RELEASE: Omaha Symphony Returns for 25/26 Season
AUGUST 2025
Media Contact:
Mark Champion
Communications Manager
Office: 402.661.8422
OMAHA SYMPHONY RETURNS WITH NEW EXPERIENCES IN 2025/26 SEASON
- Individual Tickets are on Sale Now
- Introducing the Symphony Cathedral concerts
- Season programming includes a plethora of guest artists and ensembles, such as conductor François López-Ferrer, pianist George Li, and saxophonist Robert Young
- Four full-length feature films will be screened with the score played live by the orchestra, including Disney's Frozen, Star Wars: A New Hope, How to Train Your Dragon and the final film from the Harry Potter franchise.
OMAHA, NE. August 20, 2025 —All tickets are now available for the Omaha Symphony’s 2025/26 Season! Patrons can now purchase individual tickets to any of the 53 performances scheduled for the 2025/26 Omaha Symphony season. Series subscriptions and Create Your Own Season Ticket Packages are still available for purchase throughout the season.
For ticketing information, contact Ticket Omaha at 402-345-0606, or visit omahasymphony.org.
Omaha Symphony performances are categorized into series which include Masterworks, Symphony Joslyn, LIVE with the Omaha Symphony, the Family Series, the annual Choral Collaborative program in partnership with area high schools, and a new concert series at the Cathedral.
Introducing Symphony Cathedral
The Omaha Symphony is thrilled to announce Symphony Cathedral, a brand-new collaboration that unites the brilliant artistry of the Omaha Symphony, the renowned St. Cecilia Cathedral Choir, and the Cathedral’s landmark Martin Pasi pipe organ. Curated by musicians Susanna Perry Gilmore, Brett Hodge and Marie Rubis Bauer, the series showcases Baroque music in St. Cecilia’s glorious acoustics.
“The Saint Cecilia Cathedral Choir and the Omaha Symphony share a passion for beautiful music that inspires the heart and soul,” said Marie Rubis Bauer, who is the Director of Music at the Archdiocese of Omaha and St. Cecilia Cathedral, as well as the Cathedral Organist. “I am thrilled that St. Celicia Cathedral's unmatched acoustics and sacred architecture will be the setting for exquisite strings, brass, organ, and vocals to unite in a repertoire that will spring to life for all who hear it.”
The 25/26 Season begins with Vivaldi’s Gloria, a sprawling tour-de-force for baroque orchestra and choir, with special features for strings. Audiences will hear music by Telemann, Corelli, Bach and Buxtehude before the concert culminates in Vivaldi’s powerful Gloria in D Major, RV 589.
The second concert, A Festival of Christmas Brass, promises to immerse listeners in the soaring sounds of the Symphony’s brass and percussion sections as well as the majestic Pasi Opus 14 pipe organ. The festive evening of carols and heartwarming storytelling through the voices of the musicians themselves features original compositions and arrangements by Morten Lauridsen, Gala Flagello, Anthony DiLorenzo, J.S. Bach and more!
Tickets to both concerts are $35 flat.
Concert Details:
Vivaldi’s Gloria
- September 18 at 7:30 p.m.
- St. Cecilia Cathedral
- Featured artists:
- Susanna Perry Gilmore, violin & co-artistic director
- Marie Rubis Bauer, organ, harpsichord & co-artistic director
- Chelsea Helm, soprano
- Karina Brazas, soprano
- Aryssa Leigh Burrs, mezzo-soprano
A Festival of Christmas Brass
- December 18 at 7:30p.m.
- St. Cecilia Cathedral
- Featured artists:
- Brett Hodge, French horn
- Marie Rubis Bauer, organ
View the entire 2025/26 Omaha Symphony Season at the bottom of this release or on the Omaha Symphony website, omahasymphony.org
“There are many highlights in this upcoming season,” President and CEO Jennifer Boomgaarden Daoud said. “From Maestro JoAnn Falletta’s appointment to Stravinsky’s Firebird to our collaboration with Opera Omaha, every corner of this season is a testament to our commitment to presenting a unique and exhilarating concert experiences. We cannot wait to share so much wonderful music with our Omaha community.”
