Mary Roeder has been on staff at UMS for nearly 20 years. In her role as associate director of programming, her responsibility is to scout out innovative new dance and theater offerings from around the world, connecting with artists and agents to determine the feasibility of their complex productions for a tour to Ann Arbor.

Mary Roeder

We spoke with Mary about UMS’s first theater offering of the 25/26 season, Nigamon/Tunai, a unique performance that will immerse audiences directly on the Power Center stage this October. Translating to “song” in the Anishinaabemowin and Inga languages, respectively, Nigamon/Tunai is a collaboration by two indigenous creators: Canadian artist Émilie Monnet and Colombian artist Waira Nina.

Discover how Mary first learned of the show, why she thinks it will resonate with audiences in powerful and unexpected ways, and how she and the UMS production team are working with the University of Michigan’s Matthaei Botanical Gardens to transform the stage into a space surrounded by nature.

How did you learn about the performance?

I’ve known about Emilie Monnet’s work for a while. She’s usually presented in a museum context, but her work really lives between visual art and performance. Nigamon/Tunai is a great example of that.

I had planned to see Nigamon/Tunai in Montreal at Festival TransAmériques, but my flight got delayed. I had to decide whether to rearrange everything to catch it or stick with my original schedule.

I ended up skipping it, partly because I knew the space it needed probably wasn’t something we had access to. We’re missing that kind of large, flexible black box in our venue portfolio. So at the time I thought, why see something we can’t realistically present?

Then I started hearing from folks in Montreal that the show was incredible. They told me it was worth seeing no matter what. So when I found out it was also being presented at the Edinburgh International Festival, I made sure to catch it, and it completely blew me away.

It was exciting but kind of heartbreaking, because I still didn’t think we’d be able to do it here. We have occasionally turned the Power Center stage into a black box space for special projects, but this always requires special consideration and approvals due to building codes.

Thankfully, the fire marshal generously worked with us to find a solution. So it actually turned out to be a perfect setup for the piece.

What should people expect in terms of seating and the immersive experience?

The full experience runs close to 90 minutes, and the best way to experience the piece is by really immersing yourself in the natural world the artists have created on stage. That means sitting low to the ground, either on a cushion or simple wooden seating. At one point, I think I was sitting on a tree stump. 

Thankfully, the setup also includes accessible options, and riser seating with chairs for those who prefer a bit more comfort or a bird’s-eye view of the action. So there’s a range of seating experiences, depending on how close you want to be to the world unfolding in front of you.

How does the show engage the audience’s senses?

I encourage people to enter into the experience prepared for something that feels theatrical. There’s a bit of narrative, but it’s best to approach it as a sonic experience, or really, a multi-sensory one.

There’s beautiful lighting, but for me, the strongest sense memory is auditory. Sound that borders on tactile, to the extent that you can “feel it.” There are all these different sounds and textures that the audience engages with. It’s really about feeling your way through the experience.

This show offers a tactile, visual, and sonic insight into the natural world. Whether it’s hearing the sound of a rock or the sound of trees, it gives a kind of voice to things we don’t usually think of as having one.

Looking at past seasons and the audiences who typically attend, who do you think might connect with this show?

I don’t love prescribing who a show is for. With something like this, I wouldn’t want anyone to assume it’s not for them.

This is the kind of piece people might decide isn’t for them based on the description, and I’d really encourage them to take a chance. I was surprised by how emotionally moving it was.

Sometimes when a show is about an issue or a crisis — like an environmental crisis — it can feel didactic or overly intellectual. That can create distance, where you feel removed from the experience. This didn’t do that. It reached me on a much more emotional and sensory level.

One thing people often look for, especially when seeing something in a theater series or season, is to understand what’s happening at every moment. This is a great example of a show that’s more about creating a “vibe” and an emotional trajectory. It’s not always explicitly narrative. The invitation is to give yourself over to that, and not stay in your head trying to interpret every detail.

Could you expand on the partnership UMS has with Matthaei Botanical Gardens for this performance?

Matthaei Botanical Gardens seemed like an obvious partner from the very beginning, honestly for a couple of reasons. When we were initially planning the show, the artists were aiming for a touring window around January.

However, some of the theatrical effects in the show [such as using live trees] depend on the trees not being dormant—they need to be fully leafed out and actively moving water through their system, from roots up into the leaves, because certain sound effects amplify those living elements.

I reached out to the tree experts at Matthaei Botanical Gardens to ask if there was any way to keep trees from going dormant or to “trick them” into staying active through January. It turns out there are some techniques, but they’re very labor-intensive and there’s no guarantee of success.

So we spoke with the artists and considered shifting the timing to September or October. Even then, trees are beginning to enter dormancy, so there was still some uncertainty about whether the trees would be just right.

The team at Matthaei was incredibly helpful in advising us on what varieties would work best. They are helping us source these trees and then find homes for them afterward.

We’re also collaborating with Matthaei Botanical Gardens on an event happening September 28. Our artists will be taking part in Harvest Fest, an afternoon celebration of the garden and some of its indigenous initiatives. They use the term “rematriation” to describe efforts to restore and honor elements of the gardens, which ties beautifully into the themes of the show.

In addition to engaging with the artists of Nigamon/Tunai during the performance from Oct 2 – 8, community members can also catch them at various events during Climate Week:

• Sunday, September 28 // 1-4pm // Campus Farm, Matthaei Botanical Gardens
  • Guided walk to the water with conversation and song
  • Beading workshop
• Thursday, October 2 // ~9:15 pm // Power Center Stage
  • Post-show Q&A
• Thursday, October 9 // 5:30-7pm // Michigan Theater
  • Penny Stamps Speaker Series

Tickets start at just $48 (+ fees), with many student ticket discount opportunities available.

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UMS is pleased to announce Shanzell Page as the 25/26 season’s UMS/UM-Flint Artist in Residence.

Shanzell is a Flint-rooted, Detroit-based movement artist, educator, and cultural strategist with over 30 years of experience in tap dance and arts education. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Mindful Movement with Shanzell, a performing arts initiative that blends rhythm, cultural storytelling, and wellness.

