Arts & Entertainment Brevard MUSIC CENTER
GARRICK OHLSSON WILL PLAY OPENING NIGHT JUNE 26
The Brevard Music Center is celebrating its 90th anniversary season this year with a summer festival that reflects both its history and its purpose: Bringing extraordinary, guest artists, and emerging musicians together in performance and learning.
The season will span orchestral masterworks, opera, chamber music, contemporary voices, film with live orchestra, and the popular BMC Presents series.
“ Ninety years at Brevard is not just a milestone— it’ s a living story,” said Jason Posnock, president and CEO of Brevard Music Center.“ This season reflects who we are at our core: a place where extraordinary music is performed, exceptional guest artists are welcomed, new voices are encouraged, and students learn by making music alongside the very people who inspire them.”
– tickets –
Subscriptions on sale now. Go to brevardmusic. org or call( 828) 862-2105.
BREVARD MUSIC CENTER SUMMER FESTIVAL – Key Highlights –
› Opening Night: Friday, June 26; Garrick Ohlsson performs Rachmaninoff’ s Piano Concerto No. 2 with Keith Lockhart and the Brevard Music Center Orchestra;
› Legendary Artist: Yo-Yo Ma, performing Dvořák’ s Cello Concerto( Season Finale, Aug. 2);
› Guest Artists: Gil Shaham, Nancy Zhou, Amaryn Olmeda, Paul Neubauer, Camille Thomas, Reginald Smith Jr. and Sophia Liu;
› Distinguished Residencies: Imani Winds and the Shanghai Quartet( Thomas C. Bolton Distinguished Artist Chair); Stephen Hough( Ruby Norris Morgan Distinguished Artist Chair);
› Conductors: Keith Lockhart, JoAnn Falletta, Ken Lam, Rune Bergmann, Earl Lee, Anna Rakitina, Shih-Hung Young and Naomi Woo.
› Composers in residence: Carlos Simon, James Stephenson, Joan Tower, Zach Redler and Andy Akiho.
– Other Artists –
› The anniversary season features orchestral works by Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Mahler, Shostakovich, Rachmaninoff, Dvořák, Bruckner, Strauss, and Ravel, alongside contemporary works by living composers in residence.
› The Janiec Opera Company will present fully staged productions of Mozart’ s“ The Marriage of Figaro,”“ The Falling and the Rising” by Zach Redler, Gilbert and Sullivan’ s“ H. M. S. Pinafore” and“ An Evening of Lerner & Loewe.”
› In recognition of America’ s 250 anniversary, the season includes programs highlighting American composers and patriotic repertoire.
› A cinematic highlight will feature“ Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert,” performed live to picture by the Brevard Sinfonia.
› The following artists will perform as part of BMC Presents: Bryan Sutton’ s NC Guitar Celebration; Branford Marsalis with Jazz @ Brevard; Nathan Chester and the Old Souls Motown Revival; Shannon Whitworth and Woody Platt with Orchestra; The Buena Vista Orchestra; An Evening with Jason Isbell; Béla Fleck’ s Blue Ridge Banjo Concert; and Fiddle Forward with Casey Driessen
› The 2026 Summer Festival Season is made possible in part through the support of season sponsors Jacquelyn and Bruce Rogow.
› The Legendary Artist Series is sponsored by Drs. Joanne and Tom Parker, and the BMC Presents series is sponsored by Rick and Maggi Swanson.
42 TRANSYLVANIA EXPLORER 2026