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Welcome to our 2026-27 season. We have another wonderful mix of musical masterpieces in store, and we hope you join us. Concerts will continue to be pay-as-you-can, with easy and free parking, a reception after, and we'll be in the newly renovated MassBay Community College John McKenzie Auditorium in Wellesley, minutes from Rt 95 and the shopping and restaurants in Wellesley and around MetroWest. . All concerts are at 2pm. Sunday, September 27, 2026 - Musical Tales Pinar Toprak - Captain Marvel Elisabetta Brusa - Merlin, for orchestra, Op.20 Giovanni Bottesini - Gran Duo Concertante, Emmanuel Feldman, Cello and Pascal Delache-Feldman, Double Bass Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov - Scheherazade Sunday, November 8, 2026 - The British Have Come! William Boyce - Symphony No. 4 Benjamin Britten - Four Sea Interludes Ralph Vaughan Williams - Symphony No. 5 Saturday, December 5, 2026 - Holiday Concert Holiday favorites and more! Sunday, February 7, 2027 - Hymns of Nature Missy Mazzoli - Sinfonia (for Orbiting Spheres) Einojuhani Rautavaara - Cantus Arcticus: Concerto for Birds and Orchestra Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 6, Pastoral Sunday, March 21, 2027 - Family Concert Featuring the winner of the 2026 Michael H. Welles Young Soloist Competition Rupert Gregson-Williams - Wonder Woman Sergei Prokofiev - Peter and the Wolf Sunday, May 9, 2027 - Space. . . Mason Bates - The B Sides Gustav Holst - The Planets

How does the harp work, anyway? How do players know where the notes are? Who was Alphonse Hasselmans? Find the answers to these questions and meet our soloist and principal harp, Emily Richardson. About Emily Richardson The harp music of Pierné and Debussy How does a harp work? Emily takes us on a tour. See Emily and the harp in action on Sunday, May 10 at 2pm at MassBay in Wellesley along with music of Stravinsky, Ginastera, and Coleridge-Taylor. Tickets are pay-as-you-can. It's an easy commute, easy parking, AND a reception after the concert. Join us! https://app.arts-people.com/?show=297282

We're back at the renovated MassBay Auditorium with a concert you'll remember, featuring harp soloist Emily Richardson with music of Gabriel Pierné and Claude Debussy. Also music of Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Alberto Ginastera, and Igor Stravinsky Gabriel Pierné - Concert Piece for Harp Claude Debussy - Dances Sacres et Profanes Samuel Coleridge-Taylor - Selections from Four Waltzes Alberto Ginastera - Estancia: Four Dances Igor Stravinsky - Petrushka Easy, free, and convenient parking at MassBay Community College in Wellesley. Tickets are pay-as-you-can with a reception after the concert

Dianne Mahany was Principal Clarinet with the Wellesley Symphony from 2001-2016, and a member of our Board of Directors from 2003-2018. With her passing this past June, we wanted to commemorate her tremendous contributions as the joyous, talented, and caring person she was. In addition to her wonderful playing, Dianne generously contributed her time and business expertise to this and many other musical groups. One of her many passions was our Young Soloist Competition, which she managed from 2002-2019. As board member, Dianne chaired the Finance Committee and was an important driver toward the success of the Wellesley Symphony. We have collected memories of Dianne from her friends within the orchestra, which you can view here, as well as on our social media sites. For our March concert, the orchestra has commissioned Mark Latham, WSO Music Director, to compose a piece in her memory: Elegy in Memoriam Dianne Mahany. It is a fitting tribute and you can see Mark talk about it here. We hope you will join us on March 22 at 2pm at Wellesley High School to hear this musical portrait of Dianne Mahany.

Music Director Mark Latham talks about our March 22 program, 2pm at Wellesley High School. Daphne Lee, winner of the 2025 Michael H. Welles Young Soloist Competition , performs the 3rd Movement of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto Louise Farrenc - Overture no. 1 Lera Auerbach - Requiem for Icarus Kati Agócs - Shenanigan Autumn Maria Reed - Mental Health Suite Margaret Bonds - The Montgomery Variations Mark Latham - Elegy in Memoriam Dianne Mahany Tickets are pay-what-you-can and are available on-line here , and at the door at Wellesley High School.

