Composer

Aigul Akhmetshina

San Carlo Theatre

This performance will include Smetana's "Ma Vlast Nr. 2 Vltava 'The Moldau,'" Jacob's "Old Wine in New Bottles," and Saint-Saëns' "Symphony No. 3 'Organ Symphony'" (featuring soloist Dr. Carrie Groenewold).

EPSG:4326

NISO spring concert

Dordt University

This performance is currently sold out. Join our waitlist to be notified if additional tickets become available.

Join us for a special dedication recital from renowned faculty members Alan Morrison and Jeffrey Brillhart alongside Curtis organ students as we celebrate the completion of the new instrument in Field Concert Hall.

Following Curtis’ historic centennial celebration, the 100th instrument created by Dobson Pipe Organ Builders will inspire a new generation of organists for years to come.

Organ Dedication Recital

Curtis Institute of Music

“Perpetual motion” in musical terms is just that: the relentless rapidity of the notes builds enormous excitement, and in the crystal-clear timbre of chamber ensembles, every note can be easily heard. This one-of-a-kind concert is united by musical finales that hit the ground running and just can’t seem to stop.

Beethoven and Britten

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

Five composers explore the chamber genre with stunning results, from Saint-Saëns’s spectacular duo for violin and harp, to Ravel’s concerto-like piece for harp, winds, and strings, to Jolivet’s magical, sonorous lamentation. A bountiful cast of artists combines to offer unrivaled sonic and artistic diversity.

Respighi and Ravel

French Meditations

The Salvation Army Scarborough Citadel Community Church

Vivez la magie! This concert will take you on a sublime musical journey to France. You’ll bathe in the sensuous instrumental colors of Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite and the composer’s most famous work—Bolero.

Vive la France!

Florida State University

On the occasion of its centenary (it was founded in 1926 by the Swiss conductor, patron, and industrialist Paul Sacher), the prestigious Basel Chamber Orchestra is making its first stop in Liège. A major interpreter of Viennese classicism, it will perform Mozart's Symphony No. 31 , written at the age of 22 in Paris, as well as his emblematic "Turkish" Concerto, with South American violinist Bomsori Kim, a new star on the Deutsche Grammophon label. True to its history of interpreting contemporary works (having premiered pieces by Bartók, Stravinsky, and Honegger), the Orchestra will perform the new work of American composer Mike Svoboda.

Mozart, Parisian Symphony

Philharmonic Hall of Liege

From great romance to revolutionary fervour, France doesn’t do things by halves. Passion and flair pulse through every corner of French cultural life, whether in the cool sophistication of its cinema, the rich flavours of its cuisine or the vibrant sounds of its music.

The Hallé: Vive La France!

Royal Concert Hall Nottingham

A new star in the classical music world is the Russian pianist Alexander Malofeev, who now lives in Berlin. He won his first international competition at just 13 years old. Camille Saint-Saëns' Second Piano Concerto, with its pathos and sparkling virtuosity, is the perfect choice for Malofeev's WDR debut. The other two works on the program are French: Maurice Ravel's "La Valse," a brilliant tribute to the Viennese waltz. Lionel Bringuier also conducts Albert Roussel's brilliant, yet rarely heard, Third Symphony.

Daring - Ravel & Saint-Saëns

Museum Ludwig

HAMMOND ORGAN CONCERTO plus SAINT-SAËNS THUNDERING ORGAN SYMPHONY

Paramount Theatre Oakland

Renowned for his searching interpretations of French classical music as well as his genre-defying jazz records, pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet performs Saint-Saëns’s Piano Concerto No. 5, Egyptian. The concerto’s nickname didn’t originate with Saint-Saëns; it came about because he composed most of it while on vacation in Luxor. But no single country could contain his restless imagination: the “Egyptian” compiles a world-traveler’s far-flung impressions. Debussy’s dreamy Prelude to The Afternoon of a Faun and Berlioz’s hellacious Symphonie fantastique round out this program of French favorites led by Swiss conductor Philippe Jordan.

