The Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra is thrilled to announce the 26-27 Season, curated under the artistic leadership of Music Director James Kahane, this season will be brought to life on stage by a spectacular lineup of Canadian soloists. 26-27 is also a year of expansion, with the newly established Centre for Musical Leadership at the forefront of HPO’s ongoing commitment to supporting the next generation of musical talents.
“The season reflects the immense ambitions of the Orchestra, inspired by the elements of our natural world,” says HPO Music Director James Kahane. “We invite you to a whirlwind of fiery emotions, and earthly and heavenly feelings, with some of the most acclaimed artists that the Orchestra has had the honour to bring to Hamilton.”
“We are proud to share the 26-27 season with the community, building on our significant history and impact in Hamilton,” says HPO Executive Director Kim Varian. “This season we highlighy incredible Canadian talent on our stage as we continue to build on the over 140-year history of the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. We invite everyone to be here with us in 26-27, to share the joy of live orchestral music and spark curiosity in new experiences.”
Canadian violinist Jessica Linnebach joins the orchestra on opening night for a concert of Chausson, Berlioz, Beethoven’s joyful “Pastoral” Symphony No. 6, and a world premiere from one of the 26-27 HPO Composer Fellows, Leo Purich. The orchestra blasts off in October with a performance of iconic scores from Sci-Fi and space-themed films, from Star Wars and Star Trek to Back to the Future, Dune and more. Canadian cellist Rachel Mercer is November’s soloist, performing a hauntingly beautiful Bruch work in a string-centred evening of Schubert and Tchaikovsky. December comes with a mysterious twist this year as we pull back the curtain on the music of the CBC show Murdoch Mysteries with a festive whodunnit featuring composer Robert Carli and a star of hit series.
The new year will kick off with Canadian virtuoso Marc-André Hamelin as soloist for Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 at a matinee concert complete with a dreamy Mendelssohn overture, Schumann’s “Spring” Symphony and a world premiere from HPO Composer-in-Residence Abigail Richardson-Schulte. February invites Europe’s prestigious Bayerische Staatsoper Opera Studio to Hamilton for a semi-staged concert version of Bizet’s sultry and cinematic Carmen. Then, Nova Scotian fiddler Natalie MacMaster brings the Cape Breton spirit to the stage in March for an electrifying evening of dazzling musicianship. In April, soundscapes of stories and animals come to life with masterpieces from Sibelius, Mozart and Saint-Saëns. The season closes in May with the spotlight on Canadian pianist Jean Philippe Sylvestre for a powerful evening of Prokofiev, Dvořák and more!
The HPO’s off-the-mainstage concerts include the return of Handel’s Messiah with The Bach Elgar Choir in December, and HPO’s Intimate & Immersive at the Cotton Factory in April. The latter invites listeners on an up-close contemporary orchestral listening experience enhanced by multimedia art installations custom-made for the program.
Subscription packages are on sale starting April 30 hpo.org or by calling the box office at 905-526-7756.
Subscription packages are available in 9, 7, 5 or 3-concert packages.
Single tickets for all mainstage concert at FirstOntario Concert Hall on sale June 30.
HPO 26-27 MAINSTAGE CONCERT SERIES
Beethoven’s Sixth
Saturday, October 3 at 7:30PM
James S. Kahane, Conductor
Jessica Linnebach, Violin 🍁
Berlioz, Roman Carnival Overture
Chausson, Poème for Violin and Orchestra
Leo Purich, New Work (HPO Composer Fellow) 🍁
Beethoven, Symphony No. 6
Music Director James Kahane leads the Orchestra in a vibrant opening to the 26-27 season, beginning with the dazzling energy and sweeping melodies of Hector Berlioz’s Roman Carnival Overture. Ernest Chausson’s Poème for Violin and Orchestra unfolds with rhapsodic freedom and rich expression and we hear the world premiere of a new work by 26–27 HPO Composer Fellow, Leo Purich. Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, “Pastoral,” brings the performance to a close with the composer’s radiant tribute to the natural world, moving from birdsong and flowing brooks to a dramatic summer storm and serene gratitude.
Symphony in Space: The Ultimate Sci-Fi Concert
Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 7:30PM
Evan Mitchell, Conductor 🍁
Blast off with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra for an out-of-this-world symphonic adventure led by conductor Evan Mitchell. From distant galaxies to dystopian futures, this electrifying program celebrates the music that has defined sci-fi on screen and in our imaginations for generations. Audiences will be immersed in the bold heroism, haunting mystery and heart-pounding intensity of music from Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, E.T., Alien, Interstellar, Tron, Dune, Back to the Future and more.
Schubert & Tchaikovsky
Saturday, November 14 at 7:30PM
James S. Kahane, Conductor
Rachel Mercer, Cello 🍁
Schubert, Symphony No. 8 “Unfinished”
Dvořák, Silent Woods
Bruch, Kol Nidrei
Tchaikovsky, Souvenir de Florence (Strings)
An evening of passion, lyricism and emotional depth awaits as Music Director James Kahane leads the Orchestra and welcomes acclaimed Canadian cellist Rachel Mercer. Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 8, “Unfinished,” opens the concert with haunting beauty and intensity, its mystery lingering long after the final note. Rachel Mercer brings warmth and expressive depth as soloist on Max Bruch’s Kol Nidrei and Dvořák’s Silent Woods, which creates a dreamy moment of tranquility. The concert concludes with Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence for strings, a vibrant showcase brimming with lush melodies, virtuosic interplay and radiant energy.
