The “Unstoppable” Masterworks Season - This Season’s High Energy Performances Span Time-Honored Classics

“Our 2026/27 Season features larger-than-life music that flies straight to the heart,” said Maestra Sebrina Maria Alfonso. “We aim to connect our audiences to the timeless power of the world’s greatest composers, coupled with the thrill of some of today’s most influential voices. Taking center stage is Beethoven, a composer of incomparable genius, who two centuries after his death, continues to live through music that is as vital today as it was when it was written. Add Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Barber, Shostakovich, Price, and a handful of esteemed living composers to the mix; you’ve got a season ready to excite, ignite, and entertain."

Tchaikovsky’s fiery Piano Concerto No. 1 (performed by Sheng Cai) and Shostakovich’s propulsive Symphony No. 12 open a season that soars.

Beethoven is in the limelight as SFSO commemorates the 200th Anniversary of his passing beginning with the unmistakable four-note grip of his epic Fifth to an all-out, larger-than-life performance of his monumental Ninth, with its exultant “Ode to Joy” finale, that inspires awe, awakens emotion, and celebrates the extraordinary power of live orchestral music to unite us in wonder, beauty, and delight.

Florence Price’s groundbreaking Violin Concerto No. 2 (featuring Melissa White) and the aching beauty of Barber’s Adagio for Strings will leave audiences swooning. Along the way, discover thrilling musical gems by living composers, including three-time GRAMMY and Pulitzer Prize winner Jennifer Higdon’s “Cathedrals” from All Things Majestic, Reena Esmail’s Perhaps, and Chen and He's Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto (featuring SFSO concertmaster Huifang Chen). Known as the “Romeo and Juliet of the East,” Butterfly Lovers is one of China’s most popular and performed orchestral works.

The 2026/27 line-up is:

Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 & Shostakovich’s Twelfth Symphony With Higdon’s “Cathedrals” From All Things Majestic

Join Maestra Alfonso as she launches an “Unstoppable” 29th Season! Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 (with special guest artist Sheng Cai) blazes with fiery virtuosity, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 12 pulsates with drama and wit, and Pulitzer Prize and three-time GRAMMY winner Jennifer Higdon’s “Cathedrals” from All Things Majestic, evokes nature’s awe-inspiring grandeur.

Wednesday, November 11th, 2026, 7:30 p.m.: The Parker, Fort Lauderdale

Friday, November 13th, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.: New World Center

Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1

Featuring Sheng Cai, piano

Shostakovich: Symphony No. 12, “The Year 1917” (SFSO Premiere) - Jennifer Higdon “Cathedrals” from All Things Majestic (SFSO Premiere)

Handel’s Messiah And Holiday Pops

The sun is out. Joy is in. South Florida Symphony Orchestra’s cherished holiday tradition returns with Handel’s Messiah (Part 1, the Christmas portion) crowned by the triumphant “Hallelujah” chorus, a moment that never fails to lift the spirit and bring audiences together. This festive family concert opens with a sparkling selection of Holiday Pops and inspirational favorites, performed by dazzling guest vocalists and the South Florida Symphony Chorus.

Saturday, December 5th, 2026, 7:30 p.m.: The Parker, Fort Lauderdale

Sunday, December 6th, 2026, 4:00 p.m.: Shepard & Ruth K. Broad Performing Arts Center at Barry University, Miami Shores

Beethoven’s Fifth With Bottesini’s Double Bass Concerto No. 2 With Mozart

A sonic tour de force that spans centuries. Four thundering notes and you immediately know the grip of Beethoven’s enigmatic Fifth. Rising star, Nina Bernat, steps into the spotlight with two strikingly different works—Esmail's searching Perhaps and Bottesini’s electrifying Double Bass Concerto No. 2. And Mozart unleashes a world of intrigue, tension, and theatrical fire with his vivid Overture to Don Giovanni.

Wednesday, January 20th, 2027, 7:30 p.m.: The Parker, Fort Lauderdale

Saturday, January 23rd, 2027, 7:30 p.m.: Tennessee Williams Theatre, Key West

Beethoven: Symphony No. 5 - Bottesini: Double Bass Concerto No. 2 (SFSO Premiere) Featuring Nina Bernat, double bass - Esmail: Perhaps (2005, rev. 2015) (SFSO Premiere) Featuring Nina Bernat, double bass - Mozart: Overture to Don Giovanni

Florence Price's Violin Concerto No. 1 & Barber’s Adagio For Strings With Nielsen

Time and breath stand still in Barber’s Adagio for Strings. Florence Price’s expressive Violin Concerto No. 1, featuring violinist Melissa White, blends the Romantic era with musical influences rooted in African American spirituals and folk idioms. Closing the program is Carl Nielsen’s Symphony No. 2, “The Four Temperaments,” a vivid psychological portrait drawn in sound.

