A look ahead at art and classical music, opera, ballet, and more in New Orleans for fall, 2026
The LPO with Tank and the Bangas, Luke Fleming of the Chamber Music Festival and the Dracula ballet...all coming up this year in New Orleans
CLASSICALLY UNTRAINED
Compiled by Paul Oswell
Our regular columnist, David S. Lewis, will return next month with previews, reviews, and much more after the city's summer musical hiatus. In the meantime, here's what fans of art music, opera and ballet/dance have to look forward to in New Orleans this autumn. We'll start to do monthly calendars with more detail from next month, but here's an overview of some upcoming highlights:
Classical Concerts
LPO
The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra kicks off its new season with a wonderful lineup:
New Orleans Friends of Music
This renowned chamber music series brings world-class quartets and instrumentalists to Tulane University's Dixon Hall:
Independent Festivals & Choral Concerts
Ballet & Dance
From touring boundary-pushers to classic narratives, local stages are about to be packed with movement:
The New Orleans Opera Association centers its season around "Rebels, Rogues & Redemption":
Our regular columnist, David S. Lewis, will return next month with previews, reviews, and much more after the city's summer musical hiatus. In the meantime, here's what fans of art music, opera and ballet/dance have to look forward to in New Orleans this autumn. We'll start to do monthly calendars with more detail from next month, but here's an overview of some upcoming highlights:
Classical Concerts
LPO
The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra kicks off its new season with a wonderful lineup:
- LPO Opening Night: Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2
- Date & Time: Thursday, September 17, 2026 at 7:30 PM
- Venue: Orpheum Theater (129 Roosevelt Way)
- Description: Featuring Anna Clyne's Masquerade, Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, and Brahms’s Symphony No. 4.
- Mozart Symphony No. 31 “Paris”
- Date & Time: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
- Venue: New Marigny Theatre (725 St. Ferdinand St)
- Description: An intimate performance focusing on classical masterpieces.
- LPO: Tank & The Bangas with Dawn Richard
- Date & Time: Friday, October 2, 2026 at 7:30 PM
- Venue: Orpheum Theater
- Description: A special collaboration blending contemporary genre-bending local icons with full orchestral arrangements.
- LPO: Concierto en Tango
- Date & Time: Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 7:30 PM
- Venue: Orpheum Theater
- Description: A vibrant performance exploring classical tango structures.
- LPO: Prieto Returns (Shostakovich No. 5)
- Date & Time: Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 7:30 PM
- Venue: Orpheum Theater
- Description: Music Director Laureate Carlos Miguel Prieto returns to conduct powerful works by Shostakovich and Prokofiev.
- LPO: Mozart & Stravinsky
- Date & Time: Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 7:30 PM
- Venue: Orpheum Theater
- Description: An exceptional pairing of Mozart's "Jupiter" Symphony and Stravinsky's Petrushka.
New Orleans Friends of Music
This renowned chamber music series brings world-class quartets and instrumentalists to Tulane University's Dixon Hall:
- Isidore String Quartet
- Date: Monday, October 19, 2026
- Description: The New York-based winners of the prestigious Banff International String Quartet Competition perform a rich classical repertoire.
- Stefan Jackiw (Violin) & Kevin Ahfat (Piano)
- Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2026
- Description: A captivating duo performance pairing one of America's foremost violinists with an acclaimed pianist.
Independent Festivals & Choral Concerts
- Krewe de Voix Chamber Choir
- Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026
- Venue: The Williams Research Center (Historic New Orleans Collection)
- Description: A specialized choral performance celebrating the 250-year Spanish American Partnership Symposium, highlighting historic Spanish-influenced compositions
- Crescent City Chamber Music Festival
- Date: Starting Thursday, October 15, 2026
- Description: Founded by New Orleans native Manhattan Chamber Players violinist Luke Fleming, this festival brings free, top-tier chamber music concerts and interactive educational events to various locations across the city.
Ballet & Dance
From touring boundary-pushers to classic narratives, local stages are about to be packed with movement:
- Pilobolus
- Date & Time: Saturday, October 17, 2026 at 7:30 PM
- Venue: Mahalia Jackson Theater (1419 Basin St)
- Presented by: New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA)
- Description: A fascinating blend of athleticism, illusion, and inventive physical storytelling.
- New Orleans Ballet Theatre presents: Dracula
- Date & Time: October 29 & 30, 2026 at 8:00 PM; October 31, 2026 at 2:00 PM
- Venue: Orpheum Theater
- Description: New Orleans Ballet Theatre brings gothic horror to life right in time for Halloween weekend.
- Alonzo King LINES Ballet
- Date & Time: Saturday, November 14, 2026 at 7:30 PM
- Venue: Mahalia Jackson Theater
- Presented by: New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA)
- Description: The celebrated contemporary ballet company returns to New Orleans for the first time in 15 years.
The New Orleans Opera Association centers its season around "Rebels, Rogues & Redemption":
- Emerging Artist Concert Series
- Dates & Time: Sunday, October 25 and Sunday, November 29, 2026 from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
- Venue: Opera Guild Home (2504 Prytania St)
- Description: Highly intimate performances featuring popular opera arias and art songs.
- Giuseppe Verdi’s Il Trovatore
- Date & Time: Friday, November 20, 2026 (Grand Opera launch)
- Venue: Mahalia Jackson Theater
- Description: A dramatic, 90-minute semi-staged grand opera production highlighting Verdi's powerful score