Symphonie fantastique & Jean-Yves Thibaudet

Davies Symphony Hall

The devil loves music—especially when a violin is involved. Some even whisper that he invented it himself! Tartini's Devil's Trill Sonata, Paganini's lightning-fast Caprices, Schnittke's ghostly A Paganini —that doesn't sound like a human hand... or does it? In this concert, there's plucking, bowing, trickery, and seduction—until even the devil is amazed.

3.  Children's concert Devilishly good music

Theater Lübeck

In this one-of-a-kind concert, let’s learn about the orchestra and insects without fear! Discover The Carnival of the Insects, a recent work by Quebec composer Maxime Goulet. Each short movement highlights an insect and an orchestra instrument that will have the chance to be heard as a soloist. Ants, bees, beetles, and many other insects will be evoked by the timbres of the four instrument families of the orchestra. To complete the celebration, other bugs might just join in!

The OSM Carnival

Place des Arts

Camille Saint-Saëns' Second Piano Concerto is one of the most versatile works in romantic piano literature. With its unusual structure, it begins like an improvised fantasy before building up to a virtuosic and rhythmically striking finale. Bertrand Chamayou, one of the leading pianists of his generation, interprets the work with technical brilliance and musical depth, effectively showcasing the contrasting moods of this concerto. Hector Berlioz's "Symphonie fantastique" is a milestone in program music, narrating in five movements the passionate and increasingly nightmarish vision of a young artist. The multifaceted instrumentation, ranging from lyrical melodies to dark sounds of the "Witches' Sabbath," makes the work an impressive example of romantic sonic art.

Symphonie fantastique

Palace of Culture

True to its mission of promoting and raising awareness of classical music, the Opéra Orchestre National Montpellier Occitanie travels across the Occitanie region in various formations.

Trio Soul and Voice

Église Saint-Paul de Frontignan

Step into the enchanting world of Paris with A Night in Paris!—a captivating concert that will transport you straight to the City of Light. Join us for an unforgettable evening, featuring the sensational guest soloist Rosana Eckert, as we journey through the heart of French music. From Offenbach’s lively Can-Can to the lush melodies of Piaf’s La Vie en Rose and Sous le Ciel de Paris, the night will be filled with passion and beauty. Experience the haunting Danse Macabre by Saint-Saëns, the dreamy Clair de Lune by Debussy, and the mesmerizing Daphnis & Chloe, Suite No. 1 by Ravel. With powerful orchestral works like Bizet’s L’Arlésienne and Berlioz’s Le Corsair Overture also on the program, every note will be a celebration of French artistry. Let the music sweep you away on a magical night in Paris you’ll never forget!

A Night In Paris!

Leap into a world of imagination with RECESS!, State Street Ballet’s fun-filled, family program featuring three delightful works. Alexei Kremnev’s Carnival of the Animals takes audiences on a charming zoo adventure, while Jerome Robbins’ Interplay bursts with playground energy. Closing the program is a new contemporary work by Kassandra Taylor Newberry bringing the world of video games to life. Full of creativity, humor, and charm, RECESS! is pure joy for kids and kids-at-heart!

Recess!

Lobero Theatre

Beethoven subtitled his sixth Symphony “Pastorale - Recollections of Country Life” and filled it with innovative orchestral depictions of nature, including birdsong, a flowing stream, and a thunderstorm. Camille Saint-Saëns’ philosophy that “form is the essence of art” is wonderfully realized in his compact and eloquent Cello Concerto No. 1, featuring Montreal-born Jean-Guihen Queyras in his long overdue Edmonton debut.

Beethoven & Beer

Winspear Centre

Meet us at the library! Cliburn Kids on the Road presents a special edition just for our book-loving friends. This 45-minute interactive program blends music, movement, storytelling, and word games to spark creativity and inspire reading, writing, listening, and imagination. Perfect for all ages!

