As autumn gets underway, it's hard not to look ahead to Philly’s jam-packed cultural calendar for 2026 — including everything from hosting the MLB All-Star Game and FIFA World Cup games to celebrations of America’s 250th anniversary. For all those coming enticements, though, classical music lovers should have no trouble staying grounded in the near future, with a bevy of compelling concerts. From intimate Baroque opera to Bruckner on the big stage, we hope you enjoy our Classical Fall Preview. (And take note: we have a Jazz Fall Preview, too.) — Zev Kane, Classical Program Director
Il viaggio a Reims — Opera Philadelphia, Sept. 19, 21, 26 and 28, Academy of Music
Rossini’s Il viaggio a Reims is a delicious musical bonbon, originally composed for a cast of star singers to celebrate the coronation of Charles X in 1825. The work quickly vanished from the stage until its reconstruction in 1984. This marks the first professionally staged U.S. production in more than 25 years — a rare opportunity you may never have again. Don’t miss it: you’ll be transported to musical heaven in Damiano Michieletto’s wildly inventive production. (Mike Bolton)
Marin Alsop and Yunchan Lim — The Philadelphia Orchestra, Oct. 3-5, Marian Anderson Hall
The Philadelphia Orchestra’s 125th anniversary season launches with sensational pianist Yunchan Lim, the youngest person ever to win the Van Cliburn Competition’s coveted Gold Medal. He’ll be featured in Béla Bartok’s Piano Concerto No. 3, a work our Philadelphians premiered in 1946. A world premiere of a new piece by esteemed American composer John Adams will add to what’s sure to be an electrifying evening. Marin Alsop, the Orchestra's principal guest conductor, is on the podium. (Mark Pinto)
Eschenbach Leads Bruckner 3 — Curtis Symphony Orchestra, Oct. 11, Marian Anderson Hall
Five days before The Philadelphia Orchestra takes on Bruckner’s Fourth Symphony (see below), conductor Christoph Eschenbach and the brilliant young musicians of the Curtis Symphony Orchestra tackle its immediate predecessor. Although less frequently performed than the Fourth, the enigmatic Austrian’s Third is no mere appetizer, full of thunderous climaxes and epic worldbuilding that will resound just as potently through Marian Anderson Hall. The program begins with Samuel Barber’s impish Overture to The School for Scandal — composed while he was a student at Curtis in 1934 — and another rarity, Kryzstof Penderecki’s Concerto Grosso No. 1 for Three Cellos, featuring Curtis alumni Nicholas Canellakis, Yumi Kendall (The Philadelphia Orchestra’s Assistant Principal cello) and Christine Jeonghyoun Lee. (Kane)
Allentown Symphony Orchestra 75th Season Celebration — Oct. 11 and 12, Miller Symphony Hall, Allentown
To celebrate 75 years of musicmaking, the Allentown Symphony Orchestra will reprise its inaugural 1951 concert program. For many listeners, Gershwin’s An American in Paris would be enough. But the party has an intriguing young star. For Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto and Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, the soloist will be 14-year-old violinist Mio Imai, who studies with Kimberly Fisher, the Principal Second Violin of The Philadelphia Orchestra. And to ensure no one goes home hungry, the lineup includes Smetana’s The Moldau, Tchaikovsky’s Waltz from The Sleeping Beauty, and Debussy’s Clair de Lune. (Bruce Hodges)
Sphinx Virtuosi and Sterling Elliott — Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Oct. 16, Perelman Theater
The Sphinx Virtuosi and cellist Sterling Elliott will open their tour of their program Visions of Peace in Bethlehem, then open PCMS’s fall season two weeks later. Program highlights include two brand-new works: one yet untitled by Jessie Montgomery, and the program’s title work by Quenton Xavier Blache, along with a work by William Grant Still featuring Elliott, arranged by violinist Randall Goosby, no stranger to WRTI. (John T.K. Scherch)
Esa-Pekka Salonen — The Philadelphia Orchestra, Oct. 16-18, Marian Anderson Hall
Esa-Pekka Salonen most recently led the Philadelphians in two memorable 2024 concerts featuring his own music alongside Sibelius and Ravel. On this outing, he brings his meticulous sensibility to quite a different repertoire. Salonen has said that hearing Bruckner’s lush Fourth Symphony (“Romantic”) as a child set him decisively on a musical path. He’ll also collaborate with four superb wind principals in Mozart’s elegant Sinfonia Concertante, K. 297b — a work of disputed authorship but undisputed charm. (Melinda Whiting)
