BRAHMS
Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.
Guide to the Music pre-concert talk takes place beginning at 1:45 p.m.
Location: Symphony Hall | 301 Massachusetts Avenue | Boston, MA 02115
Link: https://www.bostonphil.org/2026/2027-season-announcement

Program:
Weber - Der Freischütz Overture
Beethoven - Violin Concerto in D
Brahms - Symphony No. 4

Artists:
Boston Philharmonic Orchestra
Benjamin Zander, conductor
Guy Braunstein, violin
_________________________________

SCHUBERT / BRUCKNER
Sunday, November 22, 2026 at 3:00 p.m.
Guide to the Music pre-concert talk takes place beginning at 1:45 p.m.
Location: Symphony Hall | 301 Massachusetts Avenue | Boston, MA 02115
Link: https://www.bostonphil.org/2026/2027-season-announcement

Program:
Schubert - Symphony No. 8
Bruckner - Symphony No. 5

Artists:
Boston Philharmonic Orchestra
Benjamin Zander, conductor
_________________________________

BEETHOVEN / BEETHOVEN
Sunday, February 14, 2027 at 3:00 p.m.
Guide to the Music pre-concert talk takes place beginning at 1:45 p.m.
Location: Symphony Hall | 301 Massachusetts Avenue | Boston, MA 02115
Link: https://www.bostonphil.org/2026/2027-season-announcement

Program:
Beethoven - Coriolan Overture
Beethoven - Symphony No. 9

Artists:
Boston Philharmonic Orchestra
Benjamin Zander, conductor
Angel Blue, soprano
Jamie Barton, mezzo-soprano
Nicholas Phan, tenor
Solomon Howard, bass
Chorus pro Musica
Jamie Kirsch, music director
_________________________________

BRITTEN / MAHLER
Sunday, April 11, 2027 at 3:00 p.m.
Guide to the Music pre-concert talk takes place beginning at 1:45 p.m.
Location: Symphony Hall | 301 Massachusetts Avenue | Boston, MA 02115
Link: https://www.bostonphil.org/2026/2027-season-announcement

Program:
Britten - Sinfonia da Requiem
Mahler - Symphony No. 9

Artists:
Boston Philharmonic Orchestra
Benjamin Zander, conductor
_________________________________

Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Program Information

GLINKA / STRAVINSKY / TCHAIKOVSKY
Friday, November 6, 2026 at 8:00 p.m.
Location: Symphony Hall | 301 Massachusetts Avenue | Boston, MA 02115

Program:
Glinka - Ruslan and Ludmila Overture
Stravinsky - Petrushka
Tchaikovsky - Symphony No. 5

Artists:
Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra
Benjamin Zander, conductor
_________________________________

RAVEL / RACHMANINOFF / SHOSTAKOVICH
Friday, February 26, 2027 at 8:00 p.m.
Location: Symphony Hall | 301 Massachusetts Avenue | Boston, MA 02115

Program:
Ravel - La Valse
Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 2
Shostakovich - Symphony No. 5

Artists:
Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra
Benjamin Zander, conductor
George Li, piano
_________________________________

MAHLER
Sunday, April 25, 2027 at 3:00 p.m.
Location: Symphony Hall | 301 Massachusetts Avenue | Boston, MA 02115

Program:
Mahler - Symphony No. 2

Artists:
Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra
Benjamin Zander, conductor
Shiyu Zhuo, soprano
Mezzo-soprano to be announced
Chorus pro Musica
Jamie Kirsch, music director

Ticket Information

Tickets are available by visiting www.bostonphil.org or by calling 617-236-0999.

About The Boston Philharmonic Orchestra

In 1979, ninety-six enthusiastic players, professionals, students, and amateurs, a dynamic, probing conductor named Benjamin Zander, and an impassioned donor and amateur musician named Seymour Rothchild joined together to found the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO). Today the musicians represent the original spirited blend and account for the passion, high level of participation, and technical accomplishment for which this ensemble is celebrated. The professionals maintain the highest standards, the students keep the focus on training and education, and the gifted amateurs-including doctors, lawyers, teachers, and computer programmers-remind everybody that music-making is an expression of enthusiasm and love.

