Experience the raw intensity of Carmina Burana, an exhilarating ode to fate and fortune harnessing the forces of operatic vocalists, two choirs, and a full symphony orchestra. WVSO joins forces with the Columbia Chorale, soprano Allison Pohl, tenor Jason Wickson, and baritone José Rubio for two performances of this timeless classic. 

Concert IV: Wheel of Fortune

Wenatchee High School

EPSG:4326

Carmina Burana

The Carson Center for the Performing Arts

Who isn’t familiar with Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana? This piece most surely has never had such a multidisciplinary staging. Here different artistic disciplines are combined: a large orchestra plays for the dancers, two choruses, with adults and children, sing while in back video installations are screened. Over 135 people are involved in this performance.

Odesa National Academic Opera And Ballet Theatre

Theater Bonn Opera House

Experience the raw intensity of Carmina Burana, an exhilarating ode to fate and fortune, harnessing the forces of operatic vocalists, choirs, and the full symphony orchestra.

“O Fortuna” Carmina Burana

Berglund Center

Experience the epic power of fate and fortune as the Des Moines Symphony presents "O Fortuna - Carmina Burana" at the Des Moines Civic Center. This monumental performance, scheduled for Saturday, April 5, 2025, at 7:30 PM, and Sunday, April 6, 2025, at 2:30 PM, promises an unforgettable evening of music that explores the joys and sorrows of the human experience. Over 100 voices will join the orchestra to bring Carl Orff's dramatic Carmina Burana to life, alongside Wagner's majestic Prelude to Die Meistersinger and the poignant Nanie, Op. 82 by Brahms.

Under the baton of the distinguished and dynamic Maestro Joseph Giunta, a conductor of international acclaim known for his innovative programming and compelling interpretations, the concert is set to be a showcase of musical brilliance. The performance will last approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes, including one intermission, offering audiences a rich tapestry of sound and emotion.

Ticket prices range from $20 to $80, with a special half-price offer for students, making this cultural experience accessible to all. Don't miss the chance to witness the Des Moines Symphony's exploration of Orff's powerful masterpiece at the Des Moines Civic Center. Secure your tickets now for a journey through the highs and lows of life, all expressed through the universal language of music.

O Fortuna - Carmina Burana

Des Moines Civic Center

Carl Orff’s singular and powerful work, bringing to life texts from the 11th and 12th centuries, comes to the stage with soloists Ashley Fabian, Joseph Tancredi, and Octavio Moreno plus the full might of the TSO Chorus. Gabriela Ortiz’s Kauyumari, which plays tribute to the blue deer, a spiritual guide of the Huichol people of Mexico, is followed by Robert Muczynski’s Symphonic Memoir, premiered by the TSO in 1979 and the latest in the TSO’s exploration of this Tucson-based composer.

Linda Ronstadt Music Hall

Conductor Ken-David Masur and your Colorado Symphony present Carl Orff’s powerhouse Carmina Burana, a symphonic exploration of love, lust, and the perils of earthly pleasures. Featuring the Colorado Symphony Chorus, Colorado Children’s Chorale, and a cast of soloists, Carmina Burana is a true spectacle and one of the most well-known pieces of the 20th century, combining powerful rhythms and robust vocals in a dynamic performance you won’t want to miss. Hear it alongside Haydn’s Symphony No. 96, adding a counterpoint of symphonic bliss to a night of choral cataclysm.

Carmina Burana with the Colorado Symphony Chorus

Denver Performing Arts Complex

The monumental harmony of more than 200 voices combine to perform Carl Orff’s unforgettable masterwork Carmina Burana.

Southbank Centre

Carmina Burana & Boléro

Gasteig HP8

"carmina Burana"

The Long Center for the Performing Arts

Associate Artistic Director Jenny Wong leads Carl Orff’s epic and propulsive Carmina Burana, along with the world premiere of a vibrant new work by Swan Family Artist-in-Residence Reena Esmail. Carmina Burana’s evocative lyrics, drawn from medieval poetry, speak of love, lust, and the inexorable wheel of fate. Esmail’s new work will be based on a variety of folk songs representing different languages and traditions of the Indian subcontinent. 

Walt Disney Concert Hall

The YOSA Philharmonic proudly presents a full performance of Carl Orff's “Carmina Burana” with the San Antonio Mastersingers. Known for its thunderous rhythms and soaring melodies, Orff’s raucous setting of 24 medieval poems engages with themes of love, life, and fate with satirical undertones. Experience the raw emotion and energy of this powerful choral work live and in its entirety. YOSA Repertory Strings will open the performance, setting the stage for this epic night of music.

Tobin Center for the Performing Arts

**Event: Carmina Burana by Pacific Symphony**

**Date & Time:** Sunday, March 2, 2025, at 3:00 pm

**Location:** Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall

**Description:**

Prepare for an unforgettable afternoon as the Pacific Symphony, under the baton of Music Director Carl St.Clair, presents Carl Orff's monumental "Carmina Burana." This performance, featuring the Grammy Award-winning Pacific Chorale, along with the artistic direction of Robert Istad, and the Southern California Children's Chorus under the founding direction of Lori Loftus, promises to be a spectacular showcase of vocal and orchestral prowess.

"Carmina Burana" is renowned for its powerful and evocative music, celebrating the joys and sorrows of life through the lens of medieval poetry. From the iconic opening of "O Fortuna" to the vibrant scenes of springtime, tavern revelry, and the Court of Love, audiences will be transported through a whirlwind of emotions and scenes, all underscored by Orff's thrilling compositions.