We are passionate about bringing live classical music to as many communities as possible. This season we'll be hosting events at libraries in Wellesley, Framingham, Sherborn, and Needham. These events offer a fun, informal opportunity to showcase our instruments and music.  We are thrilled to connect with those who want to experience music up close—both for themselves and to introduce live music to friends and family. Upcoming Events in 2026 Saturday, February 28, 10am at the Needham Library with the WSO Brass Quintet Saturday, March 14 11am at the Sherborn library with the WSO Wind Quintet Saturday, April 11 11am at the Framingham Library with the WSO String Quartet Thursday April 16 2pm at the Framingham Senior Center with the WSO Trio Contact us at info@wellesleysymphony.org for information and if you have any suggestions for venues for music up close.

Aaron Copland - Fanfare for the Common Man   To bolster spirits during the hardships of World War II, English conductor and composer Eugene Goossens proposed commissioning fanfares from ten different American composers. While the ten different fanfares served their purpose, none were as captivating as Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man . Copland was unsure whom he should write the fanfare for, initially considering American soldiers, as America had recently entered World War II. Instead, he decided to compose his fanfare for all Americans, finding inspiration in Vice President Henry A. Wallace’s speech proclaiming the rise of the “Century of the Common Man.” Goossens was so moved by the fanfare and its meaning that he insisted on the piece receiving its own special premiere: Tax Day, 1943. The day may not be such a joyous occasion to many Americans, but in response to Goossens’s suggestion, Copland had this to say: “I [am] all for honoring the common man at income tax time.”   Carlos Chávez - Sinfonía India   Born in 1899, Carlos Antonio de Padua Chávez y Ramírez was the foremost Mexican conductor, composer of concert music, and spokesperson for the country’s music. During his over six-decade career, Chávez accomplished much in promoting Mexican culture, primarily through his role as founder and musical director of the Mexican Symphonic Orchestra. Chávez was particularly motivated not only to bring Western classical music to Mexico, but also to celebrate his country by composing concert works that draws on Mexico’s rich and varied musical traditions. But from his stunning list of over a hundred works, including operas, ballets, symphonies, concertos, string quartets, solo piano pieces, and chamber works, it is his Sinfonía India  that is his most famous piece and most often performed today. The composer drew from three traditional folk songs from three different indigenous communities of Mexico: the Huicholes of Nayarit, the Yaqui of Sonora, and the Seris of Tiburón Island. As such, while the piece is performed as a single movement, it nonetheless follows the three-movement structure typical of a symphony. Chávez also incorporated Mexican folk instruments into the orchestration, including jicara de agua güiro, tenabari, cascabeles, teponaxtles, tlapanhuéhuetl, and grijutian. He states in the score that, wherever possible, the symphony should be performed with these instruments.   Serge Koussevitzky - Double Bass Concerto, Op. 3, (Movements 1 and 2) Cast your eyes to the back right side of the orchestra, behind the cellos, and you will spot the double basses. As an instrument, the double bass plays a fundamental role in providing the orchestra's lowest pitches and a rhythmic foundation for the higher voices to rest confidently upon. Because of the instrument’s supportive role in the orchestra, it is sometimes difficult to appreciate or even hear its voice during a piece. Yet, throughout the history of Western classical music, there have been bass virtuosi who have attempted to showcase the instrument’s expressive capabilities