Zell Music Director Designate Klaus Mäkelä Leads Five Weeks of Chicago Symphony Orchestra Programs, Including Symphony Ball in Chicago and a 2027 European TourMusic Director Emeritus for Life Riccardo Muti Returns to Chicago for Three Weeks of Programs with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra including Rossini's Stabat mater with the Chicago Symphony ChorusJean-Yves Thibaudet Makes Three Appearances as 2026/27 CSO Artist-in-Residence Featured Concerts with the CSO Include Appearances by Yo-Yo Ma, Andrew Bird and Lang Lang who Performs all Five Beethoven Piano ConcertosCHICAGO, March 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (CSOA) announces 2026/27 Season programming for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and Symphony Center Presents (SCP) series. Marking its 136th concert season, the CSO unites with an array of internationally renowned musicians for performances in Chicago and on tour. Zell Music Director Designate Klaus Mäkelä leads five weeks of subscription concerts in Chicago and takes the Orchestra on an eight-city, 12-concert European tour in January 2027, visiting prestigious venues including the Musikverein in Vienna, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg and the Philharmonie de Paris.Music Director Emeritus for Life Riccardo Muti returns for three weeks across two Chicago residencies in December 2026 and April 2027, continuing a partnership built over his 13 seasons as the Orchestra's 10th music director."The 2026/27 season is a landmark chapter for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, featuring expanded weeks with Zell Music Director Designate Klaus Mäkelä and a continued partnership with Music Director Emeritus for Life Riccardo Muti," said Jeff Alexander, President of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association. "From Klaus's five-weeks of concerts in Chicago plus a three-week tour of Europe with the CSO, to the wide variety of repertoire spanning four centuries, and a robust presentation series, the season's programming showcases an extraordinary breadth of artistry. We are also excited to be welcoming Jean-Yves Thibaudet as our artist in residence. We invite all of Chicago to experience the transformative power of the CSO."Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet brings his distinctive blend of virtuosity and vision to his new role as the 2026/27 CSO Artist-in-Residence, offering performances that showcase his remarkable range and expressive artistry. Outside the concert hall, Thibaudet will engage with audiences through community and educational events, offering meaningful opportunities to hear from and interact with the artist.The Chicago Symphony Orchestra's new season begins in September 2026 with former CSO Artist-in-Residence Hilary Hahn, who joins conductor Petr Popelka and the Orchestra as soloist in Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto. This opening program sets a Romantic tone for the year, pairing Hahn's virtuosity with Dvořák's Fifth Symphony.From cherished masterworks to new music, the CSO Classical season expands the repertoire with a world premiere and CSO commission by former Mead Composer-in-Residence Mason Bates, U.S. premieres by Magnus Lindberg and Esa-Pekka Salonen and 14 pieces new to the subscription series.The Orchestra explores Beethoven's enduring impact throughout the season with performances of his iconic overtures, Symphonies Nos. 4 and 5 and Symphony No. 9, which features the monumental "Ode to Joy" finale. Under the direction of Chorus Director Donald Palumbo, the Chicago Symphony Chorus takes center stage in this season finale, which also includes the composer's poignant Elegy.During this season-long celebration of Beethoven's enduring impact, the CSO welcomes world-renowned pianist Lang Lang for a three-concert residency performing all five piano concertos under the baton of Paavo Järvi (March 24, 26 & 27, 2027). Earlier that month, violinist Isabelle Faust joins guest conductor Maxim Emelyanychev and the CSO for Beethoven's Violin Concerto from March 11-14. Beyond these orchestral programs, Beethoven's remarkable legacy is further highlighted through dedicated piano recital and chamber music concerts.In addition to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, the Chicago Symphony Chorus is featured in several choral masterworks throughout the 2026/27 Season. These include Walton's dramatic cantata Belshazzar's Feast, Brahms' A German Requiem, the quintessential holiday tradition of Handel's Messiah, and Rossini's Stabat mater and selections from William Tell. The Chorus also joins the Orchestra for the first CSO performances of Pierre Boulez's iridescent cantata Le soleil des eaux.The 2026/27 Symphony Center Presents season features a premier lineup of global icons and diverse musical traditions. The Piano and Chamber Music series showcase legendary artists including Mitsuko Uchida, Yuja Wang and Evgeny Kissin. Highlights include the North American debut of pianist Lukas Sternath and a star-studded trio featuring Kissin, Maxim Vengerov and Gautier Capuçon. 