Her work is distinguished by a commitment to preserving the legacy, traditional techniques, and history of tap dance, by pushing the boundaries of the art form through innovative educational approaches and interdisciplinary learning.

Shaped by personal experiences with chronic illness, caregiving, and spiritual transformation, her mission is to create spaces where artistry meets accountability, providing life-affirming experiences that foster performance as an act of remembrance, presence, and return.

UMS interviewed Shanzell about her hopes for the residency, inspirations, and personal connection to Flint.

What is your connection to Flint, Michigan, and how will it inspire your work during this residency?

My relationship to Flint is home. This city is my blueprint. It’s where rhythm and storytelling first entered my life, and where I learned to hold more than one truth at a time. Flint has shown me that delight and struggle can live side by side, that discipline and improvisation are both necessary, and that community can be fragile and strong at once. All of that shaped not just my artistry but the way I move through the world.

As a teenager, I did one of my first full-length tap shows at the University of Michigan-Flint. Coming back now as a resident artist feels like answering a call I sent out years ago, an echo from my younger self.

This residency gives me a chance to honor that history while also moving forward. Flint taught me endurance, but it also taught me imagination, and curiosity. That’s the energy I want to carry into this work so people can feel the rhythm of Flint. Unshakable, and full of life. So anyone who experiences it can feel the spirit of the place I call home.

What draws you to the genre of tap dancing?

Tap dance is never finished. No matter how long you have been in it, there is always another layer to explore in the music, in your body, and in the stories it carries. That ongoing investigation is magnetic.

There is also a freedom in the sound, a language we speak without words. The dialogue becomes a conversation with the past, present, and future that only you can have in your own rhythm. And that is not something you can easily walk away from.

It’s also an inseparable connection to a layered history and the ancestors. It feels like both a privilege and a responsibility to preserve something people before me used as a means of survival and fought to keep alive. That commitment keeps me tethered to the form.

And it sharpens me! Tap is like a mirror, it does not let you hide. You have to meet yourself in the moment, stay present, stay aware. It demands refinement, self-discipline, and recovery. Those lessons carry beyond the floor, and they are much a part of the work as the steps are itself.

That is why I keep returning.

Your artistic work as a dancer and choreographer is deeply focused on your relationships to rhythm and legacy. Could you give us some background about your process and your artistic heroes? How do you connect your work to their legacy, and how do you innovate to continue building on this artistic lineage?

Shanzell Page | Photo by Quatiece Salter

This is a beautiful question. My approach is based on call and response. I don’t always start with asking “What do I want to say?” Often, it’s “What needs to be honored or made relatable?” That balance of listening and offering is how I create.

I am inspired by visionary voices. Katherine Dunham and Carmen de Lavallade show me how art can be anthropological, revolutionary, and liberating. The Clark Sisters remind me of how necessary family and the gospel are. John and Alice Coltrane show me how risk can be integrity. Tap artists like Dianne Walker, Jason Samuels Smith, and Ayodele Casel reveal how mastery, depth, and stories are carried by the dance through generational lineage. Sonia Sanchez, Carrie Mae Weems, and Renell Medrano shape how I think about space, intimacy, and clarity of voice.

Although, my greatest influences are my family’s testimonies. My grandfather and uncles used their musical gifts to minister and serve. My grandmother earned her degree and became a teacher at sixty-three after decades of factory work, teaching me that learning has no age. My mom worked over thirty years at GM while living with life-long challenges to her mobility, teaching me perseverance and independence. My aunt, after remission, losing her hearing with life-altering surgery, chose to heal through running even when doctors told her she never would again. Their courage and refusal to accept limitation has shaped me as much as any stage or studio.

Jimmy Slyde said, “It takes a lifetime to become a dancer.” For me, that lifetime is built not only on technical study but on witness. I see myself as a vessel, but also as a participant in the natural cycles that move through daily life. Everyday my body is changing, aging, adapting and offers a new layer of experience to translate into rhythm. That is how I honor legacy, and also how I keep finding ways to innovate: by staying open to the ongoing lessons of faith, imagination, and endurance that life itself keeps placing in my path.

You have extensive experience as an educator, working with students of all ages. What are some examples of how you have connected tap dancing to other educational disciplines?

First of all, by having fun! Leading with joy, because the love is the most honest and infectious energy in the room. So in my teaching practice, tap dance welcomes a special type of intelligence. It opens doors. When I teach, a rhythm pattern can easily turn into a lesson about fractions, sequencing, or even physics if we start talking about vibration. A phrase of choreography can turn into a story or a way for students to see their own history inside the art. And studying jazz, social dance, or the Great Migration always grounds us in the cultural make-up and history of the United States.

I also know that students don’t walk into class as blank slates. They bring their whole lives with them. So my priority is to create a room where they feel safe to move at their own pace, to take risks, and to be heard. I’ve worked with beginners, advanced dancers, neurodivergent learners, youth and adults navigating difficult emotions, and I want each of them to feel like there’s a place for them in this form.

I’ve seen this work in many places; the studio, residencies, after-school programs, and community workshops. What connects it all is the moment a person leaves more curious, confident, and connected than when they walked in. My goal is to help them see themselves as artists, thinkers, and keepers of culture.

Tell us about the work you will develop during this residency. What are you most excited about with this project?

This new work, Salt in the Soil: Seeds and Fruit, grows from my belief that rhythm itself can feed us. Tap dance carries a wisdom beyond technique, holding knowledge that is physical, sonic, and ancestral. It reminds me that art and life are not separate. Just as food sustains the body, rhythm sustains the spirit. The work asks: what seeds do we plant in ourselves and in each other, and what kind of fruit do those choices bear?

I’m most excited to share the joy in performing, even if the heart of my practice lives in the process. The classroom, the archives, studying with the students, faculty, and the master teachers who treat their craft as service, the rehearsals that invite participation. All of it becomes an exercise of cultivation. On stage, that becomes a continuation, a chance to water memory, plant imagination, and nurture the spirit through the dance.

This shared act of offering with live music and call-and-response will turn the space into an ecosystem where the “fruits” circulate. Everyone present becomes part of it. My hope is that each person leaves with something nourishing to carry forward. A rhythm in their body, a story they can share, or a deeper connection to their own sense of aliveness.

