The San Antonio Philharmonic performs at one of its prior venues, First Baptist Church. Credit: Courtesy Photo / San Antonio Philharmonic
Days after receiving an order to vacate the venue it has occupied for the past year, the San Antonio Philharmonic has cancelled its Holiday Pops and New Year’s Eve concerts, according to an email sent to its musicians.
“We regretfully cancel all services for both the Holiday Pops and New Years Eve productions,” reads the email, dated Wednesday afternoon. The message offers no explanation for scrapping the December performances but invites the musicians to attend a Friday afternoon meeting to “address questions and concerns you may have.”
The option to purchase tickets for the Holiday Pops shows, originally scheduled for Dec. 19-21, and the New Year’s performance have also been removed from the Philharmonic’s website. However, the group’s Friday, Dec. 12, and Saturday, Dec. 13, classical concerts are still listed on its website, as are a series of both classical and pops shows through May 2026.
Notice of the aborted performances comes after San Antonio’s Scottish Rite fraternal order sent a letter to the Philharmonic late last month giving it until Friday, Nov. 28 to vacate the masonic lodge’s historic downtown building, which the group had been using since last fall.
Contacted by phone, Philharmonic Executive Director Roberto Treviño told the Current that lawyers for the orchestra are in talks with the masons and hope to strike a new agreement for using the 1924 structure and its 2,200-seat auditorium.
“These [cancellations] are the result of ongoing negotiations, and there’s not much more to report at this point, honestly,” Treviño said.
Treviño said he’s hopeful the talks will wrap up soon, allowing the Phil to continue regular use of the building for concerts and rehearsals.
Officials with the Philharmonic and the Scottish Rite masons struck a deal in October 2024 for the orchestra to make the downtown building its permanent home. At the time, Treviño, an architect and former San Antonio councilman, said the Phil would work to secure upgrades to the aging facility.
While the Scottish Rite’s letter states the Philharmonic can no longer “use or occupy” the building, the orchestra still may rent the auditorium for its Dec. 12 and 13 concerts as well as shows planned for Jan. 16 and 17. The paperwork makes no mention of the Holiday Pops and New Year’s Eve shows, however.
To perform the December and January classical shows, the Phil is required to pay a flat fee of $2,000 per performance at least three days in advance, the document states.
The Philharmonic also can continue to use the building for practice sessions at a cost of $300 for up to four hours, according to the letter.
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