2026/27 CSO Artist-in-Residence Jean-Yves Thibaudet also appears in a trio with violinist Lisa Batiashvili and Capuçon.The season further expands with specialized and global programming, featuring the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass, the magnetic theatricality of Mexican icon Lila Downs and the high-energy taiko of Kodo. Pop-jazz ensemble Pink Martini returns, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra makes its annual appearances during Wynton Marsalis' final season as its artistic director.Explore a chronological listing of CSOA-presented programs included in the 2026/27 Season.Access the complete 2026/27 Season media kit, including press photos.Klaus Mäkelä, Zell Music Director Designate — CSO Residencies and European TourIn the 2026/27 Season, Zell Music Director Designate Klaus Mäkelä leads five weeks of subscription concerts with repertoire ranging from Gabrieli to Boulez. He conducts the annual Symphony Ball concert for the first time and also embarks on a European tour as he prepares to begin his tenure as the CSO's 11th music director in the 2027/28 Season.Mäkelä launches his three-week fall residency with the CSO from September 24 to 26 with Sibelius' Seventh and Shostakovich's Fourth symphonies — the latter a work that reveals a Soviet-era composer in all his brilliant audacity. From October 1 to 4, he conducts Mahler's Ninth Symphony, an exploration of the human spirit that follows previous Mahler interpretations described by the Chicago Tribune as "exquisitely, sensitively and lovingly made." The residency continues October 8 and 9 as baritone Thomas Hampson joins the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus for Walton's Belshazzar's Feast, in a program that also features Stravinsky's Petrushka and two works by Giovanni Gabrieli.Mäkelä conducts the celebratory Symphony Ball concert on October 10 which includes Walton's Belshazzar's Feast and Stravinsky's Petrushka. Patrons may enhance their experience with a gala package including a private preconcert reception and postconcert dinner and celebration at the Four Seasons Hotel Chicago.Returning in the spring from May 13 to 16, 2027, Mäkelä highlights two works by Finnish composer Magnus Lindberg: the U.S. premiere of a new CSO co-commission and the First Violin Concerto featuring Lisa Batiashvili. The program concludes with Sibelius' First Symphony. From June 17 to 20, 2027, Mäkelä leads the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and distinguished soloists in Beethoven's monumental Ninth Symphony paired with the composer's Elegy.Beyond Chicago, Mäkelä embarks on his first European tour with the CSO as Zell Music Director Designate, performing in Cologne, Dortmund, Essen, Hamburg and Baden-Baden, Germany; Vienna; Luxembourg, and Paris (January 7-22, 2027).Riccardo Muti, Music Director Emeritus for Life — CSO ResidenciesRiccardo Muti, the CSO's Music Director Emeritus for Life, returns to Chicago for three weeks across two residencies in the 2026/27 Season. These performances continue a partnership built over his 13 seasons as the Orchestra's 10th music director.His first CSO residency begins with a program that runs from December 3 to 5 and includes Dvořák's Eighth Symphony, a tribute to the landscapes and folk dances of Bohemia. The program also includes Bartók's Two Pictures and Richard Strauss' Oboe Concerto, featuring CSO Principal Oboe William Welter. Muti continues the residency from December 10 to 12 with a festive Viennese-inspired program featuring waltzes and polkas by Johann Strauss Jr. and family. Pianist Yefim Bronfman joins Muti and the Orchestra for Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 24, following an overture by Cherubini.Muti returns from April 8 to 10, 2027, to lead Rossini's Stabat mater, a work combining operatic intensity with devotional choral music. The performance features the Chicago Symphony Chorus and a distinguished quartet of soloists: soprano Eleonora Buratto, mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong, tenor Giovanni Sala and bass-baritone Maharram Huseynov. The program begins with music from Rossini's William Tell, including the famous overture and the CSO's first performances of ballet music from the opera.Jean-Yves Thibaudet — CSO Artist-in-Residence Jean-Yves Thibaudet serves as the CSO Artist-in-Residence for the 2026/27 Season. A frequent guest and audience favorite at Symphony Center since his debut on the Orchestra Hall stage in 1987, Thibaudet brings his celebrated elegance and technical brilliance to three distinct programs throughout the season.Thibaudet first appears on the Symphony Center Presents Chamber Music series, joining his longtime collaborators, violinist Lisa Batiashvili and cellist Gautier Capuçon. The trio explores the youthful exuberance of early works by Shostakovich and Debussy, contrasted with the darkly Romantic intensity of Dvořák's Piano Trio in F Minor (October 18).In February, Thibaudet joins the Orchestra for Khachaturian's Piano Concerto, a work that blends Armenian folk influences with Russian Romanticism. The Guardian describes the concerto as a "giant, Technicolor work" and a perfect match for Thibaudet's "flamboyant yet precise playing style." The program, led by Fabien Gabel, also includes Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina Prelude and Zemlinsky's lush orchestral fantasy The Mermaid (February 11-13, 2027).Additionally, Thibaudet teams up with pianist, singer and American songbook expert Michael Feinstein for Two Pianos: Who Could Ask for Anything More?, an extraordinary evening that celebrates George Gershwin and his musical universe. In duos, solos and selections with the CSO, Thibaudet and Feinstein offer Gershwin rarities and favorites. The performance is part of a fundraising event presented in partnership by the CSOA and the League of the CSOA (May 24, 2027). Proceeds benefit the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's artistic, educational and community engagement programs in Chicago and across the globe.Chicago Symphony Orchestra ...Full story available on Benzinga.com
