Patron Services associate Kathy Nordmeyer eager for Mahler and Tan Dun

The 2026/27 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 2026/27.

Kathy Nordmeyer, a Patron Services associate, also is a Theodore Thomas Society member. “Attending concerts and hearing and seeing the incredible music that this world-class orchestra shares renews me,” she says. “It is like musical nourishment.”

Here are her must-see selections for the upcoming season:

Season Opener: Petr Popelka & Hilary Hahn, CSO Classical (Sept. 17-19)

I have so missed Hilary Hahn these last two years and am thrilled that she is back and able to perform. So, my first not-to-be missed concert is her performance with the CSO in mid-September, where she will be playing the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, which is bookended by Schumann’s Overture to Manfred and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 5. And for some of us, it will bring back memories of the wonderful French film "Les Visiteurs."

Mäkelä Conducts Mahler 9, CSO Classical (Oct. 1-4)

I’m a big Mahler fan and to hear Mäkelä conducting a Mahler symphony is going to be a huge treat. In grad school, I remember a professor telling us about his favorite composer (Mahler), and since then, I have gone to every performance of Mahler that I can. His music has such profound depth, and his exploration of life, death, love and nature are palpable.

Muti, Welter & Dvořák 8, CSO Classical (Dec. 3-5)

When I saw that William Welter, the CSO’s principal oboe, was going to play the Strauss Oboe Concerto, I was thrilled. I love both the piece and Bill’s playing; he’s such an incredible talent and fortunately for us, he is our oboist! That piece is framed by two wonderful pieces: Bartok’s Two Pictures and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8.

Mitsuko Uchida, SCP Piano (Jan. 31)

Dame Mitsuko Uchida’s musicality is absolutely transcendent. In past performances here at Orchestra Hall, I have been mesmerized. She once said, "It is within the silence between the notes that the most profound emotions are felt,” and that sentiment imbues her powerful performances. She is someone who I would travel the world to hear.

Leif Ove Andsnes, SCP Piano (March 21)

The last three piano sonatas of Beethoven were composed when he was almost completely deaf, and I find it so hard to comprehend how he could bring forth such profound musical creativity and beauty with the sound emanating only in his mind. We’ve heard other pianists perform these three sonatas in concert, and it is always a moving experience. I’m quite excited to hear one of my favorite pianists, Leif Ove Andsnes, play them for us.

Tan Dun: Water Concerto & Marco Polo, CSO Classical (May 20-22)

I have vivid memories of the first time that I saw the film “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000), which featured several solos played by Yo-Yo Ma. I thought that the music was brilliant. I’m really looking forward to Tan Dun’s more recent scores, in particular the Water Concerto, where the percussion generates the water sounds. I’m prepared to be transported.

Two Pianos: Who Could Ask for Anything More? CSO Featured Concert (May 24)

What a blockbuster set of talents with pianists Jean-Yves Thibaudet and Michael Feinstein on the same program. Seeing them performing together is sure to be a magical evening.

Note: Curated and create-your-own subscriptions are available now; tickets for individual concerts go on sale Aug. 5.