Toronto Symphony Orchestra Invites Listeners to Discover a World of Sound in Globe-Spanning 2025/26 Season

The Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is excited to announce its 2025/26 concert season—an array of extraordinary musical experiences featuring works and artists from across the globe. For what promises to be a year of unprecedented international attention on Toronto during the World Cup, Music Director Gustavo Gimeno has crafted a season that broadens cross-border creative connections. This diversity of programming is reflected in the TSO’s wide-ranging concert series—showcasing orchestral gems, new creative voices, widely played hits of the past and present, entertaining entry points for young audiences, and sweeping cinematic soundscapes—designed to appeal and speak to everyone. Highlights include the return of megastar pianist Lang Lang to perform Beethoven’s exalted “Emperor” Concerto as part of a Gala evening in support of the TSO’s education programs; the Canadian Première of a new, TSO co-commissioned Concerto for Orchestra written and conducted by beloved Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi; and power-packed tributes to iconic artists, from Billy Joel and The Beatles to John Williams and the legendary women of soul. Subscriptions to the TSO’s 2025/26 season are now available at TSO.CA/Subscribe.

“Gustavo Gimeno has programmed a truly exceptional 2025/26 season, highlighting the power of music to transcend borders and transform listeners,” says Mark Williams, Beck Family CEO of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. “There is something for everyone at the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and together we will enjoy the wide variety of classical, Pops, film, and family concerts that bring us together as a community of music lovers all season long and community is what it’s all about. Your presence, your energy, and your love for this orchestra—your orchestra—are what make everything we do possible. Whether you are a donor or a long-time subscriber, or are attending for the first time, I encourage you to explore what our 2025/26 season has to offer. There is something extraordinary waiting for you, and we would love for you to join us.”

Image & Video Assets

Watch the 2025/26 Season Preview video:

Additional TSO image and b-roll assets are available in the TSO Media Kit.

Gustavo Gimeno conducting the TSO (Photo by Stelth/Courtesy of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra)Steven Reineke conducting the TSO (Photo by Allan Cabral/Courtesy of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra)Daniel Barthlomew-Poyser conducting the TSO (Photo by Allan Cabral/Courtesy of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra)Gustavo Gimeno conducting the TSO (Photo by Allan Cabral/Courtesy of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra)

Gustavo Gimeno conducting the TSO (Photo by Allan Cabral/Courtesy of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra)Gustavo Gimeno conducting the TSO (Photo by Jae Yang/Courtesy of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra)Daniel Barthlomew-Poyser conducting the TSO (Photo by Allan Cabral/Courtesy of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra)Steven Reineke conducting the TSO (Photo by Allan Cabral/Courtesy of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra)

Bruce Liu, piano (2025/26 TSO Spotlight Artist)Joshua Bell, violin (2025/26 TSO Spotlight Artist)Eva Ollikainen, conductorMichael Francis, conductorSophie Dupuis, 2025/26 NextGen Composer

María Dueñas, violinSean Michael Plumb, baritoneFranz Welser-Möst, conductorDenis Kozhukhin, piano

Francesco Piemontesi, pianoAnoushka Shankar, sitarMao Fujita, pianoCarolyn Kuan, conductor

Gabel Fabien, conductorJean-Yves Thibaudet, pianoNicholas Buc, conductorPaavo Jarvi, conductor

Susan Platts, mezzo-sopranoKsenija Sidorova, accordionAbel Selaocoe, celloDalia Stasevska, conductor

Lauren Snouffer, sopranoJoe Hisaishi, conductor & composerDashan (Mark Rowswell)Gerard Finley, bass-baritoneLang Lang, pianoLucas Waldin, conductor

Andrew Haji, tenorChristopher Dragon conductorJesse Plessis, 2025/26 NextGen ComposerDarren Xu, 2025/26 NextGen ComposerJulie Roset, soprano

Anthony León, tenorWu Man, pipaElim Chan, conductorLukáš Vondráček, piano

Masterworks Series

Enduring classics and vibrant new works

Curated by Gustavo Gimeno, the TSO’s 2025/26 Masterworks Series is an epic journey of artistic discovery that revisits the cornerstones of the orchestral repertoire while seeking to build upon them with works that are thrillingly new and classically non-traditional. The season opens with Carmina Burana, featuring Carl Orff’s explosively primal tour de force, which sees Gimeno and the orchestra joined by the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, the Toronto Children’s Chorus, and three extraordinary soloists—soprano Julie Roset (an Operalia winner in her TSO début), tenor Andrew Haji, and baritone Sean Michael Plumb (also in his TSO début). Adding contrast to the program is the Canadian Première of a jazz-infused Concerto for Orchestra by the legendary Wynton Marsalis, co-commissioned by the TSO. Other monumental works presented over the course of the series include Mahler’s Symphony No. 9; Ravel’s Boléro; Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5; Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3; Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7; music from Wagner’s The Flying Dutchman and Götterdämmerung; Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 3 and a suite from his ballet Romeo and Juliet (both recorded live for release on the Harmonia Mundi label); Sibelius’s Symphony No. 5; Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto (with Concertmaster Jonathan Crow as soloist); Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons; and six Beethoven symphonies, including his colossal and joy-filled Ninth, which crowns the season. The TSO Chamber Soloists performances, curated by Jonathan Crow, also return with five pre-concert performances at select Masterworks concerts.

