FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 19, 2025
Media Contact:
Keene Carter, Communications Manager,
kcarter@pittsburghsymphony.org
PITTSBURGH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ANNOUNCES 2025/2026 CLASSICAL SEASON
129th Season explores the evolving role of an American orchestra in the nation’s 250th Year.
Artistic highlights include 2 world premieres, 21 pieces by American composers, 13 debut artists.
The Orchestra returns to Carnegie Hall in December 2025.
BNY Classics subscriptions now on sale, with individual tickets available July 22.
PITTSBURGH—The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) announced its 2025/2026 season at Heinz Hall, marking the 250th anniversary of the United States with a season that explores the ways orchestral music expresses our nation’s cultural identity. In the 18th year of its acclaimed partnership with music director Manfred Honeck, the PSO explores how a symphony orchestra can connect past and future, honor tradition while expanding artistic possibilities, and reflect the broad tapestry of voices and artists of the nation it serves. Whether longtime supporters or first-time attendees, audiences are invited to experience orchestral music as it responds to the present and shapes the future.
With performances running from September 20, 2025, to June 21, 2026, the season opens with a Gala performance featuring piano superstar Yuja Wang, and culminates with a two- week festival, America250, celebrating the contributions of American composers and musicians. The 2025/2026 season features 20 BNY Classics weekends alongside the return of PSO360, the Disrupt concert series, and holiday traditions including Holiday Brass and Handel’s Messiah:
“This season, we invite audiences to join us in exploring the rich tapestry of American music while redefining what an orchestra can achieve. Through bold performances, innovative collaborations, and a rich array of dynamic voices, we honor the past while embracing the possibilities of the future. Together, we will create an unforgettable journey of artistry and inspiration,” said Manfred Honeck, Music Director.
“We’re proud to embody the spirit of Pittsburgh—bold, fearless, and passionate—as we embark on the journey of defining what an American orchestra will be. This season is a vibrant celebration of music’s power to transcend boundaries and unite communities. We invite everyone to experience this extraordinary journey and discover how the PSO is shaping the future of orchestral music,” said Melia Tourangeau, President & CEO.
With five thematic pillars guiding the season, the PSO showcases the full spectrum of orchestral artistry:
- Art in Action showcases bold performances by world-class artists in their PSO debuts, including superstar cellist Gautier Capuçon and conductor dynamos Dalia Stasevska, Domingo Hindoyan, and Gemma New. These boundary-pushing performances of compositions prove art knows no limits.
- Piano Phenoms presents ten extraordinary pianists—from next generation superstars Yulianna Avdeeva and Seong-Jin Cho to iconic masters such as Emanuel Ax, Hélène Grimaud and Yefim Bronfman—performing beloved concertos.
- 412—Made in Pittsburgh celebrates renowned talent that calls Pittsburgh home including Concertmaster David McCarroll who will be featured in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, as well as several of the most famous Concertmaster solos in the repertoire in masterpieces by Strauss and Rimsky-Korsakov. The Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre join forces with the PSO in thrilling performances, culminating in a season finale featuring Mark Goddens' stunning choreography to Angels in the Architecture together with Copland’s Appalachian Spring.
- American Mosaic explores a wide range of American music with 21 featured pieces across the season including works by Bernstein, Barber, Copland, George Walker, Julia Wolfe, Jessie Montgomery, and Carlos Simon.
- America250 Festival—a two-week festival in June 2026—honors American composers past and present. Highlights include a world premiere and PSO commission by Michael Daugherty, a reprise performance of Joan Tower's Tambor commissioned by the PSO, a reimagined Lincoln Portrait, and collaborations with the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre and Mendelssohn Choir.
From a return to Carnegie Hall in December 2025 to the unveiling of new commissions and local partnerships, the 2025/2026 season reflects Pittsburgh’s spirit of innovation and artistry. Writing in The New York Times about the announcement of the PSO’s return to Carnegie Hall, Zachary Woolfe said, “Manfred Honeck’s directorship of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra must be counted as one of the country’s most successful conductor-ensemble collaborations, his thoughtful interpretations of the standard repertory inflaming the players’ super-committed virtuosity.” Each performance this season invites audiences to witness the orchestra’s evolution as it honors tradition while shaping the future of classical music.
Subscription and Ticket Information for 2025/2026
Subscriptions for the 2025/2026 Season are now on sale and start at only $81 for a three-concert package. Tickets to individual performances will be available July 22, 2025. For more information about the variety of subscription packages offered, including convenient Choose Your Own offerings, or for other questions, call the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Box Office at 412-392-4900, email customerservice@pittsburghsymphony.org, or visit pittsburghsymphony.org.