Is there anything else you would like us to know about you and your work?

I would add that my work comes from lived truth. I don’t approach this form as a foreigner to its struggles or beauty. I know what it means to fight to be seen and to keep creating when the odds are against you. That is where my practice stands.

I hold myself accountable to the lineage of the dance and to the people who shaped it. Preservation, accessibility, and intergenerational exchange are not ideas I use lightly. They are the ways I work to keep this tradition visible, valued, and alive. With respect, I build spaces where elders, peers, and young dancers can share across one another, and it’s essential because the future depends on these crossings.

If I am remembered for anything, I hope it is for sharing the dance with care, and creating spaces where people felt they truly belonged. Where they were challenged, supported, and able to see themselves inside the work. That, to me, is as much advocacy as preservation than any step. Making sure the tradition is alive in the people who dance it now and those yet to come.

Where can folks find out more information about you?

People can connect with me and follow my work in a few different ways:

• On my website, mindfulmovementwithshanzell.org, you can subscribe to my mailing list for updates, newsletters, and behind-the-scenes moments
• My personal and business Instagram accounts (@zelldoesitwell and @mindfulmovementwithshanzell) are both spaces where you can keep up with all my shenanigans!
• On Facebook, follow Mindful Movement with Shanzell for events, community offerings, and program highlights.
• I also like to keep a reflective blog on Tumblr, shanzellqpage.tumblr.com, where I share writing about tap, drumming, jazz, and the influences currently feeding my practice.

Please reach out to share the shuffle ball change, or create spaces where we can all move, learn, and imagine together. I welcome everyone to be part of the conversation. Whether it’s a tap show, workshop, reflections on history, or glimpses into new creative ideas, my platforms are spaces to stay connected to the ongoing movemeng of art, tap, and rhythm-based dancing. I’ll see you out there. Keep swinging!

Jader Bignamini and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra

Audiences will be swept away when the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the UMS Choral Union bring Giuseppe Verdi’s towering Messa da Requiem to life in Hill Auditorium on September 26. Composed in 1874, this dramatic and deeply moving work remains one of the most beloved masterpieces in choral repertoire.

But it’s the chilling, thunderous, and instantly recognizable second movement — the Dies Irae — that transcends concert halls and echoes through our shared cultural imagination. Preview this excerpt featuring maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus:

The phrase Dies Irae (“Day of Wrath”) originally comes from a 13th-century Latin sequence used at Catholic funeral Masses. Over centuries, a particular melodic idea from that chant became shorthand in Western music for death, fate, or looming catastrophe. Its four-note motif is also a cinematic cue heard in many films, from The Lion King to Star Wars to It’s a Wonderful Life. Relive some famous movie scenes in this video and article from Vox:

Verdi’s Dies Irae doesn’t quote the four-note chant note-for-note, but it inherits its drama and symbolism, and amplifies it! His Requiem explodes with fortissimo brass, pounding bass drum, and rapid string figures, creating the same apocalyptic mood the chant once conveyed, but now on an operatic scale.

Experience Its Power in Person

More than 150 years after its premiere, Verdi’s Requiem remains a living force that continues to thrill and move us. When you attend this performance, you’re stepping into a dramatic legacy that unites centuries of human emotion, from sacred ritual to epic cinema.

Hear the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and music director Jader Bignamini, the UMS Choral Union, and four outstanding soloists pack the Hill Auditorium stage on Friday, September 26, with Verdi’s monumental Requiem. Feel the drama in the full breadth of its seven movements…and then let the Dies Irae echo in your mind as you leave!

Tickets start at just $26 (+fees), with many student ticket discount opportunities available.

Get Tickets

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On August 27, 2025 the Michigan House of Representatives passed a preliminary budget that completely eliminates state government funding for arts and culture. This proposal serves to decimate Michigan’s creative sector, threaten thousands of jobs, weaken local economies, and strip communities of the programs and cultural resources they rely on.

The overall House budget is over $5 billion smaller than the version passed by the Senate earlier this summer and includes drastic cuts in many sectors, including the zeroing out of Michigan Arts and Culture Council (MACC) grants.

This proposed House Republican budget now goes to the Conference Committee to be negotiated with the State Senate and the Governor’s Office. Funding for the arts in our state should receive bipartisan support. If this budget moves forward as is, the impacts will be dire:

• Thousands of jobs lost across the state.
• Economic instability for communities where arts and culture drive tourism, small businesses, and local investment.
• Loss of access to programs that support education, historic preservation, creative therapies, and cultural institutions statewide.

Negotiations are happening right now, and this is a moment to act and advocate. We encourage UMS audiences and supporters to take action and contact the Governor’s Office and your legislators in the state House and Senate.

The Cultural Advocacy Network of Michigan (or CAN), the state arts advocacy association, recommends the following:

• Call, email, and schedule meetings with your representatives.
• Use CAN’s email template and phone script to make it easy.
• Share your story—explain how these cuts would affect your organization, your community, and Michigan’s future.
• Find your Legislators

Thank you for playing your part and advocating for continued state funding for the arts in Michigan!

On Friday, September 26, 2025, UMS’s 25/26 season opens in extraordinary fashion with Verdi’s Requiem — one of the most dramatic pieces of music ever written. This one-night-only performance in Ann Arbor by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and UMS Choral Union features the UMS debuts of five outstanding 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.

Learn more about these incredible performers before they take the Hill Auditorium stage for the first time:

Jader Bignamini

DSO music director

A native of Crema, Italy, Bignamini studied at the Piacenza Music Conservatory and began his career as a musician (clarinet) with Orchestra Sinfonica La Verdi in Milan, later serving as the group’s resident conductor. Captivated by the operatic arias of legends like Mahler and Tchaikovsky, Jader explored their complexity and power, puzzling out the role that each instrument played in creating a larger-than-life sound. When he conducted his first professional concert at the age of 28, it didn’t feel like a departure, but an arrival.

Drawing on his operatic sensibilities, Bignamini brings a striking theatricality and emotional gravitas to his conducting, whether on the opera house stage or in the symphonic realm. In 2020, he was appointed the 18th Music Director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, where his warmth, expressive immediacy, and chord-shaking energy have made him a beloved leader.

