Programs include Sailing: Soft Rock Hits of the 70s & 80s, Batman 1989 in Concert, and The Lion King (Animated) Live in Concert
Pre-concert activation before The Lion King in Sosnick Courtyard in collaboration with the Detroit Zoo
Tickets on sale now at dso.org
Detroit, (July 7, 2025) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will host special programming in Orchestra Hall over the summer, including Sailing: Soft Rock Hits of the 70s & 80s, Batman 1989 in Concert, and The Lion King (Animated) Live in Concert.
On Tuesday, July 22 at 7:30 p.m., the DSO will present Sailing: Soft Rock Hits of the 70s & 80s. Audiences can beat the heat with the breezy, laid-back sounds of yacht rock conducted by Jason Seber. This performance will feature Morgan James on vocals, Doug Wable on guitar and vocals, and John Scarpulla on saxophone and vocals playing hits from Hall & Oates, Christopher Cross, Fleetwood Mac, George Michael, Kenny Loggins, and many more.
On Friday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m., audiences will experience Tim Burton’s dark and mysterious adaptation of Batman 1989 in Concert. Led by conductor Lucas Waldin, the DSO will play the iconic Danny Elfman score live while Bruce Wayne becomes Batman to protect Gotham city from the Joker and his destructive antics, portrayed by Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, respectively.
On Sunday, July 27 at 3 p.m., join the DSO and conductor Lucas Waldin to experience one of the greatest animated films ever made: The Lion King (Animated) in Concert. The beloved 1994 film is accompanied by Hans Zimmer’s Oscar Award-winning score featuring songs composed by Elton John and Tim Rice. Ticketholders are invited to attend a special pre-concert event in Sosnick Courtyard hosted by the Detroit Zoo. This family-friendly event will include hands-on education stations, takeaway arts & crafts, an African drumming circle, and exclusive DSO and Detroit Zoological Society giveaways. Learn about wildlife conservation and African species who call the Zoo home including Lions, Warthogs, and Zebras—then see them shine on the screen during the movie when the DSO performs Disney's The Lion King live in concert.
Tickets for these performances start at $29 for Sailing, $39 for Batman 1989, and $49 for The Lion King. They can be purchased at dso.org or by calling the Box Office at 313.576.5111, open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Thursday, July 22 at 7:30 p.m.
Orchestra Hall
Set sail on a nostalgic journey through the breezy, laid-back sounds of soft rock music from the 70s and 80s. Yacht Rock defined a generation and continues to be prevalent throughout pop culture today. Morgan James, Doug Wamble, and John Scarpulla join the orchestra to lead you on a musical voyage singing hits from Hall & Oates, Christopher Cross, Fleetwood Mac, George Michael, Kenny Loggins, and many more.
Jason Seber, conductor
Morgan James, vocals
Doug Wable, guitar and vocals
John Scarpulla, saxophone and vocals
Friday, July 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Orchestra Hall
The Bat-Signal is lighting up Detroit! Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience Batman™ with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra playing the iconic Danny Elfman score.
Lucas Waldin, conductor
BATMAN and all related characters and elements © & ™ DC and Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
Sunday, July 27 at 3 p.m.
Orchestra Hall
Celebrate the magic of one of the greatest animated films ever made as the Detroit Symphony Orchestra plays Hans Zimmer’s Oscar Award-winning musical score live-to-film. The original 1994 animated version features unforgettable music by an Award-winning team including Elton John and Tim Rice.
Lucas Waldin, conductor
Presentation licensed by Disney Concerts.
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About the DSO
The acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. Led by Music Director Jader Bignamini since 2020, the DSO makes its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, offering a robust performance schedule that features classical, pops, jazz, and family concerts, plus community performances. Enrico Lopez-Yañez was named Principal Pops Conductor in 2023, trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard serves as the orchestra’s Fred A. Erb Jazz Creative Director Chair, and Tabita Berglund began her tenure as Principal Guest Conductor in the 2024–25 season. A dedication to broadcast innovation and technology began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a live radio broadcast of a concert and continues today with the groundbreaking Live from Orchestra Hall series of free webcasts.
The DSO’s distinguished history of recordings—many led by its renowned music directors—spans nearly a century, beginning with the orchestra’s first 78 rpm singles with Ossip Gabrilowitsch released on the Victrola label in 1928. A steady recording output has continued since then, with highlights including more than 20 releases with Paul Paray for Mercury’s Living Presence series, and 27 under the baton of Neeme Järvi, mostly on the Chandos label. In the 1970s, the DSO took part in the historic Black Composers Series for Columbia Records led by its then-Associate Conductor Paul Freeman and later made several acclaimed recordings with Antal Doráti for the Decca label. More recently, under the direction of Leonard Slatkin, the DSO recorded music by Rachmaninoff, Copland, and John Williams for the Naxos label, earning its first GRAMMY® nomination in 2017 for Copland’s Third Symphony / Three Latin American Sketches. The first recording with Jader Bignamini, of Wynton Marsalis’s Blues Symphony, was released in March 2025 on the Pentatone label.
Since its first school concerts a century ago, and particularly since the founding of the Civic Youth Ensembles in 1970, the DSO has been a national leader in bringing the benefits of music education to students, teachers, and families in Detroit and surrounding communities. The DSO remains committed to expanding its participation in the growth and well-being of Detroit through programs like its Detroit Neighborhood Initiative—cultural events co-created with community partners and residents—and Detroit Harmony, a promise to provide an instrument and instruction to any student in the city who wants to learn. With unwavering support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to impact lives through the power of unforgettable musical experiences.