Announcing our 89th Season: The Power of Sound

2026-2027 MASTERWORKS SERIES

• Masterworks 1 Season Debut: UNITY – American Mosaic & West Side Story
  THE HARRIET S. AND J. LOCKE MACOMBER CONCERT
  THE FRED & CHARLOTTE HUBBELL VISITING ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
  Celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary with an all-American program! Kevin Puts’ Heartland and Iowa’s Linda Robbins Coleman’s In Good King Charles’s Golden Days set the stage for Peter Boyer’s American Mosaic, featuring historic narration and images on a giant screen above the Orchestra. The Harlem Quartet performs Michael Abels’ Urban Legends, followed by Bernstein’s electrifying Symphonic Dances from West Side Story. (SAT SEP 26 7:30 PM & SUN SEP 27 2:30 PM / CIVIC CENTER)

• Masterworks 2: BEAUTIFUL MONSTERS – John Williams & Symphonie Fantastique
  Revel in the fantastic and magnificent over Halloween weekend. John Williams’ Devil’s Dance crackles with energy before Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain conjures supernatural frenzy. Prodigy Derek Wang dazzles with Liszt’s virtuosic Totentanz. Finally, Berlioz’s famous and feverish Symphonie Fantastique descends into hallucination and a haunting and visceral finale like no other. (SAT OCT 31 7:30 PM & SUN NOV 1 2:30 PM / CIVIC CENTER)

• Masterworks 3: RENEWAL – Four Seasons & Bolero
  Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons with violinist Maxwell Brown blooms with vitality and color.  Iowa native Michael Daugherty’s Last Dance at the Surf evokes the legendary Surf Ballroom with evocative choreography by Eric Trope and virtuosic dancers from Ballet Des Moines. Ravel’s hypnotic Bolero builds steadily to a radiant, thrilling conclusion. (SAT NOV 21 7:30 PM & SUN NOV 22 2:30 PM / CIVIC CENTER)

• Masterworks 4: RESISTANCE – Mozart & Shostakovich
  THE LAURIDSEN GUEST CONDUCTOR
  Lauridsen Guest Conductor and pianist Jeffrey Kahane leads from the keyboard in Mozart’s witty and radiant Piano Concerto No. 22. After intermission, the program takes a dramatic turn with Shostakovich’s powerful Symphony No. 10, a gripping journey of artistic resistance to the soviet regime, from brooding intensity to ultimate triumph, showcasing the Orchestra’s full expressive power. (SAT FEB 6 7:30 PM & SUN FEB 7 2:30 PM / CIVIC CENTER)

• Masterworks 5: RESILIENCE – Beethoven’s Fifth & Prokofiev
  Beethoven’s iconic Fifth Symphony resounds with gripping intensity, anchoring a program of fate and resilience. Overture No. 2 by Louise Farrenc, the only female professor at the 19^th Century Paris Conservatory, opens the concert. Pianist Tony Siqi Yun makes his Des Moines Symphony debut performing Prokofiev’s electrifying Third Piano Concerto. (SAT MAR 20 7:30 PM & SUN MAR 21 2:30 PM / CIVIC CENTER)

• Masterworks 6: AWAKENING – Mahler’s Third
  A rare, once-in-a-lifetime event, Mahler’s Third Symphony, with more than 100 musicians, mezzo and two choruses on stage, is a monumental journey from nature’s awakening to transcendent love. Vast in scale and breathtaking in scope, this epic masterpiece calls for enormous forces and delivers an overwhelming, unforgettable and immersive experience unlike anything else in the symphonic repertoire. (SAT APR 17 7:30 PM & SUN APR 18 2:30 PM / CIVIC CENTER)

• Masterworks 7 Season Finale: RADICAL JOY – Tchaikovsky’s Fourth
  Joy radiates throughout this vibrant program, from Jimmy López’s high-energy Techno to the expressive sweep of Iowa’s James Poulsen’s Piano Concerto, recently recorded by Robert Thies with the London Symphony Orchestra. The celebration culminates in the triumph over fate in Tchaikovsky’s powerful Fourth Symphony. (SAT MAY 15 7:30 PM & SUN MAY 16 2:30 PM / CIVIC CENTER)

HOLIDAY POPS

• New Year’s Eve Pops: Cirque – Symphonic Cinema
  Step into the movies this New Year’s Eve! The Des Moines Symphony transforms the Civic Center into a cinematic spectacle, where unforgettable film scores meet breathtaking artistry from the world-renowned Cirque performers of Troupe Vertigo. Dazzling aerial choreography, gravity-defying acrobatics, and larger-than-life symphonic sound create a thrilling fusion of film music and motion that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Ring in the New Year with the hottest ticket in town and experience the magic of Symphonic Cinema. (THU DEC 31 8:00 PM / CIVIC CENTER)

• Holiday Brass
  Ring in the season with the brilliant sound of the Des Moines Symphony’s powerful brass section! Holiday favorites like Joy to the World, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and Sleigh Ride fill Westminster Presbyterian, where the magnificent Dobson Pipe Organ joins timpani, percussion, and soaring brass for a joyful, family-friendly celebration.
  
  
  

Packages & Pricing

MASTERWORKS 7
7 Concerts starting at just $122.50

Save 25% or more! Seven-concert Masterworks packages guarantee the best seats at the best prices (save up to $17 per ticket)! Choose either Saturdays at 7:30pm or Sunday afternoons at 2:30pm. Students half-price (must show valid Student ID).

Renew your Masterworks Package
Purchase Saturday Masterworks 7 Package
Purchase Sunday Masterworks 7 Package
Download Printable Order Form

COLLEGIATE 7

College students can purchase tickets to all seven Masterworks programs for just $56 – that’s just $8 per ticket! Simply call 515.246.2300 by September 20 to order, and we’ll pick great seats for you at every concert.

FLEX 4
4 Mix-and-Match Concerts starting at just $80. 

Compose your own season and save!

Flex 4 subscribers can mix and match Masterworks concerts in the way that best suits them! Use all four tickets at one concert, use one ticket to hear four different concerts, or any other combination. Choose your concerts when ordering or opt to receive vouchers – just exchange them for tickets at least one week before the concert you would like to attend. Vouchers can be redeemed in person at the Civic Center Ticket Office or by calling 515.246.2300. Students half-price (must show valid Student ID).

Purchase Flex 4 Package
Download Printable Order Form