Editor’s note: This story was updated to correct when the Classics III and Catrina Ball concerts are likely to occur next year.
The San Antonio Philharmonic has postponed its Classics III concerts, scheduled for the weekend of Nov. 7-8, marking the second time one of the orchestra’s fall events has been rescheduled for a later date.
The Catrina Ball — a Dia de los Muertos-themed United Way fundraiser featuring the orchestra at its home base in downtown’s Scottish Rite Cathedral — was also postponed from its Nov. 1-2 dates.
The Philharmonic, formed in 2022 from the ashes of the San Antonio Symphony, shared details about the Classics III postponement in a Thursday social media post. The post apologized for the inconvenience but offered no explanation for the change nor projected dates for the new performances.
However, Philharmonic Executive Director Roberto Treviño told the Current via phone that the Classics III concerts will now likely take place sometime next year due to a conflict with another event at Scottish Rite. Ticket holders will be able seek a refund or use their tickets once the new dates are set, he added.
Treviño said the Nov. 7-8 concerts, which were to feature Carl Orff’s cantata Carmina Burana, were to have involved additional performers including the San Antonio Mastersingers and a children’s choir. Given the complexity, the orchestra decided it couldn’t pivot to another venue and keep the same date, he added.
“We’re doing our best to provide the kind of concert we promised to our audience,” Treviño said.
Treviño declined to say what the conflicting Scottish Rite event is.
The Catrina Ball will move to sometime in April, Treviño confirmed, although he said he couldn’t provide an exact date. He said that decision was made by the event’s organizers, including the United Way and San Antonio chef-restaurateur Johnny Hernandez.
However, a person familiar with the Phil’s inner workings said Treviño shared a different story with orchestra members, telling them the Catrina Ball was moved because it would be in competition with too many other local events. That person declined to be named for fear of retribution.
Past postponements, present negotiations
The postponements aren’t a first for the young orchestra.
Last October, the Philharmonic pushed back a performance of George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F until the following spring. That move came after two key Philharmonic donors sued the orchestra to force repayment of what court documents claimed was $180,000 in loans. Those legal disputes are ongoing.
This fall’s postponements also come as the Philharmonic is in talks with San Antonio’s Scottish Rite chapter to update the now year-old letter of intent the orchestra signed to move into the 1924 masonic lodge.
However, Treviño said the negotiations had nothing to do with the two events being punted into 2026. He said the talks are ongoing but offered no further details.
Officials with the San Antonio Scottish Rite chapter would only tell the Current that it’s representatives are still engaged in talks with the Philharmonic.
When the Phil and the Masons signed their letter of intent last October, members of both organizations said they expected the deal to usher in major upgrades to the building. Those included making it compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, installing a new HVAC system and undertaking much-needed plumbing and electrical upgrades.
At the time, Treviño — an architect and former San Antonio councilman — said an outside architecture firm estimated the auditorium would need $5 million to $10 million in upgrades for its first phase of improvements.
It’s unclear how many of those upgrades, if any, have yet to materialize.
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