This holiday season, experience a musical journey crafted by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra with their stunning concert series at Kleinhans Music Hall. From the timeless magic of Vivaldi's compositions to the tango rhythms of Piazzolla, these concerts celebrate the universal beauty and diversity of winter. Led by the renowned JoAnn Falletta and featuring talents like Nikki Chooi and Andrea Bickford, these performances promise to enchant audiences of all ages with a warm, illuminating musical feast. Join us for a celebration of culture, tradition, and the unifying power of music.

Celebrate the Season with Buffalo Philharmonic's Festive Concert Series

Join the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra for a year of unforgettable musical experiences at the iconic Kleinhans Music Hall. From the powerful rhythms of 'Patriotic Pops' to the festive warmth of 'JoAnn's Classical Christmas' and the hypnotic sensuality of 'Carmina Burana', each event promises an exceptional journey through the world of music. With renowned conductors and performers leading the way, immerse yourself in these captivating concerts that celebrate both tradition and innovation.

Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra: A Year of Musical Masterpieces

The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra invites audiences to a year of extraordinary performances at the Kleinhans Music Hall. With events ranging from the patriotic flair of 'Patriotic Pops' to the traditional warmth of 'JoAnn’s Classical Christmas,' and culminating in the powerful rhythms of 'Carmina Burana,' each concert offers a unique musical journey. Esteemed conductors and performers bring to life timeless works, providing both seasoned concertgoers and new audiences with experiences that resonate far beyond the concert hall.

Symphonic Celebrations: A Year of Unforgettable Performances by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra

As the first of a trilogy of cantatas, Orff’s irreverent Carmina Burana draws from a 13th century compilation of vagabond songs and poems detailing fate’s fickleness, pagan delights, and corruption, with hypnotic sensuality and powerful rhythms. Hindemith’s reworked Symphonic Dances emerged from a discarded ballet collaboration.

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Carmina Burana

Kleinhans Music Hall

Experience our PASSION FOR COMMUNITY at the Choral Workshop, a groundbreaking collaboration with the Buffalo United Community Choir that celebrates the unifying power of music. This unique festival brings together singers of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels to explore diverse musical styles and discover the joy of collective music-making. Under the guidance of passionate directors, participants will experience how individual voices blend to create something magnificent and meaningful. All choral singers are invited to join the BPC, BUCC, and others for a free collaborative choral workshop that celebrates the diverse styles of choral singing in our community. It will be a half day opportunity for us to learn from each other and connect through song, something we all love to do! We'll learn music together from some of the area's best choral leaders in the afternoon and then share a concert with friends and family to celebrate our varied traditions, favorite songs, and the music we prepared that day!

The workshop will kick off with a special presentation and performance by Baritone Joshua Conyers before moving into skill-building and workshopping, culminating in a brief performance for the community at the end of the day!

Choral Workshop

Elim Christian Fellowship

Discover the future of choral music with PASSION Projects, an innovative concert experience that showcases our PASSION FOR ARTISTRY through fresh musical perspectives and emerging leadership. This dynamic program features captivating medium-length works, creating an intimate chamber experience with reduced orchestration that brings you closer to the music than ever before. Witness the next generation of musical leadership as our Assistant Conductors guide the chorus through diverse repertoire that spans genres, eras, and emotions. From powerful dramatic moments to tender reflective passages, each piece reveals different facets of the human experience while highlighting the exceptional artistry that defines our ensemble. This unique concert format allows for deeper exploration of each work, creating an immersive musical journey that celebrates both artistic excellence and the mentorship that ensures the future of great choral music. Join us for an evening that honors musical tradition while embracing innovation and discovery.

PASSION Projects

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Join JoAnn Falletta on a captivating journey through centuries of seasonal music highlighted by soprano Sirgourney Cook performing “O Holy Night,” John Jacob Niles’ “I Wonder as I Wander” and Handel’s “Let the Bright Seraphim” from Samson. Perfect for the whole family, this performance promises a warm, illuminating feast celebrating winter’s spirit and charm.

JoAnn’s Classical Christmas

Celebrate three decades of Western New York's Holiday Tradition as the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus presents Handel's Messiah for our remarkable 30th consecutive year. This milestone season brings the beloved masterpiece to two magnificent venues: Our Lady of Victory National Shrine and Basilica, where we've shared years of Holiday joy, and for the first time, the welcoming acoustics of St. Joseph University Parish. From the triumphant "Hallelujah Chorus" to the tender embrace of "He Shall Feed His Flock," experience the profound spiritual journey that has united families and friends for generations. Join us as we honor our PASSION FOR TRADITION through the resplendent harmonies and timeless melodies that bring our community together each holiday season, creating shared memories that connect us across generations in celebration of faith, hope, and the transformative power of music.

Handel's Messiah

Our Lady of Victory National Shrine & Basilica

Patriotic Pops

Holiday Pops

This festive season, join JoAnn Falletta, Nikki Chooi, and the BPO for a celebration of winter through the evocative music of Vivaldi and Piazzolla. Chooi, with his exceptional artistry, bridges 250 years and two continents, interpreting the crisp, frosty air of Vivaldi’s Winter and the sultry, tango-infused chill of Piazzolla’s Buenos Aires. This unique juxtaposition highlights the universal beauty and diversity of the season, offering a perfect accompaniment to the holiday spirit. This concert promises to be a warm, illuminating musical feast, perfect for the whole family.

