Jeffrey Kahane is not sitting out San Antonio’s latest classical shakeup. The conductor, who stepped down from the San Antonio Philharmonic earlier this year, announced Monday that he is launching a new orchestra and education initiative called Harmonium of Texas. He will serve as the group’s founding artistic director, with an inaugural season planned from October 2026 through May 2027. Organizers say the venture will blend large-scale concert programs, side-by-side performances with students and adult-education offerings at venues across the city.
According to the season outline on Harmonium of Texas, the first concert is set for Oct. 2 at the Lila Cockrell Auditorium, featuring Tessa Lark in a program that pairs Michael Torke’s Sky and John Adams’s Short Ride in a Fast Machine with Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. The site lists additional dates at Stable Hall at Pearl along with several “Multiple Venues” entries, and notes that public ticket sales are scheduled to open Monday, July 27, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. Central Time. The complete season calendar and ticketing information appear on the organization’s site.
Kahane told the San Antonio Report that supporters have raised about $835,000 in roughly two and a half months and that Harmonium’s 501(c)(3) status is pending. He said the organization plans to create a fund to help families obtain instruments and lessons and described the ensemble as “an instrument of community.” Organizers say those early gifts are intended to put the new group’s first season on stable financial footing.
An Ambitious Season And Star Roster
The inaugural Harmonium season, as detailed in the overview published by Harmonium of Texas, features a two-part Beethoven celebration, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, the complete Brandenburg Concertos and a Mahler program. Guest artists on the lineup include Emanuel Ax, Joshua Bell, Nancy Zhou, Tessa Lark and others. The organization has also named Cosette Justo Valdés as principal guest conductor, Andrea Casarrubios as composer-in-residence and the vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth as an artistic partner.
How It Fits A Crowded Local Scene
Kahane’s new project arrives in the middle of a turbulent stretch for San Antonio’s classical community. The San Antonio Philharmonic has canceled much of its 2025–26 season, and Kahane resigned as its music director in February, leaving open questions about whether the city can support multiple professional ensembles. As reported by Texas Public Radio, the Philharmonic has wrestled with scheduling and venue conflicts, while the San Antonio Express-News has highlighted both Kahane’s departure and the fundraising push behind Harmonium. Community leaders and donors will be watching how the newcomer positions itself alongside Youth Orchestras of San Antonio and local choruses.
Organizers say they will not talk publicly about a second season until the first proves financially secure, and they stress that education and access are core parts of the mission. Plans include side-by-side concerts with Youth Orchestras of San Antonio and collaborations with the San Antonio Mastersingers. For the full performance schedule, ticketing updates and donation information, audiences are directed to Harmonium of Texas and coverage from the San Antonio Report. The first Harmonium concert is slated for Oct. 2, 2026, with single tickets expected to be available starting July 27, 2026.
