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 onductor 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 include the 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 music by film composer John Williams and German composer Richard Strauss.
During this season Tyzik will present a tribute to Grammy-winning musician Chuck Mangione. Tyzik worked and performed with the Rochester native 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 to the 2026-27 season go on sale in the early spring. Individual concert tickets go on sale to the general public in July.
For information about upcoming concerts and tickets, visit https://rpo.org/events/.
— Kerria Weaver works as the Government and You reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on how government actions affect communities and neighborhoods in Rochester and in Monroe County.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra reveals 2026-27 season highlights
Reporting by Kerria Weaver, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
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