Step into a realm where music, dance, and theater converge to create a symphony of culture and joy. Dayton Performing Arts is set to dazzle audiences this season with a spectacular lineup of events that celebrate timeless stories, magical melodies, and the spirit of the holidays. From the enchanting tale of Amahl and the Night Visitors to the rhythmic beats of The Motortown All-Stars, each performance promises to captivate and inspire. Join us as we explore the highlights of a season that promises unforgettable experiences and cherished memories.

Dayton's Artistic Extravaganza: Unveiling a Spectacular Season of Culture and Harmony

Get ready to immerse yourself in a spectacular lineup of events organized by Dayton Performing Arts, from soulful tributes and orchestral celebrations to enchanting operatic tales and interactive concerts. Experience the symphonic beats of Nashville, the timeless croons of Tony Bennett, and the captivating retelling of Cinderella. With events that touch on cultural narratives, honor musical legends, and celebrate cinematic and theatrical artistry, there's something here to inspire and entertain every music lover. Join us as we explore these remarkable performances set to grace the Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center.

Experience the Magic of Music and Drama: Highlights from Dayton Performing Arts Events

Music and culture enthusiasts are in for a treat with a series of captivating events lined up by the Dayton Performing Arts. From iconic film scores to the rhythmic beats of The Beatles, and from a unique tribute to unarmed Black men to the grandeur of Verdi’s Aida, Dayton promises an unforgettable celebration of sound and spectacle. Join us as we explore the highlights of these events, featuring renowned conductors and performers, each bringing their unique artistry to the stage.

Experiencing the Rhythm of Dayton: A Journey through Music and Culture

At its heart, Verdi’s majestic opera, Aida" class="css-u850">Aida, is an intimate story of love—forbidden and unrequited—enmeshed in a struggle for imperial power between Egypt and Ethiopia. Aida, an Ethiopian princess held in captivity, secretly falls in love with the handsome general leading the war against her homeland. Full of large, lush musical moments, a massive chorus, grand sets, and dazzling costumes, Aida transports you to a time of romance and spectacle.

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Verdi’s Aida

Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center

“Seven Last Words of the Unarmed” is inspired by the final words of seven unarmed black men: Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., Trayvon Martin, Amadou Diallo, Michael Brown Jr., Oscar Grant III, John Crawford III, and Eric Garner. Bookending the piece are two contrasting works by Lili Boulanger and Fauré’s expressive and beautiful Requiem.

Requiem

Twist & Shout celebrates The Beatles in America, beginning with their 1964 appearance on the “Ed Sullivan Show” and following their journey to the Shea Stadium and Hollywood Bowl appearances that brought Beatlemania and the British invasion into the hearts of Americans everywhere. Enjoy a night of early hits like “She Loves You,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “A Hard Day’s Night,” “Ticket to Ride,” “Yesterday,” and many more!

Twist & Shout: The Music of the Beatles

Brush away those winter blues and celebrate spring early with BUGS!! In this fun interactive concert, the Philharmonic and Dayton Ballet School Ensemble mimic the wiggle, flutter, and leap of crawly insects, butterflies, beetles, and even grasshoppers! Selections include Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee,” Grieg’s “Morning” from Peer Gynt, and music from Spider-Man (Elfman).

Magic Carpet Concerts: BUGS!!

Grab some popcorn and enjoy the sounds of the Philharmonic as they present selections of the most majestic and beautiful music written for some of the world’s greatest films! Experience the thrill of blockbuster movie themes from “Gone with the Wind,” “The Magnificent Seven,” “Dr. Zhivago,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” “James Bond,” “The Pink Panther,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “Dances with Wolves,” “Ben-Hur,” and many more! The DPO is the star of this memorable evening of iconic and beloved film music classics!

Hollywood Hits

Have a royal ball at this classic retelling of Cinderella, choreographed by Artistic Director Brandon Ragland to Prokofiev’s sparkling score. Cinderella yearns to escape from her life as a scullery maid to her mean and jealous stepsisters. Enter her Fairy Godmother, a handsome prince, a little help and a lot of magic, and Cinderella gets a glimpse of living happily ever after!

Cinderella

Experience the ultimate tribute to the legendary crooner, Tony Bennett. Arranged for multiple singers and performed by the Dayton Philharmonic, the concert includes a multi-media display of images and videos from throughout his career. Hits such as “I Left My Heart in San Francisco,” “Because of You,” “The Best is Yet to Come,” and more fill the Schuster Center, saluting Bennett’s 60-plus year career.

The Music of Tony Bennett

Songs from Nashville is a honky-tonkin’ celebration of Country music, past and present! The night features classic Country hits from legendary stars Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Johnny Cash to contemporary artists like Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, and Kacey Musgraves. Brand new symphonic arrangements performed by the Dayton Philharmonic—along with Nashville’s brightest vocalists and instrumentalists—reignite your favorite tunes.

