Beethoven 5
September 26, 2025 | 7:30PM
September 28, 2025 | 3PM
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Anna Fedorova, piano
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5
Our 2025-26 Masterworks Season opens with the powerful music of Beethoven and two of his greatest compositions! Acclaimed pianist Anna Fedorova joins the orchestra for the majestic Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”), a dynamic interplay between the brilliance of the piano and lush symphonic backdrop. The concert concludes with the iconic Fifth Symphony—a thrilling narrative of fate and triumph. Join us for these masterpieces full of relentless energy that celebrate the timeless essence of classical music!
Scheherazade
October 3, 2025 | 7:30PM
October 5, 2025 | 3PM
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Joanna Frankel, violin
Columbus Symphony Women’s Chorus
Debussy: Nocturnes
Saariaho: Vers toi qui es si loin
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade
Be swept away into an enchanting evening full of rich orchestral textures and evocative musical storytelling. The evening unfolds with the lush, dreamlike landscapes of Debussy’s Nocturnes. Each movement paints an impressionistic picture: slow-moving clouds, vibrant festivals, and the mysterious voices of Sirens, portrayed by the radiant voices of the Columbus Symphony Women’s Chorus. Kaija Saariaho’s Vers toi qui es si loin is a haunting exploration of longing and connection to what lies beyond our human existence.. Finally, escape into the exotic musical landscapes of Rimsky-Korsakov’s colorfully orchestrated Scheherazade. Melodic tales of adventure and intrigue are brought to life featuring concertmaster Joanna Frankel as the “voice” of the Arabian princess Sheherazade weaving fairy tales for 1001 nights.
Handel’s Messiah
November 14 & 15, 2025 | 7:30PM
November 16, 2025 | 3PM
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Columbus Symphony Chorus
Stephen Caracciolo, chorus director
Handel: Messiah
Experience the grandeur and tradition of Handel’s masterpiece, featuring the Columbus Symphony Chorus. The iconic “Hallelujah” chorus is the highlight of this beloved oratorio.
Latin Rhythms and Hollywood Drama
January 16 & 17, 2026 | 7:30PM
Josep Vicent, conductor
Blake Pouliot, violin
Griset Damas-Roche, flamenco dancer
Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 (“Classical”)
Korngold: Violin Concerto
Falla: El amor brujo: Ballet Suite
Márquez: Danzón No. 2
Guest conductor Josep Vicent leads the orchestra in a captivating concert featuring Prokofiev’s vibrant Symphony No. 1 (“Classical”)—an echo of the elegant 18th-century musical style. Korngold's emotionally rich Violin Concerto will delight you and elevate the evening with its lyrical beauty. Falla's El amor brujo and Márquez’s Danzón No. 2 complete the program in a lively homage to Flamenco, Latin dance and Spanish passion.
Friday Coffee Dress: January 16, 2026 | 10AM
Mozart’s Requiem
January 23 & 24, 2026 | 7:30PM
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Lydia Grindatto, soprano
Mariya Kaganskaya, mezzo soprano
Angel Raii Gomez, tenor
Cumhur Görgün, bass
Columbus Symphony Chorus
Stephen Caracciolo, chorus director
Mozart: Requiem
Experience the profound beauty of Mozart’s unfinished masterpiece, now reimagined with a contemporary twist by acclaimed American composer Gregory Spears. Spears’ music seamlessly blends echoes of Bach and Mozart with Romantic harmonies and modern nuances to complete the Requiem with its missing Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei. Join us for this unforgettable performance that bridges centuries of musical tradition with innovative artistry.
Price & Tchaikovsky
February 6 & 7, 2026 | 7:30PM
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Melissa White, violin
Copland: Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo
Price: Violin Concerto No. 2
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1 (“Winter Dreams”)
Experience the vibrant energy of Aaron Copland’s Rodeo. Four folk-inspired dances from the ballet come alive, bursting with frontier spirit and lively rhythms. Described as elegant and thoughtful (Cincinnati Business Courier), violinist Melissa White will capture the sounds of American classical music with the soul-stirring lyricism of Florence Price’s Second Violin Concerto. Finally, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.1 (“Winter Dreams”) will take us on a charming musical ride full of dreamy landscapes and emotional depth.