by composing solo pieces and concertos. Domenico Dragonetti (1763 - 1846) and, more recently, Edgar Meyer (1960) are such examples. It is, however, Serge Koussevitzky, music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra from 1924 to 1949, who has provided one of the most popular concertos for the double bass. Koussevitzky employed several techniques in the concerto to ensure that the bass could be heard and in the musical foreground. The piece is in F# minor, a key that includes three of the four open strings of the bass and utilizes double stops and chords as well as the instrument’s higher register.   Aaron Copland - Lincoln Portrait   Few have so effectively and evocatively set spoken words to orchestral music as Aaron Copland in his piece, Lincoln Portrait . Commissioned by conductor André Kostelanetz, Copland was instructed to compose a musical portrait of an “eminent American.” Copland chose President Abraham Lincoln. For his portrait, Copland drew on various speeches by Lincoln, in particular his Gettysburg Address. To emphasize the grandeur, heroic, and inspiring tone of Lincoln’s words, Copland leans into the use of brass, an orchestration technique that is not that dissimilar from film composers such as John Williams and the use of triumphant brass in themes to films like Superman , Star Wars , and Indiana Jones . In countless performances of the piece, numerous eminent American figures have recited Lincoln's words, including Maya Angelou, Neil Armstrong, Judy Collins, Tom Hanks, Katharine Hepburn, Samuel L. Jackson, and former President Barack Obama. This afternoon, the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra is honored to have the President of MassBay Community College, Dr. David Podell, narrate Lincoln’s words.   Ludwig van Beethoven - Symphony No. 3, “Eroica”   Ludwig van Beethoven’s Third Symphony in Eb, the Eroica Symphony, is one of the most celebrated works in the entire symphonic repertoire. However, the initial reviews of the symphony’s premiere in 1805 were mixed. Some listeners found the symphony too long or too complicated, while others recognized its uniqueness and ambition. The symphony is indeed long; it’s twice as long as most Haydn and Mozart symphonies. In this sense, the symphony reflects two important aspects of Beethoven’s compositional thinking. The first is Beethoven’s interest in experimenting with the symphony as a form. Historians often situate the Third Symphony at the beginning of his innovative and creative “middle period.” For this reason, the Eroica  is frequently understood as an important bridge between the Classical style associated with composers such as Mozart and Haydn and the emerging Romantic aesthetic of the nineteenth century. The second has to do with the symphony’s extra-musical inspiration. Beethoven initially conceived the Eroica  as a musical portrait of Napoleon Bonaparte. For Beethoven, Napoleon was a symbol of Enlightenment ideals and meritocracy. However, as Napoleon’s political career progressed, Beethoven’s admiration soured. According to Beethoven’s assistant, Ferdinand Ries, when Beethoven showed him the first complete manuscript of the symphony, he thought so highly of Napoleon that the name “Bonaparte” was printed at the very top of the title page, whilst “Ludwig van Beethoven” was at the very bottom. Upon learning that Napoleon had declared himself Emperor of France, Beethoven reportedly reacted with fury. Betrayed by his political hero, he tore the title page from the manuscript and exclaimed, “So he is no more than a common mortal! Now, too, he will tread under foot all the rights of man, indulge only his ambition; now he will think himself superior to all men, become a tyrant!” When the score was published in 1806, it was retitled Sinfonia Eroica, composta per festeggiare il sovvenire di un grande Uomo  or “Heroic Symphony, Composed to celebrate the memory of a great man.” - James Heazlewood-Dale

