Five finalists will each lead a concert as audiences help shape the orchestra’s future
The Plano Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is giving audiences an opportunity to help shape its future. As the orchestra searches for its next music director, five finalists will each take the podium during the 2026-27 season, allowing patrons to experience their conducting styles firsthand before providing feedback through post-concert surveys.
The season also marks the beginning of the orchestra’s transition following the tenure of Maestro Héctor Guzmán, whose final performances include the annual holiday concert, a personal favorites program and a farewell finale featuring Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.
Audiences Become Part Of The Selection Process
Continuing its theme, “Music that Matters,” the season introduces five finalists for the Music Director position: Mélisse Brunet, Filippo Ciabatti, Gonzalo Farias, Jacob Joyce and Stilian Kirov. Each conductor will lead one concert during the season, giving audiences the opportunity to experience their artistry before sharing feedback that will help inform the orchestra’s selection process.
In addition to its eight-concert subscription series, the orchestra will present a special summer performance at the Meyerson Symphony Center.
On Aug. 15, Joshua Henry, the 2026 Tony Award winner and current star of Ragtime, joins the PSO for Get Up, Stand Up! Henry is a Grammy-winning performer known for his Tony Award-nominated roles in Carousel, The Scottsboro Boys and Violet, as well as portraying Aaron Burr in Hamilton.
Photo: Plano Symphony Orchestra
A Season Of Classics And Celebration
The regular season opens Sept. 19 with All American Program, conducted by Stilian Kirov, featuring works by Copland, Gershwin, Barber and Bernstein.
Other highlights include:
Unhallowed Eve (Oct. 17) | Conducted by Mélisse Brunet, featuring the suite from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Vive la France (Nov. 14) | Jacob Joyce leads music by Berlioz and Gershwin, including An American in Paris.
Home for the Holidays (Dec. 20) | The orchestra’s annual holiday tradition featuring the Plano West Senior High Choir, conducted by Maestro Héctor Guzmán.
Chasing Dreams (Jan. 16) | Gonzalo Farias conducts a program featuring John Williams’ The Cowboys: Overture and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5.
The Italian Connection (Feb. 20) | Filippo Ciabatti leads works by Morricone, Mendelssohn and Dvořák.
Celebrating Maestro Héctor Guzmán
The season concludes with two performances celebrating Guzmán’s legacy with the orchestra.
On March 20, Fiesta! features a program of personal favorites selected by the maestro, including Beethoven’s Triple Concerto and The Three-Cornered Hat by Manuel de Falla.
The orchestra’s season finale, Thank You, Maestro, takes place April 17 and brings Guzmán’s tenure to a close with Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, ending with the iconic “Ode to Joy.”