BPO

Mozart's Mass
2026-01-16 10:30, 2026-01-17 19:30 (America/New_York) | Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY, 14201, United States
Our Mozart Festival opens with Symphony No. 38, “Prague,” composed on the heels of one of Mozart’s most famous operas, The Marriage of Figaro’s, tremendous success. This symphony exemplifies the peak of Mozart’s symphonic compositional style, as it features sudden shifts from major to minor modes, and defies listeners’ expectations for symphonic form, adding to the drama and the effect of the piece. Symphony No. 38 is rich in complex subtleties and lyrical sophistication and spans a full spectrum of emotion. Mozart’s unfinished “Great” Mass in C minor follows the symphony. The mass is his most exalted and personal sacred work and was deeply influenced by the Baroque traditions of Bach and Handel. He composed church music without the demand that these composers experienced, challenging the idea that musical progress could only be made by moving forward. The mass’ original movements journey from somber to soaring, with later 20th-century revisions completing the piece.
Maximiano Valdes, conductor
Natalia Sandaliz, soprano
Carmen Isabel, soprano
John Tiranno, tenor
Lester Lynch, baritone
Buffalo Philharmonic Chorus
MOZART Symphony No. 38, “Prague”
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Masterclass with Aubree Oliverson, violin
2026-01-23 19:00 | Clement House @ 786 Delaware Ave., 786 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, 14209, United States
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra hosts incredible guest artists each year on our Classics Series. We make many of these masters available to the community in our Masterclass series. These artists will work one-on-one with talented local students in front of a live audience. All events are FREE with a required reservation.
Please send application and recording to rpudlewski@bpo.org.
DEADLINE: January 2, 2026
All applicants notified by January 9th.
Questions?
Rachael Pudlewski
Associate Director of Education
rpudlewski@bpo.org or (716) 242-7822

Mozart's Violin
2026-01-24 19:30, 2026-01-25 14:30 | Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY, 14201, United States
Continuing our Mozart Festival, enjoy works by two contemporaries of Mozart: Joseph Bologne’s jaunty Symphony No. 2and Maria Theresia von Paradis’s Overture to The School Candidate. The Overture is her sole surviving orchestral piece and is in commedia dell’arte form—one that features many humorous character types familiar to audiences of Italian drama at the time. Mozart’s five violin concertos, composed in 1775, culminate in a Fifth that is imaginative, experimental, and technically challenging. The themes range from energetic to contemplative, and Mozart includes musical nods to French and operatic styles prevalent at the time. The program closes with Symphony No. 35, the fiery “Haffner,” which honors a former Salzburg patron. Though the story goes Mozart composed it so quickly that he forgot “every single note of it,” the symphony was incredibly well-received by the public and the king himself. Fitting with a royal fashion, this composition is bold, regal, and brings the concert and festival to a grand and exciting close.
Anthony Parnther, conductor
Aubree Oliverson, violin
BOLOGNE Symphony No. 2
MOZART Violin Concerto No. 5 in A major
PARADIS Overture to The School Candidate
MOZART Symphony No. 35, “Haffner” 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

BPO UpClose
2026-01-28 19:00 | Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY, 14201, United States
Subscription packages for the 2025-26 concert season are available now at bpo.org/subscriptions.
Two immersive performances designed as a unique, intimate, informal concert experience. Led by BPO concertmaster Nikki Chooi and host BPO bassist Jonathan Borden, the program provides backstory and insight to the short classical music pieces while the audience is seated around the orchestra.

The Music of Journey
2026-01-30 19:30 | Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY, 14201, United States
Bradley Thachuk, conductor
Some of rock’s most iconic music is recreated in this Windborne Production featuring lead singer Juan Del Castillo, a full rock band, and rock lighting accompanying the BPO.
Subscription packages for the 2025-26 concert season are available now at bpo.org/subscriptions.

Uptown Nights with Byron Stripling
2026-01-31 19:30 | Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY, 14201, United States
It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing! Inspired by Harlem’s famed musical hot spots like The Cotton Club and The Savoy, this swingin’ night of musical sensations focuses on Harlem’s heyday when Duke Ellington’s orchestra was the house band, and Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, and Ethel Waters showcased the classics of the Great American Songbook.
Byron Stripling, conductor and trumpet
Carmen Bradford, vocalist
Leo Manzari, tap dancer
Subscription packages for the 2025-26 concert season are available now at bpo.org/subscriptions.

