Wheeling Symphony Orchestra 2026-27 Season to Feature Harry Potter, Beethoven & More

The Wheeling Symphony Orchestra has revealed their 2026-2027 season to their subscribers before announcing the season on their website and social media Wednesday morning. The season, titled JOY, features a seven-concert series thoughtfully programmed to bring joy to all who attend. The title was also influenced by the inclusion of Beethoven's Symphony no. 9 in the Masterworks series; the fourth movement of the work is the famous “Ode to Joy.”

The series starts off with a bang: the season opener is Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert. Taking place the day before Halloween on October 30, this performance of the third Harry Potter film marks a return of the beloved franchise to the WSO after taking a hiatus last year (last season's film-with-orchestra performance was Star Wars A New Hope). When the WSO performed the first two Harry Potter films in 2023 and 2024, both shows were completely sold out—a feat the WSO hopes to repeat.

In November, the WSO will make a nod to America's 250th birthday by celebrating one of the most iconic figures in American music history: Leonard Bernstein. Bernstein in Story and Song features a revue of Bernstein's most beloved pieces, performed by vocalist Morgan James and accompanied by stories of the composer, written and performed by Bernstein's own daughter, Jamie. This performance will be Morgan James's third appearance with the WSO, after singing in Symphonic Soul in 2023 and Bravo Broadway! in 2025. In addition to her famous father, Jamie Bernstein is no stranger to the orchestral stage, having written and narrated concerts about Mozart, Aaron Copland, and Stravinsky. The performance will take place on November 19; the WSO's annual Young People's Concert will present a version of this concert especially designed for students.

On December 3, the WSO's beloved holiday tradition Symphony on Ice will return for the 21st year. This holiday extravaganza combines the WSO with figure skating performances by both professional and amateur skating groups, including the Wheeling Skate Club. High school students from across the Ohio Valley combine with the Wheeling Symphony Chorus to form the Festival Choir.

On January 16, 2027, the Pops series will continue with The Music of John Williams, a tribute to the beloved film composer as it nears his 95th birthday. With a concert time of 3  pm, the performance will be a great option for individuals and families alike.

Scheduled for February 13 is An Afternoon in Spain, featuring pianist Natalia Kazaryan performing Manuel De Falla's Nights in the Garden of Spain. Also on the program is Rimsky Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnol and a new work by Leanna Primiani titled Visions. Visions was commissioned by the WSO through the prestigious Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation. Primiani previously composed The Legend of Miss Betty Zane for the WSO, inspired by the Wheeling legend. That piece will now be part of a triptych to be performed at this concert, with two related pieces inspired by feminist heroes.

The Masterworks series continues the following month on March 11 with Bohemian Spirit. In celebration of Music In Our Schools Month, the Wheeling Symphony Youth Orchestra will perform side-by-side with the WSO on Sibelius's Finlandia. Guest artist Mary Elizabeth Bowden will perform Clarice Assad's Bohemian Queen, a trumpet concerto composed specifically for Bowden. The concert is rounded out with Bartók's Romanian Folk Dances and Mozart's Symphony no. 40.

Ode to Joy, the final Masterworks of the season, takes place on April 30. The inspiration for the season title, Beethoven's Symphony no. 9, will occur at this concert, featuring a performance by the Wheeling Symphony Chorus. Brahms's Academic Festival Overture and Will Dixon's Les Belle de Lausanne are programmed for this concert as well. Dixon was a Black Wheeling native who went on to great musical success in New York City, but whose history and legacy have largely been forgotten. His life, career, and remarkable Wheeling roots will also serve as the subject of this year's Festival of Ideas, which will take place in the week preceding the performance.

Finally, JOY ends with Classical Mystery Tour on May 22. A Beatles tribute, this Pops performance will feature four Beatles impersonators, decked out in Beatles costumes and performing hits from throughout the Fab Four's career.

In addition, the WSO will continue their traditional Music Under the Stars Labor Day weekend performance at Oglebay Park. Subscriptions for the Wheeling Symphony 2026-2027 season will go on sale July 21. Single tickets will go on sale on September 1 at 10 am.

Masterworks Series

Masterworks I: Bernstein in Story and Song

November 19, 2026 • 7:30 pm
Featuring: Morgan James, vocalist; Jamie Bernstein, narrator
Program: Works by Leonard Bernstein

Masterworks II: An Afternoon in Spain

February 13, 2027 • 4:00 pm
Featuring: Natalia Kazaryan, piano
Program: Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio Espagnol; Manuel De Falla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain; Leanna Primiani's Visions and Triptych

Masterworks III: Bohemian Spirit

March 11, 2027 • 7:30 pm
Featuring: Mary Elizabeth Bowden, trumpet; Wheeling Symphony Youth Orchestra
Program: Mozart's Symphony No. 40; Clarice Assad's Bohemian Queen; Bartók's Romanian Folk Dances; Sibelius's Finlandia

Masterworks IV: Ode to Joy

April 30, 2027 • 7:30 pm
Featuring: Wheeling Symphony Choir; vocal soloists Monica Yunus, Marianne Cornetti, Victor Cadamone, and Alan Cline
Program: Beethoven's Symphony No. 9; Brahms's Academic Festival Overture; Will Dixon's Les Belles de Lausanne

Pops Series

Pops I: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in Concert

October 30, 2026 • 7:30 pm

Pops II: The Music of John Williams

January 16, 2027 • 3:00 pm

Pops III: Classical Mystery Tour

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