THE POWER OF SOUND

Welcome to our 89th Season—THE POWER OF SOUND! Sound has the power to move us, to unite us, to challenge us and to heal us. It can touch us in ways we never could imagine as it moves us to tears of joy and sorrow. It is powerful!

Throughout our 7-program Masterworks series, you’ll encounter the magic of the power with music that stirs your soul, sparks your imagination and connects all of us to each other in meaningful ways. From timeless masterworks by Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Vivaldi to bold, new voices, each program embraces how sound expresses emotion, tells stories and creates unforgettable shared experiences.

Pair our Masterworks 7 Package or Flex 4 Package with the Pops Concerts of your choice for the perfect season! Masterworks 7 subscribers save 25% or more off single ticket prices, and Flex 4 subscribers receive a discount of nearly 20% with the flexibility to mix and match concerts in the way that best fits their lifestyle. Lock in your favorite seats at the best prices – Join the Symphony Family today! 

View the 2026-2027 Season Brochure

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 the sweeping American Mosaic by Peter Boyer and photographer/video artist Joe Sohm, 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 FantastiqueRevel 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 19th 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 Royal Philharmonic. 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)

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