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! 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. The Philadelphia Orchestra at SPAC returns for a three-week summer residency from August 5–22 as part of SPAC’s celebratory 60th anniversary season. Learn more and buy tickets at spac.org