Columbus Symphony Masterworks affordable shows

Columbus Symphony returns with a full season of performances for the 2024/2025 season. From Masterworks to Pops to Family Concerts, there’s truly something for everyone with Columbus Symphony. 

Columbus Symphony Masterworks Season

The 2025-2026 Columbus Symphony Masterworks season promises to be a season full of great repertoire, amazing soloists, and a new initiative —Inside the Music. Experience the power of music together at the beautiful Ohio Theatre.

Tickets start at $10 and kids 6-16 are FREE! 

Beethoven 5

Friday, September 26 | 7:30PM | Ohio Theatre
Sunday, September 28 | 3PM | Ohio Theatre

The 2025–26 Masterworks Season opens with two of Beethoven’s greatest works. Pianist Anna Fedorova joins for the bold and brilliant Emperor Concerto, followed by the iconic Fifth Symphony—a powerful journey from fate to triumph. Don’t miss this exhilarating start to the season!  

Scheherazade

Friday, October 3 | 7:30PM | Ohio Theatre
Sunday, October 5 | 3PM | Ohio Theatre

Experience a captivating evening of orchestral storytelling. Debussy’s Nocturnes sets the scene with dreamy landscapes and the ethereal voices of the Columbus Symphony Women’s Chorus. Saariaho’s Vers toi qui es si loin offers a haunting reflection on longing and the unknown. The night concludes with Rimsky-Korsakov’s vibrant Scheherazade, featuring concertmaster Joanna Frankel as the voice of the legendary storyteller.  

Handel’s Messiah

November 14, 2025 | 7:30-9:30 PM
November 15, 2025 | 7:30-9:30 PM
November 16, 2025 | 3:00-5:00 PM

Experience the grandeur and tradition of Messiah, Handel’s exultant masterpiece, featuring the Columbus Symphony Chorus. The iconic ‘Hallelujah’ chorus is a highlight of this beloved oratorio.

Latin Rhythms and Hollywood Drama

January 16 & 17, 2026 | 7:30 pm | Ohio Theatre

Guest conductor Josep Vicent leads the orchestra in a captivating concert featuring Prokofiev’s vibrant Symphony No. 1 (“Classical”)—an echo of the elegant 18th-century musical style. Korngold’s emotionally rich Violin Concerto will delight you and elevate the evening with its lyrical beauty. Falla’s El amor brujo and Márquez’s Danzón No. 2 completes the program in a lively homage to Flamenco, Latin dance and Spanish passion.

Mozart’s Requiem

January 23-24, 2026 | 7:30 pm | Ohio Theatre

Experience the profound beauty of Mozart’s unfinished masterpiece, now reimagined with a contemporary twist by acclaimed American composer Gregory Spears. Spears’ music seamlessly blends echoes of Bach and Mozart with Romantic harmonies and modern nuances to complete the Requiem with its missing Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei.  Join us for this unforgettable performance that bridges centuries of musical tradition with innovative artistry.

Price & Tchaikovsky

February 6-7, 2026 | 7:30 pm | Ohio Theatre

Experience the vibrant energy of Aaron Copland’s Rodeo. Four folk-inspired dances from the ballet come alive, bursting with frontier spirit and lively rhythms. Described as elegant and thoughtful (Cincinnati Business Courier), violinist Melissa White will capture the sounds of American classical music with the soul-stirring lyricism of Florence Price’s Second Violin Concerto. Finally, Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.1 (“Winter Dreams”) will take us on a charming musical ride full of dreamy landscapes and emotional depth.

Mahler 1

February 20 & 21, 2026 | 7:30 pm | Ohio Theatre

This captivating concert features Jeffrey Mumford’s Double Concerto, a stunning fusion of rich textures, innovative harmonies, and intricate dialogue between the orchestra and soloists Lauren Cauley, violin, and Mariel Roberts, cello. The program culminates with Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 1 (“Titan”), a work that takes listeners on a journey through expansive soundscapes of emotion, from robust triumph to serene reflection.