Taking the stage for two varied programs each are the TSO’s 2025/26 Spotlight Artists, selected by Gustavo Gimeno for their virtuosity and versatility: Brilliant Canadian pianist Bruce Liu, who made his much-hailed début with the orchestra in 2022, performs Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. And esteemed American violinist and conductor Joshua Bell, whose relationship with the TSO goes back more than three decades, performs the Canadian Première of a recently rediscovered Violin Concerto by mid-20th-century Ukrainian composer Thomas de Hartmann, and leads and plays Price’s Adoration and Bruch’s Violin Concerto No. 1 as part of a program in which he also conducts Beethoven’s overture to Egmont and Symphony No. 7.

The soloists performing in the season finale, Beethoven’s Ninth—soprano Ambur Braid, mezzo-soprano Ema Nikolovska, tenor Saimir Pirgu, and bass Jongmin Park—are all appearing with the orchestra for the very first time. Among the other outstanding artists making their TSO débuts in 2025/26 are conductors Eva Ollikainen (suite from Stravinsky’s The Firebird) and Stephanie Childress (R. Schumann’s “Spring” Symphony), pianist Mao Fujita (Brahms’s Piano Concerto No. 2), cellists Abel Selaocoe (Jessie Montgomery’s Cello Concerto, a North American Première/TSO Co-commission) and Pablo Ferrández (Dvořák’s Cello Concerto), and two non-traditional instrumentalists—sitarist Anoushka Shankar (Sitar Concerto No. 2 “Raga-Mala” by her father, Ravi Shankar) and accordionist Ksenija Sidorova (Tõnu Kõrvits’s Dances: Concerto for Accordion and Orchestra, a North American Première/TSO Co-commission).

The internationally acclaimed Paavo Järvi makes his long-awaited return to the TSO podium to conduct the concerto by Kõrvits, his fellow Estonian. Similarly, in his first appearance with the orchestra in more than 35 years, renowned conductor Franz Welser-Möst leads a suite he compiled from R. Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier. Other anticipated artist returns include violinist María Dueñas (Korngold’s Violin Concerto); pianists Francesco Piemontesi (Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 27), Denis Kozhukhin (Grieg’s Piano Concerto), and Jean-Yves Thibaudet (Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 5 “Egyptian” with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and Alexander Shelley); and conductors Elim Chan (Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 9), Dalia Stasevska (Sibelius’s Finlandia, with the TSO and TSYO performing side by side), former RBC Resident Conductor Earl Lee (Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5), and Conductor Emeritus Peter Oundjian (Elgar’s “Enigma” Variations).

Oundjian will also lead the Canadian Première of Joan Tower’s suite from her Concerto for Orchestra—one of 16 premières being given throughout the Masterworks Series. Many of these works were conceived by some of the world’s most celebrated composers, such as Francisco Coll (Lilith Symphony, North American Première/TSO Commission), Carlos Simon (Fate Now Conquers, Canadian Première), Philip Glass (“Meetings Along the Edge” from Passages, Canadian Première). Original pieces by RBC Affiliate Composer Liam Ritz, former NextGen Composer Bekah Simms, and three new NextGen Composers—Sophie Dupuis, Jesse Plessis, and Darren Xu—will receive World Premières, as will a new work by Indigenous composer Cris Derksen that was commissioned in partnership with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) as part of our Art of Healing program.

“In the same spirit of excellence and passion that drives the international athletes vying for the World Cup, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra is poised to present music that resonates on a grand and global scale throughout our extraordinary 2025/26 season,” says Gustavo Gimeno. “Forming an emotional and celebratory arc, the year begins with the exhilarating drama of Carmina Burana and concludes with Beethoven’s glorious ‘Ode to Joy’, and along the way we explore enduring works and compelling premières by living composers. Yet, what excites me most is the diversity of the programs we have crafted—there is something for every listener to discover and enjoy. The magic of live music is in the shared moment, the way it connects us to something greater, and I am greatly looking forward to exploring that connection with our wonderful audiences.”

