MARCH 2026: CLASSICAL, SYMPHONIC AND ART MUSIC CALENDAR FOR NEW ORLEANS
The NOLA Chamber Fest takes place this month (photo: NOLA Chamber Fest)
Classical music listings for New Orleans. Your ONLY guide to symphonic / classical / opera / art music in the city! This is the only calendar of its kind in the region! Compiled by David S Lewis and Paul Oswell. Do you have an art music gig coming up? Email us details of your concerts
4th
Echoes of Innovation
Historic New Orleans Collection - Williams Research Center
Pre-concert talk: 6pm / COncert: 7.30pm
The 2026 Musical Louisiana: America’s Cultural Heritage concert will celebrate 19th-century Creole composers and innovators. Info and ticketing
6th
Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra : French Fables & Fantasies
New Marigny Theatre
Doors: 5pm/Concert: 6pm
Delight in the elegant charm of Gabriel Fauré’s Masques et Bergamasques, op. 112 that sets the stage for Poulenc’s playful storytelling in his L’Histoire de Babar, bringing to life the beloved tale of Babar the Elephant with humor and heart. The magic continues with Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune, a luminous and timeless classic and the wonder of Maurice Ravel’s Ma Mère l’Oye (Mother Goose Suite)—a vibrant and imaginative orchestral reimagining of childhood fairy tales. Info and ticketing
Loyola Jazz Festival Faculty & Guest Showcase
Roussel Hall, Loyola University
Concert: 4.30pm
A sophisticated night of world-class music as the esteemed Jazz Faculty take the stage. Featuring masterful improvisation, rich harmonies, and timeless standards, this concert is a celebration of artistry at its finest. Info and ticketing
The Odyssey
Trinity Episcopal Church
Concert: 7pm
From storms to sorcery to seduction, experience the epic adventures of Homer’s Odyssey brought to life in a dramatic curation of works by Handel, Monteverdi, Rameau, and others. Info and ticketing
Mazaj | Modern & Classical Arabic Music
Marigny Opera House
Concert: 7.30pm
Modern and classical Arabic music primarily from Egyptian and Levantine (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan) repertoires. Info and ticketing
12th
LPO: Beethoven Symphony No. 9
Orpheum Theatre
Doors: 6pm/Concert: 7:30pm
Journey through a tapestry of musical brilliance, beginning with the dramatic depths of Farrenc’s Overture No. 1 in E minor, followed by the vibrant, modern melodies of Stacy Garrop’s Goddess Triptych, a sonic celebration of Hindu deities, and finally the ultimate crescendo: Beethoven’s glorious 9th (including Ode to Joy), a symphony that will ignite your soul. Info and ticketing
Sonic Chambers Quartet presents Tetratrachtys
Studio Saint Phillip
Concert: 7pm
Sonic Chambers Quartet is a highly collaborative, adventurous jazz project based between New Orleans and New York City that blurs the lines between spontaneity and composition. The group is co-led by New Orleans clarinetist and saxophonist Byron Asher and NYC saxophonist and clarinetist Tomas Majcherski and features North Carolina bassist Matt Booth and New Orleans drummer Doug Garrison. At their performance at Studio St. Philip, the group will present, for the first time in its entirety, Tetrachtys, a new suite of original compositions that investigates universal themes of human spirituality and collectivity through the teachings of an ancient Greek numerological religious sect. Info and ticketing
12th-16th
NOLA Chamber Fest
Various venues
This annual five-day festival includes performances by world-renowned chamber ensembles, a national chamber music competition, masterclasses, and Creativity Day for local musicians. Click here for full schedule and more information - FULL PREVIEW COMING IN NEXT WEEK'S EDITION
13th
Marais Baroque Ensemble – Sonata Representiva
Trinity Episocpal Church
Concert: 7pm
The Marais Baroque Ensemble explores the sounds of nature as represented in Baroque music. These are early works for this kind of naturalistic reference in music, and by some of the heavy hitters of the time: Telemann, Biber, and Vivaldi. A really cool show, and more evidence that Baroque music is kind of weirdly popular right now. Tickets are $25/$15 for students. Info and ticketing
21st & 22nd
Piu Mosso Baroque – Harpsichord Concertos & Comic Cantatas
New Marigny Theatre
Concert: 5.30pm (both evenings)
A Baroque concert of Harpsichord concertos, Telemann's Canary Cantata, & Bach's Coffee Cantata. Info and ticketing
22nd
New Orleans Civic Orchestra March Concert: Hymn for Everyone
UNO Performing Arts Center
Concert: 6pm
An uncharacteristically contemporary program for Louisiana’s oldest orchestra, featuring the pandemic-era works by Jessi Montgomery (Hymn for Everyone) and Valerie Coleman (Coleman’s 7 O’Clock Shout was performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra over Zoom, if you remember those weird days) and the haunting, heartbreaking Symphony No. 3 Symphony of Sorrowful Songs by Polish composer Henryk Gorecki, with its shocking vocal lines given by New Orleans’ incredibly talented Christina Comer. The concert is free, although donations are encouraged. The evening will open with UNO’s Patrick McCardle’s Tyrant, the work’s premiere. More information
