Phoenix Symphony to resume season Nov. 12 after donor pledges

The Phoenix Symphony will return to the stage Nov. 12 after local donors pledged enough money to lift the suspension of its 2026-27 season, the orchestra announced Friday.

The news comes less than three weeks after the symphony said it would stop performing after its Nov. 1 concert and lay off its musicians because it could no longer cover its costs.

The symphony did not say how much money was raised or name the donors. It plans to recognize them in a later announcement.

The symphony still needs to keep fundraising to make sure the season continues through 2027, but leaders believe the pledges, commitments and cash received so far will allow that to happen, spokeswoman Rebekah Sanders told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

“We faced a crisis, and a small group of community leaders, organizations and culture lovers responded with remarkable generosity,” board Chairman Mo Stein said in a statement.

The first concert back will be a chamber performance of Brahms’ “Serenade No. 1” on Nov. 12 at the Musical Instrument Museum. Principal Pops Conductor Stuart Chafetz will lead “Music of the Knights,” featuring the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Elton John and Paul McCartney, Nov. 13-15 at Symphony Hall.

The symphony also created an 11-member commission to rework its finances and operations. Business leaders John Graham, chairman and CEO of Sunbelt Holdings, and Don Opatrny, a former Goldman Sachs partner, will lead it. The group will include two musicians chosen by the musicians’ union, Local 586 of the American Federation of Musicians.

“Now we must build a financial and operating model that allows the Symphony to thrive, not simply survive from one season to the next,” Graham said.

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