Three composers. Three bold voices. This afternoon concert explores the idea of resilience — how artists transform adversity into energy, elegance, and invention. The concert begins with Beethoven’s Second Symphony, one of his least performed masterworks, written at a time of personal crisis but bursting with humor, invention, and fire. It’s not the Beethoven of fate and fury—but of wit, drive, and irrepressible spirit. Carlos Simon’s Fate Now Conquers picks up that thread with a jolt. Inspired by a line from Beethoven’s journals, the piece is full of quick turns and titillating energy—tight, fierce, and over almost too soon. The final word belongs to Louise Farrenc’s Symphony No. 2, a hidden gem that feels as if a mirror was held to Beethoven as it was composed. Elegant and propulsive, Farrenc’s music claims its place in the symphonic tradition—powerfully and unmistakably.

Second to None: The Second Symphonies of Beethoven and Farrenc

Hotel Chalet

Grab your headbands, leg warmers, and neon - it’s Back to the ‘80s! Back to the 80’s is a power packed evening of the decade’s #1 hit songs, including The Power of Love, Time After Time, Material Girl, Another One Bites The Dust, Footloose, Addicted to Love and many others.  Featuring the music of such 80’s iconic stars as Madonna, Debbie Gibson, Huey Lewis & The News, Phil Collins, Queen, Joe Cocker, and others, Back to the 80’s contains all new arrangements by Grammy-winner Jeff Tyzik and features three incredible vocalists.

DECADES: Back to the '80s

Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium

Prepare a delicious meal alongside CSO Maestro Ilya Ram in a hands-on culinary class that blends symphonic flair with delicious flavor.

Cooking With Ilya

Sweet and Savory Classroom

Join CSO Music Director Ilya Ram at Broad's Lounge for an open conversation and mingling. This event is FREE and open to the public.

Chitt Chatt With Ilya

Broads Lounge

This unforgettable evening is rooted in the past—its struggles, its stories, and the ways composers reflect on what came before. We begin with Brahms’ Tragic Overture—a storm of drama and complexity, full of weight and philosophical tension. From there, cellist Tae-Yeon Kim, winner of the Lutosławski Competition and not yet 20, brings lyrical fire to one of the cornerstones of the Cello Repertoire -  Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B minor. Towering and intimate, this is Romanticism at its most human. The program closes with Amy Beach’s “Gaelic Symphony”—a groundbreaking work rich in lush harmonies and folk-inspired themes. Written as a response to Dvořák’s New World Symphony, Beach chose to honor her own roots, weaving the songs and spirit of Irish immigrants into a sweeping symphonic landscape filled with all that we love about the Romantic Period. It’s music that remembers, reimagines, and reclaims.

Dvořák & Beach

From its famous “ba-ba-ba-bum” opening to its blazing finish, Beethoven’s iconic 5th Symphony is one of the most powerful pieces of music ever written. Experience the monumental close to the 24-24 Season with the CSO and the powerful voices of the CSO Chorus. Discover your new favorite piece with Valerie Coleman’s Seven O’Clock Shout.

Beethoven's 5th

One of Chattanooga’s most treasured holiday events, Home for the Holidays is the perfect seasonal celebration for the whole family! The CSO is joined by the CSO Chorus, a variety of community groups, and even the big man himself!

Home for the Holidays

Elegance, History, and a kapuziner. Step into the salons of Vienna, where composers shaped generations of music. The afternoon begins with a hidden gem: Marianna Martines’ Sinfonia in C. A friend of Haydns and an extremely prolific composer in her time, Martines was one of the few women to compose symphonies in 18th-century Vienna—and her music bursts with elegance, vitality, and charm. Next comes a piece woven into CSO’s own history: Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony, the very first symphony performed by the orchestra in 1934. Mysterious, lyrical, and open-ended, it invites reflection—not just on what’s left unsaid, but on where we’ve come from.

Bohemian Viennese: Mozart's "Prague" Symphony

This musical journey travels from the American prairie to the cafés of Paris, the forests of Finland, and the rivers of Germany—blending local voices with global inspiration. We begin at home with Tim Hinck’s “Prairie Nightscape”, a quietly radiant snapshot of dawn breaking across wide open land. Then it’s off to Milhaud’s Le Bœuf sur le toit, a whirlwind of Brazilian melodies and French playfulness—quirky, jazzy, and irresistibly fun. Darius Milhaud’s playful and whimsical Le Bœuf sur le toit follows, a jazz-infused romp inspired by Brazilian melodies that brims with charm and rhythmic vitality. In celebration of its 40th anniversary, the Chattanooga Youth Symphony joins the CSO onstage for a powerful Side-by-Side performance. Together, they perform Sibelius’ Finlandia, a proud and urgent call for resilience, and Schumann’s “Rhenish” Symphony, an expansive, joyful work inspired by the majesty of the Rhine. With both CSO conductors sharing the podium and generations of musicians sharing the stage, this evening is about exploration, connection, and the enduring power of music—across borders and across time.

Finlandia Side-by-Side

The Velvet Chair is more than just a show, it's an experience! The musicianship of the CSO with Dexter Bell and friends combined with the powerhouse vocals and creative wit of Chattanooga’s own Karen Collins is sure to bring you a night you will never forget!

Velvet Chair Experience

Walker Theatre

Some would call it Verdi’s best opera, his Messa da Requiem is one of the most profound works ever written for orchestra, chorus, and soloists. Written in memory of a friend, this sacred work carries the expressive weight of Verdi’s dramas — at once intimate and monumental. It isn’t a spectacle, but a deep exploration of human emotion: mourning, questioning, hope.

Ilya Ram

Events

Upcoming events

20 - 21 Dec, 2025

Home for the Holidays · Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Jan 25, 2026

Bohemian Viennese: Mozart's "Prague" Symphony · Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Feb 19, 2026

Finlandia Side-by-Side · Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Mar 28, 2026

Velvet Chair Experience · Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Apr 23, 2026

Verdi Requiem · Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Past events

Nov 16, 2025

Second to None: The Second Symphonies of Beethoven and Farrenc · Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Nov 8, 2025

DECADES: Back to the '80s · Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Future and recently performed repertoire

Conductor in Tragic Overture by Brahms

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Symphony No. 2 by Beethoven

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Gloria by Poulenc

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Knoxville: Summer of 1915 by Barber

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Finlandia by Sibelius

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Fate Now Conquers by Simon

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Symphony in E minor by Beach

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Sinfonia in C Major by Martines

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Symphony No. 8 by Schubert

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Cello Concerto by Dvořák

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Le bœuf sur le toit by Milhaud

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Symphony No. 5 by Beethoven

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Messa da Requiem by Verdi

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Sussudio by Collins

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Kiss on My List by Oats

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Tell Her About It by Joel

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Time after Time by Lauper

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Material Girl by

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Higher Love by Winwood

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Symphony No. 3 by Schumann

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Symphony No. 38 by Mozart

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Seven O'Clock Shout by Coleman

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

Conductor in Symphony No. 1 by Hinck

Chattanooga Symphony & Opera

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