This performance is unique not only for its musical excellence but also for the insightful commentary provided by Carl St.Clair, offering audiences a deeper understanding of the masterpiece before it unfolds on stage. This concert is a journey through the most celebrated drinking establishments of the 13th century, a rambunctious romp without the hangover, where the concert hall transforms into the bawdiest watering hole in town.

**Program:**
- ORFF: Carmina Burana

**Note:** This concert is performed without intermission.

Join us for an afternoon of raucous revelry, timeless music, and the unparalleled talent of the Pacific Symphony and its choruses. It's more than a concert; it's an experience that promises to be as enlightening as it is entertaining. Don't miss your chance to be part of this epic musical journey.

Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall

"Carmina Burana," composed by Carl Orff in 1936, is a dramatic cantata based on 13th-century poems that explores themes of fortune, fate, love, and nature. Renowned for its powerful rhythms and the iconic "O Fortuna" chorus, the work vividly brings to life the cyclical nature of human existence.

Canyon High School

The strong opening chorus in Carmina Burana is iconic, and is, among other things, known as the dramatic opening music to the television show X Factor. Here, the goddess of fate, Fortuna, is both praised and condemned, and then things go wild with both lively drinking songs, beautiful declarations of love and even a swan that is burned alive!

DR Koncerthuset

Music Director, Roger Kalia, and Conductor Laureate, Alfred Savia, will share the podium! Savia leads the Orchestra in Giuseppi Verdi's "Triumphal March" from Aida, one of the most popular pieces of classical music in the world. Savia will also conduct Paul Hindemith's Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by von Weber, and exciting and dramatic piece.

 

Carl Orff's Carmina Burana features the Evansville Philharmonic Chorus, Evansville Children's Choir, and three remarkable soloists performing one of the most popular choral-orchestral works of all time. The massive work of over 20 performers onstage includes O Fortuna, famous in popular culture, first introduced to mainstream media in the 1981 John Boorman film, Excalibur. The song has been used for dramatic effects in numerous films, including Glory, The Hunt for Red October, Natural Born Killers, The General's Daughter, and more

Victory Theatre

Orff’s profane and profound pseudo-medieval cantata Carmina burana is the banger of all choral bangers: No one who has heard the opening movement “O Fortuna” even once, whether live or on a film soundtrack, could question its eternal-earworm status. Also on the program: A new piano concerto by John Adams, featuring pianist Víkingur Ólafsson and conductor David Robertson, a responsive and nuanced interpreter of Adams’s eclectic soundscapes.

Carmina Burana & Adams’ Piano Concerto

Davies Symphony Hall

Orff’s spectacular twentieth-century choral masterpiece, Carmina Burana, remains irresistible to audiences with its boundless rhythmic energy and catchy tunes, powered by massive orchestra and choir.

Theatre Royal & Royal Concert Hall

Experience the majestic fusion of choral and orchestral music with "Carmina Burana y Orfeón Donostiarra" at the Auditorio Nacional de Música de Madrid on Monday, 2nd December 2024, at 19:30h. This extraordinary concert, part of the Ibermúsica 2024-2025 Conciertos Extraordinarios series, features the renowned ADDA Simfònica Alicante and the illustrious Orfeón Donostiarra choir, under the batons of Josep Vicent and José Antonio Sainz Alfaro, respectively.

The evening's programme promises an unforgettable journey through music with Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloe, segunda suite" and Orff's iconic "Carmina Burana." These masterpieces will come to life in the hands of exceptional artists, offering a unique auditory experience.

Tickets are now available for purchase, with prices inclusive of a 10% VAT, though management fees will be applied at payment. Ibermúsica ensures a commitment to quality, promising an alternative of equal or superior quality should any unforeseen changes occur. Note that the concert will start promptly at 19:30h, and late access to the hall will not be permitted.

For those interested in enhancing their concert experience, Ibermúsica offers subscription packages for the 24/25 season, including exclusive benefits such as preferred seating, flexible payment options, and free cancellation.

Don't miss this exceptional evening of music and emotion. Secure your tickets now and be part of a memorable musical journey with "Carmina Burana y Orfeón Donostiarra."

Carmina Burana y Orfeón Donostiarra - EX1

National Music Auditorium

Jeffrey Bernstein conducts Carmina Burana: The Pasadena Chorale & High Notes, the L.A. Daiku, soloists and pianists. 

LA Daiku Presents: Carmina Burana

Colburn School

Carmina Burana Abound

Northern Virginia Community College

OSNY opens its 24-25 season with an eclectic program of choral music highlighted by the ever-popular Carmina Burana, with a rare performance of Orff’s two-piano/percussion orchestration. Program also includes works by Brahms, Schubert, Libby Larsen, and Oliver Caplan.

Carnegie Hall

Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, premiered in Frankfurt in 1937, is a work that still works. It is music for mundane medieval texts, quite juicy in places: the carnal relationships are not hidden. Translations of the songs, which are mostly in Latin, were handed out before the premiere, and the young people must have been somewhat embarrassed. Orff's music is effective because he has both a sense of melody and rhythm with the use of percussion, which Orff often used. It was during the Nazi rule that Carmina Burana was premiered, and the critics did not quite agree: the focus on rhythm was considered "primitive", the lyrics were daring, but the work was also popular and accepted in its time. Orff's own relationship with the regime has since been discussed. He himself was most interested in getting his music out. Carmina Burana is an effective example of that.

Janz conducts Carmina Burana

Deutsches Haus venues GmbH

Alsion

Two Black Churches + Carmina Burana

Paramount Theatre

An extraordinary evening with music director, Simeone Tartaglione and the NSO  featuring the scenic cantata based on medieval poems written in Latin, Middle High German, and French, from a discovered manuscript dating from the 11th to 13th centuries.  Bold and colorful, this beloved choral work has a rich and vibrant sonic palette.

