Dear music lover,
On behalf of the entire Columbus Symphony family, welcome to the 2024–25 Masterworks season! This season is particularly meaningful to me, as it is my 10th anniversary season in Columbus. We have accomplished so much in the last 10 years, and I am looking forward to all that the future holds.
The 2024–25 Masterworks series will be full of dynamic inspiration, exciting repertoire, and transformative programming. As well as exploring contemporary music, such as Michael Daugherty’s Letters from Lincoln, we will immerse ourselves in well-known compositions like Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Copland’s Appalachian Spring, and Ravel’s Boléro
There will be many unforgettable moments, beginning with a celebration of John Williams, with suites from his many award-winning film scores, such as Schindler’s List. Together we will consider the profound influence of the sacred during our performance of Handel’s Messiah, and we will turn our thoughts inward for Mahler’s contemplative Second Symphony, “Resurrection.”
Our musical journey continues with popular repertoire, such as Beethoven’s groundbreaking Third Symphony, “Eroica,” and Brahms’s soaring First Symphony.
The season closes with a performance of Benjamin Britten’s poignant War Requiem, featuring the Columbus Symphony Chorus and Columbus Children’s Choir.
In February 2025 we will bring you a musical masterpiece in a colossal collaboration between the Columbus Symphony, BalletMet, CAPA and Opera Columbus: An electrifying, larger-thanlife staging of West Side Story. You won’t want to miss this!
I am incredibly excited to invite you to join us in celebrating the legacy and inspiration of these masterpieces. Your patronage continues to be an important part of the long-term stability of music in central Ohio. The simplest way to support the Columbus Symphony is to subscribe, which will guarantee you the best seats for all concerts and help to ensure that our orchestra remains a vibrant part of the community as we look to the future.
There are a host of benefits for becoming a Masterworks subscriber. Please use the enclosed order form to renew your subscription for the 2024–25 Masterworks Season or visit columbussymphony.com to renew online.
Thank you for being a special member of our musical family. I look forward to seeing you in 2024–25 as we celebrate this special season and experience the power of music together.
Yours in music,
Rossen Milanov Music Director
Rossen opened his inaugural season with sold-out performances of Carl Orff’s epic Carmina Burana and established new initiatives to enhance the audience experience, including a partnership with the Columbus Museum of Art called Mozart to Matisse, which is still going today.
Rossen took an innovative approach to the Masterworks season, with a focus on creative women and female composers, and collaborated with Opera Columbus to present a concert production of Aida. He oversaw the development of a new logo and organizational branding, and created a partnership with the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department to create the Columbus Symphony Grove in Franklin Park.
Rossen brings a breathtaking theatrical performance of Stravinsky’s Petrushka to the stage with puppets and performers for Twisted 3. In a masterful staging, the Columbus Symphony performed Bartók’s iconic opera thriller, Bluebeard’s Castle, with a set of Dale Chihuly glass sculptures that represented each character.
Milanov
the Columbus
Concertmaster,
expanded
In partnership with Columbus Sister Cities International, Rossen oversaw the arrival of the famous “Il Cannone” violin from Genoa, Italy, which was played by Concertmaster
Joanna Frankel in front of a sold-out crowd!
As the world slowly emerged from the pandemic, Rossen led the orchestra in a now-famous performance in Ash Cave, in Hocking Hills State Park.
Rossen kept the orchestra working through the pandemic with virtual concerts, and engaged online audiences with his own Cooking with the Maestro virtual cooking show.
Continuing Rossen’s commitment to partnerships with local arts organizations, the Columbus Symphony and Opera Columbus collaborated to bring grand opera back to the Ohio Theatre stage with a triumphant production of Rigoletto
Rossen opened the season with Holst’s The Planets with stunning HD photography, and conducted BalletMet’s production of Romeo and Juliet. The Columbus Symphony Board of Trustees extended Rossen’s contract through 2028, with an option to extend through 2030.
Maestro
hired
Symphony’s first female
Joanna Frankel, and
the classical concert offerings with the Summer Night Music series.