WSO Music Director Mark Latham introduces our November 8 program, 2pm at Wellesley High School. Aaron Copland (1900-1990) - Fanfare for the Common Man Carlos Chavez (1899-1978) -   Sinfonia India Koussevitzky Double Bass Concerto . Movements 1&2, featuring Young Soloist Contestant Maereg Million Aaron Copland - Lincoln Portrait , Dr. David Podell, Narrator Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) - Symphony No. 3 - Eroica

It's not easy to play the sleigh bells. Take it from percussionist Harry Woodell. There's more to sleigh bells than, well, sleigh bells. See the results of his dedicated practicing (and the rest of the Wellesley Symphony Orchestra) with special guests Fireside Quartet  on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. at MassBay Community College.

The Wellesley Symphony Orchestra is pleased to announce that David Podell, President of MassBay Community College, will narrate the orchestra’s upcoming performance of Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait  on Sunday, February 8 at the Wellesley High School Auditorium. David Podell, Ph.D. is the sixth president of Massachusetts Bay Community College, joining MassBay in July 2016.  A long-time academic leader and scholar, Dr. Podell’s passions have focused on expanding higher education access and providing high quality educational opportunities to help students advance their academic goals, advance their careers, and enrich their lives. “We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Podell to the stage,” said Carol Davidson, President of the Wellesley Symphony.  “David Podell is a strong supporter of the Wellesley Symphony; we could not ask for a better partner towards our mission of promoting and introducing classical music of diverse composers to a broad audience throughout MetroWest and beyond.” Lincoln Portrait , composed in 1942, combines Copland’s stirring orchestral music with excerpts from Abraham Lincoln’s speeches and writings. The work has become a celebrated piece of Americana that honors Lincoln’s legacy of democracy and freedom.  Dr. Podell adds: “I am moved by the beauty of Copland's music and the power of Lincoln's words.  To me, Lincoln Portrait  couldn't be more timely.” MassBay serves approximately 6,000 students from the greater Boston and the Metrowest region on campuses in Wellesley Hills, Framingham, and Ashland.  Through transformative education, MassBay contributes to the growing regional economy and cultivates the potential of their students, empowering them to thrive in our local and global communities Now in our 77 th  season, the Wellesley Symphony is the orchestra-in-residence at MassBay, directed by Mark Latham.  The Symphony presents six concerts from October through May and performs at MassBay’s Spring Commencement. The concert will take place at Wellesley High School at 2pm, Sunday, February 8.  In addition to Lincoln Portrait, the orchestra will perform Sinfonia India by Carlos Chavez and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 – Eroica.

We’re thrilled to welcome back the Fireside Quartet to our December 6 holiday concert.  The quartet was kind enough to sing an invitation, so you should definitely attend!  The Fireside Quartet puzzles over a memo from marketing. . . . We had a few questions for the group: How did you get together? Fireside was formed in 2013 when lead David Adams moved to Lowell, MA, to become a professor in the UMass Lowell Dept. of Computer Science.  Tenor Jesse had already been a professor on the UMass faculty there since 1984, and David and Jesse had previously met and sang together at academic conferences. Jesse approached his friend, bass Daniel Schwartz, about forming a new quartet with David, and Daniel quickly assented and invited his friend, baritone Manoj Padki, to round out the quartet.  Our first get-together was on August 26, 2013, and we’ve been together ever since.  The highlight of our quartetting was taking first place at the 2017 Boston Regional Harmony Sweepstakes.  That victory earned us a trip to California to compete in the national finals. How did you connect with Mark Latham? Emily Easterling, the Director of the Clinton (MA) Parks and Recreation Dept., contacted my chorus, The Gentlemen Songsters of Lowell, MA, in 2017, requesting a group to perform on their December  Holiday Pops concert.  The chorus was unavailable, so the chorus manager asked me if Fireside might be available.  We were, and that’s when we met up with Mark, Director of the New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra. How would you describe barbershop singing? First and foremost, barbershop is 4-part a cappella singing.  The barbershop style is distinguished by the fact that the lead, which most often sings melody, is the 2nd tenor, not the 1st.  The 1st tenor typically sings above the lead, while the bass provides the foundation to the sound and the baritone fills in the chord structure. Barbershoppers are always striving to achieve “lock and ring,” which is precise tuning to generate overtones.  This is done by using “just intonation” tuning rather than “equal temperament.”  The latter is the tuning used for a piano (to allow it to play in tune in any key), while the former uses mathematically “pure” intervals that complement each other more precisely and thus generate more overtones. In addition to precise tuning, barbershoppers strive for a “unit sound” characterized by coordinated entrances, cutoffs, swipes, dynamics, and overall balance.  The sound is brighter than some other choral styles, because the singers use less vibrato and sing more forward than classical vocalists. This will be your third appearance with us.  What did you think of the previous appearances? We loved every single one of them! :)  Although we are, by definition, primarily a cappella singers, it is a real treat to sing with an orchestra.  Mark has done a wonderful job adding orchestrations to some of our songs, and we truly enjoy how those orchestrations complement the arrangements that we sing. What will you be singing for us on December 6?   Feast of Lights Medley (three Chanukkah songs, with the orchestra) I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas (a fun crowd-pleaser, a cappella) Better Than I (from Joseph, King of Dreams, a cappella) Mary, Did You Know? (classic Christmas song, with the orchestra) - - - - - - - - - - - - - You can find out more about the Fireside Quartet on their website.  Fireside Quartet Please join us for our Holiday Concert, Saturday December 6 @2pm at MassBay Community College in Wellesley .  Skip past the crowd at the ticket table and buy your tickets in advance at Wellesley Symphony Orchestra     We’re minutes away from great shopping and dining in Wellesley Square.  Parking is free and plentiful at MassBay and tickets are pay-as-you-can.