On July 9, Karen Brown joined UMS as its inaugural Chief Operating Officer. Karen comes to UMS from Boston, where she spent the past 20+ years working for another multidisciplinary presenter, the Celebrity Series of Boston, recently renamed Vivo Performing Arts. UMS Vice President of Marketing & Communications Sara Billmann recently sat down with Karen for a conversation.

UMS: Tell us a bit about your background in the performing arts.

Karen Brown: I grew up playing the clarinet. I moved around a lot as a child due to my father’s work, and participating in music was the way I would get connected to the new community. I studied music at Ithaca College, where I also explored arts administration possibilities and then delved into the performing arts as a career.

I’m really grateful to have a career that’s rooted in my personal interests. I’ve had experience with an artist management company in New York City, the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Music Center, and the cornerstone of my career thus far, at Celebrity Series of Boston. I’ve always been drawn to the presenting space as I appreciate and enjoy the artistic variety. It keeps things interesting.

You started your career working in dance, correct?

Yes, I started off as a booking assistant at IMG Artists, supporting three sales staff representing North America and a roster of 75 different artists. It was a crash course in not only how the industry functions, but also a host of new artists and genres. I moved towards the managerial side and worked with a roster of a dozen different dance companies and just immersed myself in contemporary modern dance. I had a small expense account and attended performances several nights a week. Seeing lots of quality work, especially in NYC, was an expectation of the job and tremendously enjoyable for me, as well.

And then you went to Tanglewood.

I enjoyed my time at the BSO very much, having multiple venues for one institution, varied audiences, and a deep exploration of orchestral music. The Berkshires are beautiful! However, I missed the artistic variety and pace of a major presenting series.

So you ended up at Celebrity Series, an organization that we know very well here at UMS, where you spent 20 years.

22 years. It’s a big move, to pack up from 22 years in Boston to come here! I have always admired the work of UMS — our organizations are industry peers. And I knew that it was time for me to try something new and stretch myself professionally. As someone who moved around a lot as a child, I also wanted to extend ourselves as a family unit, if the right opportunity presented itself.

What are you most looking forward to in this new role?

What ultimately drew me to this moment was the opportunity to support the 150th anniversary; shape some of the strategic directions that have been outlined by the staff, board and leadership; and make a difference in this community. There’s such an impressive, strong foundation already, and I’m honored to be a part of the organization’s next chapter. I’m deeply motivated by mission-driven work and using the arts to help build connections and enrich people’s lives as individuals and communities.

I’m also curious and interested in engaging with the university opportunities here. Since I am coming from an environment where that has not been as closely integrated with learning, I’m eager to help further develop this relationship.

I think it’s fair to say that UMS wouldn’t be UMS without the University, and some people would even say the University might not be the University without UMS. I want to switch gears a little bit to the presenting world, because a lot of people don’t really understand what it means to be a presenter, especially one that works in a vast array of different spaces.

The opportunities that are on the table when working in multiple venues, the artistic variety this invites, and the connection with communities — all of these offer incredibly rich and varied experiences for audiences. So, I will take a role that requires working in many different places, people and artists any day of the week. I really do think it fuels creativity in a way that ultimately benefits our communities.

All right. Now I’m going to ask you a funny question that you won’t be able to answer.

Green.

That’s not the answer. It’s in the spirit of, you can’t pick your favorite child.

No, please don’t ask me to pick a favorite.

I’m not going to ask you to pick a favorite artist, but talk about a few performances over your career that really stand out.

This is going to be so hard. Let’s start with Street Pianos, which was a public art project I worked on in 2012 and again in 2016, created by British artist Luke Jerram. The premise behind the work is that used upright pianos are painted by community members and then placed in outdoor spaces for anyone to play and enjoy. As part of the 75th anniversary of Celebrity Series, we placed 75 pianos in different public places within the City of Boston, all painted by local artists, and available for all Bostonians for two and a half weeks. The project also needed 75 caretakers and we engaged a huge volunteer corps as yet another way of honoring the community-driven spirit of the work.

The main reason this project was so memorable is that it was the first of many public participatory arts projects we undertook over 15 years. All prioritized outdoor, interactive artistic experiences that engaged a larger, broader public than the organization had previously served. It was a big leap ahead for the institution, and it also allowed me to appreciate and connect with my community in new ways. We regularly visited all 23 neighborhoods in Boston during the planning, install, and festival periods, which deepened the organization’s relationship to the city and people of Boston. To this day Bostonians reminisce about Street Pianos with civic pride.

Amazing. Any other events you’d want to highlight?

Dreamers’ Circus is a band at the forefront of new Nordic folk music. Fans of the Danish String Quartet may know that violinist Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen plays with the quartet and also in this band. Dreamers’ were scheduled to perform in Boston, though the pandemic had other plans. So they recorded a digital performance film, which took place in a stunning non-traditional performance space in Copenhagen. In a very dark time, this digital performance was a bright spot of optimism and joy.

A few years later the group finally performed at Boston’s Jordan Hall in person, and I recall being completely overwhelmed by their work. To then experience their artistry live, in person, was almost too much. I snuck up to the balcony and cried my face off. I needed to be with people, and then at the same time, I just wanted to be by myself at that moment.

Two others I’ll mention for slightly different experiences. I remember a vocal recital we did probably 20 years ago by contralto Ewa Podleś. Remember her?

Absolutely. We have our own Ewa Podleś story.

Ewa had a huge, and unique, voice and could fill the largest of the world’s operatic houses. In the early 2000s she was invited to Boston for a vocal recital in a chamber music hall. During rehearsal, she took great care to adapt her voice to the room so she would deliver an exceptional performance. Preconcert, I recall listening to her prepare a full, proper vocal warmup in the dressing room. Her piano technique and her vocal control, range, and the seriousness with which she approached her instrument was at a level I had not seen with most touring artists, and I remember her as a bit of a force of nature onstage and off.

And for my last tale: For five years Celebrity Series of Boston and the entity that owns the Wang theater co-presented one major international ballet company every year for five years. During the load-in of the Bolshoi Ballet there was discussion about fire certifications and the need to cut a section of one of the scenic elements per Boston Fire Department procedures. The Bolshoi technical staff was furious, telling us that their scenic drop was older than our country, followed by some terse words in Russian. It was a humbling moment, to be sure. Just think of the history of that fabric!

I always love these stories, because it’s clear that so much of what someone brings personally to an experience contributes to what makes it particularly special. It’s not just about a great artist coming on stage and giving a great performance, but the audience is such a critical part of it.

If COVID taught us anything, it was to remind us that artists and audiences need each other for the live experiences to thrive. It’s unfortunate that shutting down public gatherings during a pandemic had to happen to remind us of the importance of this relationship.

So true. From the sublime to the ridiculous, we’ll move to a lightning round. Coffee or tea?

Coffee.

Wine or beer?

Wine.

Red or white?

White. Less messy.

Apple or Android?

Android.