Tuesday, February 9th, 2027, 7:30 p.m.: New World Center, Miami Beach

Wednesday, February 10th, 2027, 7:30 p.m.: The Parker, Fort Lauderdale

Saturday, February 13th, 2027, 7:30 p.m.: Tennessee Williams Theatre, Key West

Barber: Adagio for Strings - Price: Violin Concerto No. 1 in D major (SFSO Premiere) - Featuring Melissa White, violin - Nielsen: Symphony No. 2, “The Four Temperaments”

Beethoven’s Ninth & Grand Opera Arias With The South Florida Symphony Chorus And Special Guest Vocalists

Two hundred years after his death, Beethoven’s Ninth remains an unstoppable force. Considered one of the greatest pieces of music ever written, and culminating in the famous “Ode to Joy” chorus, its powerful message of hope and brotherly love is equally relevant today and is a testament to the composer’s genius. Performed with the South Florida Symphony Chorus and special guest vocalists, the commemorative evening opens with a selection of popular opera arias.

Saturday, March 20th, 2027, 7:30 p.m.: Tennessee Williams Theatre, Key West

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2027, 7:30 p.m.: New World Center, Miami Beach

Wednesday, March 24th, 2027, 7:30 p.m.: Broward Center for the Performing Arts Au-Rene Theater, Fort Lauderdale

Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 - Featuring the South Florida Symphony Chorus and special guest vocalists

Grand Opera Arias - Brahms’ Fourth Symphony With Chen & He’s Butterfly Lovers And Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture

SFSO’s “Unstoppable” season concludes with an emotional reckoning of love and passion. Featuring the Romantic-era masterpiece Brahms’ Symphony No. 4, Chen and He’s Butterfly Lovers, known as the “Romeo and Juliet of the East,” and Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture, a stormy thriller of vengeance and familial love.

Wednesday, April 14th, 2027, 7:30 p.m.: The Parker, Fort Lauderdale

Brahms: Symphony No. 4 - Chen Gang & He Zhanhao: Butterfly Lovers Violin Concerto (SFSO Premiere) - Featuring Huifang Chen, violin - Beethoven: Coriolan Overture

From sold-out masterworks performances to accompanying today’s musicians such as Natalie Merchant and performing modern musical scores including Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and Back to the Future, featuring the iconic films screened live with audio and musical accompaniment, South Florida’s largest symphonic orchestra is continuing its journey of excellence inspiring audiences of all ages and musical genres.

Season subscriptions are on sale, now, for the Broward Season at The Parker and Broward Center; the Miami Season at New World Center; and the Key West season at the Tennessee Williams Theatre at The College of the Florida Keys. Discounted subscription packages may be purchased by visiting: https://southfloridasymphony.org/2026-27-season. Or by calling: (954) 522-8445. Subscribers save up to 20% off single ticket prices and have first access to the best seats in the house. Five-concert packages in Fort Lauderdale are available from $204*; three-concert packages from $99* in Miami; and three-concert packages in Key West from $105* (*Prices include ticketing fees but do not include shipping or Handel’s Messiah.) Flexible ticket packages, single-show tickets, including student ticket and group rates, go on sale on Tuesday, September 1st, 2026.

For additional information, visit: https://southfloridasymphony.org. Call: (954) 522-8445. Or email: info@southfloridasymphony.org.

Venue Locations:

The Parker: 707 Northeast 8th Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33304

Broward Center for the Performing Arts: 201 Southwest 5th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312

New World Center: 500 17th Street, Miami Beach, Florida 33139

Shepard & Ruth K. Broad Performing Arts Center at Barry University: 11300 Northeast 2nd Avenue, Miami Shores, Florida 33161

Tennessee Williams Theatre at The College of the Florida Keys: 5901 College Road, Key West, Florida 33040

About South Florida Symphony Orchestra (SFSO)

Founded in 1997 in Key West by Music Director Maestra Sebrina Maria Alfonso, the Fort Lauderdale-based South Florida Symphony Orchestra (SFSO) is celebrating its 29th Season. SFSO is dedicated to providing enriching cultural music experiences to residents and visitors in Monroe, Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Guided by the belief that music is pivotal to thriving communities, SFSO brings vibrancy and engagement with the arts via innovative programming and transformative educational initiatives. A pioneer in its commitment to symphonic music for underserved communities, its Symphony in the Schools program has touched the lives of over 160,000 students since its inception in 1997. SFSO was recently named the first Partner in the Arts for The Parker by the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and has been recognized by the Broward County Cultural Division as a “Major Cultural Institution,” one of only a handful of organizations to be so honored. For a performance schedule and season tickets, call: (954) 522-8445. Or visit: https://southfloridasymphony.org.