Rapid City, SD – The Black Hills Symphony Orchestra (BHSO) proudly announces its highly anticipated 2025–2026 concert season, featuring an exhilarating lineup of masterworks, collaborations, and imaginative programming that promises to inspire, entertain, and delight audiences of all ages.
“This season is about exploring worlds both familiar and fantastic—whether it’s the sweeping grandeur of Mahler, the sparkle of holiday big band, or the epic soundscapes of film scores,” said Bruce Knowles, Conductor of BHSO. “We’re thrilled to share these unforgettable performances with our community.”
Season Highlights
Garden of the Gods
Saturday, October 18, 2025 | 7:30 PM
The season opens with a dazzling program featuring trombonist Marshall Gilkes performing his powerful Trombone Concerto with the Symphony. Also on the program are Dukas’ dramatic La Peri Fanfare and Mahler’s towering Symphony No. 1, “Titan.”
Holidazzle Big Band Experience
Friday, December 5, 2025 | 7:30 PM
BHSO joins forces with Shaun Johnson (of Tonic Sol-Fa) and his acclaimed Big Band Experience for a joyful stop on the Candy Cane Lane Tour. This festive concert blends the spirit of the holidays with the excitement of swinging big band favorites.
Cowboys & Aliens
Wednesday, December 31, 2025 | 7:30 PM
Ring in the New Year with an epic symphonic adventure! From spacemen to spaghetti westerns, this thrilling program includes music from Star Wars, The Mandalorian, Dune, The Good, the Bad & the Ugly, The Magnificent Seven, and more.
Bright Horizons: Celebrating 150 Years of Rapid City
Saturday, February 28, 2026 | 7:30 PM
Celebrate the future while honoring the past at this milestone concert. In a powerful tribute to our city’s history, Mayor Jason Salamun will narrate Aaron Copland’s Lincoln Portrait as part of the 150th Founding Celebration of Rapid City.
The evening also showcases the brilliance of the Young Artist Competition Winner, the uplifting Festival Overture by Shostakovich, Schumann’s majestic Konzertstück for Four Horns, Op. 86, and concludes with the radiant beauty of Brahms’ Symphony No. 2.
American in Paris
Saturday, April 11, 2026 | 7:30 PM
The season finale sweeps audiences away with a program of symphonic preludes, including Liszt’s Les Préludes, Vaughan Williams’ Norfolk Rhapsody, and Gershwin’s beloved An American in Paris.
Season Tickets & Information
Season subscriptions and single tickets are on sale through the symphony website. For ticket information, please visit bhsymphony.org or call 605.394.1786.
Media Contact:
Kirsten Hollenbeck
Executive Director, Black Hills Symphony Orchestra
605.348.4676
High-resolution logos and photos of the orchestra are available upon request.
Interviews with Conductor Bruce Knowles, members of the orchestra, special guests and the Executive Director can be arranged by contacting the provided media contact