The Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Opens Its 2025-26 Season on November 7 at Symphony Hall

Few ensembles open a season with the kind of energy and ambition of the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra (BPYO)—comprised of musicians age 12-21—which kicks off its 13th season at Symphony Hall on Friday, November 7, at 8:00 PM under the baton of Founder and Conductor Benjamin Zander. The opening program, spanning wit, passion, and power, includes Bernstein’s Candide Overture, Brahms’s Double Concerto featuring violinist Guy Braunstein and cellist Zvi Plesser, and Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5.

The performance marks a reunion between Zander and Braunstein, the former concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic and the youngest musician ever to hold that orchestra’s role. Braunstein has dazzled Boston Philharmonic audiences in the last two seasons as the opening soloist on the Elgar and Brahms violin concertos. He is joined by colleague Zvi Plesser, the Israeli-born cellist celebrated for both his chamber music and his solo appearances with orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, Saint-Martin-in- the-Fields, the National Symphony, and the Hamburg Symphony under conductors such as Zubin Mehta and Sir Neville Mariner.

Founded in 2012, the BPYO has earned recognition as one of the finest youth orchestras in the world, with acclaimed performances at Symphony Hall, Carnegie Hall, and during their numerous international tours. Zander and the BPYO provide young musicians with transformative experiences that emphasize both musical excellence and personal growth.

Tickets are $75, $50, $25/pay-what-you-can, and $12 for students with code STU-DIS; subscription packages are also available. Purchase at www.bostonphil.org or by calling 617-236-0999.