The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra presents a tribute to Aretha Franklin with vocalist Sheléa Frazier, conducted by Byron Stripling.
The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is paying tribute to Aretha Franklin at Heinz Hall on Saturday, November 14, 2026. The program, titled Natural Woman: The Music of Aretha Franklin, brings the Queen of Soul's catalog to a full orchestral setting, with vocalist Sheléa Frazier taking the lead and Byron Stripling conducting.
It's a specific kind of pairing: Franklin's voice, known for its gospel roots and sheer power, set against the backdrop of a full symphony. Frazier handles the singing, and Stripling leads the orchestra, so the night is built around those two. The PSO is the one presenting it, and they're leaning into the orchestral side of things rather than a small band, which changes how these songs land when you hear them live.
Heinz Hall is the home for the PSO, and it's right in the Cultural District. It opened in 1971 and went through a renovation in 1995, and it's basically the anchor of that part of downtown, sitting in the Golden Triangle. If you've spent any time in the city, you know the neighborhood—it's where most of the theaters and galleries are clustered, so it's easy to make a whole evening of it.
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The show starts at 7:30 PM, and tickets are $226 and up. It's a Saturday night, so you've got the whole weekend to work around it.
