-
-
Loading
Loading
The Philadelphia Orchestra
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Music and Artistic Director
Monday, February 16, 2026
7:30 p.m. at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Tickets: $90-$160
SCASarasota.org or 941-966-6161
On Feb. 16, the world-renowned Philadelphia Orchestra will return to Sarasota as part of Sarasota Concert Association’s Great Performers Series.
The orchestra will perform under the baton of Canadian-born conductor and pianist Yannick Nézet-Séguin, now in his 14th season as music and artistic director for the orchestra. Yannick is also music director for the Metropolitan Opera, a role he began in the 2018-2019 season, when he quickly became recognized for his commitment to expanding the opera’s repertoire with diverse voices and works.
An inspired conductor, Yannick has performed all over the world and has established himself as one of the most sought-after talents of his generation. Yannick’s style, deeply rooted in musical curiosity and a bold enthusiasm, has created a fresh approach to orchestral programming, and has been heralded by critics and audiences alike.
Heard and admired around the world, the orchestra’s iconic “Philadelphia Sound,” characterized by its rich, luscious strings, among other unique qualities, has been honed over the decades and brought to new heights by Yannick Nézet-Séguin.
The Philadelphia Inquirer has written that under Yannick’s baton, the orchestra is “at the top of its considerable form;” the Associated Press has called it “a premier orchestra at its peak”; and the New York Times wrote, “The ensemble, famous for its glowing strings and homogenous richness, has never sounded better.”
Yannick’s musical creativity led him to give conducting lessons to American actor and filmmaker Bradley Cooper for the movie “Maestro,” so Cooper would be able to conduct in the style of Leonard Bernstein. Yannick was just offscreen giving direction to Cooper through an earpiece. “I really admired [Cooper’s] commitment not only to authenticity but … to the emotional aspect of the music we were playing,” he said.
Yannick’s interest in Bernstein dates to a young age, when he was around 10 years old, when he began collecting orchestral music. Later, he called Bernstein his greatest influence as a conductor. In gratitude for his help on the movie, Yannick and his husband were invited to the Academy Awards that year as guests of Cooper.
As conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Yannick joins a remarkable list of music directors spanning the Orchestra’s 124 seasons: Fritz Scheel, Carl Pohlig, Leopold Stokowski, Eugene Ormandy, Riccardo Muti, Wolfgang Sawallisch, and Christoph Eschenbach. Under their guidance, the Philadelphia Orchestra has created a standard of excellence in the world of classical music—and continues to do so today.
Yannick’s deep affinity for Brahms is well known, and he has often called Brahms one of his favorite composers. He is a champion of Brahms’ mastery of counterpoint and form, and the orchestra’s performances showcase the emotional depth and majesty of Brahms’ works.