2024–25 Season
Yannick Nézet-Séguin and The Philadelphia Orchestra
Tickets on Sale to the Public August 1, 2024
Orchestra After 5 Happy Hour Series to Continue in 2024–25 with Three Concerts: Happy Hour Fantastique, Voyage through the Planets, and Brass and Brash
Four Family Concerts Added: Children’s Halloween Spectacular, Children’s Holiday Spectacular, Peter and the Wolf, and Carnival of the Animals
Nézet-Séguin to lead the Orchestra in three Carnegie Hall concerts, including performances of Mahler’s Third, Sixth, and Ninth, Symphonies
Two Film Concerts Added: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone™ and Disney’s The Muppet Christmas Carol
(Philadelphia, July 29, 2024)—As Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and The Philadelphia Orchestra prepare for the 2024–25 season, changes have been made to select programs and concerts have been added to the schedule. Tickets go on sale to the public on August 1 at www.philorch.org or by calling 215.893.1999.
Before the official start of the 2024–25 season, the Orchestra will close out its summer at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts with a special performance of Debussy’s La Mer and Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 with Nézet-Séguin (September 18).
Concertmaster David Kim will be the featured soloist in a newly added program in Marian Anderson Hall, featuring the Air from Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3, Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik, and Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons paired with Piazzolla’s The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires (October 8).
The Orchestra’s new happy hour series, Orchestra After 5, described as “the freshest happy hour in town” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, will return with three nights throughout the 2024–25 season. Each program will include themed activities and entertainment in Commonwealth Plaza beginning at 5 PM, a one-hour concert at 6:30 PM in Marian Anderson Hall, and a post-concert talkback with a host and musicians. Conductor Stéphane Denève kicks off the series with a performance of Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique (November 21) followed by Holst’s The Planets led by Daniele Rustioni (January 30). Former Principal Guest Conductor Nathalie Stutzmann will lead the third performance, which features Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 (March 27).
Family Concerts will return for the 2024–25 season with four engaging performances for young listeners and their families. First, kick off the Halloween season with the Children’s Halloween Spectacular, led by former Assistant Conductor Austin Chanu. Guests of all ages are encouraged to come in costume to experience this concert of classic Halloween works (October 5). The holiday celebrations continue with the annual Children’s Holiday Spectacular featuring a visit from Santa Claus himself, led by former Assistant Conductor Tristan Rais-Sherman (December 7). Assistant Conductor Naomi Woo will lead a performance of Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, which the Orchestra once recorded with David Bowie in 1978 (February 1). To conclude the series, Woo and the Orchestra will explore a musical menagerie with Saint-Saëns’s Carnival of the Animals (March 15).
Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and The Philadelphia Orchestra will bring their 2024–25 season Mahler cycle to Carnegie Hall for three performances: the Third Symphony with mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato (October 15); the Ninth Symphony paired with Jake Heggie’s Songs for Murdered Sisters featuring baritone Joshua Hopkins (January 15); and the Sixth Symphony (April 15).
The Orchestra will also present two film concerts with the score performed live on stage as the films are projected on the big screen in Marian Anderson Hall. Concerts include Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (November 29, 30) and The Muppet Christmas Carol (December 18, 19).
An updated chronological calendar can be found here.
Please note that these updates supersede previous press materials related to these concerts.
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s 2024–25 season is full of rare musical events, bold artistic juxtapositions, and new discoveries as the Orchestra continues to imagine and create an artistically broad, inclusive vision. This forward-looking vision is at the heart of the institution and reflects the vital role of orchestras in contemporary society.
Event Addition—Yannick Conducts Mahler and Debussy
September 18 at 8:00 PM—Wednesday evening—Mann Center for the Performing Arts
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor
Debussy La Mer
Mahler Symphony No. 1
On September 18, don’t miss Yannick Conducts Mahler and Debussy, the final performance of The Philadelphia Orchestra’s 2024 residency at the Mann. Under the direction of Music and Artistic Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, The Philadelphia Orchestra will perform an evening of Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 and Claude Debussy’s La Mer, sure to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages.
Mahler once wrote: “A symphony must be like the world. It must embrace everything,” and his First Symphony meets that ideal. Inspired by a 900-page novel chronicling the transformation of a passionate youth into a noble prince, Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 is an epic musical journey, overflowing with images of nature, bursting with every emotion, and ending in triumph.
