FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Feb. 20, 2026
Madison Symphony Orchestra Announces its 2026-27 Season
Subscription series available now
Madison, Wis. – The Madison Symphony Orchestra is announcing its 2026-27 season, which features a lineup of internationally acclaimed guest artists, beloved orchestral classics and a world premiere commissioned piece. Tickets are available now by subscription.
“The 2026–27 season reflects the astonishing breadth and scope of the symphonic repertoire,” Madison Symphony Orchestra Executive Director Robert Reed said. “And it is a season of promising excitement as our community welcomes the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s soon-to-be-announced Music Director Designate.”
The 101st season starts Sept. 18 with a special Opening Night Concert featuring the MSO and renowned violinist Joshua Bell. The program includes Paul Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Édouard Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole, Jules Massenet’s Meditation from Thaïs and Maurice Ravel’s Boléro.
Opening Weekend, happening Oct. 16, 17 and 18, welcomes pianist Joyce Yang performing Carlos Simon’s The Block, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4.
Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony, will be performed Nov. 6, 7 and 8, and includes seasonal-inspired works including Antonio Vivaldi’s Autumn from The Four Seasons, Astor Piazzolla’s Autumn from The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, Lili Boulanger’s D’un matin de printemps, Paul Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis on Themes by Carl Maria von Weber and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, the “Pastoral.” Kyle Knox will serve as the guest conductor. MSO will be joined by violinist Naha Greenholtz, who has appeared with the San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of Canada and National Repertory Orchestras, as well as the Vancouver, Quad City, Burnaby and Kelowna Symphonies. A graduate of The Juilliard School, Greenholtz performs on a 1778 Antonio Gragnani violin.
In December, the Madison Symphony Christmas returns for three family performances, Dec. 4, 5 and 6, and will feature soprano Renée Richardson and tenor Demetrious Sampson Jr., joined by the Madison Symphony Chorus, Mt. Zion Gospel Choir and the Madison Youth Choirs.
The new year begins when Sterling Elliott returns Jan. 15, 16, 17, as guest conductor Carl St. Clair leads Frank Ticheli’s There Will Be Rest, Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 88 and Richard Strauss’ Don Quixote. Acclaimed for his stellar stage presence and joyous musicianship, Elliott is a 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient and the winner of the Senior Division of the 2019 National Sphinx Competition. He has appeared with major U.S. orchestras such as the Philadelphia Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and more.
Rachmaninoff & Beethoven, Feb. 19, 20, 21, features Gabriela Ortiz’s Kauyumari, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 with Inon Barnatan and Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2. Barnatan is a frequent soloist with many of the world’s leading orchestras and was the inaugural Artist-in-Association with the New York Philharmonic from 2014-17 under Music Director Alan Gilbert. He has appeared with major ensembles across the U.S., Europe and Asia and is Music Director of the La Jolla Music Society SummerFest.
The March 12, 13, 14 concerts feature Caroline Shaw’s The Observatory, Johannes Brahms’ Symphony No. 3 and Chopin’s Piano Concerto No. 1. Pianist Garrick Ohlsson, widely acclaimed for his interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert and the Romantic canon, will join the symphony. With more than 80 concertos in his repertoire, he brings a breadth of experience that spans piano literature.
Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, on April 9, 10, 11, features violinist Blake Poullot, soprano Katerina Burton, mezzo-soprano Rehanna Thelwell and bass-baritone Kyle Ketelsen, along with the Madison Symphony Chorus and the Madison Youth Choirs. The program includes Wagner’s Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan and Isolde, Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto and the world premiere of Spacious Skies: A Choral Symphony, a Madison Symphony commission by Scott Gendel and Caitlin Vincent.
MSO’s subscription season concludes May 7, 8 and 9 with Time for Three, a Grammy and Emmy-winning ensemble. The program includes Gioachino Rossini’s Overture to Semiramide, Jennifer Higdon’s Concerto 4-3 and Sir Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations.
Current and new subscribers can subscribe now. Five to eight concert subscription packages range from $90-$660, which is a savings of 10-25% off single-ticket prices. Ticket prices for the Joshua Bell concert range from $25-$115.
For more information on tickets, sponsorship opportunities and event details: www.madisonsymphony.org/26-27
About the Madison Symphony Orchestra
The MSO has grown to be one of America’s leading regional orchestras, providing Madison and south-central Wisconsin with cultural and educational opportunities to interact with great masterworks and top-tier guest artists from around the world. Learn more at www.madisonsymphony.org/26-27.
Contact: Emma Potter
Phone: (608) 257-3734 x230
Email: epotter@madisonsymphony.org
Web: madisonsymphony.org
MSO Symphony Season Press Photos: https://madisonsymphony.org/press-room/