Pops Series

Celebrating beloved music of the decades

The TSO’s Pops Series, programmed by Principal Pops Conductor Steven Reineke, brings familiar favourites spanning Broadway, film, rock, jazz, and more. This crowd-pleasing collection of electrifying musical moments begins with The Billy Joel Songbook, which brings the iconic Piano Man’s chart-toppers to life through a supercharged performance by the charismatic Tony DeSare on piano and vocals. REVOLUTION: The Music of The Beatles—A Symphonic Experience is an immersive tribute to the most famous band of all time, combining new arrangements of classic Fab Four hits with projections of hundreds of never-before-seen archival photos. A match made in Hollywood heaven is the subject of Symphonically Spielberg: The Music of John Williams, where film fans are invited to relive unforgettable movie moments as the orchestra performs scores and themes immortalized by the legendary director-composer team. Paying homage to the high-powered vocals of Whitney Houston, Gladys Night, Adele, and others, She’s Got Soul sees sensational singer Capathia Jenkins return to take centre stage. And the spectacular series finale shines the Spotlight on Broadway, as the multi-talented GRAMMY^®- and Tony-nominated singer Jeremy Jordan performs a parade of musical-theatre showstoppers.

“One of the many things I love about pops programming is that, because it merges so many different genres, its reach is incredibly broad, and it expands our understanding of what an orchestra does,” says Steven Reineke. “The TSO’s larger-than-life 2025/26 Pops Series is a wonderful example of this, as it brings together favourites from rock, soul, Broadway, and the movies in wonderful tributes featuring some of today’s most talented singers—including my friends Jeremy Jordan, Capathia Jenkins, Mikaela Bennett, and Tony DeSare. We just can’t wait for our amazing audiences to experience all of this truly great music with us.”

Special Performances

Marquee events on the city’s cultural calendar

Subscribers receive priority access to all Special Performances, including Lang Lang’s Emperor—A Gala Celebration. For one night only, the internationally renowned pianist brings his signature flair to Beethoven’s most popular piano concerto, led by Gustavo Gimeno in a program that also features Dukas’s enchanting The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. Other 2025/26 Specials comprise Hisaishi Returns, which sees the composer best known for his Studio Ghibli scores take the podium to conduct his own works including a new Concerto for Orchestra (Canadian Première/TSO Co-commission); Year of the Horse: A Lunar New Year Celebration, a TSO tradition showcasing music that captures the spirit of renewal and prosperity; and the nostalgic films E.T. and The Princess Bride screened with live orchestra.

Holiday Concerts

Musical merry-making and treasured traditions

In 2025/26, the TSO expands its holiday programming with five concerts that are sure to bring comfort and joy to audiences of all ages. Ushering in the festive season is Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake, conducted by Gustavo Gimeno and featuring a suite from the beguiling ballet. Next, Merry Murdoch Mysteries in Concert brings a holiday whodunit to Roy Thomson Hall, as the orchestra performs the score to a special episode of the hit Canadian TV series live to picture. The classic family film Home Alone then receives the same treatment, as John Williams’s unmistakable score is brought vividly to life by your TSO. The stunningly versatile Canadian vocalist Mikaela Bennett returns—following her acclaimed 2024 TSO début in Broadway Blockbusters alongside leading man Ramin Karimloo—to perform a host of classic carols and other seasonal songs in TSO Holiday Pops, conducted by Sarah Hicks. And, of course, Handel’s magnificent Messiah sees the orchestra come together with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, four dazzling vocalists—soprano Lauren Snouffer, mezzo-soprano Susan Platts, tenor Anthony Léon (an Operalia winner making his TSO début), and bass-baritone Gerald Finley—and guest conductor Michael Francis for five glorious performances.

Young People’s Concerts

Edu-taining adventures for junior music lovers

Through a compelling fusion of fun and learning, TSO Young People’s Concerts—one-hour experiences curated by Barrett Principal Education Conductor & Community Ambassador Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser—promise to cultivate a lifelong love of music in the hearts of junior patrons while delighting entire families. The 2025/26 series consists of four engaging programs: Leading up to Halloween, Tricks, Treats ’n’ Tunes is a spooktacular showcase of frightfully fantastic music. Then, the audience gets to play detective during The Composer Is Dead, a hilarious whodunit from the mind of Lemony Snicket, author of the popular A Series of Unfortunate Events novels. Let’s Dance! invites everyone to surrender to the sounds and rhythms of ballet, bhangra, and more—all demonstrated by a cast of incredible dancers. And the highly anticipated World Première of Sandra Laronde and Red Sky Performance’s She Holds Up the Stars brings Laronde’s award-winning novel to life. This mesmerizing journey, of a young Indigenous girl who unexpectedly bonds with a wild horse as she navigates a challenging world, features life-sized puppets, movement, visual art, and a newly commissioned orchestral work by Eliot Britton. 

