The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera has announced its 2025-26 season. Titled “Reflection,” it will mark the beginning of a three-year initiative titled “Unspoken – Our Stories Through Sound.”
Framed as a musical exploration of the past, present and future, the new season will invite audiences to “reflect on history through a tapestry of orchestral storytelling,” writes CSO Music Director Ilya Ram in a message to patrons.
“The 2025–26 season will be a celebration of our history. With each performance, we’ll explore the triumphs, challenges and transformative moments that have shaped us.”
Masterworks Series
The Barnett & Company Masterworks Series will bring this theme to life through a lineup of landmark symphonic works. Opening night on Sept. 11 will feature Claude Debussy’s “La Mer,” a tribute to the sea, alongside William Grant Still’s “Festive Overture,” Gershwin’s jazzy “Piano Concerto in F” and Lili Boulanger’s “D’un matin de printemps.” Pianist Ying Li will perform as guest soloist.
On Oct. 16, the CSO will present “American Reflection,” a program that will highlight both European impact and American innovation.
Cellist Tae-Yeon Kim will take center stage in Antonin Dvorak’s “Cello Concerto in B minor,” a work composed during the Czech composer’s time in the United States. The evening will also feature Johannes Brahms’ “Tragic Overture” and Amy Beach’s “Gaelic Symphony,” a historic composition recognized as the first symphony written and published by an American woman.
The Feb. 19 concert, titled “Side-by-Side,” will bring together the Chattanooga Symphony and the Chattanooga Youth Symphony in a celebration of intergenerational artistry. Under the batons of Ilya Ram and Ismael Sandoval, the program will include Robert Schumann’s “Rhenish Symphony” and Jean Sibelius’ “Finlandia,” both of which are “rich in national spirit and musical grandeur,” writes Ram.
The concert will also feature a movement from “Prairie Nightscape,” a contemporary symphony by Chattanooga-based composer Tim Hinck.
Closing the season April 23, the CSO will present Giuseppe Verdi’s “Messa da Requiem.” This epic choral work will be performed with full orchestra, chorus and four guest soloists.
Pops and specials
The First Horizon Foundation Pops Series will return with a schedule of crowd-pleasing performances.
On Nov. 8, the CSO will take audiences on a nostalgic journey with “Decades: Back to the ‘80s,” a concert packed with iconic anthems.
Later in the season, “Home for the Holidays” will bring a cherished Chattanooga tradition to Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Auditorium with performances Dec. 20-21.
On Jan. 31, the CSO will step into a galaxy far, far away with “Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert.” The original 1977 film will be screened in its entirety while the orchestra performs John Williams’ legendary score live.
The CSO also continues its tradition of community-centered events. A December run of Handel’s “Messiah” will take place at First Presbyterian Church and Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church. In March, the CSO will stage a family-friendly production of “The Pirates of Penzance” as well as present “The Velvet Chair Experience.”
Front Row Series
Making its debut this year, the Barnett & Company Front Row Series will redefine how local audiences engage with orchestral music, Ram announces. Held in smaller, nontraditional venues like the Hotel Chalet’s Beverly Ballroom, the series will focus on proximity and intimacy.
“Front Row isn’t a seat – it’s an experience,” writes Ram, underscoring the series’ goal of bringing listeners closer to the performers and the music.
Highlights will include “Second to None” Nov. 16, a thoughtfully curated program featuring second symphonies by Ludwig van Beethoven and French Romantic composer Louise Farrenc. The concert will also include “Fate Now Conquers,” a contemporary work by American composer Carlos Simon that draws inspiration from Beethoven’s sketchbooks.
On Jan. 25, the CSO will explore the cultural heart of classical music with “Bohemian Viennese,” a concert celebrating Vienna’s rich musical heritage. The program will feature Marianna Martines’ “Sinfonia in C,” Franz Schubert’s poignant “Unfinished Symphony” and Mozart’s spirited “Prague Symphony.”
Community impact and support
Beyond the stage, the CSO remains committed to outreach and education, Ram writes. Subscriptions for the 2025–2026 season come with exclusive benefits including early access to tickets and discounted performances. More importantly, they’ll help sustain the CSO’s mission to “enrich lives through music.”
“Your subscription allows you to not only witness these stories but to shape them as part of a living, breathing journey that belongs to all of us,” Ram writes.
Ram also emphasizes the broader impact of community support: “Your support enables the CSO to inspire and connect tens of thousands of individuals each year through music and education.”
The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera’s “Reflection” season begins Sept. 11. Subscriptions and individual concert add-ons are available now at chattanoogasymphony.org.