Step into the vibrant world of music and art with the Akron Symphony Orchestra's 2026 event series. From Broadway Karaoke nights to the inspiring Gospel Meets Symphony, each event offers a unique blend of creativity and community. Whether you're singing show tunes, marveling at music-inspired art, or experiencing the power of orchestral performances, these events promise something for everyone. Join us in celebrating culture, connection, and the transformative power of music.

Exploring the Musical Tapestry: Akron Symphony Orchestra's 2026 Event Series

The Akron Symphony Orchestra invites artists to participate in the 2nd Annual Music and Art Juried Concert Exhibition, held in conjunction with our performance of Mozart & Vivaldi on March 7, 2026 at E.J. Thomas Hall. This unique event provides an opportunity to showcase your music-inspired artwork to an engaged audience of music and art enthusiasts.

2nd Annual Music and Art Juried Exhibition

The University of Akron

Join us for Broadway Karaoke! This fun and free event is open to all voices and ages*, taking place the first Wednesday from 7-9 PM, every month at Jilly’s Music Room. Come grab a few minutes of limelight alongside our live piano accompanists and rotating musical hosts, singing your favorite showtunes and Broadway classics. No experience necessary!

Broadway Karaoke

Jilly's Music Room

Save the date for the Akron Symphony Speaker Series, and join us as Executive Director Paul Jarrett has a candid and in depth conversation with Gospel Meets Symphony Choirmaster Jonathon Turner. The Akron Symphony Speaker Series will be Friday, January 30th at 6:00PM at Emmanuel Christian Academy located at 350 S. Portage Path, Akron. Tickets are $30 with light soul food dinner included. Get an in-depth and behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to bring the Gospel Meets Symphony experience to the community every season.

Speaker Series with GMS Choirmaster Jonathon Turner

Emmanuel Christian Academy

What do you get when you blend the elegance of Beethoven, the soul of Ellington, and the sparkle of Bernstein? A concert that dances. Beethoven’s Seventh isn’t just “good.”… Wagner called it the “apotheosis of the dance.” It’s yet another joyous display of brilliance out of one of music’s all-time greats. University of Akron professor Chris Coles, our saxophone soloist, brings the cool to the Duke’s Three Black Kings, and Bernstein’s West Side Story  Symphonic Dances round it all off with jazzy brilliance. We open the night with a special debut of UofA student Sarah Hegenderfer’s Clearing of Snow. This one’s for your head, your heart, and your hips.

Beethoven’s Seventh

Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year with a festive evening of music, joy, and community spirit. Our annual Holiday Pops concert is packed with beloved holiday classics and a few surprises to keep you smiling all night long. Sing along to your favorite tunes, marvel at the dazzling sounds of the full Akron Symphony Orchestra, and let the spirit of the season fill the hall. Perfect for the whole family, this cherished tradition is your chance to make unforgettable memories and start the holidays on a high note.

Holiday Pops 2025

Join us on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at 7 pm at E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall for the Akron Bicentennial musical event of the year! “A Concert For Akron, By Akron“ will feature all Akron performers and/or composers in a culminating celebration of our City’s musical heritage and talent.

Akron Bicentennial Concert: “A Concert for Akron, by Akron”

Come see the Gospel Meets Symphony choir perform at the Metro RTA Transit Station on December 2nd at 6:00 PM! This performance is entirely free and open to the community.

Gospel Meets Symphony Meets METRO RTA

Metro RTA

This performance of Messiah: Part 1 and the triumphant Hallelujah chorus will transport audiences with its grandeur and spirit. The program begins with William Boyce’s Ode to the New Year 1758, a lively and celebratory work, followed by composer and lost local legend Julia Perry’s Ye Who Seek the Truth. Hadyn’s charming and impressive Trumpet Concerto closes the first half. Finally, the Akron Symphony Chorus joins the ASO to deliver the true might of orchestral power necessary for Handel’s Messiah—a piece widely recognized and beloved by audiences. A full stage of choral and orchestral energy awaits audiences this November.

Handel’s Messiah

Join us at 3:00 P.M at Tallmadge High School for the annual Akron Youth Symphony Fall Concert. Come see the future of musical excellence in action under the direction of AYS Director and ASO Associate Conductor, Eric Benjamin.

AYS Fall Concert 2025

Tallmadge High School

Join us for a high-energy evening like no other as the Akron Symphony Orchestra presents its first-ever Dueling Pianos Fundraiser! Two pianists go head-to-head in a lively, interactive performance where the audience picks the songs and the music never stops. Bring your friends, make your requests, and get ready for a night of fun, music, and laughter, all from the lobby of E.J. Thomas Hall, in support of the Akron Symphony Orchestra.

Dueling Pianos

We’ve loaded this concert with cinematic drama. Eidelman’s world premiere of The Tempest evokes a storm of Shakespearean mystery, Elfman’s Sleepy Hollow casts an orchestral chill through the hall, while Rachmaninoff’s Isle of the Dead is gorgeously gothic. Finally, Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite swoops in and sets the evening ablaze. It’s mythical, magical, and musically magnetic in the best way. This one’s for the movie lovers, the fantasy fans, the thrill-seekers. You don’t need to know classical music to enjoy it… You just need a pulse!

