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The 2025/26 seasons of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Symphony Center Presents are just weeks away, and members of the Sales and Patron Experience team are here to help. Subscriptions for all series are now on sale and can be ordered online or over the phone. ‘
Can’t decide which concerts to select? Over the next weeks, staff members will offer their own choices for the must-see performances of 2025/26.
Patron Services Administrative Coordinator Tommy Bravos offers his top season selections, but adds: It’s always tough to narrow down the choices, especially since I’m notoriously indecisive! But here we go:
1. A Live Presentation of 2001: A Space Odyssey, CSO at the Movies, Jan. 9-10, 2026: This film is already one of my favorite pieces of art; I love the way it provokes very confusing reactions and larger conversations around the evolution of technology. Factor in Stanley Kubrick’s direction and Geoffrey Unsworth’s and John Alcott’s cinematography and the gorgeous (yet sometimes off-putting) classical music, and it becomes even more evocative. Getting to experience it with the live score is sure to become one of my favorite memories.
2. Mäkelä Conducts The Rite of Spring, a CSO Featured Concert, March 5-6: Another one of my favorite classical works. I’ll never forget how mind-blown I was when first hearing it in my music history classes; it completely changed my whole perception about what music and storytelling could be. To hear our new music director conduct it will be a blast! (Note: This is a priority-access concert, which means subscribers get to buy tickets to this program first.)
3. Nubya Garcia + Somi, SCP Jazz, March 13: I’m a huge fan already of Afro-Caribbean music, so getting to see a live concert in this genre will be truly special. The raw talent that comes from fusing genres is truly spectacular, especially when folk and electronic elements are combined. A recent review in the New York Times mentions Somi’s compassionate social consciousness, something that really resonates with me. Truly excited for this one!
4. Sibelius 2 & Tüür Accordion Concerto, CSO Classical, April 2-4: The Tüür accordion concerto sounds truly fascinating to me. I’m not very familiar with the other pieces on this program, but they all seem to share a sort of mysticism that I know I’ll appreciate. It’s not often that you see talented accordion players in our city, so I’m sure there also will be a sort of traveler’s charm to this one.
5. Ravi Shankar Ensemble, SCP Featured Concert, March 22: In the same vein as my interest in Afro-Caribbean music, I’m also a fan of Carnatic music. Perhaps it’s my connection to the music of Greece, but seeing traditions from another diaspora always warms my heart. I was able to see Anoushka, one of Ravi’s daughters, perform in past seasons, but as a solo artist. This larger collective, alongside the visual components, is bound to present a very transcendental experience.!
Note: Curated and pick-your-own subscriptions available now; tickets for individual concerts go on sale Aug. 6.