Enjoy this excerpt of Bignamini leading the DSO in Puccini’s Turandot…

Vuvu Mpofu

soprano

The young South African soprano Vuvu Mpofu is already entering the international spotlight with her shimmering vocal quality and technique, boundless musicality, and authentic stage presence. In 2019, she was awarded the prestigious John Christie Award at the Glyndebourne Festival, and she is also a recent prizewinner at the Operalia Competition and the Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition.

This season, Mpofu will make her debut at the Metropolitan Opera as Clara in Porgy and Bess. She also makes two major role debuts: as Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor for Opera Vlaanderen and as Mimì in La bohème with Pittsburgh Opera.

Hear Mpofu’s remarkable vocal control and dynamic range in “Caro Nome” from Verdi’s Rigoletto…

Sasha Cooke

mezzo-soprano

Two-time Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke has been called a “luminous standout” by the New York Times and “equal parts poise, radiance and elegant directness” by Opera News. Ms. Cooke has sung at the Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, English National Opera, Seattle Opera, Opéra National de Bordeaux, and Gran Teatre del Liceu, among others, and with over 90 symphony orchestras worldwide frequently in the works of Mahler.

In this excerpt, Cooke masters the tender fourth movement, ‘Urlicht,’ from Mahler’s Symphony No. 2, from her 2022 performances with the Houston Symphony Orchestra…

René Barbera

tenor

Tenor René Barbera has quickly established himself as one of today’s most exciting vocal artists. The first-ever recipient of all three top awards of the Operalia Competition in 2011 and winner of the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions in 2008, Barbera has earned critical praise and audience acclaim for his effortless singing, his “old-fashioned warmth” (Opera News), and his expressive musicality.

Barbera captivates the crowd in the beloved aria “La donna è mobile,” in this excerpt from Verdi’s Rigoletto. (And just wait until you hear his last note!)

Shenyang

bass-baritone

From the moment Shenyang won the prestigious BBC Cardiff Singer of the World Competition in 2007, his ascent to international prominence was assured. His career, defined by elegant and precise singing, was launched with early acclaim for interpretations of Mozart, Rossini, and Handel. In recent years, Shenyang has ventured into more dramatic and psychologically complex repertoire, embracing the works of Beethoven, Strauss, and Wagner.

Hear Shenyang in his 2007 Rosenblatt Recital Song Prize-winning performance of Henri Duparc’s “Phidylé”…

We cannot wait until these phenomenal artists join forces with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and UMS Choral Union (led by music director Scott Hanoian) on a packed Hill Auditorium stage! Please join us for an unforgettable opening night of music on Friday, September 26.

Tickets start at just $26 (+fees), with many student ticket discount opportunities available.

Get Tickets

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Each year, August 9 commemorates the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, a day chosen in recognition of the first meeting of the United Nations’ Working Group on Indigenous Populations held in Geneva in 1982. The U-N’s spotlight for 2025, Indigenous Peoples and AI: Defending Rights, Shaping Futures, highlights a growing concern: many AI systems are developed without Indigenous participation, raising serious risks of data misuse and environmental harm, particularly in rural and sacred lands.

At a time when Indigenous perspectives are often excluded from technological and cultural conversations, UMS is proud to spotlight two powerful Indigenous-led performances in its 25/26 season. These events bring Indigenous knowledge, storytelling, and artistry, to our stages.

Nigamon/Tunai

Émilie Monnet and Waira Nina

Thu Oct 2 – Wed Oct 8, 2025 // Power Center

At the crossroads of friendship and resistance for the protection of water and against extractivism in their respective territories, the two women invite us to a precious sharing nourished by the living knowledge, cosmogonies and struggles that link them. In Canada, mining and oil companies still thrive, while over there, in the Amazon, on the territory of the Inga people, they destroy entire living environments to plunder their resources – including copper, central to Anishinaabe culture.

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Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band

Thu Jan 29, 2026 // Michigan Theater

Led by the celebrated vocalist Julia Keefe (Nez Perce), this 16-piece ensemble of Native musicians highlights an often overlooked by rich history of Indigenous bands that existed on reservations across the country in the early 20th century. The group revives a vibrant legacy of Indigenous improvisation and creativity, blending traditional melodies made famous by earlier Indigenous jazz artists with new works inspired by their Native heritage.

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Honoring the Past, Listening to the Present, Shaping the Future

These two performances offer opportunities to engage with Indigenous voices, histories, and visions for the future. As we mark this year’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, let’s reflect on how art can challenge exclusion, build community, and celebrate resilience.

UMS invites you to be part of this journey — to listen more deeply, to learn more fully, and to stand in solidarity with Indigenous communities through the transformative power of performance.

Design a Series That Sings to You!

The 25/26 season brings many powerful voices to the stage. Take a peek at the choral performances and phenomenal singers coming soon to Hill Auditorium!

Curate your own singing-centered series with a Series:You season ticket package. As a Series:You subscriber, you get it all: a 10% discount, access to the best seats in the house, free exchange privileges, and the opportunity to purchase additional tickets to the entire UMS season for friends or family members.

Subscribe to Series:You

Verdi’s Requiem

Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the UMS Choral Union

Fri Sep 26, 2025

UMS’s 25/26 Season opens with Verdi’s monumental Requiem, which fuses the drama of opera with the spiritual depth of sacred music. This concert by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra will be performed exclusively in Ann Arbor and features a stellar international cast of singers making their UMS debuts: South African soprano Vuvu Mpofu, American mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, Mexican-American tenor René Barbera, and Chinese bass-baritone Shenyang.

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Handel’s Messiah

Sat-Sun Dec 6-7, 2025

The first words sung in Handel’s Messiah invite us all into a world of hope, renewal, and transcendence. Led by conductor Scott Hanoian and brought to life each year by friends and colleagues throughout the community who perform with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and the UMS Choral Union, this musical tradition continues to shine brightly. This year’s performances welcome back outstanding soloists who dazzled audiences in our 22/23 season: soprano Sherezade Panthaki, countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen, tenor, and bass-baritone Enrico Lagasca.