Principal Guest Conductor & Artistic Advisor JoAnn Falletta said,
“The Omaha Symphony has a long history of excellence, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to continue this tradition in the 2025/26 Season. This season affords us the rare opportunity to showcase many talented guest conductors and artists whom I admire, and I would be honored if you would join us in the concert hall. There is much to look forward to!”
25/26 Season Programming:
Programming for the 2025/26 Season features the greatest composers, well-known classical works, world-renowned guest artists, and beloved popular music, all presented with an eye toward unlimited innovation. Below are highlights from each concert series.
To access images and information regarding the 2025/26 Season, visit our press kit here: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/dkom6rg38fn9bqdwzx0t4/ADwFuWvkFF-IjzUbkp4tQm8?rlkey=huel27l8zb6uxw850taordz0y&st=9wfm4m0n&dl=0
Masterworks:
As a mission-driven non-profit organization, the Omaha Symphony will continue to reinvigorate the beloved repertoire of the orchestral artform in its Masterworks Series. The list of esteemed guest conductors includes newly appointed Omaha Symphony Principal Guest Conductor & Artistic Advisor JoAnn Falletta, Tucson Symphony Orchestra Music Director José Luis Gomez, Joseph Young, Christopher Allen, François López-Ferrer, Lidiya Yankovskaya, and current Omaha Symphony Music Director Ankush Kumar Bahl, who will serve as Artistic Partner in the 2025/26 Season.
Maestro JoAnn Falletta will launch our Masterworks programming when she leads the Omaha Symphony at Falletta Conducts Tchaikovsky’s Fifth, a program featuring pianist George Li. The Masterworks series also showcases Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5, explores the cinematic adventure of Stravinsky’s Firebird, features a collaboration with Opera Omaha for Beethoven’s Fifth & Bluebeard’s Castle presented by Applied Underwriters, and concludes with Maestro Ankush Kumar Bahl’s return to conduct Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, the epic “Titan.” Stunning concerti and world-renowned guest soloists include the “frighteningly awesome” (Buffalo News) violinist Francisco Fullana performing Barber’s Violin Concerto, saxophonist Robert Young playing Connesson’s jazz-inspired A Kind of Trane under the baton of his brother Joseph Young, and many more.
Symphony Joslyn:
The Omaha Symphony returns to the Joslyn Art Museum’s Witherspoon Hall for the 2025/26 Season! This series showcases the vast chamber music repertoire and the depth of soloistic talent that the orchestra has to offer.
In its 2025/26 Season, this series explores repertoire spanning centuries with highlights including Schumann’s Symphony No. 4, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1, Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante, and more. Guest conductors invited to take the podium in this series include JoAnn Falletta in the Symphony Joslyn season finale, Music Director of the Ann Arbor Symphony Earl Lee, Music Director of the Ópera Nacional de Chile and Filarmónica de Santiago Paolo Bortolameolli, and more. Solo performances by violinist Henry Jenkins, cellist Paul Ledwon, Concertmaster Susanna Perry Gilmore, and more Omaha Symphony musicians are also featured.
LIVE with the Omaha Symphony:
Beyond the traditional classical programming offered in the Masterworks and Symphony Joslyn series, the Symphony is proud to present the “LIVE with the Omaha Symphony” Series to encompass popular music and dynamic performers you know and love, sharing the stage with our world-class orchestra.
The Omaha Symphony will continue to present pop and rock hits, along with other unique stage performances, including feature films with a live orchestra.
This year’s LIVE with the Omaha Symphony programming kicks off with The Music of Elton John performed by crowd favorite and Tony-award nominee Michael Cavanaugh. Other highlights of this series include Cirque Carmen, which features mind-bending circus acts from Troupe Vertigo set to the classic opera score by French composer Georges Bizet, a performance with The Texas Tenors, a program of scary movie music around Halloween, orchestral transformations of the music of Journey, Motown, Elvis, The Who, The Bee Gees, and more. Of course, the Physicians Mutual Omaha Symphony Christmas Celebration returns to spread cheer in the holiday season.