Country Hits: Songs from Nashville

Inspired by paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe, composer Elena Ruehr’s “Sky Above Clouds” is the middle movement of a musical triptych and perfectly captures O’Keeffe’s flair for contemporary sweeping tableaus. The dramatic evening continues with two orchestral heavyweights: Brahms’s Symphony No. 3 and Beethoven’s “Emperor” Concerto, widely considered to be among his greatest works.

Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto

Direct from Detroit—and featuring former members of The Capitols, The Miracles, and The Temptations—the Motortown All-Stars stop in Dayton for a night jam-packed with timeless Motown grooves, impeccable harmonies, and dazzling choreography. The All-Stars perform hits by The Temptations, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and more, with the unmistakable Motown sound that has inspired us since the 1950s.

The Motortown All-Stars

Hallelujah! Take a break from the holiday hustle and bustle and celebrate the reason for the season with Handel’s glorious oratorio, Messiah. The masterwork tells the complete story of Christ, from prophecy, birth, and passion to crucifixion, resurrection, and second coming. As one of the most performed oratorios of all time, Messiah features a breathtaking orchestral score for orchestra and chorus and culminates in the popular “Hallelujah Chorus.”

Handel’s Messiah

Don’t miss the world premiere of the much-anticipated new production of Dayton’s most beloved Holiday tradition, The Nutcracker! From the creative minds of Artistic Director and choreographer Brandon Ragland, costume designer Lyn Baudendistel, and scenic designer Ray Zupp, the timeless story of Clara’s magical Christmastime journey returns to the stage, set to Tchaikovsky’s gorgeous score performed live by the Dayton Philharmonic.

The Nutcracker

Associate Conductor Patrick Reynolds and the Philharmonic continue the 2024 Holiday Season with DPAA’s annual Hometown Holidays concert! Full of sing-a-longs, toe-tapping holiday melodies, and traditional carols, this festive concert will have even Ebenezer Scrooge humming a merry tune!

Hometown Holidays

Amahl and the Night Visitors tells the story of three mysterious kings following a star to bring gifts to a wonderful child. They stop for a rest at the home of Amahl, a shepherd boy who lives with his mother, and when Amahl offers his simple gift to the child, a miracle happens. A heartwarming story of kindness and generosity, Amahl and the Night Visitors is the perfect beginner’s opera and a joyous way to usher in the holiday season for the entire family!

Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors

Learn how music, opera, and dance come together to tell a story and evoke memories, emotion, and more. You’ll explore drama and comedy with Mozart’s Don Giovanni and take a musical trip down the flowing Moldau River with conductor Neal Gittleman. The Dayton Opera Artists-In-Residence and Dayton Ballet School Ensemble are your tour guides, accompanied by the 2024 Young Artists Concerto Competition Winner and the Dayton Philharmonic.

Young People’s Concert: Pure Imagination

Dayton Philharmonic’s Rockin’ Orchestra Series opens with a tribute to the iconic rock band Journey! Relive the 70s and 80s with The Music of Journey, another collaboration with Jeans ‘n Classics. Journey’s catchy, emotive pop-rock hits are paired with an orchestra, rock band, and brilliant vocals. Get ready to rock with some of Journey’s most popular songs, such as: “Any Way You Want It,” “Separate Ways,” and of course, “Don’t Stop Believin’!”

Don’t Stop Believin’: The Music of Journey

In celebration of the 75th anniversary of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic musical, South Pacific, Dayton Opera and Wright State University present this award-winning classic. A favorite among opera and musical theatre fans alike, South Pacific features Dayton Opera artists alongside an ensemble from Wright State, with the Philharmonic performing its lush and beautiful score. Don’t miss beloved tunes such as “Bali Ha’i,” “Some Enchanted Evening,” “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair,” and many more!

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South Pacific

Acclaimed worldwide for his exceptional talent and magnificent tone, Chad Hoopes has wowed DPO audiences since he was 15. He returns to perform Igor Stravinsky’s joyful Violin Concerto in D—a spectacular start to Neal Gittleman’s 30th anniversary season! Dvořák’s bold and brilliant Carnival Overture opens the concert, while Brahms’s melodic Symphony No. 4 adds energy and passion.

Dvořák, Stravinsky, and Brahms

DPAA honors Black Music Month by celebrating African American musical traditions. Florence Price, the first Black woman to receive national attention as a symphonic composer, blends Joplin-esque ballroom and ragtime idioms into her Dances. Dvořák’s New World Symphony embraces Black folk music, fusing it with the composer’s Bohemian heritage. On the second half of the program, a community choir joins the orchestra to recognize and recount the African American experience in song.

New World Symphony

Rock out to a full symphonic production featuring music from five-time Grammy Award-winning punk rock band Green Day! You’ll hear the band’s iconic hits, including their multi-million sellers, “Basket Case” and “Good Riddance,” performed by professional rock musicians and singers, plus your Rockin’ Orchestra.

The Music of Green Day

Dance the night away! Broadway sensation Rashidra Scott joins Windborne and the Philharmonic to celebrate Whitney Houston’s extraordinary talent with an evening of her biggest hits, “Saving All My Love,” “How Will I Know,” and “I Will Always Love You.”