Photo: Corinne Mares
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 WOSU’s Christopher Purdy, CSO Music Director Rossen Milanov, or other special guests.
Friday Coffee Dress
Select Masterworks programs in the 2024–25 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:
October 5, 2024 | Wagner’s Ring
January 31, 2025 | Beethoven’s Eroica
February 28, 2025 | Appalachian Spring May 16, 2025 Tchaikovsky Spectacular
Masterclass
Select guest artists hold a masterclass in Room 1 of the Ohio Theatre. Classes begin at 6PM and are open to the public.
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:
October 26, 2024; February 15, 2025; March 15, 2025; May 17, 2025.
Opening Night: A John Williams Celebration
September 20, 2024 ǀ 7:30PM
September 22, 2024 | 2PM | Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Columbus Symphony Chorus
Stephen Caracciolo, chorus director
Dress up in your red carpet finest as our 2024–25 Masterworks season starts off with a celebration of John Williams’ extensive award-winning music catalog that includes some of the most popular, recognizable, and critically acclaimed film scores in modern history. It will be a golden night, with music from Star Wars, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List, and more!
It’s a jubilant start to Music Director Rossen Milanov’s 10th Anniversary season and perfect for the entire family!
Prelude: Join Music Director Rossen Milanov for a pre-concert discussion at 6:30PM on Friday and 1PM on Sunday.
Photo: Corinne Mares
Wagner’s Ring
October 5, 2024 | 7:30PM Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Program
Wagner: The Ring Without Words
Be entranced by the legendary music of Wagner’s immense operatic Ring cycle, as all four operas are re-imagined into one continuous 75-minute performance. Listeners will be taken on a journey through epic tales of mythical gods and heroes —from the first murmurs of Das Rheingold to the flaming twilight of Götterdämmerung, and include greatest hits like “The Ride of the Valkyries.” This incredible arrangement, performed without singers, was created by the great conductor Lorin Maazel.
Friday Coffee Dress: October 5, 2024 | 10AM
Prelude: Join Music Director Rossen Milanov for a pre-concert discussion at 6:30PM.
Photo: Corinne Mares
Pictures at an Exhibition
November 1 & 2, 2024 | 7:30PM | Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor Maxim Lando, piano Program
Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 2
Mussorgsky/Gorchakov: Pictures at an Exhibition
Modest Mussorgsky’s magnificent Pictures at an Exhibition masterfully paints a musical art gallery inspired by the 1874 exhibit of watercolors and drawings by the composer’s dear friend, Victor Hartmann. The composition anchors this program in two forms: in its original version for solo piano and in a rarelyheard orchestration by Sergei Gorkachov.
Rising star pianist Maxim Lando performs both the solo Mussorgsky and Tchaikovsky’s beloved Piano Concert No. 2 in his Columbus Symphony debut.
Prelude: Join Music Director Rossen Milanov for a pre-concert discussion at 6:30PM.
Special Postlude: Following the concert Maxim will perform the original solo piano version of Pictures at an Exhibition.
Photo: Corinne Mares
Handel’s Messiah
November 15 & 16, 2024 ǀ 7:30PM
November 17, 2024 | 3PM | Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Columbus Symphony Chorus
Stephen Caracciolo, chorus director
Program
Handel: Messiah
Experience the grandeur and tradition of Messiah, Handel’s exultant masterpiece, featuring the Columbus Symphony Chorus. The iconic “Hallelujah” chorus is a highlight of this beloved oratorio.
Prelude: Join Music Director Rossen Milanov for a pre-concert discussion at 6:30PM on Friday and Saturday and 1PM on Sunday.
Photo: Corinne Mares
Mahler 2
January 24 & 25, 2025 ǀ 7:30PM Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Jessica Rivera, soprano
Ronnita Miller, mezzo-soprano
Columbus Symphony Chorus
Stephen Caracciolo, chorus director
Program
Mahler: Symphony No. 2 (“Resurrection”)
Mahler’s colossal “Resurrection” is widely considered one of the greatest symphonies of all time (and had a recent star turn in Bradley Cooper’s 2023 Leonard Bernstein biopic Maestro). The Columbus Symphony and Chorus join forces in this profound reflection on life and redemption, from Mahler’s chilling “cry of despair” to the finale’s cathartic call to “prepare yourself to live”!
