BALTIMORE, Maryland, Nov. 9, 2026. Anyone looking at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra's calendar for the first half of 2027 faces a pleasant problem: which weekend to choose. The orchestra's home at Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall carries a program nearly every week from January to June, and several of them are the kind of large-scale works that only a full symphony orchestra in a purpose-built hall can do justice to.

Music director Jonathon Heyward leads most of the major programs. The season also brings back a familiar face: Marin Alsop, who led the BSO as music director for 14 seasons, returns in April. Dates and seats for the orchestra's concerts are gathered on the page for Baltimore Symphony Orchestra tickets at Meyerhoff.

Five programs to mark on the calendar

The Beethoven cycle stands out. Spreading all five concertos across three consecutive evenings with one soloist is a test of stamina for the pianist and a rare chance for listeners to hear how Beethoven's writing for piano and orchestra changed over two decades. The Shostakovich Seventh, written during the siege of Leningrad, is a long, loud and emotionally heavy symphony that sounds best in a room with real acoustic weight. Verdi's Requiem, with chorus and soloists, is a fitting way to close a season.

Heyward's own story adds interest to his programs. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, he became the orchestra's music director in 2023, one of the youngest conductors to lead a major American orchestra. His seasons have paired standard repertoire with newer and less familiar works, and the 2027 calendar continues that pattern with Copland and A New American Symphony in June, shortly before the Verdi finale. The orchestra itself dates to 1916, and the Meyerhoff has been its home for more than four decades.

Marin Alsop's return comes with Romeo and Juliet on Thursday, April 1, at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, April 4, at 3:00 p.m. Her tenure in Baltimore made her one of the most visible conductors in American orchestral life, and a return visit tends to draw longtime subscribers.

Beyond the core classics

The orchestra's calendar mixes in film, pops and crossover programs. Steve Hackman conducts his Stravinsky x Kendrick Lamar on Saturday, Feb. 6, at 7:30 p.m. Keitaro Harada leads Amadeus Live, with the film's score performed alongside a screening, on March 20 and 21. Jiannan Cheng conducts The Music of Joe Hisaishi on March 13, and The Music of Star Wars: A 50th Anniversary Celebration is set for May 8 and 9. Pianist Evgeny Kissin gives a recital on Friday, April 30, at 7:30 p.m.

Those programs bring different audiences into the same seats. Local reviewers have noted the range; the Maryland Theatre Guide reviewed the orchestra's 1970s disco program at the Meyerhoff this fall, a reminder that the hall is not reserved for symphonies alone.

The hall on Cathedral Street

Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall opened in 1982 at 1212 Cathedral St, in the Mount Vernon and midtown area north of downtown. The building was designed specifically for orchestral sound, with curving lines inside and out, and it is known for its acoustics and modern design. The orchestra also performs at the Music Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, but the Meyerhoff is its Baltimore home.

Arrive at least 30 minutes before a performance to find your seats, pick up a program and settle in. The hall sits near several cultural institutions, and the surrounding blocks in Mount Vernon have restaurants that handle the pre-concert crowd. Visitors coming by light rail can use the Cultural Center stop on Howard Street, a short walk west of the hall. Matinee start times of 3:00 p.m. on many Sundays make the series easy for families and for visitors driving in from outside the city.

Picking a seat is a matter of taste. Listeners who want to see the soloist's hands during the Beethoven concertos often look for seats on the left side of the hall, facing the keyboard. Those who care most about blend, especially for the Mahler and Shostakovich, tend to prefer seats farther back, where the full orchestra arrives as one sound. For the Requiem, with chorus and soloists, a seat near the center gives the clearest balance.

For non-orchestral events in the building, including The Legend of Korra in Concert on Feb. 23 and The Simon & Garfunkel Story on March 27, see the full Meyerhoff Symphony Hall schedule, an independent ticket guide separate from the box office.

About Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall is a concert hall at 1212 Cathedral St in Baltimore, Maryland, opened in 1982 as the home of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. It hosts the orchestra's classical, pops, film and family programs as well as touring productions, and it is regarded for its acoustics and distinctive curved design.