The Independence School

### Event Description: Carmina Burana - The Louisville Orchestra

**Date and Time:** Saturday, October 19, 2024, at 7:30 PM  
**Venue:** Whitney Hall, Kentucky Performing Arts Center, 501 W Main St, Louisville, KY 40202, United States

Prepare to be mesmerized as the Louisville Orchestra presents a monumental performance of Carl Orff’s "Carmina Burana" at Whitney Hall in the Kentucky Performing Arts Center. Under the dynamic direction of conductor Teddy Abrams and joined by the enchanting voices of the Louisville Chamber Choir, this evening promises an unforgettable journey into the heart of this iconic masterpiece.

**Program Highlights:**

- **Michael Tilson Thomas - Meditations on Rilke:**  
  Delve into the profound words of Rainer Maria Rilke through the mesmerizing compositions of Michael Tilson Thomas. Experience the deep emotions of "Autumn Day," the expansive reflections of "I live my life in growing orbits," the poignant melodies of "The Song the Drunkard Sings," and the captivating tales of "Imaginary Biography." This performance promises to be a moving exploration of the human spirit.

- **Carl Orff - Carmina Burana:**  
  Prepare for a thunderous and exhilarating musical journey with the iconic "Carmina Burana." This epic choral work, famous for its powerful rhythms and unforgettable melodies, will leave you spellbound. Join us as we explore the whimsy, passion, and vitality of this timeless masterpiece.

**Special Thanks:**  
This event is made possible with the generous support of our series sponsor, the Brown-Forman Foundation, and significant support from 90.5 WUOL Classical Louisville.

**Ticket Information:**  
Mark your calendars for October 19, and experience the magic of "Carmina Burana" in the grandeur of Whitney Hall. This season’s spectacular event is not to be missed. Secure your tickets early to ensure your place in the audience for this monumental performance.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit the Louisville Orchestra's official website.

The Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts

The Carmina Burana with its mighty Fortuna choirs is one of the most famous musical works, but is rarely performed as a trittico teatrale with its two sister works. Carl Orff created a trilogy that searches for new forms of expression for music theater: between opera, oratorio and cantata. Trionfi stands for the fascination of the primal elements of theater, the popular and cultic, ancient and medieval poetry and again and again: the elemental power of rhythm. Life and its earthly pleasures are triumphantly celebrated, the omnipotence of Eros, the awakening of spring. Love and fidelity are negotiated and a wedding ceremony is performed, culminating in an orgiastic cry. - As the subtitle of Carmina Burana, which speaks of magical images, suggests, there are no limits to the imagination of a scenic realization. Archaic and modern meet.

Trionfi

Staatsoper Hamburg

Youth project: Carmina Burana plus opera arias and solos

St Stephen's House

The University of Wyoming Choirs, conducted by Brian Murray and O’Neil Jones, present “WyoSING!” featuring the UW Collegiate Chorale, Bel Canto, The Singing Statesmen, Laramie Civic Chorus, 7220 Blues, the Happy Jacks, and the Laramie Children’s Chorus.

UW Choirs: WyoSING!

Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts

Experience the power and passion of Carl Orff's choral masterpiece, Carmina Burana, as the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Rune Bergmann, presents an unforgettable evening of music. This special performance, marking the beginning of Rune Bergmann's final season as Music Director, will take place on 14 September 2024 at 7:30 PM in the Jack Singer Concert Hall.

Carmina Burana is renowned for its dynamic and dramatic score, most famously the opening and closing movement, "O Fortuna." The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra will be joined by a stellar cast of soloists including soprano Holly Flack, countertenor Daniel Taylor, and baritone Phillip Addis. The performance will also feature the talents of the Calgary Boys' Choir, Calgary Children’s Choir, and the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus, coming together to bring the Medieval poems to life, exploring themes of spring, love, and the fickleness of fortune.

Tickets for this spectacular event range from $30 to $90, offering various seating options to accommodate all attendees. For ticket purchases, the box office can be contacted at 403.571.0849, with additional options for group sales and corporate offers.

Don't miss this opportunity to witness a choral spectacular that delves into the earthly pleasures and pains as depicted through the evocative music of Carmina Burana. Join us for an evening that promises to be a highlight of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra's season.

Arts Commons

In the heart of Hamburg: a warm late summer night, hustle and bustle, conviviality and brilliant sounds in the open air - chief conductor Kent Nagano, the Philharmonic State Orchestra and the Hamburg State Opera have once again brought a special gift to their loyal audience this year. With powerful choirs, rousing rhythms and beautiful melodies: with Carl Orff's cantata "Carmina Burana", the orchestra, together with the choir of the Hamburg State Opera and the Hamburg Boys' Choir, are bringing one of the most popular musical creations ever to the Rathausmarkt. "O Fortuna, your moods change like the image of the moon," is how the opening chorus first addresses the goddess of fate, before moving on in several stages through the different stages of human life. The wheel of fate rolls relentlessly between joy and sorrow, love and consolation, telling of the autumn of one's own existence and yet offering the decisive hope: that a new spring will come - O, Fortuna!

Rathausmarkt Open Air

### Event Description: Summer Sing-In Series: Kedrick Armstrong, Conductor

**Event:** Summer Sing-In Series: Kedrick Armstrong, Conductor  
**Date:** Wednesday, August 14, 2024  
**Time:** 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM  
**Location:** First Presbyterian Church of Oakland  
**Program:** Carl Orff's Carmina Burana  
**Admission:** General Admission - $20  
**Tickets:** [Buy Tickets](#)

Join us for an exhilarating evening of choral music as part of the Oakland Symphony's Summer Sing-In Series, conducted by the esteemed Kedrick Armstrong. This event offers a unique opportunity for community members to experience the joy of singing in a large chorus, regardless of their musical background. Each Sing-In focuses on a major work or style of music, and this session will feature Carl Orff's powerful and dynamic Carmina Burana.

