23-24 Season Events
*All programs subject to change.
Classics Series
Opening Night: Pictures at an Exhibition
Sat Sep 23, 7:00pm
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Gil Shaham, violin
RANDALL SVANE Quantum Flight
TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto
MUSSORGSKY-RAVEL Pictures at an Exhibition
Boléro
Fri Oct 6, 10:30am
Sat Oct 7, 7:30pm
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Tianwa Yang, violin
RAVEL Alborada del gracioso
ROSZA Violin Concerto
DEBUSSY Ibéria
RAVEL Boléro
Haydn’s The Clock
Sat Oct 21, 7:30pm
Sun Oct 22, 2:30pm
Julius Williams, conductor
Tessa Lark, violin
JENKINS Charlestonia Folk Rhapsody
DVOŘÁK Romance
RAVEL Tzigane
ELENA ROUSSANOVA Moments of Arrival
HAYDN Symphony No. 101, “The Clock”
Rachmaninoff Festival
Piano No. 3
Fri Nov 3, 10:30am
Sat Nov 4, 7:30pm
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Alexander Malofeev, piano
RACHMANINOFF Vocalise
RACHMANINOFF Isle of the Dead
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 3
Rachmaninoff Festival
Piano No. 2
Sat Nov 11, 7:30pm
Sun Nov 12, 2:30pm
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Fabio Bidini, piano
RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2
RACHMANINOFF Symphony No. 2
JoAnn’s Classical Christmas
Fri Dec 8, 10:30am
Sat Dec 9, 7:30pm
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Natalie Debikey Scanio, piccolo
Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus
A program of holiday favorites including Vivaldi’s Piccolo Concerto.
Tchaikovsky & Mozart
Fri Jan 12, 10:30am
Sat Jan 13, 7:30pm
Laura Jackson, conductor
Ying Li, piano
TCHAIKOVSKY Romeo and Juliet, Overture Fantasy
MOZART Piano Concerto No. 20
JIMMY LOPEZ-BELLIDO Symphony No. 3, “Altered Landscape”
Strauss & Schumann
Sat Jan 27, 7:30pm
Sun Jan 28, 2:30pm
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Henry Ward, oboe
MICHAEL ABELS Delights and Dances
STRAUSS Oboe Concerto
SCHUMANN Symphony No. 3, “Rhenish”
Shostakovich & Six Strings
Fri Feb 2, 10:30am
Sat Feb 3, 7:30pm
Robert Moody, conductor
DJ Sparr, electric guitar
MASON BATES Desert Transport
DARON HAGEN Concerto for Electric Guitar and Orchestra
SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 10
New World Symphony
Sat Feb 17, 7:30pm
Sun Feb 18, 2:30pm
Teddy Abrams, conductor
Cantor Penny Myers, narrator
MICHAEL TILSON-THOMAS “From the Diary of Anne Frank”
DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”
Don Quixote
Fri Mar 1, 10:30am
Sat Mar 2, 7:30pm
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Roman Mekinulov, cello
RAVEL Rhapsodie espagnole
STRAUSS Don Quixote
Mendelssohn’s Reformation
Fri Mar 15, 10:30am
Sat Mar 16, 7:30pm
Leon Botstein, conductor
Melissa White, violin
REGER Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Beethoven
PRICE Violin Concerto No. 2
MENDELSSOHN Symphony No. 5, “Reformation”
Schubert & Wagner
Sat Mar 23, 7:30pm
Sun Mar 24, 2:30pm
Gerard Schwarz, conductor
Julian Schwarz, cello
COPLAND Billy the Kid Suite
FOOTE Cello Concerto
SCHUBERT Symphony in B minor (Unfinished)
WAGNER Excerpts from Die Meistersinger
Beyond The Planets
Fri Apr 5, 10:30am
Sat Apr 6, 7:30pm
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Marina Piccinini, flute
Women’s Choir of Buffalo
NINA SHEKHAR Lumina
CHRISTOPHER THEOFANIDIS The Universe in Ecstatic Motion
HOLST The Planets
Beethoven’s Emperor
Sat Apr 20, 7:30pm
Sun Apr 21, 2:30pm
Rune Bergmann, conductor
Stewart Goodyear, piano
VIVIAN FUNG Prayer
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”
SIBELIUS Symphony No. 2
Chooi Brothers & Bach
Fri May 3, 10:30am
Sat May 4, 7:30pm
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Timothy Chooi, violin
Nikki Chooi, violin
ROBERTO SIERRA Dos Piezas
PROKOFIEV Violin Concerto No. 1
BACH Concerto for Two Violins
BRAHMS Serenade No. 2 in A major
Beethoven’s Ninth
Sat May 11, 7:30pm
Sun May 12, 2:30pm
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Nikki Chooi, violin
Jaclyn Grossman, soprano
Hannah Shea, alto
John Tiranno, tenor
Lester Lynch, bass
Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus
SIBELIUS Violin Concerto
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 9
Mahler’s Resurrection
Sat Jun 1, 7:30pm
Sun Jun 2, 2:30pm
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Ilana Davidson, soprano
Susan Platts, mezzo soprano
Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus
MAHLER Symphony No. 2, “Resurrection”
Pops Series
John Williams’ Movie Music
Fri Sep 29, 10:30am
Sat Sep 30, 7:30pm
Enrico Lopez-Yañez, conductor
The BPO kicks off our blockbuster Pops season with hits from your favorite John Williams film scores, including Harry Potter, Home Alone, Superman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Star Wars, ET, Jurassic Park, and more.
