FSO’s 2025-26 season premiere concert on Oct. 26 will feature a Scottish theme. (Photo by Doug Klein/Firelands Photography)

Guest violinist Annelle K. Gregory to be featured in the FSO season premiere on Oct. 26. (Submitted photo)

HURON – The Firelands Symphony Orchestra (FSO) proudly launches its 2025–26 concert season with “Scotland and Strings” on Sunday, Oct. 26, at 4 p.m. at the Sawmill Creek Convention Center in Huron.

This season premiere invites audiences to begin the new concert season with a journey through the misty landscapes and vibrant traditions of Scotland. Featuring a powerful program that blends romantic symphonic works with beloved folk melodies, this performance will feature acclaimed guest violinist Annelle K. Gregory, winner of the 2017 National Sphinx Competition’s First Prize and Audience Choice Award, whose artistry and virtuosity have captivated audiences across the country.

Gregory will join the orchestra for Max Bruch’s “Scottish Fantasy,” showcasing Gregory’s expressive brilliance through a fusion of lyrical violin lines and Scottish folk themes. She has been praised for her radiant tone and expressive interpretations, performing internationally with orchestras across the United States and Europe. Her collaboration with the Firelands Symphony promises an unforgettable musical experience that highlights both her virtuosity and the orchestra’s lush string sound.

The orchestra will also perform Felix Mendelssohn’s “Symphony No. 3,” known as the “Scottish Symphony,” a majestic and evocative work inspired by the composer’s travels through Scotland’s rugged terrain. Adding to the evening’s atmosphere, the program will include traditional Celtic selections such as Scotland the Brave, with guest bagpipers and drummers from the College of Wooster Pipe Band joining to heighten the concert’s Scottish flair. For the musical theater fans, the concert will also highlight selections from Lerner & Loewe’s musical fantasy, “Brigadoon.”

“This opening concert was inspired by a recent family trip to Scotland,” said Carl Topilow, FSO’s Music Director and Conductor. “We wanted to begin our season with music that stirs the imagination and connects deeply with audiences through both passion and place.”

General admission tickets can be purchased online at firelandssymphony.com, by calling the FSO box office at 419-621-4800, or at the door on the day of the concert. General admission is $44 per seat, and student tickets are just $5 for youth and college students. The performance is included for full season subscribers, and season subscriptions are still available as well.

Scotland and Strings is made possible in part by support from the Randolph J. & Estelle M. Dorn Foundation, the Sidney Frohman Foundation, the Sam S. & Rose Stein Foundation, and the Patrick & Louise Murray Charitable Foundation, and Ohio Arts Council.