Kedrick Armstrong, the Music Director of the Oakland Symphony Chorus, will lead the session, ensuring an enriching and memorable musical experience. Whether you are an experienced singer or a novice, this event is open to all who wish to be part of the music-making process.

Don't miss this chance to immerse yourself in the world of choral music and perform alongside fellow music enthusiasts. Secure your spot today and be part of an unforgettable musical journey.

For more information and to purchase a full series package of all Sing-Ins, [click here](#).

Summer Sing-In Series: Kedrick Armstrong, conductor

First Presbyterian Church of Oakland

Carl Orff’s iconic Carmina burana is back at SPAC for the first time in over 15 years. This choral and orchestral masterpiece features maestro Fabio Luisi and an international roster of vocalists alongside the capital region’s own Albany Pro Musica.

Carmina burana

Saratoga Spa State Park

Experience the majestic return of Carl Orff's choral and orchestral masterpiece, "Carmina Burana," to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) for the first time in over 15 years. This unforgettable performance is scheduled for Saturday, August 10, 2024, at 7:30 pm in the iconic Amphitheater. Under the baton of maestro Fabio Luisi, the evening promises an international roster of vocal talents including soprano Audrey Luna, tenor Sunnyboy Dladla, and baritone Sean Michael Plumb. They will be joined by the capital region's own Albany Pro Musica chorus, along with members of the Philadelphia Girls Choir and the Philadelphia Boys Choir, creating a powerful and harmonious blend of voices.

The program for the evening will also feature Beethoven's Symphony No. 8, setting the stage for the dramatic and compelling "Carmina Burana." This performance not only showcases the brilliant conducting of Fabio Luisi, who has led some of the world's most prestigious orchestras, but also highlights the exceptional talents of the featured vocalists, each bringing their unique flair to the stage.

Audrey Luna, a Grammy Award-winning soprano, is celebrated for her performances on the world's greatest stages. Sunnyboy Dladla, known for his crisp and radiant voice, is one of the most sought-after Rossinian voices of his generation. Sean Michael Plumb, praised for his full, exciting lyric baritone, continues to captivate audiences with his elegant lyricism.

Albany Pro Musica, under the artistic direction of José Daniel Flores-Caraballo, brings its distinctive style and mastery of a wide range of musical genres to this performance, further enriching the evening's musical offerings.

This event is not just a concert; it's a celebration of musical excellence, bringing together an extraordinary ensemble of artists for a night that promises to be both thrilling and deeply moving. Don't miss the opportunity to be part of this spectacular musical journey at SPAC. Tickets are available now for what promises to be a highlight of the 2024 cultural calendar.

Saratoga Performing Arts Center

Gala: Summon The Heroes

Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts

The Goddess Fortuna is our muse for our season opener, Gala Fortuna. Drawing inspiration from Fortuna, who is the personification of luck and fate, we start our journey with Verdi’s bold overture to his opera ‘La forza del destino’ setting the stage for Paul Leavitt’s ethereal Lux Aeterna conducted by the composer. Before a brief intermission, we're joined by a pantheon of vocalists for selections

Gala Fortuna

Church of the Holy Apostles

Experience the electrifying power of Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" like never before with the London Symphony Orchestra's "Fortune Favours the Bold" concert. This mesmerizing event is set to take place at the iconic Barbican on Tuesday, 25 June 2024, at 7pm. Under the baton of Principal Guest Conductor Gianandrea Noseda, the evening promises to be a rousing climax to the season, featuring a stellar lineup of performers including soprano Christina Poulitsi, tenor Sunnyboy Dladla, and baritone Elliot Madore, alongside the London Symphony Chorus and the Tiffin Boys’ Choir.

The concert will open with Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 3, setting the stage for the main attraction, Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana." This choral extravaganza, based on medieval texts, is celebrated for its pounding rhythms and catchy tunes, delivering a performance that is both hypnotic and intoxicating. Orff himself regarded "Carmina Burana" as the true beginning of his collected works, a testament to its significance in his repertoire.

Tickets for this unforgettable evening are available in a range of prices, ensuring there's an option for every budget. Additionally, the concert offers Wildcard Tickets for a unique experience, where your seat will be allocated on the day, and Multibuy Discounts for those looking to save up to 40% on their booking. For those under 18 or part of the Young Barbican Members, special discounted tickets are available, making this a perfect opportunity for young music enthusiasts to experience world-class classical music.

Booking your tickets is easy and can be done online at lso.co.uk or barbican.org.uk, by phone, or in person at the Barbican Centre. For any changes to your plans, the Barbican offers a flexible exchange and refund policy, ensuring peace of mind with your booking.

Don't miss this chance to witness the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus bring to life the enduring magic of "Carmina Burana" in an evening that promises to be both bold and unforgettable.

Fortune Favours the Bold – Carmina Burana

Barbican Centre

Experience the electrifying power of Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana" like never before with the London Symphony Orchestra at the iconic Barbican on Sunday, 23 June 2024, at 7 pm. Under the baton of Principal Guest Conductor Gianandrea Noseda, this concert promises to be a rousing climax to the season, featuring a stellar lineup of soloists including soprano Christina Poulitsi, tenor Sunnyboy Dladla, and baritone Elliot Madore, alongside the London Symphony Chorus and Tiffin Boys’ Choir.