Free Concert at Clifford Crossing Library

Clifford Crossing Library

Free Concert at Burleson Public Library

Burleson Public Library

Free Concert at Southwest Regional Library

Southwest Regional Library Fort Worth

Free Concert at Golden Triangle Library

Golden Triangle Library

Free Concert at East Regional Library

East Regional Library

Academy of St. Martin in the Fields

Community Church of Vero Beach

Superstar violinist Joshua Bell, whose “exquisite technique” (Orlando Sentinel) is matched by a “vaulted singing tone” (South Florida Classical Review), returns to the Knight Concert Hall with his exceptional Academy of St Martin in the Fields, “an ensemble of first-rate musicians, technically superb and generously expressive” (Dallas Morning News). They will perform two glorious masterworks of the Romantic repertory: Schumann's buoyant Symphony No. 1 and Saint-Saëns’ elegant and brilliant Violin Concerto No. 3.

Academy of St Martin in the Fields With Joshua Bell

Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts

Embark on an epic journey with Richard Strauss’s tone poem Also sprach Zarathustra, featuring one of the best-known openings in all of classical music thanks to its use at the beginning of the film “2001: A Space Odyssey.” This iconic piece, based on Friedrich Nietzsche’s novel, charts the philosophical journey of the title character and progresses through longing, joy and passion, with songs of the grave, the dance and the night along the way. This program also highlights French composer Camille Saint-Saëns’s First Cello Concerto, a masterwork of orchestration where the solo cello always shines through.

Saint-Saëns' First Cello Concerto and Strauss

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Join us for a master class featuring violinist Stella Chen.  This master is being presented as part of the Fred and Charlotte Hubbell Visiting Artists in Residence.

Stella Chen Violin Master Class

Drake University

Four French composers draw inspiration from distant lands for a musical voyage with audience-favorite conductor Jun Märkl. Stewart Goodyear's fingers dance across the keyboard with sparkling brilliance in Saint-Saëns’ "Egyptian" Piano Concerto, while Ravel’s hypnotic Boléro makes its famous crescendo.

Ravel's Bolero, Debussy & Saint-Saëns

The Music Center at Strathmore

Experience the beauty brought forth by some of the finest musicians to be found anywhere.

Undeniably among the most celebrated violinists of his era, Joshua Bell is also music director of the chamber ensemble The Academy of St Martin in the Fields. A musical powerhouse, the orchestra has gained worldwide acclaim for its joyful and inspiring performances as well as for a commitment to the musical freedom and expressiveness of its players. Bell and the orchestra will perform music by Camille Saint-Saëns, Antonin Dvořák, and Charles Ives.

Joshua Bell and The Academy of St Martin in the Fields

University of Iowa

With a career spanning almost four decades, GRAMMY® Award-winning violinist Joshua Bell is one of the most celebrated artists of his era. Bell has performed with virtually every major orchestra, and maintains engagements as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician, conductor and as the Music Director of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields.

Temple Theatre

Proclaimed "a phenomenon" by the Los Angeles Times and "one of the best pianists of his generation" by the Philadelphia Inquirer, Stewart Goodyear is an accomplished concert pianist, improviser, and composer. Mr. Goodyear has performed with, and has been commissioned by, many of the major orchestras and chamber music organizations around the world.

Last year, Orchid Classics released Mr. Goodyear's recording of his suite for piano and orchestra, "Callaloo" and his piano sonata. His recent commissions include an orchestral work for the Chineke! Orchestra, his Piano Quintet for the Penderecki String Quartet, and a piano work for the Honens Piano Competition. His suite for solo violin, "Solo" was recorded by violinist Miranda Cuckson on the Urlicht Audiovisual label, and his work for cello and piano, "The Kapak" was recorded by cellist Inbal Segev on the Avie Records label. 

