Season features concerts conducted by five music director finalists, a roster
of international guest artists, and a special concert with Broadway star Joshua Henry.
PLANO, TX: The Plano Symphony Orchestra (PSO), Music Director Héctor Guzmán, and President & CEO Gregory Patterson are pleased to announce the organization’s 2026-2027 Season. The symphony’s 44th season marks a significant milestone as Maestro Guzmán transitions into the role of Music Director Emeritus for the 2027-2028 Season—a change he announced two years ago to allow for expanded guest conducting opportunities. As Music Director Emeritus, Guzmán will appear with the PSO as a guest conductor in future PSO seasons.
As the PSO looks toward its next chapter, five finalists for the Music Director position will be featured in the 2026-2027 Season. Each candidate will lead one concert, offering audiences a unique opportunity to experience their artistry firsthand. Patron feedback will play a vital role in the selection process, with audience members invited to complete surveys following each performance. The five finalists are Mélisse Brunet, Filippo Ciabatti, Gonzalo Farias, Jacob Joyce, and Stilian Kirov.
Continuing the theme “Music that Matters,” the new season will feature a roster of international guest artists and iconic music in a variety of genres showcasing the virtuosity of the musicians. In addition to the eight-concert regular season, two exceptional concerts will also be presented this season at the Meyerson Symphony Center this summer.
- The electrifying FLY Dance Company will join the PSO on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, for “Breaking Classical.” Fusing powerful compositions with dynamic hip-hop movement, the concert will transform beloved masterworks into a thrilling visual and emotional experience.
- On Saturday, August 15, 2026, Joshua Henry, Broadway sensation and current star of Ragtime, will be in concert with the PSO in Get Up, Stand Up! Henry is a Grammy-winning performer best known for his Tony Award-nominated leading roles in Carousel, The Scottsboro Boys, and Violet, as well as for his show-stopping performance as Aaron Burr in Hamilton.
Season highlights include:
- All American Program – September 19, 2026. This opening night celebration will be conducted by Stilian Kirov and features the music of Copland, Gershwin, Barber and Bernstein.
- Unhallowed Eve – October 17, 2026. A special Halloween program featuring the suite from The Nightmare Before Christmas will be conducted by Mélisse Brunet.
- Vive la France – November 14, 2026. Conducted by Jacob Joyce,experience the charming overture of Berlioz’s Benvenuto Cellini and crowd favorite, Gershwin’s An American in Paris.
- Home for the Holidays – December 20, 2026. The annual holiday traditionfeatures cherished holiday classics for orchestra and choir. Featuring the Plano West Senior High Choir and conducted by Maestro Héctor Guzmán.
- Chasing Dreams – January 16, 2027. Highlighted by John Williams’ The Cowboys: Overture and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5, this concert will be conducted by Gonzalo Farias.
- The Italian Connection – February 20, 2027. Conductor Filippo Ciabatti will take patrons through a beautiful journey featuring the music of Morricone, Mendelssohn, and Dvořák.
- Fiesta! – March 20, 2027 A fitting and celebratory penultimate performance, this concert is filled with personal favorites and musical touchstones for Maestro Héctor Guzmán, including Beethoven’s Triple Concerto and The Three-Cornered Hat by Manuel de Falla.
- Thank you, Maestro – April 17, 2027. This culminating farewell concert brings the season—and a remarkable era—to a triumphant close with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, crowned by the unforgettable Ode to Joy.
Current PSO season subscribers can renew their tickets now while new subscriptions will be available starting Monday, April 6. Single tickets to FLY Dance Company and Joshua Henry will be available for purchase on April 6 as well.
For more information about the 2026-2027 Season, please visit planosymphony.org.
About the Plano Symphony Orchestra:
Founded in 1983, the Plano Symphony is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the citizens of North Texas with rich and varied programming of orchestral music and to educating the youth and adults of the community about the joy of classical and popular music through live performance.
The Plano Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is widely acknowledged as one of the leading professional symphony orchestras in the region. Under the artistic and musical direction of Maestro Héctor Guzmán and leadership of President & CEO Gregory Patterson, the PSO produces eight subscription concerts annually as well as myriads of music education and community outreach programs that serve nearly 150,000 people annually.
Of the 18,000 students who participate in its School Concert Program, over 40% attend various Title I schools in Dallas or Collin counties.
The Plano Symphony Orchestra is supported, in part, by the City of Plano, Tammy and Charles Miller, The Andrea-Mennen Family Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, Texas Commission on the Arts, Communities Foundation of Texas, Rea Charitable Trust, Atmos Energy, AWARE Fund of The Dallas Foundation, The PSO Guild, The PSO Virtuoso Society, The PSO Corporate Council, City of McKinney Arts Commission, Frisco Arts Foundation, City of Carrollton, H-E-B | Central Market, Retirement Planners of America, The Dallas Morning News, Signs By Tomorrow, SoloShoe Communications, PISD, Bartlett & West, the Plano Rotary Club, Plano Mayor Summer Internship Program, Fireside Capital, Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano, Knight Office Solutions, Huntington Bank, Sandy Nachman, Wanda and Cliff Parker, The Brockette Family, Nancy Freeman, Carol and William Tempest, and hundreds of individual donors, foundations, and corporations who make transformative gifts to the PSO.