The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra is set to captivate audiences with a series of remarkable performances that span the grand tradition of opera, choral celebrations, and timeless orchestral masterpieces. From the harmonic complexities of Wagner and Mozart to the uplifting strains of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, this season promises a rich tapestry of musical experiences. Conducted by the esteemed Ken-David Masur and featuring the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus’s 50th anniversary, each performance heralds a unique celebration of music, culture, and enduring human spirit.

A Symphony of Seasons: Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's Celebrated Performances

The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra promises a year of transcendent musical experiences. From the grandeur of opera to the heart-stirring strains of Beethoven and the festive spirit of holiday melodies, this season is curated to captivate audiences. Under the masterful baton of Ken-David Masur, the orchestra will explore timeless compositions by Wagner, Mozart, Bach, and more, with invigorating performances that celebrate the transcendent power of music and the 50th anniversary of the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus.

A Symphony of Seasons: Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra's 2025-2026 Highlights

Milwaukee’s favorite hometown holiday tradition returns! Join your Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra as we deck Allen-Bradley Hall with holiday cheer. Ring in the holidays with Milwaukee Handbell Ensemble, keep your eye out for the Jolly Old Elf himself, and raise your voice during the audience sing-along backed by the full power of the orchestra and Milwaukee Symphony Chorus. Sheer musical magic and cozy holiday memories with family and friends await as we usher in a joyful season of celebration.

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Holiday Pops

Warner Grand Theater

Music Director Ken-David Masur began his tenure during the 250th birthday celebration of Beethoven; we harken back to that season with the undeniable masterpiece that is Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Written after Beethoven’s most profound period of despair, the Ninth is an impassioned testament to life, friendship, and the human spirit; author E.M. Forster called it “the most sublime noise that has ever penetrated into the ear of man.” The Milwaukee Symphony Chorus — celebrating its landmark 50th year — brings the “Ode to Joy” and more to life.

Ode to Joy: Beethoven’s Ninth

Music director Ken-David Masur leads the Milwaukee Symphony and Chorus in a grand season finale. Thrill to favorite selections by master composers including Wagner, Mozart, Verdi, and more.

Great Moments In Grand Opera

“I am completely filled with your Requiem,” wrote Clara Schumann to her friend Johannes Brahms. “It is an immense piece that takes hold of one’s whole being like very little else.” Music Director Ken-David Masur conducts the orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus, and Artistic Partner Dashon Burton through Brahms’s personal journey of sorrow and consolation.

Brahms Requiem

Now considered one of Bach’s most opulent musical achievements, his Christmas Oratorio went unheard for over a century after its first performances, until a resurgence of holiday celebrations brought it back into fashion. Each of its six cantatas was intended for a Christmas high feast day; Music Director Ken-David Masur and the MSO are joined by the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus to ensure the oratorio’s messages of contemplation, abundance, and jubilation ring from the rafters.

Bach’s Christmas Oratorio

Poulenc’s Gloria, with its unexpected blend of secular and sacred sounds, fascinated (and scandalized) audiences from its first performances. “While writing it I had in mind those Crozzoli frescoes with angels sticking out their tongues,” the composer remarked. Lili Boulanger’s impressionistic “Of a Spring Morning” introduces the program with a bright festivity. Jean-Marie Zeitouni, a conductor of “ebullience and infectious enjoyment” (Boulder Weekly), leads this vivacious performance, which invites the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus and soprano Joélle Harvey to the stage for an evening of exultation that will keep music-lovers enraptured to its final whispered “Amen.”

Poulenc’s Gloria

At a time when the church was questioning the morality of art, Bach gave the world a musical triumph of faith and spirit, and few masterpieces of this scope are as intimate and personal as his St. Matthew Passion. In these performances, the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus — celebrating its golden anniversary — sings the text from the Gospel of Matthew, sharing a profound biblical narrative with color and emotion.

Bach’s St. Matthew Passion

“My chief aim was to awaken and permanently instill spiritual feelings not only in the singers but in the listeners,” said Beethoven of his immense and moving Missa solemnis (“Solemn Mass”). Observing the structure of a traditional Catholic mass, Missa solemnis is a vibrant paean to faith but also to humanity. This concert concludes Music Director Ken-David Masur’s final season as well as the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus’ 50th anniversary celebration. As Beethoven penned at the top of his score: “From the heart: may it go to the heart.”

Milwaukee Symphony Chorus

20 - 21 Mar, 2026

Bach’s St. Matthew Passion

13 - 14 Jun, 2026

Masur Conducts Missa Solemnis

13 - 21 Dec, 2025

Holiday Pops

3 - 5 Oct, 2025

Ode to Joy: Beethoven’s Ninth

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Milwaukee Symphony Chorus