Dear Columbus Symphony Supporter,
On behalf of the entire Columbus Symphony family, welcome to another inspiring season of powerful musical experiences. The 2025–26 Cardinal Health Masterworks series will present an extraordinary variety of orchestral works. Our musicians and guest artists will breathe life into compositions by musical giants such as Handel, Beethoven, Schumann, and Brahms, among many others, and will explore the variety of musical styles from the Baroque to the music of our own time.
The Masterworks opening concert will feature two of Beethoven’s most iconic works: his Fifth Symphony and Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”). We will be dazzled by Rimsky-Korsakov’s colorful Scheherazade, immersed in the vast landscapes of Mahler’s First Symphony (“Titan”), and swept into Tchaikovsky’s dreamy Symphony No. 1 (“Winter Dreams”). Our tribute to the 270th anniversary of Mozart’s birth will include new final movements of his unfinished Requiem, completed by the talented American composer Gregory Spears. Our Mozart celebration wouldn’t be complete without a screening of the 1984 Academy Award-winning film Amadeus, with live soundtrack by the Columbus Symphony under the baton of Principal Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz. We will again hear amazing guest artists, such as the piano sensation Maxim Lando. Our collaborations with Opera Columbus continue in this season with a full-scale production of Verdi’s masterpiece La Traviata. The final concert of the season will feature the CSO’s first performance of Carl Orff’s scenic masterpiece Triumph of Aphrodite—a work featuring our wonderful Columbus Symphony Chorus, three vocal soloists and dancers from BalletMet in original choreography by BalletMet Artistic Director Remi Wörtmeyer. If you like Carmina Burana, you will love this rarely-heard sister piece.
I would like to thank you for your continuous patronage. The simplest way to support our wonderful Symphony is to subscribe! Please join us on this inspiring musical journey!
Thank you for being a special member of our musical family. Let’s experience the power of music together.
With gratitude,
Rossen Milanov Music Director
Throughout the season a variety of events accompany Masterworks concerts.
Prelude
Prior to Masterworks performances, the CSO will offer a 30-minute informational talk about the works or composers to be performed that evening, hosted by CSO Music Director Rossen Milanov, or other special guests.
Friday Coffee Dress
Select Masterworks programs in the 2025–26 season will offer $18* general admission tickets to Friday morning rehearsals. Watch a working rehearsal as the musicians and conductor put the finishing touches on the concert program to be performed that evening. Complimentary coffee and donuts included!
Programs will occur on the following Fridays at 10AM:
January 16, 2026 Latin Rhythms and Hollywood Drama
February 6, 2026 Price and Tchaikovsky
March 13, 2026 Rachmaninoff 3
April 17, 2026 Beethoven, Schumann & Brahms
Masterclass
Throughout the season, select guest artists hold masterclasses in conjunction with CSO Masterworks performances. Masterclasses are open to the public, and participants (age 25 and under) are selected by application.
Mozart to Matisse
The Columbus Symphony and Columbus Museum of Art will collaborate in a series of afternoon lectures that pair chamber music performances by Symphony musicians with works from the CMA art collection. The presentation will explore the connections and aesthetic influences between music and visual art.
Programs will occur on the following Saturdays at 2PM:
September 27, 2025, January 24, 2026, March 21, 2026, and April 25, 2026
*Fees may apply.
September 26, 2025 | 7:30PM
September 28, 2025 | 3PM
Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov conductor
Anna Fedorova, piano
Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”)
Beethoven: Symphony No. 5
Our 2025-26 Masterworks Season opens with the powerful music of Beethoven and two of his greatest compositions! Acclaimed pianist Anna Fedorova joins the orchestra for the majestic Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”), a dynamic interplay between the brilliance of the piano and lush symphonic backdrop. The concert concludes with the iconic Fifth Symphony—a thrilling narrative of fate and triumph. Join us for these masterpieces full of relentless energy that celebrate the timeless essence of classical music!