Beethoven or Brahms?

Oh, that is very hard. I can’t choose. I’m a clarinet player and Brahms wrote some really lovely music for clarinet. But with all the repeats it can go on for days. I’ll say Beethoven for purposes of clarity. Ah, that one’s hard.

Ok, I’ll give you an easy one. Beethoven or Mahler?

Why are you stacking Beethoven up against anybody?!? Maybe that should be the answer then.

Anything else you’d like to add?

I am looking forward to being a part of the community here in Ann Arbor. My grandparents used to live here and so I have fond memories of visiting them during the holidays. Yet, I’m looking forward to making this experience our own.

Dance is constantly reinventing itself, and these choreographers are helping lead the way. Through bold experimentation, fearless performance, and deeply personal storytelling, they expand our understanding of what dance can be and do. Their work asks audiences not just to watch, but to feel, reflect, and imagine new possibilities for movement, connection, and expression.

Get to know the artists bringing these visionary works to the Power Center this season:

Shamel Pitts

Shamel Pitts is a multidisciplinary artist, choreographer, dancer, and director whose work blends movement, visual art, and storytelling to explore identity, memory, and transformation. Trained in the Gaga movement language and a former member of the Batsheva Dance Company for seven years, Pitts is the founder and artistic director of TRIBE. His internationally acclaimed works—including BLACK HOLE and the ongoing RED Series—combine dance, sound, ritual, and immersive design to create visionary explorations of Black embodiment, self-expression, and human connection.

Shamel Pitts | TRIBE returns with their newest multidisciplinary dance work, Marks of Red, Sat-Sun Oct 3-4.

Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber

Bobbi and Or are director-choreographers whose collaborative work spans dance, opera, theater, and film. Both are alumni of the Batsheva Dance Company and founding members of the American Modern Opera Company. In 2026, they were appointed resident choreographers of Vancouver’s Ballet BC. Smith and Schraiber — partners both inside and outside the studio — have choreographed works for dance companies such as the Paris Opera Ballet, GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, the National Ballet of Canada, the Martha Graham Dance Company, the Royal Danish Ballet, the Batsheva Ensemble, Theater Basel, Ballet BC, and L.A. Dance Project, among others.

Along with New York City Ballet principal dancer Sara Mearns, Bobbi and Or premiere a new dance work commissioned by UMS as part of the leadup to its 150th season.

Lucinda Childs

Lucinda Childs is one of the most influential figures in contemporary dance. A founding member of Judson Dance Theater in the 1960s, she helped redefine dance through her groundbreaking minimalist approach, characterized by precise movement, structured repetition, and a striking interplay between music and choreography. Over a career spanning more than six decades, Childs has created landmark works for dance, opera, and theater, including her celebrated collaboration with Philip Glass for Einstein on the Beach. Recently profiled by The New York Times and appointed resident choreographer of Gibney, Childs continues to shape the field with new creations that affirm her enduring artistic vision and influence.

This season, UMS offers a rare opportunity to experience two of her new works, Fri-Sat Apr 2-3.

Join Us This Season

From intimate explorations of identity and memory to large-scale celebrations of music, movement, and collaboration, these performances showcase the extraordinary range of dance in our 2026/27 season.

Dance Series

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 2026/27 season.

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

Cynthia Tang
Placement: London Symphony Orchestra

Cynthia Tang is a rising senior at the University of Michigan pursuing degrees in Oboe Performance and Music Education, with a minor in Arts Administration. Originally from Beijing, China and Los Angeles, California, she is passionate about the intersections of performance, education, community engagement, and arts administration. Alongside her studies, Cynthia works in the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance Admissions Office and teaches young musicians through private lessons, mentorship, and educational outreach. She has taught with Crescendo Detroit, served as an oboe mentor with the Michigan Youth Symphony Orchestra and Symphony Band, and will serve as an Ensemble Manager with the Michigan Youth Symphony Orchestra. She has also worked with students through clinics and sectional coaching in both Michigan and California. Through these experiences, she has developed a strong interest in arts education, youth engagement, and creating meaningful connections between arts organizations and the communities they serve. In her free time, Cynthia enjoys exploring local coffee shops, watching television series, attending live performances, and spending time with friends.

Related UMS Performance

London Symphony Orchestra
with Maxim Vengerov, violin
with Alisa. Weilerstein, cello

Wed-Thu Mar 3-4, 2027 // Hill Auditorium

Grady Yeager
Placement: Berliner Philharmoniker

Grady Yeager is a recent first generation college graduate, who studied music and political science at Michigan. He is from Shelby, Ohio, and has lived there his whole life. During his time at Michigan, he interned with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, where he helped bolster the education departments community outreach programs, and spearheaded a new wellness initiative for the orchestra. As a performer, he played tuba in the Michigan Pops Orchestra and Campus Symphony Orchestra. He also maintains a conducting schedule, and will be leading Faure’s Requiem this winter in efforts to raise money for the Shelby arts programs. In his free time, he enjoys gardening, lifting weights, and playing video games.

Related UMS Performance

Brass of the Berlin Philharmonic with Paul Jacobs, organ

Thu Feb 4, 2027 // Hill Auditorium

Kate Goldman
Placement: Gibney Dance Company

Kate Hart Goldman is a rising junior at the University of Michigan pursuing a BFA in Interarts Performance. A lifelong dancer and actor, Kate has choreographed 6 full length shows as well as numerous shorter works in addition to performing in many more. Most recently she served as the choreographer, co-writer, and featured performer for the dance theater show Bitter Party and as a featured dancer in Black and Brown Theater’s 2026 production of Salome and Aruaca. She is also the current Co-president of the U of M Zouk Dance Club.

Beyond the stage, Kate is deeply interested in dance administration and technical production.
She brings a unique toolkit with both a background in redesigning organizational systems and digital archives as well as a technical skill set in costuming, photography, videography, stage management, and lighting. Whether she is managing backstage operations or assisting with wardrobe, Kate is dedicated to the seamless execution of the performing arts and is eager to support the creative community through both administrative and technical excellence.

Related UMS Performance

Gibney Dance Company
New Works by Lucinda Childs

Fri-Sat Apr 2-3, 2027 // Power Center

With Wynton Marsalis set to step down as artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center and music director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra in June 2027, his upcoming Hill Auditorium appearances next Spring will mark his 30th and 31st — and final — performances at UMS in his role with the Orchestra.

Marsalis first appeared at UMS in January 1996 with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra Octet as part of the ensemble’s Morton, Monk, Marsalis tour, which featured unique stylings of works by Jelly Roll Morton and Thelonious Monk alongside Marsalis’s own compositions.

Over the past three decades, the relationship between UMS, Marsalis, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra has grown into a cherished artistic partnership. Their recurring appearances reflect both a longstanding history together and also a shared belief in music’s power to educate, inspire, and bring communities together. The Orchestra’s mission to “entertain, enrich, and expand a global community for jazz through performance, education, and advocacy” closely mirrors UMS’s commitment to connecting audiences with transformative and meaningful artistic experiences.

