Can’t-Miss Classical in the New Season

By UMS

World-renowned orchestras. Superstar soloists. Boundary-pushing chamber music and genre-defying collaborations.

UMS’s 26/27 season is packed with unforgettable classical performances. Whether you’re a lifelong concertgoer or simply looking for a breathtaking live music experience, these instrumental events belong at the top of your list.

Opening Night: The Cleveland Orchestra

Be there for the triumphant return of one of America’s most celebrated orchestras. The Cleveland Orchestra and music director Franz Welser-Möst are back in Hill Auditorium for the first time in 15 years, opening the 26/27 season with works by Liszt, Martinů, and Brahms.

Three Piano Titans, Three Unforgettable Recitals

This season brings an extraordinary lineup of solo recitals from today’s most electrifying pianists:

Bruce Liu burst onto the international scene with his dazzling win at the 2021 International Chopin Competition, earning acclaim for performances that combine youthful spontaneity with remarkable polish. His UMS debut promises virtuosity with charisma to spare, paired with beloved piano masterworks including Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata.

As evidenced in his sold-out UMS debut recital in 2025, Seong-Jin Cho has become one of the defining pianists of his generation, celebrated for interpretations that balance poetry, precision, and emotional depth. His wide-ranging program includes two works by Prokofiev, whose ten pieces from Romeo and Juliet were arranged for piano even before the full ballet premiered.

Then there’s Yuja Wang, a true phenomenon whose technical brilliance, unparalleled style, and fearless artistry have captivated audiences around the globe. Whether delivering thunderous showpieces or intimate lyricism, Wang transforms every performance into an event. (Program to be announced)

Chamber Music Meets Guitar

The Grammy-winning Escher Quartet joins acclaimed classical guitarist Jason Vieaux for a program that explores the rich, rarely heard combination of string quartet and guitar. Intimate, colorful, and deeply expressive, this collaboration highlights chamber music’s ability to create astonishing emotional immediacy. It’s an ideal concert for listeners who love discovering hidden gems of the repertoire.

Pushing Classical Music Forward

For adventurous listeners, few performances this season promise as much excitement as Andy Akiho and Sandbox Percussion. Akiho’s music blends contemporary classical composition with infectious rhythm, striking sonorities, and influences that stretch far beyond the traditional concert hall.

Performed by the wildly inventive Sandbox Percussion, this program showcases the sheer theatricality and creativity of percussion music — proving that classical performance can be as visually thrilling as it is musically compelling.

Two Living Legends

Few artistic partnerships in classical music are as beloved as Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax. Their decades-long collaboration and friendship has produced performances of extraordinary warmth, humanity, and musical connection. Expect an evening filled with emotional depth and moments of pure joy. (Program to be announced)

Isidore Quartet and Anthony McGill

The dynamic young Isidore Quartet joins forces with Anthony McGill, principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic and an artist who brings extraordinary expressive range to every collaboration. Together, they will perform quintets by Brahms and Mozart, and explore a new work written for the ensemble by University of Michigan alumnus James Lee III.

The Spectacular Sounds of Brass and Organ

The musicians of the Berlin Philharmonic are legendary individually and collectively, showcasing the thrilling power, precision, and brilliance for which the orchestra is famous. Members of the Berlin Philharmonic brass section join celebrated American organist Paul Jacobs and other special guests for a one-of-a-kind Hill Auditorium concert that showcases the brilliant sounds of virtuosic brass blending with the mighty organ.

A Baroque Escape

The Mad Lover reimagines Baroque music through a contemporary lens. Violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte, who led early music specialists Les Arts Florissants in a superb all-Vivaldi program in 2025, returns with lute player Thomas Dunford in a performance that showcases the themes of abandon, yearning, and loss common to the music of the Baroque era.

The London Symphony Orchestra

The London Symphony Orchestra returns to UMS with two distinct programs featuring chief conductor Sir Antonio Pappano and internationally renowned soloists:

This first of two UMS presentations with the LSO features violinist Maxim Vengerov performing Beethoven’s exquisite violin concerto 200 years after the composer’s death, followed by Shostakovich’s tragic and powerful Symphony No. 8.

Cellist Alisa Weilerstein returns to the Hill Auditorium stage as soloist for Elgar’s iconic Cello Concerto. Richard Strauss’s glorious tone poem Ein Heldenleben closes the program with its sensational color and imaginative orchestration, a musical depiction of a hero constantly at battle with its critics.

Take Your Seats to a Season Filled with Discovery

From legendary performers and celebrated orchestras to boundary-pushing contemporary works and intimate chamber collaborations, UMS’s 26/27 season offers classical music experiences for every kind of listener.

The best seats at the best prices are available now when you subscribe to a UMS Season Ticket package. Customize 5+ events of your choice and save 10% off standard ticket prices with a Series:You subscription (our most popular option!), or explore our Choral Union and Chamber Arts package options.

Individual event tickets go on sale Tuesday, July 28.

If you’re interested in even more classical offerings, learn more about this season’s Voices You Need to Hear.