Also under the LIVE with the Omaha Symphony umbrella are concerts of movie music. This season, the Symphony will offer four film experiences in 2025/26, with the scores played live as the films are shown on the big screen: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part TwoTM in Concert; Disney’s Frozen Live in Concert, Dreamworks’ How to Train your Dragon Live in Concert, and Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert.
WIZARDING WORLD and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s22)
Family:
In the 2025/26 Season, the Omaha Symphony’s Family Series presents three concert experiences designed for children ages 5-11 and their families, as well as for those with sensory sensitivities.
In her second season with the Omaha Symphony, Assistant Conductor Serena Reuten leads the orchestra in a Día de los Muertos concert which will celebrate the rich traditions of honoring and remembering loved ones. Also led by Serena Reuten, the Family Series continues with a concert-telling of New York Times bestselling author Dan Brown’s Wild Symphony, which explores a world of playful animal characters, each with their own story and musical theme. Finally, Maestro Ernest Richardson will lead Journey to the Amazon, which showcases the magic of the Amazon Rainforest with the help of dancers in the Heartland Youth Ballet and features a never-before-heard orchestral score by composer Matt Naughtin.
Subscriptions
Subscription packages are still on sale. New and current subscribers can purchase or renew their subscription packages via mail, phone, or online at omahasymphony.org. Subscribers to most series receive a discount on their season ticket package equivalent to one free concert. Subscribers also receive a 10 percent discount when adding tickets to concerts not included in their subscription package.
For ticketing information, contact Ticket Omaha at 402-345-0606, or visit omahasymphony.org.
Symphony to perform at Sounds of the City before the season officially kicks off
Sounds of the City is a free community concert at Gene Leahy Mall featuring the Omaha Symphony and an exciting lineup of artists from across our vibrant city. As part of The RiverFront One Community Culture Festival, this eclectic performance showcases the diverse voices, rhythms, and stories that make Omaha unique. From classical favorites to contemporary collaborations, this joyful celebration brings together neighbors, cultures, and sounds in a powerful expression of unity. Bring your family, your friends, and your love of music. There’s something for everyone at Sounds of the City! This concert is free and open to the public.
Concert Details:
Sounds of the City
- September 12 at 7:30 p.m.
- Gene Leahy Mall
- Community Partners:
- Nebraska Chinese Association
- Lite Pole
- Omaha South La Fuerza
- Intercultural Senior Center
- North Omaha Music and Arts
- German American Society
- River City Mixed Chorus
About the Omaha Symphony
The Omaha Symphony is a non-profit organization that serves over 225,000 people through more than 150 live orchestral performances and digital initiatives. In addition to Masterworks, Symphony Joslyn, Family, and LIVE with the Omaha Symphony concert series, the Omaha Symphony’s nationally recognized education and community engagement programs touch the lives of more than 40,000 people and over 300 schools each year. We are focused on creating a welcoming space and nurturing connections to ensure the Omaha community experiences and participates in music in a way that serves, reflects, uplifts, and entertains.
# # #
Omaha Symphony 25/26 Season
Programs, artists, dates, times and availability subject to change.