Windborne’s Music of Whitney Houston

You know the songs. You’ve got the moves. It’s the best ABBA tribute band on Earth performing the band’s greatest hits! Unleash your inner dancing queen—or king—and join us for “Mamma Mia,” “S.O.S,” “Gimme, Gimme, Gimme,” and more!

Arrival from Sweden: The Music of ABBA

Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca is a thrilling roller-coaster ride of political intrigue, passion, and betrayal, filled with some of the most ravishing music in opera. A feast for both the eye and ear, this truly grand opera will satisfy opera lovers, new and old, with magnificent singing, exquisite sets, and sumptuous costumes.

Puccini’s Tosca

The Dayton Performing Arts Alliance is pleased to welcome Solti Award-winning conductor Keitaro Harada to lead this celestial celebration honoring the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024. The evening begins with Nielsen’s Helios Overture, a day in the life of the sun. Later, Holst’s cosmic tour de force takes center stage. From powerful and commanding to eerie and ethereal, the work has served as a source of inspiration for composers like John Williams and Hans Zimmer. Midway through the concert, Richard Dowling performs Mozart’s exuberant Piano Concert No. 16.

Total Eclipse: The Sun and The Planets

Three tenors, one voice! The charismatic, globe-trotting trio are the most successful classical crossover act to emerge from Ireland. For the tenors, it’s all about a love for the music, the harmonies, and the fun. Expect a sparkling, good-humored concert as they join the Philharmonic to perform classical arias, hauntingly beautiful Celtic harmonies, and popular contemporary songs.

The Celtic Tenors

In this family-friendly concert, we pay homage to teachers—and the students they nurture—by highlighting some famous student-teacher composer duos. Haydn was Beethoven’s teacher; Dvořák and Burleigh taught each other; and Nadia Boulanger, who conducted the premiere of Stravinsky’s “Dumbarton Oaks” Concerto, was Maestro Neal’s teacher! Join us and raise your hands for those who impart wisdom and shape our futures.

Young People’s Concert: A Salute to Teachers (and Students!)

Brahms’ inspiring and moving German Requiem, including both orchestra and chorus, is a pinnacle work written after the wrenching loss of his mother. Another kind of memorial opens the concert: Scurria’s tender and dramatic Beyond All Walking, inspired by Rainer Maria Rilke’s poem “Going Blind.” Adding to the dramatic evening, Acting Concertmaster Aurelian Oprea performs Mozart’s iconic Violin Concerto No. 3.

Brahms: A German Requiem

Cellist Adrian Daurov returns to the Schuster to perform the Dvořák Cello Concerto, one of the most lyrical and monumental concertos in the cello repertoire. Surrounding the piece are two brilliant works that are comedic though a tad eerie—Stravinsky’s Petrushka ballet score and Mozart’s Don Giovanni Overture.

Dvořák’s Cello Concerto

By any definition, music moves! Soundwaves move through time and space from high to low. Composers and performers use expressive qualities to move us emotionally. Music also compels us to move physically through dance. In this exuberant, interactive program, Patrick Reynolds and the Philharmonic perform music inspired by dance to discover all the ways in which the orchestra moves—and can move us! Along the way, audiences are encouraged to sing, move and groove, and even make a little music of their own.

Young People’s Concert: The Orchestra Moves

Celebrate Memorial Day weekend at Carillon Park with a sensational concert by the Philharmonic! Bring your chair or blanket—but leave the cooler at home—and enjoy patriotic tunes, rousing marches, and more at this family-friendly festival full of fun activities, food, and more!

Memorial Day Celebration Concert

Carillon Historical Park

Experience an unforgettable evening with Michael Cavanaugh featuring the music of Paul Simon, James Taylor, and Neil Diamond! Handpicked by Billy Joel to star in the Broadway musical Movin’ Out, Cavanaugh earned both Tony and Grammy-Award nominations in the lead role. He has captivated audiences worldwide and Billboard has heralded him as “The New Voice of the American Rock and Roll Songbook.” Now, Cavanaugh brings his extraordinary talent to the music of legendary singer-songwriters Paul Simon, James Taylor, and Neil Diamond.

Michael Cavanaugh

Saint-Saëns’s symphony is known as “THE organ symphony” and for good reason: the sweet and familiar melodies hung between moments of blazing climactic glory will have audiences at the edge of their seats. Each movement is better than the last! Leading up to this epic work is an organ concerto by Handel, which has inspired composers for centuries. Also on the program is a new work by Derrick Skye, “Nova Plexus,” co-commissioned by DPAA, the Berkeley Symphony, and BBC Radio 3.

Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra

25 - 26 Apr, 2025

Dvořák’s Cello Concerto

Apr 30, 2025

Young People’s Concert: The Orchestra Moves

May 25, 2025

Memorial Day Celebration Concert

Jun 7, 2025

Michael Cavanaugh

13 - 14 Jun, 2025

Saint-Saëns’s Organ Symphony

4 - 6 Apr, 2025

Verdi’s Aida

14 - 15 Mar, 2025

Requiem

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Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra