Announcing Symphony Nova Scotia’s 2025/26 Concert Season!

Release date:

Halifax/Kjipuktuk, NS – Symphony Nova Scotia is proud to announce a brand-new concert season! From Beethoven to The Beatles, there’s something for everyone in 2025/26.

“At Symphony Nova Scotia, our joy is to create moving, inspiring, and unforgettable musical experiences,” says Artist in Residence & Community Ambassador Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser. “It’s why we practice, why we rehearse, why we perform. Music is a unifying and celebratory force in Nova Scotia, and you are the most important part of that.”

“We can’t wait for you to discover our 2025/26 season,” says Principal Baroque Leader Julia Wedman. “There is so much to warm your hearts and lift your spirits, including some of the greatest baroque, classical, and popular music ever written… Live music has the power to excite, inspire, heal, and bring so much joy. Come experience it for yourself!”

The Symphony’s classical Spotlight concerts take place at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium in Halifax on Thursday and Friday evenings. The Symphonic and Maritime Fusion concerts, mixing popular music and Maritime artists with a full symphony orchestra, are offered on weekends, also at the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium. And our Baroque concerts, highlighting the timeless music from the Baroque era, are performed at St. Andrew’s United Church in Halifax.

Detailed information about the 2025/26 season is available at symphonynovascotia.ca and ticket packages are on sale now at the Dalhousie Arts Centre Box Office (Wed. to Sat., 12 to 6 pm): in person at 6101 University Ave, Halifax or by phone at 902.494.3820 or 1.800.874.1669.

2025/26 Concert Highlights

SPOTLIGHT HIGHLIGHTS

In Symphony Nova Scotia’s Spotlight Series, the orchestra teams up with internationally acclaimed guest artists to perform some of the greatest music ever written. Here are just a few highlights we’re looking forward to in the 2025/26 season:

FUSION HIGHLIGHTS

Symphony Nova Scotia’s Symphonic Fusion Series gives your favourite music the full symphonic treatment, while our Maritime Fusion Series brings you stunning orchestral performances with some of the Maritimes’ most beloved artists. Here are some upcoming highlights:

  • We welcome back Nova Scotia’s reggae royalty Jah’Mila, a dynamic vocalist, storyteller, and genre-defying artist for a radiant, powerful, and soul-stirring orchestral collaboration.

  • The Symphony teams up with some of the Maritimes’ biggest stars like Natalie MacMaster, Heather Rankin, and J.P. Cormier & Dave Gunning.

  • We salute the incredible music of Journey with Jeans ‘n Classics; Jim Witter returns with The Beatles: Long & Winding Road; and American Idol finalist LaKisha Jones sings hits from Aretha Franklin, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, and more in Queens of Rock ‘n Soul.

  • Symphony Nova Scotia celebrates some of your favourite films and TV shows with Disney Pride in Concert in collaboration with the Halifax Gay Men’s Chorus, and a concert that is truly out of this world: Star Wars vs. Star Trek!

  • We also team up with new and groundbreaking musical artists Mary Frances, who will perform alongside her mother Natalie MacMaster, and Halifax’s very own alt-pop pioneers Neon Dreams conducted by our very own Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser.

BAROQUE HIGHLIGHTS

Symphony Nova Scotia’s Baroque Series celebrates the evocative music of the Baroque era with timeless music from Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Purcell, and so much more. Here are the exciting programs offered in 2025/26 with Principal Baroque Leader Julia Wedman:

  • Bach & Friends! We celebrate friendship with a new arrangement of Bach’s beloved Goldberg Variations, the Orchestral Suite No. 3 featuring “Air on the G String”, a Symphony premiere of Bach’s Concerto for Three Violins, plus music of Telemann, Pachelbel, and more.

  • Vivaldi Meets the Middle East! Guest virtuosos Mohammed Sahraei (tar, daf) and Kirsty Money (nyckelharpa) join us in a cross-cultural folk-baroque exploration featuring Vivaldi’s “Grosso Mogul” concerto, Telemann’s Les Nations, and much more.

  • Purcell’s King Arthur & The Fairy Queen! Hear fun, exciting, and touching moments from Purcell’s celebrated operas with the multi-talented Lionel Meunier, Artistic Director of Vox Luminis, and soprano Sinéad White in their Symphony Nova Scotia premiere.