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Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

Arvo Pärt 90th Birthday Celebration

Fri Feb 13, 2026

The internationally acclaimed Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, under the direction of Tõnu Kaljuste, celebrates the famed Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and the indelible mark he has left on choral singing and classical music over his 90 years. Profound, powerful, and beloved worldwide, his work transcends time and space, taking us beyond everyday existence into another realm.

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More Powerful Vocalists

Add these incredible vocalists to your Series:You package to create the ultimate singing series! Don’t miss the chance to turn your series into a standout showcase of vocal talent.

Angélique Kidjo

Thu Mar 26, 2026

Five-time Grammy winner Angélique Kidjo returns to Ann Arbor, bringing her powerhouse voice and electrifying stage presence.

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Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band

Thu Jan 29, 2026

Led by vocalist Julia Keefe (Nez Perce), the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band reimagines traditional Indigenous jazz melodies.

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Rhiannon Giddens

Tue Apr 21, 2026

Artist, composer, and author Rhiannon Giddens has built a career out of expanding her brand of folk music into nearly every field imaginable.

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UMS is excited to celebrate the 250th anniversary of our country in 2026. To honor this milestone, our 25/26 season includes a number of events that center around America’s diverse and iconic voices, exceptional creativity, and innovative spirit.

Centennial Celebrations

Three of the American Icons 250 presentations double as centennial celebrations. These milestones aren’t just about looking back — they’re about recognizing the long-lasting influence these icons have had on American culture and creativity. From shaping artistic movements to redefining performance and storytelling, their legacies continue to resonate today.

Martha Graham Dance Company

GRAHAM100

Fri-Sun Jan 16-18 // Power Center

Martha Graham is recognized as a primal artistic force of the 20th century. She radically expanded the dance vocabulary, rooting it in social, psychological, and sexual ideas, and forever altering the art form. Her company, celebrating its 100th season since its 1926 beginnings in a small studio at Carnegie Hall, exemplifies its founder’s timeless and uniquely American style of dance. The Graham company will present three different performances in the Power Center.

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Terence Blanchard and Ravi Coltrane

Miles Davis and John Coltrane Centennial

Sun Feb 15 // Hill Auditorium

The year 1926 saw the birth of two towering figures who reshaped the landscape of 20th-century music: Miles Davis and John Coltrane. In this limited tour, Terence Blanchard and Ravi Coltrane, two of today’s most visionary musicians, come together to honor their legacies in a concert that is both a centennial tribute and a living, breathing continuation of their spirit.

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GATZ

Elevator Repair Service

Fri-Sun Mar 27-29 // Power Center

A century after the publication of The Great Gatsby and 20 years after its acclaimed off-Broadway run, Elevator Repair Service’s GATZ comes to Ann Arbor following its sold-out run at New York’s Public Theater in November 2024. Told over a single 6½-hour production (plus dinner break), GATZ is not just a retelling of the Gatsby story, but a complete enactment of the novel, in which Fitzgerald’s masterpiece is cleverly delivered word for word.

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Instrumental Figures

Each of the other performances featured as part of American Icons 250 recognizes America’s history in unique ways, using instruments not only as tools for music-making but also as voices that carry cultural memory, identity, and innovation across generations.

Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band

Thu Jan 29 // Michigan Theater

Led by the celebrated vocalist Julia Keefe (Nez Perce), this 16-piece ensemble of Native musicians highlights an often overlooked but rich history of Indigenous bands that existed on reservations across the country in the early 20th century. It both deepens and challenges our understanding of the “uniquely American” art form known as jazz.

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Wynton Marsalis Symphony No. 5

Fri Feb 6 // Hill Auditorium

This preview of Wynton Marsalis’s new Symphony No. 5, composed in honor of America’s 250th birthday, will be performed by musicians from the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance and the beloved Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

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The Complete Philip Glass Piano Etudes

Co-presented with the Gilmore Piano Festival

Sat Apr 18 // Hill Auditorium

As America celebrates its 250th year, Philip Glass’s collection of 20 piano etudes stands as a powerful tribute to innovation and artistic dedication. These intimate and inventive works reflect both Glass’s personal journey and the creative spirit that defines the nation’s cultural legacy. Ten different pianists will perform the 20 short pieces over the course of a single evening.

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Each year, UMS and the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance select students for a unique internship experience. Students are paired with internationally renowned artists and companies, including dance, theater, and music ensembles.

The 21st Century Artist Internship is a highly competitive program developed to prepare students for new demands that working artists face in the contemporary marketplace.

This summer, interns will develop industry contacts, hands-on work experience, and deep connections with internationally recognized performing artists. And upon their return to campus, the interns continue their work via a one-credit independent study where they serve as campus ambassadors, educators, and marketers to support their respective artists during their visit to Ann Arbor in UMS’s 2025/26 season.

The 21st Century Artist Internship program is made possible in part by Tim and Sally Petersen.

This Year’s Interns

Adithya Sastry

Class of 2026

Major: Sound Engineering

Placement: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra

Originally from New Jersey and growing up in India, Adithya Sastry developed an early interest in music, which evolved into a love for music production and recording, leading to his pursuit of sound engineering at U-M. In Ann Arbor, Adithya has worked on a range of projects, from live concert mixing and producing a full album to sound design for student films and theatrical productions, as well as multimedia audio experiences. Skilled in industry-standard software such as Pro Tools, Logic Pro, and Ableton Live, Adithya is also gaining hands-on experience with analog gear and advanced recording techniques.

Related UMS Performance

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

Duke in Africa

Sat Feb 7, 2026 // Hill Auditorium

Alyssa Hernandez

Class of 2026

Major: Dance

Placement: Ballet BC

Alyssa Hernandez is a rising senior at the University of Michigan studying Dance and minoring in Performing Arts Management & Entrepreneurship. Alyssa is from Saginaw, Michigan, and graduated from Saginaw Arts and Sciences Academy in 2022. Throughout her undergraduate degree thus far, she has performed in multiple senior thesis works, DSA’s Student Choreography Showcase, and the Dance Department’s annual performance at the Power Center, working with choreographers like FlockWorks and Rosanna Tavarez. Alyssa has performed various stage crew roles such as stage manager, sound/light board operator, and videographer. Outside of performing, she is extremely passionate about performing arts management, focusing on community engagement, fundraising, marketing, and project management. Alyssa has had the opportunity to work with students ages 4-17 in programs such as Ballet & Books and as a counselor for MPulse Performing Arts Summer Program. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, traveling, content creation, and watching reality television shows.

