Our 2025-26 season—which concluded on May 17 with our season finale, Exhale & Celebrate, at The Lerner Theatre—was one of historic growth and almost unimaginable programming success!
We enjoyed splendid performances, capacity crowds, moving repertoires, and exceptional guest soloists, including Michail Thompson, assistant principal trumpet with the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, D.C., Aleck Belcher—associate principal bass for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra—and 2023 Sphinx MPower Artist Grant recipient, Caitlin Edwards, a classically trained violinist, arranger, recording artist, teacher, and GRAMMY certificate winner based in Chicago.
Along the way, we honored longtime local music educator and Symphony musician, Debra Inglefield, and we welcomed one of the biggest guests in our history—Girl Named Tom—for a SOLD OUT community holiday concert and collaboration.
We were able to set new standards for programming and participation, and even before the ink had dried on Season 78, we were privileged to announce the exciting hiring of our new Executive Director, Glenn Northern, ushering in a new era of artistic excellence and community engagement as we mature into one of Elkhart County’s most treasured and respected cultural institutions.
Our 2026-27 season—which will, incredibly, be our 79th season—is one of magical music and continued momentum, and we hope you will join us!
Onward and upward!
Season 79 begins on Sept. 13 with the season premiere, ¡Ritmo Botánico!, at Elkhart’s beautiful Wellfield Botanic Gardens, as we gather to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and welcome guest soloist Heidi Eash (oboe).
Duel Vi2lity, Nov. 15 at The Lerner Theatre, features guest soloist Khari Joyner, a rising cellist described by the New York Classical Review as “one of the most exciting young musicians on the classical scene.”
Our annual concert on the historic campus of Goshen College—inside the lovely Sauder Concert Hall at the Goshen College Music Center—takes place Feb. 14, 2027. Verdi Requiem features collaborators and guest soloists including the Camerata Singers, Goshen College Choirs, and vocalists Jenny Ribeiro (Soprano), Roz Woll (Mezzo-Soprano), and Scott Hochstetler (Bass).
Cinematic Symphony, March 14, 2027, at The Lerner Theatre, celebrates film music from Mozart to Williams and features guest conductor Michael Stern. The event also features, as guest soloist, our Youth Concerto Competition Winner!
Planetary Finale, the final concert of Season 79, is May 16, 2027 at The Lerner Theatre, and presents pax duo, an exciting percussion project created by Tristan Swihart and Micah Detweiler that aims to break preconceptions of contemporary percussion through collaboration and new creations that transcend genre.
Follow our social media channels and be on the lookout for Season Ticket announcements, because our upcoming 79th season is one you DO NOT want to miss!
YOUR support is everything
The continued support of patrons like YOU is most crucial to our mission of spreading music, education, and opportunity throughout our area, and you can rest assured that your gift will bring music and goodness into the world, and into our community.
Contribute today, and make sure to purchase your Season Tickets for Season 79, which go on sale to the general public on June 11!
ABOUT THE ELKHART COUNTY SYMPHONY
The Elkhart County Symphony Association employs more than 100 professional musicians in the county. The organization promotes cultural experiences and instills civic pride in our community by encouraging artistic integrity, providing innovative opportunities, and presenting excellent musical programming through concerts, education, and special events.