The South Bend Symphony Orchestra and Grammy-nominated Music Director Alastair Willis announces the 2024-25 Season. Each series is handpicked to inspire, entertain, and connect you with the transformative power of orchestral music! The first Jack M. Champaigne Masterworks Series performance, The Rite of Spring, opens the season with a special Sunday afternoon performance at the Morris Performing Arts Center. A Mozart Piano Concerto begins the June H. Edwards Mosaic Series. Back by popular demand, the Indiana Trust Pops Series opens with the second installment of the Harry Potter Film Concert Series, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Concert! The Shein Trust annual family concert features Eudora Welty’s The Shoe Bird and is the perfect concert for all ages. Maestro Alastair Willis leads the Symphony for two performances, one-day-only, of our beloved Home for the Holidays concerts. And there is so much more!

“The Symphony’s 2024-25 season represents the best of what are–a community resource, a world-class arts institution, and incredibly fun. From Tchaikovsky to the Chamber of Secrets and Nathan Gunn to Aaron Copland, next season is the perfect mix of the music you love, the music you’ve been meaning to get to know, and the music that is about to change your life,” shares Executive Director Justus Zimmerman.

Board of Directors President Dr. Marvin Curtis adds, “There is excitement in this coming season with more diverse repertoire, new collaborations with local arts groups and community members, and fabulous soloists. It is a season not to be missed with something for everybody. Come and join us and be a part of our celebrating 92 years of making music in our community.”

The South Bend Symphony Orchestra is grateful to its Season sponsors: Jack M. Champaigne, Indiana Trust Wealth Management, Shein Trust, Jordan Lexus of Mishawaka, and The Stscherban Everett Group Baird Private Wealth Management. In addition, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra acknowledges generous operating support from the Indiana Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Community Foundation of St Joseph County.

Season subscriptions for 2024-25 are on sale now. For more information, visit the South Bend Symphony’s website at www.southbendsymphony.org or call the office at 574-232-6343.

THE JACK M. CHAMPAIGNE MASTERWORKS SERIES consists of five magnificent programs:

THE RITE OF SPRINGSunday, September 15, 2024
The 92nd Season opens with Stravinsky’s iconic work with its aggressive rhythms of ritualistic chanting and foot-stamping, percussively beaten out.

Carlos Simon – Four Black American Dances
Poulenc – Les Biches
Stravinsky – The Rite of Spring

TCHAIKOVSKY’S VIOLIN CONCERTO Saturday, February 15, 2025
Indulge in the virtuosity of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35, followed by the majestic allure of Brahms Symphony No. 3. Experience an evening of unparalleled musical brilliance and be transported by the captivating melodies of these timeless masterpieces.

Brahms – Symphony No. 3
Tchaikovsky – Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35

ALASTAIR PRESENTS: WALTZING WITH STRAUSS March 22, 2025
Sixth in the series, this Alastair Presents takes you to nineteenth-century Vienna and into the musical family of Strauss where overtures, waltzes, polkas, and songs you love were composed for the first time. 

BARTÓK’S CONCERTO FOR ORCHESTRA – April 12, 2025
Indulge in an unforgettable musical journey as Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis enchants with its ethereal beauty, Piazzolla’s Bandoneon Concerto as it captivates with its passionate rhythms, and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra as it showcases the virtuosity of each section of the orchestra, blending folk influences with modernist complexity with guest bandoneon player, Hector del Curto.

Vaughan Williams – Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
Piazzolla – Bandoneon Concerto
Bartók – Concerto for Orchestra

RACHMANINOFF’S SYMPHONIC DANCES – May 24, 2025
Enjoy an evening celebrating the vibrancy of the American spirit and classical mastery, featuring Copland’s iconic Fanfare for the Common Man, Hailstork’s dynamic Piano Concerto No. 3, Boyer’s patriotic Rhapsody in Red, White and Blue, and the lush, emotive Symphonic Dances by Rachmaninoff with guest pianist Jeffrey Biegel.

Copland – Fanfare for the Common Man
Hailstork – Piano concerto No. 3
Boyer – Rhapsody in Red, White and Blue
Rachmaninoff – Symphonic Dances

 

THE INDIANA TRUST POPS SERIES consists of three energetic programs:

HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS IN CONCERT – October 26 & 27, 2024

The Harry Potter Film Concert Series returns to Morris Performing Arts Center with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Concert, the second film in the Harry Potter series. For two performances, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra performs John Williams’ unforgettable score live from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets while the entire film plays in high-definition.

