Celebrating musical excellence old and new: Edmonton Symphony Orchestra’s 2025-26 season

The outdoor Edmonton Symphony Orchestra Strings perform during the “Symphony Under the Stars” show. (Tourism Jasper)

The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) announced the lineup for its 2025-26 season, including classic sounds, country twang and out-of-this-world tunes.

The upcoming season will be the ESO’s first under newly-appointed Canadian music director Jean-Marie Zeitouni.

• Sign up for breaking news alerts from CTV News Edmonton, right at your fingertips

“I am thrilled to step into this new role with the ESO, an orchestra with such a vibrant artistic spirit and deep connection to its community,” said Zeitouni in a news release.

“This season is all about celebrating the musicianship of the ESO and bringing audiences fresh and powerful musical experiences.”

The season will begin with Zeitouni Conducts Dvořák & Prokofiev, featuring Edmonton-born violinist Jacques Forestier on Sept. 27 and 28. The show will also have the ESO premier of Avé, a new work by Canadian composer John Estacio.

Other ESO premieres this season will include works by composers such as Camille Pépin, Vivian Fung, Elisabetta Brusa, Julien Bilodeau and Jocelyn Morlock.

ESO will also partner with the Edmonton opera for Bravi and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra for The Planets.

Guest artists will also take the stage, including Benjamin Grosvenor, Jaeden Izik-Dzurko, and Jean-Guihen Queyras.

The Robbins Pops Series that showcases pop, broadway, country and rock music will return this season. The music of Whitney Houston, Elton John, Prince, Tina Turner, and The Beatles will be part of the lineup.

The Pairings series will also return, which curates music and beverage tastings, including Paganini & Pinot in November and Beethoven & Beer in March.

For the younger music lovers, the Symphony for Kids concerts will include Peter and the Wolf and Wild Symphony.

From planets near and far to galaxies far, far away, A Cosmic Voyage: Symphony in Space will treat science fiction lovers to the sounds of Rogue One, Doctor Who, Lost in Space, and more.

The music won’t be contained to just the Winspear Centre, as Symphony Under the Sky, ESO Outdoors and Symphony in the Square are set to return next season.

The holiday season is always a special time for music and the ESO lineup includes classics and traditions such as Handel’s Messiah, A Very Merry Pops, and Hollywood for the Holidays.

Other highlights of the season include The Legends of Country in October, The Billy Joel Songbook in January, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in February and Carmina Burana in May.