October 3, 2025 7:30PM
October 5, 2025 3PM
Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Joanna Frankel, violin
Columbus Symphony Women’s Chorus
Stephen Caracciolo, chorus director
Debussy: Nocturnes
Saariaho: Vers toi qui es si loin
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade
Be swept away into an enchanting evening full of rich orchestral textures and evocative musical storytelling. The evening unfolds with the lush, dreamlike landscapes of Debussy’s Nocturnes. Each movement paints an impressionistic picture: slow-moving clouds, vibrant festivals, and the mysterious voices of sirens, portrayed by the radiant voices of the Columbus Symphony Women’s Chorus. Kaija Saariaho’s Vers toi qui es si loin is a haunting exploration of longing and connection to what lies beyond our human existence. Finally, escape into the exotic musical landscapes of Rimsky-Korsakov’s colorfully orchestrated Scheherazade. Melodic tales of adventure and intrigue are brought to life featuring concertmaster Joanna Frankel as the “voice” of the Arabian princess Sheherazade weaving fairy tales for 1001 nights.
November 14 & 15, 2025 | 7:30PM
November 16, 2025 3PM
Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Toni Marie Palmertree, soprano
Rosamund Dyer, mezzo soprano
Lwazi Hlati tenor
Eric Delagrange bass
Columbus Symphony Chorus
Stephen Caracciolo, chorus director
Handel: Messiah (arr. Mozart)
Mozart’s orchestration of Handel’s Messiah offers a new way of presenting this masterpiece.
The re-imagining of the oratorio allows for an expansion of sounds through additional instruments. In collaboration with the CSO Chorus, the brass section amplifies the triumphant energy of the Hallelujah Chorus, elevating its grandeur to new levels.
January 16 & 17, 2026 | 7:30PM
Ohio Theatre
Josep Vicent conductor
Blake Pouliot violin
Griset Damas-Roche, flamenco dancer
Falla: The Three Cornered Hat
Introduction and Jota (Final Dance)
Korngold: Violin Concerto
Falla: El amor brujo: Ballet Suite
Márquez: Danzón No. 2
Guest conductor Josep Vicent leads the orchestra in a captivating concert featuring two of Falla’s lively and rhythmic compositions, complete with an homage to Flamenco, Latin dance, and Spanish passion. Korngold’s emotionally rich Violin Concerto makes use of cinematic themes from the composer’s acclaimed Hollywood film scores.
Friday Coffee Dress: January 16, 2026 10AM
January 23 & 24, 2026 | 7:30PM
Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Columbus Symphony Chorus
Lydia Grindatto soprano
Mariya Kaganskaya, mezzo soprano
Victor Starsky tenor
Cumhur Görgün, bass
Stephen Caracciolo chorus director
Mozart: Requiem
Experience the profound beauty of Mozart’s unfinished masterpiece, now reimagined with a contemporary twist by acclaimed American composer Gregory Spears. Spears’ music seamlessly blends echoes of Bach and Mozart with Romantic harmonies and modern nuances to complete the Requiem with its missing Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei.
Join us for this unforgettable performance that bridges centuries of musical tradition with innovative artistry.
February 6 & 7, 2026 7:30PM Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Melissa White violin
Copland: Four Dance Episodes from Rodeo Price: Violin Concerto No. 2
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1 (“Winter Dreams”)
Experience the vibrant energy of Aaron Copland’s Rodeo. Four folk-inspired dances from the ballet come alive, bursting with frontier spirit and lively rhythms. Described as “elegant and thoughtful” Cincinnati Business Courier), violinist Melissa White will capture the sounds of American classical music with the soul-stirring lyricism of Florence Price’s Second Violin Concerto. Finally, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.1 (“Winter Dreams”) will take us on a charming musical ride full of dreamy landscapes and emotional depth.
Join us Friday and Saturday night for a Middle West Spirits vodka tasting in the concessions area.
