Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Prepare to unwind as our certified Relax and Renew® trainer Anita Bailey coaches you through various breathing and meditation techniques. Symphony musicians will perform selections to assist in your relaxation.

A towering masterpiece of the classical canon, Beethoven’s “Emperor” Piano Concerto earned that nickname for its unmistakably grand and noble qualities. While Beethoven composed the work when he was confronting deafness, the concerto still exudes pride and heroism — expansive, powerful music refusing to surrender to the misery Beethoven suffered during its composition. Wagner’s four-part series, The Ring of the Nibelung, is the pinnacle of operatic extravagance and indulgence. The Kansas City Symphony presents excerpts from Wagner’s Ring featuring some of the most gargantuan and thrilling episodes of instrumental music from the entire operatic repertoire.

Masterworks & Ovation Series

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Come dressed in your jammies and bring your favorite stuffed animal to our Piano Pajama Jam! Listen to familiar lullabies and nursery rhymes on your favorite keyboard instruments. Hands on activities will follow the performance with the Symphony’s Bush and Jamie Helzberg Instrument Petting Zoo. Tickets are $5 per person and go on sale Monday, April 2.

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Who doesn’t love a good makeover? For the final Classics Uncorked concert of the season, your Kansas City Symphony performs pieces that have had a little work done, or some reimagining, in one way or another. Beginning with an orchestration of Bach’s masterful “Dorian” Toccata, the program also includes Vaughan Williams’ shimmering Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis and Stravinsky’s cheery Pulcinella Suite with solos from many principal players. After the concert, enjoy a complimentary glass of wine or champagne and mingle with Symphony musicians in Kauffman Center’s Brandmeyer Great Hall lobby. Sponsored by BMO Wealth Management. Most tickets $25.

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Imagine lush green olive groves, picturesque vineyards and the fresh scent of lemon and orange trees drifting in on a warm, summer breeze. Mendelssohn’s long-awaited journey to Italy inspired this cheerful Fourth Symphony, one of his most vibrant and popular works. From beginning to end, the “Italian” Symphony is jam-packed with energy, lovely melodies and gorgeous orchestral writing. Superb violinist Augustin Hadelich solos in Haydn’s beautiful First Violin Concerto, one of the most-performed violin concertos of the mid-18th century, and the mesmerizing “Concentric Paths” by contemporary composer Thomas Adès.

Masterworks & Ovation Series

The Kansas City Symphony 2017-18 season finale will set your heart and soul ablaze with two theatrical masterpieces. In Berlioz’s Symphonie fantastique, a lovesick composer plunges into a deep sleep where he encounters a series of visions involving his beloved, culminating in the stunning “Dream of a Witches’ Sabbath.” Almost two centuries after its stunning premiere, Symphonie fantastique remains one of concert music’s wildest adventures. Inspired by W.H. Auden’s “fascinating and hair-raising poem,” Bernstein’s Age of Anxiety features a central section where the solo piano emerges as the protagonist (perhaps Bernstein, himself) in this larger-than-life human drama.

Special Underwriting for A Century of Bernstein provided by the National Endowment for the Arts

Masterworks & Bravo Series

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Relive the magic of your favorite wizard in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban™ in Concert. Based on the third installment of J.K. Rowling’s classic saga, fans of all ages will experience the thrilling tale accompanied by the Kansas City Symphony as Harry soars across the big screen. From the moment Harry first uses the Marauder’s Map to when the Patronus Charm bursts from his wand, you’ll be transported back into the world you love.

HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are © & TM Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. J.K. ROWLING`S WIZARDING WORLDTM J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s18)

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

We kick off the 2018/19 Classical Series in style with two of our very own award-winning talents plus a Van Cliburn competition bronze medalist. Beethoven’s playful Triple Concerto is one for the ages, revealing the great composer’s happy-go-lucky side. The program concludes with Rachmaninoff’s orchestral masterpiece, Symphonic Dances, exemplifying his superb Romantic-era writing — lush and captivating.

Masterworks & Bravo Series

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Broadway’s Hamilton star comes to Kansas City! From his Tony® Award-winning role as Aaron Burr in Broadway’s hottest hit, Leslie Odom Jr. joins the Kansas City Symphony for an evening of music that will lift you up and fill you with hope. This concert is a benefit for Turn the Page KC, which is making strides to improve our community’s third-grade reading proficiency. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please contact Turn the Page KC’s Executive Director Mike English at menglish@turnthepagekc.org or (816) 718-8926.

Tickets on sale March 6 @ 10 am.

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Rock sensation Ben Folds is back by popular demand after several sold-out appearances with your Kansas City Symphony. Hear this one-of-a-kind performance packed with fan favorites like “Brick” plus Folds’ latest orchestral arrangements.

