New Philharmonic, the professional orchestra in residence at the McAninch Arts Center (MAC), announced their 2026-2027 Season this evening. “50 years is a reason to celebrate, as is our nation’s 250th year,” says New Philharmonic Music Director and Conductor Kirk Muspratt. “With that in mind, we’ve created a season that says ‘celebrate’ from the first note of our September concerts to the final bows of our last concert next April.”
New Philharmonic’s 50th Season begins with “Musica Italiana Dolce,” a celebration of Italy’s most beloved music featuring guest tenor, Jesse Donner (Sept. 26 & 27). It will be followed by “Mendelssohn, Bruch & Maxwell Davis - A Tribute to Scotland,” featuring guest violinist and CSO Assistant Concertmaster David Taylor (Oct. 24 & 25).
For the holidays, New Philharmonic performs Tchaikovsky’s memorable score live for Salt Creek Ballet’s popular traditional performances of “The Nutcracker” (Dec. 18 – 20) before closing out 2026 with three jubilant New Year’s Eve Concert performances, featuring soloist mezzo-soprano Kate Tombaugh.
New Philharmonic begins 2027 with four performances of “John Williams – 95th Birthday Celebration” (Feb. 5 – 7); then wraps up the season with “50th Celebration” featuring Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait” narrated by Steve Duchrow, and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 with guest artists Katelyn Lee (soprano), AddieRose Brown (mezzo-soprano), James Judd (tenor), Jonathan Wilson (baritone) and The Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra Chorus under the direction of Thomas McNichols (April 17 & 18).
Maestro Muspratt and New Philharmonic take a bow. Photo courtesy of the McAninch Arts Center
A list of New Philharmonic’s 2026-2027 season concerts with dates, times and single concert ticket prices is attached to this release. All performances will take place in the McAninch Arts Center’s Belushi Performance Hall, located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage. In addition, one hour prior to most New Philharmonic concerts, MAC Chat presentations are offered to provide audiences with a greater understanding and appreciation of the concert. For more information visit AtTheMAC.org.
Subscriptions for New Philharmonic’s 2026-2027 Season are now on sale. Subscribe by May 9 to receive 25% off single ticket prices, the best savings of the season. Beginning May 10, subscription savings drops to 20% off single ticket prices. Subscribers can also secure tickets to Salt Creek Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” (Dec. 18 – 20) in advance of the general public on sale.
Single concert tickets go on sale in July. Visit AtTheMAC.org to stay up to date. Dates, artists and prices are subject to change. For more information, visit AtTheMAC.org or call the MAC Box Office at 630.942.4000.
About New Philharmonic
Founded in 1977, New Philharmonic has inspired classical music enthusiasts in Chicago and the suburbs for more than four decades. New Philharmonic, the only professional orchestra based in DuPage County, Ill., was recently honored with the Illinois Council of Orchestras’ 2020 ICO Award in the category Programming of the Year. It continues to thrive with the goal of giving innovative treatment to both classic compositions and modern works while striving to make the music accessible to new audiences and youth through a variety of educational efforts. Today, under the direction of Music Director/Conductor Kirk Muspratt, named 2018 Conductor of the Year (Professional Orchestra) by Illinois Council of Orchestras, and recipient of a 2025 honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Lethbridge, New Philharmonic consists of more than 60 professional musicians and typically performs more than a dozen concerts a year, reaching more than 7,500 from the greater Chicago area annually.
Support for New Philharmonic is provided in part a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency, Brookdale Glen Ellyn; Sullivan Taylor Family Trust, Frank Modruson & Lynne Shigley, Anonymous, and the College of DuPage Foundation. Media sponsor is 90.9 FM WDCB Public Radio.
About the MAC
McAninch Arts Center at College of DuPage is located 25 miles west of Chicago near I-88 and I-355. It houses three indoor performance spaces (780-seat proscenium Belushi Performance Hall; 186-seat soft-thrust Playhouse Theatre; and a versatile black box Studio Theatre), outdoor Lakeside Pavilion, plus the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and classrooms for the college’s academic programming. The MAC has presented theater, music, dance and visual art to more than 1.5 million people since its opening in 1986 and typically welcomes more than 100,000 patrons from the greater Chicago area to more than 230 performances each season.
The mission of the MAC is to foster enlightened educational and performance opportunities, which encourage artistic expression, establish a lasting relationship between people and art, and enrich the cultural vitality of the community. For more information about the MAC, visit AtTheMAC.org or @AtTheMAC on Facebook and Instagram.
Support for the McAninch Arts Center is provided in part by Brookdale Senior Living Glen Ellyn, Anonymous, College of DuPage Foundation, Sullivan Taylor Family Trust, DuPage Foundation, Ball Horticultural, Frank Modruson & Lynne Shigley, Enjoy Illinois, Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. Media Sponsor is WDCB 90.9 FM, Hotel Sponsor is DoubleTree by Hilton Lisle/Naperville.
