March 30, 2026 | Announcements, Featured Post

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra Announces 2026 Season

Institution, CSO Reach New Contract Agreement

Chautauqua Institution today announced the 2026 season of its resident Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra (CSO), alongside a new three-year collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the orchestra’s musicians and a shared commitment to raising endowment funds for the orchestra.

The agreement, covering 2026 through 2028, maintains musician compensation while supporting the Institution’s focus on long-term financial sustainability and audience development. It was negotiated following the Institution’s fall 2025 announcement of $5.7 million in operating budget expense reductions affecting all departments and activities.

Under the new agreement, guaranteed CSO services are reduced from 52 to 46, resulting in a three-concert reduction per season. Total compensation across the summer for the CSO musicians will remain flat to 2025, increasing by 3.1% in the second year and by 2.4% in the third year, with some benefits increasing year over year as well. With this CBA, the Institution commits an investment of more than $7 million in direct CSO expenses over the life of the contract.

“The CSO is a critical and cherished part of Chautauqua and its musicians are of the highest caliber,” said Interim Chief Executive Kyle Keogh. “In reducing the season by three concerts, we were also able to responsibly provide a needed improvement to the musicians’ per-service compensation rate, keeping their total summer pay flat to 2025. Additionally, this change provides flexibility to program three additional evenings of popular entertainment — a category that readily attracts and retains new audiences.”

Keogh added, “symphonic music remains central to Chautauqua’s summer programming, and audiences will continue to enjoy orchestral concerts three to four nights a week most weeks in the season.”

Shared Commitment to the CSO’s Future

Discussions with the musicians of the CSO also revealed a shared commitment to strengthening long-term philanthropic support for the orchestra. Beginning in 2026, the Institution will prioritize fundraising for the CSO, with a focus on building endowment, including the formation of a new advisory committee and the co-sponsorship of a gala fundraising event on July 7, 2026.

“I am incredibly proud of the collaborative work between musicians and administrators on this agreement,” said Chief Program Officer Deborah Sunya Moore. “Ensuring Chautauqua’s long-term financial sustainability and program excellence requires shared commitment from across our community, and the CSO musicians have been true partners in this effort. While the reduction in concerts is meaningful, per-service compensation has been adjusted to provide stability for the musicians of this incredible orchestra. The Institution is grateful to the CSO musicians for partnering with us through this model change and important financial re-set.”

Moore added, “We are excited to focus on mounting an artistically captivating 2026 season and raising philanthropy to ensure a bright future for this extraordinary symphony.”

2026 Season Highlights

Under the leadership of Music Director Rossen Milanov, the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra will present 22 performances during the 2026 Chautauqua Summer Assembly, with concerts offered during Weeks One through Eight. CSO musicians will also continue to provide support for Chautauqua Opera Company productions.

The stylistically diverse season features a wide range of classical, contemporary, and popular repertoire. Classical highlights include Holst’s The Planets, Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 12, Dvořák’s New World Symphony, and Bernstein’s Jeremiah Symphony, as well as Carmina Burana performed with the Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus and works by contemporary composers including Dobrinka Tabakova, John Corigliano, Michael Abels, Christopher Theofanidis, and Missy Mazzoli. The season also includes appearances by Kelli O’Hara and Sutton Foster, Natalie Merchant, Tony DeSare, Troupe Vertigo, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, and the Denyce Graves Foundation’s Generational Voices inaugural cohort, along with programs such as Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony; several concerts will feature Principal Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz on the podium.

Music Director Rossen Milanov said, “For nearly 100 years, the CSO has been one of the most beloved experiences in Chautauqua. Our world-class orchestra this season will provide wide, diverse, stimulating and inspirational programming that I hope contributes to what makes the Chautauqua experience unique!”

Tickets for all Chautauqua Amphitheater performances are available by phone at 716-357-6250 or tickets.chq.org. Current walk-up and phone hours for the Chautauqua Ticket Office, located in the Dr. Robert R. Hesse Welcome and Business Center, are 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday–Thursday (closed weekends and holidays).

