As the curtain begins to close on the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra's 24/25 Season, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra embarks on captivating performances across the Atlantic, music lovers find themselves at the cusp of auditory brilliance. These orchestral events promise to stir the soul. With the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Earl Lee and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra gracing London stages, these performances are set to transcend ordinary musical experiences. From Mahler's emotional Symphony No. 5 to Katherine Balch's innovative 'musica pyralis,' these events offer much more than just music, they provide a celebration of artistic expression.

A Symphony of Emotions: The Ann Arbor and Pittsburgh Orchestras' Unforgettable Performances

Raised in D.C. and Reykjavik, with Icelandic and Chinese roots, Laufey's classical piano and cello training from her mother collided with her love for her father's jazz records. Her 2022 album, described by NME as "candid self-expression wrapped in the dreamy lilt of the old jazz standards," foreshadows her captivating debut with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. She weaves her unique storytelling and spellbinding voice with influences from Ravel, Chopin, Ella Fitzgerald, and Billie Holiday.

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A Night at the Symphony with Laufey

Heinz Hall

Magic melodies come to life as the pop, soul and R&B sounds of Motown and the famous hits from the Philly Sound face off in this exciting concert experience. Led by Broadway superstar Chester Gregory - what was last on the Heinz Hall stage in June 2022 with the Music of Motown - and vocal powerhouses Ashley Jayy and Brik Liam, this incredible evening is full of class hit songs made famous by The Spinners, They Stylistics, The Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Lou Rawls, Diana Ross, Gamble & Huff and Percy Sledge. Philly Sound hit songs including "Ain't No Stopping Us Now," "You'll Never Find A Love Like Mine," "Love Train" and "You Make Me Feel Brand New" share the stage with Motown smash hits including "What's Going On," "I Heard It Through The Grapevine," "I'm Gonna Make you Love Me" and "I'm Coming Out."

Let's Groove Tonight: Motown & The Philly Sound

The season culminates with the return of Michael Daugherty’s ode to Pittsburgh icon, Andy Warhol, in his piece, Fifteen. Hear how each movement transforms Warhol’s colorful creations into symphonic masterpieces, featuring the artist’s Portrait of Elizabeth Taylor (1964), Big Electric Chair (1967) and more.

Fifteen & Firebird: The Season Finale

The program begins with the sounds of New York’s “frenetic energy and multicultural aural palette” in Jessie Montgomery’s Coincident Dances. Principal Oboe, Cynthia Koledo DeAlmeida, and Principal Horn, William Caballero, then join to premiere a double concerto by Michael Daugherty.

Darkness to Light: Manfred & Mahler 5

British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, heralded as one of the most important pianists to emerge from the United Kingdom in decades, is internationally recognized for his sonorous lyricism and understated brilliance at the keyboard. Join Benjamin Grosvenor together with our Pittsburgh Symphony musicians as they reveal the depth of their mesmerizing artistry across this special evening. Surround the sound on the Heinz Hall stage together with Grosvenor and PSO Musicians. 

PSO360: Benjamin Grosvenor

The symphony is transformed into a storybook on this literary program. Made famous by Disney’s Fantasia, Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice tells the tale of an apprentice discovering his master’s magic (as told by the trumpets) to bring a broom (as told by the bassoon) to life.

Once Upon a Time: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice

Part of PSO Disrupt: a series of unique concert events at Heinz Hall

Your wanderlust is showing. Let Paris be your playground in an immersive night of music featuring Gershwin’s iconic An American in Paris.   

Disrupt: Postcards from Paris

On this program, experience how jazz intercepts with classical alongside two revolutionaries to the American musical landscape. An American enters an exciting yet unfamiliar European scene, as Gershwin leaves the listener smelling buttery croissants and seeing the twinkling of the Eiffel Tower. Additionally, violinist Nicola Benedetti showcases Wynton Marsalis’ concerto that won her a GRAMMY® in this classical ode to jazz.

Gershwin & Marsalis: American Mavericks

Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney are not only Knights - they also happen to be three of the most successful songwriters of all time with careers spanning over SIX decades. Now relive some of the best hits all three of the legendary performers/composers created. Highlights include: "Can you Feel the Love Tonight," The Phantom of the Opera," Circle of Life," and "Memory." 

Music of the Knights

May the 4th be with you! There’s no better time to celebrate the legendary music of John Williams than on the Star Wars fandom’s official holiday with your PSO. 