Related UMS Performance

Ballet BC

Fri – Sat Oct 17 – 18, 2025 // Power Center

Brenna Lantz-Lewis

Class of 2027

Major: Percussion Performance

Placement: Andy Akiho

Brenna Lantz-Lewis, originally from Lansing, Michigan, is a rising junior studying Percussion Performance at the University of Michigan. Additionally, she is an aspiring arts administrator pursuing a minor in Performing Arts Management and Entrepreneurship. She engages in coursework and conversations about how art can serve people on an individual and collective level, and what it means to be a leader and participant in the arts. Brenna is particularly interested in critical issues such as the relevance and relatability of classical music in the digital age. As a percussionist, she has been a part of many noteworthy projects including the VR recording of Hamlet by Carolyn Chen, and the recording of Michael Gordon’s 36-percussionist piece, Field of Vision, and has performed in venues such as Hill Auditorium, Detroit’s Orchestra Hall, and Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall. Brenna works as a percussion mentor for the Detroit Symphony Civic Youth Ensembles, and serves as the secretary of the Shipman Scholars Society at the University of Michigan.

Related UMS Performance

Imani Winds & Andy Akiho, steel drum

The Belonging Project

Sun Oct 26, 2025 // Rackham Auditorium

Our 25/26 Dance Series features three performances ranging from ballet to hip hop, all one-of-a-kind. From celebrating timeless dance to exploring present-day issues, the Dance Series showcases the growth and continuous development of thought-provoking choreography.

Ballet BC

October 17-18, 2025 // Power Center

Contemporary issues meet contemporary dance.

Led by renowned choreographer Medhi Walerski, Ballet BC has been a force in contemporary dance for nearly 40 years. Known for visually stunning and emotionally profound performances, the company blends physical innovation with social awareness. For their UMS debut, 20 dancers perform two powerful programs with unmatched precision and beauty.

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Martha Graham Dance Company

GRAHAM100

January 15-18, 2026 // Power Center

Celebrating 100 years of groundbreaking choreography.

The Martha Graham Dance Company marks its 100th anniversary with three distinct programs to honor the legacy of a true artistic pioneer. Graham forever changed modern dance, infusing it with bold ideas and raw emotion. These performances feature original set designs by Isamu Noguchi, whose collaborations with Graham helped define the American experience.

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Jeremy Nedd

from rock to rock… aka how magnolia was taken for granite

April 3-4, 2026 // Power Center

The balance between exploitation and expression.

Brooklyn-born choreographer Jeremy Nedd dives into the complexities of dance ownership and cultural appropriation. The performance centers on the “Milly Rock,” a dance move created by rapper 2 Milly which became the subject of a legal dispute after being incorporated into the video game Fortnite without acknowledgment. Five talented dancers explore the “ownership” of a viral dance move in the age of virality.

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How to get tickets?

Get the best seats at the best prices with a UMS Season Ticket package, on sale now. Get all three performances as part of a Dance Series package, or customize a performance season unique to you with a Series:You subscription (our most popular).

Individual event tickets to all programs go on sale July 29, 2025.

Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin is no stranger to UMS, with Ann Arbor audiences having enjoyed many of his memorable performances over the past decade with internationally celebrated artists and ensembles.

After his UMS debut with the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra in 2015, Nézet-Séguin has also led his hometown Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, conducted four performances with the Philadelphia Orchestra, and joined mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato in recital. Here is a brief photo walk down memory lane…

Yannick Nézet-Séguin and The Philadelphia Orchestra, September 2018

Yannick Nézet-Séguin and Joyce DiDonato performing Schubert’s Winterreise, December 2018

Joyce DiDonato and Yannick Nézet-Séguin with Orchestre Métropolitain de Montréal, November 2019

Nézet-Séguin conducting The Philadelphia Orchestra and the UMS Choral Union in Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem, April 2024

We are delighted to welcome Nézet-Séguin back to Ann Arbor in a fitting “sequel” to his 23/24 season performance of Brahms’s Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem). This December, in his 10-year anniversary with UMS, he will lead an all-Brahms program on a limited tour with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and soloists Veronika Eberle and Jean-Guihen Queyras. Discover what makes this collaboration so special:

A Beautiful Musical Partnership

This performance by one of the Europe’s most acclaimed orchestras is fresh off the release of their critically lauded recordings of the complete Brahms symphonies. Their interpretations have been praised for their clarity, warmth, and emotional immediacy.

Released on Deutsche Grammophon last summer, the Chamber Orchestra of Europe’s Brahms cycle with Nézet-Séguin offers something both intimate and expansive. The 60-member ensemble — smaller than a traditional symphony orchestra — brings transparency to Brahms’s often densely woven textures.

Gramophone called these recordings “an absolute joy,” and it’s no surprise. Nézet-Séguin’s long-standing relationship with the COE has created a deep musical rapport, and together, they marry centuries-old tradition with a fresh energy.

In this video, Nézet-Séguin explains how he can truly make music “in the moment” with the ensemble.

A Journey Through Brahms’s Musical Life

The upcoming UMS performance culminates in Brahms’s beloved Symphony No. 1. Cleverly nicknamed by some as “Beethoven’s Tenth” for its grandeur and seriousness, Brahms’s first symphony is a triumph of musical architecture and human feeling. In the hands of Nézet-Séguin and the COE, its familiar opening and radiant finale take on new emotional resonance.

This program juxtaposes Brahms’s first orchestral composition with the Double Concerto for Violin and Cello, his final orchestral work that showcases a lyrical dialogue between soloists and ensemble. The performance will also feature the UMS debuts of violinist Veronika Eberle and cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras.

Veronika Eberle and Jean-Guihen Queyras

A Rare Treat for U.S. Audiences

American audiences rarely get the chance to hear the Chamber Orchestra of Europe live. Their appearance in Ann Arbor this December is part of an extremely limited U.S. tour and offers a window into a deeply collaborative and joyfully serious approach to music-making.