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra 2026 Season

Subject to change

July 2 @ 8:00 pm Week One (June 27–July 4)

One Night Only: An Evening with Sutton Foster & Kelli O’Hara

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$70 – $145 View Details

Thursday, July 2nd 2026 @ 8:00 pm

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One Night Only: An Evening with Sutton Foster & Kelli O’Hara

Enjoy a night with Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara inspired by the 1962 CBS special “Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall”— a tribute to Broadway and beyond. Together with Principal Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Sutton and Kelli pay homage to icons of stage and screen Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett who teamed up for that memorable concert. You’ll hear favorites from Sutton and Kelli’s Tony Award winning and nominated shows and in between, lots of bubbly banter, laughter and stories you’ll love.

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July 4 @ 8:00 pm Week Two (July 4–11)

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Independence Day Celebration

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$55 – $65 View Details

Saturday, July 4th 2026 @ 8:00 pm

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Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Independence Day Celebration

Stuart Chafetz, conductor

Aubrey Logan, vocals/trombone

John Manzari, dancer/vocals

Celebrate America’s 250th year with The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra’s annual Independence Day Celebration. The orchestra is joined by guests Aubrey Logan and John Manzari. Under the baton of Principal Pops conductor Stuart Chafetz, enjoy patriotic classics to pay tribute to the spirit of America. Bring your family and friends to this evening of fun and entertainment.

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July 7 @ 8:00 pm Week Two (July 4–11)

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra with Alexander Gavrylyuk, piano

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$55 – $65 View Details

Tuesday, July 7th 2026 @ 8:00 pm

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Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra with Alexander Gavrylyuk, piano

Rossen Milanov, conductor
Alexander Gavrylyuk, piano

The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra welcomes the return of Artist in Residence Alexander Gavrylyuk for an evening of symphonic passion. Tabakova’s Orpheus’ Comet opens the program with shimmering energy and mythic inspiration. Gavrylyuk then takes center stage in Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1, a thrilling showcase of sweeping melody and virtuosic brilliance. The evening concludes with Schumann’s Symphony No. 3, “Rhenish,” a richly textured work inspired by the grandeur of the Rhineland.

Program:
Tabakova: Orpheus’ Comet
Schumann Symphony No. 3, “Rhenish”
Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1

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July 9 @ 8:00 pm Week Two (July 4–11)

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Toward a New World

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$55 – $65 View Details

Thursday, July 9th 2026 @ 8:00 pm

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Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Toward a New World

Rossen Milanov, conductor
Jaren Atherholt, oboe

Join the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra for a celebration of musical exploration. John Corigliano’s Midsummer Fanfare opens the program with brilliance and energy. The orchestra then turns to Martinů’s Oboe Concerto, where soloist Jaren Atherholt brings wit, warmth, and virtuosity to the Amphitheater stage. The evening concludes with Dvořák’s iconic “New World” Symphony-one of the most powerful and beloved works in the orchestral repertoire.

Program:
John Corigliano: Midsummer Fanfare
Martinu Oboe Concerto
Dvorak Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”

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July 11 @ 8:00 pm Week Three (July 11–18)

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra with Troupe Vertigo

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$55 – $75 View Details

Saturday, July 11th 2026 @ 8:00 pm

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Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra with Troupe Vertigo

Fusing together elements of cirque acrobatics, classical dance and contemporary theater, Troupe Vertigo brings audiences on a spellbinding journey through the world of artistic movement. Consisting of world-class aerial artists, contortionists, and ballet dancers, the Los Angeles based company was founded in 2009 by Artistic Director Aloysia Gavre, formerly of the internationally renowned Cirque du Soleil, and Technical Director Rex Camphuis, whose background is with the fabled Pickle Family Circus. Troupe Vertigo, whose “dizzying acts defy gravity and leave its lucky audiences in awe” (Los Angeles Times) has performed with major orchestras across North America.

