CSO unveils schedule for Măcelaru’s 1st season as maestro

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra has released details for its upcoming 2025-26 season, marking the debut of Cristian Măcelaru as music director. 

The season, which begins the first week in October, blends classic orchestral works with contemporary compositions, featuring music by legendary composers George Gershwin, Igor Stravinsky and Johannes Brahms alongside new commissions from Daníel Bjarnason, Lisa Bielawa and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Rita Dove.

The season also includes performances by renowned guest artists such as cellist Yo-Yo Ma, pianists Daniil Trifonov and Hélène Grimaud, as well as conducting debuts by Kristiina Poska, Oksana Lyniv, Tabita Berglund and Samuel Lee. 

Music Director Laureate Louis Langrée will return to lead two programs.

“The opportunity to share music that represents my Romanian heritage and bring a special focus to the American culture which I embrace is an absolute honor,” said Măcelaru, who M&M profiled for its February magazine.

“In my inaugural season, I will be joined by the superb musicians of the CSO and many of my closest artistic partners who will help me achieve the excellence the Cincinnati community has come to expect,” he continues. “I have come to know Cincinnati as a special place with a deep love for the arts.

Măcelaru’s inaugural season highlights

Măcelaru will make his official debut as music director Oct. 3-4 at Music Hall, with Grimaud performing Gershwin’s Concerto in F on piano, along with Richard Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier Suite” and Anna Clyne’s “Abstractions.”

On Nov. 4, cellist Ma – one of the most recognizable musicians on the planet – will perform Edward Elgar’s “Cello Concerto,” alongside orchestral works by Brahms and George Enescu, Mǎcelaru’s fellow Romanian.

Măcelaru leads an exploration of cultural traditions Nov. 29-30, with Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 7, Aaron Copland’s “Variations on a Shaker Melody” and Carlos Simon’s “Tales: A Folklore Symphony.” The program also includes Bielawa’s “PULSE,” a new violin concerto written for Tessa Lark that blends classical and Appalachian influences. Lark will make her CSO debut.

The CSO and May Festival Chorus, prepared by Matthew Swanson, will present Handel’s “Messiah” Dec. 5-6, featuring soprano Lauren Snouffer, mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, tenor Nicholas Phan, and bass Jonathan Lemalu in his CSO debut.

On Jan. 10-11, 2026, Măcelaru and the CSO will accompany Trifonov in Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2. The program also includes the U.S. premiere of Bjarnason’s complete “Trilogy for Orchestra,” a CSO co-commission.

A program honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Jan. 16-17, will feature Margaret Bonds’ “Montgomery Variations,” Wynton Marsalis’ “Blues Symphony” and a pairing of Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” with Dove’s original poems, narrated by bass Morris Robinson.

Măcelaru will conduct a full production of Stravinsky’s “The Firebird” April 24-25, featuring large-scale puppetry by South African artist Janni Younge and choreography by Jay Pather, reinterpreting the ballet in a contemporary South African setting.

These are the concerts to be led by Mǎcelaru. Full schedule details are available at a glance in M&M’s online music listings and on the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra website.

“Through music,” Măcelaru said, “I look forward to creating a deeper sense of knowing and understanding each other, and I can’t wait to begin our journey together.”