Students and K-12 educators can purchase discounted tickets through concerts via its popular PSO Go initiative. More information, please visit:https://pittsburghsymphony.org/pso_home/web/tickets-landing/pso-go.
With Gratitude
With deep gratitude to our sponsors and to our donors who support the Annual Fund, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra continues to thrive as a cultural cornerstone, enriching lives through the power of music. This season is only possible due to the generous support of the following:
- BNY Classics concerts are made possible by title sponsorship support from BNY. The 2025/2026 season marks BNY’s 25th consecutive year as title sponsor of the series.
- Support for PSO operations and for capital improvements for Heinz Hall is made possible by the Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD).
- The PSO is grateful for overall support from local and state government entities: The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Department of Community and Economic Development, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
- PSO360 concerts are supported in part by presenting sponsor, Dentons, Cohen & Grigsby.
- Disrupt is supported in part by the Emma Clyde Hodge Memorial Fund.
- Endowment funding for the performance of Handel’s Messiah is provided by the Howard & Nell E. Miller Foundation.
- The Carnegie Hall Preview concert at Heinz Hall on December 2 is made possible by a grant from the Arthur J. and Betty F. Diskin Cultural Endowment Fund of the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.
- Fairmont Pittsburgh is the official hotel of the Pittsburgh Symphony.
- Delta Airlines is the official airline of the Pittsburgh Symphony.
- Radio station WQED-FM 89.3/WQEJ-FM 89.7 is the official voice of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
- The PSO is grateful to the PA Department of Education; Arts, Equity, & Education Fund; Hans and Leslie Fleischner; EQT Foundation; and the National Endowment for the Arts for major support of the Paul J. Ross Fellowship.
About the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Now in its 128th season, the internationally acclaimed
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) engages
audiences of all ages through unparalleled live musical experiences,
community collaborations, and educational programming that enrich every
life with great music.
The GRAMMY® Award-winning symphony has been led by worldwide acclaimed
Music Director Manfred Honeck
since 2008. Past music directors have included many of the greats,
including Fritz Reiner, William Steinberg, André Previn, Lorin
Maazel, and Mariss Jansons. The Pittsburgh Symphony has a long and
illustrious history in the areas of recordings and live radio broadcasts
dating back to the 1930s. Lauded as the Pittsburgh region’s
international cultural ambassador, PSO has been invited to be part of
premiere venues and festivals worldwide and has toured domestically and
internationally since 1896. Heinz Hall, PSO’s home located at 600
Penn Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh, is also owned and operated by the
Pittsburgh Symphony. Follow the Pittsburgh Symphony online at
pittsburghsymphony.org, on Facebook, on Instagram, and on YouTube.
Concerts
Opening Night Gala: Sparkle in the Steel City
Saturday, September 20, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Yuja Wang, piano
TCHAIKOVSKY: Piano Concerto No. 1
Dvořák’s Eighth (BNY Classics)
Friday, September 26, 2025 at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, September 28, 2025 at 2:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Alexi Kenney, violin
CHRISTOPHER THEOFANIDIS: Rainbow Body
SIBELIUS: Violin Concerto
DVOŘÁK: Symphony No. 8
Symphonie Fantastique (BNY Classics)
Friday, October 10, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 11, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 12, 2025, at 2:30 p.m.
Robin Ticciati, conductor (debuut)
Francesco Piemontesi, piano
BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 4
BERLIOZ: Symphonie fantastique
Sibelius’ Finlandia (BNY Classics)
Friday, October 17, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 19, 2025, at 2:30 p.m.
Dalia Stasevska, conductor (debuut)
Leila Josefowicz, violin
CAROLINE SHAW: The Observatory (PSO Premiere)
STRAVINSKY: Violin Concerto
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 6
SIBELIUS: Finlandia
Grimaud Plays Gershwin (BNY Classics)
Friday, November 7, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 9, 2025, at 2:30 p.m.
Domingo Hindoyan, conductor (debuut)
Hélène Grimaud, piano
ROBERTO SIERRA: Alegría (PSO Premiere)
GERSHWIN: Piano Concerto in F major
FRANCK: Symphony in D minor
Ferrández Plays Saint-Saëns (BNY Classics)
Friday, November 14, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 16, 2025, at 2:30 p.m.
Juraj Valčuha, conductor
Pablo Ferrández, cello
JULIA WOLFE: Liberty Bell (PSO Co-Commission & East Coast
Premiere)
SAINT-SAËNS: Cello Concerto No. 1
STRAUSS: Ein Heldenleben
Himari Plays Bruch (BNY Classics)
Friday, November 28, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 30, 2025, at 2:30 p.m.