Troupe Vertigo’s 2025-2026 season includes performances at Cincinnati Pops, National Symphony Orchestra with Steve Reineke, Dallas Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Colorado Symphony, Florida Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, Des Moines Symphony, and National Arts Center Orchestra in Canada among others. Notable conductors that Troupe Vertigo has performed with include Jack Everly, Jeff Tyzik, Enrico Lopez-Yañez, Stuart Chafetz, Byron Stripling, Michelle Merrill, Sarah Hicks, Daniel Meyer, Nicholas Hersh, and Norman Huynh.

Troupe Vertigo’s recent seasons have brought them to the San Francisco Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, San Diego Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Nashville Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, Tucson Symphony, Utah Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, and Vancouver Symphony in Canada. The company is known for their collaborative custom thematic programs with symphony orchestras from Cirque Espana, Cirque Noir, Cirque Goes to Broadway, Cirque Goes to Hollywood, Cirque Dances featuring The Firebird to complete cirque- ballet presentation of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Cinderella. Their unique perspective on the circus arts have led to a variety of speaking engagements including with The Center Theater Group Los Angeles, Directors Lab West, TEDx Talk and The Chicago Contemporary Circus Festival. As well in publications for the cover story of Dance Teacher Magazine {August 2016} and in the book Ordinary Acrobat.

The ensemble premiered its first offering, Big Top for a New Generation, in 2010 at the Ford Amphitheater and has gone on to present Nighthawks: A Film Noir Circus, inspired by American jazz, Edward Hopper paintings, and crime novels. In 2016, they brought Tableaux, featuring five women grappling with the constrictions of society, to life at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles. Husband and wife team, Aloysia and Rex, frequently bring their gifts and knowledge to the film

and television industry, most notably with Rebel Wilson’s aerial performance in Pitch Perfect 2 and with Reese Witherspoon and Christoph Waltz in the film Water for Elephants.

Troupe Vertigo’s facility is also home to Cirque School Los Angeles, which inspires an appreciation for the circus arts for “Anybody with Any Body.” Cirque School uses training, performance, and community outreach to foster passion for the circus arts in a supportive, non-competitive environment. Encompassing over 50 weekly classes to the public, student performances, team building workshops, pre-professional intensives and television and film projects, Cirque School thrives as the premiere cirque training program in Los Angeles.

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July 14 @ 8:00 pm Week Three (July 11–18)

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: An Evening of Brahms

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$55 – $65 View Details

Tuesday, July 14th 2026 @ 8:00 pm

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Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: An Evening of Brahms

Rossen Milanov, conductor

Sharon Roffman, violin

Jolyon Pegis, cello

An Evening of Brahms brings together two of the composer’s most expressive works, pairing the lyrical intimacy of the Double Concerto with the concentrated power of Symphony No. 3. Written late in Brahms’s career, the Double Concerto unfolds as a rich conversation between violin and cello, as CSO concertmaster Sharon Roffman and principal cellist Jolyon Pegis share the spotlight. The program concludes with Brahms’s Third Symphony, a work of striking emotional depth. Together, these works reveal Brahms at his most personal and compelling.

Program:
Brahms Concerto for Violin and Cello
Brahms Symphony No. 3

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July 16 @ 8:00 pm Week Three (July 11–18)

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra with Mak Grgic, guitar

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$55 – $65 View Details

Thursday, July 16th 2026 @ 8:00 pm

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Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra with Mak Grgic, guitar

Rossen Milanov, conductor
Mak Grgic, guitar
The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra is thrilled to welcome guitarist Mak Grgic in an evening of symphonic storytelling. Stravinsky’s “Song of the Nightengale” opens the program with visceral motion, bringing to life the enchanting world of Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale. Grgic then takes the stage in a powerful work that explores the deepest personal struggles of an artist. The evening concludes with the charm of Poulenc’s “Les Biches” Suite, brimming with wit and Parisian flair.