Shostakovich No. 5
2026-02-06 10:30, 2026-02-07 19:30 | Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY, 14201, United States
Composed to express his gratitude upon receiving an honorary degree despite not attending university, a mischievous Brahms penned the tongue‐in‐cheek Academic Festival Overture, which features boisterous student drinking songs as well as folk songs turned songs of student protest. With the energy of the music and the expansive orchestration, the piece tends to lean more into the celebratory side of the title than the scholarly. South American composer Miguel del Aguila’s Concierto en Tango for Cello and Orchestra was commissioned by the BPO and principal cellist Roman Mekinulov, and received its world premiere by the BPO in 2014. The work’s lighthearted, rhythmic syncopation avoids the melodrama of tango’s traditional form, while capturing the nostalgia of its joyful expression, uniquely conveyed by the cello’s depth. Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, which closes the program, is forcedly optimistic and tonal. It proved career and lifesaving for the under-fire Shostakovich because of its patriotic nature and its glorification of Stalin’s Soviet regime.
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Roman Mekinulov, cello
BRAHMS Academic Festival Overture
MIGUEL DEL ÁGUILA Concierto en Tango for Cello and Orchestra
SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 5 in D minor

BPO Little Kids
2026-02-07 10:00, 2026-02-14 10:00 | Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY, 14201, United States
A special Saturday morning session for our littlest listeners, age 0-5, with their caregivers. Join BPO musicians and community partners for fun musical activities designed specifically for tiny ears and growing minds.
Subscription packages for the 2025-26 concert season are available now at bpo.org/subscriptions.

CANCELED: Masterclass with Madeline Olson, harp
2026-02-11 19:00 | Clement House @ 786 Delaware Ave., 786 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, 14209, United States
Please note: This masterclass has been canceled.
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra hosts incredible guest artists each year on our Classics Series. We make many of these masters available to the community in our Masterclass series. These artists will work one-on-one with talented local students in front of a live audience. All events are FREE with a required reservation. Please send application and recording to rpudlewski@bpo.org.
DEADLINE: January 21, 2026
All applicants notified by January 28th.
Questions?
Rachael Pudlewski
Associate Director of Education
rpudlewski@bpo.org or (716) 242-7822

Candlelight and Romance
2026-02-12 18:00 | Clement House @ 786 Delaware Ave., 786 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, 14209, United States
5:30pm- Complimentary Wine and Cheese Reception
6pm- Performance by BPO Musicians
Join us for an enchanting performance by candlelight! Space is extremely limited. Tickets are $100.
For a limited time, purchase tickets to all three Candlelight Concerts for $250. Proceeds from these special events will benefit the BPO’s Education Programs.
For additional information or questions, please contact BPO Special Events Coordinator, Carson Mannino at cmannino@bpo.org or 716-242-7821.

Ruben Studdard – My Tribute to Luther Vandross
2026-02-13 10:30, 2026-02-14 19:30 | Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY, 14201, United States
Ron Spigelman, conductor
Ruben Studdard, vocalist
From his roots in Gospel to forays into R&B and Jazz to top winner of American Idol’s second season, Ruben Studdard has always considered Luther Vandross his hero. He recreates the velvet tones of songs like Here and Now, Aint No Stoppin’ Us Now, Always and Forever, and Dance with my Father for a sentimental return to the ’80s and ’90s.
Stay post-concert Saturday for the annual Sweetheart Dance!
Subscription packages for the 2025-26 concert season are available now at bpo.org/subscriptions.