|
Venue |
Date |
Time |
Title |
Series |
|
Cathedral |
Thursday, September 18, 2025 |
7:30 PM |
Vivaldi’s Gloria |
|
|
HPAC |
Friday, September 19, 2025 |
7:30 PM |
The Music of Elton John Starring Michael Cavanaugh |
LIVE3 |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, September 20, 2025 |
7:30 PM |
The Music of Elton John Starring Michael Cavanaugh |
LIVE1 |
|
HPAC |
Friday, September 26, 2025 |
7:30 PM |
Falletta Conducts Tchaikovsky’s Fifth |
Masterworks Friday |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, September 27, 2025 |
7:30 PM |
Falletta Conducts Tchaikovsky’s Fifth |
Masterworks Saturday |
|
Joslyn |
Sunday, October 12, 2025 |
2:00 PM |
Schubert’s Great C Major |
Symphony Joslyn |
|
HPAC |
Friday, October 17, 2025 |
7:30 PM |
Scary Movie Music with the Omaha Symphony |
LIVE4 |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, October 18, 2025 |
7:30 PM |
Scary Movie Music with the Omaha Symphony |
LIVE1 |
|
HPAC |
Friday, October 31, 2025 |
7:30 PM |
Sibelius' First Symphony |
Masterworks Friday |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, November 1, 2025 |
7:30 PM |
Sibelius' First Symphony |
Masterworks Saturday |
|
HPAC |
Sunday, November 2, 2025 |
2:00 PM |
Dia de los Muertos |
Family Series |
|
HPAC |
Sunday, November 9, 2025 |
2:00 PM |
Haydn's Lord Nelson Mass |
Choral Collaborative |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, November 15, 2025 |
7:30 PM |
Windborne’s The Music of Journey |
LIVE3 |
|
Joslyn |
Sunday, November 23, 2025 |
2:00 PM |
Piazzolla & Schumann |
Symphony Joslyn |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, November 29, 2025 |
7:30 PM |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II |
LIVE4 |
|
HPAC |
Sunday, November 30, 2025 |
2:00 PM |
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows II |
Single or Add-on |
|
HPAC |
Thursday, December 11, 2025 |
7:30 PM |
Physicians Mutual Omaha Symphony Christmas Celebration |
Single or Add-on |
|
HPAC |
Friday, December 12, 2025 |
7:30 PM |
Physicians Mutual Omaha Symphony Christmas Celebration |
Single or Add-on |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, December 13, 2025 |
7:30 PM |
Physicians Mutual Omaha Symphony Christmas Celebration |
LIVE1 |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, December 13, 2025 |
2:00 PM |
Physicians Mutual Omaha Symphony Christmas Celebration |
Single or Add-on |
|
HPAC |
Sunday, December 14, 2025 |
2:00 PM |
Physicians Mutual Omaha Symphony Christmas Celebration |
LIVE2 |
|
HPAC |
Sunday, December 14, 2025 |
7:30 PM |
Physicians Mutual Omaha Symphony Christmas Celebration |
Single or Add-on |
|
Cathedral |
Thursday, December 18, 2025 |
7:30 PM |
A Festival of Christmas Brass |
|
|
HPAC |
Saturday, December 20, 2025 |
2:00 PM |
Disney's Frozen in Concert |
LIVE Special |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, December 20, 2025 |
7:30 PM |
Disney's Frozen in Concert |
LIVE Special |
|
Joslyn |
Sunday, January 11, 2026 |
2:00 PM |
Beethoven’s First Symphony |
Symphony Joslyn |
|
HPAC |
Friday, January 16, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
Debussy & Prokofiev |
Masterworks Friday |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, January 17, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
Debussy & Prokofiev |
Masterworks Saturday |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, January 24, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
How to Train Your Dragon in Concert |
LIVE4 |
|
HPAC |
Sunday, January 25, 2026 |
2:00 PM |
How to Train Your Dragon in Concert |
LIVE2 |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, February 14, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
A Tribute to Elvis with Patrick Dunn |
LIVE3 |
|
HPAC |
Sunday, February 15, 2026 |
2:00 PM |
A Tribute to Elvis with Patrick Dunn |
LIVE2 |
|
HPAC |
Friday, February 20, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
Stravinsky's Firebird |
Masterworks Friday |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, February 21, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