Prelude: Join Music Director Rossen Milanov for a pre-concert discussion at 6:30PM.
Beethoven’s Eroica
January 31 & February 1, 2025 | 7:30PM | Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor Sterling Elliot, cello Program
Corigliano: Phantasmagoria for Cello and Orchestra Beethoven: Symphony No. 3 (“Eroica”)
In a Columbus Symphony co-commission, cellist Sterling Elliott performs famed composer John Corigliano’s Phantasmagoria for solo cello and orchestra. Rossen leads the orchestra in Beethoven’s sweeping third symphony, the “Eroica,” or “Heroic” Symphony, written in a time of great personal despair for Beethoven as he faced the loss of his hearing while still resolving to push the boundaries of the symphonic genre.
Friday Coffee Dress: January 31, 2025 | 10AM
Prelude: Join Music Director Rossen Milanov for a pre-concert discussion at 6:30PM.
Photo: Corinne Mares
West Side Story
February 13-15, 2025 | 7:30PM
February 16, 2025 | 2PM | Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor
BalletMet CAPA
Opera Columbus
“Tonight, tonight, the world is wild and bright!”
West Side Story exploded onto Broadway in 1957 in a sensational storm of exuberant dance and wistful romance. It was a phenomenon that never faded, “an incandescent piece of work” (The New York Times).
In 2025, this musical masterpiece will come to the Ohio Theatre in an electrifying, larger-than-life staging in a collaboration with the Columbus Symphony, Opera Columbus, CAPA, and BalletMet. Experience one of the greatest scores ever written, dynamic dance numbers that soar through the open air, and a love story for the ages.
It’s war on New York’s Upper West Side, and the Jets and the Sharks are locked in a fierce turf battle. But as the two teen gangs hurtle down a dangerous path, Tony and Maria cross enemy lines, dreaming of a time and place where they can love freely.
Leonard Bernstein’s score is punctuated with hits: “America,” “Tonight,” “Maria,” “I Feel Pretty,” and the enduring “Somewhere.”
Appalachian Spring
February 28 & March 1, 2025 | 7:30PM | Ohio Theatre
Thomas Wilkens, conductor Yazid Gray, baritone
Copland: Appalachian Spring
Daugherty: Letters from Lincoln Dvořák: Symphony No. 8
Guest conductor Thomas Wilkins leads the orchestra in this captivating concert. The iconic Appalachian Spring, a ballet featuring the old Shaker melody, “Simple Gifts,” is considered to be one of Copland’s most popular works. Contemporary American composer Michael Daugherty’s Letters from Lincoln was composed in 2009 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. Dvořák’s poetic eighth symphony was inspired by the composer’s reflections on nature and life, following his election to the Bohemian Academy of Science, Literature and Arts in 1889.
Friday Coffee Dress: February 28, 2025 10AM
Prelude: Join WOSU Classical 101’s Christopher Purdy for a preconcert discussion at 6:30PM.
All Mozart
March 14 & 15, 2025 | 7:30PM | Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor Orli Shaham, piano Program
Mozart: Overture to Così fan tutte
Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 20
Mozart: Symphony No. 38 (“Prague”)
Celebrate one of the greatest composers of all time. While Mozart had written his first composition at just four years old, this program features three of his mature works. Così fan tutte, Mozart’s 1789 opera buffa, begins with a delightful overture. Described as “a first-rate Mozartean” by the Chicago Tribune, pianist Orli Shaham showcases her expertise in the virtuosic Piano Concerto No. 20. Completing this program is Symphony No. 38, an extraordinary work demonstrating the sophisticated and complex writing of Mozart’s later years.
Prelude: Join Music Director Rossen Milanov for a pre-concert discussion at 6:30PM.
