Nashville Symphony Announces 2026/27 Classical and Family Season
Music Director Leonard Slatkin Presents His First Full Season Showcasing the Virtuosity and Versatility of the Nashville Symphony Musicians
2026/27 Season to Celebrate the Orchestra’s 80th Anniversary; Schermerhorn Symphony Center’s 20th Anniversary; and the 250th Birthday of the United States
Featuring Live Recordings of David Del Tredici’s Final Alice for Commercial Release; and the World Premiere of Ricardo Mollá’s Trumpet Concerto Featuring Will Leathers
Guest Conductors Include Kevin John Edusei, Eric Jacobsen, Ken David Masur, Valentina Peleggi, and Anna Rakitina; and Music Director Laureate Giancarlo Guerrero Leading Three Programs
Classical Repertoire Includes 25 masterworks: Mozart’s Symphony No. 39, Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4, Brahms’s A German Requiem, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade, and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, Among Others. Featured Soloists Include Nashville Symphony Musicians Kevin Bate, Chandler Currier, Érik Gratton, Will Leathers, and Peter Otto, alongside Yefim Bronfman, Theo Hoffman, Joshua Kováč, Brad Mehldau, Diana Newman, Hila Plitmann, Karen Slack, and Kelly Hall Tompkins
Family Concerts Include Original Nashville Symphony Compositions How America Found its Sound and Heroes and Villains; Plus The Conductor’s Spellbook and Philharmonia Fantastique
Pops and Film Series and Additional Special Events to be Announced March 16
NASHVILLE, TN —[February 24, 2026] Featuring more than 35 classical performances covering a wide range of eras and four family concerts, the Nashville Symphony has announced its 2026/27 classical and family season. In his first full season as newly appointed Music Director Leonard Slatkin will conduct 6 of the 14 Classical Series programs, offering seminal works to showcase the virtuosity and versatility of the Orchestra’s musicians, including Mozart’s Symphony No. 39, Brahms’s A German Requiem, Schubert’s Symphony No. 9, and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, among others. In addition to beloved staples of the classical repertoire, the Orchestra continues its commitment to champion American music by featuring music by 20 American composers, including Joan Tower’s Made in America, a work that earned the Nashville Symphony its first GRAMMY® Award; Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms; Cindy McTee’s Adagio for String Orchestra; and African Queens for Soprano and Orchestra by Jasmine Barnes, Damien Geter, Jessie Montgomery, Shawn Okpebholo, Dave Ragland, Carlos Simon, and Joel Thompson; among others.
“In my first season as Music Director of the Nashville Symphony, I am most proud of the variety of offerings we are giving the public,” said Music Director Leonard Slatkin. “With several anniversaries to celebrate, focusing in on the individuals of the orchestra, and expanding our reach, this is a very special set of offerings.”
Guest artists include jazz pianist and composer Brad Mehldau performing his own Piano Concerto (Sep. 25 & 26); Kelly Hall Tompkins performing Wynton Marsalis’s Violin Concerto (Oct. 16 & 17); Chandler Currier performing John Williams’s Tuba Concerto (Oct. 30 & Nov. 1); Yefim Bronfman performing Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3 (Nov. 19 to 21); Hila Plitmann performing David Del Tredici’s Final Alice (Jan. 8 & 9, 2027); Joshua Kováč performing Herbert’s Cello Concerto No. 2 (Jan. 29 & 30, 2027); Érik Gratton performing Ibert’s Concerto for Flute and Orchestra, and Diana Newman and Theo Hoffman performing Brahms’s A German Requiem (Feb. 18 to 20, 2027); Karen Slack performing African Queens (Mar. 4 & 5, 2027); Kevin Bate performing Saint-Saëns’s Cello Concerto No. 1 (Mar. 19 to 21, 2027); Will Leathers performing Molla’s Trumpet Concerto (Apr. 9 & 10, 2027); and Peter Otto performing Korngold’s Violin Concerto (Apr. 22 & 24, 2027).
The Classical Series presented by HCA Healthcare Tristar Health culminates with two profound performances: Guerrero conducts Mahler’s Symphony No. 7 (May 21 & 22, 2027), and Music Director Leonard Slatkin conducting Copland’s Billy the Kid: Ballet in one act and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra (Jun. 11 to 13, 2027).
LIVE RECORDINGS
With 14 GRAMMY® Awards and 27 nominations, the Nashville Symphony is one of the country’s most prolific recording orchestras, championing American composers and giving definitive performances of their music — and the Orchestra — to a global audience. This season, the Symphony will record live for future commercial release Soprano Hila Plitmann performing alongside Music Director Leonard Slatkin for David Del Tredici’s Final Alice (Jan. 8 & 9, 2027).