Chris Thile — Oct. 18, McCarter Theater, Princeton
Mandolin ace Chris Thile is best known for his radiant work in a folkish vein, but he’s also famously a J.S. Bach enthusiast: his 2013 album Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Part 1 is both a feast of technique and a feat of translation, as he tackles showpieces composed for violin. Thile will focus on this material here, some of which will land on a long-awaited Vol. 2 in the fall. And as he did in a memorable 2021 solo concert at Penn Live Arts, he’ll put his personable stamp on a discursive program; don’t be surprised if Bach comes with a side helping of Barber, The Beatles or Bill Monroe. (Nate Chinen)
Imogen Cooper — Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, Oct. 28, Perelman Theater
Dame Imogen Cooper, celebrated for her thoughtful and nuanced playing, returns to Philadelphia for her seventh solo recital with PCMS. The program highlights her deep affinity for Classical and Romantic repertoire, featuring Beethoven’s charming Bagatelles, two sets of Schubert Impromptus, and Bach chorale preludes arranged for piano. Don’t miss this intimate evening — a rare chance to hear a remarkable artist in a setting that feels more like a conversation than a concert. (Meg Bragle)
Hidden Virtuosas: Salon — Tempesta di Mare, Nov. 1, FringeArts Theater & Bar
Step into a lively 18th-century Venetian salon with Philly’s own period instrument ensemble, Tempesta di Mare, as part of their Hidden Virtuosas project. Seven performers portray women composers and musicians trained as orphans at the Venetian Ospedali under figures like Antonio Vivaldi. Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere with Venetian cicchetti (appetizers) and cocktails in the present-day salon, FringeArts. You can even chat with the performers themselves. Tickets include the performance, small bites, and one drink token. (Dave Tarantino)
Twelfth Night — Penn Live Arts, Nov. 6, St. Mary’s Church, Hamilton Village
For its Philadelphia debut, early music specialists Twelfth Night are joined by singers Nicoletta Berry and Megan Moore for a rare outing with Handel’s Aminta e Fillide (1708). For fans of the composer, some of the arias may sound familiar because they reappeared in Agrippina (1709-10), Rinaldo (1711), and the Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day (1734). To complete the evening, the ensemble includes Vivaldi’s three-movement Sinfonia, which opens his opera Il Giustino (1724), also filled with portions that listeners will recognize — in this case from The Four Seasons. (Hodges)
Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro — Academy of Vocal Arts, Nov. 8, 11, 13, 15, 21, 23 and Dec. 2, Various Locations
Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro — a sparkling comedy of love, deception, and class conflict — arrives at the Academy of Vocal Arts in November. We know its characters so well that watching it feels like catching up with old friends. And yet, 269 years after its premiere, it remains one of the funniest and most musically glorious operas ever composed. With AVA’s meticulously prepared company of singing actors, this production promises to be especially delightful. (Bolton)
Sō Percussion — Music at Bunker Hill, Nov. 16, Bunker Hill Presbyterian Church
Sō Percussion, the Grammy-winning quartet that’s redefined percussion chamber music since the early 2000s, comes to Bunker Hill Presbyterian Church in November. This program of contemporary works is the perfect mix of experimental yet accessible. It includes works by Pauline Oliveros, Caroline Shaw, Julia Wolfe, Bryce Dessner, and the group’s members. Expect everything from meditative soundscapes to driving rhythms, all in the church’s intimate setting. (Tarantino)
The Crossing: Self-Evident — Nov. 21, The Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill
Philadelphia’s decorated new-music choir The Crossing teams up with Milwaukee’s Present Music for a new work by Christopher Cerrone, Of being numerous, in a first-time collaboration. Cerrone sets poetry by George Oppen, an American poet who twice found himself compelled to leave the country due to its political climate, most notably during the McCarthy years. Oppen’s words on America are paired with Caroline Shaw’s Ochre, which expands the lens to encompass the earth. (Scherch)