Curtis Symphony Orchestra - Curtis Institute of Music Skip to content "The Best of the Best" — BBC Music Magazine Comprised of outstanding talent and unmatched enthusiasm for musical collaboration, Curtis Symphony Orchestra stands as a cornerstone of the Curtis Institute of Music experience and a vital component of Philadelphia’s vibrant cultural scene. For 100 years, our exceptional students have sharpened their skills and broadened their musical horizons, as they prepare for professional careers with the world’s foremost orchestras and chamber ensembles. Subscription pre-sale now available. Subscribe and Save Subscribe now to the 2026–27 season and get the best seats at the best prices. Subscribe Now Contact Email tickets@curtis.edu Phone (215) 893-7902 Hours : Mon–Fri from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 2026/27 October 11, 2026 | Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center Join us and Grammy award-winning conductor Teddy Abrams (’08) for Tania León ’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Stride , a dark and restless tribute to Susan B. Anthony, Beethoven ’s mischievous Eighth Symphony, and John Adams Harmonielehre —a modern classic with pulsing rhythms and shimmering waves of color. November 8, 2026 | Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center Be transformed by the heartbreaking serenity of Gustav Mahler ’s Ninth Symphony with Curtis Symphony Orchestra and conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin . This transcendent work showcases Mahler at the height of his skill, pushing symphonic form to its limits, while Valerie Coleman ’s stirring Umoja harnesses the expressive power of the full ensemble to express society’s challenges and tensions before “emerging into sunlit joy” ( Philadelphia Inquirer ). March 14, 2027 | Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center Immerse yourself in the propulsive, electrifying sound of Dmitri Shostakovich ’s Symphony No. 4 with Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä . An uncompromising masterpiece silenced by Soviet authorities for decades, this three-movement work builds musical themes to a monumental scale with exhilarating and ferocious energy. Mendelssohn ’s Ruy Blas Overture and a world premiere composition from the conductor round out this diverse program. 2025/26 October 11, 2025 | Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center Join us for Bruckner ’s monumental Symphony No. 3 with Curtis Symphony Orchestra. Also experience Samuel Barber ’s witty and fast-paced overture The School for Scandal and Krzysztof Penderecki ’s Concerto Grosso for Three Cellos, featuring Curtis alumni Nicholas Canellakis, Yumi Kendall, and Christine Jeonghyoun Lee—a striking work that blends lyrical beauty with bold dissonance and rhythmic intensity. January 25, 2026 | Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center Embark on a musical odyssey with renowned Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä for Bartók ’s Concerto for Orchestra—a dazzling, folk-inspired showcase highlighting every section of the ensemble, a celestial work inspired by planetary motion from Missy Mazzoli , a deeply personal tone poem from Henry Dorn , and the world premiere of a woodwind concerto by David Serkin Ludwig , featuring Grammy-winning quintet Imani Winds March 26, 2026 | Marian Anderson Hall, Kimmel Center Join Curtis Symphony Orchestra and Grammy winner Yannick Nézet-Séguin for William Dawson ’s Negro Folk Symphony , a groundbreaking 1934 work blending African American spirituals with classical symphonic traditions alongside Gustav Mahler ’s vivid and richly expressive Des Knaben Wunderhorn Orchestral concerts are supported by the Jack Wolgin Curtis Orchestral Concerts Endowment Fund. Guest conductor appearances for each Curtis Symphony Orchestra performance are made possible by the Rita E. and Gustave M. Hauser Chair in Conducting Studies. Curtis received funding from Pennsylvania Creative Industries, powered by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the National Endowment for the Arts. Orchestral concerts are supported by the Jack Wolgin Curtis Orchestral Concerts Endowment Fund. Play to your greatness. Request Info Visit Apply Subscribe to our newsletter for Curtis news, events, announcements, and more.