Jacksonville, OR – Thursday, November 20, 2025: The Britt Festival Orchestra (BFO) announces its 2026 season, with three weeks of exciting outdoor programming in historic Jacksonville, Oregon, June 18–July 3, 2026. Under the leadership of Music Director Norman Huynh in his inaugural season at Britt, the Orchestra’s 64th season highlights orchestral favorites that showcase the power, beauty, and thrill of live symphonic music.
The season features four extraordinary guest artists: pianist Olga Kern, soprano Janai Brugger, Grammy and Emmy-winning ensemble Time For Three, and violinist William Hagen. Whether you’re a lifelong classical music lover or discovering the BFO for the first time, this season offers dazzling guest artists and works that have stood the test of time. From Beethoven’s moving tribute to the natural world to Max Richter’s beloved Four Seasons Recomposed, every program is designed to captivate and inspire.
Britt will be featuring a film live with orchestra for the fourth year in row, and will announce the movie selection in December.
BFO Season Overview
THU 06/18 @ 8:00 PM
Dvorak’s New World Symphony
Olga Kern, piano
Bedrich Smetana
Ma Vlast: No. 2. Moldau (Vltava)
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini
Antonin Dvorak
Symphony No. 9, “From the New World”
THU 6/25 @ 8:00 PM
Holst: The Planets
Gabriela Lena Frank
TBD (World Premiere)
Gustav Holst
The Planets
SAT 06/27 @ 8:00 PM
Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony
Janai Brugger, Soprano
Felix Mendelssohn
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Overture
Samuel Barber
Knoxville: Summer of 1915
Ludwig Van Beethoven
Symphony No. 6 in F Major, “Pastoral”
THU 7/02 @ 8:00 PM
Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony and Time For Three
Time For Three, ensemble
Kevin Puts
Contact
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Symphony No.41 in C Major, K. 551, “Jupiter”
FRI 7/03 @ 8:00 PM
Richter’s Four Seasons and Copland 3
William Hagen, violin
Max Richter
Four Seasons Recomposed
Aaron Copland
Symphony No.3
Concertgoers are invited to attend free pre-concert talks at the Sam & Hannelore Enfield Stage in the Performance Garden. Each talk begins at 7:00 PM and features a discussion about the performance of the evening.
Tickets are on sale now at britt.org. There will not be a Member pre-sale for the Britt Festival Orchestra concerts. Britt recommends making sure you are using the website britt.org, as there are several websites that look official while charging higher prices and distributing potentially invalid tickets. Tickets may also be purchased at the Britt Box office, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM weekdays at 216 W. Main St, Medford, Oregon, or by calling 541-773-6077.
About Norman Huynh
American conductor Norman Huynh has attracted significant acclaim not just for his natural musicality and technical command, but for his dynamic presence, creative programming, and highly sought-after abilities in connecting with new audiences. The music director of the Bozeman Symphony Orchestra, with a distinguished career as a guest conductor, his past and future guest appearances include his sold-out subscription debut with the New York Philharmonic, as well as performances with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, San Diego Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, Mobile Symphony Orchestra, Oregon Symphony, Portland (Maine) Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and the Britt Music & Arts Festival.
With a range of repertoire from the Baroque to the contemporary, Norman’s prowess as an insightful collaborative conductor includes concerts conducting not only renowned, multi-award-winning stars in the world of classical music, but throughout the genres of R&B, hip-hop, and pop. These include violinists Itzhak Perlman and Augustin Hadelich; bassist Edgar Meyer; guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas; composers Kevin Puts, Andy Akiho, and Phillip Glass; singer-songwriters Smokey Robinson and Gladys Knight; rappers, musicians, and actors Leslie Odom Jr., Wyclef Jean, and Nas; indie and folk artist Gregory Alan Isakov; and pop groups such as Pink Martini and Boyz II Men. In addition, Norman has received considerable acclaim for his work conducting orchestral performances of live film soundtracks, ranging from An American in Paris to the Harry Potter films.
A proud first-generation Asian American, Norman’s passion for engaging new audiences reflects his own entry point to classical music as a 12-year-old “band geek” trombonist in Alabama. The euphonium player turned maestro continues to find passion in exploring new ways to create these same entry points for others. In 2015, Norman and the Portland Symphony Orchestra earned the 2015 Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award, awarded “in recognition of innovative approaches to music education.”
Norman previously served as the associate conductor of the Oregon Symphony and assistant conductor of the Portland Symphony Orchestra. He was a featured conductor in the 2022 Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview alongside the Louisiana Philharmonic. He was also selected for private mentorship by the late maestro Kurt Masur as a prestigious Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy Scholarship recipient.
About Britt
A mission-driven, community-based arts organization founded in 1963 in Jacksonville, Oregon, Britt provides the best in arts entertainment, engagement, and education to Southern Oregon audiences through a diverse array of live arts events — from popular music and comedy shows to orchestral performances and free education events. Recent performers include violinists Anne Akiko Meyers and Alexi Kenney, country star Kelsea Ballerini, blues legend Buddy Guy, Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw, contemporary jazz icon Norah Jones, and many more. Striving to serve the broadest possible community with opportunities for discovery through the arts, the organization’s public programs, parks, and gardens are enjoyed by approximately 100,000 people each year at Britt Pavilion — Britt’s primary performance venue and public park, which the organization stewards 365 days per year.
The Britt Festival Orchestra was founded by John Trudeau and is the longest-running component of Britt’s programming. The orchestra’s summer season spans three weeks (approximately 30 services) and includes six to nine performances with the full orchestra, plus additional off-season events like chamber music concerts, family and educational performances, and more. The BFO’s music directors include founder John Trudeau (1963–87), James DePriest (1988–92), Peter Bay (1993–2013), Teddy Abrams (2014–23), and Norman Huynh, who will mark his debut season as music director in 2026.