This is Brahms not as monument, but as living, breathing artistry. Whether you’re a longtime admirer of his music or encountering these masterpieces for the first time, the concert promises a profound and unforgettable experience. We hope you will join us in welcoming maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin back to Michigan for his 10-year anniversary with UMS!

Looking for Tickets?

The best seats at the best prices are available now as part of 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 Series.

Individual event tickets will go on sale Tuesday, July 29.

This concert is made possible by supporting sponsors Sid Gilman and Carol Barbour.

The Rudy Hawkins Singers in performance of The Gospel at Colonus in the Power Center, January 1999

UMS mourns the passing of Dr. Rudy V. Hawkins, whom UMS had the pleasure of closely collaborating with during the late ’90s and early 2000s in Ann Arbor and Detroit.

UMS and the Carr Center initially engaged Detroit-based choir director and conductor Dr. Rudy Hawkins to assist in the formation of an adult mixed gospel choir formed by many of Detroit’s best singers to be the featured chorus for co-presentations of choreographer Donald Byrd’s The Harlem Nutcracker at Detroit Opera House in November 1998. The presentation was co-presented by UMS, the Carr Center (then known as the Arts League of Michigan), and Detroit Opera (then known as Michigan Opera Theater).

After an acclaimed performance run at the Detroit Opera House, the 50-member chorus, originally named the Duke Ellington Centennial Choir, became a centerpiece of UMS’s Detroit-based work and was featured in numerous UMS mainstage presentations through 2002.

In close artistic collaboration with Dr. Hawkins, UMS managed the chorus for remarkable UMS presentations including Lee Breuer and Bob Telson’s The Gospel at Colonus at the Power Center in January 1999 (see photo), return presentations of The Harlem Nutcracker — now appearing as The Rudy Hawkins Singers — in November–December 1999 (alongside a promotional appearance in the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Parade!), in a stand-alone choral presentation at Music Hall Detroit in December 2000, and as the featured gospel choir in Hallelujah: In Praise of Paradise Lost and Found in collaboration and in residency with the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange Company at the Power Center in October 2001.

As buzz of The Rudy Hawkins Singers began to spread nationally, UMS co-presented the gospel chorus in performances of Alvin Ailey’s foundational work Revelations with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at the Detroit Opera House in January–February 2001.

UMS’s commitment to work in Detroit was demonstrated in Rudy’s dream project: the UMS production and presentation of A Tribute to Gospel Legend Mattie Moss Clark, featuring The Rudy Hawkins Singers, honoring the Detroit legend at Hill Auditorium in January 2022.

Rudy was revered by his musical peers and colleagues and gained the trust and admiration of every member of The Rudy Hawkins Singers. Even more so than the respect he garnered as a chorus master and conductor, UMS remembers Dr. Hawkins for his kind and gentle nature, his unwavering commitment to artistic integrity, and for his love of the arts and of Detroit.

Only in Ann Arbor can audiences experience such an innovative lineup of classical artists from around the world! From anticipated UMS debuts and celebrations of masterful modern composers to boundary-pushing programs, check out 10 not-to-miss performances in the 25/26 season:

Season Opener: Verdi’s Requiem

Fri Sep 26 // Hill Auditorium

The new season opens with Verdi’s monumental Requiem, performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the UMS Choral Union, DSO music director Jader Bignamini, and a stellar international cast of soloists. This program by the DSO will only be performed here in Ann Arbor.

Philharmonia Orchestra, London

Fri Oct 24 // Hill Auditorium

London’s Philharmonia Orchestra returns to Hill Auditorium, with both the exciting Finnish conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali and superstar Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson making their UMS debuts.

On the program

Gabriela Ortiz Si el oxígeno fuera verde
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 73 (“Emperor”)
Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 in d minor, Op. 47

Imani Winds with Andy Akiho

Sun Oct 26 // Rackham Auditorium

The Imani Winds have led both a revolution and an evolution of the wind quintet through their energetic playing and adventurous programming. This collaboration features composer and percussionist Andy Akiho, a trailblazing Pulitzer Prize finalist and five-time Grammy-nominated composer whose bold works surpass preconceived boundaries of Western classical music.

On the program

Andy Akiho Solo Work
Paquito D’Rivera Kites
Andy Akiho The Synesthesia Suite
Jason Moran Cane
Andy Akiho BeLoud, BeLoved, BeLonging

Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería

Wed Jan 21 // Hill Auditorium

After their roaring UMS debut in 2023, México’s Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería and conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto return to the Hill Auditorium stage. This time, they join dynamic trumpet soloist Pacho Flores in a program of rarely heard orchestral works by leading composers from the Americas, in addition to two trumpet concerti.

On the program

Silvestre Revueltas Sensemayá
Franz Joseph Haydn Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Major
Paquito D’Rivera Venezuelan Concerto
Alberto Ginastera Suite from Panambí, Op. 1a
Alberto Ginastera Ollantay, Op. 17
Alberto Ginastera Dances from Estancia, Op. 8a

Wynton Marsalis Symphony No. 5

Fri Feb 6 // Hill Auditorium

Wynton Marsalis and his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra will be joined by orchestral musicians from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance in a preview performance of Marsalis’s all-new Symphony No. 5.

Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

Fri Feb 13 // Hill Auditorium

The esteemed Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, under the direction of Tõnu Kaljuste, celebrates the famed Estonian composer Arvo Pärt and the indelible mark he has left on choral singing and classical music over his 90 years.

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Mon Feb 23 // Hill Auditorium

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra returns to Hill Auditorium for the first time in more than a decade, under the leadership of their incoming music director, Klaus Mäkelä.

On the program

Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 7 in A Major, Op. 92
Hector Berlioz Symphonie fantastique

Karajan-Akademie of the Berliner Philharmoniker

Fri Mar 13 // Rackham Auditorium

The Karajan-Akademie of the Berliner Philharmoniker serves as the training ground for both the next generation of musicians for the Philharmoniker and orchestras around the world. This concert, part of a larger residency that will include campus engagement and learning activities, will feature several Akademie scholars alongside Philharmoniker musicians in an evening of Beethoven, Shostakovich, and Bartók.