Music of Star Wars

How do instruments make sound? Explore how sound is created with Associate Conductor Moon Doh and the Pittsburgh Symphony! Together we will learn how each instrument family creates its unique sound, how those sounds work together in an orchestra, and what role the conductor plays in bringing orchestral music to life.

Schooltime: Meet the Orchestra

Bonnie Raitt is a singer, songwriter and guitarist whose unique style blends blues, R&B, rock, and pop. After 20 years as a cult favorite, she broke through to the top in the early 90s with her GRAMMY-award winning albums, 'Nick of Time' and 'Luck of the Draw,' which featured hits, "Something To Talk About" and "I Can't Make You Love Me" among others. The ten-time Grammy winner was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 and Rolling Stone named the slide guitar ace one of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and one of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time.”

NEW DATE: Bonnie Raitt

Experience the grandeur of Beethoven 9, and celebrate the 200th anniversary of the premiere, which took place in May 1824 in Vienna.

Dubbed by the Los Angeles Times as having “a gleeful sense for metallic orchestral color and shocking harmony,” hear the world premiere of a new work by Canadian conductor and composer, Samy Moussa. 

Beethoven Symphony No. 9

Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons: The Last Encores tour stops at Heinz Hall April 20, 2024!

The acclaimed band is performing a limited number of shows moving forward and are looking forward to sharing The Last Encores to all of their devoted fans, from the young to the young at heart. 

Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons: The Last Encores

You ready to RACH? Experience one of the biggest works in classical music as Leif Ove Andsnes performs Rachmaninoff's 3rd Piano Concerto. 

Music Director Manfred Honeck returns to conduct a work ascending from the depths of hell to the heights of heaven. Liszt’s depiction of Dante’s Divine Comedy will lead the listener through the complexity of Inferno, Purgatorio and Paradiso in this Pittsburgh premiere. 

Let’s RACH!: Rachmaninoff’s 3rd Piano Concerto

Swing, sway and groove to the sensational music of George Gershwin! Dance to some fascinatin’ melodies as PSO Principal Pops Conductor Byron Stripling teams up with the Pittsburgh Symphony and one scattin’ cat.

Fascinatin’ Fidd

Celebrate George Gershwin’s 125th birthday with Byron! Featuring popular Gershwin favorites like "Someone To Watch Over Me," "Man I Love," "I’ve Got Rhythm," "Love Is Here To Stay" and "They Can’t Take That Away From Me." Byron is joined by the singing sensation Sydney McSweeney and highlights the orchestra with "Strike Up The Band" and "Rhapsody in Blue!"

Fascinatin' Rhythm: A Gershwin Celebration

Come and celebrate the talented musicians of the 2024 PSO Student Side-by-Side program!

The PSO Student Side-by-Side program gives musicians in grades 9-12 the experience of rehearsing and performing alongside their Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra counterparts. Selected through a competitive application process, this year's talented high school students will receive personal coaching from PSO musicians, participate in full orchestra rehearsals, collaborate with other student musicians and perform at a ticketed concert on the Heinz Hall stage.

Student Side-by-Side

Often used to depict hauntings and Halloween, Bach’s famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor opens the program, followed by Saint-Saëns’ glorified travelogue in his “Egyptian” piano concerto. Hear sounds of the Nile and other nods to the Middle East, played by the glamorously virtuosic Jean-Yves Thibaudet. 

The Voyage: Thibaudet Plays the “Egyptian"

Experience the violinist that “sits atop the pantheon of stellar violinists” (NUVO), as Hilary Hahn brings the spice of Ginastera's Violin Concerto and Sarsate’s Carmen Fantasy to life. Feel the melodies that emanate sultriness in this adaptation of Bizet’s famous opera.

Hilary Hahn Plays Carmen Fantasy

“My new symphony must be such as to make a stir in the world.” These prophetic words from Dvořák were answered with a work considered to be one of the composer’s best. Written in the gray area of hoping for peace while also yearning for patriotic reform, Dvořák expressed this inner struggle in his epic symphony.

Bohemian Spirit: Manfred Conducts Dvořák

James Ehnes has established himself as one of the most sought-after violinists on the international stage. Gifted with a rare combination of stunning virtuosity, serene lyricism and an unfaltering musicality, Ehnes is a favorite collaborator of artists around the world including our own Pittsburgh Symphony musicians. 

PSO360: James Ehnes

The cool of the Arctic Circle meets the warmth of Ancient Greece in this colorful program led by the debut of Dalia Stasevska. This trailblazing conductor and unwavering activist will take the listener on a profound musical journey. 