Stewart Goodyear, Piano

Greenwich High School

Trio Carnaval presents a zoological fantasy of mime, movement, and music through Camille Saint-Saens’ Carnival of the Animals, featuring duo pianists Dakota Scott-Digout and Chloe Weston with mime artist Trevor Copp.

Xenia Concerts and TO Live Present: An Adaptive Concert with Trio Carnaval

Meridian Arts Centre

This concert highlights piano mastery and dynamic artistry as husband and wife duo Alessio Bax and Lucille Chung take center stage. Mozart’s Concerto for Two Pianos sparkles with elegance and virtuosity. Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals delights with humor and imagination, while Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos adds wit and rhythmic energy.

Mozart & More: Concertos for Two Pianos

Jacoby Symphony Hall

Two world-renowned musical acts, the Academy of St Martin in the Fields and violin virtuoso Joshua Bell, join forces in an unforgettable performance.

Academy of St Martin in the Fields

Great artists need great respite, and what better to refresh the musical senses than travel? In Luxor, Egypt, with the Nile in view and the sea not much further away, Saint-Saëns conjured melodies and motifs evocative of southern Spain and Northern Africa. The result was his fifth piano concerto, for which we’re joined by a virtuoso whose pizzazz is matched by only his precision – Bertrand Chamayou.

Oramo conducts Brahms' Second Symphony

Barbican Centre

Great artists need great respite, and what better to refresh the musical senses than travel? In Luxor, Egypt, with the Nile in view and the sea not much further away, Saint-Saëns  conjured melodies and motifs evocative of southern Spain and Northern Africa. The result was his fifth piano concerto, for which we’re joined by a virtuoso whose pizzazz is matched by only his precision – Bertrand Chamayou.

"Peace doesn't come by itself," Ukrainian conductor Oksana Lyniv said in an interview: "Without active commitment, it won't exist." And she herself sets a good example, with the resources available to her as a musician. In 2023, for example, she conducted a solidarity concert for Ukraine in Duisburg with the Youth Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine, which she founded. Now she returns with a piece that she also initiated. "Oksana Lyniv's idea to compose a work based on Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's 'The Little Prince' immediately inspired me," says composer Eduard Resatsch. He sees the abstract figure of the prince as a beacon of hope in a modern world: "For me, this fairy tale embodies the comprehensive idea of ​​universal humanism; it is a metaphor for world peace – especially in today's world, when we must say goodbye to many illusions." Following the world premiere in Paris on February 25, 2026, Oksana Lyniv will conduct the German premiere of this hopeful work in Duisburg. Following this, the young Ukrainian pianist Illia Ovcharenko will play—at the conductor's special request—the "Piano Concerto for the Left Hand," which Ravel composed for Paul Wittgenstein, who lost his right arm in the First World War. The concert will then conclude with Camille Saint-Saëns's magnificent "Organ Symphony."

Peace music

CityPalais

"Passage and Pulse" offers a rich exploration of movement, memory, and musical form. Anchored by Saint-Saëns’s dramatic Piano Concerto No. 2 and Schumann’s radiant Symphony No. 2, the program traces expressive arcs that are both intimate and grand. Additional works to be announced.

ASU Symphony Orchestra "Passage and Pulse"

Library of Music

Hong-Kong born pianist Tiffany Poon has appeared with orchestras and in recital throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia since she was first accepted to the Juilliard pre-college program at the age of eight where she studied with Emanuel Ax and Joseph Kalichstein.

Tiffany Poon

War Memorial and Performing Arts Center

Weeks of innovative educational programming wrap up with our Family Concert, featuring Carnegie Hall Link Up’s The Orchestra Swings and showcasing our community arts partners with a multicultural offering of tunes and dances. After intermission, stay for the brilliant Carnival of the Animals, where our multi-talented emcee Omari Tau will continue to entertain. Bring the kids, and stay for the instrument “petting zoo” after the concert!