Creating music that audiences fell in love with, Claude Debussy insisted that music was not so much about theory or rules as pure pleasure, saying, “You have merely to listen. Pleasure is the law.” In La Mer, Debussy paints vivid scenes of the sea at dawn, the waves at play, and the rush of wind across the water, entrancing but dangerous. Yannick Nézet-Séguin has often spoken of his love for this classic; he has conducted La Mer with orchestras worldwide, including the London Philharmonic and the Berlin Philharmonic.
This performance is part of the Mann's Picnic Series, so pack your favorite food and beverage, head to the Mann, and hear our Fabulous Philadelphians perform in our acoustically excellent TD Pavilion while being surrounded by lush greenery and stunning Philadelphia skyline views.
Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.com and the Mann's Ticket Office.
September 20—The Music of James Newton Howard
Artist Addition: Maya Beiser Cello
Philadelphia Symphonic Choir
Ryan Brandau Director
Repertoire Addition:
Howard Selections from The Sixth Sense
Howard Selections from Signs
Howard Selections from Lady in the Water
Howard Selections from The Happening
Howard Selections from The Village
Howard “The Last Airbender,” from Avatar: The Last Airbender
Howard Selections from Unbreakable
Howard “After Earth,” from After Earth
October 3–5—Yannick Conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 3
Artist Addition: Sopranos and Altos of the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir
Joe Miller Director
Philadelphia Girls Choir
Nathan Wadley Artistic Director
Philadelphia Boys Choir
Jeffrey R. Smith Artistic Director
Event Addition—Family Concert: Children’s Halloween Spectacular
October 5 at 11:30 AM—Saturday morning—Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Austin Chanu Conductor
Put on your scariest costume and join The Philadelphia Orchestra as we go on a haunted orchestral adventure exploring all the spine-chilling sounds of the season! From classic Halloween tunes to family-friendly favorites, we have a bewitching lineup that will delight ghosts and goblins of all ages. So, grab your broomsticks, get your costumes on, and gather your little monsters for a morning of music, laughter, and Halloween fun!
Event Addition—The Four Seasons
October 8 at 7:00 PM—Tuesday evening—Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Austin Chanu Conductor
David Kim Violin
Bach Air, from Orchestral Suite No. 3
Mozart Eine kleine Nachtmusik
Vivaldi/Piazzolla The Four Seasons/The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires
This audience favorite program featuring a musical mashup over 200 years in the making returns for one night only! Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, composed just before his move from Italy to Vienna, stands as the pinnacle of Baroque music. These four spectacular violin concertos uniquely personify the seasons—spring, summer, autumn, and winter—through music, skillfully capturing the tumultuous fury of thunderstorms, the crystalline clarity of breaking ice, and the lively melodies of twittering birds. Each concerto unfolds with vivid imagery and emotional depth, painting a vibrant musical portrait of nature’s ever-changing moods and landscapes.
More than two centuries after Vivaldi wrote his timeless Four Seasons, Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla, renowned for infusing tango into classical music, crafted his own Four Seasons of Buenos Aires. In this program, these unique suites are juxtaposed in hemispheric order, aligning Argentina’s summer with Italy’s winter and vice versa. Experience the shimmering, lyrical strings of Vivaldi followed by Piazzolla’s fiery dance rhythms. This centuries-spanning montage is a stunning showcase for Philadelphia Orchestra Concertmaster David Kim, celebrated for his scintillating, silken tone as praised by the New York Classical Review.
Event Addition—Carnegie Hall
October 15 at 8:00 PM—Tuesday evening—Carnegie Hall
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor
Joyce DiDonato Mezzo-Soprano
Sopranos and Altos of the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir
Joe Miller Director
Philadelphia Girls Choir
Nathan Wadley Artistic Director
Philadelphia Boys Choir
Jeffrey R. Smith Artistic Director
Mahler Symphony No. 3
Over the course of six stunning movements and approximately 100 minutes, the birth and cosmic evolution of the natural and metaphysical worlds become grand stories captured in sound. It all culminates in one of music’s most overwhelmingly powerful climaxes. Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin calls Mahler’s Third one of his top-three favorite symphonies. “From the creation of the world, to the eternity of the last movement, it is designed to embrace and embody the entire universe. ... Every time I conduct this, I cannot hold [back] my tears.”