“Wynton and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra offer one of the most welcoming gateways to jazz,” says Mark Jacobson, vice president of programming and production at UMS. “New listeners are drawn in by the accessibility of their repertoire, while longtime aficionados admire the ensemble’s exceptional musicianship. Their broad appeal makes them a favorite with audiences of all backgrounds.”

A defining aspect of Marsalis’s legacy has been his commitment to expanding the possibilities of the jazz orchestra. Many of his appearances with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra have reflected his belief that jazz deserves the same artistic scope afforded to Western classical music. Through evening-length symphonies and extended thematic programs, he has challenged the conventional boundaries of the big band tradition, moving beyond collections of individual tunes to create cohesive artistic statements. These ambitious works have showcased the ensemble’s extraordinary versatility and endurance while preserving the spontaneity and creativity at the heart of jazz.

Wynton’s Original Scores at UMS

Blood on the Fields — February 1997

Marsalis’s first appearance at UMS with the full Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra featured his landmark, evening-length work Blood on the Fields. The jazz oratorio follows two enslaved people, Jesse and Leona, as they journey toward freedom. The work earned the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Music, making history as the first jazz composition to receive the award — an honor that had previously been reserved for classical music.

A Fiddler’s Tale — April 1998

The following year, UMS hosted the world premiere of A Fiddler’s Tale, Wynton’s reimagining of Igor Stravinsky’s The Soldier’s Tale (L’Histoire du soldat). In Stravinsky’s original, a Russian soldier trades his fiddle to the Devil in exchange for wealth. Marsalis updates the story for the modern music industry, following Beatrice, a jazz violinist whose artistic ambitions are tested by the temptations of fame and commercial success, embodied in the work by record producer — and Devil figure — Bubba Z. Beals.

All Rise — October 2022

Although Marsalis has appeared at UMS almost every year following his debut, it was not until 2022 — during the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s first week-long residency in Ann Arbor — that he returned with another epic evening-length work. UMS presented All Rise (Symphony No. 1), an ambitious composition performed by more than 200 artists, including the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, the University Symphony Orchestra, the University of Michigan Choirs, and the UMS Choral Union.

Bringing together musical traditions from around the world, All Rise reflects Marsalis’s belief that seemingly different styles of music share common roots and can unite to create something greater than the sum of their parts. Originally commissioned by the New York Philharmonic in 1999, the work gained added significance when it was performed and recorded in New York the days following the September 11 attacks, emerging as a powerful testament to resilience, community, and the unifying force of music.

The residency extended far beyond the concert hall, engaging students of all ages and communities across Ann Arbor. Activities included a Penny Stamps lecture exploring the relationship between art and athletics, a performance at the Milan Federal Correctional Institution in collaboration with the Prison Creative Arts Project and SMTD students, and a memorable collaboration with the Michigan Marching Band for its “Night in New Orleans” halftime show at Michigan Stadium in front of 116,000 fans!

The Jungle — February 2026

Earlier this year, Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra reunited with the University Symphony Orchestra and conductor Kenneth Kiesler to perform The Jungle (Symphony No. 4), a sweeping musical portrait of New York City. Blending jazz, blues, improvisation, and orchestral traditions, the work explores the many cultures, histories, and tensions that shape the city’s identity.

Wynton Marsalis looks to conductor Ken Kiesler after their performance of The Jungle.

The Jungle moves through the evolution of the city starting with Indigenous history, the Jazz Age, European immigration, the rise of Latin American culture, and the frenetic energy of the business world. Along the way, Marsalis examines the contrasts that define urban life, illuminating a city where wealth and poverty, aspiration and struggle, grit and glamour exist together.

This second week-long residency, which was part of a UMS thread celebrating American Icons at the 250th anniversary of our country’s birth, also provided opportunities for public engagement beyond the performance itself. Marsalis joined Ford School Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes for a discussion marking America’s upcoming 250th anniversary, exploring how music and the arts shape civic life, influence national identity, and help communities envision the future.

The Ever Fonky Lowdown — 2027

In his final appearances at UMS in his current role as JLCO music director, Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra join forces with acclaimed actor Wendell Pierce for a presentation of The Ever Fonky Lowdown. Marsalis has described the work as “a game of buying in and selling out… [that examines] the integrity and results of the culture we create every day by serving the tension between our dream vision, television, mythology and the underlying facts that we have actually experienced.”

Marsalis and Pierce have known each other since their teenage years, their friendship forged in New Orleans at Benjamin Franklin High School and carried through their studies at The Juilliard School before building separate careers on major stages. Their reunion on the UMS stage marks a rare opportunity to see longtime collaborators come together again, with Pierce embodying the hustler, Mr. Game, and serving as narrator to guide audiences through the work’s shifting layers of story, satire, and commentary.

Don’t Miss the End of an Era

Wynton Marsalis’s final UMS appearances as music director of Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra mark the end of an era: a decades-long partnership that has become a cornerstone of our community’s performing arts landscape. Over the past 30 years of UMS events, Wynton and the JLCO have nurtured and shaped a love of jazz in Ann Arbor, not only through landmark performances, but also through deep engagement with students, schools, and the U-M community, expanding access to the art form and inspiring new generations of listeners and musicians.

Jazz Series

Subscribe to the 2026/27 Jazz Series to secure your seats for both of Marsalis’s final performances at Hill Auditorium, and experience an extraordinary lineup of jazz artists, including Samara Joy, Gregory Porter, and Julian Lage.

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.

World-renowned orchestras. Superstar soloists. Boundary-pushing chamber music and genre-defying collaborations.

UMS’s 26/27 season is packed with unforgettable classical performances. Whether you’re a lifelong concertgoer or simply looking for a breathtaking live music experience, these instrumental events belong at the top of your list.

Opening Night: The Cleveland Orchestra

Be there for the triumphant return of one of America’s most celebrated orchestras. The Cleveland Orchestra and music director Franz Welser-Möst are back in Hill Auditorium for the first time in 15 years, opening the 26/27 season with works by Liszt, Martinů, and Brahms.

Three Piano Titans, Three Unforgettable Recitals

This season brings an extraordinary lineup of solo recitals from today’s most electrifying pianists:

Bruce Liu burst onto the international scene with his dazzling win at the 2021 International Chopin Competition, earning acclaim for performances that combine youthful spontaneity with remarkable polish. His UMS debut promises virtuosity with charisma to spare, paired with beloved piano masterworks including Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata.

As evidenced in his sold-out UMS debut recital in 2025, Seong-Jin Cho has become one of the defining pianists of his generation, celebrated for interpretations that balance poetry, precision, and emotional depth. His wide-ranging program includes two works by Prokofiev, whose ten pieces from Romeo and Juliet were arranged for piano even before the full ballet premiered.

