RELEASE - Omaha Symphony Returns to Witherspoon Hall for First Symphony Joslyn Concert of 2026/27 Season
Media Contact
Brooke Vogel
Communications Manager
Office: 402.661.8458
Omaha Symphony Returns to Witherspoon Hall for First Symphony Joslyn Concert of 2026/27 Season
Lee Mills conducts, Soprano Sonya Headlam performs a poignant homage to childhood
OMAHA, Neb., October 8, 2026 – Guest conductor Lee Mills and Soprano Sonya Headlam will kick off the Omaha Symphony 2026/27 Symphony Joslyn season with works from Barber, Bartók, Villa-Lobos, and Tomasi on October 18 at 2:00 p.m.
The Symphony Joslyn series begins with a percussion and brass triumph, Tomasi’s incredible Fanfares Liturgiques. Travel back to the 20th century with works for strings at the heart of this program: Bartók’s energetic Divertimento and Villa-Lobos' ode to Johann Sebastian Bach. Soprano Sonya Headlam joins the Omaha Symphony for Barber’s Knoxville Summer of 1915, a poignant homage to childhood.
Bartók’s Divertimento will be presented on Sunday, October 18 at 2:00 p.m. Rehearsals will take place the week of the concert. Media is welcome to attend with prior notice.
You can find the concert webpage here:
https://www.omahasymphony.org/concerts/divertimento
To arrange coverage, contact Brooke Vogel via email at bvogel@omahasymphony.org or by phone at 402.661.8458.
Performance Details
Joslyn Art Museum
Sunday, October 18 at 2:00 p.m.
Lee Mills, Conductor
Sonya Headlam, Soprano Soloist
Program Order:
- TOMASI: Fanfare Liturgiques
- BARTOK: Divertimento
- VILLA-LOBOS: Bachianas Brasileiras No. 9
- BARBER: Knoxville Summer of 1915
Preconcert Activities:
11 a.m. & 12 p.m. All visitors are welcome to join a pre-concert tour. Gallery Volunteers will facilitate conversations about works of art chosen for their thematic links to the musical program of the day. Gallery stools provided. Meet in the Entry Atrium of Hawks Pavilion (near the welcome desk in the new addition).
1:15 p.m.-1:45 p.m. Symphony staff members will share insights about the musical program for this concert at Abbott Hall.
Ticketing Information
Tickets for Bartók’s Divertimento are $47 including fees. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.omahasymphony.org or by calling Ticket Omaha at 402.345.0606. Student and teacher rush tickets are $10 and can be purchased 90 minutes before the performance. Performance dates are subject to change. In the event of performance changes or cancellations, the Omaha Symphony will email ticket holders to inform them of new dates and ticketing options. Patrons with questions may email ticketomaha@o-pa.org. The Omaha Symphony also regularly posts performance updates at omahasymphony.org, along with Omaha Symphony’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Patrons can sign up for the latest updates at omahasymphony.org.
About the Omaha Symphony
The Omaha Symphony is a non-profit organization that annually serves over 310,000 people through more than 250 culturally enriching and entertaining mainstage concerts, music education programs, community engagement activities, and digital initiatives like Omaha Symphony Anywhere, a free online streaming platform featuring recordings of live performances, along with educational content, interviews, musician highlights, and more behind-the-scenes video content. 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 70,000 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.
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