Columbus Symphony Announces 2025-26 Masterworks Season

The Columbus Symphony and Music Director Rossen Milanov have announced the 2025–26 Masterworks season, a twelve-program lineup of orchestral masterworks, innovative contemporary pieces, and celebrated guest artists, all performed at the Ohio Theatre. The season runs from September 26, 2025, through May 2, 2026, and includes both evening and matinee concerts, as well as expanded accompaniment programs and family access initiatives.

Season Highlights

The 2025–26 season features major symphonic works including Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Handel’s Messiah, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, Mozart’s Requiem, and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Other highlights include:

• The return of Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 (“Titan”)

• The season finale, Orff’s Trionfo di Afrodite

• A first for Masterworks: live orchestral performance of the Academy Award-winning film Amadeus

• Contemporary works including Jeffrey Mumford’s world premiere double concerto and Viet Cuong’s Re(new)al featuring Sandbox Percussion

• Works by composers Kaija Saariaho and Florence Price

Accessibility and Community Programs

Children ages 6–16 will continue to receive free admission with an accompanying adult. The Symphony will also continue its Preludes, Friday Coffee Dress rehearsals with complimentary refreshments, and the Mozart to Matisse lecture series in collaboration with the Columbus Museum of Art. Students can join the College Club for $25, gaining access to every Masterworks concert plus discounts.

Subscription Options

Subscriptions are on sale now at www.ColumbusSymphony.com, by phone at (614) 469-0939, or in person at the CAPA Ticket Center (39 E. State St.). Subscription tiers range from 4 to 13 concerts, with escalating benefits and discounts. College Club memberships are also available.

2025–26 MASTERWORKS SEASON PROGRAMS

Opening Night: Beethoven 5

September 26 & 28, 2025
Anna Fedorova, piano
Beethoven – Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”)
Beethoven – Symphony No. 5

Scheherazade

October 3 & 5, 2025
Joanna Frankel, violin; Columbus Symphony Women's Chorus
Debussy – Nocturnes
Saariaho – Vers toi qui es si loin
Rimsky-Korsakov – Scheherazade

Messiah

November 14–16, 2025
Columbus Symphony Chorus
Handel – Messiah (arr. Mozart)

Latin Rhythms & Hollywood Dreams

January 16–17, 2026
Josep Vicent, conductor; Blake Pouliot, violin; Griset Damas-Roche, flamenco dancer
Prokofiev – Symphony No. 1
Korngold – Violin Concerto
Falla – El amor brujo
Márquez – Danzón No. 2

Mozart’s Requiem

January 23–24, 2026
Mozart – Requiem (completion by Gregory Spears)

Price & Tchaikovsky

February 6–7, 2026
Melissa White, violin
Copland – Rodeo
Price – Violin Concerto No. 2
Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 1

Mahler 1

February 20–21, 2026
Mumford – Double Concerto (world premiere)
Mahler – Symphony No. 1 (“Titan”)

Amadeus Live

March 6–7, 2026
Film screening with live orchestra and chorus

Rachmaninoff 3

March 14, 2026
Caroline Hong, piano
Janáček – Taras Bulba
Gershwin – Rhapsody in Blue
Rachmaninoff – Symphony No. 3

Shostakovich 8

March 27–28, 2026
Sandbox Percussion
Viet Cuong – Re(new)al
Shostakovich – Symphony No. 8

Beethoven, Schumann, & Brahms

April 17 & 18, 2026
Maxim Lando, piano
Beethoven – Egmont Overture
Schumann – Symphony No. 4
Brahms – Piano Concerto No. 1

Orff: Trionfo di Afrodite

May 1–2, 2026
With BalletMet and Columbus Symphony Chorus
Dvořák – The American Flag
Orff – Trionfo di Afrodite

Columbus Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. THE LITTLE MERMAID (Sunbury Performing Arts)

14% of votes

2. 42ND STREET (Gahanna Lincoln Summer)

13.7% of votes

3. JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (Weathervane Playhouse)

11.3% of votes

Vote Now!