Then there’s Yuja Wang, a true phenomenon whose technical brilliance, unparalleled style, and fearless artistry have captivated audiences around the globe. Whether delivering thunderous showpieces or intimate lyricism, Wang transforms every performance into an event. (Program to be announced)

Chamber Music Meets Guitar

The Grammy-winning Escher Quartet joins acclaimed classical guitarist Jason Vieaux for a program that explores the rich, rarely heard combination of string quartet and guitar. Intimate, colorful, and deeply expressive, this collaboration highlights chamber music’s ability to create astonishing emotional immediacy. It’s an ideal concert for listeners who love discovering hidden gems of the repertoire.

Pushing Classical Music Forward

For adventurous listeners, few performances this season promise as much excitement as Andy Akiho and Sandbox Percussion. Akiho’s music blends contemporary classical composition with infectious rhythm, striking sonorities, and influences that stretch far beyond the traditional concert hall.

Performed by the wildly inventive Sandbox Percussion, this program showcases the sheer theatricality and creativity of percussion music — proving that classical performance can be as visually thrilling as it is musically compelling.

Two Living Legends

Few artistic partnerships in classical music are as beloved as Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax. Their decades-long collaboration and friendship has produced performances of extraordinary warmth, humanity, and musical connection. Expect an evening filled with emotional depth and moments of pure joy. (Program to be announced)

Isidore Quartet and Anthony McGill

The dynamic young Isidore Quartet joins forces with Anthony McGill, principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic and an artist who brings extraordinary expressive range to every collaboration. Together, they will perform quintets by Brahms and Mozart, and explore a new work written for the ensemble by University of Michigan alumnus James Lee III.

The Spectacular Sounds of Brass and Organ

The musicians of the Berlin Philharmonic are legendary individually and collectively, showcasing the thrilling power, precision, and brilliance for which the orchestra is famous. Members of the Berlin Philharmonic brass section join celebrated American organist Paul Jacobs and other special guests for a one-of-a-kind Hill Auditorium concert that showcases the brilliant sounds of virtuosic brass blending with the mighty organ.

A Baroque Escape

The Mad Lover reimagines Baroque music through a contemporary lens. Violinist Théotime Langlois de Swarte, who led early music specialists Les Arts Florissants in a superb all-Vivaldi program in 2025, returns with lute player Thomas Dunford in a performance that showcases the themes of abandon, yearning, and loss common to the music of the Baroque era.

The London Symphony Orchestra

The London Symphony Orchestra returns to UMS with two distinct programs featuring chief conductor Sir Antonio Pappano and internationally renowned soloists:

This first of two UMS presentations with the LSO features violinist Maxim Vengerov performing Beethoven’s exquisite violin concerto 200 years after the composer’s death, followed by Shostakovich’s tragic and powerful Symphony No. 8.

Cellist Alisa Weilerstein returns to the Hill Auditorium stage as soloist for Elgar’s iconic Cello Concerto. Richard Strauss’s glorious tone poem Ein Heldenleben closes the program with its sensational color and imaginative orchestration, a musical depiction of a hero constantly at battle with its critics.

Take Your Seats to a Season Filled with Discovery

From legendary performers and celebrated orchestras to boundary-pushing contemporary works and intimate chamber collaborations, UMS’s 26/27 season offers classical music experiences for every kind of listener.

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 Voices You Need to Hear.

With the University of Michigan’s campus-wide theme “Human Health and Well-Being” shaping the academic year ahead, UMS is diving into the powerful ways the arts can inspire healing, foster connection, and support wellness. Throughout the 26/27 season, performances will explore the intersection of arts and wellness, inviting audiences to experience how music, dance, and storytelling can nourish both individuals and communities. There’s a growing understanding that the arts can play a meaningful role in addressing isolation, fostering resilience, and strengthening our collective well-being.

The center of this theme is a multi-day residency with the London Symphony Orchestra. The ensemble has promoted the integration of arts and wellness through their Creative Health programs in London, which help address mental health challenges among healthcare professionals, improve patient well-being through music-making in hospital settings, and combat loneliness and isolation among older adults, among other goals. In addition to their two performances at Hill Auditorium with Maxim Vengerov, violin and Alisa Weilerstein, cello, the orchestra will collaborate with the University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine, and the U-M Arts Initiative in a series of activities that includes small ensemble performances at U-M Hospitals, sharing best practices with local practitioners of creative health work in clinical settings, and other activities to be announced.

Alongside our partnership with the London Symphony Orchestra, two performances in UMS’s No Safety Net Theater series will explore the intersection of art, wellness, and lived experience.

In Watch Me Walk, Anne Gridley uses humor, grace, anger, and wry observation to reflect on her experience living with physical disability and others’ perceptions of it.

 

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In 300 Paintings, Sam Kissajukian explores mental health and personal struggle through comedy, storytelling, honesty, and visual art. Together, these works invite audiences to consider how art and creativity can positively impact connection, self-reflection, and our emotions.

In a time when many people are seeking ways to feel grounded and connected, UMS hopes this season will offer audiences not only memorable artistic experiences, but also a sense of community. Whether through music shared in a concert hall, stories told on stage, or moments of laughter that illuminate deeply personal experiences, these performances remind us that creativity can help us better understand ourselves and one another.

We hope you can join us in the new season.

Watch our 30-second trailer

Musical giants. Groundbreaking dance. No Safety Net theater. A focus on Arts & Wellness. Welcome to UMS’s 148th season.

Explore All 26/27 Events

26/27 Season Tickets

Or browse season highlights below.

For Patrons & Season Ticketholders

Current subscribers can renew their series starting Tuesday, April 28 at 10 am. Season ticket packages are available to the general public starting Tuesday, May 5.

Individual event tickets go on sale Tuesday, July 28, 2026.

For the Press

View Full Press Release (PDF)

Season Highlights

Orchestras & Recitalists in Hill Auditorium

Franz Welser-Möst conducting The Cleveland Orchestra

World-renowned ensembles and virtuoso soloists deliver a UMS Choral Union Series of exceptional artistry, star power, and unforgettable performances:

• The Cleveland Orchestra and music director Franz Welser-Möst return to Ann Arbor for the first time in 15 years, opening the 26/27 season. (Fri Sep 25, 2026)
• Three phenomenal pianists present solo recitals over the course of the season: Bruce Liu* (Wed Oct 28, 2026), Seong-Jin Cho (Sun Mar 14, 2027), and Yuja Wang (Thu Apr 8, 2027).
• Legendary cellist Yo-Yo Ma reunites with pianist Emanuel Ax for an evening of masterful collaboration, celebrating decades of shared artistry and musical connection. (Thu Dec 10, 2026)
• Members of the Berlin Philharmonic Brass section join celebrated organist Paul Jacobs in a special performance showcasing Hill Auditorium’s Frieze Memorial Organ. (Thu Feb 4, 2027)
• As part of an extended arts and wellness residency at UMS, the London Symphony Orchestra presents two different programs led by Sir Antonio Pappano, featuring violinist Maxim Vengerov and cellist Alisa Weilerstein, respectively. (Wed-Thu Mar 3-4, 2027)