Established as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit charitable organization in 1967, the College of DuPage Foundation raises monetary and in-kind gifts to increase access to education and to enhance cultural opportunities for the surrounding community. For more information about the College of DuPage Foundation, visit foundation.cod.edu or call 630.942.2462.
NEW PHILHARMONIC: 2026-2027 SEASON
(as of April 11, 2026)
Dates, artists and prices are subject to change
Subscriptions are on sale now. Subscribe by May 9 to receive 25% off single ticket prices, the best savings of the season. Beginning May 10 subscription savings drops to 20% off single ticket prices. Single concert tickets go on sale in July. All performances take place in the Belushi Performance Hall in the McAninch Arts Center, located at 425 Fawell Blvd. on the campus of College of DuPage. For more information visit AtTheMAC.org or call the MAC Box Office at 630.942.4000. Single ticket prices below reflect “all in” prices.
“Musica Italiana Dolce”
Saturday, Sept. 26, 3 and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 27, 3 p.m.
Guest Vocalist: Jesse Donner (tenor)
Tickets: $61 ($58 + $3 per ticket fee)
A celebration of Italy’s most beloved music with operatic works, sparkling overtures and unforgettable film themes is brought together in one program. Selections will include Puccini’s iconic “Nessun Dorma” featuring guest tenor Jesse Donner; Respighi’s “Appian Way” from “Pines of Rome;” the Overture to Rossini’s “Barber of Seville” plus cinematic classics including themes from “The Godfather,” “Il Postino” and more.
“Mendelssohn, Bruch & Maxwell Davis - A Tribute to Scotland”
Saturday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 25, 3 p.m.
Guest Violinist: David Taylor
Tickets: $61 ($58 + $3 per ticket fee)
This orchestral journey brings Scotland to life in three strikingly different pieces: Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 3 “Scottish” captures the grandeur of ancient ruins and windswept landscapes. CSO Assistant Concertmaster and The Ling Z. and Michael C. Markovitz Chair David Taylor is featured in Max Bruch’s “Scottish Fantasy” woven from traditional tunes. Maxwell Davis’ “An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise” rounds out the program by musically eliciting a raucous island wedding with a live bagpiper.
New Year’s Eve Concert
Thursday, Dec. 31 at 1:30, 5 and 8:30 p.m.
Guest Vocalist: Kate Tombaugh (mezzo-soprano)
Tickets: $73 ($70+ $3 per ticket fee)
Guest vocalist Kate Tombaugh joins New Philharmonic and Maestro Muspratt for three performances of this popular New Year’s Eve pops concert featuring light classics, sweeping Strauss waltzes, showstopping arias and a champagne toast.
“John Williams – 95th Birthday Celebration”
Friday, Feb. 5, 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 6, 3 & 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 7, 3 p.m.
Tickets: $61 ($58 + $3 per ticket fee)
New Philharmonic, under the baton of Maestro Muspratt, celebrates the music and the birthday of legendary American composer John Williams in a program featuring some of Williams’ most legendary film scores and MAC audience favorites including “E.T. the Extra Terrestrial, “Jaws,” “Jurassic Park,” “Schindler’s List,” “Star Wars” and “Superman.
New Philharmonic – “50th Celebration – Beethoven Symphony No. 9 & Copland Lincoln Portrait”
Saturday, April 17 at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, April 18 at 3 p.m.
Guest Artists: Katelyn Lee (soprano), AddieRose Brown (mezzo-soprano), James Judd (tenor), Jonathan Wilson (baritone), the Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra Chorus directed by Thomas McNichols, and Steve Duchrow (narrator)
Tickets: $70 ($67 +$3)
New Philharmonic celebrates 50 years of bringing the best classical music to DuPage County with Copland’s “Lincoln Portrait,” a stirring and inspiring musical memorial of Abraham Lincoln, narrated by Steve Duchrow. Also on the program: Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, his final and most monumental work featuring the grandiose finale “Ode to Joy.” Guest vocalists Lee, Brown, Judd, Wilson and the 40 member Northwest Indiana Symphony Orchestra Chorus join New Philharmonic and Maestro Muspratt for this unforgettable program.
Salt Creek Ballet presents “The Nutcracker” with New Philharmonic
7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 18, 1 & 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 19; 1 & 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20
Super Saver Offer for New Philharmonic Subscribers Tickets: $49 ($46 + $3 per ticket fee); Youth $39 ($36+$3 per ticket fee)
The MAC welcomes back Salt Creek Ballet with a roster of guest artists for a beloved holiday tradition, Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker.” This lavishly produced, magnificent full-scale ballet accompanied by New Philharmonic is a rare chance to enjoy this holiday favorite with a live orchestra