New Bedford Symphony Orchestra

NBSO Subscriptions go on sale Monday, August 4, at 12pm

Join us for the 2025-2026 NBSO Season.

Concert details are listed below.

Purchase a subscription to three or more concerts and receive a discount for each.

To purchase a subscription to all six concerts, click here.

For a subscription of three, four, or five concerts, click here.
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‍NBSO's 2025-26 SEASON

Music of Renewal‍
Sunday, October 19, 2025, 3:00 PM
Kilburn Event Center (concert-style seating)

Yaniv Dinur, conductor
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Guest Artists:
Laura Shamu, oboe
Nicholas Brown, clarinet
Rachel Juszczak, bassoon
Michael Bellofatto, horn

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante for Winds

Evencio Castellanos: Santa Cruz de Pacairigua

Antônio Carlos Gomes: Overture to II Guarany 

Antonio Estévez: Mediodía en el Llano

Arturo Márquez: Danzón No. 2

‍This program will lift your spirits and renew your soul while overlooking the beautiful waters of Buzzards Bay.

Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for Winds is a rare gem showcasing our own principal musicians as soloists on oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn. It is music that breathes—full of dialogue, energy, and grace. A moment to simply sit back and let the sound of Mozart’s genius wash over you.

Overture to Il Guarany by Antônio Carlos Gomes is an exhilarating Brazilian overture bursting with bold brass, sweeping romance, and heroic flair. It’s a dramatic invitation to shake off the everyday and step into something grand.

Venezuela’s Evencio Castellanos composed Santa Cruz de Pacairigua as a riotous, rhythmic celebration of life. With percussive exuberance and colorful soundscapes, it’s music that pulses through your body—reminding us to move, to dance, to feel joy.

With Antonio Estévez’s Mediodía en el Llano, you will experience the orchestra’s lush tones evoking the stillness of the Venezuelan plains at midday. Every note is drenched in sunlight, inviting deep breath and calm reflection.

Arturo Márquez’s Danzón No. 2 is a song of pure joy. It blends lively melodies with irresistible dance rhythms and creates connection between cultures, audience and orchestra, and body and soul.

Come let the music move you—from quiet renewal to joyful celebration.

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Holiday Pops‍
Sunday, December 14, 2025, 3:30 & 7 PM
Bronspiegel Auditorium, New Bedford High School

Yaniv Dinur, conductor and emcee
Appearances by the Southeastern Massachusetts Youth Orchestra and The Showstoppers

Roundup the crew—kids, grandparents, friends who feel like family—and come kick off the season with our Holiday Pops concerts! It’s an all-out celebration filled with jingle-worthy music, belly laughs, and feel-good moments you’ll want to bottle up.

The hall will be decked, the vibe will be merry, and the music? Pure holiday magic. Yaniv and our NBSO musicians will be joined by local favorites The Showstoppers and members of the Southeastern Massachusetts Youth Orchestra for a show that’ll have everyone smiling.

The 3:30 PM performance is a breezy, one-hour concert—perfect for little ones (and early bedtimes). The 7:00 PM show runs a bit longer for those who want to soak up every sparkling note. Both performances are delightfully direct—no intermission, just nonstop joy.

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Romantic Revelations‍
February 14, 2026, 7:30 PM
Zeiterion Performing Arts Center

Yaniv Dinur, conductor
Jesse Holstein,violin

Samuel Barber: Overture to The School for Scandal

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: Violin Concerto

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1

Step into a world of beauty, drama, and deep emotion. Let the power of music celebrate the love and joy in your life. This concert is a musical journey that connects heart and soul.

We begin with Samuel Barber’s Overture to The School for Scandal—a playful, high-spirited burst of wit and charm that sets the tone for a night of bold expression.

Violin soloist Jesse Holstein joins the orchestra for Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Violin Concerto—a lush, soulful work pulsing with lyricism and passion. Written by a brilliant Black British composer whose music was nearly lost to history, this concerto is a rediscovered gem that stirs the spirit and honors resilience.

We close with the sweeping beauty of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 1, "Winter Dreams"—a tender, evocative portrait of longing, memory, and the quiet magic of the season.

Let this concert be your midwinter reset—a chance to feel inspired, reconnected, and swept away by music that speaks directly to the heart.
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Boldness Unbound
Saturday, March 14, 2026, 7:30 PM
Zeiterion Performing Arts Center

Yaniv Dinur, conductor
Cynthia Yeh, percussion

Avner Dorman: Eternal Rhythm, Percussion Concerto No. 2‍

Charles Ives: Symphony No. 2

This concert invites you to feel music in a whole new way—through bold rhythms and familiar melodies re-imagined that will move, surprise, and transform you.

