Symphony San Jose Unveils 2025 - 2026 Season Featuring Classical, Contemporary and More

Symphony San Jose has revealed its 2025/2026 season—one filled with an exciting mix of classical masterpieces, contemporary discoveries, light classics, film music, pops, ballet, and education concerts. The Symphony will present nine productions totaling 30 performances in San Jose’s majestic California Theatre.
 
“San Jose’s connection to symphonic music runs deep,” said Executive Artistic Director Robert Massey. “It can be traced back to the 1870s when musicians came together and formed the city’s first orchestra. Today, the talented orchestral musicians of Symphony San Jose are key to the city’s unique cultural identity, ensuing live, world-renowned music continues to flourish in the South Bay.”

Masterworks of the Classical Canon. Anchoring the season are symphonic classics including Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique, Schumann’s Symphony No. 4, Elgar’s Enigma Variations, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, Schubert’s Rosamunde Overture, Dvorak’s Carnival Overture, and Carl Nielsen’s Helios Overture. New works include Anna Clyne’s Masquerade and Mason Bate’s concerto for orchestra and animated film, Philharmonia Fantastique. Conductors for the season include Nathan Aspinall, François López-Ferrer, Grant Llewelyn, Vinay Parameswaran, Lidiya Yankovskaya, Peter Jaffe, Elena Sharkova, and Stuart Chafetz. Soloists include Jon Nakamatsu performing Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini, Geneva Lewis performing Sibelius’ Violin Concerto, and Katherine Siochi performing Ginastera’s Harp Concerto. Symphony San Jose Chorale will be featured in Handel’s Zadok the Priest and Vaughan Williams’ Dona Nobis Pacem, with Maria Valdes, soprano and John Brancy, baritone.
 
Symphonic Spectaculars. Back by popular demand are three concerts consisting of a mix of familiar favorites, light classics, pops, and film music. Symphonic Spooktacular “Bewitching Broadway” explores the darker side of the Great White Way with selections from Wicked, Little Shop of Horrors, Jekyll & Hyde, and Into the Woods. Holiday Spectacular celebrates “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” with the Symphony, Symphony San Jose Chorale, Cantabile Youth Singers, and New Ballet performing holiday classics, carols, audience sing-alongs, and the ever-popular 12 Days of Silicon Valley. Hollywood Spectacular “Out of this World” takes audiences on an interstellarmusical journey through the most iconic space movie music ever composed, including Star Wars, Star Trek, Men in Black, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and E.T. – The Extra-Terrestrial.
 
The San Jose Nutcracker. Symphony San Jose and New Ballet join forces again for The San Jose Nutcracker, choreographed by New Ballet Founder and Director, Dalia Rawson. In addition to the eight full productions of Tchaikovsky’s immortal classic, there will be three performances of a special one-act My Very First Nutcracker, ideal for families with toddlers, preschoolers, and young children.

2025/2026 Season

All performances held at the California Theatre, 345 S First Street, San Jose, CA 95113.
Programs and Artists Subject to Change.

MASQUERADE

October 4 & 5, 2025
Nathan Aspinall, conductor
Jon Nakamatsu, piano

Anna Clyne                               Masquerade
Sergei Rachmaninoff                 Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini
Hector Berlioz                          Symphonie Fantastique
 

SYMPHONIC SPOOKTACULAR “Bewitching Broadway”

October 25 & 26, 2025
Peter Jaffe, conductor

Program to Include:
Stephen Schwartz                      Wicked
Frank Wildhorn                        Jeckyll & Hyde
Kurt Weill                                The Threepenny Opera
Alan Menken                            Little Shop of Horrors
Stephen Sondheim                    Into the Woods / Sweeney Todd
 

HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR “Christmas at the California”

December 6 & 7, 2025
Elena Sharkova, conductor
Symphony San Jose Chorale; Cantabile Youth Singers; New Ballet

Program to Include:
Leroy Anderson                        A Christmas Festival
Jerry Herman                            We Need A Little Christmas
Vince Guaraldi                          Christmas Time is Here
Clement Moore                         The Night Before Christmas
Traditional                               12 Days of Silicon Valley
 

THE SAN JOSE NUTCRACKER

December 13 – 23, 2025
My Very First Nutcracker: Dec 14, 21, and 22
New Ballet
Dalia Rawson, choreographer
Thomas Shoebotham, conductor

Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky             The Nutcracker
 

HOPELESSLY ROMANTIC

January 24 & 25, 2026
François López-Ferrer, conductor
Geneva Lewis, violin

Franz Schubert                          Overture to Rosamunde
Jean Sibelius                             Violin Concerto
Robert Schumann                     Symphony No. 4
 

THE ENIGMATIC VOICE

March 7 & 8, 2026
Grant Llewelyn, conductor
Maria Valdes, soprano
John Brancy, baritone
Symphony San Jose Chorale

Gorge Frideric Handel               Zadok the Priest
Ralph Vaughan Williams            Dona Nobis Pacem
Edward Elgar                            Enigma Variations
 

HOLLYWOOD SPECTACULAR “Out of this World”

March 28 & 29, 2026
Stuart Chafetz, conductor

Program to Include:
Danny Elfman                          Men in Black
Michael Giacchino                    Star Trek Into Darkness
James Horner                           Apollo 13
Richard Strauss                         2001: A Space Odyssey
John Williams                           Close Encounters of the Third Kind
John Williams                           Star Wars
Hans Zimmer                           Interstellar
 

BEETHOVEN’S PASTORALE

May 9 & 10, 2026
Vinay Parameswaran, conductor

Antonín Dvorák                        Carnival Overture
Mason Bates                             Philharmonia Fantastique
Ludwig van Beethoven              Symphony No. 6 (Pastorale)
 

SYMPHONIC WORLD CUP

June 6 & 7, 2026
Lidiya Yankovskaya, conductor
Katherine Siochi, harp

San Francisco / Bay Area Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. URINETOWN (Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble)

16.7% of votes

2. THE DAY THE SKY TURNED ORANGE (San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Company / Z Space)

9.3% of votes

3. SWEENEY TODD (Cabrillo Stage)

8.4% of votes

Vote Now!