THE EL PASO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
ANNOUNCES ITS 95TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON
2025-2026 Season features a Gold Medalist, Explores Space,
and features the Spectacular Carmina Burana!
For 95 years, EPSO has cultivated community through classical music. EPSO’s journey began in 1893 and became established permanently in 1931. Today, it proudly claims to be the longest continuously running symphony in Texas. Maestro Bohuslav Rattay, only the 6th conductor in EPSO’s 95-year history and currently in his 12th season, will once again lead the orchestra in concerts featuring a vibrant selection of works, each carefully chosen and performed by our dedicated musicians.
“I am excited to invite you to the El Paso Symphony Orchestra’s 95th Anniversary Season—a significant milestone that celebrates our shared love for music. Music has the unique ability to bring us together, creating moments of connection that resonate long after the final note has played,” Music Director Bohuslav Rattay says.
EPSO’s 2025-2026 season begins with a special Gala fundraiser celebrating 95 years and honoring Marlene Stewart at 6:30 pm Saturday, September 13, at the El Paso Country Club. Marlene will be awarded the El Paso Patron of the Arts Award in appreciation of her more than 40 years of exemplary leadership, devotion, and unwavering support of the arts in our community. We honor her contributions and celebrate her legacy.
The classical series will begin at 7:30 PM on September 19-20 at the Plaza Theatre. The gold medal winner of the 2025 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Aristo Sham, will join the EPSO for Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor. Additionally, the El Paso Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Rattay, will present Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. This symphony, often referred to as the “Fate” symphony, is a deeply personal work that reflects the composer’s life experiences and struggles. It explores themes of fate, melancholy, and ultimately finding joy amidst adversity.
EPSO is set to explore the universe on October 17-18, 2025, with a program titled “Space Odyssey.” The performances will begin with John Williams’ Adventures on Earth from E.T., followed by Eric Whitacre’s piece, “Deep Field: The Impossible Magnitude of Our Universe,” accompanied by film. This film enhances the score by combining stunning imagery from the Hubble Space Telescope, including never-before-seen galaxy fly-bys, with original animations. Together, they create an immersive and unforgettable journey from planet Earth to the farthest reaches of our universe.
The first half of the season concludes with “A Christmas Fantasia,” which will be held at 7:30 PM on December 5-6 at the Plaza Theatre. The concerts will feature the incredible voices of the UTEP Choral Union. Audiences can expect to experience an enchanting blend of Fantasia and the spirit of Christmas in this whimsical holiday concert, transporting them to a world of wonder.
Also this fall, EPSO is thrilled to continue its film series with Jurassic Park in Concert at 7 pm on November 8 at the Plaza Theatre. The El Paso Symphony Orchestra will accompany the film, featuring visually stunning imagery and groundbreaking special effects projected in HD with the symphony orchestra performing John Williams’ iconic score live to film.
The second half of the season begins January 23-24, with “Majestic Rhythms” to include Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole and Grofé’s Grand Canyon Suite. The February 27-28, 2026 concerts will highlight the El Paso Symphony Orchestra and “The Seventh Symphonies” of Prokofiev and Beethoven. Our 95th season will conclude April 24-25, 2026, with Carl Orff’s spectacular Carmina Burana.
Download Season Brochure
SEASON TICKETS: Season tickets are available through the El Paso Symphony Orchestra at (915) 532-3776 or online at www.epso.org. Season ticket prices (6 classical concerts): $246, $210, $183, $102, $72 plus fees. Discounts for the season tickets are 20% seniors and active-duty military, 30% educators, and 50% students.
SINGLE TICKETS for classical concerts are on sale now. Individual prices are $49, $44, $37, $23, and $17 plus fees. Student tickets for $9 and $12 plus fees are available. Tickets may be purchased at epso.org, ticketmaster.com, or by calling the EPSO office (915) 532-3776.
LEARN MORE: Join EPSO prior to each performance at Opening Notes, 6:30pm in the Philanthropy Theatre, to get insights on the program, composers, and artists.
The El Paso Symphony Orchestra is supported in part by the City of El Paso Museums and Cultural Affairs Department, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
