ADRIAN — For several years now, the Adrian Symphony has put a movie-music pops concert into its February concert slot, and that concert has been a hugely popular part of the season.

So the ASO decided that for its upcoming 2025-26 season, it would shake things up a bit by kicking the season off with that concert instead. “We’re looking at ways to start our year off with a great bang,” ASO music director Bruce Anthony Kiesling said.

That concert, titled “Epic Soundtracks Live,” is at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5. All the season’s concerts are at Dawson Auditorium, Adrian College.

In contrast with some of the recent movie-music concerts, this time around “there’s no John Williams on this program,” Kiesling said, laughing. “There’s so much great music not written by John Williams.”

Rather, the afternoon features everything from the “Lord of the Rings” movies to James Bond to “How to Train Your Dragon.”

After that start to its new season, the ASO turns to the classics in its next concert, with two early 20th-century works and something much more modern.

“Bravo Bravado,” at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, features Gala Flagello’s 2023 piece “Bravado,” the Ravel Piano Concerto in G with guest artist Rodolfo Leone, and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2.

When the ASO performed Flagello’s “Vitality” a couple of years ago, “our audience really took to that,” Kiesling said, and he expects the same will be true with this work.

As for the concerto, Leone “is going to be absolutely sensational. I know the audience will love it.” And the Sibelius symphony “is very challenging, especially the third movement, but it’s incredibly rewarding to play. … The second movement is just a spectacular, spectacular piece of music.”

The orchestra’s traditional holiday pops concert, this year titled “Holidays in Harmony,” comes up next at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13.

The concert will feature local choirs and University of Michigan vocal student Kevin Ludwig as a soloist. “This will be nostalgic holiday music for the whole family,” Kiesling said. “It should be a lot of fun.”

Ludwig is one of several U of M performers who will be singing with the ASO this season as the orchestra works on cultivating a deeper relationship with the university’s music program. The others are part of the next concert on the schedule, “Broadway Love Songs” at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13, 2026.

With the symphony having moved its movie-music concert to the season’s opening slot and yet still wanting to put a pops concert in February, the door was obviously open for a Valentine’s theme this year. “It should be a great, great night,” Kiesling said, with a program of Broadway music that would make a perfect date night for couples.

Two more classical concerts round out the orchestral part of the season. The first, titled “The Hidden Score,” is at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 13, 2026.

The concert’s title has to do with one of the works on the program, Elgar’s “Enigma Variations.” Exactly what the “enigma” of the title refers to has long been a topic in the music world.

“Ah, yes, what is this mystery?” Kiesling said, adding that he is looking forward to conducting this very popular work with the orchestra. “It’s just a great piece and audiences respond to it in such a marvelous way.”

The concert opens with Niccolai’s “Merry Wives of Windsor Overture,” a piece that is much better known than the opera it comes from. But while the larger work isn’t part of the standard operatic repertoire, especially in the U.S., “boy, the overture is charming,” Kiesling said.

Also on that program is another Elgar work, his Cello Concerto, for which Sterling Elliott is the guest artist.

“We’re lucky to get Sterling,” Kiesling said. “His career is really taking off. And this concerto is such an incredible artistic journey.”

 The orchestra concludes its offerings for the season with “Celebrate America,” a program honoring the country’s upcoming 250th birthday. The concert is at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 1, 2026.

It begins with Copland’s “Fanfare for the Common Man.” When the ASO’s entire 2024-25 “Season of Copland” went by without the orchestra performing this very familiar and popular work, audience members let Kiesling know about it, he said, but it was because it’s a perfect way to start off this particular concert instead.

The program also includes Ives’ “Variations on America,” Hanson’s Symphony No. 6, Sousa’s “Washington Post March,” and Gershwin’s Concerto in F featuring guest pianist Albert Cano Smit.

“I really like the style of Hanson’s music,” Kiesling said, and the symphony the ASO will perform is “a little dissonant and challenging, but it has some great moments.”

And although Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” is the better-known work by that composer, Kiesling said he always prefers to conduct this concerto. “You’re wrapped in this 1930s orchestral jazz sound that’s kind of grown up a little bit,” he said.

As is the ASO’s longtime tradition, the season wraps up with a concert not involving the orchestra at all. This time around, it’s with The Motown Revue, a tribute band that performs the great hits of that era. The concert is at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 5, 2026.

In addition to individual-concert tickets, three different subscription options are available. One is an “All for One” package of all seven concerts priced at $263 for adults, $249 for senior citizens, and $140 for students. The second is a “Pick 5” package priced at $187 for adults, $177 for senior citizens, and $100 for students. And, first-time subscribers can choose a $78 “Introductory Package” that allows them to attend four concerts for the price of 2.

For more information on the season and to order tickets, call the ASO at 517-264-3121 or go online at adriansymphony.org.

Season at a glance

• Sunday, Oct. 5 at 3 p.m.: “Epic Soundtracks Live” movie-music pops concert.
• Sunday, Nov. 16 at 3 p.m.: “Bravo Bravado” featuring the Ravel Piano Concerto in G.
• Saturday, Dec. 13, at 7:30 p.m.: “Holidays in Harmony” pops concert.
• Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.: “Broadway Love Songs” pops concert
• Friday, March 13, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.: “The Hidden Score” featuring guest artist Sterling Elliott performing Elgar’s Cello Concerto.
• Friday, May 1, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.: “Celebrate America” featuring guest artist Albert Cano Smit performing the Gershwin Concerto in F.
• Friday, June 5, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.: “The Motown Sound” concert by the Motor City Revue tribute band.