{"id":371849,"date":"2026-07-14T00:10:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T00:10:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/371849\/"},"modified":"2026-07-14T00:10:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T00:10:14","slug":"austin-symphony-orchestra-tunes-up-for-a-new-season-and-a-farewell-to-maestro-peter-bay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/371849\/","title":{"rendered":"Austin Symphony Orchestra tunes up for a new season and a farewell to Maestro Peter Bay"},"content":{"rendered":"

After three decades on the podium, Austin Symphony Orchestra<\/a> Music Director and Conductor Peter Bay is preparing to take his final bow as the orchestra’s leader, but not before one unforgettable season.<\/p>\n

The Austin Symphony recently unveiled its 2026\u201327 season, featuring world-renowned guest artists, beloved classical works and special performances celebrating Bay’s remarkable 30-year legacy. Peter Bay and Justus Zimmerman, ASO CEO & Executive Director joined Sierra Waggoner in the studio to share more about this momentous season.<\/p>\n

\"Peter<\/p>\n

Peter Bay and Justus Zimmerman, ASO CEO & Executive Director joined Sierra Waggoner in the studio to share more about this momentous season.<\/p>\n

A Bittersweet Farewell<\/p>\n

For Bay, who has led the orchestra since 1995, the upcoming season is filled with gratitude.<\/p>\n

\u201cThirty years is a long time with an orchestra,\u201d Bay said. \u201cIt’s been the highlight of my life to be working with the Austin Symphony.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although he’s stepping down as music director, Bay reassured audiences he isn’t leaving Austin.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m going to stay here because Austin means too much to me.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Season Worth Celebrating<\/p>\n

The farewell season includes performances by internationally acclaimed artists Yo-Yo Ma and Joshua Bell, along with films, audience favorites and special tributes selected by Bay himself.<\/p>\n

Among the highlights is a performance of Leonard Bernstein’s one-act opera Trouble in Tahiti, directed by Bernstein’s daughter, Jamie Bernstein, who will also narrate selections during the program.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s going to be one to remember,\u201d said Austin Symphony CEO and Executive Director Justice Zimmerman. \u201cThe only reason we have Yo-Yo Ma this year\u2014the only reason we have Joshua Bell this year\u2014is because they know it’s Peter’s 30th anniversary.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why Live Symphony Still Matters<\/p>\n

For first-time concertgoers, Bay says there’s nothing quite like hearing a live orchestra.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe music is great,\u201d he said. \u201cYou’re seeing wonderful musicians pouring their hearts out on stage. It’s just a wonderful circuit of energy.\u201d<\/p>\n

He credits the orchestra’s musicians for the organization’s continued artistic growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don’t make any sound at the concert,\u201d Bay joked. \u201cThe musicians make the sounds… they’re the ones who have made this orchestra what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Looking Back on 30 Years<\/p>\n

Reflecting on his tenure, Bay says choosing a single favorite memory is nearly impossible.<\/p>\n

Among the moments that stand out are collaborations with other Austin arts organizations, performances of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass, and appearances by legendary artists including Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma and Joshua Bell.<\/p>\n

He’s also proud to have watched young musicians grow into international stars.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve had this combination of established artists, up-and-coming artists and wonderful music,\u201d Bay said. \u201cThose have all been standouts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Get Your Tickets<\/p>\n

Season subscriptions and tickets for the Austin Symphony Orchestra’s 2025\u201326 season are available now.<\/p>\n

Zimmerman encourages patrons to purchase directly through the orchestra’s website.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you get your tickets somewhere else, you’re paying higher prices and you might be getting scammed,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

For the full concert schedule and ticket information, visit AustinSymphony.org.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Austin<\/p>\n

Austin Symphony Orchestra tunes up for a new season and a farewell to Maestro Peter Bay<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After three decades on the podium, Austin Symphony Orchestra Music Director and Conductor Peter Bay is preparing to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":371850,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[132,134,133],"class_list":["post-371849","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-austin","tag-austin","tag-austin-headlines","tag-austin-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371849","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=371849"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/371849\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/371850"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=371849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=371849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=371849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}