OKLAHOMA CITY – As the autumn begins to settle in, the Oklahoma City Philharmonic once again prepares to launch a new season, spotlighting the epic power and towering scale of symphonic music and the legends and legacies at its heart.
The 2026-27 season officially kicks off this Saturday, September 19th, with “America the Beautiful: A 250 Celebration,” elevating the diverse scale and history of the United States in honor of the nation’s 250th birthday (a way better celebration than whatever that mess in DC was a couple months ago.)
But all the way back in February, the OKC Phil, led of course by Maestro Alexander Mickelthwate, presented a full reveal of the new season and its many anticipated programs in a private event designed to build excitement for this grand and groundbreaking season, and Free Press was there.
“So the whole season is a little bit under the idea of ‘what is America to history?’ and ‘what is America?’” Mickelthwate told the event audience, made up of donors and supporters of the Phil. “So we will have several concerts that have different aspects of America.”
‘America the Beautiful: A 250 Celebration’ – Saturday, September 19th
Kicking off the season this Saturday is a full opening program designed to evoke the epic spirit and defining sounds of American music.
The night opens with Gershwin’s “An American in Paris” and continues through the staggering landscape of seaside California with John Adams’ “The Dharma at Big Sur” before closing with Rachmaninoff’s “Symphonic Dances,” a late romantic piece that the Russian legend composed while living in America.
“Gershwin was one of the most famous American composers, and created the American sound, and actually was inspired in Paris to look back,” Mickelthwate said. “So it is a picture of America from the outside.”
‘Worlds of Wonder’ – Saturday, October 10th
Leaving behind the physical geography of the US, but not the influence of its technology, celestial exploration, or even its rock n roll, “Worlds of Wonder” will see the Phil expanding into some uncharted territories for the symphony.
Opening with the classically dark and transcendent “Night on Bald Mountain,” the program then leaves the Earth behind to explore American composer Eric Whitacre’s “Deep Field,” inspired by the Hubble Space Telescope and its breathtaking “Deep Field” photograph. The evening will even incorporate an immersive feature for the audience experienced through the Deep Field app.
And then Mickelthwate will lead the orchestra through an explosive rendition of Led Zeppelin’s immortal “Stairway to Heaven,” featuring the guitar-shredding fireworks of Jay Gleason of Local Man Ruins Everything.
‘Music to Die For: Songs from the Shadows’ – Friday, October 30th & Saturday, October 31st
The Phil presents this two-night descent into the dark and spooky side of symphonic music for the Halloween holiday.
They’re keeping coy about the exact pieces to be featured, but their site teases everything from “cinematic suspense to showstopping Broadway vocals.”
‘Symphonic Stories: From Blues to Broadway’ – Saturday, November 21st
There are arguably no two musical landmarks more inherently American than real American blues and the music of Broadway theatre.
This installment of the “Symphonic Stories” series will take the audience from the New Orleans jazz of Wynton Marsalis to the film score work of the great Phillip Glass and all the way to inimitable Broadway classics of Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story.”
“We had to have one Bernstein in there,” Mickelthwate said. In terms of the defining music of the US, “he’s one of the godfathers of America.”
‘A Very Merry Pops’ – Friday, December 4th & Saturday, December 5th
To anyone that frequents the Phil, this one is self-explanatory.
Each year, the Philharmonic presents a special “Pops” program chock full of holiday classics both traditional and contemporary, perfect for families and newcomers to the joys of orchestral music.
And if you want an afternoon program for the youngsters, you can catch the “Tinsel Tradition” show early on the 5th, complete with Santa and his elves in attendance before the show.
‘Fairytales: Stories in Sound’ – Saturday, January 9th
With the 250celebrations now behind them, the Phil will be looking to explore much broader and fantastical worlds conjured from fairytales and imagination.
This program features Ravel’s take on the classic “Mother Goose,” Stravinsky’s challenging and transportative “Petroushka,” and a selection from Tan Dun’s adventurous score for the magical “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.”
“We will be transported into that absolutely magical realm,” Mickelthwate said.
‘Fate, Fire, & Fantasy’ – Saturday, February 6th
Another lineup built from unfettered imagination, adventure, and a contemporary spirit extending an invitation to new generations, the “Fate, Fire, & Fantasy” program will crank up the drama to new heights.
Alongside Debussy’s infinitely powerful “Claire de Lune” and Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 4,” audiences will be treated to a suite of the modern classic score to Hayao Miyazaki’s “Howl’s Moving Castle,” a musical feast for modern audiences.
“It’s beautiful. It’s romantic. It’s Japanese anime,” said Mickelthwate, recalling how excited younger audience members were when they found out the Phil would be tackling the suite.
‘Enigmas of Life’ – Saturday, March 13th
Under the direction of guest conductor Laura Jackson, the Phil will be interpreting a selection of pieces meant to spark feelings of “identity, spirit, and human connection.”
The lineup features a legendary Beethoven piece, his “Piano Concerto No. 1,” and Edward Elgar’s “Enigma Variations,” but the highlight is sure to be a spirited performance of contemporary composer Stacy Garrop’s “Goddess Triptych.”
‘A Night in Vienna’ – Saturday, April 10th
Featuring a pair of acclaimed pieces to transport OKC all the way to Vienna, Austria during its peak as the musical capitol of Europe, “A Night in Vienna” casts off the contemporary to present an evening of truly romantic orchestral traditionalism.
Mozart’s “Violin Concerto No. 1” will coax the audience into the evening with all of the flowing brilliance and passion that defined Mozart’s enduring legacy before Anton Bruckner’s “Symphony No. 4” constructs a towering monument to pure musical romanticism.
‘Voices of Triumph: Symphonic Masterpieces’ – Saturday, May 15th
Closing out the season is this massive slate of epic, expressive symphonies intended as a triumphant finale for a groundbreaking season of music.
The season’s recurring presence of notable film composers is wrapped up with the untouchable John Williams and his “Summon the Heroes,” originally composed for the 1996 Olympic Games, a nod to the coming games for OKC in 2028.
The American historical focus sees its conclusion in the form of Aaron Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait,” combining the striking full-symphony orchestrations of Copland with the words of Abraham Lincoln himself, it’s a piece of deeply moving and deeply relevant portent for our modern nation.
And then closing out an epic season properly is the epic of epics, Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9,” a fitting end to a seriously huge season of music.
For showtimes, tickets, and more information, as well as a full look at the OKC Philharmonic’s complete 2026-27 slate, including children’s programming and Pops performances, visit okcphil.org.
You can find out about local music and performance happenings in the OKC metro weekly in this music column by Brett Fieldcamp. | Brought to you by True Sky Credit Union.
Brett Fieldcamp is the owner and Editor in Chief of Oklahoma City Free Press. He has been covering arts, entertainment, news, housing, and culture in Oklahoma for nearly two decades and served as Arts & Entertainment Editor before purchasing the company from founder Brett Dickerson in 2026.
He is also a musician and songwriter and holds a certification as Specialist of Spirits from The Society of Wine Educators.