Carnival of the Animals

Civic Auditorium Santa Cruz

At the heart of the program is Saint-Saëns’ majestic “Organ Symphony,” featuring guest artist Jean-Willy Kunz. Let the full might of the orchestra and organ surround you in this thrilling sonic experience. The passion continues with Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet, brought to life in a special collaboration with the South Saskatchewan Youth Orchestra. The evening opens with Estacio’s Borealis — a glowing tribute by a Canadian composer to the wonder of the northern lights.

Auroras Of The Heart

Conexus Arts Centre

Beethoven's poignant sonata in orchestral colours, beautiful settings of Bengali poems and a young Toronto virtuoso in a famous, fiery violin showpiece

Pathétique

One of those rare musicians whose charisma and effortless talent has made him a beloved and revered musician across the world, violinist Joshua Bell appears with his chamber orchestra, Academy of St Martin in the Fields, for an enchanting evening of musical brilliance.

Joshua Bell with Academy of St Martin in the Fields

Soka University of America

The Academy of St Martin in the Fields and Music Director Joshua Bell return to the USA for a major tour with multiple programmes including Brahms’ magnificent Violin Concerto in D major and Saint-Saëns’  Violin Concerto No.3 in B minor with Bell taking centre stage, then leading Schumann’s vibrant, energetic and joyful  ‘Spring’ Symphony No. 1 and Dvorak’s Symphony No.8 in G major from the violin.

ASMF & Joshua Bell USA

Carnegie Hall

California State University, Northridge

College of the Desert

University of California, Davis

Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall

The Community Church of Vero Beach

With Francis Poulenc's rarely performed Organ Concerto, Christian Schmitt brings us a virtuoso performance of the concert hall organ in the Graz Musikverein. In Camille Saint-Saëns's famous Organ Symphony , the organ later functions as an instrument almost equal to the orchestra. A new sonic discovery, however, is "Amor Fati ," an orchestral piece in which the contemporary Cretan composer Giorgos Koumendakis brings the music of his homeland to life without the use of traditional Greek instruments, for example, through rich ornamentation in the strings, thiaboli and mandora sounds, and rhythmic patterns of transcribed birdsong in the woodwinds.

2nd Music Association Concert

Stefaniensaal

The fourth symphony concert warms the cold season with two fiery, virtuosic concert fantasies for violin: soloist Maria Solozobova plays Camille Saint-Saëns' Introduction et Rondo capriccioso and Pablo de Sarasate's spirited Carmen Fantasy. Then it's a classical turn with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's cheerful Piano Concerto No. 23, which surprised audiences at the time of its composition in 1786 with its use of clarinets instead of oboes. Ludwig van Beethoven's fourth symphony, which is heard relatively rarely compared to his other symphonies, sounds equally cheerful, bright, and friendly.

Virtuoso & Classical

Berliner Philharmonie

Classical Favorites

College of Southern Idaho Fine Arts Building

What happens when a gazelle, a young giraffe, a leopard tortoise, and a ground hornbill travel together? Amazing things, of course! Their destination: the "Carnival of the Animals" in Paris. A very long way from their little animal school in Bulawayo, an African city in Zimbabwe. But no reason to give up. They have no shortage of self-confidence, especially Sarabi the leopard tortoise, who is convinced that there's much more leopard than tortoise slumbering within her. Even if Bobo the ground hornbill has his doubts. And so, on their journey, the four intrepid adventurers encounter enthusiastic orcas and a worried cuckoo, have to hide from Captain Hansen and his crew on a cargo ship, and along the way, uncover an old elephant secret… Young and old are invited to join Malte Arkona and the musicians of the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra in this captivating journey with wonderful music. Dressing up is expressly encouraged!