Mahler 1
February 20 & 21, 2026 | 7:30PM
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Lauren Cauley, violin
Mariel Roberts, cello
Jeffrey Mumford, composer
Mumford: floating layers interwoven with expanding brightness
Mahler: Symphony No. 1 (“Titan”)
This captivating concert features Jeffrey Mumford's Double Concerto, a stunning fusion of rich textures, innovative harmonies, and intricate dialogue between the orchestra and soloists Lauren Cauley, violin, and Mariel Roberts, cello. The program culminates with Mahler's monumental Symphony No. 1 (“Titan”), a work that takes listeners on a journey through expansive soundscapes of emotion, from robust triumph to serene reflection.
Amadeus Live
March 6 & 7, 2026 | 7:30PM
Stuart Chafetz, conductor
Columbus Symphony Chorus
Stephen Caracciolo, chorus director
Amadeus
Celebrate the 270th anniversary of Mozart’s birth and experience the Academy Award-winning film like never before! A breathtaking fusion of cinema and symphony, this is a must-see event for music and film lovers, with the soundtrack brought to life by Principal Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz and the Columbus Symphony and Chorus.
Rachmaninoff 3
March 14, 2026 | 7:30PM
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Caroline Hong, piano
Janáček: Taras Bulba
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3
Immerse yourself in this exhilarating concert filled with heroic sounds, dazzling virtuosity, and musical drama! Janáček’s dynamic Taras Bulba offers a vivid orchestral portrayal of heroism and sacrifice inspired by Nikolai Gogol’s tales of war and death. Symphony pianist Caroline Hong brings Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue to life with sweeping lyricism and jazzy flair. Rachmaninoff’s lush and dramatic Symphony No. 3 weaves a poignant musical tapestry that will captivate your heart and stir your soul.
Friday Coffee Dress: March 13, 2026 | 10AM
Shostakovich 8
March 27 & 28 | 7:30PM
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Sandbox Percussion
Viet Cuong: Re(new)al
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8
This evocative concert begins with the Grammy-nominated ensemble Sandbox Percussion’s performance of Viet Cuong’s Re(new)al—an innovative work for percussion quartet and orchestra full of eclectic soundscapes that explore themes of transformation and resilience. Shostakovich’s Symphony No.8 is a powerful work reflecting on war as a force of destruction and suffering, while juxtaposing it with the endurance and resilience of the human spirit.
Beethoven, Schumann, & Brahms
April 17, 2026 | 7:30PM
April 18, 2026 | 3PM
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Maxim Lando, piano
Beethoven: Egmont Overture
Schumann: Symphony No. 4
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1
Musical brilliance abounds in this concert featuring works by three prominent composers from the Classical and Romantic eras. Beethoven’s overture to Egmont is part of the incidental music he composed for the play by Goethe. It portrays in a brilliant and powerful way the ideas of oppression, struggle and freedom.
Schumann’s music captures with its romantic passion and energy while offering and innovative formal design where all the movements of the symphony are linked together.
Rising-star pianist Maxim Lando returns to the Columbus Symphony with Brahms’ virtuosic First Piano Concerto, a work that poses extraordinary demands on the soloist and filled with lush melodies and dramatic contrasts.
Orff: Triumph of Aphrodite
May 1 & 2, 2026 | 7:30PM
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Aubry Ballarò, soprano
Nicholas Nestorak, tenor
Hugh Russell, baritone
Columbus Symphony Chorus
Stephen Caracciolo, chorus director
BalletMet
Dvořák: The American Flag
Orff: Trionfo di Afrodite (Triumph of Aphrodite)
Our season concludes with this vibrant finale featuring the Columbus Symphony musicians and Chorus, and dancers from BalletMet. Dvořák's The American Flag is a spirited blend of nationalism and folk elements that celebrates the composer’s expressions of American patriotism and freedom. Orff's Trionfo di Afroditi is the final installment of a musical trilogy that opens with the well-known Carmina Burana. This spectacular work showcases the full power of the chorus and orchestra, explores love and beauty, and embraces the listener in its powerful climaxes.