ARETHA: A TRIBUTE – January 25, 2025
This high-energy, dazzling tribute to the Queen of Soul features Drama Desk Award nominee Capathia Jenkins and three-time GRAMMY-nominated artist Ryan Shaw performing iconic favorites including “Respect,” “Think,” “A Natural Woman,” “Chain of Fools,” “Amazing Grace,” and more. 

NATHAN GUNN SINGS BROADWAY – May 3, 2025
One of America’s most accomplished and in-demand Baritones today, Nathan Gunn, comes home to South Bend for one magical night with the Symphony for a power packed evening of Broadway’s biggest hits!

 

THE JUNE H. EDWARDS MOSAIC SERIES is a unique, three-concert series that features diverse works in a more intimate setting at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center on Sunday afternoons. Highlights of the 2024-25 Season include: 

MOZART’S PIANO CONCERTO – October 20, 2024
Immerse yourself in the magic of Mozart as Tania Miller conducts Sara Davis Buechner in one of his beloved piano concertos. Additional details to be released. 

APPALACHIAN SPRING + SILK ROAD – January 12, 2025

Experience the timeless beauty of Copland’s iconic masterpiece, Appalachian Spring, as it vividly portrays the American landscape. Kojiro Uzmezaki joins the Symphony as he uses the shakuhachi to transform the landscape imagined in Angel Lam’s Empty Mountain, Spirit Rain, and Takuma Itoh’s Faded Aura.

PUCCINI’S TOSCA – March 8 & 9, 2025

Embark on a journey of passion and betrayal with Giacomo Puccini’s timeless masterpiece, Tosca. Join us as the Symphony and South Bend Lyric Opera reunite for two unforgettable performances.

SHEIN TRUST COMMUNITY SERIES
Special programs have become a tradition for audiences of all ages across the region!

DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS – November 2, 2024
The Symphony leads a city-wide celebration of this vibrant, celebratory holiday.

YOUNG PEOPLES DISCOVERY CONCERTS – November 6 & 7, 2024
An excellent way to introduce children and young people to the world of classical music and to help foster a lifelong love of the arts. The Shein Family Trust Community Series proudly supports the Young People’s Discovery Concerts. Inquire about how your school can be involved.

SHEIN TRUST FAMILY CONCERT: Eudora Welty’s The Shoe Bird – December 1, 2024
Join us for a heartwarming conclusion to your Thanksgiving weekend with the annual Shein Trust Family Concert, Eudora Welty’s The Shoe Bird. Gather the whole family for an enchanting musical journey suitable for all ages and sizes.

SYMPHONY UNDER THE STARS – July 5, 2025
Celebrate the 4th of July with the Symphony, your favorite patriotic tunes, and more.

SPECIALS

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS – December 14, 2024
Two performances, one day only! South Bend’s favorite holiday tradition returns with Music Director Alastair Willis and the Symphony for Home for the Holidays for one day only. A spectacular program of cherished Christmas carols and memorable seasonal tunes that bring joy to all. The perfect gift for the whole family.

CELEBRATION FOR A KING – The Symphony continues to partner with area churches and venues to bring music to the community. The programs will commemorate and celebrate the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dates to be announced.

SUBSCRIPTIONS / TICKETS

Subscriptions – On sale starting February 10, 2024

Discounts, priority seating, and other exclusive benefits are available to season subscribers. Subscribe at www.southbendsymphony.org or by phone at 574-232-6343.

Single Tickets – Please note single tickets are ONLY available directly from the venue.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets in Concert single tickets are on sale to the public on July 5, 2024.

Single tickets are on sale to the public on July 22, 2024.

Single ticket prices start at $21.

Single tickets are available through the Morris Box Office, open Tuesday – Wednesday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Thursday – Friday 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. by phone at 574-235-9190, or online at morriscenter.org.

DeBartolo Performing Arts Center Ticket Office, open Monday – Friday, Noon to 6 p.m., by phone 574-631-2800 or online at www.performingarts.nd.edu.

Dates, programs, and venues are subject to change.

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About the South Bend Symphony Orchestra

The South Bend Symphony inspires the community with the transformative power of orchestral music in all its forms by producing 20 mainstage programs, serving more than 23,000 attendees annually. As the region’s only professional orchestra, the Symphony is committed to diverse sound and a robust arts community in Michiana that entertains and connects people to music.

In addition to being recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and other state and local arts funding organizations, the South Bend Symphony Orchestra is the recipient of the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County’s Leighton Award for Nonprofit Excellence, which recognizes the best-run nonprofit organization in St. Joseph County, Indiana.