Carnival Concert: The Carnival of the Animals

Bamberger Symphoniker

The lion, the rooster, the elephant, the swan, the long-eared characters, and even the pianist, that "digitigrade concertivorous mammal..." Francis Blanche jokes, are all found pell-mell in The Carnival of the Animals , which Saint-Saëns refused to see performed during his lifetime, no doubt for fear of appearing unserious. Seeing the menagerie incomplete, Guillaume Connesson gave it a sequel and imagined grazing, in the musical zoo of Jurassic Trip , six historical miniatures ranging from the tyrannosaurus to the pterodactyl. Adults allowed.

National Sundays: The Carnival of the Animals / Lambert Wilson

Maison de la Radio et de la Musique

Let the enchanting music of Ravel captivate you this Valentine's Day weekend as the Calgary Phil and conductor Natalia Ponomarchuk take you from his picturesque Spanish-inspired rhapsody to the shimmering sound world of Daphnis et Chloé, topped off with Boléro's sensational orchestral crescendo. Canadian phenom Stewart Goodyear stars in Saint-Saëns' striking Piano Concerto No. 5 (known as The Egyptian) composed during a trip to Cairo.

Romantic Ravel

Arts Commons

Celebrate love and passion this Valentine’s Day with the remarkable artistry of Saskia Giorgini as she shines on Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto No. 2. Giorgini plays as if she “has something to say, and she wears it on her sleeve.” (NativeDSD). Lina González-Granados leads the RPO with Mendelssohn’s “Scottish” Symphony, sweeping you away to misty landscapes and heartfelt melodies. Plus, Lili Boulanger’s D’un matin de printemps opens the concert with youthful energy and fresh springtime romance

Saint-Saëns & Mendelssohn

Eastman Theatre

Otherworldly and infinitely fragile: this is how one might describe the atmosphere of Gabriel Fauré’s Prélude from his symbolist suite Pelléas et Mélisande that sets the tone at the beginning of this concert. It tells the tragic story of two lovers, which, similarly to Sergei Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, does not end happily – but contains breathtaking emotion. It is a work for which conductor Tugan Sokhiev has a particular fondness. Camille Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto offers a double premiere since, oddly enough, it has never been performed before on the BRSO stage. French pianist Alexandre Kantorow, who in just a few years has managed to play his way around the world on 88 keys and achieve international fame, will also be making his BRSO debut.

Tugan Sokhiev & Alexandre Kantorow

Munich Residence

The "Organ Symphony" is one of France's most important symphonies. The work's name, incidentally, does not originate from the composer – Saint-Saëns preferred to call it a "symphony with organ." The organ is "merely" one timbre among others – it is sparse, but its impact is all the more powerful. A piano duo is also part of the orchestra. While the "Organ Symphony" is not a religious composition, the melody of the "Dies Irae" nevertheless runs through the entire work. The two gigantic sections – approximately 20 and 15 minutes long respectively – contain the usual four symphony movements. Saint-Saëns considered this (his last) symphony to be his magnum opus.

Polyphonic

Bochumer Symphoniker

Cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han—Artistic Directors of Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center—bring their visionary artistry to Amelia Plantation Chapel, one of the Festival’s most acoustically stunning venues. 

David Finckel, cello | Wu Han, piano

Amelia Plantation Chapel

The lion roars, the birds sing, the elephant waddles, the swan glides... All come to life thanks to the instruments of the Orchestre National Montpellier in Saint-Saëns' Carnival of the Animals , a joyful musical bestiary to discover with the family. Each instrument becomes an animal, each piece a sound tableau: flute for the birds, cello for the swan, piano for the kangaroos... This fabulous work is a fun way to discover the sounds of the orchestra by following a real animal parade. Alongside Damien Robert, who designed the staging, actress Wafae Ababou blends gesture and music in a poetic interpretation in LSF, while Lim Kiihwan's projected illustrations accompany the music and invite wonder.

Opéra Comédie

Whether Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, or Romeo and Juliet – many of the most beautiful and well-known melodies were written for ballet. The grace and elegance of the dancers inspired the composers to achieve peak creative achievements – time to devote a detailed attention to the resulting music. This evening, it's not just the bows that dance on the strings; some animals are also said to be doing a few pirouettes...