The evening will commence with Dmitri Shostakovich's Symphony No. 3, setting the stage for the main event, "Carmina Burana." This choral extravaganza, based on medieval texts and known for its pounding rhythms and catchy tunes, remains one of the most popular pieces in the classical music repertoire. The concert will conclude at approximately 9 pm, offering an unforgettable night of music that spans the emotional spectrum.

Tickets are available in a range of prices to suit all budgets, with special discounts for under-18s, groups, and Barbican Access Members. Additionally, Wildcard tickets offer a unique opportunity for a surprise seat on the day of the concert. Don't miss this chance to witness the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus bring to life the intoxicating melodies and rhythms of "Carmina Burana" in an event generously supported by The Huo Family Foundation.

OSG Children's Choir - OSG Youth Choir - Concert in A Coruña

Teatro Colón, Spain

Concatedral de san Julián

The performance includes two masterworks and audience favorites, Carmina Burana by Carl Orff and Organ Symphony by Saint Saens. Featured performers  include distinguished artists of the Bay View Chautauqua Music Festival, GLCO Orchestra and Chorus, Little Traverse Choral Society led by Andre Strydom, and Harbor Springs Children ’s Choir led by Amy Cross, coming together at the historic John M. Hall Auditorium in Bay View.

Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana & Saint-Säens Organ Symphony

John M. Hall Auditorium

Join Dr. Jefferson Johnson in performing the famous cantata, Carmina Burana.  The festival chorus will perform with a dynamic piano duo and percussionists from the New York City Chamber Orchestra, as well as professional soloists as part of MCP’s Meno Masterworks Series. Chorus singers will represent a variety of ensembles from across the country.

Carl Orff Carmina Burana

Lincoln Center

Fate, love, desire, temptation, struggle, spiritual fulfillment. Timeless storytelling. Captivating music. 

Meridian Arts Centre

With Carmina Burana’s huge performing forces, scenes from spring, a tavern, a court of love, and the iconic O fortuna chorus that bookends the work, this blockbuster has become wildly popular ever since its premiere. With a combined chorus of 150 members, this is an experience not to be missed!

Folsom Lake College

Now in his third decade of touring worldwide, American pianist Jon Nakamatsu continues to draw critic and public acclaim for his intensity, elegance and electrifying solo, concerto and chamber music performances. Catapulted to international attention in 1997 as the Gold Medalist of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition—the only American to achieve this distinction since 1981—Mr. Nakamatsu subsequently developed a multi-faceted career that encompasses recording, education, arts administration and public speaking in addition to his vast concert schedule. He is making his third appearance with the symphony after his spectacular performances of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2.

Composer Carl Orff based Carmina Burana on two dozen poems – but far from odes of love, these verses deal in lust, gambling, drinking, and the fickle hand of fate (“O Fortuna!”). Music Director Ken-David Masur joins Artistic Partner Dashon Burton and the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus as they lend their voices to this bawdy cantata. Pairing well with Orff’s epic is Carlos Simon’s Fate Now Conquers, which refers to a notebook entry written by Beethoven and explores “the unpredictable ways of fate.” Between these, the MSO showcases its own Principal Trombone Megumi Kanda in Tan Dun’s Three Muses in Video Game, a daring and spiritual concerto which challenges the trombonist to evoke three ancient Chinese musical instruments.

Carmina Burana & Fate Now Conquers

Warner Grand Theater

Join us for an enchanting evening of vocal performance as Catherine Pace, a talented soprano and Bachelor of Music student at the Northwestern Bienen School of Music, takes the stage. Under the guidance of Nancy Gustafson, with Douglas Culclasure, tenor, and Olga Sklyanskaya on piano, this recital promises to be a memorable showcase of musical brilliance.

**Date & Time:** Saturday, June 1, 2024, at 6:00pm CDT

**Location:** Mary B. Galvin Recital Hall, Ryan Center for the Musical Arts, 70 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, United States

**Program Highlights:**
- Sergei Rachmaninoff: Selections from 12 Romances, Op. 21 and 6 Romances, Op. 8
- Carl Orff: Selections from Carmina Burana
- Gaetano Donizetti: Selections from Linda di Chamounix
- Libby Larsen: Selections from Three Cowboy Songs
- Dave Malloy: "No One Else" from Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812
- Adam Guettel: Selections from The Light in the Piazza

This event is free and open to the public, with no tickets required. Attendees will also have the opportunity to enjoy the performance via live stream, ensuring that no one misses out on this spectacular display of vocal talent.

The Mary B. Galvin Recital Hall, known for its breathtaking views of Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline, provides the perfect backdrop for this event. The hall's acoustics, enhanced by undulating walls covered with African moabi wood, promise an auditory experience as stunning as the visual one.

Don't miss this opportunity to support emerging talent and experience the beauty of live vocal performance in one of the most exquisite venues in Evanston.

Catherine Pace, soprano

Mary B. Galvin Recital Hall

The Chœur Métropolitain will delight audiences with every choral ensemble’s favourite piece: Carmina Burana. At once powerful, dramatic, playful and measured, these secular cantatas were inspired by medieval poems and set to music in 1936 by Carl Orff. A joy to sing and listen to, particularly in their arrangement for piano and percussion!

Chœur Métropolitain: Carmina Burana

Place des Arts

We end our season with Orff’s Carmina burana, in all its magnificent, carnal beauty. Giancarlo Guerrero programmed it — in its original form — to showcase the powerful forces of the Nashville Symphony and Chorus. On the first half of the program, our soloists in the Orff treat us to Alban Berg’s Seven Early Songs and the autobiographical Songs of the Wayfarer of Mahler, who compared his own life to “a traveling journeyman…wandering on in solitude.”