Amadeus Live

March 6-7, 2026 | 7:30 PM| Ohio Theatre

Amadeus, Film licensed by The Saul Zaentz Company

Celebrate the 270th anniversary of Mozart’s birth and experience the Academy Award-winning film like never before!  A breathtaking fusion of cinema and symphony, this is a must-see event for music and film lovers, with the soundtrack brought to life by Principal Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz and the Columbus Symphony and Chorus.

 Rated PG

Rachmaninoff 3

March 14, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Ohio Theatre

Immerse yourself in this exhilarating concert filled with heroic sounds, dazzling virtuosity, and musical drama! Janáček’s dynamic Taras Bulba offers a vivid orchestral portrayal of heroism and sacrifice inspired by Nikolai Gogol’s tales of war and death. Symphony pianist Caroline Hong brings Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue to life with sweeping lyricism and jazzy flair. Rachmaninoff’s lush and dramatic Symphony No. 3 weaves a poignant musical tapestry that will captivate your heart and stir your soul.

Shostakovich 8

March 27-28, 2026 | 7:30 PM| Ohio Theatre

This evocative concert begins with the Grammy-nominated ensemble Sandbox Percussion’s performance of Viet Cuong’s Re(new)al—for percussion quartet and orchestra full of eclectic soundscapes that explore themes of transformation and resilience. Shostakovich’s Symphony No.8 is a powerful work reflecting on war as a force of destruction and suffering, while juxtaposing it with the endurance and resilience of the human spirit.

Beethoven, Schumann, & Brahms

April 17, 2026 | 8 PM, April 18, 2026 | 3 PM| Ohio Theatre

Musical brilliance abounds in this concert featuring works by three prominent composers from the Classical and Romantic eras. Beethoven’s overture to Egmont is part of the incidental music he composed for the play by Goethe. It portrays in a brilliant and powerful way the ideas of oppression, struggle, and freedom. Schumann’s music captures with its romantic passion and energy while offering an innovative formal design where all the movements of the symphony are linked together.

Rising-star pianist Maxim Lando returns to the Columbus Symphony with Brahms’ virtuosic First Piano Concerto, a work that poses extraordinary demands on the soloist and is filled with lush melodies and dramatic contrasts.

Orff: Triumph of Aphrodite

May 1-2, 2026 | 7:30 PM | Ohio Theatre

Our season concludes with this vibrant finale featuring the Columbus Symphony musicians and Chorus, and dancers from BalletMet. Dvořák’s The American Flag is a spirited blend of nationalism and folk elements that celebrates the composer’s expressions of American patriotism and freedom. Orff’s Trionfo di Afroditi is the final installment of a musical trilogy that opens with the well-known Carmina Burana. This spectacular work showcases the full power of the chorus and orchestra, explores love and beauty, and embraces the listener in its powerful climaxes.

Find details and tickets here.

Senior Discount for Columbus Symphony

Those ages 65 years and up qualify for a senior discount. Just request the discount when calling or purchasing in person.

Student Discount for Columbus Symphony

Any high school or college student with a valid student ID may come into the CBUSArts Ticket Center the week of the show (starting on Monday at 9am) and purchase up to two tickets per valid ID. This is valid for Masterworks and other select concerts. Not valid in top-price level seating areas.

Columbus Symphony College Club

Students can purchase a $25 annual membership and get free admission for one to all Masterworks concerts and post-concert events all season long, along with special membership emails. 

College Club Members may purchase up to four (4) additional student tickets for each Masterworks performance at $8 each. Each additional discount ticket may be asked to show a student ID upon entry to the theatre.

The additional tickets can be purchased starting on Monday the week of the show. Must show student ID when using your College Club Membership Card. 

Culture Pass with Columbus Libraries

The Columbus Symphony teamed up with the Columbus Metro Libraries to be part of their Culture Pass Program. Adult library cardholders can checkout a CSO Culture Pass from any Columbus Metro Library location and receive a complimentary (free) ticket for one Masterworks performance. Learn more here.

Columbus Symphony Pops Concerts featuring legends and movies

Check out more upcoming concerts throughout Central Ohio