Pirouettes and pliés

Prinzregententheater

Two spectacular soloists open this emotional program. Cellist Jaden Mills makes a statement with melodic Saint-Saens First  Cello Concerto,  while violinist Kendra Frey brings technical brilliance and sensitive interpretation to Prokofiev’s captivating  First Violin Concerto.

Stunning Soloists, Passion and Pathos

Beachwood High School

Led by the vibrant Alexander Shelley, our visiting friends from the National Arts Centre Orchestra promise an unforgettable evening. Experience the brilliance of Jean-Yves Thibaudet in Saint-Saëns’s sparkling “Egyptian” Concerto, paired with Beethoven’s groundbreaking “Eroica” Symphony, a stirring testament to resilience and the human spirit.

National Arts Centre Orchestra’s Eroica

David Pecaut Square

Darko Butorac stands out as one of the most compelling conductors of his generation, praised for his “exceptional combination of passion, elegance, and well-timed pacing” (Westdeutsche Zeitung). He serves as the Music Director of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, where his innovative programming and dynamic leadership have captivated audiences.

Beethoven’s Eroica

Lucas Theatre For the Arts

Powered by Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly and the talented musicians of the ISO,

Troupe Vertigo brings spellbinding performances that ignite the imagination through stunning physical feats and breathtaking choreography. Cirque Magic takes you on an enchanting journey featuring Wicked‘s beloved hits “Defying Gravity” and “Popular” by Stephen Schwartz, “Harry’s Wondrous World” by John Williams, and classical favorites including Saint-Saëns’ Bacchanale.

Troupe Vertigo: Cirque Magic

Hilbert Circle Theatre

"Paul Jacobs is one of the great living virtuosos … he is utterly without artifice,” declares The Washington Post. Witness the musicianship of the first and only organist to win a Grammy Award as Jacobs performs Saint-Saëns’s “Organ” Symphony, a work so expressive the composer claimed, “I have given all that I had to give.” Jacobs also performs Samuel Barber’s exuberant Toccata Festiva. Beethoven penned four unique overtures to his opera Leonore; the MSO performs the sumptuous third iteration here, as well as brand new music by composer Edmund Finnis.

Saint-Saëns “Organ” Symphony

Warner Grand Theater

The Carnival of the Animals was French composer Camille Saint-Saëns’ most popular work, even during his lifetime. It is at once stunning and possessed of a special charm. It is scored for chamber orchestra and two pianos, and was not originally intended explicitly for children. Camille Saint-Saëns loved musical fun. These 14 pieces are not so much a representation of animals as they are an examination of the music of his time. In this way, The Carnival of the Animals can be described as a masked procession or parade, in which Saint-Saëns humorously quoted himself and his contemporaries. In addition to various mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish, Saint-Saëns ironically included both fossils and pianists among these animal portraits. He gave permission for only three performances of the entire work in his lifetime. He gave Anna Pavlova, the famous prima ballerina, permission to use the “Swan” movement, which became famous the world over under the name “The Dying Swan.” After the composer’s death, The Carnival of the Animals took concert halls by storm, winning over the hearts of both old and young.

Oper Leipzig

The Seven Wonders of the World – what are they, and where can we find them? Ayla Kabaca is our tour guide as we take off with the help of music to visit the world’s seven modern wonders, together with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Norwegian conductor – or should we say pilot – Halldis Rønning.

School Concert – The Seven Wonders of the World

Stockholm City Hall

It is not every day you get to hear a saxophone virtuoso reimagine seminal works composed for bassoon, cello, and voice on his deeply expressive instrument of choice. In his Cal Performances debut, Steven Banks, “the saxophone’s best friend, fiercest advocate, and primary virtuoso in the classical realm” (Washington Post) and the first saxophonist to win the coveted Avery Fisher Career Grant, offers a whirlwind musical tour on the mighty baritone saxophone.