Shermerhorn Symphony Center

XXVII Fonseca Choral Music Meeting - Children's Choir - Youth Choir - OSG Choir

Iglesia del Sagrado Corazón [Jesuítas]

Duke University

Amongst the most famous masterpieces for chorus and orchestra is Orff’s epic Carmina Burana.  Estelí Gomez (soprano), Ben Gulley (tenor), Norman Garrett (baritone), and our own symphonic chorus join the full symphony to stage this commanding work. Paired with Barber’s Symphony No. 1, featuring cycling themes that wax and wane through darkness and light, this concert will be a riveting experience you will not soon forget!

Paramount Theatre Iowa

The University of Iowa School of Music - Voxman Building

Join us for an enchanting evening of vocal brilliance as Priya Krishnaswamy, a talented soprano from the Northwestern Bienen School of Music, takes the stage for her Bachelor of Music recital. This special performance is scheduled for Friday, May 17, 2024, at 8:30pm CDT, in the intimate setting of the McClintock Choral and Recital Room.

Under the tutelage of Theresa Brancaccio, Priya will be joined by Greta McNamee, mezzo-soprano, and Teresa Kang on piano, to present a diverse and captivating program. The evening's repertoire includes cherished works by J.S. Bach, such as "Ich folge dir gleichfalls" from St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, and "Aus Liebe" from the same passion, alongside George Frideric Handel's "Come unto Him" from Messiah, HWV 56. The program will also feature pieces from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, Vincenzo Bellini, Felix Mendelssohn, Franz Joseph Haydn, Stacy Garrop, Jean-Paul-Égide Martini, Claude Debussy, Léo Delibes, Andrew Lloyd Webber, and Frederick Lowe, promising a rich exploration of vocal music.

This recital is a free event, open to all who appreciate the power and beauty of the human voice in its many forms. Whether you're a lover of classical opera, contemporary compositions, or timeless classics, Priya's performance is sure to captivate and inspire.

The McClintock Choral and Recital Room, located at 70 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, within the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Center for the Musical Arts, offers a cozy and acoustically pleasing environment, perfect for the nuances of vocal performance. With seating for 120, it's an ideal space for an intimate musical experience.

For those unable to attend in person, we are pleased to offer a live stream of the event. Ensure you don't miss this remarkable display of musical talent and passion.

Mark your calendars for an unforgettable night of music and emotion with Priya Krishnaswamy and guests.

Priya Krishnaswamy, soprano

Ryan Center for the Musical Arts

Carl Orff’s choral-symphonic masterpiece, Carmina Burana, will be the booming season finale. The “O Fortuna” chorus is extremely well-known. It’s thundering symphonic-choral warning is used by countless filmmakers and advertisers - a quick Google search will jog your memory. But Orff’s masterpiece is much more than its opening chorus! The work, based on 13th century medieval texts, serves as the guiding thread for three voice soloists, a full chorale and large orchestra.

Carmina Burana O Fortuna

Glacier Symphony & Chorale

Shorts

Civic Center Music Hall

Carmina Burana will be the dramatic conclusion to an extraordinary season. In collaboration with Canterbury Voices, more than 50 singers will join Oklahoma City Ballet dancers for this iconic work based on a collection of 13th century songs and poems.

Season 31 closes with two City Ballet favorites. Mozart Concerto is classical ballet at its finest. And the music and choir of Carmina Burana are matched with a powerful Black Tuesday tale that only a high-drama ballet can tell.

California Center for the Arts

Join us for a spectacular season finale with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra's "Empress of the World" concert. This masterful performance will take place on May 4th, from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM at the DECC Symphony Hall, located at 350 Harbor Dr, Duluth, MN 55802.

The evening will open with Joan Tower’s dynamic "Fanfare to the Uncommon Woman," setting the stage for a night of extraordinary music. The program will also feature Kurt Weill’s Symphony No.2, a gem in orchestral music that remains vastly underperformed despite its rich melodic and harmonic language. Weill, known for his significant contributions to American musical theatre, showcases his mastery in purely orchestral works through this symphony.

The highlight of the night will be Carl Orff’s "Carmina Burana," a piece that won the hearts of our audience in the previous season and emerged as the Audience-Favorite. This powerful work will be brought to life with the help of vocal soloists, the DSSO Chorus, and the Lake Superior Youth Chorus, promising an unforgettable experience as we explore themes of fate and fortune.

Featured soloists for the evening include Alice Pierce (soprano), Brian Wallin (tenor), and Mark Billy (baritone), whose exceptional talents will elevate the performance to new heights.

Don't miss this incredible opportunity to witness the DSSO's stage come alive with music that wrestles with Fate, the Empress of the World. Tickets are available for purchase now. Join us for a night of masterworks that promises to be a feast for the senses and a fitting closure to our season.

Empress of the World

Duluth Entertainment Convention Center

Featuring Vanguard Grand Chorus, directed by G. Kevin Dewey.

Ford Community & Performing Arts Center

Carmina Burana opens and closes with the crashing opening chords of the familiar O Fortuna. Between these bookends are 5 major sections, 25 movements and a performance sure to strike awe and impress all. The cantata, composed in the 1930s and based on the medieval poetry collection of the same name, is brought to the stage in fitting grandeur by the full force of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Conducted by Pete Harrison and joined by over 120 members of the BSO Voices choir singing in monumental harmony, the power of this performance promises to make this an unforgettable experience.

