Democrat & Chronicle: Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra reveals 2026-27 season highlights
February 4, 2026
Kerria Weaver The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra revealed its 2026-27 season highlights at the Arbor Lofts on Jan. 31.
RPO serves all Greater Rochester communities in providing the experience of music engagement and education. Each season RPO presents nearly 50 concerts and more than 200 related events.
Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik described how they have many concerts in store this season including three new concerts premiering popular music.
“One is Aretha, it’s a whole concert of Aretha Franklin music and we’re doing a tribute to Billy Joel, one of America’s greatest popular songwriters,” Tyzik said. “We are also doing a new program entitled Southern Rock and we’re doing a program that features the music of Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Allman Brothers, and some of those great bands.”
This season will holds its first RPO Piano Fest which will be a festival featuring international artists performing Rachmaninoff, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and Brahms piano concertos.
RPO Music Director Andreas Delfs said he is excited for the festival this year.
“It will include the Rachmaninoff’s third concerto and the Tchaikovsky first concerto and Beethoven’s piano concerto number five and the Brahms’ second piano concerto,” Delfs said. “The program will also include two winners of the Tchaikovsky medal, which is like the most prestigious piano competition in the world, Olga Kern and Barry Douglas.”
In addition to this festival, there will be a concert that will feature film music by composers John Williams and Richard Strauss.
During this season Tyzik will present a tribute to Grammy-winning musician Chuck Mangione. Tyzik worked and performed with Mangione for several years during the 1970s.
“Chuck Mangione, obviously a hometown hero, but an international artist who passed away recently, he was an amazing jazz artist and we are going to be doing a whole concert and tribute celebration to him,” Tyzik said.
Subscriptions for the 2026-27 season go on sale to in early spring, then tickets to individual concerts will open up to the general public in mid-summer.
