Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Upcoming Events & Tickets
Event Details
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra 2025-26 Season Info
The season opens in September with the Pops concert Disco Divas on September 26–28, conducted by Byron Stripling and featuring powerhouse renditions of disco and ’70s hits — including Donna Summer, Gloria Gaynor, Diana Ross, and Earth, Wind & Fire — bringing vibrant energy to the Bradley Symphony Center.
October 3–5 brings Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, “Ode to Joy,” with powerful chorus forces celebrating the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus’ enduring legacy.
November features Paul Lewis performing Grieg (Nov 14–15) and the cherished traditional Handel’s Messiah (Nov 21–23), offering both virtuosic artistry and festive reverence.
The holiday season continues in December, with programming that includes holiday Pops and community favorites, continuing the season’s blend of classical and festive offerings.
In January, audiences can enjoy “Beethoven & Haydn” (Jan 23–24), featuring Haydn’s Drumroll Symphony and Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, followed by Mozart-focused programming (Jan 31–Feb 1) that includes Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 and Symphony No. 38.
February brings major works like Saint-Saëns’s “Organ” Symphony, led by Masur with composer Edmund Finnis’s world premiere The Landscape Wakes, and selections from Sleeping Beauty’s ballet score.
In March, the orchestra presents Joyce Yang playing Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto (Feb 27–Mar 1), followed by Hadelich & Brahms (Mar 6–7), and culminates with Bach’s St. Matthew Passion (Mar 20–21) — a profound display of choral and musical artistry.
April offers a rich mix with Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 1, Schumann Romance, and vibrant Spanish-inflected works like Ravel’s Rapsodie espagnole (Apr 17–18 & Apr 25–26).
May centers on Copland & Twain: An America250 Celebration (May 8–10), blending Copland’s music with Mark Twain’s writings, and Stravinsky’s Firebird (May 29–30) — a celebration of American heritage and orchestral brilliance.
The season concludes in June with two grand finales: Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 2 paired with Saint-Saëns’s Violin Concerto No. 3 (June 5–6) and Beethoven’s monumental Missa Solemnis, featuring the Milwaukee Symphony Chorus (June 13–14).
From opening heroism and classical mastery through seasonal favorites and modern storytelling, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s 2025–26 season unfolds across ten rich months of musical journeys designed to inspire, uplift, and honor tradition!
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra 2025-26 Tickets Info
Tickets for Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra 2025-26 live performances are available now through EventsChaser, with NO hidden service fees. MSO performances at the Bradley Symphony Center offer a variety of price points to suit different preferences and budgets. Standard tickets typically begin around $85, providing good access from balcony or rear orchestra seats. Mid-tier seating in the orchestra or front mezzanine generally falls between $120 and $150, offering a balance of excellent views and acoustics.
For high-profile programs — such as the Opening Night Gala with Yuja Wang, film-in-concert events like Wizard of Oz and The Godfather, or special presentations featuring Yo-Yo Ma — premium tickets in center orchestra or loge areas can reach $250 or more.
About Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
The Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra is a celebrated American symphony based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, founded in 1959 out of the earlier Milwaukee Pops ensemble. Under the guidance of music directors like Harry John Brown, Kenneth Schermerhorn, and others, the MSO transformed from a part-time group into one of the nation’s premier orchestral institutions. It achieved professional recognition by 1969 and has cultivated a strong national reputation through international tours and Carnegie Hall performances.
Now led by Ken‑David Masur, the MSO is recognized as Wisconsin’s largest performing arts organization. It performs more than 135 concerts annually — including classical, pops, film, family, and education programs — across the beautiful Bradley Symphony Center, housed in a stunningly restored Art Deco theater.
The MSO has been a trailblazer in its field, becoming the first American orchestra to offer live concert recordings via iTunes. It has premiered and commissioned works by composers such as John Adams, Philip Glass, and Roberto Sierra.
Community engagement is central to the MSO’s mission. Its Arts in Community Education (ACE) program reaches tens of thousands of students annually, offering classroom visits, tailored concerts, and educational materials to foster arts access when school budgets are tight.
Through artistic innovation, community outreach, and educational leadership, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra continues to serve as a cultural cornerstone both locally and nationally.
