Holland Symphony Orchestra (HSO) is thrilled to announce its 2026-2027 season, showcasing three exceptional Music Director finalists (Todd Craven, Micah Gleason, and Wesley Schulz), each conducting a classical concert as part of the season ticket series. Music Director finalists will also participate in community outreach, pre-concert talks and videos, and the Q & A session at intermission. Their full bios can be found online at www.HollandSymphony.org/MusicDirectorSerarch. The season will culminate in a heartfelt farewell concert for Johannes Müller Stosch, celebrating his remarkable 20-season career with HSO. Apart from the Pops at the Pier concert in June, all performances will be held at the West Ottawa Performing Arts Center.

Pops at the Pier: From Broadway to the Big Screen On Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 7 PM, HSO will host Pops at the Pier at the Eldean Shipyard, featuring guest conductor Fernanda Lastra and vocalist Dee Donasco. Lastra, the 2024 Women in Classical Music symposium award-winning conductor, will lead the orchestra in a dazzling program of Broadway hits from Les Misérables, The Greatest Showman, Wicked, Chicago, and West Side Story. The orchestra will also perform iconic movie scores from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Titanic, and Indiana Jones. Dee Donasco’s soaring vocals will add a special touch to this unforgettable evening. Guests can enjoy a pre-concert performance by the Holland Concert Jazz Orchestra at 6 PM, along with food trucks and beverages.

Free Family Concert: Music Unites Us! On Saturday, August 15, 2026, at 2 PM, the Holland Symphony Orchestra will present a Free Family Concert conducted by Johannes Müller Stosch. This family-friendly event will feature HSO principal violinists Amanda Dykhouse and Michelle Bessemer, as well as pianists Allison Shinnick Keep and David Keep. The program includes Claude Debussy’s Allegro giusto from Petite Suite, Camille Saint-Saëns’ The Carnival of the Animals, Bach’s Double Concerto in D Minor, and Ottorino Respighi’s Ancient Airs and Dances: Suite 1. Audiences will delight in Saint-Saëns’ whimsical “zoological fantasy,” which uses instruments to mimic animals, such as the cello for the swan and the xylophone for fossils. This free concert promises an afternoon of musical charm and fun for all ages.

Resonance and Renewal (Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 7:30 PM) will open the HSO classical season, featuring Todd Craven, a dynamic conductor known for his ability to bring vibrant energy and emotional depth to his performances. The 2019 Los Angeles Conducting Competition grand prize winner and currently serving as the Music Director of the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra (NFSO), Craven’s career is a "second musical life" that follows a 15-year tenure as a prize-winning professional trumpet player. The evening celebrates the resilience and unity of the human spirit. The program will include Valerie Coleman’s Seven O’Clock Shout, Mozart’s dramatic Piano Concerto in D Minor with famed GVSU pianist Sookkyung Cho, and Sibelius’s majestic Symphony No. 2.

he Forces of Fate (Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 7:30 PM) will be led by Micah Gleason, a conductor celebrated for her innovative approach and ability to connect with audiences. Winner of the 2025 American Prize in Conducting and recipient of the 2024 Taki Alsop Conducting Award, Gleason is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and a mentee of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Described by the New York Times as “easy-going but fiercely skilled", Micah frequently challenges traditional concert formats by integrating diverse, modern repertoires with opera, chamber music, and interdisciplinary performance. This concert will explore themes of fate and resilience through Carlos Simon’s Fate Now Conquers, Elgar’s haunting Cello Concerto featuring Grand Rapids Symphony principal cellist Alicia Eppinga, and Tchaikovsky’s passionate Symphony No. 4.

Home for the Holidays: A Festive Celebration On Saturday, December 12, 2026, at 3:30 PM and 7:30 PM, HSO will present Home for the Holidays, conducted by Johannes Müller Stosch. This festive, family-friendly concert will feature holiday classics and sacred music, with the stunning vocals of famed West Michigan soprano Jennie Judd Reyes. A celebration of the season and the community spirit that defines HSO, this program promises to bring the warmth and joy of the holiday season to life, making it a perfect event for families and music lovers alike.

Music From the New World (Saturday, March 20, 2027, at 7:30 PM) will showcase Wesley Schulz, a conductor renowned for his engaging style and commitment to community outreach. Currently leading the Auburn Symphony Orchestra (WA) and serving as Principal Guest Conductor of the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Schulz conducted over 200 performances with the North Carolina Symphony and developed education concerts reaching over 15,000 youth annually in Austin. This concert will embrace the vibrant spirit of American music in a dynamic celebration of cultural fusion and timeless masterpieces! The program features Coleridge-Taylor’s rhythmically rich Bamboula Symphonic Rhapsody and Nino Rota’s elegant and rarely played Harp Concerto featuring American Harp Society president and University of Michigan School of Music Harp emerita Lynne Aspnes. Closing the program is Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9, an epic symphonic journey inspired by Native and Black American traditions and spiritual tunes heard in New York City in the 1890s.

The season will conclude with A Closing Chapter (Saturday, April 17, 2027, at 7:30 PM), a special farewell concert conducted by Johannes Müller Stosch. This emotional evening will honor his two decades of leadership and artistic excellence, featuring a program of profound and evocative works. The evening opens with Marx’s enchanting Transfigured Year, a lush song-cycle blending lyrical beauty and sweeping orchestration featuring famed mezzo-soprano Kayleigh Decker. Quickly garnering an international reputation for her artistry and versatility in opera and on the concert platform, Decker made her start at the prestigious Ryan Opera Center at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and has since collaborated with major symphonies and operas throughout Europe and the United States. Tchaikovsky’s final Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique” – a masterpiece of raw emotion and daring structure, goes from brooding despair to fleeting joy. The fiery climax, ending in haunting sorrow, is a poignant farewell that has captivated audiences for generations.

Renewing subscribers will receive their 2026-2027 HSO brochure and order forms in the mail in late March. Subscriber seats will be held until April 30. New subscriptions go on sale on May 1st and single tickets on July 1st. For more information, visit HollandSymphony.org, email Ticketing@HollandSymphony.org, or call 616-796-6780. Join us in celebrating the artistry, community impact, and legacy of the Holland Symphony Orchestra!

Education and Community Engagement

HSO is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the community through music. Its mission is to engage all people in music, with goals that include creating inspiring symphonic concerts, promoting lifelong interest in music through education, expanding community collaborations, and ensuring responsible stewardship of resources. HSO’s education and community engagement programs include the Link Up program, a partnership with Carnegie Hall that introduces fourth-grade students to live orchestral music; the Holland Area Youth Orchestra (HAYO) programs provide performance opportunities for students in grades 6-12 through three dedicated ensembles; and the Holland Community Strings, a program for adult musicians to enjoy music-making in a supportive environment.

Contact: Holland Symphony Orchestra PO Box 2685 Holland, MI 49422 Email: HSO@HollandSymphony.org Phone: 616-796-6780