Saturday, October 17

American Landscapes

Photo of Yevgeny Dokshansky, clarinetist

The Manassas Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro James Villani, opens its 34th season with an all-American program featuring the world premiere of Jacob Kohut’s New Orleans-flavored clarinet concerto, The Quarter at Midnight.

University of Houston clarinet professor Yevgeny Dokshansky takes the stage as guest artist. Praised by BBC Music Magazine as“highly engaging,” the Belarusian-born American clarinetist also serves as Principal Clarinet of Baltimore’s Mid-Atlantic Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Kohut—a Northern Virginia-based composer, devoted educator, and sergeant in the 257th Army Band—created this innovative work on a commission by the Manassas Symphony.

The program is rounded out with music by Florence Price (The Oak) and Morton Gould (American Salute), concluding with Aaron Copland’s evocative Suite from Billy the Kid.

Purchase Tickets

Saturday, December 12 — 3:30 PM

Holiday Light and Magic

The Manassas Symphony Orchestra celebrates the spirit of the season with a festive afternoon of beloved memories and whimsical discoveries. This year, our annual tradition spotlights the talented violinist Mira Nair, a junior at Chantilly High School, continuing the MSO’s commitment to showcasing the next generation of musical talent in our community. She is performing Camille Saint-Saëns’ Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso.

The program’s centerpiece is Ellen Taaffe Zwilich’s Peanuts Gallery, a delightful suite that brings Charles Schulz’s iconic characters to life—from the “Lullaby” for Linus to the energetic “Snoopy Does the Samba.” Alongside these playful sketches, the orchestra performs a selection of holiday favorites and heartwarming classics.

The festivities culminate in the return of the MSO’s fantastic expanded indoor light and music show—an immersive display that pairs holiday favorites with a choreographed light production, filling the hall with the true magic of the season.

Purchase Tickets

Saturday, March 6

Enchanting Narratives

The Manassas Symphony Orchestra invites you to a concert of vivid storytelling and instrumental mastery, featuring the internationally acclaimed cellist Anita Graef. Known for her “superlative artistry” and “deeply communicative” playing, Graef takes center stage for Camille Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, a cornerstone of the repertoire celebrated for its seamless structure and soaring lyricism.

The program opens with the dark intensity of Antonín Dvořák’s Othello, a dramatic overture that captures the jealousy and passion of Shakespeare’s tragedy through lush, late-Romantic orchestration.

The evening concludes with Deems Taylor’s Through the Looking Glass. This symphonic suite—one of the most successful American works of the early 20th century—vividly depicts Alice’s adventures, from the frantic “Jabberwocky” to the poignant “Looking-Glass Insects,” bringing Lewis Carroll’s beloved characters to life through a colorful and witty orchestral lens.

Purchase Tickets

Saturday, May 1

The Classical Tradition

The Manassas Symphony Orchestra returns to the heart of the symphonic tradition with a program of timeless masterworks, featuring acclaimed local pianist Lisa Tyler. Tyler joins the MSO for Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor, a masterpiece renowned for its stormy, Sturm und Drang intensity—a rare and dramatic departure for Mozart and a perfect vehicle for Tyler’s technical precision and expressive depth.

The second half is dedicated to Antonín Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8 in G major. A cornerstone of the Romantic era, the symphony is a lush, lyrical celebration of the natural world, drawing deeply from the folk melodies of Dvořák’s native Bohemia.

To open the evening, the orchestra offers a festive nod to the first Saturday in May with Ferde Grofé’s Kentucky Derby Suite, capturing the pageantry and thundering excitement of “The Run for the Roses” in a colorful, cinematic prelude.

Purchase Tickets

Manassas Symphony Orchestra concerts are supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.