Krannert 2025/26 Season Editor Picks
The Krannert Center for the Performing Arts has announced its 2025/26 season, and we’re happy to report there’s lots on offer for classical music lovers. Now that tickets are on sale for the general public, we’re highlighting our top pick for each month of the concert season. Of course, we’ll continue to keep you posted on all the classical goings-on in the listening area in our monthly Classical Calendar (subscribe to Clef Notes for access), but we wanted to give our readers a heads up for events of particular note.
Editor Picks
September 26: Jupiter String Quartet with Jon Nakamatsu, Piano
The Jupiter String Quartet, the University of Illinois’ Quartet-in-Residence, will be joined by the acclaimed American pianist Jon Nakamatsu for a special concert. Since winning the Gold Medal at the 1997 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Nakamatsu has built a distinguished international career marked by elegance, intensity, and versatility. A frequent soloist with leading orchestras and collaborator with top chamber ensembles, he is praised for his dynamic artistry across repertoire ranging from Gershwin to Schumann. Together, Nakamatsu and the Jupiter String Quartet will offer an unforgettable program that celebrates the power of musical sensibility and deep commitment to expressive storytelling through sound.
October 25: Sphinx Virtuosi: Visions of Peace
The flagship performing ensemble of the Sphinx Organization returns to Krannert Center, foregrounding their role as cultural ambassadors in their program entitled “Visions of Peace.” Centered around Quenton Blache’s commissioned work of the same name, the program also includes music by Jose White, Clarice Assad, Jessie Montgomery, Sergei Prokofiev, Alberto Ginastera, and Manuel Ponce, as well as William Grant Still’s Suite for Cello, featuring 2019 Sphinx Competition winner and 2021 Avery Fisher Career Grant recipient Sterling Elliott. The Sphinx Virtuosi inventively and jubilantly celebrate the resiliency of the human spirit as the blaze a new path in the classical music world.
November 18: Bang on a Can All-Stars Present David Lang’s Before and After Nature with the Los Angeles Master Chorale
Pulitzer Prize and Grammy-winning composer David Lang’s newest work, before and after nature, is a monumental meditation on how people might imagine the world both before and after human existence. Featuring two boldly innovative ensembles familiar to Krannert Center audiences—Bang on a Can All-Stars and the Los Angeles Master Chorale—and paired with a stunning audiovisual design by Tal Rosner, before and after nature explores how people interact with the natural world, concentrating particularly on the things we don’t really see or understand.
December 10: Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra: Good Tidings! Holiday Concert
Celebrate the season with the glad musical tidings of the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra’s beloved holiday concert, a family favorite for music lovers of all ages. CUSO will be joined by the University of Illinois Meredith Chamber Singers and UI Oratorio Society for Francis Poulenc’s Gloria, a spectacular work for large chorus, full orchestra, and soprano soloist (Emily Birsan). The angelic voices of the Central Illinois Youth Chorus will be featured in music by John Williams from the film Home Alone. Uplifting songs of the season, a visit from Santa, and a sing-along of carols are sure to make spirits bright.
January 29: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra returns to Krannert Center for a rousing program highlighting the uncompromising excellence of the United Kingdom’s most in-demand orchestra. The program’s light-hearted opening, Berlioz’s Overture to the comedic opera Beatrice and Benedict, contrasts with the gravitas of the closing work, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10. Music director Vasily Petrenko brings a deep affinity for and love of Shostakovich’s music to the podium. His insightful recordings of the composer’s complete symphonic output have been lauded for their depth, integrity, musicality, and interpretive intelligence. The RPO also welcomes pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, “a genius who has reached the height of his interpretive powers” (Spectator), as soloist in Beethoven’s playful Piano Concerto No. 1.
February 28: Sinfonia da Camera: Rach 3
Join Sinfonia da Camera for an all-Rachmaninoff evening featuring two emotionally charged masterworks, both famously known as “Rach 3”: Piano Concerto No. 3 in D Minor and Symphony No. 3 in A Minor. Maestro Ian Hobson will serve as both piano soloist and conductor in the concerto, renowned for its lyrical beauty, intricate textures, and breathtaking virtuosity. Rachmaninoff’s Symphony No. 3 blends Russian romanticism with modern rhythmic drive. Opening the program is Rachmaninoff’s beloved Vocalise, an achingly beautiful, wordless song that showcases Rachmaninoff’s gift for expressive melody. Together, these works offer a powerful portrait of the composer’s sweeping emotional range and enduring genius.
March 29: St. Louis Symphony Orchestra with Víkingur Ólafsson, piano
The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra continues to enthrall Krannert Center audiences with thoughtful and innovative programming. Music director Stéphane Denève will take audiences on a complex and emotional journey with SLSO composer-in-residence Kevin Puts’ Concerto for Orchestra, dedicated to Denève and the SLSO. This music resonates alongside a new work by Chinese composer Jasmine Guo, the sound of where I came from (2025). Music of Beethoven opens and closes the program, beginning with The Consecration of the House Overture and concluding with acclaimed pianist Vikingur Ólafsson performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5, “Emperor.”
April 17: Joshua Bell, Violin, and Larisa Martinez, Soprano
Evoking the spirit of the 18th-century salon and the informality of the modern-day house concert, husband and wife duo Joshua Bell and Larisa Martínez present their innovative program Voice & the Violin. “Our concept for the Voice & the Violin began during the pandemic while we were quarantined and finding new ways to collaborate and enjoy music together,” the couple said. “Although finding repertoire written specifically for violin and voice can be a challenge, we discovered and fell in love with the gems featured on this program.” The music ranges from beloved classical art song and opera to musical theatre and selections by Puerto Rican Spanish composers. Martínez’s rich soprano intertwines with Bell’s soaring violin as the couple joyfully shares the stage and their love of making music together.
May 2: Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra: Verdi Requiem
Giuseppe Verdi's Messa di Requiem is one of the most moving and memorable works of the choral repertoire. From the sublime beauty of soaring solo voices to the awe-inspiring power of the full orchestra and chorus, this powerful music reaches deep into the soul. Maestro Stephen Alltop conducts the CUSO and combined choirs of the University of Illinois alongside vocal soloists Laura Strickling (soprano), Susan Platts (mezzo-soprano), Scott Ramsay (tenor), and Stephen Clark (bass) in what is sure to be a stunning concert.
Honorable Mentions
November 4: Chicago Symphony Orchestra & Riccardo Muti: Dvořák's "New World" Symphony
November 15: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at 300: Les Arts Florissants with Théotime Langlois de Swarte, Violin
February 6: The Complete Philip Glass Piano Etudes