Internationally acclaimed percussionist Cynthia Yeh takes center stage in Avner Dorman’s Eternal Rhythm, a percussion concerto that never stops pulsing, using 12 different percussion instruments accompanied by the orchestra. It's a high-energy exploration of all the sounds and beats these instruments can produce—at once visceral and transcendent. From thunderous strikes to shimmering textures, you’ll feel every heartbeat of this unforgettable piece.

Then, we turn to American iconoclast Charles Ives and his Symphony No. 2—a musical love letter to the American spirit. Blending classical form with hymn tunes, marching songs, and folk melodies, Ives creates a rich, surprising soundscape that feels both nostalgic and ahead of its time.

Together, these works celebrate invention, individuality, and the power of music to challenge, uplift, and connect us.

Take the plunge and let yourself be swept into the rhythm and melodies of unexpected places.

The Human Element
Saturday, April 18, 2026, 7:30 PM
Zeiterion Performing Arts Center

Yaniv Dinur, conductor
Michel Camilo, piano

Missy Mazzoli: River Rouge Transfiguration

Johannes Brahms: Symphony No. 3

Michel Camilo: Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No.1

This concert is a celebration of transformation—of sound, of spirit, and of the boundless possibilities in music that dares to cross borders.

We begin with Missy Mazzoli’s River Rouge Transfiguration—a vivid, pulsing soundscape inspired by Detroit’s industrial heart. It's a musical metamorphosis, where steel and smoke give way to shimmering light and unexpected beauty.

Next, we dive into the rich, emotional landscapes of Brahms’ Symphony No. 3—a masterpiece of tenderness and passion. From its noble opening to its yearning finale, Brahms invites us into a world where strength and vulnerability exist in perfect harmony.

Finally, Dominican-born jazz and classical powerhouse Michel Camilo brings electrifying charisma to the stage with his Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1. Blending Afro-Caribbean rhythms, jazz spontaneity, and classical grandeur, Camilo’s concerto is a thrilling ride—bold, joyful, and utterly alive. And the slow movement will stir your soul.

Feel the rush. Be transformed. Let the music take over.

A Joyous Sound
Saturday, May 16, 2026, 7:30PM
Zeiterion Performing Arts Center

Yaniv Dinur, conductor
Pedro da Silva, guitar

Pedro da Silva: Concerto for Portuguese Guitar and Orchestra

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9

Two worlds meet in a concert of breathtaking contrast and shared humanity.

Virtuoso Pedro da Silva, who is based in New York City but was born in New Bedford, brings the shimmering voice of the Portuguese guitar to the forefront in his own Concerto for Portuguese Guitar and Orchestra—a spellbinding work that blends classical traditions with Iberian flair, improvisation, and global rhythms.

Beethoven’s monumental Symphony No. 9 lifts the evening to transcendent heights. From its stirring opening to the triumphant “Ode to Joy” finale, this is music that celebrates unity, freedom, and the enduring power of the human spirit. This piece never fails to fill you with awe and hope.

A night where passion meets purpose—and joy resounds.

For complete details on NBSO season and subscriptions, click here.

‍NBSO's 2025-26 Chamber Music Series

TICKETING INFO
$35 general admission (fee free)
$140 Subscription to all five concerts (fee free)
All tickets must be purchased in advance.
Subscriptions available here or through the ticket button above from August 19 through October 3.
For individual show tickets, click the links under the show description below.

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CONCERT TIMES AND LOCATIONS

Saturdays, 3 PM
St. Gabriel’s Episcopal Church
124 Front Street
Marion, MA

Sundays, 3 PM
St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
351 Elm Street
South Dartmouth, MA

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“We welcome our indefatigable audience to a new season replete with beloved chestnuts, coruscating contemporary works, and unexpected delights from celebrated creators. Programs feature piano quintets by Louise Farrenc and Franz Schubert; Rachmaninoff’s huge cello sonata and the “Dissonance” quartet of Mozart; Christopor Najarian’s searing Tale for Two Violins; seldom heard quartets of Stravinsky and Prokofiev; and much more to intrigue and delight our growing circle of ardent music lovers. Thank you for joining us on a new adventure!”

—Janice Weber, Artistic Director

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RACH N' SOUL

Oct 4 & 5, 3 PM

Many thanks to Patty Plum Wylde, whose generous Gift of Music has made this concert possible. She dedicates her gift to all teachers of music for their devotion to the art of making music eternal.