SPECIAL CONCERTS

Besides our curated concert series, Symphony Nova Scotia brings you even more fun, exciting, and spectacular special concerts in 2025/26:

  • Halifax’s favourite holiday tradition The Nutcracker is back again this season in partnership with Halifax Dance and Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia.
  • The Symphony’s annual performance of Handel’s Messiah returns, this time conducted by the Symphony’s own chorus master Joel Tranquilla.
  • Two Orchestras Play Berlioz when Symphony Nova Scotia teams up with the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra to present a spectacular performance with over 80 musicians onstage.

  • And for one night only, Symphony Nova Scotia presents Jeremy Dutcher & the National Arts Centre Orchestra right here in Halifax! Subscribers get first access to tickets.

Find more details about Symphony Nova Scotia’s 2025/26 season at symphonynovascotia.ca.

2025/26 Concert Listing

SPOTLIGHT SERIES

Mozart & Beethoven’s Seventh
7:30 pm • Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Shizuo Kuwahara, conductor and Kinan Azmeh, clarinet

  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Overture from Marriage of Figaro
  • Dinuk Wijeratne: Clarinet Concerto
  • Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 7

Sara Davis Buechner Plays Beethoven’s “Emperor”
7:30 pm • Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Stefan Asbury, conductor and Sara Davis Buechner, piano

  • Ottorino Respighi: Trittico Botticelliano
  • Sarah Gibson: warp & weft
  • Ludwig van Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor”

Magnificent Mozart
7:30 pm • Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Wilbur Lin, conductor; Philip Chiu, piano; and introducing: Devin Huang, piano

  • Antonio Salieri: Overture from Les Horaces
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Overture from Don Giovanni
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Concerto for Two Pianos
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Symphony No. 38, “Prague”

Beethoven’s Violin Concerto
7:30 pm • Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Julien Proulx, conductor and Blake Pouliot, violin

  • Grażyna Bacewicz: Concerto for String Orchestra
  • Jean Sibelius: Pelléas and Mélisande
  • Ludwig van Beethoven: Violin Concerto

Mendelssohn’s Scottish & Bruch’s Violin
7:30 pm • Thursday, March 5, 2026
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Jean-Claude Picard, conductor and Renaud Lapierre, violin

  • Errollyn Wallen: Photography
  • Max Bruch: Violin Concerto No. 1
  • Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 3, “Scottish”

Mahler’s Titan Symphony
7:30 pm • Thursday, March 26, 2026
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Illia Ovcharenko, piano and Curtis Dietz, trumpet

  • Raven Chacon: Ashdla’ (I Musici commission)
  • Dmitri Shostakovich: Piano Concerto No. 1
  • Gustav Mahler: Symphony No. 1, “Titan” (chamber orchestra version by Klaus Simon)

Dvořák’s Cello Concerto
7:30 pm • Thursday, April 30, 2026
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Cameron Crozman, cello

  • John Estacio: Brio: Toccata and Fantasy for Orchestra
  • Antonín Dvořák: Cello Concerto
  • Antonín Dvořák: Symphony No. 8

SYMPHONIC FUSION SERIES

Queens of Rock ‘n Soul
7:30 pm • Friday, Nov. 14, 2025*
7:30 pm • Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: LaKisha Jones, vocals
Geneviève Leclair, conductor

The Music of Journey
7:30 pm • Friday, Jan. 23, 2026*
7:30 pm • Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026
2:00 pm • Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Jeans ‘n Classics
Greg Burton, conductor

Star Wars vs. Star Trek
7:30 pm • Friday, Feb. 27, 2026*
7:30 pm • Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Lucas Waldin, conductor

The Beatles: Long & Winding Road
7:30 pm • Friday, March 13, 2026*
7:30 pm • Saturday, March 14, 2026
2:00 pm • Sunday, March 15, 2026
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Jim Witter, vocals, piano, guitar
Greg Burton, conductor

Disney Pride in Concert
7:30 pm • Friday, April 10, 2026*
7:30 pm • Saturday, April 11, 2026
2:00 pm • Sunday, April 12, 2026
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, conductor
Halifax Gay Men’s Chorus
Bryan Crocker, artistic director

*Please note: Symphonic Fusion Series subscription concerts are on Fridays and include Friday, Nov. 14, Friday, Jan. 23, Friday, Feb. 27, Friday, March 13, and Friday, April 10.