Boléro
March 21 & 22, 2025 | 7:30PM Ohio Theatre
Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphoses of Themes by Weber Bloch: Schelomo
Bizet: L’Arleseine Suite No. 1
Ravel: Boléro
The symphonic favorites featured on this program are what keep us coming back for more! Enjoy Ravel’s famous Boléro, a mesmerizing showcase for many of the instruments of the orchestra. Hindemith’s brilliant Symphonic Metamorphosis is his most well-known output and was immediately embraced by the public upon its premiere in 1944. Bloch’s glorious Schelomo: “Hebrew Rhapsody,” celebrates his Jewish heritage and features Columbus Symphony principal cellist Luis Biava as soloist. Bizet’s exciting L’Arlésienne Suite No. 1 is inspired by the folk dances of Provence.
Prelude: Join Music Director Rossen Milanov for a pre-concert discussion at 6:30PM.
Rossen Milanov, conductor Luis Biava, cello
Photo: Corinne Mares
Bach & Brahms
April 4 & 5, 2025 | 7:30PM | Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Joanna Frankel, violin
Hugo Souza, oboe
Program
Tower: Duets
Bach: Concerto for Oboe and Violin in C Minor
Brahms: Symphony No. 1
Hear the Columbus Symphony’s own talented musicians as soloists: concertmaster Joanna Frankel and principal oboist
Hugo Souza perform Bach’s captivating C-minor concerto for oboe and violin. Joan Tower’s Duets spotlights shifting pairs of instruments in duet configurations. Brahms’ first symphony famously took the composer twenty years to complete, resulting in a work of stunning power and beauty, cemented as a pillar in orchestral music.
Prelude: Join Music Director Rossen Milanov for a pre-concert discussion at 6:30PM.
Tchaikovsky Spectacular
May 16 & 17, 2025 | 7:30PM | Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Aubree Oliverson, violin
Tchaikovsky: Prelude from The Queen of Spades
Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 (“Pathetique”)
A master of drama and romance, Tchaikovsky’s music transports us to his distinctive musical landscape. The overture to his opera The Queen of Spades is a story of secrets and high-stakes gambling that turns to obsession. In stark contrast to the other works on this program, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 is a passionate outpouring of emotion that cemented the composer’s legacy.
With performances described as “powerful ... brimming with confidence and joy” (Miami New Times), Aubree Oliverson returns to the Ohio Theatre stage for Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, a staple of the instrument’s repertoire.
Friday Coffee Dress: May 16, 2025 10AM
Prelude: Join Music Director Rossen Milanov for a pre-concert discussion at 6:30PM.
Photo: Nick Bayless
Britten War Requiem
May 23 & 24, 2025 | 7:30PM | Ohio Theatre
Rossen Milanov, conductor
Abigail Rethwisch, soprano
Jonathan Burton, tenor
Andrew Garland, baritone
Columbus Symphony Choir
Stephen Caracciolo, chorus director
Columbus Children’s Chorus
Jeanne Wohlgamuth, director
Program
Britten: War Requiem
Witness Benjamin Britten’s powerful War Requiem, a testament to Britten’s lifelong pacifism. This massive work is scored for full symphony orchestra, chamber orchestra, three soloists, choir, boys’ choir, and organ, with texts from the Latin Requiem Mass and anti-war poems by Wilfred Owen, an English soldier killed in battle during World War I. Written for the reconsecration of the Coventry Cathedral, a monument destroyed during World War II, War Requiem was premiered in 1962.
Prelude: Join Music Director Rossen Milanov for a pre-concert discussion at 6:30PM.
Save up to 20% off single tickets!
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• Mail your order form to the CBUSArts Ticket Center 39 East State Street, Columbus, OH 43215
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• Call the CBUSArts Ticket Center: 614.469.0939
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Easily pay for your subscription with two equal payments. Subscribe today and check the box on your order form to take advantage of the plan. The second payment will be processed on August 26, 2024. Credit/debit card only.
For more information visit our website: columbussymphony.com
Masterworks 12 This package includes all 12 Masterworks concerts in the Ohio Theatre, plus all the benefits of being a premiere subscriber! Packages start at $317.
