Artis-Naples has announced its 2026-2027 season. Themed “To Light: The Art of Hope,” the season brings together wide-ranging, multidisciplinary programs that explore resilience, renewal and the many ways artists respond to darkness with imagination and possibility. Highlights include Artistic and Music Director Alexander Shelley leading the Naples Philharmonic through all nine of Beethoven's symphonies in conjunction with the season-long commemoration of the composer 200 years after his death, plus major exhibitions in The Baker Museum and performances by Yo-Yo Ma, Audra McDonald, Itzhak Perlman, Sutton Foster and Kelli O'Hara.
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Artis-Naples’ 2026-27 season will be a wide-ranging multidisciplinary year of visual art, music, dance, theater, film, education and more.
Now entering his third season as Sharon and Timothy Ubben Artistic and Music Director, Alexander Shelley continues to shape an expansive artistic vision for Artis-Naples, leading major Naples Philharmonic programs and -curating experiences that connect visual art, music, movement and ideas across the Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus.
In addition to the Beethoven bicentennial commemoration, The Naples Philharmonic will also perform a diverse range of classical, pops, chamber, dance, opera and special programs.
The Baker Museum will present exhibitions focused on music and color, surrealism, rock ’n’ roll photography, sculpture, sustainability and its permanent collection.
“This season invites us toward light through the many ways the arts move, challenge and inspire us,” said Artis-Naples CEO and President Kathleen van Bergen. “Across an extraordinary year of performances, exhibitions, education programs and community experiences, we look forward to sharing moments of discovery, reflection and connection with Southwest Florida audiences, welcoming longtime patrons and new visitors alike to experience the creativity, beauty and sense of possibility that define Artis—Naples.”
“One of art’s most essential gifts is its ability to imagine light beyond darkness,” said Artistic and Music Director Alexander Shelley. “This season, Beethoven’s nine symphonies offer a powerful expression of that idea, tracing a journey through struggle, defiance, humor, tenderness and joy, while exhibitions at The Baker Museum explore those same ideas through color, imagination and memory. It is a particular privilege to explore these connections through my work with the Naples Philharmonic and to continue sharing this artistic journey with our audiences in Naples.”
PERFORMING ARTS HIGHLIGHTS
Masterworks Series
The Naples Philharmonic Masterworks presents a 13-program Masterworks series with a sweeping musical journey through landmark repertoire, contemporary voices and remarkable guest artists. Artistic and Music Director Alexander Shelley leads nine distinct programs, including a cycle of all nine Beethoven symphonies across two weeks in conjunction with the season-long commemoration of the composer 200 years after his death. Additional highlights include pianist Yeol Eum Son performing Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 3, clarinetist Anthony McGill joining Shelley and the orchestra for Gabriel Kahane’s "If love will not swing wide the gates," soprano Renée Fleming and baritone Thomas Hampson in excerpts from John Adams’ "Nixon in China," the “classically trained garage band” Time for Three joining conductor Stephanie Childress, and a season finale with Shelley conducting the orchestra and women from the Naples Philharmonic Chorus in Holst’s beloved orchestral panorama, "The Planets."
Pops Series
This season’s Naples Philharmonic Pops series brings five vibrant programs to Hayes Hall, with Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly leading four programs and guest conductor Stuart Chafetz leading one. Everly opens the series with Broadway favorite Mandy Gonzalez performing musical theater classics. The series continues with pianist and vocalist Tony DeSare joining the orchestra for a celebration of Billy Joel, and later a cinematic program honoring the legendary film scores of John Williams. The series also features a program of pop hits and power ballads from the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, plus a finale celebrating beloved songs and showstoppers from the Broadway stage.
Naples Philharmonic Special Programs
Special presentations by the Naples Philharmonic showcase the orchestra across opera, Broadway and unique collaborations. The season includes Puccini’s Madama Butterfly presented with Gulfshore Opera; David Foster and Katharine McPhee joining the orchestra for an evening of hits; Broadway stars Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara in a special tribute to Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett; and "Beethoven: I Shall Hear in Heaven," Tama Matheson’s award-winning music-play exploring the composer’s life and legacy.
Presentations
This season’s presentations bring celebrated artists, holiday favorites, comedy, spectacle and one-of-a-kind live events to Artis—Naples. Highlights include legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma in recital, six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald, violin icon Itzhak Perlman and acclaimed pianist Daniil Trifonov in a solo recital. The season also features Michael Feinstein, Jane Monheit, The Doo Wop Project, The Conjurors, National Geographic Live presentations and “Git-R-Done” comic Larry the Cable Guy. Additional highlights include "A Magical Cirque Christmas," "Tango After Dark," "Space Oddity: The Quintessential David Bowie Experience" and Kashmir – The Spirit of Led Zeppelin Live.