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

The immensely talented multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird has found legions of fans of his distinct indie rock style, blending swing, gypsy, calypso and folk -- all delivered with his virtuosic abilities. A classically trained violinist, former member of the band Squirrel Nut Zippers, and an expert whistler (for real!), you have never seen or heard anyone or anything like Andrew Bird. Don’t miss an incredibly fun Symphony performance showcasing great music and musicianship with seating in the round at Helzberg Hall.

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

From the unforgettable opening to its brilliant finale, Grieg’s Piano Concerto abounds with soaring beauty and virtuoso fireworks, especially in the hands of the amazing George Li. The energy and irrepressible momentum of Beethoven’s legendary Seventh Symphony continues to thrill audiences today. The timeless and much-loved second movement, Allegretto, has appeared in numerous TV shows and films, including “The King’s Speech.”

Masterworks & Ovation Series

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

We’re celebrating the genius of George Gershwin! From irresistible musicals to iconic works for piano and orchestra, Gershwin endures as one of America’s most beloved composers. You’ll enjoy the exuberant An American in Paris as well as Grammy® Award-winner Patti Austin singing “The Man I Love,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “I Got Rhythm/Fascinating Rhythm,” plus “Summertime” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So” from Porgy and Bess. We also welcome Park University graduate student and 2017 Van Cliburn silver medalist Kenny Broberg to perform Gershwin’s groundbreaking favorite, Rhapsody in Blue.

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Your little ghosts and goblins will love our frightfully fun Halloween concert filled with creepy, crawly surprises! Experience symphonic chills and thrills as the orchestra guides you through spooky and silly music that’s not too scary but plenty extraordinary. The Symphony invites the entire family to dress up in their favorite costumes and trick-or-treat afterward in the Brandmeyer Great Hall lobby.

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Our amazing guest organist Dorothy Papadakos revives the 1923 classic silent horror film “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” with a completely improvised score played on the Julia Irene Kauffman Casavant Organ and featuring Kansas City Symphony Principal Percussionist Christopher McLaurin improvising on orchestral chimes as Quasimodo. Starring Lon Chaney in the role that launched his career as a major actor and featuring a 19-acre set filled with thousands of extras, “Hunchback” is a visual spectacle on a grand and spooky scale. Please note: the Kansas City Symphony does not perform during this presentation.

Tickets on-sale to Season Subscribers now. Public ticket sales will begin July 30th at 10am.

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Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

There is only one Wynonna Judd. Her range, style and voice are simply unmatched. Wynonna returns to the Kansas City Symphony in a celebration of great music, performing her country hits and rock classics along with staples of the American Songbook. Please note: this concert is presented without intermission.

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Two sublime choral works, Mozart’s Ave verum corpus and Bach’s “O Jesu Christ, mein’s Lebens Licht” begin this beautiful program of reflection and transcendence. Then, experience John Adams’ On the Transmigration of Souls, evoking a “memory space” to contemplate and commemorate the events of 9/11. One of the grandest symphonies of the early Romantic era, Schubert’s Ninth, “The Great,” caps off the concert with poetic genius and heroic melodies.

Masterworks & Bravo Series

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Maestro Bernard Labadie returns in this sparkling Thanksgiving weekend program. Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto is the best-known solo trumpet and orchestra work for good reason, overflowing with catchy melodies and featuring our James B. and Annabel Nutter Principal Trumpet Julian Kaplan. Equally powerful is Mozart’s final symphony, “Jupiter” — an extraordinary work with a breathtaking finale.

Masterworks & Ovation Series

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

The Texas Tenors quickly moved beyond Branson and became nationwide fan favorites after their appearance on “America’s Got Talent.” These tenors are as comfortable in an opera or with an orchestra as they are on an Ozark stage. JC Fisher, John Hagen and Marcus Collins have a unique style that brings a festive twist to a wide range of holiday favorites.

Tickets on-sale to Season Subscribers now. Public ticket sales will begin July 30th at 10am.

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Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

The Messiah performance of the year! Nearly 200 amazing musicians and powerful voices bring this choral masterpiece to life. Handel’s glorious Messiah is bigger and better than ever in the acoustically marvelous Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center and features the return of Aram Demirjian as guest conductor. From the “Passion of the Christ” to the “Hallelujah Chorus,” this is the perfect way to kick off your holiday season.

Tickets on-sale to Season Subscribers now. Public ticket sales will begin July 30th at 10am.

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Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Join your Symphony and Chorus for this joyous family Christmas concert, featuring cherished carols and Yuletide songs, talented special guests, bells, choirs and one jolly visitor from the North Pole. Your family will be filled with holiday spirit during this merry concert experience, capturing the true essence of the season. Family Series subscribers enjoy our full-length performance of Christmas Festival — a fantastic value. At each performance, we’ll give away a dazzling jewelry prize from Helzberg Diamonds, no purchase necessary.