Juraj Valčuha, conductor
Himari, violin (debut)
HAYDN: Symphony No. 100, “Military”
BRUCH: Violin Concerto No. 1
CARLOS SIMON: Festive Fanfare and Overture (PSO Premiere)
STRAUSS: Viennese Favorites
Carnegie Hall Preview
Tuesday, December 2, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Seong-Jin Cho, piano
LERA AUERBACH: Frozen Dreams
RACHMANINOFF: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 5
Shostakovich’s Fifth (BNY Classics)
Friday, December 5, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 7, 2025, at 2:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
David McCarroll, violin
COPLAND: “Fanfare for the Common Man”
BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto
SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 5
Handel’s Messiah
Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Emily Pogorelc, soprano (debut)
Reginald Mobley, countertenor
John Matthew Myers, tenor
Troy Cook, baritone (debut)
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh
Daniel Singer, Director
HANDEL: Messiah
Sibelius’ Second (BNY Classics)
Friday, January 16, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 18, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.
Dima Slobodeniouk, conductor
Lucas & Arthur Jussen, piano (debuts)
LOTTA WENNÄKOSKI: Flounce (PSO Premier)
POULENC: Double Piano Concerto
SIBELIUS: Symphony No. 2
Špaček Plays Dvořák (BNY Classics)
Friday, January 23, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, January 25, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.
Petr Popelka, conductor
Josef Špaček, violin (debut)
BRAHMS: Academic Festival Overture
DVOŘÁK: Violin Concerto
BARTÓK: Concerto for Orchestra
Brahms’ Third (BNY Classics)
Friday, February 6, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 8, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Gautier Capuçon, cello (debut)
WALKER: Lyric for Strings (PSO Subscription Premiere)
BRAHMS: Symphony No. 3
DVOŘÁK: Cello Concerto
Symphonic Dances from West Side Story (BNY Classics)
Friday, February 13, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 14, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 15, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Randall Goosby, violin
ARTURS MASKATS: Tango
MOZART: Violin Concerto No. 5
BARBER: Adagio for Strings
BERNSTEIN: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
Bruckner’s Eighth (BNY Classics)
Friday, February 20, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, February 21, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, February 22, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
SAMY MOUSSA: Adgilis Deda (PSO Commission)
BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 8
Ax Plays Brahms (BNY Classics)
Friday, March 6, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 8, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Emanuel Ax, piano
JACOB BANCKS: The Greatest Show on Earth (World Premiere & PSO
Commission)
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 2
BRAHMS: Piano Concerto No. 1
Mahler’s Resurrection (BNY Classics)
Friday, March 13, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 14, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 15, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Ying Fang, soprano
Kate Lindsey, mezzo soprano (debut)
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh
Daniel Singer, Director
BORIS PIGOVAT: Yizkor (PSO Commission & Subscription
Premiere)
MAHLER: Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection”
Beethoven’s Eroica (BNY Classics)
Friday, March 27, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 28, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 29, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.
Daniele Rustioni, conductor
Yefim Bronfman, piano
BARBER: Overture to The School for Scandal
R. SCHUMANN: Piano Concerto
BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 3, “Eroica”
The Rite of Spring (BNY Classics)
Friday, April 10, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 12, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.
Rafael Payare, conductor
Yulianna Avdeeva, piano
JIMMY LÓPEZ: Perú Negro (PSO Premiere)
PROKOFIEV: Piano Concerto No. 2
STRAVINSKY: The Rite of Spring
Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique (BNY Classics)
Friday, May 15, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, May 17, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.
Edward Gardner, conductor (debut)
Behzod Abduraimov, piano
SALINA FISHER: Rainphase (PSO Premiere)
KORNGOLD: Violin Concerto
RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Scheherazade
America250 Festival: Lincoln Portrait (BNY Classics)
Friday, June 12, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 14, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Matthias Goerne, baritone
Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh
Daniel Singer, Director
JOAN TOWER: Tambor
JOHN ADAMS: The Wound-Dresser (PSO Premiere)
BERNSTEIN: Chichester Psalms
COPLAND: Lincoln Portrait
America250 Festival: Appalachian Spring (BNY Classics)
Friday, June 19, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 20, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 21, 2026, at 2:30 p.m.
Manfred Honeck, conductor
Augustin Hadelich, violin
Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (Appalachian Spring)
Adam McKinney, Artistic Director
MICHAEL DAUGHERTY: New Work (World Premiere & PSO Commission)
BARBER: Violin Concerto
JESSIE MONTGOMERY: Strum (PSO Subscription Premiere)
COPLAND: Suite from Appalachian Spring
Disrupt
Saturday, October 18, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Dalia Stasevska, conductor
Saturday, January 24, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Petr Popelka, conductor
Saturday, May 16, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Edward Gardner, conductor
PSO360
Saturday, November 15, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Pablo Ferrández, cello
Saturday, February 7, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Gautier Capuçon, cello
Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.
Stefan Jackiw, violin
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