Visiting Orchestras Series
The Visiting Orchestras series brings three of the world’s leading ensembles to Hayes Hall. The Cleveland Orchestra returns for two programs in its final season under the baton of Music Director Franz Welser-Möst, featuring Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, Schubert’s Sixth Symphony and other works across two programs. The Munich Philharmonic makes its Naples debut led by Chief Conductor Lahav Shani, joined by violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter, and the London Symphony Orchestra returns with Chief Conductor Sir Antonio Pappano and violinist Maxim Vengerov.
Dance Series
This season’s dance series includes four distinctive performances in Hayes Hall, showcasing classical ballet and contemporary dance with live orchestral collaboration. Miami City Ballet returns for two programs with the Naples Philharmonic, continuing its celebrated presence on Artis—Naples' stages with works that highlight the company’s elegance, athleticism and musicality. ODC/Dance joins the Naples Philharmonic under the direction of Alexander Shelley for a program featuring the world premiere of a commissioned work set to newly composed music by Mason Bates, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns with a program rooted in the company’s groundbreaking approach to dance.
Chamber Music Series
The Sypert Salon and Wang Chamber Music series showcase world-class artists and musicians of the Naples Philharmonic in the intimate setting of Daniels Pavilion. Highlights of the Wang Chamber Music series include pianist Yeol Eum Son performing Dvořák’s Dumky Trio, clarinetist Anthony McGill joining musicians of the Naples Philharmonic for Mozart’s Clarinet Quintet and Artistic Partner James Ehnes appearing in a program featuring Chausson’s Concerto for Violin, Piano and String Quartet. The Sypert Salon series continues the season’s Beethoven focus including two of his piano trios and his Septet. Guest appearances include Kevin Zhu performing Paganini’s 24 Caprices for Solo Violin, Angel Stanislav Wang performing Mozart’s Piano Quartet No. 1, and appearances by the Jupiter String Quartet and Ehnes String Quartet, each performing two of Beethoven’s string quartets.
All That Jazz Series
The Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra returns with eight dynamic concerts in Daniels Pavilion, welcoming a lineup of guest artists from around the jazz world. This season’s featured artists include vocalist Lucy Wijnands, trombonist John Fedchock, saxophonists Adam Schroeder and Jerry Weldon, guitarist and vocalist Jocelyn Gould, saxophonist Bobby Watson and trumpeter Terumasa Hino. The series concludes with a celebration of Cole Porter’s music.
Grand Piano Series
This season’s programming features seven intimate Grand Piano Series: International Stars recitals in Daniels Pavilion and three Grand Piano Series: Narrative Musicales programs in Ubben Signature Event Space. Grand Piano Series: International Stars programs include five pianists in recital plus two ensemble performances by the Galvin Cello Quartet and Manhattan Piano Trio. Grand Piano Series: Narrative Musicales with Konstantin Soukhovetski blend performance and storytelling in programs exploring Tchaikovsky’s "The Nutcracker," the life and music of Chopin and Beethoven’s "Immortal Beloved." All programs are presented in collaboration with Grand Piano Series, an independent nonprofit organization.
Broadway Series
The Broadway series features six hit productions direct from the national tour circuit. This season’s lineup includes "Hamilton," "Death Becomes Her," "The Great Gatsby," "The Sound of Music," "The Notebook" and "BOOP! The Musical."
THE BAKER MUSEUM 2026-27 EXHIBITION HIGHLIGHTS
“There & Here: New Perspectives of the Permanent Collection:” This ongoing exhibition, co-curated with a community advisory committee, features highlights and rarities from the museum’s permanent collection that illuminate how people preserve their identities and connections to their ancestry despite geographical dislocation. Reflecting the collection’s strengths in modern and contemporary art from Mexico, the United States and Europe, the exhibition includes 20th- and 21st-century artists such as Chakaia Booker, Robert Motherwell, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Esphyr Slobodkina, Rufino Tamayo and others. The work of these varied artists honors the enduring power of art to preserve culture and identity.
“The Passion of Collecting: Stories in Glass and Ceramics from the Sibrack Collection:” This exhibition celebrates a landmark gift from Dr. Laurence and Rita Sibrack of 74 works of contemporary glass and ceramics by 60 artists. This transformational gift represents every major process of studio glass, from flame-worked to blown to cast, and ceramics are represented by striking figurative and abstract works. This noteworthy collection includes some of the best-known figures associated with the studio glass movement, including Lucio Bubacco, Dale Chihuly, Amber Cowan, Dan Dailey, Michael Glancy, Judith Schaechter, Preston Singletary, Matthew Szösz, Loretta Yang, Toots Zynsky and more. It's on view through Nov. 1. [Related programming: Lecture on Contemporary Ceramics, Thursday, Sept. 24 at 2 p.m. in the Ubben Signature Event Space.]
