Emanuel Ax Plays Beethoven

Legendary GRAMMY Award-winning pianist Emanuel Ax, Musical America’s 2026 “Artist of the Year,” returns to SPAC to perform one of Beethoven’s most iconic works alongside The Philadelphia Orchestra! Celebrated Italian conductor Daniele Rustioni, the newly appointed Principal Guest Conductor of The Metropolitan Opera, leads this captivating, can’t-miss performance following his SPAC debut the night before.
The program opens with Beethoven’s exuberant and powerful Piano Concerto No. 5 (“Emperor”), the composer’s last concerto and a piece at the core of Ax’s repertoire. The second half of the program features Brahms’ Symphony No. 1, a dramatic and soaring work inspired by Beethoven’s Ninth, including the composer’s interpretation of the famous “Ode to Joy” theme.
Learn more at SPAC.org/