“Our Young People’s Concerts are all about igniting curiosity and sparking joy through music,” says Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser. “This season, we’re blending adventure, mystery, movement, and storytelling into experiences that will inspire young listeners and their families alike. From the spine-tingling fun of Tricks, Treats ’n’ Tunes to the side-splitting humour of The Composer Is Dead to the dynamic energy of Let’s Dance!—each program is designed to engage, educate, and entertain. And I’m especially excited for the World Première of She Holds Up the Stars, a breathtaking fusion of music, movement, and visual artistry that will leave a lasting impression on audiences of all ages.”

Relaxed Performances

Casual concerts for the Neurodiverse and Disability communities

Created for comfort and inclusivity, Relaxed Performances serve a fundamental role in the TSO’s ongoing efforts to be an orchestra that welcomes and truly belongs to all Torontonians. Designed for the Neurodiverse and Disability communities, and those who enjoy a more casual concert setting, these performances invite attendees to freely move around, vocalize, and experience the orchestra in their own way. Resources, including noise-dampening earmuffs, a Quiet Room, and a Venue Guide, are also made available to ensure patrons feel at ease. In the 2025/26 season, the TSO presents three Relaxed Performances: Tricks, Treats ’n’ Tunes and Let’s Dance!, both conducted by Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, and Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony, adapted from a Masterworks program and led by Gustavo Gimeno. Relaxed Performances can be purchased as a package, or individual performances can be added to any TSO subscription package. 

Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra Performances

Unforgettable musical moments from the next generation of artists

The themes of love, faith, hope, and transcendence pervade the mainstage performances of the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra (TSYO), the phenomenal ensemble of talented young musicians aged 22 and under. At the Meridian Arts Centre’s George Weston Recital Hall, the burgeoning artists perform Mendelssohn’s Reformation, featuring the Romantic composer’s majestic Symphony No. 5, and Death & Transfiguration, anchored by R. Strauss’s profoundly existential tone poem of the same name. And the TSYO brings its season to a passionate close at Roy Thomson Hall with the rich harmonies and transporting melodies of Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2. TSYO performances can be purchased as a package, or individual performances can be added to any TSO subscription package.

Subscription Packages

Subscriptions to the TSO’s 2025/26 season are available now, and they represent the best value for patrons. Subscribers save up to 40% compared to regular ticket prices, and they receive a 20% discount on additional tickets all season long. They enjoy free exchanges on subscription-price tickets and are given priority access to special events before the general public, among other benefits. Curated Masterworks Packages range from three to seven concerts, while Pops, Young People’s Concerts, Relaxed, and TSYO Packages comprise full series (three to six concerts each).

New this season! In response to valuable audience feedback, the TSO has made a number of updates—to performance days, times, and locations—that are designed to bring patrons more options to experience more of the music they love: Beginning in September 2025, every Masterworks and Pops evening concert will begin at 7:30pm, providing earlier access to performances. Masterworks concerts will run Thursday through Sunday—including additional Sunday matinees—and more performances will be held at George Weston Recital Hall, Meridian Arts Centre, with an expanded Sunday series and a brand-new three-concert Saturday evening series. Further, the Pops Series will feature a new Wednesday/Thursday schedule with the same thrilling lineup of stage, screen, and radio favourites.

Single tickets for all TSO performances will be released in July 2025.

To subscribe, visit TSO.CA/Subscribe, call 416.598.3375, or visit the TSO Patron Services Centre at 145 Wellington St. W., Suite 500, between 9:30am and 5:00pm, Monday through Friday.

About the Toronto Symphony Orchestra

For more than a century, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) has played a fundamental role in shaping and celebrating Canadian culture. The TSO’s commitment to musical excellence and ability to spark connection remain as strong as ever. With a storied history of acclaimed concerts and recordings, Canadian and international tours, and impactful community partnerships, we are dedicated to engaging and enriching local and national communities through vibrant musical experiences. Music Director Gustavo Gimeno brings an expansive artistic vision, intellectual curiosity, and sense of adventure to programming the 93-musician orchestra that serves Toronto—one of the world’s most diverse cities. As a group of artists, teachers, and advocates who share the belief that music has the power to heal, inspire, and connect people from all walks of life, we engage audiences young and old through an array of community-access, health-and-wellness, and education initiatives including the TSO-affiliated Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra—a tuition-free training program dedicated to cultivating the next generation of Canadian artists. Symphony With Us at a concert at Roy Thomson Hall, or experience the TSO in your neighbourhood. Visit TSO.CA or Newsroom.TSO.CA.

The TSO acknowledges Mary Beck as the Musicians’ Patron in perpetuity for her generous and longstanding support.

The TSO Season Presenting Sponsor is BMO.

The TSO’s Education and Community Engagement programs are generously supported by the Barrett Family Foundation. 

TSYO Conductor generously supported by the Toronto Symphony Volunteer Committee.

RBC Resident Conductor is generously supported by RBC Emerging Artists.

The TSO is grateful for the support of the Toronto Symphony Foundation and all levels of government, including the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council, the Government of Canada, and the Government of Ontario.