Beethoven's Fifth
2026-02-21 19:30, 2026-02-22 14:30 | Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY, 14201, United States
Four notes instantly recognizable across generations welcome back the much-loved Symphony No. 5 to the Kleinhans stage. The Fifth’s hallmark four-note pattern, or “short-short-short-long,” was a revolutionary concept at the time, creating a rhythm as the subject line instead of a melody, and one that recurs throughout all four movements. The composer laid the groundwork for future Romantic-era symphonies with the musical triumph and conflict resolution of “light over dark,” ending on a note of hope and human resilience. Copland drew Dance Symphony’s rhythmic jazz motifs from his evocative, unpublished vampire ballet about a morbid conjurer who could raise the dead and make them dance. Copland himself described the three movements as “thin,” “songful,” and “violent,” respectively. In his Piano Concerto No. 1, Beethoven expanded on Mozart’s influence by featuring challenging key changes and bold harmonies in this piece, exemplifying his first compositional era and style.
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
George Li, piano
COPLAND Dance Symphony
BEETHOVEN Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major
BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5 in C minor

The Music of Pink Floyd with The Machine
2026-02-27 19:30 | Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY, 14201, United States
Bradley Thachuk, conductor
The premier Pink Floyd experience returns to the BPO with classic hits timed to a laser light show, celebrating 50 years since the studio album Wish You Were Here.
Subscription packages for the 2025-26 concert season are available now at bpo.org/subscriptions.

Dancing & Romancing
2026-02-28 19:30 | Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY, 14201, United States
Broadway and Hollywood combine for a romantic and entertaining evening of song and dance inspired by the likes of Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Gene Kelly, and Eleanor Powell. With hit tunes like They Can’t Take That Away from Me and Let’s Face the Music and Dance to Singin’ in the Rain and Begin the Beguine, this evening will put a smile on your face and a spring in your step.
Ron Spigelman, conductor
Joan Hess, vocals
Kirby Ward, vocals
Subscription packages for the 2025-26 concert season are available now at bpo.org/subscriptions.

Fredonia Side-by-Side
2026-03-04 19:30 | Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY, 14201, United States
Join us for a special side-by-side concert with the Fredonia Symphony Orchestra! This collaboration features Fredonia’s College Symphony Orchetra performing alongside the BPO featuring conductors JoAnn Falletta and Emily Schaad.
Ticket Prices:
$15 – General Admission
$25 – General Admission + Alumni Reception
Free – All students

Tchaikovsky Meets Elfman
2026-03-07 19:30, 2026-03-08 14:30 | Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY, 14201, United States
A myriad of eclectic instruments—including pots, pans, and metal gadgets—accompany world-renowned percussionist Colin Currie and his BPO brethren in performing Danny Elfman’s Percussion Concerto, which was written for Currie himself. Sounds in the piece are influenced by Elfman’s traveling experience, where he played many metal-based instruments. The concerto, offbeat and idiosyncratic, was orchestrated without brass or woodwinds. Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony was a topic of debate following its composition, as Russian and Western musical tradition joined hands, resulting in a beloved, emotionally lyrical masterpiece. The piece originated as program music—accompanying ideas or a story—about Fate, and its motif can be heard throughout the symphony. Though once plagued by poor reviews and Tchaikovsky’s personal self-doubt, Symphony No. 5 endures and proves its widespread appeal as it continues to bring enjoyment to concert halls like Kleinhans.
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Colin Currie, percussion
DANNY ELFMAN Percussion Concerto
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5 in E minor

Tim Burton's Batman (1989) in Concert | Film with Live Orchestra
2026-03-14 19:30 | Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY, 14201, United States
Ron Spigelman, conductor
The Bat Signal lights up Buffalo when the BPO performs Danny Elfman’s iconic score live while the star-studded Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson movie is projected above the orchestra.
™ & © DC and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Rick Steves' Europe: A Symphonic Journey
2026-03-15 19:00 | Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY, 14201, United States
In partnership with Buffalo Toronto Public Media
Join Rick Steves and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra on a spectacular musical journey through Europe. This unique special blends powerful Romantic-era anthems from composers like Strauss, Grieg, and Verdi with breathtaking visuals and Rick’s cultural insights. Experience Europe’s history, the passion for freedom, and the spirit of unity across borders. Perfect for lovers of music, history, and travel.