“Linling Lu: Fugue in 3 Voices:” Baltimore and Washington, D.C.-based artist Linling Lu is best known for her sonically inspired circular paintings, which have been exhibited in museums and public collections worldwide. Her hard-edge paintings are composed of concentric rings of color that appear to vibrate, and the shades of color respond to the sounds she hears in classical music. For this installation, Lu has created new works inspired by three of the composers featured in the Naples Philharmonic’s Masterworks series during the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons: Dvořák, Stravinsky and Beethoven. Just as a fugue interweaves different musical voices, this exhibition entwines the influence of these three composers together into one cohesive installation. It's on view through January 3, 2027. [Related programming: “The Sound of Color: A Conversation with Alexander Shelley and Linling Lu,” Friday, Dec. 11 at 10 a.m. in the Ubben Signature Event Space.]
“The Surrealist International: Fifty Years of Dreams:” After its debut in Paris more than 100 years ago, surrealism was taken up by individuals and groups around the world. “The Surrealist International: Fifty Years of Dreams” explores the long trajectory and the broad reach of surrealism as a state of mind through a rich texture of paintings, photographs, sculptures and objects drawn from the collection of Tate, United Kingdom. The exhibition includes works by the most familiar artists associated with surrealism, such as Eileen Agar, Jean Arp, Leonora Carrington, Salvador Dalí, Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, René Magritte, Joan Miró, Man Ray and Dorothea Tanning, as well as some whose work deserves to be better known, such as Kati Horna, Malangatana Ngwenya, Osamu Shiihara and Lionel Wendt. It opens Oct. 17 and runs through Feb. 14, 2027. [Related programming: “The Surrealist International: Fifty Years of Dreams” Lecture, Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 10 a.m. in the Ubben Signature Event Space.]
Florida Contemporary 2026-27: This annual exhibition presents four notable artists practicing in Florida: Dustin Harewood, Nicario Jiménez-Quispe, Savannah Magnolia and Anastasia Samoylova. Highlighting the diversity of artistic approaches to personal, local and global themes, the 14th edition of this exhibition invites visitors to celebrate the state’s vibrant art scene. It opens Oct. 17 and runs through June 27, 2027. [Related programming: Panel discussion with the artists of Florida Contemporary 2026-27 on Thursday, Jan. 28 at 2 p.m. in the Ubben Signature Event Space.]
“Baron Wolman: Capturing the Sound of an Era:” This exhibition celebrates the legacy of Baron Wolman, the trailblazing first chief photographer of Rolling Stone magazine. At the dawn of a cultural revolution, Wolman stood at the epicenter with a camera in hand, capturing the raw electricity of the late 1960s music scene. His lens immortalized some of the era’s most influential blues, jazz and rock legends: Miles Davis, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and the Rolling Stones, alongside the unsung innovators whose artistry shaped a generation. Featuring a selection of portraits and memorabilia and organized in collaboration with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the exhibition transports visitors into the heart of a transformative moment in music and society. Wolman’s images document history while pulsing with the rebellion and creative fire that defined an era. It opens December 5 and runs through June 13, 2027. [Related programming: Baron Wolman and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Saturday, Dec. 5 at 11 a.m. in the Ubben Signature Event Space.]
“Louise Nevelson: Dawn to Dusk:” This exhibit traces the artist’s formative years to her emergence as a sculptor of international renown. The survey begins with her early studies at the Art Students League in New York and with Hans Hofmann in Munich in 1931. It continues with her mature works in found and assembled wood, which established her as the “grande dame of contemporary sculpture.” Spanning her career from 1929 to 1985, the exhibition includes early paintings and figurative sculptures in terra-cotta and bronze, later painted wood constructions and collages, cast paper reliefs, theater design work and examples of her unique handcrafted jewelry. It opens Feb. 13. and runs through July 11, 2027. [Related Programming: “Ekphrastic Biography: A Poetic Exploration of Louise Nevelson’s Art and Life,” Thursday, Feb. 25 at 2 p.m. in the Ubben Signature Event Space.]
“The Long View: From Conservation to Sustainability: Works from the Bank of America Collection”: This exhibition traces the history and impact of the environmental movement through art. Beginning in the mid-19th century and continuing to the present, the exhibition examines the evolution of our relationship with—and need to protect—the Earth and the artists who have played a role in shaping the environmental conversation. This exhibition has been loaned through the Bank of America Art in our Communities program. It opens March 20 and runs through August 15, 2027. [Related programming: “Mapping Waterways Through Art & Science,” Friday, April 23 at 2 p.m. in the Ubben Signature Event Space.]
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