GUEST CONDUCTORS
The Nashville Symphony is honored to present a wide range of esteemed guest conductors throughout the 2026/27 classical season. Kevin John Edusei conducts a program of Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Brad Mehldau, featuring Mehldau on piano (Sep. 25 & 26). Ken David Masur conducts a contemporary program of Dobrinka Tabakova, Bedřich Smetana, and John Williams, featuring Nashville Symphony Principal Tuba Chandler Currier (Oct. 30 & Nov. 1). Eric Jacobsen conducts a program of Rossini, Herbert, and Barber, featuring young virtuoso cellist Joshua Kováč (Jan. 29 & 30, 2027), a two-time first prize winner of the Nashville Symphony’s Curb Concerto Competition and the 2025 grand prize winner of the Gustav Mahler International Cello Competition. Anna Rakitina conducts a program of Bizet and Mussorgsky, featuring soprano Karen Slack (Mar. 4 & 5, 2027). Valentina Peleggi conducts a program of Clyne, Saint-Saëns, and Rimsky-Korsakov, featuring Nashville Symphony Principal Cello Kevin Bate (Mar. 19 to 21, 2027). Music Director Laureate Giancarlo Guerrero conducts 3 of the 14 classical series programs of works by Rachmaninoff, Brahms, and Mahler, among others, featuring pianist Yefim Bronfman and Nashville Symphony Concertmaster Peter Otto (Nov. 19 to 21; Apr. 22 & 24, 2027; May 21 & 22, 2027).
SPECIAL EVENTS
The Orchestra’s annual holiday performances of Handel’s Messiah with the Nashville Symphony Chorus will be led by Nashville Symphony Chorus conductor Tucker Biddlecombe (Dec. 18 to 20). Biddlecombe returns to the stage for a spring celebration of Bach’s birthday with a one-night-only concert featuring eight of Bach’s masterworks (Mar. 31, 2027). Conductor Nathan Aspinall returns to conduct a program of Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Symphony No. 2, featuring pianist Inon Barnatan (May 7, 2027).
ANN & MONROE CARELL FAMILY TRUST FAMILY SERIES
The Ann & Monroe Carell Family Trust Family Series returns with four Sunday afternoon programs designed to introduce young listeners to the Orchestra. These concerts promote music and literacy in a fun environment. How America Found its Sound (Nov. 15) and Heroes and Villains (May 16, 2027) are original compositions by the Symphony. In The Conductor’s Spellbook, audiences learn about the orchestra instruments, the conductor, and the musical magic they create in an interactive concert (Jan. 17, 2027). Philharmonia Fantastique, with a score by the GRAMMY Award-winning composer Mason Bates, features animation and a story that helps the families of instruments in the orchestra overcome adversity together in the spirit of unity (Apr. 18, 2027).
PRE-CONCERT CONVERSATIONS
The popular pre-concert Classical Conversations will continue in Schermerhorn’s Balcony Lobby one hour before Classical Series concerts. During the 2026/27 season, audiences will have the unique opportunity to interact with our dynamic guest conductors as they share insights about their backgrounds and the music they bring to life on stage. These pre-concert talks are free with concert tickets.
SUBSCRIPTION AND TICKET INFORMATION
Classical and Family Series subscriptions are on sale now, with packages ranging from 4 to 14 concerts. Season ticket holders save up to 25% off regular prices and receive a variety of benefits, including presale access to newly added concerts, priority and discount parking options, free ticket exchanges for most concerts (up to 72 hours before the performance), flexible payment plans, and more. Single tickets to individual concerts will be available beginning
June 1.
To subscribe, visit NashvilleSymphony.org/SeasonTickets or call the Box Office at (615) 687-6400 Monday through Friday, 10 am to 6 pm.
ABOUT THE NASHVILLE SYMPHONY
The Nashville Symphony is where music comes alive for Middle Tennessee and beyond. Founded in 1946, the orchestra performs at the world-class Schermerhorn Symphony Center, presenting a mix of classical masterpieces, groundbreaking new works, jazz, pop, film concerts, and family programming. A champion of contemporary American orchestral music, the Symphony has premiered and recorded works by today’s most celebrated and innovative composers, earning 14 GRAMMY® Awards and 27 nominations. The Nashville Symphony performs nearly 200 concerts each year, including many free and low-cost education and community programs that annually reach nearly 550,000 people of all ages across Middle Tennessee. Through broadcasts, recordings, and streaming, the Nashville Symphony reaches an additional 13 million listeners worldwide each year. As a nonprofit organization, the Nashville Symphony is dedicated to enriching the community, inspiring the next generation of music lovers, and showcasing the power of live music to unite and inspire. Learn more at nashvillesymphony.org.