* indicates UMS debut artist

Groundbreaking Dance

Marks of RED by Shamel Pitts | TRIBE

Experience visionary choreographers and boundary-defying performers in a dynamic exploration of movement, from bold new commissions to minimalist masterworks:

• Shamel Pitts | TRIBE returns with its newest work, Marks of RED, an Afrofuturistic meditation dance piece featuring the viewpoints of six women. (Sat-Sun Oct 3-4, 2026)]
• As part of the leadup to our 150th season in 28/29, UMS is commissioning a new dance work with New York City Ballet principal dancer Sara Mearns* and co-choreographers and dancers Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber. (Sat-Sun Oct 23-24, 2026)
• Legendary choreographer Lucinda Childs is known for her close association with composer Philip Glass, who celebrates his 90th birthday in 2027. New Works by Lucinda Childs features a landmark new piece for 10 dancers, with music that was originally composed for, but never used in, Einstein on the Beach. (Fri-Sat Apr 2-3, 2027)
• In The Butterfly Who Flew Into the Rave, venture to Detroit’s Andy Arts Center to witness the chaotic bliss of a three-day rave, condensed into a single hour and performed by Oli Mathiesen Co* from New Zealand and Detroit’s Suburban Knight*. (Fri-Sat Apr 30–May 1, 2027)

* indicates UMS debut artists

Choral and Operatic Masterworks

Joyce DiDonato

Incredible voices unite in performances of extraordinary emotional depth:

• The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, UMS Choral Union, and outstanding soloists perform Mozart’s Requiem, widely considered one of his most sublime works. (Fri Nov 13, 2026)
• Handel’s Messiah is brought to life each year by friends and colleagues from the community who perform with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and the UMS Choral Union. (Sat-Sun Dec 5-6, 2026)
• Joyce DiDonato returns with Il Pomo d’Oro and conductor Maxim Emelyanychev for a concert performance of Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, also featuring tenor and U-M alumnus Nicholas Phan. (Sun Feb 7, 2027)
• Conductor Scott Hanoian leads Ralph Vaughan Williams’s A Sea Symphony, joined by soprano Christine Goerke and baritone Norman Garrett. (Sat Feb 13, 2027)
• Bach specialist Masaaki Suzuki returns to conduct J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, one of the composer’s great masterpieces, with the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir. (Sat Feb 20, 2027)

No Safety Net

Zach Zucker as ‘Jack Tucker’ in Jack Tucker Comedy Standup Show

Our daring No Safety Net theater series returns, putting the spotlight on artists who fuse performance art and storytelling to explore everything from personal struggle to global injustice:

• Equal parts parody, performance art, and masterclass in comedic tension, Jack Tucker Comedy Standup Show is the misguided brainchild of Zach Zucker*, a performer who is celebrated for blending virtuosic clowning with razor-sharp satire. (Wed-Sun Nov 18-22, 2026)
• Watch Me Walk is a hilarious dark, biting, and compassionate new play about disability, pity, injustice, family mythologies, and the absurdities of the American health care system, expertly performed by Anne Gridley*. (Thu-Sun Jan 21-24, 2027)
• When I Saw the Sea is a powerful new theater work by director and choreographer Ali Chahrour that confronts Lebanon’s kafala system — a structure that binds migrant domestic workers to their employers and enables widespread exploitation, abuse, and erasure. (Fri-Sat Jan 29-30, 2027)
• Australian comedian Sam Kissajukian* transforms a deeply personal journey into 300 Paintings, a critically acclaimed show blending comedy and visual art to explore bipolar disorder, creativity, and recovery. (Thu-Sun Feb 18-21, 2027)

* indicates UMS debut artists

Celebrating Wynton Marsalis

Wynton Marsalis

These performances are part of Wynton Marsalis’s final season as artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center and music director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. We celebrate Wynton and the JLCO for their dozens of magnificent performances at UMS over the past 30+ years.

• Acclaimed actor Wendell Pierce narrates Wynton Marsalis’s 2019 masterpiece The Ever Fonky Lowdown, combining droll commentary with soulful, big band-backed vocals. (Sat Apr 24, 2027)
• Join us as we celebrate the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s 28th UMS concert — and Wynton Marsalis’s 31st and final Ann Arbor appearance with the Orchestra (Sun Apr 25, 2027)

Powerhouse Jazz and Contemporary Vocalists

Samara Joy

Distinctive voices and styles offer a dynamic celebration of contemporary musical expression:

• Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers* deliver an electrifying, genre-blurring sound that moves effortlessly between rock, jazz, folk, and beyond. (Fri Oct 2, 2026)
• Jazz sensation and six-time Grammy award winner Samara Joy returns to Hill Auditorium after her sold-out 2024 UMS debut. (Fri Oct 9, 2026)
• Gregory Porter brings his unique blend of jazz, soul, and gospel to Ann Arbor for the first time since 2014. (Thu Feb 11, 2027)
• Unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both a singer and an actress, Audra McDonald returns to UMS for her ninth appearance since her debut in 2000. (Sun Apr 18, 2027)

* indicates UMS debut artist

Arts & Wellness @ Michigan

Anne Gridley in Watch Me Walk

Explore the powerful intersections of creativity, mental health, and lived experience, bringing together performances and programs that illuminate how art can support personal and collective well-being:

• UMS is proud to partner with the London Symphony Orchestra and Michigan Medicine for a multi-day arts residency that will include numerous events, activities, demonstrations, and talks, all related to a theme of music and wellness. (March 2027)
• In Watch Me Walk, New York theater legend Anne Gridley brings her delightfully frank, gleefully experimental, and profound new work embodying the absurdity of navigating both disability and others’ perceptions of it. (Thu-Sun Jan 21-24, 2027)
• Over the course of what turned out to be a six-month manic episode, Sam Kissajukian went from being a comedian to a visual artist, creating over 300 large-scale paintings and unknowingly documenting his mental state through the process. His one-man theater piece, 300 Paintings, tells his story with humor, charm, and honesty (Feb 18-21, 2027)

Collaborative Chamber Artists

Thomas Dunford and Théotime Langlois de Swarte

Intimate performances that span centuries and styles, highlighting the richness and innovation of chamber music:

• The Sphinx Virtuosi celebrate our country’s ever-evolving story through reimagined classics and newly commissioned works, including a bold, new song cycle composed by Damien Geter and performed by mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges*. (Sun Oct 18, 2026)
• Jason Vieaux* joins the Escher Quartet for a program of rarely heard music written for string quartet and guitar. (Sun Nov 8, 2026)
• Following his UMS debut last season alongside the Imani Winds, composer and percussionist Andy Akiho returns with his steelpan and the Brooklyn-based ensemble Sandbox Percussion*. (Sun Nov 15, 2026)
• The Isidore String Quartet and clarinetist Anthony McGill return to perform quintets by Brahms and Mozart, along with a new piece by U-M alumnus James Lee III. (Fri Dec 18, 2026)
• With its new cellist, Mihai Mirica, joining the ensemble following the retirement of founding member András Fejér, the Takács Quartet returns with pianist Jeremy Denk. (Fri Feb 5, 2027)
• Violinist and early music specialist Théotime Langlois de Swarte returns with lute player Thomas Dunford*, celebrating Baroque works from their album, The Mad Lover. (Wed Mar 17, 2027)
• The Rosamunde Quartet — composed of members of the Berliner Philharmoniker, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, and the Kammerakademie Potsdam — unites to bring world-class artistry and a shared passion for chamber music to audiences. (Thu Apr 22, 2027)

* indicates UMS debut artist

Music from the Americas

Lupita Infante

Celebrate the vibrant evolution of Latin American musical traditions, with artists who honor their cultural roots while boldly reimagining them for today’s global stage:

• Mexican American singer Lupita Infante* brings a fresh, modern voice to traditional mariachi and ranchera, carrying forward the legacy of her family while redefining it for a new generation. (Sat Oct 17, 2026)
• The C4 Trío*, a groundbreaking Venezuelan ensemble, redefines the cuatro. Led by virtuoso Héctor Molina, the group blends folk roots with jazz, Latin, and pop influences to create a uniquely rich and versatile sound. (Thu Jan 28, 2027)

* indicates UMS debut artists

UMS at the Michigan Theater

Julian Lage

UMS returns to the Michigan Theater for two performances in the 26/27 season:

• Acclaimed guitarist Julian Lage* joins forces with bassist Jorge Roeder, keyboardist John Medeski, and drummer Kenny Wollesen for a dynamic quartet that blends jazz, folk, and beyond into spontaneous, deeply collaborative music. (Sat Nov 7, 2026)
• Oscar nominated filmmaker and U-M alumnus Sam Green* joins forces with writer and environmentalist Rebecca Solnit for TREES — a film documenting humankind’s relationship to our Earthly cohabitants. The film features actress Judi Dench, poet laureate Ada Limon, and is accompanied by live narration and music. (Sat Feb 27, 2027)

* indicates UMS debut artist

Discover all upcoming events. Additional 26/27 Season programming — including School Day Performances, Family and Digital presentations, plus our Fall residency at the Ypsilanti Freighthouse — will be announced over the coming months.

Joel Howell and Linda Samuelson have lived in Ann Arbor since the early 1980s and are avid arts supporters in our community and beyond. A former UMS Board member, Joel is an emeritus professor of Medical History and Internal Medicine at the U-M Medical School and College of LSA. He is the founder of the Medical Arts Program, which uses the arts as a pathway to enhance medical students’ and house officers’ ability to provide high quality, humanistic clinical care by emphasizing essential but often overlooked skills such as empathy, awareness of social context, and comfort with ambiguity. Linda is a professor of Molecular and Integrative Physiology and Internal Medicine at U-M, researching the role of stem cells in the gastrointestinal tract.

Joel and Linda are supporting the upcoming concert of Philip Glass’s Complete Piano Etudes — a concert that has a personal connection for the couple. UMS Vice President of Marketing & Communications Sara Billmann sat down with Joel and Linda in March to talk about their connection to the arts, to UMS, and to Philip Glass.

UMS: Tell us a bit about how your interest in the arts began.

Joel: I grew up in Mississippi and started playing piano in sixth grade, but only after I promised my father that I would practice an hour each day. My father’s sister attended the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, so he had a good sense of what was required to be serious. I stopped taking lessons when I went to college. About 10 years ago Linda and I went to the piano sale at the Music School and bought a beautiful 1937 Steinway Grand. Shortly after, I began taking lessons again, with Joel Schoenhals, a professor of piano at EMU. It’s become a major part of my life.

Linda: I’m more of a listener than a player…I used to sing in the choir in high school, in East Lansing, but it was through Joel more than anything else that I became more seriously involved with the arts.

Joel, you grew up in Mississippi and Linda, you grew up in East Lansing. How did you meet?

Linda: We met each other when I was a freshman and he was a sophomore at Michigan State University and started seeing each other a couple of years later. Then Joel went off to the University of Chicago to go to medical school, and I joined him there and completed my PhD in microbiology.

We’ve been married a long time…50 years this year.

Congratulations! And you still seem to really like each other. I know how many concerts you go to each year, both here in Ann Arbor and in other cities. 50 years of marriage equals a lot of performances together.

Joel: When I was in medical school, my Great-Aunt Rose had season tickets to all three series of the Chicago Symphony. If it was raining, or snowing, or if Brahms was on the program, she gave us her tickets. Fifth row center, right there. Later, when I was in medical residency at the University of Chicago, we were able to use tickets donated by a grateful family member of a patient. He donated tickets for residents to attend Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Because Linda and I already had symphony tickets, we tended to go more for the opera.

Linda: That was when Joel and I first saw opera and fell in love with it.
That also at least partially explains what must have influenced you in developing the Medical Arts program.

Joel: Music can help learners become better doctors. One way is through careful listening. We have concerts for students at our house. Sometimes a soloist plays a piece for the students without telling them anything at all about the composition. We discuss their feelings, thoughts, reactions. And then, after telling them who wrote the piece, the context of the composition, perhaps what the composer intended, we listen to it again. Students always hear things differently the second time around.

Most students notice the wide dynamic range of live performances … so many of them spend their whole lives listening to MP3 files with dynamic compression and they just don’t appreciate the differences between loud and soft music — the sort of experience one gets listing to live music at a UMS concert.

Another goal of using the arts is to help student physicians learn to be more attuned to the nuances of a specific patient, not only to be more attentive to details but also to appreciate the importance of social context as well as to be more tolerant of ambiguity.

And how was it that you ended up back in Michigan?

Linda: I was living in Chicago finishing my PhD and Joel was living in Philadelphia finishing a fellowship. This was around 1981.

Joel: And we thought we would try a traditional marriage and live in the same city just to see how it would go. I was coming from hearing the Philadelphia Orchestra all the time, and Linda had the Chicago Symphony. We wondered if we would be able to hear great music in a small Midwestern college town. But when we saw the UMS calendar, we realized we didn’t have anything to worry about.

Ok, my favorite question, especially of people who have been attending our concerts for so many years: what are some of your strongest memories / favorite concerts?

Joel: Murray Perahia doing the Goldberg Variations … you start off with this incredibly simple melody that a halfway decent amateur pianist could easily play. And then you go on this wild trip, this elegant adventure, through all sorts of mind-boggling variations, and after more than an hour you come back to the same place you started, the same simple, elegant music. The silence in the house after that concert was just profound. I don’t know why, but I thank goodness nobody felt the urge to leap up and applaud instantly when it was over.