The Firebird

The season begins with an electrifying evening of symphonic grandeur. Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture is a jubilant celebration of popular song, including the universally recognized “Gaudeamus igitur.” Angela Cheng, Oberlin Conservatory Professor of Piano, then takes center stage for Clara Schumann’s Piano Concerto, a rarely heard work of deep lyricism and virtuosic brilliance. The evening reaches its peak with Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, Titan, a sweeping and emotionally charged masterpiece that showcases the full power of the orchestra. After performing Mahler’s Third and Second Symphonies in recent years to great acclaim, the Akron Symphony Orchestra is excited to kick off its 72nd season with Mahler’s debut symphony.

Mahler’s “Titan”

Come out to belt your favorite show tunes and enjoy a night of fun and singing from 7-9 PM the first Wednesday of every month at Jilly’s Music Room, in support of the Akron Symphony Chorus!

Broadway Karaoke Experience

The Akron Symphony Orchestra is thrilled to announce the return of the free summer parks concerts, set to bring beautiful music to the great outdoors of Akron. These performances, held in collaboration with the City of Akron, will take place on July 27th at Forest Lodge Park, August 3rd at Firestone Park Community Center, and finishing August 10th downtown at Lock 3, with each concert starting at 7:30 PM. Select concerts will also include Eddie’s Famous Cheesesteaks Food Truck, featuring Akron’s Legendary Cheesesteaks for three decades and beyond. Returning for the second year will be The Dreamsicle Ice Cream Truck, helping concertgoers cool off with cold treats.

FREE Summer Parks Concert

Elm Hill Park

Firestone Park Community Center

Lock 3 Park

Join us at Weathervane Playhouse on July 23rd, 2025, as we celebrate the heartbeat of the Akron Symphony. Cash bar, dessert display, appreciation presentations, and awards.

Volunteer Appreciation Event

Weathervane Playhouse

Experience the stirring and soaring musical tour de force known as Verdi’s Requiem. Joined by the Akron Symphony Chorus, this emotionally moving masterpiece is fueled by contrasting moments of beautiful melodies and intense musical peaks. Only a work of this magnitude could fill the role as our 2024/25 season finale.

Verdi’s Requiem

Did you play in band or orchestra in high school?  Is your instrument awaiting you in your closet? (Or at your parent’s house?) Here’s your chance to blow the dust off and relive some of your favorite musical experiences! Maestro Christopher Wilkins invites YOU to make music alongside the professionals on stage at EJ Thomas Hall. Community members will join members of the Akron Symphony in readings of some of classical music’s greatest hits in a casual, fun, social setting.

Sit In with the Symphony

For over 70 years, the Akron Symphony’s Spring Gala has been a fun and engaging way for members of the community to come together and support exceptional symphonic music in Akron. Join us on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at House Three Thirty, as we honor The Corbin Foundation’s Erika May for her decades of service to the community with great food and drinks, fabulous entertainment, and a chance to mingle with fellow music lovers!

The Black and White Gala

House Three Thirty

Clarinetist Amer Hasan will bring Mozart’s lyrical and virtuosic concerto to life, showcasing the instrument’s rich tones and expressive range. The program will also feature the elegant and spirited sounds of Beethoven’s First Symphony, a work that marks the composer’s early genius. With the exquisite voice of soprano Sirgourney Cook adding depth to the evening, this concert promises to be a captivating celebration of classical music.

Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto & Beethoven’s First

Join the Akron Youth Orchestras for the 2025 AYO Side-by-Side Concert at E.J. Thomas Hall on March 16th at 3 PM.

AYO Side-by-Side Concert

Our annual Gospel Meets Symphony concert returns for its 31st year, bringing together YOUR Akron Symphony Orchestra and the renowned GMS Choir for a packed stage that has cemented its legacy as one of Akron’s landmark performances.

Gospel Meets Symphony 2025

Join the Akron Youth Orchestras for the 2025 AYO Winter Concert at Tallmadge High School on Jan 26th at 3 PM.

AYO Winter Concert

You won’t want to miss this once-in-a-lifetime performance of Rhapsody in Blue, with local Jazz virtuoso Theron Brown at E.J. Thomas Hall, joined by members of the Gospel Meets Symphony Choir. Come see Gershwin’s acclaimed piano masterpiece and celebrate 100 years of Rhapsody In Blue with the Akron Symphony Orchestra.

Rhapsody In Blue with Theron Brown

Come celebrate with us as we continue on our 71st season as YOUR Akron Symphony Orchestra: Friday 1/17 from 5-8 PM at HiHo Brewery (1707 Front St, Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221). Hang out with our musicians, board members, and maybe even the maestro!

Beerthoven at HiHo Brewery

HiHO Brewing Co.

A Conversation with Theron Brown

Toulmin Commissioning Consortium: ACO and LAO have established a 30-orchestra consortium to support commissions by 6 women and nonbinary EarShot alumni. Each composer will write a 6–8 minute orchestral work and develop an educational or community-focused program presented in partnership with each orchestra.