Stravinsky's Firebird |
Masterworks Saturday |
|
TBD |
Sunday, March 1, 2026 |
2:00 PM |
Wild Symphony |
Family Series |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, March 7, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
Cirque Carmen |
LIVE1 |
|
HPAC |
Sunday, March 8, 2026 |
2:00 PM |
Cirque Carmen |
LIVE2 |
|
Joslyn |
Sunday, March 15, 2026 |
2:00 PM |
Ledwon Plays Shostakovich |
Symphony Joslyn |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, March 21, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
Tribute to The Who |
LIVE3 |
|
HPAC |
Friday, March 27, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
Clara Schumann & Brahms |
Masterworks Friday |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, March 28, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
Clara Schumann & Brahms |
Masterworks Saturday |
|
Family Series |
||||
|
HPAC |
Saturday, April 11, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
Let’s Groove Tonight: Motown & The Philly Sound |
LIVE1 |
|
HPAC |
Sunday, April 12, 2026 |
2:00 PM |
Let’s Groove Tonight: Motown & The Philly Sound |
LIVE2 |
|
Joslyn |
Sunday, April 19, 2026 |
2:00 PM |
Mozart & Dvorak |
Symphony Joslyn |
|
HPAC |
Friday, April 24, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
Applied Underwriters Presents Beethoven's Fifth & Bluebeard's Castle |
Masterworks Friday |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, April 25, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
Applied Underwriters Presents Beethoven's Fifth & Bluebeard's Castle |
Masterworks Saturday |
|
HPAC |
Sunday, April 26, 2026 |
2:00 PM |
Journey to the Amazon |
HPAC |
|
HPAC |
Friday, May 1, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
Stayin’ Alive: The Bee Gees & Beyond |
|
|
HPAC |
Friday, May 8, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
Star Wars: A New Hope |
LIVE3 |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, May 9, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
Star Wars: A New Hope |
LIVE4 |
|
Joslyn |
Sunday, May 17, 2026 |
2:00 PM |
Falletta & Perry Gilmore |
Single or Add-on |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, May 23, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
The Texas Tenors |
Symphony Joslyn |
|
HPAC |
Sunday, May 24, 2026 |
2:00 PM |
The Texas Tenors |
LIVE1 |
|
HPAC |
Friday, May 29, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
Bahl Conducts Mahler’s “Titan” |
LIVE2 |
|
HPAC |
Saturday, May 30, 2026 |
7:30 PM |
Bahl Conducts Mahler’s “Titan” |
Masterworks Friday |
2025/26 Masterworks and Symphony Joslyn Repertoire (alphabetical by composer)
ADAMS: Short Ride in a Fast Machine
BARBER: Violin Concerto
BARTOK: Bluebeard’s Castle
BEETHOVEN: Egmont Overture
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 1
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 5
BRAHMS: Symphony No. 4
CLARA SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto
CONNESSON: A Kind of Trane – Concerto for Saxophone
DEBUSSY: Petite Suite
DEBUSSY: Prelude to an Afternoon of a Faun
DVOŘÁK: Romance for Violin and Orchestra
DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 5
ESMAIL: Testament
ESTEVEZ: Mediodia en la Llano
HAGENBERG: Illuminare
HAYDN: Lord Nelson Mass
KILAR: Orawa
KODALY: Dances of Galanta
MONTGOMERY: Starburst
MOZART: Sinfonia Concertante
MOZART: Symphony No. 38 (Prague)
ORTIZ: Clara
PIAZZOLLA: Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
PROKOFIEV: Symphony No. 5
SCHOENBERG: Verklaerte Nacht
SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 9 in C Major, “The Great”
SCHUMANN: Symphony No. 4
SCRIABIN: Piano Concerto
SHOSTAKOVICH: Cello Concerto No. 1
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 1
STRAUSS: Horn Concerto No. 2 in E-flat Major
STRAUSS: Overture to Die Fledermaus
STRAVINSKY: Dumbarton Oaks
STRAVINSKY: Firebird (1919)
TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 5
TCHAIKOVSKY: Violin Concerto
TCHAIKOVSKY: Souvenir d'un Lieu Cher for Violin and Orchestra
UNSUK CHIN: Subito con Forza
WAGNER: Siegfried Idyll