Program:
Stravinsky: Song of the Nightingale
Abels: Borders
Poulence: Suite from “Les Biches”

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July 18 @ 8:00 pm Week Four (July 18–25)

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Holst’s The Planets

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$55 – $65 View Details

Saturday, July 18th 2026 @ 8:00 pm

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Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Holst’s The Planets

Rossen Milanov, conductor

Embark on a thrilling musical journey across galaxies with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. The evening opens with John Williams’ iconic “Main Theme” from the Star Wars Suite filled with energy, heroism, and familiar melodies. Holst follows with “The Planets”, a monumental suite exploring Roman gods and goddesses through sound. From Mars’ ferocious ostinato to Neptune’s mysterious beauty, the orchestra will explore a full range of characters. Together, these pieces bring exhilarating celestial energy to the amphitheater.

Program:
Williams: Star Wars, “Main Theme”
Holst: The Planets

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July 21 @ 8:00 pm Week Four (July 18–25)

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven’s “Eroica”

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$55 – $65 View Details

Tuesday, July 21st 2026 @ 8:00 pm

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Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Beethoven’s “Eroica”

Timothy Muffitt, conductor

Under the baton of Timothy Muffitt, the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra opens with Christopher Theofanidis’s Rainbow Body, a luminous work inspired by one of Hildegard von Bingen’s medieval chants. Closing out the night is Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, “Eroica”, an evolutionary masterpiece that ushered in an era of new symphonic music. Equally expansive and bold, the Eroica transforms personal struggle into heroic expression.

Program:
Christopher Theofanidis: Rainbow Body
Beethoven: Symphony #3 “Eroica”

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July 23 @ 8:00 pm Week Four (July 18–25)

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Hovhaness and Shostakovich

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$55 – $65 View Details

Thursday, July 23rd 2026 @ 8:00 pm

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Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Hovhaness and Shostakovich

Rossen Milanov, conductor

The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra presents two notable symphonies of the twentieth century. Hovhaness’s Symphony No. 2, “Mysterious Mountain,” unfolds as a meditation on nature, drawing listeners into a sound world of serenity, chant-like melody, and rich expression. In contrast, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 12 is a work of momentum and scale, depicting history through bold orchestral force and intensity. Together, these symphonies highlight two distinct approaches to the symphonic form-one inward and contemplative, the other outward and declarative.

Program:
Hovhaness: Symphony No. 2 “Mysterious Mountain”
Shostakovich: Symphony No. 12, “The Year 1917”

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July 25 @ 8:00 pm Week Five (July 25–August 1)

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Carmina Burana

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$55 – $65 View Details

Saturday, July 25th 2026 @ 8:00 pm

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Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Carmina Burana

Rossen Milanov, conductor

The Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus joins the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra for a captivating performance of the iconic Carmina Burana. Carl Orff’s masterpiece is drawn from medieval texts exploring fate, love, and the unpredictability of fortune. Best known for its electrifying opening, O Fortuna, the piece unfolds as a series of vivid scenes propelled by driving rhythms and striking orchestration. Immediate and powerful, Carmina Burana captures the raw intensity of human experience.

Program:
Orff: Carmina Burana

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July 28 @ 8:00 pm Week Five (July 25–August 1)

Opera & Pops Concert with CSO

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$55 – $65 View Details

Tuesday, July 28th 2026 @ 8:00 pm

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Opera & Pops Concert with CSO

Stuart Chafetz, conductor

Chautauqua Opera Company Apprentice and Studio Artists join Stuart Chafetz, Principal Pops Conductor, and the Chautauqua
Symphony Orchestra for the annual Opera & Pops concert. This popular summer event showcases Chautauqua Opera’s young artists in music from Opera, Operetta and Broadway.