Murdoch Mysteries: Sugar Plum Murdoch
Saturday, December 12, 2026 at 7:30PM
Lucas Waldin, Conductor 🍁
For the first time in Hamilton, experience Murdoch Mysteries: In Concert with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Lucas Waldin! Hosted by a star of the hit CBC series, this holiday-themed whodunnit pulls back the curtain on the music of Murdoch Mysteries, featuring behind-the-scenes insights from composer Robert Carli, festive sing-alongs, and a live orchestral performance of “Sugar Plum Murdoch” on the big screen.
Mendelssohn, Beethoven & Schumann
Saturday, January 16, 2027 at 3PM
James S. Kahane, Conductor
Marc-André Hamelin, Piano 🍁
Mendelssohn, A Midsummer Night’s Dream “Overture”
Abigail Richardson-Schulte, New Work 🍁
Beethoven, Piano Concerto No. 2
Schumann, Symphony No. 1, “Spring”
The New Year starts with shimmering delight as Felix Mendelssohn’s Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream transports us to an enchanted world through dreamy soundscapes. We hear the world premiere of a brand-new work by Composer-in-Residence Abigail Richardson-Schulte and Canadian virtuoso Marc-André Hamelin is soloist on Beethoven’s sparkling second Piano Concerto. The concert culminates with Robert Schumann’s First Symphony, bursting with youthful energy and radiant optimism, evoking the fresh awakening and emotional renewal of springtime.
Bizet’s Carmen in Concert
Saturday, February 13, 2027 at 7:30PM
James S. Kahane, Conductor
Bayerische Staatsoper Opera Studio, Guest Artists
Bizet, Carmen (Concert Version)
Bizet’s iconic opera Carmen comes to life on stage in this vivid semi-staged production, with Music Director James Kahane. From the sultry allure of the Habanera to the swagger of the Toreador Song, every scene pulses with rhythmic vitality and cinematic intensity. Rising stars from the Bayerische Staatsoper Opera Studio, one of Europe’s most prestigious opera training programs, lend their voices and artistry to this gripping tale of freedom, obsession and jealousy.
Natalie MacMaster with the Hamilton Phil
Saturday, March 6, 2027 at 7:30PM
Rosemary Thomson, Conductor
Natalie MacMaster, Fiddle 🍁
Canada’s Celtic music icon Natalie MacMaster joins forces with your Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra for an unforgettable evening of music and celebration. Renowned for her electrifying fiddle playing and vibrant stage presence, MacMaster brings the spirit of Cape Breton to the concert hall in a joyful program filled with energy, rhythm and dazzling musicianship.
Sibelius & Saint-Saëns
Saturday, April 17, 2027 at 7:30PM
Simon Proust, Conductor
Sibelius, Wood Nymph
Mozart, Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Saint-Saëns, Carnival of the Animals
Stories, characters and musical imagination come to life in this colourful concert with guest conductor Simon Proust. Sibelius’s atmospheric The Wood Nymph opens the evening, followed by the elegance of Mozart’s iconic Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. The concert concludes with the wit and charm of Saint-Saëns’s beloved Carnival of the Animals, a playful showcase of orchestral storytelling and character.
Prokofiev & Dvořák
Saturday, May 15, 2027 at 7:30PM
James S. Kahane, Conductor
Jean Phillippe Sylvestre, Piano 🍁
Borodin, In the Steppes of Central Asia
Pépin, Un Monde Nouveau
Prokofiev, Piano Concerto No. 3
Dvořák, Symphony No. 9 “New World”
Music Director James Kahane leads the Orchestra in a dynamic season finale of striking contrasts and vivid orchestral colour. Borodin’s In the Steppes of Central Asia and Stéphane Pépin’s Un Monde Nouveau set an atmospheric stage. Pianist Jean-Philippe Sylvestre brings brilliance to Prokofiev’s electrifying Piano Concerto No. 3. The evening culminates in the sweeping power of Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, “New World,” bringing the 26–27 season to a thrilling and resonant close.
HPO 26-27 OFF-THE-MAINSTAGE CONCERT SERIES
Handel’s Messiah
Friday, December 4, 2026 at 7:30PM
Sunday, December 6, 2026 at 3PM
St Catherine of Siena Roman Catholic Church
James S. Kahane, Conductor
Co-presentation with Bach Elgar Choir
The HPO and the Bach Elgar Choir come together for Handel’s monumental work, Messiah. From the soft beauty of the opening notes to the resounding joy of the Hallelujah Chorus, this performance promises to uplift and delight audiences during the festive season.
Intimate & Immersive
Thursday, April 1, 2027 at 7:30PM
The Cotton Factory
James S. Kahane, Conductor
The Intimate & Immersive series draws audiences into an atmospheric journey that blurs the lines between performer and spectator in one of Hamilton’s most inspiring and historic venues, the Cotton Factory. Hear the music unfold all around you while the space is visually transformed with a multimedia artistic installation designed to respond to and elevate the sonic experience. HPO Intimate & Immersive is not just a concert—it’s a deep sensory encounter. Whether you’re a lover of contemporary art, classical music, or unforgettable spaces, this concert promises a night of bold creativity and connection.