This Saturday is the Billings Symphony's first Classic Series concert of the season, and for the first time in 20 years, the Symphony is auditioning Vincent W. & Janet M. Carpenter Music Director candidates. Finalists take the stage throughout the 2026-27 season to share their vision of the future of the organization.
Eric Garcia is the first of six candidates. Garcia will open the evening with Valerie Coleman’s Umoja >, and Guest Artist Timothy Chooi will join the orchestra for Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, a Billings Symphony favorite. Garcia’s closer is the Dvorak No. 8 symphony.
Next weekend, the Symphony’s popular Bachtoberfest, October 2 at Henry’s Garage in Billings, and Rocky Mountain Jazz Collective celebrates the Big Band Machine October 10 at Quentin Staton Performing Arts Center in Lockwood.
And in Bozeman, Opera Montana continues to charm the opera world with A River Runs Through It, at the Ellen Theater.
Next weekend, the opera is in Missoula for performances with the Missoula Symphony Orchestra.
In Billings, the Billings Studio Theatre closes out its sold-out run of Come From Away with Sunday’s matinee. As it did sell out, it's probably a good idea to get tickets early for their next show - Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors.
Yellowstone Repertory Theatre announced their season this week, kicking off with David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross in November. Rehearsals are underway.
All in all, as the winter weather closes in on us, it’s nice to know there are lots of opportunities to experience Montana’s wealth of live performers.