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July 30 @ 8:00 pm Week Five (July 25–August 1)

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Sounds of Strauss

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$55 – $65 View Details

Thursday, July 30th 2026 @ 8:00 pm

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Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Sounds of Strauss

Rossen Milanov, conductor

The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra presents two of Richard Strauss’s most compelling tone poems. In Also sprach Zarathustra, Strauss explores themes of human striving and philosophical inquiry. Death and Transfiguration offers a contrasting perspective, portraying the final moments of an artist’s life and the transformation that follows. Together, these works showcase Strauss’s extraordinary command of orchestral color and dramatic form.

Program:
Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra, op. 30
Strauss: Death and Transfiguration, op. 24

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August 1 @ 8:00 pm Week Six (August 1–8)

Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

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$55 – $95 View Details

Saturday, August 1st 2026 @ 8:00 pm

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Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

Dolly Parton’s Threads: My Songs in Symphony features Dolly’s songs and the stories behind them in an innovative multimedia symphonic experience featuring Dolly on screen, leading audiences in a visual-musical journey of her songs, her life, and her stories. Guest vocalists and musicians bring new and innovative orchestrations of Dolly’s hit songs together into a full-evening multimedia symphonic story-telling experience. Dolly Parton says, “The threads of my life are woven together through my songs. That’s why this project, Threads: My Songs in Symphony, is so special to me. It’s all about sharing my music and my musical journey with audiences in a new way.”

Co-produced by Dolly Parton together with Schirmer Theatrical and Sony Music Publishing.

Please Note: Dolly Parton is not performing or attending this event.

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August 2 @ 3:00 pm Week Six (August 1–8)

Cabinet of Wonder Live! A Free Family Concert with Natalie Merchant & The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

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Free Sunday Event (Ticket Required) View Details

Sunday, August 2nd 2026 @ 3:00 pm

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Cabinet of Wonder Live! A Free Family Concert with Natalie Merchant & The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

Stuart Chafetz, Conductor
Natalie Merchant, Composer and Vocals

American singer-songwriter, recording artist, and activist Natalie Merchant will be in residence at Chautauqua Institution this summer (July 25-August 2, 2026) for Week Five’s programmatic theme, “Art & Artists Against the Odds.”

Merchant will give a matinee family-friendly concert performance with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Principal Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz, which will be free to the public. The concert will center on the music of Merchants’ Cabinet of Wonder, a joyful reimagining of Mother Goose developed in collaboration with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and will also include classic children’s poetry that she adapted to music for her highly praised double-album release, Leave Your Sleep (2010 Nonesuch Records).

A Chautauqua County native, Merchant was strongly influenced by local artists and her summer encounters with arts at the Institution during her formative years. At the age of fifteen, she spent a summer volunteering in a therapeutic arts camp for developmentally and physically challenged children in Ashville. It was there that she first witnessed the transformative power of art education and was inspired to become an art therapist. Although her life path led her to a career as professional musician, she has continued to honor her commitment to the healing power of music. Merchant will combine her performances on the grounds of Chautauqua site visits to locally sponsored children’s programs for workshops and sing-a-longs. Since leaving the area in 1988, she has returned several times over the years to perform solo and with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra.

Merchant will also appear in the Chautauqua Lecture Series on July 29th at 10:45am; her talk will focus on her life-long commitment to using music as powerful means of communication, community building, and a tool for social justice.

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August 6 @ 8:00 pm Week Six (August 1–8)

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra with Aubree Oliverson, violin

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$55 – $65 View Details

Thursday, August 6th 2026 @ 8:00 pm

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Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra with Aubree Oliverson, violin

Rossen Milanov, conductor
Aubree Oliverson, violin

Experience an evening of myth, melody, and modernity with The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra and guest violinist Aubree Oliverson. Missy Mazzoli’s Orpheus Undone reimagines the ancient myth with driving energy and striking orchestral color. Dvořák’s beloved Violin Concerto brings lyrical warmth and Romantic sweep to the spotlight, showcasing Oliverson’s expressive artistry. The program concludes with Kevin Puts’ Concerto for Orchestra, a dazzling display of rhythmic vitality and instrumental flair that highlights the full power of the ensemble.