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Frank Capra’s Oscar®-winning holiday classic comes to life with Dimitri Timokin’s entire score performed live. Jimmy Stewart portrays George, who is thinking about ending it all. As George is about to jump from a bridge, he instead ends up rescuing his guardian angel, Clarence, who shows George what his town would be like without all of his good deeds. Experience this beloved Christmas movie transformed into a live film concert event!

Tickets on-sale to Season Subscribers now. Public ticket sales will begin July 30th at 10am.

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Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Grab your broom and get ready for the tasks ahead! The Triwizard Tournament comes to Hogwarts™ in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire™ in Concert. Relive the magic of Harry Potter™ soaring across the big screen in high-definition and experience the Kansas City Symphony performing Patrick Doyle’s unforgettable score live.

HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are © & ™ Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. J.K. ROWLING’S WIZARDING WORLD™ J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Publishing Rights © JKR. (s18)

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

We’re bringing St. Petersburg to Kansas City with three Russian greats — Stravinsky, Glazunov and Tchaikovsky, led by Andrey Boreyko who makes his Kansas City Symphony conducting debut. Presumed lost for more than a century, the recent rediscovery of Chant funèbre allows audiences to hear a young Stravinsky’s rise to prominence before he wrote his famed Firebird. Glazunov’s passionate Violin Concerto blends colorful, freewheeling melodies with impressive technical feats. Tchaikovsky’s triumphant Third Suite features a powerful theme-and-variations finale.

Masterworks & Bravo Series

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

A singer, composer and actor, Lyle Lovett has broadened the definition of American music in a career that spans 14 albums over three decades. With his gift for storytelling, the Texas-based musician fuses elements of Americana, swing, jazz, folk, gospel and blues in a way that breaks down barriers. Lovett’s eclectic performance style guarantees a compelling and captivating experience in his first-ever Helzberg Hall performance with his Small Band and your Kansas City Symphony.

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Stravinsky’s Firebird is an enchanting, dramatic fairytale that boasts some of classical music’s most vivid and glorious orchestral writing. Rachmaninoff’s First Piano Concerto highlights the composer’s trademarks — lingering melodies, rich textures and piano pyrotechnics. With exotic harmonies and bewitching tunes, Nielsen’s Aladdin Suite is an adventurous romp in a faraway land. The White Peacock by Griffes is one of the composer’s best-known works.

Masterworks & Ovation Series

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Journey back to 1977 and a galaxy far, far away for the classic first film of the original “Star Wars” trilogy, written and directed by George Lucas and starring Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. You’ll watch the Rebel Alliance attempt to destroy the Death Star on a huge screen in Helzberg Hall while your Kansas City Symphony performs the thrilling John Williams score live.

Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts. © All rights reserved. In association with 20th Century Fox, Lucasfilm and Warner/Chappell Music. © 2017 and TM LUCASFILM LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. © Disney

Tickets on-sale to Season Subscribers now. Public ticket sales will begin July 30th at 10am.

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Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Gershwin’s rowdy Cuban Overture, a souvenir from his wild trip with friends to Havana, begins this concert celebrating the melting pot of American music. The songs of Kansas City jazz icon Pat Metheny are showcased in Imaginary Day, a brilliant concerto for vibes and marimba, which will feature Kansas City Symphony Principal Percussionist Christopher McLaurin and Philadelphia Orchestra Principal Percussionist Christopher Deviney. While living in the U.S. in the 1890s, Dvorák’s study of American folk melodies resulted in an affectionate tribute to this remarkable “New World.”

Masterworks & Bravo Series

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Don’t miss your chance to experience this classic, widely regarded as a landmark in American cinema, in a completely new way on Valentine’s weekend. Watch all of the drama unfold on the huge screen in Helzberg Hall as your Kansas City Symphony performs Max Steiner’s moving score live. Winner of the Academy Award® for Best Picture and lauded as one of the greatest movies of all times by the American Film Institute, get swept up in the romance and struggle between Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and his long-lost love Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman).

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Prokofiev’s timeless musical tale of boy vs. wolf comes to life through music and comedy in this unique production featuring mascots from local professional sports teams and universities, guaranteed to spark the imaginations of young and old alike. Join KC Wolf, Sluggerrr and others. Wear your favorite team gear and cheer on your favorite “character” — the wolf, the bird or the cat!

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

From his early years with Jackson 5 to his mega-hit album “Thriller” and beyond, Michael Jackson stormed the airwaves with hit after hit. “The Music of Michael Jackson” takes you through each era of this storied performer’s 40-year career — from “ABC,” “I’ll Be There” and “Got to Be There” to “Beat It,” “Thriller” and “Billy Jean.” This amazing evening of music is dedicated to the King of Pop.