MARITIME FUSION SERIES

Jah’Mila’s Radiant Reggae Roots
7:30 pm • Friday, Oct. 3, 2025*
7:30 pm • Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Jah’Mila, vocals
Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, conductor

Natalie MacMaster with Mary Frances
7:30 pm • Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025*
2:00 pm • Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Natalie MacMaster, fiddle, step dance
Mary Frances, fiddle, piano, step dance
Scott Macmillan, conductor

A Gunning & Cormier Christmas
7:30 pm • Friday, Nov. 28, 2025*
7:30 pm • Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Dave Gunning, guitar & vocals
J.P. Cormier, guitar & vocals
Martin MacDonald, conductor

Heather Rankin
7:30 pm • Saturday, April 25, 2026*
2:00 pm • Sunday, April 26, 2026
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Heather Rankin, vocals
Martin MacDonald, conductor

Neon Dreams
7:30 pm • Friday, May 8, 2026*
7:30 pm • Saturday, May 9, 2026
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Frank Kadillac, vocals
Adrian Morris, drums
Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, conductor

BAROQUE SERIES

Bach & Friends
2:00 pm • Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025
St. Andrew’s United Church, Halifax
Featuring: Julia Wedman, leader & violin solo
Renaud Lapierre, violin
Mark Lee, violin
Casey Granofsky, flute

  • Johann Pachelbel: Canon and Gigue
  • Johann Sebastian Bach: Concerto for Three Violins in D Major
  • Johann Sebastian Bach: Suite based on Goldberg Variations
  • Johann Sebastian Bach: Suite No. 3 in D Major
  • Plus works by Johann Friedrich Fasch, Johann Georg Pisendel, and Georg Philipp Telemann

Vivaldi Meets the Middle East
2:00 pm • Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026
St. Andrew’s United Church, Halifax
Featuring: Julia Wedman, leader & violin solo
Mohammad Sahraei, tar & daf
Kirsty Money, nyckelharpa

  • Vivaldi: “Grosso Mogul” Violin Concerto
  • Geminiani: Concerto Grosso, “La Folia”
  • Telemann: Overture, Les Moscovites and Les Turcs from Les Nations
  • Telemann: Allegro from Concerto Polonaise
  • Martín y Coll: Diferencias sobre la gayta and Passacalle from Flores de músic
  • Purcell: Curtain Tune from Timon of Athens
  • Mozart: Rondo alla Turca (Turkish March)
  • Plus, traditional Persian music, Swedish polskas, original compositions from Mohammad Sahraei, and more!

Purcell’s King Arthur & The Fairy Queen
2:00 pm • Sunday, April 19, 2026
St. Andrew’s United Church, Halifax
Featuring: Lionel Meunier, leader & recorder solo
Sinéad White, soprano

  • George Frideric Handel: Il delirio amoroso (The Delirium of Love)
  • Henry Purcell: Dances and arias from King Arthur and The Fairy Queen

SPECIAL CONCERTS

The Nutcracker
7:30 pm • Dec. 5, 12, 13, 14, 2025
2:00 pm • Dec. 6, 7, 13, 14, 2025
4:00 pm • Dec. 11, 2025
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Halifax Dance and Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia

  • Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker

Handel’s Messiah
7:30 pm • Friday, Dec. 19, 2025
7:30 pm • Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Joel Tranquilla, conductor & chorus master
Amy Petrongelli, soprano
Vicki St. Pierre, mezzo-soprano
Edward Blancada, tenor
Matthew Pauls, baritone
Symphony Nova Scotia Chorus with Halifax Camerata Singers

  • George Frideric Handel: Messiah

Two Orchestras Play Berlioz
2:00 pm • Sun. Feb. 22, 2026
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, conductor
Symphony Nova Scotia
The Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra

  • Hector Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique

Symphony Nova Scotia Presents Jeremy Dutcher & the National Arts Centre Orchestra
7:30 pm Thursday, April 16, 2026
The Rebecca Cohn Auditorium, Halifax
Featuring: Jeremy Dutcher, vocals & piano
Alexander Shelley, conductor
The National Arts Centre Orchestra

Concert programs and guest artists are subject to change.

Learn more and get your ticket packages today at symphonynovascotia.ca.

About Symphony Nova Scotia
Symphony Nova Scotia is Nova Scotia’s orchestra. With a home base in Halifax/Kjipuktuk and performances across the province, Symphony Nova Scotia is proud to be a vibrant, vital part of Nova Scotia’s rich cultural community. From spectacular orchestral concerts to free family events, youth and seniors’ activities, and educational partnerships, Symphony Nova Scotia creates unforgettable experiences with truly great music. Visit symphonynovascotia.ca to learn more, listen online, or get tickets today!

For more information, please contact:

Emily Richards
Director of Marketing and Communications
Symphony Nova Scotia
902.421.5264
[email protected]
symphonynovascotia.ca