Columbus Symphony Masterworks affordable shows

Columbus Symphony returns with a full season of performances for the 2025/2026 season. From Masterworks to Pops to Family Concerts, there’s truly something for everyone with Columbus Symphony. 

Columbus Symphony Masterworks Season

The 2026-2027 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! 

Rachmaninoff & Bartók

September 18 & 19 | 7:30PM

The Columbus Symphony’s 75th Anniversary season gets started with an exciting concert featuring a dazzling piano concerto and a showpiece for the entire orchestra. Orpheus’ Comet by Bulgarian composer Dobrinka Tabokova kicks off the program with buzzing strings and brass fanfares that connect ancient legend to future glory. 

Dvořák & Brahms

October 2 & 3 | 7:30PM

Young American violinist Aubree Oliverson brings her flair, passion, and artistry back to the Columbus Symphony to perform Dvořák’s virtuosic Violin Concerto — a work the composer initially feared was “too difficult,” but which has become a cornerstone of the repertoire, showcasing breathtaking technical fireworks alongside moments of tender lyricism. The evening continues with Brahms’s radiant Second Symphony, composed during an idyllic summer retreat and brimming with natural beauty. 

Mysteries, Anthems & Victories

October 23 & 24 | 7:30PM

The Columbus Symphony celebrates its 75th Anniversary season with the world premiere of The Mysteries, a newly commissioned work by acclaimed American composer Gregory Spears. Superstar bass-baritone Davóne Tines, who is “changing what it means to be a classical singer” (Alex Ross, The New Yorker), will perform Concerto No. 2: ANTHEM, a piece he created in collaboration with composers Michael Schachter, Caroline Shaw, and Tyshawn Sorey, as well as poet Mahogany L. Browne, that examines and reimagines the national anthem and other American songs.

Tour to Carnegie Hall

October 28 | 8 PM
Carnegie Hall

Rossen Milanov, conductor
Davóne Tines, bass-baritone

Gregory Spears: The Mysteries (CSO commissioned work and world premiere)
Davóne Tines: Concerto No. 2: ANTHEM (New York Premiere)
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Symphony No.5 in E Minor, Op. 64

Verdi’s Requiem

November 20 & 21 | 7:30PM

​​One of the most monumental of all choral works, Verdi’s Requiem was considered “too operatic” to be performed in the liturgical setting of an actual funeral mass—but this dramatic intensity is precisely what makes it unforgettable. From the terrifying Dies irae, with its swirling strings and thunderous bass drum (a favorite of the Ohio State University Marching Band), to the achingly beautiful Lacrimosa and the whispered opening that rises from near silence, the Requiem blends theatricality with profound reflection.

Winter Music Festival: Shostakovich & Prokofiev

January 15 & 16 | 7:30PM

*My Brilliant Friend: Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay is co-commissioned by Tuscon Symphony, Hawai’i Symphony, Lincoln’s Symphony, Spoleto Festival USA and Columbus Symphony

Vivaldi x Vivaldi

January 22 & 23 | 7:30PM

Violinist Daniel Rowland, known for his “fiery intensity” (Gramophone) leads the Columbus Symphony strings in a program that marries Baroque masterpieces with modern reinterpretations. Vivaldi’s “La Follia” Sonata is based on one of the oldest and most famous European musical themes, while his stormy “La tempesta di mare” concerto hails from the same series as the famous Four Seasons

Barber’s Adagio & Elgar’s Enigma

February 12 & 13 | 7:30PM

Guest conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya, former music director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, opens this concert with Perú Negro, a piece he commissioned from star composer Jimmy López that is an exciting homage to Afro-Peruvian music.

Haydn’s The Creation

March 12 & 13 | 7:30PM

As one of the most influential figures in Classical music, Haydn is remembered as the father of both the string quartet and the symphony — but for his masterpiece The Creation, he turned to oratorio, combining orchestra, chorus, and soloists to illustrate a stunning musical depiction of the Book of Genesis. Soprano Aubry Ballarò, tenor Nick Nestorak, and baritone Joel Balzun sing as the archangels Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael, and later embody Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden

Mahler’s Fifth

March 19 & 20 | 7:30PM

Mahler’s monumental Fifth Symphony opens with an iconic trumpet solo leading a funeral march, but ends in lively, celebratory D major. It comprises a massive emotional journey, and along the way, we visit a Scherzo that highlights Austrian dances and horn solos, as well as the touching Adagietto for strings and harp — Mahler’s most famous composition and a musical love letter to his wife, Alma.

Shostakovich & Sibelius

April 2 & 3 | 7:30PM

Superstar cellist Joshua Roman, who has the “virtuoso flair of Hendrix himself” (Gramophone), tackles one of the most difficult works ever composed for his instrument, Shostakovich’s tragic yet exciting First Cello Concerto — originally written for and premiered by the legendary Mstislav Rostropovich. 

Postcards in Music

April 9 & 10 | 7:30PM

Join the Columbus Symphony for an evening of musical postcards from Italy, Spain, and France. Respighi’s tone poem The Fountains of Rome takes us on a day-long sightseeing tour of the Fountain of Valle Giulia at dawn, the Triton Fountain in the morning, the Trevi Fountain at noon, and the Villa Medici Fountain at sunset.

Beethoven’s Ode to Joy

April 30 | 7:30PM
May 1 | 7:30PM

Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Op. 125 (“Choral”)

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 Concert: The Songs of Cole Porter

Check out more upcoming concerts throughout Central Ohio