October 24–26—Riccardo Muti Leads Verdi’s Requiem
Artist Addition: Philadelphia Symphonic Choir
Joe Miller Director
Event Addition—Orchestra After 5: Happy Hour Fantastique
November 21 at 6:30 PM—Thursday evening—Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Stéphane Denève Conductor
Tristan Rais-Sherman Host
Berlioz Symphonie fantastique
Get ready to go totally mad for Berlioz’s most famous work, Symphonie fantastique! This enchanting piece will transport you away from all the stressors of the world with a multi-media performance. Float away with The Philadelphia Orchestra for the dreamiest happy hour in town.
5:00 PM: Pre-concert fun!
6:30 PM: 60-minute Philadelphia Orchestra concert
7:30 PM: Post-concert talkback with the stars
Event Addition—Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone™ in Concert
November 29 at 7:00 PM—Friday evening—Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
November 30 at 2:00 PM—Saturday afternoon—Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Williams Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (complete with film)
Relive the film that started it all. Watch the wand choose the wizard, a troll run amok, and magic mirrors in high definition while The Philadelphia Orchestra performs John Williams’s iconic score live. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime event as Harry, Ron, Hermione, and all your favorite characters return to the screen and enchant the world all over again.
Event Addition—Family Concert: Children’s Holiday Spectacular
December 7 at 11:30 AM—Saturday morning—Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Tristan Rais-Sherman Conductor
Join us for a joyful holiday celebration filled with sing-alongs, your favorite sounds of the season, and special guests! Delight in the warmth of the holiday season right here in the Kimmel Center and create cherished memories with the whole family at this heartwarming event that is perfect for all ages. Plus, you might want to listen closely for sleigh bells—you never know who might pay a special visit all the way from the North Pole!
December 12–13—Yannick’s Holiday Mixtape in Concert
Artist Addition: Philadelphia Symphonic Choir
December 14–15: The Glorious Sound of Christmas
Artist Addition: Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia
Dominick DiOrio Artistic Director
Event Addition—Disney’s The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert
December 18 at 7:00 PM—Wednesday evening—Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
December 19 at 7:00 PM—Thursday evening—Marian Anderson Hall
Constantine Kitsopoulos Conductor
Goodman and Williams The Muppet Christmas Carol (complete with film)
Experience Charles Dickens’s classic holiday tale as only the Muppets can tell it. Through the magic of Jim Henson Productions, Kermit and the gang help Ebenezer Scrooge, played by actor Michael Caine, find redemption and his Christmas spirit one fateful Christmas Eve. The Orchestra plays the memorable score in this delightful story filled with laughter and song.
December 21–22—Messiah
Artist Addition: Philadelphia Symphonic Choir
December 31—New Year’s Eve
Artist Addition: Himari Violin
Caleb Teicher & Company
Repertoire Addition:
Strauss Overture to Die Fledermaus
Kreisler “La gitana,” for violin and orchestra
Waxman Carmen Fantasy, for violin and orchestra
Bizet Selections from Suite No. 2 from L’Arlésienne
Bernstein Symphonic Dances from West Side Story
Strauss “Voices of Spring” Waltz
Gardel “Por una cabeza”
Johnson “Charleston”
Event Addition—Carnegie Hall
January 15 at 8:00 PM—Wednesday evening—Carnegie Hall
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor
Joshua Hopkins Baritone
Heggie Songs for Murdered Sisters
Mahler Symphony No. 9
Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts The Philadelphia Orchestra in two works of incredible power. Written collaboratively by composer Jake Heggie, called “arguably the world’s most popular 21st-century opera and art song composer” (The Wall Street Journal); Booker Prize–winning author Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale); and JUNO Award–winning baritone Joshua Hopkins, Songs for Murdered Sisters is an arresting song cycle and urgent plea inspired by Hopkins’s own devastating loss. Mahler’s Ninth Symphony, the last the composer completed, is a transcendent piece also born in trying circumstances—but not without hope.
January 16–18—Yuja Wang Returns
Repertoire Addition: Yuja Wang will perform Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1.
Event Addition—Orchestra After 5: Voyage through the Planets
January 30 at 6:30 PM—Thursday evening—Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Daniele Rustioni Conductor
Naomi Woo Host
Sopranos and Altos of the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir
Holst The Planets
Gustav Holst’s The Planets has shaped the sound of sci-fi, most famously inspiring John Williams’s “The Imperial March” from Star Wars. From the intensity of “Mars, Bringer of War” to the ethereal mystery of “Neptune, the Mystic,” discover the astrological characters of each planet in this singular journey through the cosmos.
With stellar drinks, epic pre-concert activities, and music that will take you out of this world, this is destined to be the biggest happy hour in the galaxy!
