Photographer John Kubat shares his work during the opening of The Symphony Through the Lens at the South Omaha Immigrant History Museum.
By Gabriel Escalera
The Symphony Through the Lens: John Kubat’s Visual Journey of Music
September 9th, 2025
The South Omaha Immigrant History Museum is hosting The Symphony Through the Lens, an exhibition by photographer John Kubat that transforms orchestral performances into powerful visual stories.
The exhibition spans nearly five decades, showcasing photographs that trace Kubat’s artistic journey while preserving moments across 50 years of music and performance.
Kubat said one of his goals is to remind the community of the excellence of its local orchestra. “Part of my motivation is to help Omaha appreciate the exceptional talent of its orchestra,” he said.
His relationship with the symphony began quietly. “The first time I photographed the symphony, the musicians didn’t even know I was there,” he recalled. Later, as he began shooting more regularly, he started finding better angles and access.
Kubat first learned to work in a darkroom while stationed on a military base. By 1975, he began to take photography more seriously, though he never considered himself a professional. Instead, he pursued the craft with quiet dedication, drawn to the intersection of sound and image.
“In high school, my passion for classical music met my growing interest in photography,” he said. “I soon found the perfect chance to spend my free time pursuing both.”
That combination produced an extraordinary body of work. His photographs peel back the curtain on the intricate world of symphony orchestras, capturing the emotion behind crescendos, the grace in a conductor’s gesture, and the hidden stories within each collective performance. The images take viewers backstage, into rehearsals, and into the silent moments of anticipation before the music begins.
The South Omaha Immigrant History Museum, known for preserving and showcasing diverse cultural legacies, offers a fitting venue for Kubat’s exhibit. By hosting the collection, the museum connects Omaha’s immigrant and artistic histories with Kubat’s decades-long documentation of music.
An opening reception is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m., and the exhibition runs through Oct. 18. More details are available on the museum’s social media pages.
