Philly Orchestra Kicks Off New Season With Disney’s Fantasia and More


Details are rolling out about the performance that will kick off the Philadelphia Orchestra’s 2015-2016 season. For the fourth year, the season will run under the direction of renowned Music Director Yannick Nézet-Seguin, who is scheduled to open the Metropolitan Opera’s season in September with Verdi’s Otello.

The Opening Night Concert and Gala will happen on Wednesday, September 30th at the Kimmel Center. As the name suggests, it’s a posh, high-price ticketed event that promises to be one of the first see-and-be-seen soirees of the fall arts season. It better be—entry will set you back $500 per ticket—and that’s the starting price.

The evening will see selections for Disney’s Fantasia, the whimsical animated classic that turns 75 this year. There will also be selections from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker played along with scenes from Fantasia that will be projected on a screen over the Orchestra.

The concert begins at 7 pm in the Kimmel’s Verizon Hall. Afterward, attendees are invited to a black-tie dinner in the Center’s Commonwealth Plaza, with food being catered by Garces. Tickets and more information can be found here.

Other things to look out for during the 2015-2016 season include a benefit concert conducted by John Williams, who has composed the soundtrack to countless film franchises, like Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Harry Potter, and a slew of holiday events that aren’t just limited to Christmastime. On October 30th, look out for the Halloween Organ Extravaganza, and Nézet-Seguin will conduct Messiah on December 13th. Go here for more on the new season.