Portsmouth Guildhall

Schola Cantorum & NWA Ballet Carmina Burana

University of Arkansas

This is what ‘epic’ sounds like. A massive orchestra and huge chorus join forces in Jones Hall for Orff’s infamous ode to love, drink, and living life to the fullest, Carmina burana. Instantly recognizable thanks to its use in countless movies and commercials, a live Carmina is one of classical music’s most spellbinding and immersive experiences. Conductor Laureate Andrés Orozco-Estrada returns to lead these performances, which also include an exciting world premiere by Jimmy López Bellido.

Jones Hall

A feast for the senses that pairs sensual, powerful choreography with Carl Orff’s masterpiece Carmina Burana cantata. Unbridled passion and highly physical technique express raw emotion that transcends the need for a story. Choreographer Mauricio Wainrot’s artfully-staged vignettes capture the spirit of the titular score’s five movements, oscillating between the erratic, romantic, and lustful as they celebrate community and the joys of life. Featuring Soloists Andrea Lett, Matt Pauls & Nolan Kehler plus the Prairie Voices and Winnipeg Boys Choirs at every performance.

Centennial Concert Hall

An evening of eclectic repertoire that will be sure to inspire! Join us in sharing the immense power of many voices joined together as one! The evening concludes with excerpts from Carl Orff’s stirring choral masterwork Carmina Burana.

Spring Choral Collage: Tactus, Treble Choir & University Chorale

The Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center

Quincy Junior High School

Join your Macomb Symphony Orchestra in this epic presentation of Orff’s Carmina Burana.

Orff, Carmina Burana

Macomb Center for the Performing Arts

Join your Macomb Symphony Orchestra in this epic presentation of Orff’s Carmina Burana.

Featuring Goitsemang Lehobye (soprano), Jonathan Lasch (Baritone) and Oakland Choral Society

Experience the monumental return of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall on Sunday, April 7, 2024, at 5:00 pm. This performance, under the baton of Josephine Lee from Uniting Voices Chicago, promises an unforgettable evening as it explores the human experience through the lens of over 200 medieval poems and songs. The Choral Arts Symphonic Chorus and Orchestra, alongside youth voices from Uniting Voices Chicago, will bring to life the scenic cantata that navigates through humanity's highs and lows.

The evening will also feature contrasting works, including Ted Hearne's Partition, which delves into the story of New Haven, Connecticut, and its paradox of segregation despite its planned unity. The program includes W. Mitchell Owens III's "We Are," Hearne's "Partition," and culminates with Orff's iconic Carmina Burana.

Featured artists for the night include conductor Josephine Lee, the Choral Arts Symphonic Chorus, Uniting Voices Chicago, the Choral Arts Orchestra, and soloists Amy Owens (Soprano), Kyle Tomlin (Tenor), and Vasil Garvanliev (Baritone). The performance is set to last ninety minutes without an intermission, ensuring a continuous flow of captivating music.

Tickets are available at the Kennedy Center, and all attendees, regardless of age, must have a ticket. This event not only promises a night of exceptional music but also a journey through contrasting human experiences and emotions, brought to life by a talented ensemble of voices and musicians.

Carl Orff’s “Carmina Burana”

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Coro Infantil y Coro Joven de la OSG - Concierto de Primavera - Mugardos

Casino Mugardés

Based on medieval German poetry, Carmina burana has it all: rhythmic and brooding choruses, lusty drinking songs, ballads cursing fickle lovers, and gleaming paeans to love. Celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, the San Francisco Symphony Chorus stars in this exhilarating showpiece—arguably the most iconic choral work of the twentieth century.

Who would have thought that 13th-century monks could dream up such naughty poems? But they did. And the discovery of their dusty manuscripts sent the 20th-century composer Carl Orff down the proverbial rabbit hole. He dreamed up a hair-raising cantata in Carmina Burana—and the rest is history. Soloists Janai Brugger, Miles Mykkanen, and Anthony Clark Evans join the internationally acclaimed Atlanta Symphony Chorus to sing this curiously beguiling homage to springtime and earthly pleasure. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra welcomes the debut of Polish conductor Krzysztof Urbański. The program includes the irresistibly tuneful—and rarely-performed—Concerto for Orchestra by his fellow countryman Witold Lutosławski.



Atlanta Symphony Hall

Prepare to be blown out of this world by Carmina Burana, a rapturous and unsparing invitation to live life to the fullest. Music Director Jonathon Heyward and an all-star cast of operatic soloists front the huge orchestra and chorus to rattle every seat in the house. An atmospheric opener by the American composer Missy Mazzoli sets the galactic scale of this unforgettable event.

The Music Center at Strathmore

Some pieces really are popular for a reason, and we can’t get enough of the Classic FM Hall of Fame: the definitive countdown of the world’s favourite classical music. Now we’re adding the massed voices of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Choir to bring you such all-time favourites as Carmina Burana, Zadok the Priest, The Lark Ascending and many more. Aled Jones is your host for a night of melodies without end… admit it, you’re humming them already!

Classic FM Hall of Fame

Royal Liverpool Philharmonic

Prepare to be blown out of this world by Carmina Burana, a rapturous and unsparing invitation to live life to the fullest. Music Director Jonathon Heyward and an all-star cast of operatic soloists front the huge orchestra and chorus to rattle every seat in the house. An atmospheric opener by the American composer Missy Mazzoli sets the galactic scale of this unforgettable event. 

Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

A pair of glorious classics! Carl Orff’s Carmina burana seizes the sonic imagination with its roaring choruses, pulse-raising rhythms, monastic chants, and sighing lyricism, filled with poems of youth bursting with love and longing. And audience favorite Emanuel Ax performs Mozart’s grand Piano Concerto No. 25 under the baton of Italian conductor Fabio Luisi, hailed for his “exhilarating, thrilling, dynamic” performances (San Francisco Classical Voice).

