Top Moments of 2025

By UMS

2025 delivered unforgettable memories to UMS audiences, both on and off our stages! As the year comes to a close, let’s take a look back at some of our favorite moments:

Seong-Jin Cho’s Debut

Seong-Jin Cho in Hill Auditorium, February 7, 2025. Photo by Peter Smith Photography.

Renowned pianist Seong-Jin Cho made a spectacular Ann Arbor debut to a sold-out audience in Hill Auditorium, performing the complete solo piano works of Maurice Ravel. UMS was proud to be the only Midwest presenter of his limited U.S. tour, which complemented the release of his acclaimed Ravel album (streaming now on Apple Music and Spotify).

An Engaging No Safety Net

Audience member playing asses.masses in the Walgreen Drama Center. Photo by Peter Smith Photography.

UMS’s biennial No Safety Net series concluded with two interactive theatrical experiences that tackle issues relevant to our time.

Nate — A One Man Show, starred creator Natalie Palamides in drag, provocatively engaging the audience with themes of toxic masculinity and consent. The brilliant show premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and was later released as a Netflix special produced by Amy Poehler.

Audience members enjoyed asses.masses as a spectator, a player, or both, in a 7+ hour gaming-as-theater event! Created by Milton Lim and Patrick Blenkarn, asses.masses is an experience that confronts modern-day challenges — labor, technophobia, and sharing the load of revolution — wittingly told through unemployed donkeys that demand humans surrender their machines and give them their jobs back.

A Legend Returned

Left to Right: Marcel, Rami, and Sary Khalife in Hill Auditorium, April 5, 2025. Photo by Peter Smith Photography.

Legendary Lebanese composer, singer, and oud master Marcel Khalife returned to Ann Arbor for the first time in 20 years, joined by his son, virtuoso pianist Rami Khalife, and his nephew, cellist Sary Khalife. The cross-generational trio performed a selection of Marcel’s revered classics that endeared him to millions in the Arab World, alongside original works, and the program was streamed to a global audience on YouTube. Watch on Demand

Going for the Gold

Yunchan Lim in Hill Auditorium, April 23, 2025. Photo by Peter Smith Photography.

Since winning gold at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2022, Yunchan Lim has risen to stardom in the musical world. In his much-anticipated UMS recital debut, he magnificently presented Bach’s Goldberg Variations — a remarkable feat by a pianist so early in his career!

This performance marked only the fifth time in UMS’s 146-year history that the Goldbergs have been played. Previous performances were by Glenn Gould in 1959 (who was only 27 at the time!), William Doppmann in 1965, Murray Perahia in 2000, and András Schiff in 2013. Each artist brought insight and maturity to this intricate, deeply expressive piece.

Celebrating the Ypsi Community

Detroit Party Marching Band. Photo by Peter Smith

To conclude our April 2025 residency at the Ypsilanti Freighthouse, UMS joined forces with the Riverside Arts Center and FestiFools to create a free artistic celebration that perfectly encapsulated the love and support of the Ypsi community. In a puppet-accompanied processional alongside the Detroit Party Marching Band, the crowd journeyed from Riverside to the Freighthouse, where the party continued with live music by Djangophonique.

Art-Making…Under Pressure!

Flint Print-Making Block Party. Photo by Cliff Hughes.

On May 10, The Flint art community came together to celebrate printmaking on large and unique scales. Curated and produced by Janice McCoy, UMS’s Flint Artist-in-Residence, the event showcased the design work that artists throughout the region have carved into plywood using various techniques, including traditional hand tools and precision laser cutting. During the event, the artists collaborated to apply black ink to the blocks and then prepared them for press on muslin under the force of a steamroller!

Verdi’s Requiem with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Verdi’s Requiem with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and UMS Choral Union. Photo by Peter Smith Photography.

The 25/26 season kicked off with an electrifying presentation of Verdi’s Requiem from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and UMS Choral Union. The performance featured five exciting UMS debuts by international artists: the DSO’s Italian music director Jader Bignamini, South African soprano Vuvu Mpofu, American mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, Mexican American tenor René Barbera, and Chinese bass-baritone Shenyang.

Nigamon/Tunai

Waira Nina and Émilie Monnet laugh during post-show Q&A. Photo by Peter Smith.

Nigamon/Tunai brought a voice to the natural world on the Power Center stage. Audience members sat up close and personal on stage with artists Émilie Monnet and Waira Nina and became immersed about Indigenous ancestral knowledge. The week also had the artists participating in multiple events during U-M’s climate week, with Monnet and Nina leading a guided walk at Harvest Vest, contributing to a discussion on approaches to art-making in an environmentally just world, and Monnet speaking at the Penny Stamps Speaker Series.

Movement with Ballet BC

High school students pose with Ballet BC dancers after class visit.

Vancouver’s trailblazing Ballet BC thrilled audiences with its highly anticipated UMS debut this past October, delivering two programs that earned standing ovations. Beyond their captivating performances at the Power Center, company members engaged deeply with the Ann Arbor community, sharing their passion for dance across campus and beyond. From masterclasses and classroom visits to a school-day performance and a community dance workshop, Ballet BC made a memorable and inspiring impact on dancers and dance lovers of all ages! Read more about their Ann Arbor visit

Philharmonia + VR Experience

Community member participates in VR experience at Cahoots. Photo by Eric Woodhams.

Patrons could take the stage themselves and experience the Philharmonia Orchestra’s “Virtual Orchestra” in several public opportunities, exploring the symphony from a musician’s-eye view and hearing music from different perspectives through Spatial Audio.

Herbie Hancock

Herbie Hancock points out to the crowd at Hill Auditorium. Photo by Peter Smith.

Legendary jazz and funk pianist Herbie Hancock returned to Hill Auditorium, performing a mix of iconic hits and innovative compositions that showcase his decades-long influence on acoustic and electronic jazz. An audience member says, “One of the best experiences of my life. I grew up listening to Herbie on Sunday mornings with my dad. To be able to take him to the show and co-experience joy in that way was absolutely priceless!”

Scott Hanoian’s 10th UMS Messiah

December 2025 saw UMS Choral Union music director Scott Hanoian celebrating his 10th UMS performance of Handel’s Messiah, marking over a decade of inspiring leadership, innovative projects, and community-building efforts. Read more