The Lexington Symphony Presents ‘An Evening With Shakespeare’
Tickets for the Lexington Symphony’s An Evening With Shakespeare on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at Cary Hall, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, are $35–$75 and are on sale now at www.LexingtonSymphony.org or by calling 781-523-9009. Group and youth discounts are available.
The Lexington Symphony, under the musical direction of Jonathan McPhee, closes its season with An Evening With Shakespeare. Soprano Sonja DuToit Tengblad and contralto Emily Marvosh are featured in Felix Mendelssohn’s enchanting A Midsummer Night’s Dream, arranged by Maestro McPhee, blending virtuosic solo performances with the full orchestra’s expressive power.
The program continues the Lexington Symphony’s tradition of bold and imaginative programming, pairing distinguished soloists with compelling orchestral works for an evening that promises to captivate and delight audiences.
Sonja DuToit Tengblad, soprano
Soprano Sonja DuToit Tengblad, praised as “radiant” by Opera Magazine, is recognized for her versatility across orchestral, operatic, and early music repertoire. Recent highlights include performances with the Boston Philharmonic, Boston Landmarks Orchestra, Boston Baroque,and Handel and Haydn Society, as well as debuts at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. She earned second place in the American Prize.
A dedicated collaborator, Tengblad performs with ensembles including the GRAMMY-nominated Lorelei Ensemble, Blue Heron, and Conspirare. She is a strong advocate for contemporary music, having premiered numerous new works and co-created innovative projects such as Modern Dickinson, which features 21st-century settings of poetry.
Beyond performance, Tengblad is the founder of Beyond Artists, supporting causes including Braver Angels and the Eden Reforestation Project. She also co-founded Mothers Out Front (East Boston chapter) and teaches at Wellesley College and Harvard University.
Emily Marvosh, contralto
American contralto Emily Marvosh is acclaimed for her expressive stage presence, refined musicianship, and richly distinctive voice. She has appeared as a soloist with leading ensembles including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Handel and Haydn Society, and Rhode Island Philharmonic, as well as in performances across the United States. Her honors include the Adams Fellowship atthe Carmel Bach Festival and awards from the American Prize. She also served as the inaugural Resident Artist with the Lexington Symphony.
A passionate advocate for contemporary music, Marvosh has premiered new works with ensembles including the GRAMMY-nominated Lorelei Ensemble, Juventas New Music, and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. Her upcoming season features European tours with Boston Camerata and the Lorelei Ensemble, U.S. debuts, and a self-produced multimedia performance in Lowell, Massachusetts.
A Michigan native, Marvosh is an award-winning recitalist and will serve as artist-in-residence at Saginaw Valley State University in 2026. She is a member of Beyond Artists, supporting initiatives such as Rosie’s Place and the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music. She holds degrees from Central Michigan University and Boston University.
Tickets for the Lexington Symphony’s An Evening With Shakespeare on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at Cary Hall, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, are $35–$75 and are on sale now at www.LexingtonSymphony.org or by calling 781-523-9009. Group and youth discounts are available.
Lexington Symphony would like to thank Kip Connor and Linh Vong for their generous sponsorship of An Evening With Shakespeare and our season media partners: GBH, CRB Classical 99.5 Radio Boston, LexMedia, Lexington Times, and The Lexington Observer. Lexington Symphony is also supported by funding from the Massachusetts Cultural Council.
In conjunction with The Phoenix Project: Side-by-Side Music Performance for Amateur Adult Musicians, Lexington Symphony will showcase a jazz ensemble concert featuring participants of the four-day adult music summer camp on July 22, 2026, followed by a full orchestra concert on July 23, 2026. Support for this project in the summer of 2025 was provided in part by a generous grant from the Community Endowment of Lexington (CEL), a fund of the Community Foundation for MetroWest, and by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Grants for Arts Projects (GAP).
The Community Endowment of Lexington (CEL) enhances the quality of life for Lexington citizens. CEL, a fund of the Community Foundation for MetroWest, awards grants to nonprofits and town agencies working in the areas of health and human services, arts and culture, the environment, and community building; provides ways for donors to give back and leave a legacy; and encourages innovative and collaborative solutions to issues facing Lexington, MA. For more information, visit www.lexingtonendowment.org.
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is committed to supporting excellent arts projects for the benefit of all Americans. Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) provides funding for public engagement with the arts and arts education, for the integration of the arts with strategies promoting the health and well-being of people and communities, and for the improvement of overall capacity and capabilities within the arts sector. For more information, visit www.arts.gov/grants/grants-for-arts-projects.