5 PM: Pre-concert fun!
6:30 PM: 60-minute Philadelphia Orchestra concert
7:30 PM: Post-concert talkback with the stars
January 31–February 1—The Planets
Artist Addition: Sopranos and Altos of the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir
Event Addition—Family Concert: Peter and the Wolf
February 1 at 11:30 AM—Saturday morning—Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Naomi Woo Conductor
Michael Boudewyns Narrator
Prokofiev Peter and the Wolf
Experience the enduring enchantment of Prokofiev’s classic tale Peter and the Wolf! This beloved favorite has delighted young listeners for generations while serving as an imaginative introduction to the orchestra’s diverse array of instruments. This piece weaves a charming tale of a boy’s woodland adventures, and each character is brought to life through the various voices in the orchestra: Peter by the strings, his grandfather by the bassoon, and the wolf by the horns. With audience favorite narrator Michael Boudewyns back at the helm, this performance will captivate listeners of all ages!
February 7–8—Bach and Haydn
Artist Addition: Jone Martínez Soprano
Repertoire Change: Handel’s Concerto a due cori No. 2 has been added. Bach’s Cantata No. 51, “Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen!,” will replace Bach’s Orchestral Suite No. 3.
Event Addition—Family Concert: Carnival of the Animals
March 15 at 11:30 AM—Saturday morning—Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Naomi Woo Conductor
Saint-Saëns Carnival of the Animals
Lions and tigers and ... cellists? Oh, my! Camille Saint-Saëns’s Carnival of the Animals is an enchanting musical expedition through the animal kingdom. This delightful piece has become one of Saint-Saëns’s most famous, with each movement depicting a different animal, from the royal lion to the graceful swan. It even served as inspiration for John Williams’s score to the Harry Potter film franchise! Your child's imagination will transform the hall into a lively zoo and the Orchestra’s talented musicians will excite even the littlest lion cubs.
Event Addition—Orchestra After 5: Brass and Brash
March 27 at 6:30 PM—Thursday evening—Marian Anderson Hall at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts
Nathalie Stutzmann Conductor
Austin Chanu Host
Shostakovich Symphony No. 5
Complex and intense, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 is like going on a rollercoaster of sound. Just as a rollercoaster has thrilling drops and exhilarating climbs, Shostakovich's Fifth Symphony takes listeners on an emotional thrill ride with plenty of unexpected twists!
But before getting strapped in for this exciting ride, unwind with one of our signature cocktails or participate in one of our fun pre-concert activities!
5:00 PM: Pre-concert fun!
6:30 PM: 60-minute Philadelphia Orchestra concert
7:30 PM: Post-concert talkback with the stars
March 28–29—Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5
Program Title Change: The previous program title, Shostakovich, Schumann, and Mazzoli, has been replaced with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5.
Event Addition—Carnegie Hall
April 15 at 8:00 PM—Tuesday evening—Carnegie Hall
Yannick Nézet-Séguin Conductor
Mahler Symphony No. 6
Hear The Philadelphia Orchestra in its third and final Mahler symphony performance of the Carnegie Hall season. When the ensemble last performed the Sixth Symphony on our stage in 2016, the New York Times called it a “stunning account ... notable for its sheer beauty.” They are meaningful words regarding the larger-than-life piece most commonly associated with Mahler’s personal tragedies (unforgettably punctuated by the fateful hammer blows in the surging finale)—and an affirmation of the undying love embedded in its searing melodies.
May 1–2—The Witty and the Wicked
Program Title Change: The previous program title, Strauss and Liszt, has been replaced with The Witty and the Wicked.
May 17—Hilary Hahn Spotlight Recital
Repertoire Addition:
Bach Violin Sonata No. 2
Bach Violin Partita No. 3
Bach Violin Sonata No. 3
May 22–24—Beethoven’s Ninth at the Academy of Music
Artist Addition: Philadelphia Symphonic Choir
May 29—Ode to Joy: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9
Artist Addition: Philadelphia Symphonic Choir
Yannick Nézet-Séguin holds the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Chair.
David Kim holds the Dr. Benjamin Rush Chair.
The Family Discovery Series is sponsored by Dietz & Watson.
The Philadelphia Orchestra Family Concerts are funded in part by the Zisman Family Foundation.
The Muppet Christmas Carol in Concert: ©Disney. Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts.
WIZARDING WORLD and all related trademarks, characters, names, and indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s24)
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