Greenville Symphony’s 79th season ties classical favorites to the human experience
- Mar 16
- 3 min read
The haunting choral opening of Mozart’s Requiem will launch the Greenville Symphony Orchestra’s 2026-27 season in September, opening a year that returns the orchestra to many of the cornerstone works of the European concert tradition.
After a season focused largely on American music, the orchestra’s 79th year highlights composers including Ludwig van Beethoven, Joseph Haydn, Felix Mendelssohn, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Maurice Ravel.
The season carries the theme “Common Ground,” exploring music that connects audiences across cultures and generations.
In addition to Mozart’s Requiem, other major works include the Violin Concerto by Ludwig van Beethoven (featuring violinist Nathan Amaral), Symphony No. 3 (“Rhenish”) by Robert Schumann, Symphony No. 7 by Beethoven, Concerto for Orchestra by Béla Bartók, and “Daphnis et Chloé” by Maurice Ravel.
“This season highlights the extraordinary range of the orchestral repertoire and its ability to speak to the human experience,” said Lee Mills, the orchestra’s music director who will conduct most of the concerts.
Greenville Symphony musicians will be the featured soloists in key performances, including concertmaster Jacqueline Tso in the “Butterfly Lovers’ Violin Concerto,” a 1959 work by Chen Gang and He Zhanhao that merges Western classical structure with Chinese folk melodies. It tells the tragic legend of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, known as the “Romeo and Juliet” of China, who reunite as butterflies.
Other Greenville Symphony soloists include principal horn player Anneka Zuehlke-King in Kenneth Fuchs’ “Canticle to the Sun” and principal second violinist Joanna Mulfinger in Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 3.
Music Director Emeritus Edvard Tchivzhel returns to the podium on Feb. 6-7 to conduct works by Verdi, Tchaikovsky and Mendelssohn.
“Each season we think carefully about how our programming reflects the community we serve,” said Jessica Satava, executive director of the Greenville Symphony. “‘Common Ground’ celebrates the melodies and musical traditions that belong to everyone. This season reminds us that music has the power to bring people together in meaningful and lasting ways.”
For more information about the 2026-27 season or to subscribe, visit greenvillesymphony.org or call 864-232-0344.
Following is the 2026-27 season in brief:
Sept. 26-27 (opening night): Mozart’s ‘Requiem’ at Peace Concert Hall. Conducted by Lee Mills. With Clemson University Singers and Furman University Singers.
Oct. 31-Nov. 1: Mozart Among Friends at Gunter Theatre. Program includes Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Overture to “Don Giovanni”; Mozart: Violin Concerto No. 3; Mozart: Symphony No. 40. Featuring Joanna Mulfinger, violin.
Nov. 21-22: Beethoven’s Violin Concerto at Peace Concert Hall. Conducted by Lee Mills. Program includes Carlos Simon: “Fate Now Conquers”; Ludwig van Beethoven: Violin Concerto; Robert Schumann: Symphony No. 3 “Rhenish”. Featuring Nathan Amaral, violin.
Dec. 4-6: Holiday at Peace at Peace Concert Hall. Conducted by Lee Mills. Featuring Lissa DeGuzman, vocals.
Jan. 9-10, 2027: “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” in Concert at Peace Concert Hall
Feb. 6-7, 2027: Tchivzhel Conducts Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky at Peace Concert Hall. Conducted by Edvard Tchivzhel. Program includes Giuseppe Verdi: Overture to “I Vespri Sicilini”; Felix Mendelssohn: Symphony No. 4 “Italian”; Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: “Francesca da Rimini”; Tchaikovsky: “Capriccio Italien”.
Feb. 20-21, 2027: “Carmen” in Concert at Gunter Theatre. Conducted by Lee Mills. Soloists to be announced.
March 13-14, 2027: Bartók Concerto for Orchestra at Peace Concert Hall. Conducted by Lee Mills. Program includes Zoltán Kodály: Dances of “Galánta”; Kenneth Fuchs: “Canticle to the Sun”; Béla Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra. Featuring Anneka Zuehlke-King, horn.
March 20-21, 2027: Rhythm Rising: A Percussion Celebration at Gunter Theatre. Featuring Greenville Symphony Percussion Section and James Leonard, principal percussion. Guest ensembles: Furman Percussion Ensemble, Omar Carmenates, director; Fine Arts Center Percussion Group, Wesley Strasser, director.
April 10-11, 2027: Beethoven 7 + Jacqueline Tso Plays Butterfly Lovers’ Concerto at Peace Concert Hall. Conducted by Lee Mills. Program includes Andrea Rinkemeyer: “Water Sings Fire” (South Carolina premiere); He Zhanhao / Chen Gang: “Butterfly Lovers’ Violin Concerto”; Ludwig van Beethoven: Symphony No. 7. Featuring Jacqueline Tso, violin.
April 24-25, 2027: Haydn Symphony 102 + Stravinsky’s Pulcinella at Gunter Theatre. Conducted by Lee Mills. Program includes Franz Joseph Haydn: Symphony No. 102; Igor Stravinsky: “Pulcinella” Suite.
May 15-16, 2027: Ravel’s Boléro + Maxim Lando at Peace Concert Hall. Conducted by Lee Mills. Program includes Heitor Villa-Lobos: Choros No. 6; Manuel de Falla: “Nights in the Gardens of Spain”; Maurice Ravel: “Daphnis et Chloé”; Ravel: Boléro. Featuring Maxim Lando, piano.
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