Upcoming programs highlight a vibrant, diverse, and culturally inclusive new season.
The season opens in October with award-winning Van Cliburn pianist Clayton Stephenson performing Piano Concerto No. 3 by Sergei Prokofiev. Two featured soloists follow: Principal Violist Emily Rideout in November performing Styx by Giya Kancheli, and Romanian violinist Irina Muresanu in March performing Hattak Hiloha Violin Concerto by Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate.
Maestro McPhee brings a fresh perspective to the Symphony’s signature Holiday POPS! programs, featuring The Snowman by Howard Blake—based on the book by Raymond Briggs—narrated by Regie Gibson, alongside the beloved audience sing-along.
In February, the Symphony’s Lunar New Year collaboration with the Chinese American Association of Lexington features a festive program including The Chairman Dances by John Adams, Mother Goose Suite by Maurice Ravel, and Symphony No. 1 by Zhao Jiping.
The season concludes with a dynamic finale featuring works by Claude Debussy, Rodion Shchedrin, and Aaron Copland.
LEXINGTON SYMPHONY 2026-2027 SEASON UPCOMING PERFORMANCES AT CARY MEMORIAL HALL
October 3, 2026: Captivating Complexity; one of the most celebrated symphonies by Johannes Brahms paired with one of Sergei Prokofiev’s most perfect concertos, performed by the brilliant award-winning Van Cliburn pianist Clayton Stephenson.
November 7, 2026: Vivid Images; three brilliant depictions that fire the imagination – Richard Strauss’s tone poem about prankster Till Eulenspiegel, Debussy’s stunning portrayal of the sea leading to a passage to the land of the dead across the River Styx in Giya Kancheli’s Styx, featuring our own Principal Violist, Emily Rideout and the New World Chorale.
December 5 & 6, 2026: Holiday POPS; for kids of all ages, Regie Gibson, the first Poet Laureate of Massachusetts, returns to narrate Raymond Briggs’s classic story of a little boy who builds a snowman that comes to life.
February 6, 2027: Inspiration & Diffusion; our collaboration with the Chinese American Association of Lexington continues with three exciting and unique approaches to cultural diffusion through music.
March 13, 2027: From The Heart; heartfelt expressions of a young jazz musician from Charleston living in Europe; the voice of a young Chickasaw composer expressed through the violin of Irina Muresanu; and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s deeply personal musical exploration of his soul.
April 10, 2027: Genius & Audacity; great music that inspired genius on the stage and controversy in the world beyond it.
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for the Lexington Symphony’s An Evening With Shakespeare on Saturday, April 25, 2026, at 7:30 p.m. at Cary Hall, 1605 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, are $35–$75 and are on sale now at www.LexingtonSymphony.org or by calling 781-523-9009. Group and youth discounts are available.
LEXINGTON SYMPHONY
Lexington Symphony is a professional, musician-owned orchestra composed of accomplished musicians who share a passion for classical music, a commitment to community engagement, and a dedication to the highest standards of performance. Founded in 1995 by Conductor Hisao Watanabe and a group of dedicated musicians and supporters, Lexington Symphony maintains a grassroots community spirit while presenting high-quality performances. The Symphony offers six programs each season at Cary Hall in Lexington and reaches thousands of area youth annually through its award-winning educational series, Orchestrating Kids Through Classics™.
With a focus on making music accessible to the community, Lexington Symphony offers world-class programming, affordable tickets, and outreach initiatives that introduce classical music to audiences of all ages.
Music Director Jonathan McPhee, who joined the Symphony in 2004, is one of the leading musical figures in New England and a frequent guest conductor around the world. Each Lexington Symphony concert is preceded by a Conductor’s Talk, in which McPhee explores the thoughts of the composers and the history behind the music, illuminating the listening experience to follow. Under McPhee’s leadership, the Symphony continues to thrive as a first-class organization with a strong commitment to its community. For more information, visit www.LexingtonSymphony.org
CARY MEMORIAL HALL
The Cary Memorial Building is a historic landmark located in Lexington Center at 1605 Massachusetts Avenue. Named for Isaac Harris Cary, the building was constructed in 1928 with a donation from his two daughters. This Colonial-style building, with its grand auditorium, has served the community for nearly a century as a year-round venue for musical performances and popular events and is home to the Lexington Symphony. The building is fully accessible and air-conditioned.