Tickets on-sale to Season Subscribers now. Public ticket sales will begin July 30th at 10am.

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Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Rossini’s William Tell Overture gallops out of the gate in this energetic concert followed by pianist Alessio Bax who returns to perform Barber’s technically demanding Piano Concerto. Mendelssohn’s boyhood trip to Scotland inspired his Symphony No. 3, “Scottish.” Esteemed conductor Edo de Waart leads us through Mendelssohn’s lilting score with its impressions of ancient palace ruins, an old bagpipe melody and lively Scottish dances.

Masterworks & Bravo Series

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Whitney Houston is the most-awarded female act of all time, having sold more than 170 million albums, singles and videos worldwide. Her powerful voice touched our hearts and inspired our souls. Join the Kansas City Symphony and vocal sensation Rashidra Scott for an evening of Whitney’s biggest hits, including “How Will I Know,” “Where Do Broken Hearts Go,” “I Will Always Love You” and many more.

Tickets on-sale to Season Subscribers now. Public ticket sales will begin July 30th at 10am.

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Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

In the wonderfully indulgent Carmina burana you’ll hear an irresistible, nonstop and thunderous celebration of life, love and the philosophy of carpe diem. One of the most popular classical works of all time, Carmina burana appears in countless movies, TV shows, commercials and sporting events. This musical extravaganza begins with a kaleidoscope of sound in pieces by two prominent American composers, Sarah Kirkland Snider and Augusta Read Thomas.

Masterworks & Ovation Series

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Brimming with “fizzy spirit and breezy sophistication” (Chicago Sun-Times), the sensational Pink Martini joins your Kansas City Symphony for an evening of glitz and glamor, led by pianist Thomas Lauderdale and featuring vocalist China Forbes. Experience an alluring mix of Brazilian samba, ’30s Cuban dance, and Parisian café music as “one of the world’s most elegant live bands” (The Times UK) mingles with your Symphony for an unforgettable party.

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

From the delicious amuse-bouche of Milhaud’s jazzy Brazilian tango to the virtuosic Lalo Cello Concerto, you’ll be dancing in the aisles and filled with fanciful thoughts of spring cheer. Copland’s ballet Appalachian Spring is the touching story of a rural Pennsylvania wedding and the score includes variations on the heartfelt Shaker hymn “Simple Gifts.” Ravel’s La valse is a musical journey filled with incredible beauty, sensuality and a sense of instability, as the fantastic waltz spins into oblivion.

Masterworks & Ovation Series

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Experience the elements in Helzberg Hall as your Symphony presents a fun and fascinating family concert about all things weather. KMBC-TV Channel 9 Chief Meteorologist Bryan Busby explores the musical side of weather including rain, snow, wind and so much more!

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Mahler described his epic Third Symphony as “a gigantic musical poem [with] all the phases of evolution.” Scored for numerous vocalists and a huge orchestra, his Third embraces the miracles of creation, nature and humankind’s relationship with divinity. As one of the most exalted works of the symphonic repertoire, Mahler’s Third led by Music Director Michael Stern is a not-to-be-missed concert event.

Masterworks & Bravo Series

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Brahms’ Piano Quartet in G minor is one of his most energetic and uninhibited pieces with a wild gypsy dance at the end. In Schoenberg’s technicolor arrangement of the chamber work for orchestra, the Quartet emerges as a thrilling showpiece. Mozart’s Violin Concerto No. 5, “Turkish,” teeter-totters between sweet and majestic. Within Her Arms, scored for an ensemble of 15 strings, is composer Anna Clyne’s touching memorial to her mother.

Masterworks & Ovation Series

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

Disney’s animated classic, “Fantasia,” prominently features Leopold Stokowski’s lush orchestration of Bach’s famous Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, and likewise, Hindemith’s Symphonic Metamorphosis converts earlier music (in this case, by Carl Maria von Weber) into an orchestral tour-de-force. The Symphony also welcomes back one of the world’s preeminent pianists, Yefim Bronfman, to perform Liszt’s Second Piano Concerto, an iridescent and dazzling work with a fiery finish.

Masterworks & Bravo Series

Helzberg Hall | Kauffman Center

The Kansas City Symphony’s 2018/19 classical season closes with one of the most celebrated and colorful works in the entire symphonic catalogue, Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, orchestrated by Ravel. With thrilling technical demands and a magnificent conclusion, audiences love every minute of Brahms’ intensely beautiful First Piano Concerto performed by returning special guest pianist Benjamin Grosvenor.

Masterworks & Ovation Series