Virginia B. Toulmin Commission by Gity Razaz with Akron Symphony Orchestra

University of Akron

Dizzying acrobatic heights and eye-popping feats come together with top Broadway hits from Les Misérables, Frozen, Miss Saigon, and more. Fun for the whole family and the perfect way to close out the summer.

EPSG:4326

Cirque Goes Broadway

Blossom Music Center

The treasured musical by the legendary Rodgers and Hammerstein. The heartwarming true story that became one of the most popular stage and film musicals of all time comes to the Blossom stage. Pack a picnic and bring the whole family for this special season finale, featuring the Akron Symphony Orchestra and members of the Baldwin Wallace University Conservatory of Music’s Music Theatre Program.

The Sound of Music

Join the Akron Symphony Orchestra and the powerhouse voices of the GMS Choir for a one-of-a-kind musical experience that blends the soul of gospel with the grandeur of the symphony. This isn’t just a concert—it’s a celebration of community, culture, and connection. Feel the energy of gospel classics reimagined with full orchestral brilliance, and be swept away by a sound that moves hearts and lifts spirits. For over three decades, this Akron tradition has united generations, created unforgettable memories, and earned its place as one of the city’s most iconic events. Don’t miss the music, the passion, and the joy that only Gospel Meets Symphony can deliver.

Gospel Meets Symphony 2026

Prepare to be moved by the Akron Symphony’s powerful performance of Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection.” This monumental work, renowned for its exploration of life, death, and the afterlife, will feature the stunning voices of soprano Sonya Headlam and alto Amanda Lynn Bottoms, alongside the Akron Symphony Chorus. Experience a profound musical journey that transcends the ordinary!

Mahler’s “Resurrection” Symphony

There’s something hypnotic about this program. You get the elegant wit of Mozart, the shimmering beauty of Vivaldi, and the surprising spice of Stravinsky and Romero. ASO’s own Jenny Robinson on piccolo will charm and impress you during the concerto, and the whole night feels like a spring breeze — light, crisp, and invigorating. If you’ve never heard how playful and virtuosic Vivaldi’s music can be, this is your chance. Paired next to one of Mozart’s final and most graceful symphonies, this concert is like sonic sunshine.

Mozart & Vivaldi

Join us on March 15th at Tallmadge High School as the Akron Youth Symphony led by Eric Benjamin and the Akron Youth Philharmonic led by Doug Bayda come together to present the annual Side-by-Side concert. It’s a highlight of the youth orchestras season, this year, celebrating 40 years of the AYP. Concert begins at 3:00 P.M. with tickets just $10, or free for children under 10 years old with any adult ticket.

Akron Youth Orchestras Side-by-Side Concert

Celebrate music, community, and the arts at the Akron Symphony Orchestra's signature evening on March 20th. Join us for a night of excitement, surprises, and exclusive experiences; all in support of bringing transformative musical moments to our region.

Be part of an unforgettable evening that connects the community, inspires young musicians, and sustains extraordinary performances for audiences of all ages.

Gala 2026

This concert feels like hope. Copland’s Appalachian Spring is an American masterpiece… gentle, powerful, and full of wide-open skies and quiet triumph. Pair it with Clyne’s haunting Wild Geese and Sibelius’s heroic Symphony No. 2, and you’ve got a concert that soars. It’s both nostalgic and fiercely modern. It’s deeply human, and unmistakably beautiful. Bring tissues; this is the kind of concert programmed to pull the emotions out of you.

Appalachian Spring

Join us on April 26th at E.J Thomas Hall as the Akron Youth Symphony led by Eric Benjamin present a special Anniversary concert celebrating 70 years of the AYS. Concert begins at 3:00 P.M. with tickets just $10, or free for children under 10 years old with any adult ticket. More information to follow, including guests, speakers, and additional celebrations!

Akron Youth Symphony 70th Anniversary Concert

You’ve heard O Fortuna — in movies, commercials, sports stadiums. But have you felt it live, surround-sound, with over 100 voices roaring through the hall like thunder? Carmina Burana is the season finale to end all finales. It’s primal, poetic, and impossible to forget. With Ravel’s mesmerizing Bolero and Brouwer’s powerhouse Rhapsody Concerto, this is a wall-to-wall thrill ride. You’ll leave breathless, and that’s not just talk… that’s a finale ten years in the making!

Carmina Burana

Concerts for Kids

Ed Davis Community Center

Temple Israel Montrose-Ghent

Lake Anna YMCA

First Congregational Church of Hudson

Join the Akron Youth Symphony for the 2025 AYS Spring Concert at Garfield CLC on May 18th at 3 PM.

Akron Symphony Orchestra

Feb 7, 2026

Gospel Meets Symphony 2026

Mar 1, 2026

Mahler’s “Resurrection” Symphony

Mar 7, 2026

Mozart & Vivaldi

Feb 4 - Dec 2, 2026

Broadway Karaoke

Mar 15, 2026

Akron Youth Orchestras Side-by-Side Concert

Feb 6, 2026

2nd Annual Music and Art Juried Exhibition

Feb 4 - Dec 2, 2026

Broadway Karaoke

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Akron Symphony Orchestra