Kalamazoo Symphony Unveils 25/26 Season Featuring Leonard Bernstein's WEST SIDE STORY

The Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra is launching the 25/26 season with 20 mainstage performances, including a fully staged production of Leonard Bernstein's Broadway musical West Side Story on April 18, 2026. Presented by Zhang Financial, the 25/26 season brings world-renowned artists, local community partners, and exhilarating symphonic music to Kalamazoo.

Season highlights include world-renowned pianist Emanuel Ax playing Ludwig van Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto and Gustav Mahler's monumental Third Symphony - the Symphony's first performance of this piece in its over 100-year history. Additionally, the season will feature two fully staged performances of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker with Ballet Arts Ensemble, Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl Live in Concert, and a fully staged performance of Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story.

The Masterworks Series returns with six concerts in Miller Auditorium, all at 7:30 p.m. The series features pianist Emanuel Ax performing Ludwig van Beethoven's Third Piano Concerto, Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony, Gustav Mahler's monumental Third Symphony with the Western Michigan University Grand Chorus, violinist Benjamin Beilman performing Beethoven's Violin Concerto, and a fully staged production of Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story.

Featured Masterworks artists include Emanuel Ax (piano), Gabriel Renteria-Elyea (KSO Principal Oboe), Avery Gagliano (piano), Deborah Nansteel (mezzo-soprano), Benjamin Beilman (violin), Laurentia Woo (violin, 2025 Stulberg International String Competition Gold Medalist), Lauren Yoon (violin, 2025 Julius & Esther Stulberg Memorial Prize), Cecilia Violetta López (soprano), Chía Patiño (stage director), Mikey Winslow (choreographer and Western Michigan University graduate).

The 25/26 season features three incredible Symphony Special Events: two fully staged performances of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker with Ballet Arts Ensemble, Sibelius & Dugan (featuring the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra and a world premiere performance by pianist and NPR host Peter Dugan), and Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl Live in Concert.

The Jane Rooks Ross & Barry Ross Family Discovery Concert returns to Miller Auditorium in March for a night of family fun led by Dr. Katherine Kilburn, conductor and Michigan State University assistant director of orchestras. Centered around the thrill of flight, this one-hour concert is designed to entertain audiences of all ages.

Returning this season, the Sound Waves Series is made up of four concerts focused on community partnerships. This series is an opportunity to experience a fusion of arts and culture organizations in Kalamazoo. The series includes Composing Tomorrow, bringing four living composers to Kalamazoo to premiere four brand-new works, Sounds of the Middle East featuring the Bayati Ensemble, Symphonic Beats: Celebrating Hip Hop Culture featuring Dr. Kandace "DC" Lavender, and Improv Meets Symphony with Crawlspace Theatre's improv troupe, Crawlspace Eviction.

Led by Western Michigan University's Bruce Uchimura, the quick-to-sell-out Craft Music Series returns to Bell's Eccentric Café with four performances featuring a variety of genres: Oktoberfest, Ragtime, 90s Throwbacks, and Beatles in the Beer Garden.