The Boston Philharmonic's message rings loud and clear-music making is a privilege and a joy, and above all, a collaborative adventure. Over the years the orchestra has performed at New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall, Sanders Theatre at Harvard University, and the historic Symphony Hall. The BPO performs with a wide range of soloists, from highly gifted performers at the start of their international careers, such as Stefan Jackiw, Gabriela Montero, Jonah Ellsworth, and George Li, to world-famous artists, such as Yo-Yo Ma, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Russell Sherman, Kim Kashkashian, and Alisa Weilerstein, and legendary masters, such as Ivry Gitlis, Denes Zsigmondy, Georgy Sandor, Leonard Shure, and Oscar Shumsky.

The Boston Philharmonic Orchestra has released five critically acclaimed recordings, featuring works by Stravinsky, Beethoven, Mahler, Shostakovich, and Ravel. Among many other reviews of extravagant praise, Classic CD Magazine gave the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra's recording of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring the highest rank of all available recordings. Of Mahler's Symphony No. 6, American Record Guide wrote, 'This joins the Rattle and the two Bernstein recordings as the finest on record...All the glory to Zander and his semi-professional orchestra, for the Sixth is probably Mahler's most difficult and complex symphony...All things considered, when I reach for a recording of the Sixth to play for my own pleasure, it will most likely be this one.'

BPO concerts have long been a two-part experience: each performance is preceded by one of Benjamin Zander's illuminating and entertaining pre-concert lectures, which prepare listeners to understand the ideas and the structure of the music they are about to hear. The BPO's commitment to reaching and educating a wide audience is maintained by its Music Without Boundaries program, which raises money to provide tickets for school-age students, and its Crescendo Music Education programs, which provide thousands of students throughout Boston with musical activities ranging from concerts to individualized instruction and workshops and more.

About Benjamin Zander

For nearly sixty years, Benjamin Zander has played a unique role in both the local and international community as an expert teacher, deeply insightful and probing music interpreter, and profound source of inspiration for audiences, with a deep commitment to making classical music accessible and engaging for all listeners. In his quest for insight and understanding into the Western musical canon and the underlying spiritual, social, and political issues that inspired its creation, he continually engages with well-informed musical and public intellectuals, including students, professional musicians, corporate leaders and politicians around the world.

Zander started out as a cellist and composer, studying composition under Benjamin Britten and Imogen Holst at age twelve. At age fifteen, he left his London home to train for five years in Florence and Cologne with the great Spanish cellist Gaspar Cassadó. After completing his degree at the University of London, he received a Harkness Fellowship, which brought him to the United States. He began his journey as a conductor after settling in Boston in 1965. Since then, he has appeared as a guest conductor with orchestras all over the world.

From 1965-2012, he served on the faculty of the New England Conservatory of Music (NEC), where he taught musical interpretation and conducted the Youth Philharmonic and Conservatory orchestras. He led the NEC Youth Philharmonic on fifteen international tours and made several documentaries for the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). He was also the founding artistic director of the NEC's joint program with the Walnut Hill School for the Performing Arts.

In 1979, Zander founded the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO), composed of some of Greater Boston's top professional, amateur, and student musicians. The BPO's performances shed fresh, insightful, and sometimes provocative light on the interpretation of the central symphonic repertoire of the 19th and 20th centuries, inspiring thousands of musicians and renewing their sense of idealism.

Thirty-three years later in 2012, he founded the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (BPYO), which draws young musicians aged 12-21 from the Northeastern US to its weekly rehearsals and performances in Symphony Hall. The tuition-free orchestra performs at concert halls in Greater Boston and tours regularly during the summer, performing in such renowned venues as Carnegie Hall, Amsterdam's Concertgebouw, and the Berlin Philharmonie. Past tours have included South America in the summer of 2017, an eight-European city performance of Mahler's 9th Symphony in 2018, Brazil in 2019, Greece in 2022, South Africa in 2023, and a five-city European tour in 2024 that sold out in Hamburg, Vienna, and Prague.

In 2018, he established the Benjamin Zander Center, which houses recordings of his 'Interpretations of Music: Lessons for Life' classes; it also provides comprehensive access to all aspects of Zander's musical work through an immersive multimedia platform.

For twenty-five years, Zander enjoyed a unique relationship with the Philharmonia Orchestra in London. He made eleven recordings with them, including a nearly complete cycle of Mahler symphonies, as well as Bruckner and Beethoven symphonies. High Fidelity magazine named his recording of Mahler's 6th Symphony the Best Classical Recording of 2002; the Mahler 3rd received the Critic's Choice award from the German Record Critics' Award Association; the Mahler 9th and Bruckner 5th recordings received nominations for Grammy Awards for Best Orchestral Performance. Each recording includes a detailed audio explanation that aims to bring deeper meaning to the experience of listening to the music.

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