MSU Symphony Orchestra

04/15/2026

Join the MSU Symphony Orchestra for Rhythms in Motion: A Celebration of Dance on Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. at Wharton Center. Conducted by Octavio Más-Arocas, and , this program brings together music inspired by rhythm, movement, elegance, and energy. 

Featuring selections from Der Rosenkavalier, Bolero, Hellfighters’ Blues, and Mariachitlán, and fanfare by . This concert celebrates the many ways dance lives within orchestral sound. 

We hope you will join us for an evening of color, momentum, and musical vitality.

04/15/2026

From darkness to light. Join us for an evening of contemporary music as Musique 21 presents From Darkness to Light on Monday, April 20, 2026 at 7:30 p.m. in Fairchild Theatre. This program features six contemporary works centered on transformation, tension, and reflection. 

The concert includes music by Raven Chacon, David Biedenbender, David Lang, Đuro Živković, Mary Kouyoumdjian, and Andrea Clearfield, performed by Musique 21 under the direction of , with and . 

We invite you to experience a program that moves through shadow, intensity, color, and illumination.

03/18/2026

MSU Symphony Orchestra Honors Concert
A night celebrating the incredible student soloists at MSU, featuring winners of the Honors Concerto Competition with the MSU Symphony Orchestra and Firebird by Stravinsky 🐦‍🔥
📅 Friday, March 20, 2026 • 7:30 PM
📍 Wharton Center (Cobb Great Hall)
🎼Octavio Más-Arocas& Zongheng Zhang, conductor
🎵 Featuring soloists Wanwan Yang , piano & Diego Chapela-Perez, and composer Katahj Copley.
Come support your friends, your studio, and the next generation of amazing performers. See you there 💚🤍

01/27/2026

🌌✨ MSU Symphony Orchestra is going cosmic.
📅 Friday, Feb 6, 2026 • 7:30 PM
📍 Cobb Great Hall, Wharton Center (MSU)
Program
🎶 Gustav Holst: The Planets
🎶 Gala Flagello : Everything Beautiful
🎶 Zhengcheng (Momo) He : Bloom
From the intimate to the infinite, this concert moves from new music to one of the most iconic orchestral “space journeys” ever written. Come hear Mars shake the room and Neptune disappear into mystery. 🌍🪐

01/26/2026

What an incredible afternoon of music. After amazing performances from all our finalists, we’re excited to announce the winners of this year’s Concerto Competition! 🎶✨

🏆 Congratulations to:
🎹 Wanwan Yang — Piano .yyy
🪈 Ivo Shin — Flute
🎷 Diego Chapela — Saxophone

A huge thank-you to all the finalists for such inspiring performances today—you made this competition truly special. 👏🌟

The winners will perform their concertos with the MSU Symphony Orchestra in March. We can’t wait to hear them again! 🎻🔥

01/23/2026

This weekend, on Sunday afternoon in Cook Recital Hall, several Music students will compete in the Honors Concerto Competition. We strongly encourage you to attend and cheer them on!

Finalists include
pianists , Jingwei Yuan, .yyy , and ,
saxophonists .sax and , flutist , and clarinetist .

The concert presents a wide variety of repertoire, and winners will be announced immediately following the concert as selected by a panel of external jurors.

11/19/2025

11/03/2025

What an inspiring evening at Wharton Center!
The MSU Symphony Orchestra presented a dynamic program bridging past and present filled with passion, creativity, and new voices.

Soloist:
Renowned cellist Suren Bagratuni delivered a stunning performance of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104.

Guest Composer:
Michael Daugherty joined us for his Lift Up Thine Ears.

Premiere:
The concert opened with the world premiere of the Sam and Mary Austin Fanfare, composed by an MSU College of Music student Ayako Pederson-Takeda

Conducted by: Octavio Más-Arocas and Zongheng Zhang
Thank you to everyone who shared this unforgettable night with us!

📸Alirna Korieva

11/03/2025

What an inspiring evening at Wharton Center! Wharton Center for Performing Arts
The MSU Symphony Orchestra presented a dynamic program bridging past and present filled with passion, creativity, and new voices.

Soloist:
Renowned cellist Suren Bagratuni delivered a stunning performance of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104.

Guest Composer:
Michael Daugherty joined us for his Lift Up Thine Ears.

Premiere:
The concert opened with the world premiere of the Sam and Mary Austin Fanfare, composed by an MSU College of Music student Ayako Pederson-Takeda

Conducted by: Octavio Más-Arocas and Zongheng Zhang
Thank you to everyone who shared this unforgettable night with us!

📸Alirna Korieva

10/25/2025

🎶 Mark your calendars!
📅 Sunday, October 26, 2025
🕖 7:00 PM (please note: the time was previously listed as 3:00 PM - correct time is 7:00 PM)
📍 Wharton Center -mCobb Great Hall, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
🎟️ Get Tickets → whartoncenter.com

The MSU Symphony Orchestra presents a powerful evening going across centuries and styles:

🎻 Dvořák - Cello Concerto in B Minor, Op. 104
Featuring acclaimed MSU cellist Suren Bagratuni

🎶 Michael Daugherty - Lift up Thine Ears
A rhythmically charged, bold work inspired by American culture

✨ Sam and Mary Austin Fanfare
A world premiere by an MSU College of Music student composer

🎵 Conducted by Octavio Más-Arocas Octavio Más-Arocas
Michigan State University College of Music

🎫 Tickets are on sale now!
To request a free ticket for a child 18 and under, please contact the College of Music Box Office at 517-353-5340 or [email protected], and your ticket will be available at Will Call. MSU students can secure their free ticket at the event by showing their student ID.

10/21/2025

Multiple GRAMMY Award-winning composer Michael Daugherty will be in residence at Michigan State University October 22–27, 2025, presenting workshops and participating in three concerts showcasing his dynamic and widely performed compositions. Performers of Daugherty's work include some of MSU's best student musicians plus faculty members Nermis Mieses and Chance Huiet.

Known for his colorful, narrative-driven music inspired by American icons and pop culture, Daugherty’s visit marks his first time working directly with MSU musicians and composers.

Daugherty said: "It's always exciting to have other groups play my music, especially by a band like the excellent ones at Michigan State. I'm sure it will be a very, very rewarding experience.”

We can't wait! Get more details: https://music.msu.edu/news-item/grammy-winning-composers-music-featured-in-three-concerts/

MSU Bands MSU Symphony Orchestra New music at MSU

10/10/2025

Smiles, music, and teamwork we’re getting ready for our next performance!
Stay tuned for updates and behind-the-scenes moments from the MSU Symphony Orchestra 💚
Michigan State University College of MusicOctavio Más-Arocas