H+H will perform nine concerts at Boston’s historic Symphony Hall during the 2026-27 Season.
The Handel and Haydn Society’s first performance at Symphony Hall was Mendelssohn’s Elijah on October 21, 1900, six days after the Hall’s dedication. The response from press and the public was little short of ecstatic, both for the quality of the performance under Emil Mollenhauer and the clarity of sound achieved in Boston’s new concert venue. (H+H brings this grand, lyric oratorio back to Symphony Hall on May 1 + 2, 2027!)
New York based architectural firm McKim, Mead & White modeled Symphony Hall after two of the top concert halls in the world at the time, the Neues Gewandhaus in Leipzig and the old Boston Music Hall, then took the design one step further. Wallace Clement Sabine, a young Harvard physics professor was hired as acoustical consultant, making Boston’s Symphony Hall the first venue designed according to scientifically derived principles. Thanks to Sabine’s careful calculations of reverberation times, the rich, warm sounds of the period instruments played by H+H musicians carry beautifully from the stage throughout the orchestra level and all the way to the back of the second balcony.
With tickets to H+H’s upcoming season on sale now, we asked our Box Office team of Merrick Carter-Taylor and Joanna Springer to share their best tips for securing H+H tickets at Symphony Hall.
Joanna: The H+H Box Office is always open online at handelandhaydn.org. If you’d like to talk through seating options on the phone, please call us at 617-262-1815. A team member is happy to help from 10am-4pm Monday–Friday. (Note: The H+H Box Office is not available by phone on Fridays from July-Aug.)
Merrick: There’s no better place to experience the full H+H Orchestra and Chorus than in historic Symphony Hall. We offer a Symphony Hall Series subscription that offers the best prices on tickets to all four H+H programs there this season. This subscription can be purchased for either Friday evening or Sunday matinee concerts. Please note that there are two Saturday concerts this season: Friday Symphony Hall subscribers will enjoy Mendelssohn’s Elijah on Saturday, May 1 at 2:00pm and Sunday Symphony Hall subscribers will enjoy Beethoven’s Fifth on Saturday, March 20 at 3:00pm.
Joanna: For those who need more flexibility when purchasing symphony tickets, we’re happy to introduce a new membership called The Society @ H+H. Members pay a monthly fee of $9, and can then purchase one ticket to each of our eight season programs for just $10 (a few blackout dates apply). Members also enjoy benefits such as early access to tickets and 20% off the purchase of additional tickets. The membership pays for itself after joining us for just two concerts! A double membership is also available; for a monthly fee of $18, members can purchase two $10 tickets.
Merrick: Orchestra level seats in the center are our most popular. Many H+H concertgoers have been purchasing the same seats in this section for decades. There are excellent seats in the front orchestra on both the right and left sides, priced at C level ($56–$92 depending on the concert and date), as well as seats in the rear orchestra priced at just $30. Each concert page on the H+H website includes a link to the Symphony Hall seating chart.
Joanna: For those who are new to classical music or planning to attend their first concert at Symphony Hall, a little known secret is that seats in the center of the 2nd balcony offer the best views and sound—and are a fantastic deal priced from $30–$50. My favorite place to take in a concert is the 2nd balcony Row G seats 19–22. Really, there are no bad seats at Symphony Hall!
Upcoming H+H Programs at Symphony Hall
The Art of Living Oct 2 + 4, 2026
Can opposites attract to create beauty? H+H brings this question to life with Handel’s L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, his creative musical setting of the poetry of John Milton. Handel’s most celebrated masterpiece before Messiah, this stunning ode to the human spirit explores the joyful extrovert and the contemplative introvert hidden within us all. No matter how you see the world, Handel’s music beautifully captures each persona, moving us to embrace one another’s similarities and differences. Bring your mirror image and commune with this vivid music.
Handel’s Messiah Nov 27 + 28 + 29, 2026
Sound the trumpets! H+H Conductor Laureate Harry Christophers returns to lead Boston’s must-see Messiah. For the 173rd consecutive year, the H+H Orchestra, Chorus, and luminous soloists fill Symphony Hall with music that moves through uncertainty, reflection, and radiant joy. Handel’s masterpiece reminds us that when the future is unclear, we can find strength in what endures. Gather friends and family and experience a holiday tradition “as essential as trimming the tree” (The Boston Globe).
Beethoven’s Fifth March 19 + 20, 2027
Feel the joy of the season, and pass it on! The H+H Youth Choruses Concert Choir opens the concert, setting that joy in motion with the next generation of musicians. Then, H+H Artistic Director Jonathan Cohen leads select H+H musicians from our period instrument orchestra and chorus in Heinrich Schütz’s The Christmas Story, a vivid retelling of the Nativity first performed in 1660. Shared by H+H for the very first time, Schütz’s music carries this centuries-old story into the present, bringing musicians and audiences together across generations. Come discover how joy can grow when we create it together—and how far it can travel when we share it.
When our convictions are tested, it’s easy to question whether we have enough strength, certainty, or courage to keep going. Mendelssohn’s Elijah follows a revered prophet through confrontation, isolation, and doubt, revealing that even the most resolute can wonder whether they are enough. For our season finale, the H+H Orchestra, Chorus, Youth Choruses Chamber Choir, and CitySing participants unite for this monumental work, transforming one person’s crisis of confidence into a powerful shared story. Join us and discover the humanity in perseverance, where resolve and uncertainty can coexist.