CLASSICAL CONCERT SERIES
The Jackson Symphony Orchestra is pleased to present our 77th Season!
This season invites you to experience, connect, and resonate through music that is bold, moving, and deeply human. It celebrates both beloved masterworks and powerful discoveries—featuring iconic composers such as Gershwin, Mahler, Bernstein, Ravel, and Mozart alongside important, but underrecognized voices like William Dawson and Robert Russell Bennett, and vibrant contemporary works by living composers including Camille Pépin and Reena Esmail. In honor of the United States’ 250th anniversary, our first two concerts highlight the richness and spirit of American music.
As a special offer for first-time subscribers, we’re giving 50% off Classical Concerts series season tickets. Call our Box Office for details at (517) 782-3221.
We can’t wait to share this season of amazing music with you!
CONCERT SCHEDULE
GERSHWIN’S GREATEST
OCTOBER 17, 2026
POTTER CENTER
Enjoy an evening of powerful and expressive music. Bennett’s Four Freedoms opens the program with music inspired by Norman Rockwell’s paintings. Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess: Symphonic Picture follows, drawing from the iconic opera’s most memorable themes. Pépin’s Feu d’artifice adds a fresh, vibrant voice to the program, and the concert ends with Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F, featuring acclaimed pianist Jon Kimura Parker.
WEST SIDE STORY
NOVEMBER 14, 2026
POTTER CENTER
JSO’s clarinetist Guy Yehuda takes center stage in a program filled with virtuosic showpieces and beloved Bernstein favorites. He is featured throughout the evening, from Copland’s lyrical Clarinet Concerto and Artie Shaw’s jazzy concerto to Bernstein’s energetic Prelude, Fugue and Riffs. The program also includes Reena Esmail’s Ram Tori Maya and William Dawson’s Break, Break, Break. The concert concludes with Symphonic Dances from West Side Story and the uplifting finale Make Our Garden Grow from Candide.
FROM MOZART TO THE ROMANTICS
FEBRUARY 12-14, 2027
WEATHERWAX HALL
French violinist Eva Zavaro returns to the JSO to perform Dvořák’s Violin Concerto, a work full of lyricism and energy. The concert begins with Mozart’s Overture to The Magic Flute, known for its dramatic flair and sparkling precision. Also featured are Bright Sheng’s Black Swan, a reflective and atmospheric work, and Schumann’s Rhenish Symphony, inspired by the landscape and culture of the Rhine River.
STRAUSS & MAHLER
MARCH 13, 2027
POTTER CENTER
This program brings together music that is bold, exciting, and full of energy. Soloist Leelanee Sterrett performs Strauss’s Horn Concerto No. 1, a fun and expressive showcase for the horn. The evening concludes with Mahler’s Symphony No. 1, “Titan,” a dramatic symphony known for its strong melodies and thrilling ending.
ORLI SHAHAM PLAYS RAVEL
APRIL 24, 2027
POTTER CENTER
Internationally acclaimed pianist Orli Shaham joins the JSO to perform Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G major, a work known for its sparkling rhythms, lyricism, and jazz‑inspired flair. The concert opens with Dukas’s The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, a vivid and whimsical piece that brings the classic tale to life through bold orchestral color. The program concludes with Ravel’s complete Daphnis et Chloé, a sweeping ballet score filled with atmosphere, motion, and glowing harmonies.
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PAST CONCERTS
MOZART’S REQUIEM
APRIL 25, 2026
POTTER CENTER
An evening of emotional and powerful music. Brahms’ Academic Festival Overture begins with celebratory and bold sounds. Schumann’s Piano Concerto follows, full of beauty and heart, performed by 2022 Gilmore Young Artist winner, Janice Carissa. Mozart’s Requiem closes the program with dramatic, inspiring music that will stay with you long after the final note.
BRANFORD MARSALIS PLAYS JOHN WILLIAMS
MARCH 28, 2026
POTTER CENTER
Enjoy a night of music filled with rhythm, charm, and storytelling. Bizet’s L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2 opens the evening with lively dances and heartfelt melodies. Paule Maurice’s Tableaux de Provence follows, painting vivid musical scenes of Southern France. The second half features Bernstein’s Fancy Free, a playful ballet about sailors on shore leave, before closing with John Williams’ Escapades from Catch Me If You Can, featuring the legendary Branford Marsalis on saxophone for a thrilling, movie-inspired finale.
5, 4, 3, BEETHOVEN!
FEBRUARY 13-15, 2026
WEATHERWAX HALL
Celebrate love and the enduring brilliance of Beethoven with a performance filled with passion and triumph. This program, featuring pianist Evren Ozel, highlights the lyrical beauty of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4, a masterpiece full of elegance and warmth. The performance opens with the dramatic Leonore Overture No. 3, a story of courage and devotion, and concludes with the iconic Symphony No. 5, rounding out a journey where struggle meets victory in a symphony of resilience and inspiration.
ROMEO & JULIET
NOVEMBER 15, 2025
MICHIGAN THEATRE
Experience an evening of drama and lyricism with music that stirs the soul. Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet overture-fantasy sets the tone with its passionate and timeless depiction of Shakespeare’s tragic lovers. Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, featuring soprano Kathryn Mueller, captures the tender nostalgia of childhood and simpler times. The program concludes with Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, a masterful exploration of fate and triumph, brought to life in its full emotional grandeur
STAR WARS & THE PLANETS
OCTOBER 18, 2025
POTTER CENTER
Embark on a celestial journey as the JSO explores music inspired by the stars and beyond. Jessie Montgomery’s Starburst opens the program with its radiant energy, followed by Fernande Decruck’s evocative Hymne à Apollon, a nod to ancient mythology. The concert continues with selections from John Williams’ iconic Star Wars Suite, transporting you to galaxies far, far away. After intermission, Gustav Holst’s The Planets takes center stage, offering a breathtaking symphonic portrayal of the cosmos , enhanced by stunning visual projections from designer Camilla Tassi.
BEETHOVEN’S SHADOW
SEPTEMBER 25-27, 2020
BACH TO THE FUTURE
FEBRUARY 7-9, 2020
CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS
NOVEMBER 23, 2019
BEETHOVEN & THE AMERICANS
OCTOBER 5, 2019