Classics Series

In 1912, a New Haven resident - the first Black woman to graduate from Yale University - took the stage with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra to premiere her Piano Concerto. 111 years later, New Haven audiences will once again have the opportunity to experience Helen Hagan's music live in a concert hall.  This program will also include Florence Price's stunning First Piano Concerto and Margaret Bonds's musical depiction of the historic Civil Rights events of Montgomery, Alabama.

The season begins with a triumphant return to Woolsey Hall, celebrated with Saint-Saëns’s vibrant and joyful “Organ” Symphony and Joyce Yang returns for Tchaikovsky’s bombastic First Piano Concerto.

2023 GRAMMY-winning ensemble Time For Three stands at the busy intersection of Americana, modern pop, and classical music, offering a blend of vocal and instrumental performances. This unforgettable concert with the full NHSO will dazzle classical music lovers and entrance first-time Symphony audiences.

NHSO audience favorite Joel Thompson (A Snowy Day, To Awaken the Sleeper) offers his poignant elegie in memory of Breonna Taylor for solo cello and orchestra. This concert will also include Florence Price’s Symphony No. 1 and Mark Adamo’s Last Year with guest cellist Jeffrey Zeigler.