Brahms & Bruch
2026-03-20 10:30, 2026-03-21 19:30 | Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY, 14201, United States
The concert opens with The Banks of Green Willow, George Butterworth’s idyllic work comprised of two English folk songs. The pastoral piece premiered just two years before the promising young composer’s demise in the trenches of World War I. German composer Max Bruch was similarly fascinated with folk song and captivated by Scottish traditions. He wove these melodies into his violin showpiece, Scottish Fantasy. The orchestration aurally paints many Scottish scenes for listeners as Bruch emulates bagpipes and war music. Meanwhile, in Brahms’ expressive Symphony No. 1, finely dubbed “Beethoven’s Tenth”—the composer set out to follow in the musical giant’s footprints after hearing his Ninth Symphony. While many Early-Romantic composers attempted to emulate Beethoven through stark contrasts and an abundance of stunning melodies, Brahms followed Beethoven’s precedent for allowing just a few musical ideas to undergo a journey and transformation throughout a piece. Through the development of these ideas, Brahms tells a story, rife with compelling drama. Due to his perfectionism, the piece gestated for twenty-two years before he allowed it to be heard by the public. Listeners will swing on the emotional pendulum as the movements progress, before the concert ends with a sweeping chorale and majestic final cadence.
JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Simone Porter, violin
BUTTERWORTH The Banks of Green Willow
BRUCH Scottish Fantasy
BRAHMS Symphony No. 1 in C minor

Andrew Bird with the BPO
2026-04-07 20:00 | Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY, 14201, United States
With a distinctive sound that resists categorization, Grammy-nominated violinist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird makes his debut with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Balancing swelling sounds with jazz, folk, and pop melodies in an unforgettable display of unique virtuosity, Bird celebrates the 20th anniversary of his acclaimed record The Mysterious Production of Eggs. Featuring a top-to-bottom album performance with orchestral arrangements, Bird caps off the performance with a suite of fan-favorite tunes from his near 30-year repertoire.
Since beginning his recording career in 1997, Andrew Bird has released 18 albums and performed extensively across the globe, headlining concerts at Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, and festivals worldwide. Bird has been a featured TED Talks presenter, a New Yorker Festival guest, and an op-ed contributor for the New York Times. He performed as the Whistling Caruso in Disney’s The Muppets and scored the FX Series Baskets. Shortly after receiving his 2020 Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album, Bird made his professional acting debut in the cast of FX’s Fargo. In 2025, Bird celebrates the 20th anniversary of his acclaimed record The Mysterious Production of Eggs with a limited run of concerts, performing the record for the first time in its entirety alongside a full orchestra.

Masterclass with Pablo Sáinz Villegas, guitar
2026-04-10 19:00 | Clement House @ 786 Delaware Ave., 786 Delaware Ave., Buffalo, 14209, United States
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra hosts incredible guest artists each year on our Classics Series. We make many of these masters available to the community in our Masterclass series. These artists will work one-on-one with talented local students in front of a live audience. All events are FREE with a required reservation. Please send application and recording to rpudlewski@bpo.org.
DEADLINE: March 20, 2026
All applicants notified by March 27th.
Questions?
Rachael Pudlewski
Associate Director of Education
rpudlewski@bpo.org or (716) 242-7822

Pablo's Guitar
2026-04-11 19:30 | Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Circle, Buffalo, NY, 14201, United States
This program will take listeners on a tour of melodies hailing from around the world. Bacewicz’s six-minute Overture for Orchestra was composed during the German occupation of Poland and offers an exciting, perpetually shifting palette of colors. The short duration of this Overture does not keep Bacewicz from demonstrating a litany of orchestral sounds and moods in her composition, overlooked until recently. Meanwhile, Spaniard Joaquin Rodrigo’s animated Concierto de Aranjuez features elaborate instrumentation for classical guitar. The piece took its first recorded form as a Braille manuscript carried into Spain by Rodrigo at the outbreak of the Second World War. Fauré’s Pelléas et Mélisande Suite offers a contemplative reprieve in a romantic and tragic orchestral retelling of elicit lovers and their star-crossed fate, and Alexander Borodin brings the program’s close with his colorful Symphony No. 2, which evokes the exuberance of Russian folk dances. This concert brings the songs of people across time and space to listeners for an experience full of diverse musical landscapes.
Anna Sułkowska-Migoń, conductor
Pablo Sáinz Villegas, guitar
BACEWICZ Overture for Orchestra
RODRIGO Concierto de Aranjuez
FAURÉ Pelléas et Mélisande Suite
BORODIN Symphony No. 2 in B minor