Linda: There was also the woman who substituted for Cecilia Bartoli – Ewa Podleś. What an amazing concert that was! [Editor’s note: Cecilia Bartoli had to cancel a long-awaited recital appearance in 1997, when she developed a respiratory infection two days before the concert. Polish contralto Ewa Podleś was a last-minute substitute.]

Joel: All of the Takács Quartet concerts…the elegance and beauty of their performances. And the first Royal Shakespeare series.

Linda: Oh my gosh, that was amazing. Wasn’t that amazing?

Joel: Another one was [Philip Glass’s] Einstein on the Beach…we saw it in both Ann Arbor and New York.

Which brings us back to Philip Glass…

Joel: Which brings us back to Philip Glass. Joel [Schoenfels] has studio recitals for his students. The next one is going to be the same day as the performance of the complete Philip Glass piano etudes. So I figured, what the hell? I’m going to play two or three of them for the studio recital that day, though certainly not anywhere near the level that we’re going to hear in Hill. Actually playing the pieces gives a whole new insight into Glass’s music. It can be somewhat hypnotic and transfixing, somewhat inspirational and always intense and immersive…playing that kind of repetitive motion over and over again with subtle changes, it’s not trivial. I’ll play numbers 1, 4, and 5, or possibly 1, 5, and 6. Not 100% sure.

That’s such an incredibly personal and meaningful connection to this concert. I always knew that you did a lot of preparation before attending concerts, but this is a pretty high bar!

Joel: I try to listen at least once to everything that’s going to be performed. I’ve always said that my ideal concert includes at least one piece that I know from beginning to end and at least one that I’ve never heard before. And very often that’s often what we get at UMS. UMS gives us the best chamber music and symphonic music in the world. We love getting series tickets because that gets us to concerts we wouldn’t choose otherwise.

Linda: Last year we went to Santa Fe Opera and loved it. The outside setting and the quality of the productions are inspirational. While we continue to hold season tickets to Lyric Opera, we’re also hoping to explore and go to Central City Opera in Colorado. This year Joel flew to New York to see Tristan and to San Francisco for Parsifal.

You travel for opera, but all of your other needs are met in Ann Arbor.

Joel: Exactly. I also think if you don’t go to a concert every now and then and hate it, then you’re not being open-minded, you’re not being aggressive enough, you’re missing some good stuff.

Linda: I think there’s a big gap between hating something and not really appreciating it.

Joel: Ok, yeah. I’ll go with not really appreciating.

If you’ve spent any time in the stranger corners of classical music TikTok lately, you may have encountered Klaviercular — the self-described “pianomaxxing” influencer who has turned extreme piano listening into a lifestyle brand.

Part endurance athlete, part keyboard evangelist, Klaviercular has built a growing following by documenting his quest to attend the most long, complete, and physically demanding piano performances around the globe. Think less “casual recital attendance” and more “ultra-marathon but for Debussy.”

And according to his latest posts, two upcoming performances at UMS have him absolutely feral.

The Pianomaxxing Philosophy

For the uninitiated, ‘pianomaxxing’ is a lifestyle philosophy coined by Klaviercular that centers on maximizing one’s exposure to the piano repertoire through full cycles, complete editions, and multi-hour recital feats.

His rules are simple:

• The longer the program, the better
• “Complete works” are mandatory
• Bathroom breaks are a skill issue

“Short recitals are mid,” Klaviercular explained in a recent livestream while practicing wrist stretches. “If the pianist isn’t playing at least two hours of straight repertoire, what are we even doing? I’m trying to achieve full repertoire immersion.”

Legendary Piano Endurance Feats

Klaviercular’s résumé already includes some serious pianistic endurance events.

In 2023, he traveled to New York for pianist Yuja Wang’s legendary Rachmaninoff marathon at Carnegie Hall, where she performed all four piano concertos and the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini in a single evening.

“Bro that concert changed my brain chemistry,” he said. “Yuja basically no-hit-ran Rachmaninoff. Absolute main character energy.”

Then in 2025 he made a pilgrimage to Ann Arbor for Seong-Jin Cho’s performance of the complete solo piano works of Ravel at Hill Auditorium.

“I was locked in for the entire cycle,” he said. “Three hours of Ravel? That’s peak pianomaxxing content. The vibes were immaculate.”

Two New Targets in Ann Arbor

Now Klaviercular has his eyes on two upcoming UMS performances that he says represent “the future of elite piano listening.”

The Complete Philip Glass Piano Etudes

A full performance of all 20 Philip Glass Piano Etudes might intimidate many audiences. Not Klaviercular.

“This is literally my Super Bowl,” he posted. “Twenty etudes. Ten pianists. Minimalism grindset. I’m about to enter Glass mode.”

He elaborated further in a follow-up clip:

“People say minimalist music is repetitive. That’s the point. You just lock in and ascend. By Etude No. 11 you’re basically transcending the algorithm.”

He has reportedly begun “training” by listening to looping Glass playlists while walking on an incline treadmill.

Debussy: The Full Preludes Arc

If the Glass marathon wasn’t enough, Klaviercular is also planning to attend Jean-Yves Thibaudet performing the complete Debussy Preludes.

For him, the appeal is both musical and strategic. “Debussy preludes are like a cinematic universe,” he explained. “You can’t just watch one episode. You need the full lore.”

He added, “Thibaudet doing the whole cycle? That’s not a recital, that’s Debussy endgame. I’m pulling up early, hydrating, and mentally preparing for maximum impressionist vibes.”

Training for Piano Endurance

Like any serious endurance athlete, Klaviercular takes preparation seriously.

His pre-concert routine reportedly includes:

• Wrist mobility exercises
• A carefully timed nitro cold brew protocol
• Strategic protein snack deployment during intermission
• Stretching to survive extended sitting

He also recommends a mindset shift for newcomers to pianomaxxing.

“Don’t think of it as a long concert,” he advises. “Think of it as repertoire expansion DLC for your brain.”

The Future of Pianomaxxing

Klaviercular says his long-term goal is to attend a full performance of all 32 Beethoven sonatas in one weekend.

“Is it possible?” he asked his followers recently. “Probably not. But that’s what makes the grind beautiful.”

In the meantime, he’s counting down the days until his next Ann Arbor pilgrimage.

“Glass etudes. Debussy preludes. Two absolute piano marathons,” he said. “UMS is honestly feeding the pianomaxxing community right now.”

And if you see someone in the lobby stretching their wrists and whispering “lock in” before the downbeat…it’s probably Klaviercular.

Happy April Fools’ Day from UMS!