Friday Coffee Dress: February 6, 2026 | 10AM
February 20 & 21, 2026 7:30PM
Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov conductor
Lauren Cauley violin
Mariel Roberts Musa, cello
Jeffrey Mumford, composer
Mumford: floating layers interwoven with expanding brightness
Mahler: Symphony No. 1 (“Titan”)
This captivating concert features a newly composed double concerto by Jeffrey Mumford: a stunning fusion of rich textures, innovative harmonies, and intricate dialogue between the orchestra and soloists Lauren Cauley on violin and Mariel Roberts Musa on cello. The program culminates with Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 1 (“Titan”), a work that takes listeners on a journey through expansive soundscapes of emotion, from robust triumph to serene reflection. The world premiere of Jeffrey Mumford’s floating layers interwoven with expanding brightness commissioned by the Columbus Symphony, is made possible by the Donald Harris Fund for New Compositions.
March 6 & 7, 2026 | 7:30PM
Ohio Theatre
Stuart Chafetz, conductor Columbus Symphony Chorus
Stephen Caracciolo, chorus director
Live
Celebrate the 270th anniversary of Mozart’s birth and experience the Academy Awardwinning film like never before! A breathtaking fusion of cinema and symphony, this is a must-see event for music and film lovers, with the soundtrack brought to life by Principal
Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz and the Columbus Symphony and Chorus.
Caroline Hong
March 14, 2026 | 7:30PM
Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Caroline Hong, piano
Janáček: Taras Bulba
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3
Immerse yourself in this exhilarating concert filled with heroic sounds, dazzling virtuosity, and musical drama! Janáček’s dynamic Taras Bulba offers a vivid orchestral portrayal of heroism and sacrifice, inspired by Nikolai Gogol’s tales of war and death. George Gershwin’s iconic Rhapsody in Blue stands out as one of the great symphonic contributions of 20th century classical music, featuring pianist Caroline Hong. The concert concludes with Rachmaninoff’s lush and dramatic Symphony No. 3, a poignant musical tapestry that will captivate your heart and stir your soul.
Friday Coffee Dress: March 13, 2026 | 10AM
March 27 & 28, 2026 | 7:30PM
Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Sandbox Percussion
Viet Cuong: Re(new)al
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 8
This evocative concert begins with the Grammy-nominated ensemble Sandbox Percussion’s performance of Viet Cuong’s Re(new)al—an innovative work for percussion quartet and orchestra, full of eclectic soundscapes that explore themes of transformation and resilience. Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 8 is a powerful work reflecting on war as a force of destruction and suffering, while juxtaposing it with the endurance and resilience of the human spirit.
April 17, 2026 7:30PM
April 18, 2026 3PM
Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Maxim Lando, piano
Beethoven: Egmont Overture
Schumann: Symphony No. 4
Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1
Musical brilliance abounds in this concert featuring works by three prominent composers from the Classical and Romantic eras. Beethoven’s overture to Egmont is part of the incidental music he composed for the play by Goethe. It is a brilliant and powerful portrayal of the ideas of oppression, struggle and freedom.
Schumann’s music captures romantic passion and energy while offering an innovative formal design where all the movements of the symphony are linked together.
Rising-star pianist Maxim Lando returns to the Columbus Symphony with Brahms’ virtuosic First Piano Concerto, a work that poses extraordinary demands on the soloist and is filled with lush melodies and dramatic contrasts.
Friday Coffee Dress: April 17, 2026 | 10AM
May 1 & 2, 2026 7:30PM
Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Aubry Ballarò soprano
Nicholas Nestorak, tenor
Hugh Russell, baritone
Columbus Symphony Chorus
Stephen Caracciolo, chorus director
BalletMet
Remi Wörtmeyer, BalletMet artistic director
Dvořák: The American Flag
Orff: Trionfo di Afrodite (Triumph of Aphrodite)
Our season concludes with this vibrant finale featuring the Columbus Symphony and Chorus, and dancers from BalletMet. Dvořák’s The American Flag is a spirited blend of nationalism and folk elements that celebrates the composer’s expressions of American patriotism and freedom. Orff’s Trionfo di Afroditi is the final installment of a musical trilogy that opens with the well-known Carmina Burana. This spectacular work showcases the full power of the chorus and orchestra, explores love and beauty, and embraces the listener in its powerful climaxes.