Stasevska Soars: Sibelius’ 5th

The PSO has been sending chamber groups to Florida since 2005 to reach new audiences and build deeper connections with Pittsburgh snowbirds that choose to spend their winters in Florida.

Naples Chamber Event

Royal Poinciana Golf Club

Shakespeare is illuminated in this unique collaboration between local lighting designers, actors and your Pittsburgh Symphony. See and hear the timeless story of Romeo and Juliet come to life with Prokofiev’s cinematic orchestration paired with visual aesthetics to complete the experience.

Prokofiev’s Romeo & Juliet

Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles...Experience one of the most beloved films of all time as never before…with the power of a full symphony orchestra performing the entire musical score live-to-picture! 

The Princess Bride in Concert

Sarasota Chamber Event

Michael's On East

How can disparate elements create something new? Associate Conductor Jacob Joyce leads the Pittsburgh premiere of Mason Bates’ multi-media concerto Philharmonia Fantastique, fusing the creative vision of one of America’s leading composers with the technological brilliance of Skywalker Ranch film and sound professionals. The result is an incredible journey across mediums and into the heart of the orchestra.

Schooltime: Sound Fusion

Palm Beach Chamber Event

The Colony Hotel

How can diverse components blend to form something innovative? Associate Conductor Jacob Joyce leads the Pittsburgh premiere of Mason Bates' mixed-media concerto, Philharmonia Fantastique. This masterpiece combines the artistic genius of a prominent American composer with the technological prowess of film and sound experts from Skywalker Ranch. The outcome is a remarkable odyssey through different mediums and into the heart of the orchestra. 

Sound Fusion

The PSO has been sending chamber groups to Florida since 2005 to reach new audience and build deeper connections with Pittsburgh snowbirds that choose to spend their winters in Florida.   

Vero Beach Chamber Event

Bent Pine Golf Club

Van Cliburn Gold Medalist Yunchan Lim debuts with the Everest for all pianists in Prokofiev’s Second Piano Concerto. Enjoy this rare opportunity to experience a young musical prodigy performing one of the most challenging works in the repertoire. 

Fearless: Yunchan Lim Conquers Prokofiev

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Dark Side of the Moon with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's electrifying performance of The Music of Pink Floyd: A Rock Symphony. Experience Pink Floyd's psychedelic sounds intertwined with lush orchestral arrangements, featuring classics from "The Dark Side of the Moon" to "The Wall," as well as selections from "A Momentary Lapse of Reason" and "Wish You Were Here." Led by vocalist Randy Jackson and a full rock ensemble with the PSO, don't miss this mind-blowing sonic journey.

The Music of Pink Floyd: A Rock Symphony

Ready for a wild ride? Come with Fiddlesticks on a journey as he introduces his favorite musical creatures using Camille Saint-Saëns’ Carnival of the Animals. Hear swans glide, kangaroos hop and elephants waltz in these beautiful melodies representing animals around us.

A Walk on the Wild Side

With nine Tony awards including Best Musical, Fiddler on the Roof sang and danced its way into America's heart beginning in 1964 when it became an instant classic. Now experience the music live at Heinz Hall featuring your Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with Pittsburgh CLO. As an added treat, this presentation features John Williams’ Oscar-winning score adaptation as heard in the 1971 feature film version of this timeless musical.

Fiddler on the Roof

The art of making art. Soloist Pablo Ferrández and friends unravel how something gets created out of nothing. 

Disrupt: Page to Stage

This concert pays tribute to the spirit and richness of Black music in America—and its enduring strength in times of tumult and trouble.

Join the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, conductor Anthony Parnther, and special guests for an evening that uplifts and amplifies community. The concert features GRAMMY® Award winner Oleta Adams, whose gospel-rooted voice has graced era-defining albums like Tears For Fears’ "The Seeds of Love” (1989) and her own platinum-selling “Circle of One” (1990). The Lift Every Voice Unity Choir conducted by Nikki Porter and trombonist Cooper Cromwell-Whitley join the program to make hearts and voices soar. All ages welcomed.

Lift Every Voice

The PSO will “Rock You” in this exploration of Queen’s epic masterpieces, led by Finnish a cappella ensemble, Rajaton.

Rajaton Sings Queen

Written in Pennsylvania by a Pennsylvanian, Samuel Barber’s beloved Violin Concerto still moves listeners in profound ways, and we are thrilled to welcome back the spirited Alexi Kenney to showcase this masterpiece.

Barber & Bartok

Get ready to fight a dragon, swim with merpeople, and find out just who put Harry’s name in the Goblet of Fire™! For the first time ever, audiences can rediscover the magic of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire™ while a live symphony orchestra performs Patrick Doyle’s unforgettable score.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire™ in Concert

Composers love adding layers to stories through music. Come experience how notes transform Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet into emotions.

Discovery & Drinks: Shakespeare Reimagined

Kingfly Spirits

What do YOU stand for? What does it mean to stand for something? How does one do so? Join Associate Conductor Moon Doh, along with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and special guests, for a dynamic exploration of musicians, dancers, poets, and other leaders who have used the power of the arts to express their core convictions.

Schooltime: The Courage to Stand

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra chronicles artistic defiance. From the opening notes of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, full of fate and fury, to the world-building text of Langston Hughes—experience music that outlasts, outshines, and out-dreams all barriers. Featuring music by Aaron Copland, Jessie Montgomery, Arvo Pärt, Valerie Coleman, and more, with special guest appearances by Vocalist Nikki Porter, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Principal Dancer Yoshiaki Nakano, and PSO Acting Principal Violist Tatjana Mead Chamis.

Courage to Stand

To the left, you’ll see a Parisian garden with children joyfully playing. To the right, you’ll see a hut running on chicken legs. Journey down the museum corridor with us as we hear the sounds of art in Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition.

Pictures at an Exhibition

How does sense of place influence music? In what way do domestic musical traditions shape the distinctive sound of a place in time, and how do composers weave together tradition and innovation to create something that is distinctly theirs? Discover the ways that composers draw inspiration, such as how uniquely American experiences shaped the distinct styles of Antonín Dvořák, Florence Price, and Jessie Montgomery. Explore these questions with musicians from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and PSO Executive Vice President and COO, Marty Bates, at the St. James A.M.E. Church. The program begins at 6:00pm but join us early for socializing and snacks!

Discovery & Drinks: Finding Home - St James

St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church

Join us for the grand finale of the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra's 24/25 Season, a concert that promises to be an unforgettable evening of music and emotion. Under the baton of Music Director Earl Lee, this season-concluding concert will take place on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 8 PM in the prestigious Hill Auditorium. 

The evening will commence with a pre-concert talk at 7 PM, offering insights and enriching the concert experience. The program features the premiere of Katherine Balch’s "musica pyralis," a co-commission in partnership with the New York Philharmonic, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, the Santa Rosa Symphony, and the Erie Symphony, supported by New Music USA’s Amplifying Voices program. This piece is set to captivate the audience with its innovative composition and execution.

The highlight of the night will be Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, with its famous Adagietto, a love song to Mahler’s wife, Alma. This symphony is a journey through triumph and despair, showcasing Mahler’s shift to pure instrumental music and the contrapuntal intensity reminiscent of J.S. Bach. 

Seats for this monumental event are available now as part of a subscription, with single ticket booking opening on July 18, 2024. Don't miss the opportunity to experience the culmination of the 24/25 Season with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, led by the talented Earl Lee. This concert is not just a performance but a celebration of music's power to express the inexpressible.

24/25 Season Finale

University of Michigan

Join the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for an unforgettable evening of music on July 29, 2025, at HERE at Outernet, London. Known for their world-class performances, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra promises to deliver a night filled with captivating melodies and stunning harmonies that will leave you mesmerized. This is your chance to experience the magic of live music in an intimate setting. Don't miss out on this extraordinary event! For more information and to book your tickets, visit the primary event link. You can also explore their official website and YouTube channel for a sneak peek into their mesmerizing performances.

The Diana Mixtape

HERE at Outernet, London

Experience the captivating sounds of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as they grace the stage of the historic Apollo Theatre in London on September 22, 2025. Known for their world-class performances, the orchestra will transport you on a magical journey through the power of music. The performance begins at 7:30 PM, promising an evening filled with enchanting melodies and breathtaking harmonies. For a sneak peek of what to expect, visit their official YouTube channel. Secure your tickets now via the primary event link and immerse yourself in a symphony of sounds that will leave you spellbound. Don't miss this extraordinary performance by one of the USA's premier orchestras!

Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

May 17, 2025

24/25 Season Finale

Jul 29 - Aug 10, 2025

The Diana Mixtape

Sep 22 - Nov 29, 2025

Punch

24 - 25 Jun, 2024

A Night at the Symphony with Laufey

21 - 23 Jun, 2024

Let's Groove Tonight: Motown & The Philly Sound

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Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra