Henry Cheng on the podium with the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra in October 2024. (courtesy of JCSO)
Henry Cheng on the podium with the Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra in October 2024. (courtesy of JCSO)

Henry Cheng leads Johns Creek Symphony into 2025–26 season with generation-spanning programs

EarRelevant Staff | 28 AUG 2025

JOHNS CREEK, Georgia— The Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra kicks off its 2025–26 season next month under the direction of newly appointed Music Director Henry Cheng. The season, titled IMAGINE: Your Playlist, features a series of programs designed to explore music’s power to connect generations, honor memory, and inspire creativity.

Cheng begins his tenure after a season-long, audience-involved search. Known for blending classical repertoire with contemporary culture and innovative programming, Cheng said the season is intended to transform the concert experience.

The season opens September 20 with IMAGINE: Stories in Sound, a program that includes George S. Clinton’s The Rose of Sonora, featuring violinist Holly Mulcahy, and Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations.

Subsequent concerts span classical and contemporary works, family-friendly holiday performances, pops programming, and celebratory pieces highlighting legacy and community. Guest artists include vocalists Joan Ellison and Maria McDaniel Willathgamuwa, pianist Julie Coucheron, and violinist David Coucheron, concertmaster of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, among others.

The orchestra’s holiday programming on December 20 features two performances: a sensory-friendly IMAGINE: Kids’ Christmas concert and IMAGINE: From Our Family to Yours, combining narration, dancers, and choral elements.

Other season highlights include contemporary works by Arvo Pärt, Shostakovich, and Vaughan Williams, as well as Mendelssohn’s rarely performed orchestral Double Violin Concerto in D Minor.

The season closes May 23 with IMAGINE: Passing the Baton, a program celebrating legacy, growth, and the connections forged by music across generations.

For more information and tickets, visit johnscreeksymphony.org or call 678-748-5802. ■

2025–26 Johns Creek Symphony Orchestra Concerts

  • Saturday, September 20, 2025 @ 7:30 p.m.
    Mount Pisgah Church
    IMAGINE: Stories in Sound
    Henry Cheng, conductor; Holly Mulcahy, violin; The Michael O’Neal Singers.
    George S. CLINTON: The Rose of Sonora
    Edward ELGAR: Enigma Variations
  • Saturday, October 4, 2025 @ 7:00 p.m.
    Newtown Park Amphitheater
    IMAGINE: Pops Without Borders
    Henry Cheng, conductor; Mikaela Ayira, vocalist
    Free concert of international pop hits, featuring arrangements of songs by John Lennon, Hoagy Charmichael, Rose, Utada Hikaru, Adele, and from the Bollywood film Jai Ho.
  • Saturday, December 20, 2025 @ 2:00 p.m.
    Mount Pisgah Church
    IMAGINE: Kids’ Christmas
    Henry Cheng, conductor; Ben Asaaf, narrator; Fleetwood Dance Theater, Inc.
    A program of Holiday favorites, suitable for families and sensory-sensitive audience.
  • Saturday, December 20, 2025 @ 7:30 p.m.
    Mount Pisgah Church
    IMAGINE: From Our Family to Yours
    Henry Cheng, conductor; Ben Asaaf, narrator; Fleetwood Dance Theater, Inc.; Maria McDaniel Willathgamuwa, vocals; Christmas Voices of Johns Creek.
    A Holiday concert that will shine merry and bright with expressive arrangements of seasonal classics. A heartwarming experience for the young and young-at-heart.
  • Saturday, January 24, 2026 @ 7:30 p.m.
    Mount Pisgah Church
    IMAGINE: What We Carry
    Henry Cheng, conductor;
    CAGE: 4’33”
    BACH: “Sarabande” from Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor
    SHOSTAKOVICH: Chamber Symphony Op. 110a (arr. Barshai)
    ARVO PÄRT: Fratres
    BACH: “Andante” from Violin Sonata No. 2 in A minor
    VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis
  • Saturday, March 28, 2026 @ 7:30 p.m.
    Mount Pisgah Church
    IMAGINE: It’s Magic
    Henry Cheng, conductor; Joan Ellison, vocalist.
    Arrangements of Golden Age standards by Nelson Riddle, Conrad Salinger, Paul Weston.
  • Saturday, May 23, 2026 @ 7:30 p.m.
    Mount Pisgah Church
    IMAGINE: Passing the Baton
    Henry Cheng, conductor; David Coucheron, violin; Julie Coucheron, piano
    MENDELSSOHN: Double Concerto in D Minor
    MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 4, Op. 90
    MENDELSSOHN: Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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