Announcing the 2025-26 Season that Highlights “Black Hole Symphony,” celebration of New Music New England, collaboration with Chorus pro Musica, local and world premieres
BOSTON — The New England Philharmonic, led by Music Director Tianhui Ng, is excited to announce its 49th season. The season’s four performances highlight works from a wide range of contemporary composers, featuring two commissions and six regional or world premieres.
The season opens with Gathering Grounds on Saturday, October 11, 7pm at Boston University’s Tsai Performance Center. Setting the stage for gathering to hear multiple voices and images is the introduction of Carlos Carrillo as the NEP’s new Composer-In-Residence, with his piece The Gathering Grounds. 2025 Call for Scores winner Loren Loiacono’s Beanie’s Chapbook imagines her cat through a collection of miniature tone poems. NEP’s concertmaster and Boston-area favorite Danielle Maddon takes on soothsayer, sorcerer, healer, and pied-piper roles through the healing spells of Procession by Missy Mazzoli. The concert concludes with Modest Mussorgsky’s colorful Pictures at an Exhibition, walking us musically through drawings, paintings, and architectural sketches.
The NEP joins forces with Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Resident Composer David Ibbett for his Black Hole Symphony at the annual Family Concert on Sunday, December 14, 3pm, at Boston University’s Tsai Performance Center. This groundbreaking fusion of science and music transforms astrophysical data into a mesmerizing orchestral experience. Composed in collaboration with astrophysicists, the symphony translates the life cycle of black holes—from their formation to their dramatic interactions—into a rich and immersive soundscape. Performed live and enhanced with visual elements, Black Hole Symphony is both an artistic and an educational experience, celebrating the beauty of the universe through sound. Also featured on the program are Ibbett’s Cosmic Traveller's Guide to the Black Hole and a concerto with the winner of the annual Young Artist Competition.
New Music New England, an annual NEP staple, will take place on Sunday, March 15, 3pm at Boston University’s Tsai Performance Center. Showcasing music by New England-based composers, this concert celebrates the legacy of Northeastern University’s Daniel Godfrey with the world premiere performance of his Piano Concerto, featuring pianist Gloria Cheng. The NEP will also perform a newly commissioned work by Carlos Carrillo, along with world premieres of Alleles by Jason Huffman and Symphony in 3 Movements by Boston Conservatory at Berklee’s Curtis Hughes.
The NEP joins with Chorus pro Musica, soloists, and children’s choir to offer Songs of Peace on the final concert of its season on Saturday, April 25, 3pm at the Strand Theater. The featured work is Krzysztof Penderecki’s Credo, a powerful choral and orchestral masterpiece that showcases Penderecki’s deep spiritual expression and innovative musical language, fusing faith, history, and modern musical sensibilities into an awe-inspiring sonic experience. The concert also includes Cantares by Carlos Carrillo, concluding his season-long introduction to the NEP family.
Pay as you Wish Tickets will be available for purchase at www.nephilharmonic.org starting in July 2025.