PHILADELPHIA — World premieres from composers Tyshawn Sorey and John Adams, a continued emphasis on traditionally underrepresented artists, and a long list of beloved classics by Mahler, Brahms, and Beethoven are all part of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s plans for 2025-26.

The new season, announced Friday, is the orchestra’s 125th, and it aims to spotlight the ensemble’s history as a conduit of music from Europe to the U.S. The year will be dotted with works introduced to America by Leopold Stokowski, the orchestra’s third musical leader, and Eugene Ormandy, its fourth.

The orchestra’s connection to some composers, like Rachmaninoff, is well known. Others, less so.

“These are pieces that we gave the premieres of — the U.S. premiere of 'The Rite of Spring' in 1922,” said Ryan Fleur, interim president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts. Many of these pieces are now core repertoire everywhere, and the 125th season will “highlight what our place in history is.”

The extent of the works the Philadelphians premiered is surprising even to some steeped in its history. Plans for the season were far along before Jeremy Rothman realized that it was this orchestra that introduced Britten’s "The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra" to American audiences.

“Every time I go through the list of works this orchestra has premiered, I always feel like I find something new that I had either overlooked or forgot about, because it’s such an amazing history,” said the chief programming officer for the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts.

Among the soloists to be featured next season: 20-year-old South Korean pianist Yunchan Lim — who, at 18, was the youngest-ever winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition — in Bartók’s "Piano Concerto No. 3"; established stars like pianists Hélène Grimaud and Emanuel Ax and cellist Yo-Yo Ma; and the orchestra’s own principal players in the Mozart "Sinfonia Concertante for Winds". Aaron Diehl is soloist in the world premiere of Sorey’s new "Piano Concerto," which was commissioned by the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Notable guest conducting appearances include the Philadelphia Orchestra debut of Santtu-Matias Rouvali, principal conductor of the Philharmonia Orchestra; and the return of a musician whose relationship here has recently deepened, Esa-Pekka Salonen.

Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the orchestra’s music and artistic director, will be on the podium for at least 13 weeks of concerts during the course of the season — his 14th as chief. He will conduct opening night on Sept. 25 with pianist Yuja Wang in the Ravel "Piano Concerto in G." Principal guest conductor Marin Alsop will lead three subscription weeks.

The orchestra is perhaps the first arts group locally to affirm its artistic direction with a season announcement since the new presidential administration began to dismantle governmental civil rights policies and diversity initiatives, and to pressure the corporate and other sectors to follow suit.

Along with nearly every other major arts group nationwide in recent years, the orchestra has put a strong emphasis on presenting traditionally underrepresented voices. Its Marian Anderson Artistic Initiative was launched last year to showcase composers and artists “who embody Anderson’s passion for increasing inclusivity, diversity, equity, and access in the performing arts, contributing to the advancement of a more representative art form,” as the 2025-26 season announcement states.

The emphasis will continue, Fleur said this week.

“We are crystal clear in terms of our vision and our values. And the best way I’ll say it is, we believe that diversity is excellence and excellence is diversity.”

He cited the orchestra’s recent program of Tchaikovsky’s "Piano Concerto No. 1" with Margaret Bonds’ civil rights-era "Montgomery Variations" and William Grant Still’s "Symphony No. 2" as the “perfect example” of Nézet-Séguin’s philosophy of pairing works of underrepresented artists with long-acknowledged standards.

“That’s our artistic vision. This is what we’re about,” said Fleur. “We live in a majority minority city, and we are trying as part of our larger Ensemble Arts portfolio to be as welcoming as possible to audiences.”

Among the works to be presented under the Marian Anderson Artistic Initiative umbrella next season are William Grant Still’s "Wood Notes," Julius Eastman’s "Symphony No. 2," Louis Ballard’s "Devil’s Promenade" and the world premiere of Wynton Marsalis’ "Symphony No. 5 ('Liberty')" scored both for the Philadelphia Orchestra and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

In addition to orchestra concerts, the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts will present big-name visiting recitalists. Curtis-trained, one-time Philadelphians Hilary Hahn and Lang Lang will appear together. Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, widely praised for his fluid, expressive interpretations of Bach, performs "The Art of the Fugue" (selections) plus Beethoven’s last three piano sonatas. Veteran violinist Itzhak Perlman brings his klezmer show, “In the Fiddler’s House.”

While the arts center’s presenting arm hasn’t announced a resumption of its visiting-orchestra series, it will host two smaller ensembles: The Chamber Orchestra of Europe in an all-Brahms program led by Nézet-Séguin, who is one of its honorary members; and the Galilee Chamber Orchestra, which bills itself as Israel’s first professional orchestra composed of both Arab and Jewish musicians, conducted by music director Saleem Ashkar.

That group’s presence, Fleur says, emphasizes “the Philadelphia Orchestra’s deep history of cultural diplomacy and how we help make connections and bridge, not just within our diverse communities in Philadelphia, but across borders.”

Bringing in the Chamber Orchestra of Europe showcases Nézet-Séguin’s relationship with another of his ensembles, “and they’re doing fascinating work together,” Fleur said.

The Brahms "Symphony No. 1" with the London-based group, combined with the three other Brahms symphonies to be performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra, mean the conductor will lead a complete Brahms symphony cycle next season in Marian Anderson Hall.

In addition to its subscription series, the orchestra in 2025-26 will tour the U.S. and South America, and continue its residencies in Vail; Saratoga Springs, New York; and at Carnegie Hall.

Subscriber ticket prices for 2025-26 range from $26-$276 — about a 3% increase over this season, a spokesperson said — and are on sale. Single tickets go on sale this summer. The orchestra will continue its digital rush tickets and Young Friends and Student Circle programs, as well as its work with groups like Art-Reach to offer free and discounted tickets.

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