Aida Cuevas “The Queen of Mariachi”
Sat Oct 14, 7:30pm
Fernanda Lastra, conductor
Mexico’s master of the mariachi art song, Aida Cuevas’ unique voice and style have entertained international audiences for over 45 years. Featuring hits including Te Doy las Gracias and Quizás Mañana, plus ranchero classics such as Traición a Juan, Toro Relajo, and No Me Amenaces.
From Godspell to Wicked and Beyond!
Sat Oct 28, 7:30pm
Jason Seber, conductor
Stephen Schwartz, composer
Debbie Gravitte, vocals
Liz Callaway, vocals
Scott Coulter, vocals
Grammy and Oscar-winning songwriter Stephen Schwartz shares his stories and songs from Broadway with a stellar cast of performers for an unforgettable evening of musical theatre from Godspell to Wicked and beyond.
Music of Neil Diamond with Jay White
Sat Nov 18, 7:30pm
Fernanda Lastra, conductor
Jay White, vocals
The ultimate tribute capturing the essence and charisma of Neil Diamond once again enthralls BPO audiences when Las Vegas headliner Jay White returns for this one-night-only performance.
Holiday Pops with John Morris Russell
Thu Dec 14, 10:30am
Fri Dec 15, 10:30am
Sat Dec 16, 7:30pm
Sun Dec 17, 2:30pm
John Morris Russell, conductor
Western New York’s No. 1 holiday tradition is always a family favorite, featuring new offerings and spectacular arrangements of holiday classics, sprinkled with the spirit of the season.
Let’s Groove Tonight: Motown and The Philly Sound
Sat Jan 20, 7:30pm
Byron Stripling, conductor
Chester Gregory, vocals
Ashley Jayy, vocals
Brik Liam, vocals
The pop, soul, and R&B sounds of Motown face off with the famous hits from The Philly Sound in this incredible evening of classic songs including Ain’t No Stopping Us Now, Love Train, What’s Going On, I’m Gonna Make You Love Me, I Heard It Through the Grapevine, and more.
Disney in Concert: The Sound of Magic
Fri Feb 9, 10:30am
Sat Feb 10, 7:30pm
Ron Spigelman, conductor
A magical multimedia experience celebrating Disney at 100 and featuring animated sequences on the big screen synchronized to new orchestral arrangements of iconic songs, plus behind-the-scenes historical footage, artwork, and sketches.
Rocket Man: Music of Elton John
Sat Feb 24, 7:30pm
Bradley Thachuk, conductor
Michael Cavanaugh, piano and vocals
Broadway star Michael Cavanaugh thrills audiences with his spot-on interpretation of Elton John’s iconic hits in this tribute to the legendary singer-songwriter of over 450 tunes.
First Ladies of Song
Sat Mar 9, 7:30pm
Fernanda Lastra, conductor
Carmen Bradford, vocals
As the lead vocalist with the Count Basie Orchestra, Carmen Bradford is one of jazz music’s most diverse and exciting vocal stylists. She pays homage to legends Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, and Lena Horne in this special program featuring the likes of Fascinating Rhythm, Love Me or Leave Me, and many more.
Cirque de la Symphonie
Fri Apr 12, 10:30am
Sat Apr 13, 7:30pm
Ron Spigelman, conductor
International aerial flyers, acrobats, contortionists, jugglers, and more provide jaw-dropping entertainment on, and high above, the Kleinhans stage, choreographed to classics and pops favorites.
Signature Stars and Stripes
Fri May 24, 10:30am
Sat May 25, 7:30pm
Stuart Chafetz, conductor
Our Memorial Day weekend tradition pays a musical tribute to the men and women of the armed forces who defend our freedom.