More Classically Untrained features
COMING NEXT MONTH: New Orleans Opera Festival opens - check back for details and interviews
4th
Echoes of Innovation
Historic New Orleans Collection - Williams Research Center
Pre-concert talk: 6pm / COncert: 7.30pm
The 2026 Musical Louisiana: America’s Cultural Heritage concert will celebrate 19th-century Creole composers and innovators. Info and ticketing
6th
Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra : French Fables & Fantasies
New Marigny Theatre
Doors: 5pm/Concert: 6pm
Delight in the elegant charm of Gabriel Fauré’s Masques et Bergamasques, op. 112 that sets the stage for Poulenc’s playful storytelling in his L’Histoire de Babar, bringing to life the beloved tale of Babar the Elephant with humor and heart. The magic continues with Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune, a luminous and timeless classic and the wonder of Maurice Ravel’s Ma Mère l’Oye (Mother Goose Suite)—a vibrant and imaginative orchestral reimagining of childhood fairy tales. Info and ticketing
Loyola Jazz Festival Faculty & Guest Showcase
Roussel Hall, Loyola University
Concert: 4.30pm
A sophisticated night of world-class music as the esteemed Jazz Faculty take the stage. Featuring masterful improvisation, rich harmonies, and timeless standards, this concert is a celebration of artistry at its finest. Info and ticketing
The Odyssey
Trinity Episcopal Church
Concert: 7pm
From storms to sorcery to seduction, experience the epic adventures of Homer’s Odyssey brought to life in a dramatic curation of works by Handel, Monteverdi, Rameau, and others. Info and ticketing
Mazaj | Modern & Classical Arabic Music
Marigny Opera House
Concert: 7.30pm
Modern and classical Arabic music primarily from Egyptian and Levantine (Syria, Palestine, Lebanon, and Jordan) repertoires. Info and ticketing
12th
LPO: Beethoven Symphony No. 9
Orpheum Theatre
Doors: 6pm/Concert: 7:30pm
Journey through a tapestry of musical brilliance, beginning with the dramatic depths of Farrenc’s Overture No. 1 in E minor, followed by the vibrant, modern melodies of Stacy Garrop’s Goddess Triptych, a sonic celebration of Hindu deities, and finally the ultimate crescendo: Beethoven’s glorious 9th (including Ode to Joy), a symphony that will ignite your soul. Info and ticketing
Sonic Chambers Quartet presents Tetratrachtys
Studio Saint Phillip
Concert: 7pm
Sonic Chambers Quartet is a highly collaborative, adventurous jazz project based between New Orleans and New York City that blurs the lines between spontaneity and composition. The group is co-led by New Orleans clarinetist and saxophonist Byron Asher and NYC saxophonist and clarinetist Tomas Majcherski and features North Carolina bassist Matt Booth and New Orleans drummer Doug Garrison. At their performance at Studio St. Philip, the group will present, for the first time in its entirety, Tetrachtys, a new suite of original compositions that investigates universal themes of human spirituality and collectivity through the teachings of an ancient Greek numerological religious sect. Info and ticketing
12th-16th
NOLA Chamber Fest
Various venues
This annual five-day festival includes performances by world-renowned chamber ensembles, a national chamber music competition, masterclasses, and Creativity Day for local musicians. Click here for full schedule and more information - FULL PREVIEW COMING IN NEXT WEEK'S EDITION
13th
Marais Baroque Ensemble – Sonata Representiva
Trinity Episocpal Church
Concert: 7pm
The Marais Baroque Ensemble explores the sounds of nature as represented in Baroque music. These are early works for this kind of naturalistic reference in music, and by some of the heavy hitters of the time: Telemann, Biber, and Vivaldi. A really cool show, and more evidence that Baroque music is kind of weirdly popular right now. Tickets are $25/$15 for students. Info and ticketing
21st & 22nd
Piu Mosso Baroque – Harpsichord Concertos & Comic Cantatas
New Marigny Theatre
Concert: 5.30pm (both evenings)
A Baroque concert of Harpsichord concertos, Telemann's Canary Cantata, & Bach's Coffee Cantata. Info and ticketing
22nd
New Orleans Civic Orchestra March Concert: Hymn for Everyone
UNO Performing Arts Center
Concert: 6pm
An uncharacteristically contemporary program for Louisiana’s oldest orchestra, featuring the pandemic-era works by Jessi Montgomery (Hymn for Everyone) and Valerie Coleman (Coleman’s 7 O’Clock Shout was performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra over Zoom, if you remember those weird days) and the haunting, heartbreaking Symphony No. 3 Symphony of Sorrowful Songs by Polish composer Henryk Gorecki, with its shocking vocal lines given by New Orleans’ incredibly talented Christina Comer. The concert is free, although donations are encouraged. The evening will open with UNO’s Patrick McCardle’s Tyrant, the work’s premiere. More information
More Classically Untrained features
COMING NEXT MONTH: New Orleans Opera Festival opens - check back for details and interviews