• 20% discount on tickets
• Guaranteed seats
• Free parking for each concert
• Free ticket exchanges
• 15% discount on merchandise
• 10% discount on additional tickets
• Season kick-off party
• Invite to Opening Night Reception
• Commemorative Swag
• 1 Free drink voucher per person/season
All prices include a 5% ticket fee.
New This Year!
Create Your Own: Choose 4 or more concerts that work best for you.
Masterworks 10+ You create a package with 10 or more concerts with benefits! Packages start at $264–$291.
• 20% discount on tickets
• Guaranteed seats
• Free parking for each concert
• Free ticket exchanges
• 15% discount on merchandise
• 10% discount on additional tickets
• Season kick-off party
• Invite to Opening Night Reception
• Commemorative Swag
• 1 Free drink voucher per person/season
Masterworks 6+ You create a package with 6–9 concerts with benefits! Packages start at $167–$222.
• 15% discount on tickets
• Season kick-off party
• Free ticket exchanges
• 15% discount on merchandise
• 10% discount on additional tickets
• Season kick-off party
Masterworks 4+ You create a package with 4–5 concerts with benefits! Packages start at $116–$146.
• 10% discount on tickets
• Season kick-off party
• Free ticket exchanges
• 15% discount on merchandise
• 10% discount on additional tickets
SPECIAL COLLABORATION!
Receive 10% off tickets to West Side Story if purchased with your renewal/subscription. Tickets start at $23.
2024–25 Leading Supporters
Please consider donating. A majority of our operating budget is generously contributed through charitable contributions. Your tax-deductible gift is essential to the Columbus Symphony. Thank you for your support.
NOTES ON YOUR SUBSCRIPTION
West Side Story: Due to the special nature of the collaboration for West Side Story, we cannot guarantee your regular seats for this production. Your tickets will be in the vicinity and price level of your regular subscription tickets. We greatly appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work hard to ensure a great seat for everyone.
Season Opening concert: If you are renewing a Masterworks 12 for Saturday nights, your Season Opening concert will be on the Sunday Matinee (there will be no Saturday night performance). You are more than welcome to call into the box office and swap that concert to Friday night (or any other night) once you receive your tickets in August.
Wagner’s Ring: There is only one performance of this concert. We cannot guarantee your regular seats for this production. Your tickets will be in the vicinity and price level of your regular subscription tickets. We greatly appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we work hard to ensure a great seat for everyone.
Return Completed Form to: CBUSARTS Ticket Center, RE: CSO 39 E State St Columbus, OH 43215
Tickets will be mailed after Aug 1, 202 4. All sales are final. Concerts and artists are subject to change. Questions? tickets@cbusarts.com (614) 469-0939
SELECT YOUR SHOWS: Simply circle the dates you would like to attend !
WEST SIDE STORY
Same Seats: For this season, subscribers who purchased an 8+ show subscription package for the 2 3-24 season can retain their most recent seating location for any 24-25 Masterworks package.
Similar Seating: When selecting anything other than Masterworks 12 Friday or Saturday, seats may vary between shows unless you purchased an 8+ show subscription package for the 2 3-24 season. You may also mix days.
Requests and Changes: We make every effort to accommodate patron seating preferences.
❏ Accessible/Limited Mobility Seating
❏ Close to Center
❏ Close to Front of Seating Area
ONLINE OPTIONS
My.CBUSArts.com: Renew your Masterworks 12 package with no changes by logging into your CBUSArts account. Select “My Account” in the upper right corner and log in using the email address located on your renewal form If logging in for the first time, select FORGOT PASSWORD and follow the prompts. For technical assistance, email tickets@cbusarts.com . ColumbusSymphony.com/events/subscription: Curate your own symphony season with best available seating today. Please note that you are only able to retain your most recent seating location or pay with credit by submitting your
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❏ Aisle Seating
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Return Completed Form to: CBUSARTS Ticket Center, RE: CSO 39 E State St Columbus, OH 43215 Tickets will be mailed after Aug 1, 202 4. All sales are final. Concerts and artists are subject to change. Questions? tickets@cbusarts.com (614) 469-0939
55 East State Street
Columbus, OH 43215
614.469.0939
columbussymphony.com
