The Cleveland Orchestra announced its 2026–27 season on April 16, marking the 25th and final year of Music Director Franz Welser-Möst’s tenure with the ensemble. The season, which spans Severance Music Center and international venues, includes staged opera, an 81st international tour, and celebratory programs for two major ensemble anniversaries.

The season’s centerpiece will be staged performances of Richard Strauss’s opera Die Frau ohne Schatten, presented in spring 2027 as part of the fifth Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival. In October, Welser-Möst will lead the orchestra on its 81st international tour — 15 concerts across nine European nations. The Cleveland Orchestra Chorus marks its 75th anniversary in October with a concert featuring Grammy Award-winning composer Eric Whitacre conducting the U.S. premiere of his work Eternity in an Hour. The Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra celebrates its 40th year.

Guest artists for the season include conductors Petr Popelka, Jane Glover, Elim Chan, and Santtu-Matias Rouvali, as well as composer-conductors Thomas Adès, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and John Adams. Soloists include violinist Augustin Hadelich and pianists Seong-Jin Cho and Yunchan Lim. In January, the orchestra will travel to Carnegie Hall and will continue its 20-year Miami partnership residency. Subscription information is available at clevelandorchestra.com.

Source: The Cleveland Orchestra