Steven Banks, baritone saxophone Xak Bjerken, piano

University of California, Berkeley

Chickens juggle eggs, donkeys can barely escape amorous horses, and fish perform an addictive dance in their colorful, shimmering scales. THIS is the Carnival of Animals! The biggest animal spectacle of the year, the most unforgettable show, the most exhilarating gathering—and with you, it's even better!

Carnival of Animals

Beethoven Hall

Children’s Concert with the Decatur School of Ballet

Decatur Presbyterian Children's Community

Honor memories of time gone by and the resilience of the human spirit with this special concert featuring standing-ovation favorites. BPYO seniors join in a performance of the late David Alan Earnest’s thrilling overture Turbulence before Boise Phil’s Principal Cellist Philip Kettler takes center stage for Saint-Saëns’ evocative and technically stunning Concerto for Cello No. 1. Then, Ravel pays homage to the Baroque era and two friends lost in World War I in Le Tombeau de Couperin. The evening closes with charm and romanticism of a Viennese world in Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier Suite.

Ravel & Strauss

Morrison Center for the Performing Arts

We open this series by honoring the memory of Boise composer David Alan Earnest with a performance of his thrilling overture Turbulence, composed for the Boise Phil in 2013. For these performances, we will be joined by the talented BPYO seniors. Next, Boise Phil Principal Cellist Philip Kettler joins us for Saint-Saëns’ lyrical Cello Concerto No. 1. The program concludes with Ravel’s elegant Le Tombeau de Couperin and Richard Strauss’ lush Der Rosenkavalier Suite. Both Ravel and Strauss connect through their nostalgic nods to the past: Ravel pays homage to the Baroque era and two friends lost in World War 1, blending grace and clarity with 20th-century style, while Strauss evokes the lavish charm and romanticism of a bygone Viennese world.

Boise State University

She was a fellow student of Debussy, admired by Saint-Saëns, and encouraged by the publisher Alphonse Leduc to create ever new works: Mélanie Bonis, a French composer who fell into obscurity after her death in 1937. Her impressionistic atmospheric picture Le Songe de Cléopâtre (The Dream of Cleopatra) from 1909 is beguilingly beautiful in its sophisticated orchestration and intoxicatingly sensual in its sound. A real discovery! The organ concerto by the contemporary Swiss composer Valentin Villard, written exactly one hundred years later, is also sonicly fascinating: it begins shimmering and undulating and ends with a rushing apotheosis. All of this is exactly the right thing for the dazzling star organist Anna Lapwood, who, to top it all off, also presents a French classic: the monumental organ symphony by Saint-Saëns. At her side: David Reiland from Belgium, head of the Orchestre National de Lorraine and the Sinfonietta Lausanne.

Organ Symphony With Anna Lapwood

Meistersinger Hall

We kick off our 36th season with music shaped by African and African American traditions. Saint-Saëns’s Piano Concerto No. 5, written during his time in Egypt, is infused with exotic melodies and dazzling virtuosity. Gershwin and Weill both wove blues and jazz into a classical framework in their groundbreaking operas, Porgy and Bess and The Threepenny Opera, whose unforgettable tunes – like Mack the Knife and Summertime – have become standards of both the concert hall and the Great American Songbook.

Composer

Camille Saint-Saëns

Events

Upcoming events

Jun 27, 2025 - Apr 11, 2026

Klangzeit · Elbphilharmonie

Sep 16, 2025 - Jun 16, 2026

NDR Chamber Concert · Elbphilharmonie

10 - 12 Apr, 2026

Ravel & Saint-Saëns · Oregon Symphony

Apr 11, 2026

Parisian Voices · Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Apr 12, 2026

Fauré's C-minor Piano Quartet · Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Past events

Apr 7, 2026

Aigul Akhmetshina · Teatro di San Carlo

Mar 31, 2026

NISO spring concert · Northwest Iowa Symphony Orchestra

About

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