Music in Motion: New Century Chamber Orchestra Announces Its 2026/27 Season
Photo by Scott Chernis.
Music is never still.
It grooves, reflects, blooms, and pulses. It tells stories of people, places, and moments in time. In New Century Chamber Orchestra's 2026/27 season, Music in Motion, audiences will experience all of these dimensions through a vibrant lineup of concerts featuring celebrated guest artists, world premieres, beloved classics, and musical journeys that cross genres, cultures, and centuries.
Led by Music Director and Concertmaster Daniel Hope, the season brings together jazz, tango, contemporary voices, and classical masterworks in programs designed to surprise, inspire, and connect.
"We have a wonderfully rich season coming up," says Hope. "We're joined by fantastic guest artists like Marcus Roberts and his trio, Lara Downes, and Omar Massa. We have music from today's voices including Caroline Shaw and Rhiannon Giddens alongside icons such as Duke Ellington and Igor Stravinsky, and, of course, the great classical composers like Mozart. It's music you know alongside music which will probably surprise you."
GROOVE with Marcus Roberts Trio
Marcus Roberts Trio
November 5–8, 2026
The season opens with a return engagement audiences have been waiting for.
Following their sold-out collaboration in 2019, the acclaimed Marcus Roberts Trio reunites with New Century for a program celebrating the music of Duke Ellington and George Gershwin. Roberts, known for blending jazz and classical traditions with extraordinary creativity, joins Hope and the orchestra for an evening where improvisation and collaboration take center stage.
Alongside Gershwin's Lullaby and a suite from Hope's America album, the program explores Ellington's music through fresh orchestral arrangements. Contemporary voices add another layer to the evening, with Caroline Shaw's Entr'Acte and Rhiannon Giddens' powerful At the Purchaser's Option creating musical conversations that span centuries and genres.
"Something new happens every night," says Hope. "The strings bring the color and clarity, and the jazz brings the swing and spontaneity. It makes the music feel so alive in the moment."
REFLECT with Benjamin Beilman
Benjamin Beilman
December 10–12, 2026
In December, New Century welcomes violinist Benjamin Beilman to guest lead a program of depth, intimacy, and emotional transformation.
The concert begins with Finnish composer Olli Mustonen's energetic and unpredictable Nonet No. 2 before turning inward with Eugène Ysaÿe's tender Rêve d'enfant and Jean Sibelius' lyrical Suite for Violin and String Orchestra.
The program concludes with Arnold Schoenberg's Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), a sweeping musical journey inspired by poetry and illuminated by themes of confession, forgiveness, and redemption.
Together, these works invite listeners to pause, contemplate, and reflect on the many shades of human experience.
BLOOM with Lara Downes
Lara Downes
January 28–30, 2027
The New Year begins with a major world premiere.
Pianist Lara Downes joins New Century for the first performance of Beauty Has No Borders, a new commission by celebrated composerClarice Assad. Inspired by jazz piano legends from Art Tatum to George Gershwin, the work explores the musical spaces where traditions meet and influence one another.
For Downes, whose career has been dedicated to expanding and reimagining the American musical landscape, the project represents a natural collaboration.
"This piece reflects our shared aesthetic and approach to music," says Downes. "Our love of the flow that connects and merges traditions, histories, and sound worlds."
The program also features Mozart's youthful and radiant Symphony No. 29 alongside Stravinsky's elegant and surprisingly playful ballet scoreApollon musagète, creating a concert that celebrates creativity, growth, and artistic renewal.
PULSE with Omar Massa
Omar Massa
April 15-18, 2027
Spring brings another world premiere as Argentine bandoneon virtuoso Omar Massa joins New Century for the debut of his new Double Concertofor Bandoneon and Violin.
A central voice in contemporary tango, Massa brings the expressive sound of the bandoneon—the instrument often described as the heartbeat of Argentine tango—to the forefront. Paired with Hope's violin, the concerto explores a rich emotional landscape of intimacy, drama, lyricism, and rhythm.
"Omar Massa is an extraordinary virtuoso and a great friend," says Hope. "The violin has a lyrical, singing quality. The bandoneon breathes. It sighs, whispers, cries. Together they create something incredibly intimate, human, and dramatic."
The program also features Gabriela Ortiz's vibrant La Calacaand concludes with Astor Piazzolla's beloved The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires, immersing audiences in the pulse and passion of Argentina.
San Francisco RISING
Baritone Thomas Hampson and Music Director and Concertmaster Daniel Hope
May 14–16, 2027
The season culminates with one of New Century's most ambitious projects to date.
Created by Daniel Hope and renowned baritone Thomas Hampson, San Francisco RISING is an immersive, evening-length experience that combines music, narration, and multimedia imagery to tell the story of San Francisco's transformation from the Gold Rush through the signing of the United Nations Charter in 1945.
Building on the success of previous collaborations such as Berlin 1938 and Los Angeles 1943: Escape to Paradise, the project weaves together classical repertoire, song, vaudeville, swing, jazz, and folk traditions to illuminate the city's history through music.
Composer Ernest Bloch serves as a central musical figure, while songs and traditions from Chinese, Irish, Mexican, and African American communities reflect the extraordinary diversity that helped shape San Francisco.
"I am thrilled to be working again with my dear friend Thomas," says Hope. "These city-based programs go beyond the idea of a traditional concert. They connect music with real human stories, creating a narrative that allows history to be experienced rather than simply observed."
Presented in San Francisco's historic Herbst Theatre—the very site where the United Nations Charter was signed—San Francisco RISING offers a fitting conclusion to a season devoted to movement, transformation, and connection.
Join Us for Music in Motion
From jazz-inspired collaborations and world premieres to timeless masterworks and immersive storytelling experiences, New Century's 2026/27 season invites audiences to discover music that moves in every sense of the word.
Season subscriptions are available now. We look forward to sharing another year of unforgettable musical experiences with you.