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and The Clarice have announced a groundbreaking partnership for 2023-24 featuring extraordinary performances, unique educational experiences and meaningful community engagement. In the concluding performance of this season's partnership, you'll be blown away by Carmina Burana, a rapturous and unsparing invitation to live life to the fullest. Music Director Jonathon Heyward and an all-star cast of operatic soloists front the BSO and the UMD Concert Choir to rattle every seat in the house. An atmospheric opener by the American composer Missy Mazzoli sets the monumental scale of this special evening!

Baltimore Symphony Orchestra & UMD Concert Choir: Orff's Carmina Burana

The Legend of Harmony - Family Concert

Opera Palace of A Coruña

The Virginia Symphony Orchestra Chorus and the Virginia Children’s Chorus take the stage for one of the most epic works ever written! Join us for Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana – an uproarious and intoxicating depiction of a raucous

Chrysler Hall

Ferguson Center for the Arts

Sandler Center for the Performing Arts

New Jersey Symphony: Xian Conducts Carmina Burana

New Jersey Performing Arts Center

Internationally renowned conductor Tito Muñoz makes his Carnegie Hall debut with Carmina Burana. In his return to the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the native New Yorker leads the Westminster Symphonic Choir and the Young People’s Chorus of New York City in a thrilling performance of Carl Orff’s most famous work. Carmina Burana takes the raucous, primal spirit of its medieval poetry text source and turns it into a bombastic, downright theatrical experience. All-star trio of soloists Ying Fang, Nicholas Phan, and Norman Garrett sing the roles of young lovers, a disgraced abbot, and even a sorrowful swan roasting on a spit. Children’s voices embody playful cupids, while robust choruses praise goddesses and lament the fickle nature of fate. With such a mighty crowd of musical forces behind it, this larger-than-life performance is not to be missed.

With its enormous popularity matched by the huge numbers of musicians required to perform it, a Carmina Burana concert is always a major event and season highlight. Featuring some of the most recognizable music ever written in its opening and closing minutes, Carmina Burana is a thoroughly propulsive and sometimes explosive work that remains surprisingly approachable throughout. It returns to Carnegie Hall, courtesy of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, Westminster Symphonic Choir, Young People’s Chorus of New York City, and several exceptional soloists.

Orchestra of St. Luke's

Conductor Tito Muñoz makes his Carnegie Hall debut with Orchestra of St. Luke’s leading a thrilling performance of Carmina Burana by Carl Orff featuring Westminster Symphonic Choir and the Young People’s Chorus of New York City. This special performance is part of Carnegie Hall’s city-wide festival, Fall of the Weimar Republic: Dancing on the Precipice.

Partake in the sacred and the profane with Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms and Orff’s Carmina Burana. The text of Carmina, written by medieval monks, celebrates dancing, drinking, spring, gambling, and other worldly pleasures. The famous “O Fortuna” chorus reminds us that fate will always have her say. Hans Graf conducts. 

Stravinsky & Carmina Burana

Hilbert Circle Theatre

“O fortuna!” Right from its famous opening notes, Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana shakes the Stifel to its foundation. Orff’s work charts the course of fate with songs of joy, love, and celebration. Stéphane crafts a first half trilogy of loss and fateful farewell. In Arvo Pärt’s Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten, pure sounds are as if directly descended from heaven, then Lera Auerbach brings us to the heat of the sun in Icarus. In the Love-death from Richard Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde we end with a salute to eternal love.  

Stifel Theatre

Children's Choir of the OSG - Young Choir of the OSG - Teatro Colón in A Coruña

Jeremiah Selvey and Mercedes Juan Musotto, Directors. The SMC Concert Chorale and SMC Chamber Choir join the SMC Symphony Orchestra for a performance of the popular "Carmina Burana" ("Songs of Beuern"), a cantata composed in the mid 1930s by Carl Orff, based on a collection of medieval poems.

“Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff

Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center

The Queen's Choral Ensemble and Percussion Ensemble are delighted to share a concert entitled "When Music Sounds". This concert will feature the Queen's Choral Ensemble in the first half, with compositions by Sirret, Burge, and Gjeilo, followed by the Percussion Ensemble after the intermission, featuring a variety of percussion combinations.

Ensemble Concert Series: Choral and Percussion Ensembles

Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts

Join us for a mesmerizing evening featuring Dallas-based composer Quinn Mason’s A Joyous Trilogy. The highlight of the night is the collaboration with the Syracuse University Oratorio Society, as we present Carl Orff’s iconic masterpiece, Carmina Burana, known for its epic and movie-famous opening, O Fortuna.

The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater

Carmina Burana is one of the most iconic pieces of classical music borrowed extensively by Hollywood and Madison Avenue because of its power, effectiveness, and evocative qualities. Carl Orff set ancient musing of love, nature, and decandence in a modern musical setting to be performed by large orchestral forces, choirs, and soloists. This thrilling concert opens with the joyous and uplifting Umoja Anthem of Unity, a new work by living composer Valerie Coleman.

Carl Orff

Events

Upcoming events

Apr 17, 2025

Carmina Burana by Carl Orff · Gewandhausorchester

Apr 19, 2025

Carmina Burana · Lubbock Symphony Orchestra

Apr 25, 2025

NEPA Philharmonic presents: Carmina Burana · F.m. Kirby Center For The Performing Arts

25 - 26 Apr, 2025

Carmina Burana · Grand Rapids Symphony

27 - 29 Apr, 2025

Carmina Burana · Portland Symphony Orchestra

Past events

12 - 13 Apr, 2025

Concert IV: Wheel of Fortune · Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra

Apr 12, 2025

Carmina Burana · Paducah Symphony Orchestra

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