The colossal season closer features Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 2, celebrating a fallen hero, his meandering retrospect on life, and his final judgement and redemption. While Mahler himself gave the symphony no name, it is known to many as “Resurrection.”

Mahler’s Resurrection

The BPO joins the international observance of the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s powerful masterwork that includes the “Ode to Joy.” Its message of unity and love continues to hearten millions around the world. Equally inspiring is the exhilarating performance of Nikki Chooi on Sibelius’ Violin Concerto.

Beethoven’s Ninth

Beethoven's Ninth

Featuring the BPO, the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus, and Spanish theatrical group La Fura dels Baus, this production enhances Carl Orff’s famously dramatic score with striking imagery and special effects.

Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana

ARTPARK

Combining operatic drama, emotional solo moments, and the prowess of your BPO with vocals from the combined Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus and SUNY Fredonia Chorus, Verdi’s Requiem is a thrilling masterwork that will leave you pinned to your seat!

Verdi's Requiem

Our annual celebration of Mozart’s birthday features a double concerto, the Symphonie Concertante, with concertmaster Nikki Chooi and principal violist Caroline Gilbert. The “Paris” Symphony is one of Mozart’s most famous with its grand and thrilling opening, and his Coronation Mass gained acclaim as the preferred music for royal and imperial coronations in eighteenth-century Europe.

Mozart Masterpieces

An annual holiday favorite, Maestro Falletta celebrates the season with centuries of classical treasures. Principal harpist Madeline Olson adds a sparkle of delicate magic with François-Adrien Boieldieu’s Concerto for Harp and Orchestra, and the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus returns to lend their festive voices to seasonal favorites and our traditional holiday sing-along.

JoAnn's Classical Christmas

Experience a major world premiere as the BPO brings Richard Danielpour’s Francis to life—an expansive new oratorio inspired by the life of St. Francis of Assisi, marking the 800th anniversary of his death. Blending orchestra, chorus, soloists, and narration, this work explores compassion, humanity, and the search for meaning through a story that continues to resonate today.

Francis: A New Oratorio by Richard Danielpour

If you love the season’s glow but crave something quieter and more luminous, this concert is your tradition. JoAnn Falletta leads an elegant program with tenor John Riesen and the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus, shaped for reflection as much as celebration. Rather than hustle, this is an invitation to pause and let the hall’s warmth, voices, and orchestral color create space. Expect music that feels like candlelight, uplifting and resonant with a calm center. It is a Classical Christmas that offers what the season rarely does on its own, room to breathe and leave a little steadier.

Holiday Pops is Buffalo’s most cherished seasonal tradition for a reason. It is pure shared joy. Under Ron Spigelman, the BPO fills Kleinhans with familiar favorites, fresh surprises, and the warmth you feel the moment you walk into the hall. With guest artists to be announced and the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus on stage, this concert is designed for families, friends, and anyone who wants a holiday outing that feels uplifting rather than hectic. Expect sparkle, singable moments, and that unmistakable feeling when the whole room is in it together. Come for the music, stay for the atmosphere, and leave with the season feeling a little brighter.

Enter a world where music becomes story. JoAnn Falletta leads Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, where orchestral color does the storytelling and the momentum never lets go. Violinist Nikki Chooi performs the world premiere of a Violin Concerto written for him by his friend, Iman Habibi, bringing a contemporary voice into the heart of the program, followed by the delicate imagination of Ravel’s Mother Goose Suite. The evening culminates in Poulenc’s Gloria, with soprano Hailey Clark, the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus, and the full orchestra in music that is luminous, bold, and soaring. It is a concert of wonder, transformation, and uplift.

Sorcerer’s Spell

This annual tribute honors the American spirit and recognizes the men and women who have served our country. Led by Ron Spigelman, the BPO is joined by the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus, with guest artists to be announced. Expect music that feels ceremonial and uplifting, shaped for a full hall where voices and orchestra resonate together. Patriotic Pops is not simply a concert. It is a community moment, a chance to gather, reflect, and celebrate what connects us. If you have made this part of your year, you know the feeling. The room stands a little taller, and the music lands with meaning.

This program brings Beethoven’s ideals into full view. Michael Stern leads the Eroica Symphony, a landmark work of emotional directness and sweeping scale that changed what a symphony could be. The concert also includes the Fidelio Overture and the Choral Fantasy, bringing piano, chorus, and orchestra together in music that feels communal by design. With Clayton Stephenson at the piano and the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus joining the BPO, this evening carries the sense of a true occasion. It is bold, luminous, and driven by the energy that only a live hall can generate.

Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus

10 - 11 Oct, 2026

Francis: A New Oratorio by Richard Danielpour

11 - 12 Dec, 2026

JoAnn’s Classical Christmas

17 - 20 Dec, 2026

Holiday Pops

24 - 25 Apr, 2027

Sorcerer’s Spell

28 - 29 May, 2027

Patriotic Pops

30 - 31 May, 2026

Carmina Burana

Apr 18, 2026

Choral Workshop

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Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus