Concert Series

The Ellington Jazz Series, led by Artistic Director Thomas C. Duffy, presents concerts by legendary and emerging artists. Over the course of the series 50-year history, Yale has hosted such iconic performers as Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, and Dave Brubeck, to name a few. 

The Faculty Artist Series presents the Yale School of Music’s faculty artists in solo and chamber performances in Morse Recital Hall. The series’ creative programming sometimes highlights a theme, focuses on a specific time period, or illuminates the works of a featured composer. Faculty members often collaborate with students, alumni, and guest artists. The Faculty Artist Series is free and open to the public.

The Horowitz Piano Series, under the artistic direction of YSM Professor in the Practice of Piano Boris Berman, brings many of the world’s greatest keyboard artists to Yale and showcases the talents of the School’s faculty pianists. The series is named in honor of the legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz, who left his papers to Yale upon his death in 1989. Performances in the series take place in Morse Recital Hall.

The New Music New Haven concert series, directed by faculty composer Aaron Jay Kernis, showcases new works by YSM student composers performed by their peers and guest artists. Concerts take place in Morse Recital Hall and Woolsey Hall. The works performed in Morse Recital Hall range from solo pieces to works for large chamber groups, while performances in Woolsey Hall, specifically the annual New Music for Orchestra concert, showcase works for full orchestra featuring the Yale Philharmonia. New Music New Haven events are known to include electronic musical or visual elements. Most concerts in the series also feature music by a faculty or guest composer, performed by student or guest artists. Recent guest composers have included Thomas Newman ’78MM and Jane Ira Bloom ’77MM. 

The Oneppo Chamber Music Series, under the artistic direction of YSM faculty clarinetist David Shifrin, presents many of the world’s leading chamber groups in performance in Morse Recital Hall. Concerts on the Oneppo Series feature a variety of musical styles and genres, from the traditional to the avant-garde. 

Chamber music has always been an integral part of the Yale School of Music experience. Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, who is widely considered to be the godmother of chamber music in America, gave Yale a gift with which to build a concert hall named after her father, Albert Arnold Sprague, in 1917. The Oneppo Chamber Music Series was renamed in 2011 in honor of Vincent Oneppo ’74MM, who directed Yale’s chamber music series for many years.

The Yale in New York series celebrates the exciting collaborations that make up the heart and history of the Yale School of Music. Under the artistic direction of YSM faculty clarinetist David Shifrin, the series presents concerts featuring School of Music faculty, alumni, and student performers in Yale's Morse Recital Hall and the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City. The series often focuses on a creative theme, such as the tradition of the concertante repertoire or the classical legacy of Benny Goodman. Several past programs have explored Yale’s own musical history, including the music of Paul Hindemith (a faculty member from 1940–1953) and voices recorded by the Oral History of American Music project.

Each year, Yale Opera presents productions under the artistic direction of YSM Professor in the Practice of Voice Gerald Martin Moore. In the fall, the Opera Scenes productions in Morse Recital Hall are chosen from a selection of operas in a wide variety of languages, ranging from Baroque to contemporary. In the winter, Yale Opera produces either an opera or an orchestral gala concert with the Yale Philharmonia. In years that galas are presented, the program presents two opera productions, in early and late spring, with chamber ensemble or collaborative piano.

The largest performing group at the Yale School of Music, the Yale Philharmonia offers training in orchestral playing and repertoire, with a rigorous rehearsal schedule similar to that of a professional orchestra. Under the direction of Principal Conductor Peter Oundjian and guest conductors, the Yale Philharmonia performs symphonic repertoire, concertos, new music by composition students from the School of Music, and choral works in collaboration with Yale's vocal ensembles. Notable guest conductors that have worked with the Yale Philharmonia include Krzysztof Penderecki, William Christie, Marin Alsop, and James Conlon. Throughout the year, the Yale Philharmonia’s New Haven performances take place in Woolsey Hall, Morse Recital Hall, and the Shubert Theatre. The orchestra has also toured throughout the United States and Asia.

Beyond their performances with the Yale Philharmonia, Yale Opera, and New Music New Haven, students at the Yale School of Music also give solo and chamber concerts. There are more than 100 student recitals each year, all of which are free and open to the public. Concert series including Lunchtime Chamber Music, Guitar Chamber Music, and the Vista series feature School of Music students performing chamber music, and some studio chamber ensembles, including the Yale Cellos and the Yale Percussion Group, present annual concerts. Some YSM students also perform in such choral groups as the Yale Schola Cantorum through the Institute of Sacred Music.

The Yale Choral Artists, a professional project-based choir directed by YSM Professor Choral Conducting Jeffery Douma, performs frequently in New Haven. The choir was founded by the Yale School of Music and the Yale Glee Club to enhance and enrich Yale’s commitment to the choral arts.

Horowitz Piano Series

Orchestra pricing from $109
Yale faculty/staff from $87, students from $51

Balcony pricing from $136
Yale faculty/staff from $108, students from $64

Oneppo Chamber Music Series

Orchestra pricing from $160
Yale faculty/staff from $127, students from $81

Balcony pricing from $188
Yale faculty/staff from $150

Yale Philharmonia

Orchestra and second balcony $57
Yale faculty/staff $47

First balcony $89
Yale faculty/staff $73

Subscriber benefits

• Subscribers receive 25% off single-ticket prices, and fees are waived for subscription orders.
• Get your preferred seats by subscribing early and enjoy them all season long.
• Free exchanges! Plus, get the subscriber discount price for any additional tickets you purchase within the same series.

Select a Pick 3 or Pick 5 sampler package within your favorite concert series and receive up to 15% off single-ticket prices. Samplers are available for the Horowitz Piano Series, Oneppo Chamber Music Series, Yale Philharmonia, and Ellington Jazz Series.