Brevard Music Center will celebrate its 90th anniversary and America’s 250th birthday with a packed 2026 Summer Season. “One of our guiding principles was to honor the history of BMC while also presenting a season that feels vibrant, contemporary and forward-looking,” says Nicholas Tzavaras, senior director of artistic planning and educational programs at BMC.
The 2026 orchestral summer season opens on Friday, June 26, when artistic director Keith Lockhart leads the BMC Orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3, Eroica, paired with the return of pianist Garrick Ohlsson in Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2. The season concludes on Sunday, August 2, when cellist Yo-Yo Ma returns to Brevard as the 2026 Legendary Artist, performing Dvořák’s Cello Concerto with Lockhart and the BMC Orchestra. Yo-Yo Ma first appeared at BMC in 1979.
Yo-Yo Ma. Photo by Brantley Gutierrez
“Yo-Yo Ma’s return to BMC will certainly be one of the defining moments of the festival,” says Tzavaras. “This will be his fourth appearance at BMC and his first in this role, and his season finale performance promises to be an extraordinary celebration of artistry, community and the spirit of BMC.”
The nation’s birthday presented an opportunity to present the wide range of American musical traditions, from classical music and bluegrass to Motown and Americana. Some major headliner appearances throughout the season include Branford Marsalis (June 11), Nathan Chester and The Old Souls Motown Revival (June 27), Shannon Whitworth and Woody Platt with Orchestra (June 30), The Buena Vista Orchestra (July 11), Jason Isbell (July 19), Béla Fleck (August 15), and Fiddle Forward with Casey Driessen (August 22), alongside a series of free community concerts featuring the Jan and Beattie Wood Concerto Competition Finals (July 2), Just Brass (July 7), Brevard Symphonic Winds (July 21) and Supersonic | Percussion (July 26).
The Center also, as always, prioritized access between students and visiting artists through rehearsals, coaching sessions, masterclasses, conversations and side-by-side collaborations. “Distinguished artists including the Shanghai Quartet, Imani Winds, the Horszowski Piano Trio and BMC Principal Guest Conductor JoAnn Falletta will mentor students in both formal and informal settings throughout the summer, while our visiting composers will engage directly with students as they explore contemporary chamber and orchestral repertoire,” says Tzavaras. “Especially during an anniversary season, it is important that students feel fully connected to the artistic life of the institution and understand that they are part of a larger tradition that continues to evolve with each generation.”
“Generations of families have spent their summers at BMC, and thousands of young musicians have come through Brevard and gone on to shape the cultural landscape far beyond Western North Carolina,” says BMC president and CEO Jason Posnock. “That kind of sustained impact speaks to a community that values and supports the arts. So the 90th anniversary is really a shared milestone. It’s a chance to recognize what’s been built together—and to look ahead to how BMC continues to serve as a place where artists develop and the community connects through music.”
Brevard Music Center is located at 365 Andante Lane, Brevard. Subscriptions and single tickets for the 2026 Summer Festival are on sale now. For tickets and full season details, visit BrevardMusic.org or call the BMC Box Office at 828.862.2105.
