The 2026-27 Season Announcement

The 2026-2027 Season Announcement

Save the dates!
Season Subscriptions will be available for renewal and sale starting on July 1, 2026.

Dear Friends,

As the Canton Symphony Orchestra enters its 89th season, we invite you to join us at a defining moment of discovery and possibility.

This year, we are proud to welcome five exceptional conductors to your MasterWorks series as part of the search for the CSO’s next Music Director! Each finalist brings a distinct artistic voice and vision, offering audiences the opportunity to experience remarkable performances, while shaping what comes next in the CSO’s story.

Alongside this journey, we are very pleased to expand the Employers Health Pops Series into two performances of each concert, increasing access to programs that continue to resonate with the interests of our broader community.

We look forward with great excitement to the 2026–2027 season, featuring community collaborations, beloved repertoire, and new artistic perspectives. From all of us: musicians, volunteers, board, sponsors, contributors, and administration, we welcome you to fully experience your CSO as we look to a vibrant, evolving future.

Rachel Hagemeier,
President & CEO

Bob Porter,
Board of Trustees Chair

Konrad Kowal,
Concertmaster

The 2026-2027 MainStage Series

The Canton Symphony Orchestra proudly presents its MasterWorks and Employers Health Pops concerts as part of our unified “Mainstage Series,” offering patrons greater flexibility and value than ever before. These two distinct series may be purchased individually or combined for a comprehensive season experience, or enjoyed through our newly introduced FlexChoice package. With FlexChoice, patrons may select any seven performances from the ten Mainstage offerings while still receiving a 15% discount, creating a personalized subscription that reflects their unique interests without sacrificing the benefits of a full-season commitment.

The MasterWorks series is the main reason why the Canton Symphony Orchestra exists as a nonprofit performing arts organization. Exploring the vast orchestral music canon, we perform traditional favorites, contemporary and new works, and showcase composers previously undiscovered or under-appreciated throughout history.

The Employers Health Pops series exists to introduce audiences to orchestral programming with music that may be more familiar to them. Whether the full orchestra accompanies a rock band for nostalgic classics or to feature an amazing local band, you are sure to experience the full power of a symphony in a way that will keep you coming back for more.

Season subscriptions will be available for renewal and sale starting on July 1, 2026 through September 26, 2026. The deadline to renew is August 31, 2026.

MasterWorks I: Dvořák’s New World Symphony

Saturday, September 26, 2026 | 7:30 PM

Wesley Schulz, conductor
Rachel Lee Priday, violin

Music Director finalist Wesley Schulz opens the season with a program exploring the American sound, from spiritual traditions to the influence of Hollywood.

Come Sunday – Omar Thomas

Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35 – Erich Wolfgang Korngold

Symphony No. 9, “From the New World” – Antonín Dvořák

MasterWorks II: Bandoneón & Beethoven

Saturday, October 10, 2026 | 7:30PM

Maurice Cohn, conductor
Hanzhi Wang, bandoneón

This performance will be conducted by Maurice Cohn, who will guide us from the streets of Buenos Aires to the foundations of the symphonic tradition, connecting music shaped by dance.

Tangazo (Variations on Beunos Aires) – Astor Piazzolla
Aconcagua, Concerto for Bandoneón – Astor Piazzolla
Andante Moderato – Florence Price
Symphony no. 1 – Ludwig van Beethoven

Jekyll & Hyde: The Musical

Saturday, October 31, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Sunday, November 1, 2026 | 3:00 PM

Doug Droste, conductor
Featuring the Players Guild Theatre

The Canton Symphony Orchestra joins forces with the Players Guild of Canton for a symphonic staging of Jekyll & Hyde during Halloween. Led by guest conductor Doug Droste, the full orchestra will join a cast of regional performers directed by Joy Ellis.

Featuring a score by Frank Wildhorn and a book by Leslie Bricusse, this concert version brings Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic story to life.

MasterWorks III: 100 Years of Shostakovich

Saturday, November 7, 2026 | 7:30 PM

Mélisse Brunet, conductor
Spencer Myer, piano

Guest conductor and music director finalist Mélisse Brunet describes this program as one that “will be very hard to stay seated” through.

This program brings together three composers known for their command of rhythm, giving the orchestra many moments to shine.

Salso from “Tambao” – Horacio Fernández

Piano Concerto in F – George Gershwin

Symphony no. 1 – Dmitri Shostakovich

MasterWorks IV: Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances

Saturday, November 21, 2026 | 3:00 PM

Austin Chanu, conductor
Juliette Kang, violin

Guest conductor and music director finalist Austin Chanu describes this concert as “music connected through rhythmic grooves and dance styles.”

This program was created for first-time listeners of live orchestral music, especially families to explore their first concert experience together.

Brazilian Fanfare – Clarice Assad

Violin Concerto no. 2 – Sergei Prokofiev

Symphonic Dances – Sergei Rachmaninoff

Holiday Pops

Saturday, December 12, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Sunday, December 13, 2026 | 3:00 PM

Doug Droste, conductor
Featuring the Canton Symphony Chorus

The Canton Symphony Orchestra and the Canton Symphony Chorus invite you to join us for our favorite annual holiday celebration. Led by guest conductor Doug Droste, this concert promises to deliver the spirit of the season with your favorite sacred and secular music.

The sleigh bells will ring! Will you be listening?

MasterWorks V: Brahms' Fourth Symphony

Saturday, January 30, 2027 | 7:30 PM

Jacob Joyce, conductor
Chaeyoung Park, piano

Guest conductor and music director finalist Jacob Joyce describes this concert as “exploring three different country-specific approaches to Romanticism, highlighting dramatic works from three fantastic composers.”

Ballade – Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
Piano Concerto in A minor – Edvard Grieg
Symphony no. 4 – Johannes Brahms

MasterWorks VI: Ravel's Piano Concerto

Saturday, February 20, 2027 | 7:30 PM

Yue Bao, conductor
Ying Li, piano

Guest conductor and music director finalist Yue Bao describes this concert as an “exploration of different ways the natural world is translated into sound. It moves from delicate, ethereal language to a showcase of monumental strength.”

D’un matin de printemps – Lili Boulanger
Piano Concerto in G – Maurice Ravel
Symphony no. 2 – Jean Sibelius

The Music of Queen

Friday, March 19, 2027 | 7:30 PM
Saturday, March 20, 2027 | 7:30 PM

Doug Droste, conductor
Featuring Jeans 'n Classics & the Canton Symphony Chorus

It was the most talked about show we presented in 2016. It was the most talked about show we presented again in 2020, just before we lost the ability to share music together in person for nearly two years. In 2027, it will be our honor to present not just one, but two performances of The Music of Queen, performed with Jeans ’n Classics and led by guest conductor Doug Droste.

MasterWorks VII: CSO Spotlight: A Season Finale

Saturday, April 17, 2027 | 7:30 PM

Timothy Muffitt, conductor
Shan Hai, soprano
Featuring the Canton Symphony Chorus

In the spirit of a proper finale, we felt it appropriate to present a true showcase of the talent we are fortunate to have as part of this organization. The virtuosity of both the Canton Symphony Orchestra and Chorus will be celebrated with a program to match.

Don Giovanni Overture – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Variaciones concertantes – Alberto Ginastera
Stabat Mater – Francis Poulenc

Rachel Hagemeier, President & CEO

Bob Porter, Board of Trustees Chair

Konrad Kowal, Concertmaster