Voices You Need to Hear

By UMS

Some of the most profound musical experiences ever written were created for the human voice. In the 26/27 season, UMS presents an extraordinary lineup of vocal and choral performances:

Sounds of Unity

J’Nai Bridges

The Sphinx Virtuosi string ensemble joins forces with superstar mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges for a program that celebrates artistic excellence, cultural storytelling, and the evolving voice of classical music in America.

Known for her rich tone, commanding stage presence, and emotionally vivid performances, Bridges has quickly become one of today’s most sought-after singers, appearing at the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, and leading concert stages around the world. She performs a bold, new song cycle by acclaimed American composer Damien Geter, with a libretto by Aaron Dworkin.

Mozart’s Final Masterpiece

Earl Lee

Few works in classical music carry the mystique and emotional weight of Mozart’s Requiem. Left unfinished at the composer’s death and forever linked to legends surrounding his final days, the piece has captivated audiences for centuries with its mixture of terror, grief, transcendence, and hope.

This performance marks the UMS Choral Union’s first return to the work in 80 years, joined by the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra under music director Earl Lee. Debut soloists include soprano Hera Hyesang Park, mezzo-soprano/contralto Avery Amereau (who will also sing Brahms’s Alto Rhapsody on the same program), and bass Stephano Park. Tenor and U-M alumnus Nicholas Phan returns for the first of three exciting UMS appearances in the 26/27 season.

A Cherished Holiday Tradition

For many in Ann Arbor, the holiday season simply wouldn’t feel complete without Handel’s Messiah. From the triumphant “Hallelujah” chorus to its moments of serenity and reflection, Messiah continues to resonate nearly three centuries after its creation. Written in just a few weeks in 1741, Handel’s masterpiece combines grandeur, intimacy, and spiritual uplift in ways that still feel immediate today.

Whether it’s your first time hearing the work or part of a decades-long tradition, this performance offers a powerful reminder of music’s ability to bring people together.

Joyce DiDonato Brings Dido and Aeneas to Life

Joyce DiDonato

One of the world’s most recognized singers returns to UMS in Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato joins the acclaimed ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro and conductor Maxim Emelyanychev for a concert performance of the Baroque masterpiece, also featuring tenor and U-M alumnus Nicholas Phan.

At the center of the opera is Dido’s devastating final lament, “When I am laid in Earth,” one of the most heartbreaking scenes in all of opera. Though DiDonato has long performed excerpts from the work, she only began performing the complete opera in recent years, making this appearance especially meaningful.

The program also includes an opportunity to hear Giocamo Carissimi’s rarely-heard opera Jephte, performed by Nicholas Phan and Jiayu Jin, along with continuo orchestra and choir.

Vast, Sweeping, and Rarely Heard

Scott Hanoian

Ralph Vaughan Williams’s A Sea Symphony is one of the grandest works of the choral repertoire, a massive musical journey inspired by the poetry of Walt Whitman. Combining enormous orchestral forces, chorus, and vocal soloists, the piece tacklesthemes of exploration, wonder, spirituality, and humanity’s relationship to the unknown.

Led by UMS Choral Union music director Scott Hanoian and featuring acclaimed soprano Christine Goerke and baritone Norman Garrett, this performance offers audiences a rare chance to experience one of the 20th century’s great choral epics live in Hill Auditorium.

Bach’s Monumental St. Matthew Passion

Masaaki Suzuki

For many listeners, Bach’s St. Matthew Passion stands among the greatest achievements in Western music, a work of astonishing emotional depth, spiritual intensity, and musical architecture.

UMS welcomes back renowned Bach specialist Masaaki Suzuki, the English Baroque Soloists, and the Monteverdi Choir for this monumental masterpiece, which draws listeners inward through its deeply human storytelling and transcendent beauty. Bach weaves chorales, arias, and dramatic narrative into a work that feels simultaneously intimate and universal.

Performed by artists internationally celebrated for Baroque interpretation, this promises to be one of the season’s most anticipated musical events.

Voices That Will Stay With You

The 26/27 UMS season offers extraordinary opportunities to experience the power of the human voice — from intimate operatic storytelling to massive choral masterpieces that fill Hill Auditorium with sound.

The best seats at the best prices are available now when you subscribe to a UMS Season Ticket package. Customize 5+ events of your choice and save 10% off standard ticket prices with a Series:You subscription (our most popular option!), or explore our Choral Union and Chamber Arts package options.

Individual event tickets go on sale Tuesday, July 28.

If you’re interested in even more classical offerings, learn more about this season’s classical instrumental performances.