UMS’s 2022 Holiday Gift Guide 🎁

By UMS

Have you been nice or naughty this past year? Either way, we’ve got you covered! Tickets to UMS performances create unforgettable experiences for you or anyone on your list. Check out our recommendations:

For the Eco-Conscious ♻️

Plastic Bag Store shopper
The Plastic Bag Store
Jan 17 – Feb 5, 2023

In this unusual pop-up installation, shelves are stocked with thousands of original grocery items meticulously sculpted by hand from discarded single-use plastics that were organically harvested from streets and garbage dumps. A series of amusing short films presented in tandem with the installation forces us to confront our culture of consumption and convenience — specifically, the enduring effects of our single-use plastics.

Are we not drawn onward to new erA
Jan 20-21, 2023 // Power Center

You can’t put toothpaste back in the tube. You can’t remake a shattered vase. Or undo the damage that humans have inflicted on the earth. But what if you could reverse history in just one night? (Hint: Read the title backward!)

For the Naughty List 😈

Our Carnal Hearts
Feb 1-4, 2023 // Arthur Miller Theatre

Rachel Mars’s hilariously dark show rummages through our darkest instincts in an exploration of one of our uglier emotions: envy.

Rachel Mars
Your Sexts Are Shit: Older, Better Letters
Feb 4-5, 2023 // Arthur Miller Theatre

Rachel Mars’s absolutely filthy, funny, and intimate show juxtaposes surprisingly erotic communications from long ago with salacious sexts from today, ultimately creating a Queer archive of longing and a tribute to the lost art of letter writing.

For the Singer 🎤

Sphinx Symphony Orchestra with EXIGENCE
Sun Jan 29, 2023 // Hill Auditorium

The Sphinx Symphony Orchestra of top Black and Latinx professional musicians from around the country presents its first national tour, joined by Sphinx’s vocal ensemble EXIGENCE and U-M alumna, soprano Aundi Marie Moore.

Brno Philharmonic with the UMS Choral Union
Fri Feb 10, 2023 // Hill Auditorium

Dennis Russell Davies and the Brno Philharmonic perform works from Leoš Janáček and William Bolcom alongside the UMS Choral Union, brass players from SMTD, and organist Christian Schmitt.

For the Dancer 💃

Ballet Preljocaj: Swan Lake
Ballet Preljocaj: Swan Lake
Feb 17-19, 2023 // Detroit Opera House

Contemporary ballet choreographer Angelin Preljocaj tackles the Mount Everest of the ballet world with his new take on Swan Lake.

Step Afrika!
Sun Mar 12, 2023 // Power Center

Step Afrika! is the first professional dance company dedicated to the tradition of stepping in this highly energetic performance.

For the Jazz Aficionado 🎹

Maria Schneider Orchestra
Sat Mar 11, 2023 // Hill Auditorium

The 2019 NEA Jazz Master, 2021 Pulitzer Prize finalist (for her 2020 album Data Lords), and seven-time Grammy winner brings her 18-member collective to Hill Auditorium for their UMS debut.

Cecile McLorin Salvant
Fri Apr 14, 2023 // Hill Auditorium

A UMS favorite since her 2017 debut, Cécile McLorin Salvant continues to defy expectations with her genre-obliterating virtuosity.

For the Violin Lover 🎻

Joshua Bell
Thu Feb 7, 2023 // Hill Auditorium

With a discography of more than 40 albums and a career spanning over 30 years as a soloist, chamber musician, conductor, and music director, Joshua Bell is one of the most celebrated violinists of his era.

Daniel Hope, violin, with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra
Fri, Mar 17, 2023 // Hill Auditorium

Violinist Daniel Hope returns with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra in a new program that takes a deep dive into the rich repertoire of American music, exploring its roots and distinctive qualities.