Program:
Mazzoli: Orpheus Undone
Dvorak: Violin Concerto
Puts: Concerto for Orchestra

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August 8 @ 7:30 pm Week Seven (August 8–15)

Alonzo King LINES Ballet with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

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$55 – $65 View Details

Saturday, August 8th 2026 @ 7:30 pm

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Alonzo King LINES Ballet with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

Alonzo King LINES Ballet is a celebrated contemporary ballet company that has been guided since 1982 by the unique artistic vision of award-winning choreographer Alonzo King. Since 1982, LINES Ballet has collaborated with noted composers, musicians and visual artists from around the world to create performances that alter the way we look at ballet today. Its unique artistic vision adheres to the classical form — the linear, mathematical and geometrical principles that are deeply rooted in the pre-existing East-West continuum. The Company brings two separate programs to the Amphitheater, with Saturday’s program featuring live music from the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra under the baton of music director Rossen Milanov.

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August 11 @ 8:00 pm Week Seven (August 8–15)

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Fate and Fury

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$55 – $65 View Details

Tuesday, August 11th 2026 @ 8:00 pm

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Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Fate and Fury

Hannah Schendel, conductor

Under the baton of Hannah Schendel, The Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra presents a night of symphonic drama. Wagner’s Flying Dutchman Overture surges with storm-tossed intensity, capturing the restless seas and legend of the cursed mariner. Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 follows, unfolding from brooding introspection to triumphant resolve in an emotionally compelling journey. Together, these masterworks showcase the passion, grandeur, and expressive force of the Romantic era.

Program:
Wagner: Flying Dutchman Overture
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5

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August 15 @ 8:00 pm Week Eight (August 15–22)

The Music of Billy Joel with Tony DeSare and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

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$55 – $75 View Details

Saturday, August 15th 2026 @ 8:00 pm

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The Music of Billy Joel with Tony DeSare and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra

Stuart Chafetz, conductor
Tony DeSare, piano & vocals

Tony DeSare’s signature vocal and robust piano style pay tribute to the iconic songs of Billy Joel. Generations of Billy Joel fans will experience full symphonic orchestrations with Tony DeSare’s unique take on some of his most beloved hits including “Only the Good Die Young,” “Piano Man,” “New York State of Mind,” “You May Be Right,” “Movin Out,” “My Life,” “Vienna,” and many more.

Billy Joel does not appear on this program.

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August 18 @ 8:00 pm Week Eight (August 15–22)

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra with Maxim Lando, piano

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$55 – $65 View Details

Tuesday, August 18th 2026 @ 8:00 pm

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Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra with Maxim Lando, piano

Rossen Milanov, conductor

Maxim Lando, piano

Maxim Lando joins the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra in an evening of rhythmic fire. Lando commands the Amphitheater stage in Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3, balancing bold modern energy with moments of lyrical warmth. Rachmaninoff’s Symphonic Dances offers nostalgia and momentum, with the widely recognized Dies Ire making its looming presence. Together, these works bring passion and power to the orchestra.

Program:
Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3
Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances

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August 20 @ 8:00 pm Week Eight (August 15–22)

Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Generational Voices- An Evening with the Denyce Graves Foundation

Amphitheater

$55 – $65 View Details

Thursday, August 20th 2026 @ 8:00 pm

Amphitheater

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Single Tickets

Price: $55 – $65

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Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra: Generational Voices- An Evening with the Denyce Graves Foundation

This special evening marks the official launch of the Denyce Graves Foundation’s Generational Voices program, a dynamic new initiative dedicated to mentoring and elevating the next generation of vocal artists. The final concert of our orchestral season showcases rising talent from this groundbreaking program. Join maestro Rossen Milanov and the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra for a soaring night of vocal artistry and symphonic brilliance. From beloved operatic arias to Bernstein’s enthralling Jeremiah Symphony, this performance celebrates the future of American opera and the enduring excellence of our resident orchestra.

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