The Aiken Symphony will launch its 2025-26 Masterworks season on Friday, Oct. 17, with a program pairing Sibelius’s Violin Concerto and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Etherredge Center.
The performance will feature violinist Dr. Isabel Ong, who has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall and the Museum of Modern Art, according to a press release from Aiken Symphony.
A dedicated chamber musician and teacher, Ong is on faculty at SUNY Fredonia, Mercyhurst University, Buffalo String Works and Point CounterPoint. She holds degrees from Juilliard and the University of South Carolina.
Jean Sibelius, regarded as Finland’s greatest composer, wrote his “Violin Concerto in D Minor” as the only concerto of his career, and it has since become one of the most beloved works in the violin repertoire.
The concerto is known for passages that conjure icy Nordic landscapes alongside sweeping romantic outbursts, demanding both technical mastery and emotional depth from the soloist, according to a press release from the Aiken Symphony.
Its dramatic intensity pairs seamlessly with Tchaikovsky’s “Symphony No. 4 in F Minor,” written in 1877, which explores themes of fate, happiness and melancholy.
Reflecting on the piece in 1888, the composer remarked, “I am filled with warm and sympathetic feelings towards [the fourth symphony] … presently it seems to me that this is my best symphonic work.”
Music Director and Conductor Scott Weiss will lead the orchestra into its 11th season.
Upcoming 2025–26 Concerts
Masterworks Series (Etherredge Center, USC Aiken)
- Jan. 24, 2026 – Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony, with Laurie Baynard (flute) and John Wickey (harp). Program includes Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp, Jessie Montgomery’s Strum, and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 4 “Italian.”
- Feb. 13, 2026 – Fifths of Beethoven, featuring pianist Albert Cano Smit. Works include Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 5 “Emperor” and Symphony No. 5.
- May 3, 2026 – Brahms & Schumann, with violinist Risa Hokamura. Program includes Schumann’s Symphony No. 3 “Rhenish” and Brahms’s Violin Concerto.
Chamber Series (Amentum Center for the Performing Arts)
- Nov. 2, 2025 – Schubert’s Octet at 3 p.m.
Pops Series (Etherredge Center, USC Aiken)
- Dec. 12, 2025 – Home for the Holidays, featuring seasonal favorites including selections from Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons.
- Mar. 28, 2026 – Movie Night!, with music from The Lord of the Rings, E.T., The Magnificent Seven, Hook, and more.
Tickets and Extras
Tickets for the Oct. 17 concert are $45 or $60, depending on seating. Discounts include $10 off for active military members and $10 student tickets for those under 25. Purchases can be made at aikensymphony.com or by calling 803-295-0313.
Free parking is available in lots C and D adjacent to the Etherredge Center. A pre-concert talk, “Illuminations,” will be led by Dr. Weiss at 6:30 p.m. in the Main Theatre.
