The musical landscape of Boston has long been unique among major cities, with some of the world’s most acoustically rewarding venues, the constant reinvigoration of audiences through the city’s dozens of colleges and universities, and a legacy of curiosity and experimentation that stretches back centuries. Among the institutions that contribute to this thriving culture is the Celebrity Series of Boston, which has announced its 86th season.
Highlights of the 2024-2025 season include internationally renowned orchestras, boundary-pushing contemporary artists and ensembles, dynamic piano soloists and chamber groups, and a debut series that brings artists to Boston for the first time.
Major ensembles during the season include the Australian Chamber Orchestra, which, in an Oct. 18 concert at New England Conservatory’s Jordan Hall, brings a new perspective to Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, recasting it as a journey through Venice and the Middle East, with violinist Richard Tognetti, oud soloist Joseph Tawadros, and riq soloist James Tawadros. Then, on Nov. 20, the Berliner Philharmoniker visits Symphony Hall with Chief Conductor Kirill Petrenko to perform Anton Bruckner’s Symphony No. 5.
The Stave Sessions of the Celebrity Series has become a focal point for unique contemporary artists and ensembles, based next season at the Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre, Feb. 11-14. Artists include composer and multi-instrumentalist Courtney Swain, Owls, a string quartet whose music stretches from the 1600s to works written by its own members, cellist and vocalist Seth Parker Woods, and classical/jazz/folk brass quartet The Westerlies.
Piano soloists have been at the heart of the Celebrity Series of Boston since it was founded in 1938, and the tradition continues when Emanuel Ax opens the season on Oct. 13 with a program called “Fantasies,” bringing together Beethoven, Schumann, and Corigliano. Another concert features two of the most dynamic pianists of our time, with Vikingur Ólafsson and Yuja Wang joining forces for works by Rachmaninoff and Adams.
Other pianists through the course of the season include Paul Lewis, in an all-Schubert program on Oct. 25; Yulianna Avdeeva, in her Celebrity Series debut, performing Liszt and Beethoven on Jan. 15 and 16; Seong-Jin Cho, in an all-Ravel program on Feb. 2; Lang Lang, performing Schubert, Schumann, and Chopin on Feb. 28; Jason Moran, celebrating Duke Ellington on Mar. 1; Zlata Chochieva, performing Rachmaninoff in her Boston debut; and Evgeny Kissin, in a program that brings together works by Beethoven, Chopin, Shostakovich, and Bach on April 29. Pianist Conrad Tao returns to Boston, in a collaborative performance with choreographer and tap dancer Caleb Teicher on Feb. 7.
Vocal artists presented by the Celebrity Series in the 2024-2025 season include Kingdom Choir, the gospel artists who sang at the wedding of Prince Harry and Megan Markle, visiting Boston on Dec. 15. On Jan. 25, mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, violist Matthew Lipman, and pianist Tamar Sanikidze perform music by Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms, along with a Celebrity Series co-commission by Joel Thompson. In a Celebrity Series debut, mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron sings a program called “The Power and the Glory” with pianist Kunal Lahiry on March 18, weaving together music from Latin America, Europe, and Asia.
Chamber music and other programs include the Jerusalem Quartet at Jordan Hall on Nov. 1; the Castalian Quartet, in their Celebrity Series debut on Nov. 14; cellist Alisa Weilerstein and pianist Inon Barnatan, in their fourth Celebrity Series appearance, performing Brahms and Shostakovich on Nov. 24; the Dover Quartet, with Schumann and Dvořák on Feb. 14; violinist Leonidas Kavakos and pianist Daniil Trifonov on Mar. 5; violinist Midori and pianist Özgür Aydin on Mar. 6 and 7; the Calidore Quartet, with bassist and composer Xavier Foley, on Mar. 23; composer and vocalist Caroline Shaw and choreographer and dancer Vanessa Goodman, with “Graveyards and Gardens” on Mar. 28; violinist Julia Fischer and pianist Jan Lisiecki on Mar. 28; cellist Zlatomir Fung, Gold Medalist at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, on April 16 and 17; and violinist Tessa Lark, bassist Edgar Meyer, and cellist Joshua Roman, on May 9.
For the complete 2024-2025 season schedule, visit Celebrity Series of Boston.
