Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Announces Additional Concerts for the 2024–25 Season
Contact: Felecia Tchen Kanney: 440-465-5551
fkanney@cincinnatisymphony.org
National Media Contact: Andrew Ousley: 646-580-2741
andrew@unison.media
For Immediate Release
Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Announces Additional Concerts for the 2024–25 Season
CINCINNATI, OH (March 13, 2025)— The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) has announced details for two additional concerts in the 2024–25 season.
ACCESS TO MUSIC
On Sunday, April 27, 2025, the CSO will present “Access to Music, ” all-ages, sensory-friendly concert celebrating the relationship between music and autism. Conducted by guest conductor Jaap van Zweden, whose autistic son Benjamin learned to communicate with the aid of music, the 45-minute program will feature music by Gioachino Rossini, Edward Elgar, Leonard Bernstein, and John Williams performed by the CSO. Sensory-friendly elements, such as brighter house lights, accessible seating and designated quiet areas for audience member use, will be a part of the total experience.
LISTENING LOUNGE: PLAY/DATE
The CSO will present “Listening Lounge: Play/Date” on Saturday, May 10, 2025 at Wilks Studio in Music Hall.
Designed with young professionals and families in mind, the Listening Lounge provides a relaxed social setting
for attendees to watch a CSO performance on a large screen, livestreamed direct from Springer Auditorium. The Listening Lounge in May will feature a livestream of Damon Gupton conducting the CSO in Dvořák’s The Noon Witch and Grieg’s Piano Concerto with pianist Michelle Cann.
In partnership with May Festival Minis, the Listening Lounge will also include an interactive music lesson for
children at the top of the evening followed by a live performance. Doors open at 6:00 p.m., with the program
running from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Kid-friendly activities will be provided.
Listening Lounge: Play/Date is supported in part by the ArtsWave Young Professionals Grant Program.
CINCINNATI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
With a legacy dating back 130 years, the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is considered one of America’s finest and most versatile ensembles. In the 2025–26 season, Cristian Măcelaru joins the Orchestra as its 14th Music Director, after serving as Music Director Designate in the 2024–25 season. The Orchestra also performs as the Cincinnati Pops, founded by Erich Kunzel in 1977 and currently led by John Morris Russell with Damon Gupton serving as Principal Guest Conductor. The CSO further elevates the city’s vibrant arts scene by serving as the official orchestra for the Cincinnati May Festival, Cincinnati Opera and Cincinnati Ballet.
Since its inception in 1895, the CSO has dedicated itself to seeking and sharing inspiration with the Greater
Cincinnati community through the transformative power of music. With a vibrant and dedicated history, the CSO has commissioned more than 200 new works and presented more than 300 world or U.S. premieres, solidifying its role as a cornerstone of musical innovation. The CSO’s commissioning legacy includes two Fanfare Projects, the first during World War II and the second during the Covid-19 pandemic, that sought to inspire, uplift and provide meaning during pivotal moments in our nation’s shared history through the universal language of music.
In addition to its commissioning efforts, the CSO and Pops can be heard around the world through more than 300 commercial recordings, including those on the Orchestra’s own label, Fanfare Cincinnati.
The CSO is also dedicated to enriching and expanding access to music education through the power of culturally inclusive music to nurture and inspire lifelong learning. Focusing on Learning, Playing and Developing, the Orchestra brings music education to the Greater Cincinnati community through youth orchestras, Musicians in Schools and one of the United States’ longest-running Young People’s Concerts series, launched over 100 years ago.
The CSO is committed to its vision to be the most relevant orchestra in America, realized through a focus on
serving the entire community and continually innovating ways in which the Orchestra presents music. Recent
examples include One City/One Symphony, fostering city-wide discussions through music; Lumenocity®,
blending music and visual art with Music Hall’s illuminated façade; Look Around, uniting Cincinnati’s arts
community at Washington Park; CSO Proof, the Orchestra’s flagship program for innovative concert experiences and formats; and the Brady Block Party Series, free outdoor events and concerts that take place each summer in neighborhoods across Greater Cincinnati.