Begin in breath, end in brilliance—music that rocks your soul

Reena Esmail: Saans (Breath) (2017)
Sergei Rachmaninoff: Sonata for Piano and Cello in G Minor, Op. 19
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: String Quartet No. 19 in C Major, K. 465 "Dissonance"

EmmaLee Holmes-Hicks, violin
Theo Ramsey, violin
Anna Griffis, viola
Leo Eguchi, cello
Janice Weber, piano

Indian-American composer Reena Esmail’s soulful piano trio Saans (Breath) opens the program with her charismatic fusion of eastern and western traditions. In brilliant contrast, Rachmaninoff’s Sonata for Cello and Piano, written over a century earlier, is testament to the untrammeled passion and virtuosity for which he is celebrated. What better musical capstone than the elegant “Dissonance” quartet of Mozart, showing a master at the height of his creative powers.

Purchase tickets to Rach N' Soul

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QUINTESSENTIALS

November 22 & 23, 3 PM

Warmth, grace, and joy—experience music at its most perfect

Jessie Montgomery: Duo for Violin and Cello (2015)
Louise Farrenc: Piano Quintet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 30
Franz Schubert: Piano Quintet in A Major, D. 667 "Trout"

EmmaLee Holmes-Hicks, violin
Emma Powell, violin
Anna Griffis, viola
Peter Zay, cello
Janice Weber, piano
Peter Walsh, bass

Born in 1804, Louise Farrenc was a true French Romantic whose works are earning – again – a huge following. Her unique Piano Quintet (1839), utilizing string bass, reflects and complements Schubert’s immortal “Trout” Quintet, a work employing the same musical forces. Firebrand American composer Jessie Montgomery proves that less is more with her delightful ode to friendship, Duo for Violin and Cello.

Purchase tickets to Quintessentials

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WINTER FIRE

Jan 31 & Feb 1, 3 PM

Spark your spirit. Melt the midwinter chill

Igor Stravinsky: Three Pieces for String Quartet
Felix Mendelssohn: Piano Trio No. 2 in C minor, Op. 66
Sergei Prokofiev: String Quartet No. 2, Op. 92
Kevin Day: Variation V (Miniature for String Quartet)

EmmaLee Holmes-Hicks, violin
Emma Powell, violin
Anna Griffis, viola
Leo Eguchi, cello
Janice Weber, piano

Beat midwinter chill with warming string quartets by Stravinsky and Prokofiev, the effervescent Piano Trio No. 2 of Felix Mendelssohn, and a devilish Variation V by American Kevin Day, who based this miniature on a variation from Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 5. Keep the bonfires burning!

Purchase tickets to Winter Fire

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STORY TIME

March 28 & 29, 3 PM

Every note tells a tale. Let these stories stir your heart.

Kenji Bunch: Hard Winter/Holler and Stomp
Cristopor Najarian: A Tale for Two Violins
Gabriel Fauré: Piano Quartet No. 1 in C minor , Op. 15
Billy Mayerl: Marigold

EmmaLee Holmes-Hicks, violin
Emma Powell, violin
Anna Griffis, viola
Leo Eguchi, cello
Janice Weber, piano

Kenji Bunch’s intriguing Hard Winter/Holler and Stomp takes a fresh look at Appalachian fiddling and string band traditions while Cristopor Najarian’s Tale for 2 Violins revisits Turkish, Armenian, and middle eastern folk melodies to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the Armenian genocide. Fauré’s sublime Piano Quartet No. 1 and Billy Mayerl’s jazzy Marigold close the program with ineffable joie de vivre.

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FOURSOMES

May 2 & 3, 3 PM

Four voices. Infinite emotion. A season’s end that leaves you transformed.

Akshaya Tucker: Hollow Flame
Lei Liang: Gobi Gloria
Kareem Roustom: Syrian Folk Songs
Johannes Brahms: Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, Op. 60

EmmaLee Holmes-Hicks, violin
Theo Ramsey, violin
Anna Griffis, viola
Leo Eguchi, cello
Janice Weber, piano

String quartets by Akshaya Tucker (Hollow Flame), Lei Liang (Gobi Gloria) and Kareem Roustom (Syrian Folk Songs), each only ten minutes, demonstrate the amazing depth of this genre centuries after its first appearance around 1760. Brahms’s tempestuous Piano Quartet No. 3 in C Minor, gigantic in all ways, represents the pinnacle of romantic emotion.

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