Rising star violinist Randall Goosby performs Brahms’ Violin Concerto, a piece of unmatched beauty, drama, and, of course, some Hungarian dancing. It is paired with music from the Americas—the intoxicating rhythms and sounds of Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz, alongside Samuel Barber’s First Symphony, a tragic, poignant, and restless piece, written in one sweeping movement.

Come Early for the Full Experience!
Make the most of your evening by arriving early to check out the pre-concert activities and settle into the rhythm of the night.

• 6:00 to 7:25 PM: Drop in to The Speakeasy Experience. It’s a cool, relaxed setting with tables and chairs where you can grab a cocktail and mingle with friends before the NBSO concert. (Free registration required – click here.)
• 6:30 to 6:55 PM in the auditorium: Join Yaniv Dinur and guest artist Randall Goosby for the always-popular pre-concert chat. This lively and insightful preview deepens your connection and enhances your listening experience.
• 7:00 to 7:15 PM in the Dr. Gail Davidson Movement Studio: Sangha Yoga will lead a gentle 15-minute chair yoga session as a calming reset to help you slow down, ground yourself, and open your senses before the music begins.
• 6:30 to 7:30 PM: Enjoy a cocktail in the main lobby bar and mingle with friends! The bar will be open for intermission as well.
• Love to dress up? Join our Style Society! While there’s never a dress code at the NBSO, sometimes it’s fun to make a night at the Symphony feel like an occasion. Wear something that makes you feel fabulous and gather in the lounge before the concert to mingle, take photos, and meet others who enjoy dressing up. Email style@nbsymphony.org for details.

Sponsored by: Animal Hospital Supply

Round up your favorite people—kids, grandparents, neighbors, friends—and celebrate the season together at Holiday Pops. It’s festive, high-spirited, and just the right mix of laughter, nostalgia, and music you’ll be humming all the way home.

The hall sparkles, the energy is contagious, and the music delivers that unmistakable holiday glow. The Showstoppers join forces with members of the Southeastern Massachusetts Youth Orchestra alongside Yaniv and your NBSO musicians for a feel-good celebration that brings every generation together.

Choose your moment: the 3:30 PM concert is a lively, one-hour experience—perfect for families and younger listeners. The 7:00 PM performance lingers a little longer, letting you settle in and savor the full sparkle of the evening. Both are seamless and nonstop, with no intermission—just pure holiday joy from start to finish.
Feel the season come alive!

Please bring a non-perishable food item to benefit our United Way Food Drive.

Sponsored by Baldwin Wealth Partners

This all-John Williams program surrounds you with music that has shaped generations, not just as soundtracks, but as emotional touchstones. Hearing these iconic themes vividly brought to life by a full symphony orchestra is an incredibly powerful experience.

From the awe of Jurassic Park to the suspense of Jaws, the magic of Harry Potter, and the soaring hope of E.T., each piece opens a door back to imagination, nostalgia, and joy. After intermission, the journey continues with the adventure and heart of Hook and Indiana Jones, the quiet beauty of The Terminal, and the powerful, unmistakable themes of Star Wars.

Sponsored by Servedwell Hospitality

Commemorating the 200th Anniversary of Beethoven’s death, beloved pianist Alexander Korsantia returns to the NBSO to perform Beethoven’s Fourth—perhaps the most perfect piano concerto in the repertoire. Beethoven was a fervent advocate for the ideals of the French Revolution, and in that spirit, the second half of this concert is all French. And while Beethoven’s piece is the epitome of 19th-century Viennese music, Ravel’s La valse represents its unravelling, a magnificent farewell letter to the Viennese Waltz and to a world that would never be the same after the First World War. Connesson’s brilliant depiction of Beethoven the man will make the orchestra sound like you’ve never heard it before.

World-renowned pianist Stephen Hough, and one of Twenty Living Polymaths (as named by The Economist), joins us to play his own Piano Concerto. Titled “The World of Yesterday”, Hough’s piece takes us on a rollercoaster ride to nostalgic memories of some good-old dances like the waltz and tarantella. You will hum along with Percy Grainger’s arrangements of famous tunes like “Oh Danny Boy”, and might shed a tear when you hear “Nimrod” from Elgar’s Enigma Variations in this concert dedicated to great British music.

Bernstein’s Prelude, Fugue and Riffs turns the orchestra into a jazz band that gets out of control. Mezzo-soprano Rinat Shaham sings the theatrical Folk Songs of Berio in nine languages and dialects. Beethoven’s 5th Symphony never ceases to shatter the heart, from its rattling opening to the victorious finale. Don’t miss this spectacle of words and sounds from faraway places, and the most famous four opening notes that forever changed the music world—all on one stage with your New Bedford Symphony.

Sponsored by Fiber Optic Center and Whaling City Sound