The Complete Philip Glass Piano Etudes

Sat Apr 18 // Hill Auditorium

In a rare concert performance of master piano works co-presented with the Gilmore International Piano Festival, 10 outstanding pianists will perform all 20 of Philip Glass’s études on the Hill Auditorium stage.

Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

Wed Apr 22 // Hill Auditorium

Short in length but limitless in imagination, all 24 of Claude Debussy’s magical Preludes for piano are performed by one of their supreme living interpreters, Jean-Yves Thibaudet.

Looking for Tickets?

The best seats at the best prices are available now as part of 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 will go on sale Tuesday, July 29.

UMS is proud to introduce audiences to an extraordinary 25/26 theater lineup, presenting three groundbreaking productions that challenge, inspire, and immerse patrons in unique performance experiences. Explore the artists and works coming to Ann Arbor in the new season…and prepare to be moved!

Nigamon/Tunai

Émilie Monnet and Waira Nina

October 2-8, 2025 // Power Center

Where the forest speaks and ancestral voices rise…

Canadian artist Émilie Monnet and Colombian artist Waira Nina collaborate to present Nigamon / Tunai, an immersive performance ritual that intertwines Indigenous knowledge, storytelling, and the natural world. The title translates to “song” in Anishinaabemowin and Inga languages, reflecting the piece’s deep connection to cultural roots. Audiences are invited into a forest-like setting on the Power Center stage, where they will experience ritualized listening and feel the vibrations of water, stones, copper, and tree trunks. This intimate, poetic manifesto explores themes of friendship, resistance, and the protection of ancestral knowledge.

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Dimanche

Chaliwaté and Focus Companies

January 7-11, 2026 // Power Center

A climate in crisis. A world on the brink. A story told with wit.

Belgian companies Chaliwaté and Focus bring Dimanche to life, a visually stunning performance that combines puppetry, video, mime, and clowning. Set against the backdrop of an ecological apocalypse, the narrative follows a family attempting to maintain normalcy amidst climatic chaos and three wildlife reporters documenting the brink of extinction. This dystopian parable offers a witty and tender portrayal of humanity’s absurdity in the face of uncontrollable natural forces.

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GATZ

Elevator Repair Service

March 27-29, 2026 // Power Center

One office. One novel. Every word, electrified.

Elevator Repair Service presents GATZ, a theatrical tour-de-force that enacts F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby word for word. In a shabby office, an employee begins reading the novel aloud, blurring the lines between reality and fiction as the story unfolds. This 7-hour production, which includes intermissions and a dinner break, has been hailed as “the most remarkable achievement in theater not only of this year, but also of this decade” by The New York Times.

Learn More

How to get tickets?

Get the best seats at the best prices with a UMS Season Ticket package, on sale now. Get all three performances as part of a Theater Series package, or customize a performance season unique to you with a Series:You subscription (our most popular).

Individual event tickets to all programs go on sale July 29, 2025.

That’s a wrap! UMS returned to the Ypsilanti Freighthouse this April for another three-week residency of fun and eclectic programming. From free family events to sold-out concerts, to a culminating one-of-a-kind community celebration and processional, take a look back at some of our favorite moments:

Hey, Mambo!

Our residency kicked off with a night of salsa dancing led by Mambo Marci, with live music by LL7 Latin Jazz.

A Plethora of Puppeteers

Behind the scenes with Detroit Puppet Company. Photo by Peter Smith

The Detroit Puppet Company presented three School Day Performances and two packed free family performances featuring their new shadow puppet show, Sun Moon Secret.

Families watching Detroit Puppet Company’s Sun Moon Secret. Photo by Peter Smith

Kids created their own shadow puppets at workshops after each show!

Post-show puppet-making workshop. Photo by Peter Smith

A Sonic Meditation

Multidisciplinary artists Sophiyah E. and King Sophia guided audiences on a journey of mindfulness and meditation with beautiful ambient sound — the perfect opportunity to tune out the chaotic outside world. Carefully curated teas provided by Bloodroot Herb Shop in Ypsi helped set the mood.

Discovering the Sounds of the Kanun

Kanun master Firas Zreik with Kenji Lee (sax) and Jon Hammonds (bass). Photo by Peter Smith

World renowned kanun player Firas Zreik explored the traditions of Arabic maqam and the modern versatility of the instrument, alongside some of Ypsi’s best jazz musicians.

Firas Zreik demonstrating the kanun. Photo by Peter Smith

Earlier in the day, Zreik visited Ypsilanti Community Middle School to demonstrate the kanun and talk about the instrument’s history.

Midwestern Glory

Frontier Ruckus at the Freighthouse. Photo by Peter Smith

From Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo to the Freighthouse! Michigan’s own Frontier Ruckus took the stage in a fun and nostalgic night of songs that symbolize Americana and Midwestern suburban life.

Straight Ahead to Our Hearts

Straight Ahead performing at the Freighthouse. Photo by Peter Smith

Straight Ahead, Detroit’s groundbreaking, Grammy-nominated, all-women jazz band, performed a fabulous sold-out afternoon set at the Freighthouse.

Bassist Marion Hayden. Photo by Peter Smith

The following day, UMS filmed the ensemble for a digital-exclusive set that will be released on YouTube later this summer.

Local Talent Shines

Open mic nights at the Freighthouse continue to be a beloved community tradition! From monologues to original songs being performed in public for the first time, the audience created a supportive environment for all voices to be heard. Special thank you to our beloved colleague and host, singer-songwriter Rochelle Clark!

 

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A Celebration of Community Unlike Any Other

To conclude our residency, 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.

Detroit Party Marching Band. Photo by Peter Smith

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.

Djangophonique at the Freighthouse. Photo by Peter Smith

Thank You

Each residency at the Freighthouse gets bigger and better, and all of us thank our Ypsilanti community and audiences for the incredible energy and enthusiasm they bring to this series. And don’t worry, we’ll be back this September, with a full lineup to be announced later this summer! Sign up for our Freighthouse interest list and get a notification as soon as information becomes available.

The Ypsilanti Freighthouse residency is supported by Menakka and Essel Bailey and Linh and Dug Song.

Family Programming Sponsor

K-12 Programming Sponsor