While Klaviercular isn’t real, our two epic April piano events are. Learn more and lock in your tickets for these unmissable performances:

The Complete Philip Glass Piano Etudes with 10 Pianists

Co-presented with The Gilmore Piano Festival

Sat Apr 18 at 7:30 pm // Hill Auditorium

More Info & Tickets

Starting at just $20 (+ fees); $15-20 student tickets available

Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano

Perfoming Debussy’s complete preludes

Wed Apr 22 at 7 pm // Hill Auditorium

More Info & Tickets

Starting at just $14 (+ fees); $15-20 student tickets available

Earlier in March, UMS hosted a weeklong residency with the Karajan-Akademie, the Berliner Philharmoniker’s prestigious training program that provides talented young musicians from around the globe with hands-on experience and scholarships to prepare them for professional orchestral careers. The week featured musical interactions, collaboration, and camaraderie between the 12 Akademie fellows and students from the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD). While rehearsing and preparing a dynamic and varied chamber music program, the visiting musicians also participated in campus and community engagement opportunities.

Enjoy a recap of some of the many activities across their residency week:

The Healing Power of Music

Six Akademie fellows visited Sophie’s Place at the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, livestreaming a performance that could be enjoyed by patients across the hospital’s CCTV network.

Enjoy this brief clip of Mozart’s horn quintet in E-flat Major:

During their time on campus, Akademie musicians also performed a pop-up “Health & Wellness” concert at the U-M Shapiro Library.

Classroom Visits

Three distinguished Berliner Philharmoniker musicians joined the Akademie fellows on their UMS residency: Simon Rössler, percussionist and Managing Director of the Karajan-Akademie; Wenzel Fuchs, principal clarinet; and Christophe Horák, principal second violin. Each led masterclasses at the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Simon Rössler with U-M professor Doug Perkins’ percussion studio.

SMTD violinist Jerusha Taylor playing in a masterclass with Christophe Horák

Wenzel Fuchs coaching Erie Johnson-Liang in a clarinet masterclass.

A Special Michigan Homecoming

Composer and University of Michigan alumna Julia Wolfe returned to Ann Arbor for the residency, as the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance commissioned a new arrangement for a large ensemble. Big Reeling, which debuted in the Akademie’s UMS performance, was planned for a combined ensemble featuring Akademie fellows alongside SMTD student musicians.

Composer Julia Wolfe working with U-M percussion student Paige Madden

A Sold-Out Performance

The Karajan-Akademie’s sold-out performance in Rackham Auditorium began with Beethoven’s Septet in E-Flat Major for Winds and Strings, featuring Berliner Philharmoniker’s Christophe Hórak (principal second violin) and Wenzel Fuchs (principal clarinet).

The second half of the program began with huge enthusiasm for Julia Wolfe’s Big Reeling, an energetic new arrangement commissioned by U-M SMTD. Six SMTD musicians accompanied the Akademie fellows on stage during the performance and joined the audience in applauding the composer’s brilliant work.

The Akademie’s performance of Shostakovich’s haunting Two Pieces for String Octet captivated the entire auditorium.

To close the program, SMTD musicians returned to the stage again, joining director Simon Rössler and the Karajan-Akademie for Bartók’s Divertimento for String Orchestra.

A Big, Fond Farewell

The Karajan-Akademie musicians ended their week in Ann Arbor with a special visit to another iconic University of Michigan venue…The Big House!

Wenzel Fuchs, principal clarinet of the Berliner Philharmoniker, even got to test out Michigan Stadium’s acoustics with a little Mozart…

 

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Special Thanks

We wish our visiting musicians a wonderful rest of their performance season in Berlin, and look forward to our continued work with the Berliner Philharmoniker and Karajan-Akademie in future seasons!

Thank you to the Berliner Philharmoniker’s Simon Rössler, Christophe Hórak, and Wenzel Fuchs; composer Julia Wolfe; professors Matt Albert and Doug Perkins, and our colleagues at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

The Karajan-Akademie’s residency in Ann Arbor exemplified the unique opportunities that UMS supporters make possible for Michigan — bringing together world-class artists, fostering next-generation talent, and creating engaging, community-building experiences on campus and beyond. Please join us in recognizing their incredible generosity:

Title Sponsors

Menakka and Essel Bailey

Principal Sponsors

Michael and Suzan Alexander, and an anonymous gift

Supporting Sponsors

Maurice S. and Linda G. Binkow Philanthropic Fund, and Claudio and Simona Zampa

This performance was also funded in part by a grant from the Arts Initiative at the University of Michigan

Media Partners

WGTE Public Media

How does a dance move born in a single neighborhood end up on the screens of millions of people? Or as an “emote” in a video game like Fortnite?

In from rock to rock…aka how magnolia was taken for granite, choreographer Jeremy Nedd takes us on a journey through the life cycle of a viral moment. By blending contemporary dance with the infectious energy of social media trends, the performance explores how Black creativity continuously shapes global culture.

The Story Behind the Name

The title from rock to rock draws inspiration from the philosopher Édouard Glissant, who wrote in his 1969 classic meditation on poetry and art, L’Intention poétique, about how ideas and cultures spread, change, and sometimes dilute as they move across the world. For Nedd, this perfectly mirrors the concept of virality.

The “aka” in the full title is a direct nod to “Magnolia,” the song by Playboi Carti that helped propel the Milly Rock to worldwide fame. It’s a literal and metaphorical journey of a movement traveling from one point — one rock — to the next.

“Time seemed to leap from rock to rock,” Glissant writes. “We gathered small pebbles around those great boulders — from the Trading Post to the Plantation, to the grave urn of illusions where we scraped our feet raw. These little stones tumbled between our toes as much as between our fingers, like crushed sand.”

What to Expect: “A Lot of Joy”

While the show dives into deep themes like the line between inspiration and appropriation, the physical experience is anything but academic. When asked what audiences should expect, Jeremy’s answer is simple: “A lot of joy.”

The performance is “an homage to the way dance travels from person to person, screen to screen, and stage to stage,“ Nedd says. It’s built for those who have joined in on a viral trend, spent hours in the digital worlds of Fortnite, and for anyone who has ever felt the urge to move when a favorite song comes on.

Inspiration, Not Imitation

Because everything is so accessible online, the line between “being inspired” and “taking without asking” can get blurry. Nedd navigates this divide by being as transparent as possible: he views the show as a “participation in the viral hype,” a sincere homage to the creators at the forefront of innovation. By reaching out to the originators of the moves seen on stage, Nedd ensures the performance isn’t just about the dance itself, but about honoring the spaces and people where this creativity starts.

“The actual starting point for me was the dance move,” says Nedd. “I’m fascinated with how a rather essential step allows so much space for complexity, freedom, and play. The case gave a framework to think deeper about how not just dance moves ‘move’ online, but also who ultimately benefits from that ‘movement.’”

Why You Can’t Miss It

From rock to rock is a rare opportunity to see the dances we do in our living rooms and on our phones elevated to a monumental scale. It is vibrant, thought-provoking, and, above all, a celebration of the innovation that keeps the world moving.

About the Artist

Jeremy Nedd is an award-winning choreographer whose career spans from New York to the most prestigious stages in Europe. Nedd worked in NYC before moving to Europe in 2010, where he has collaborated with organizations like the Semperoper Dresden, Ballet Basel, and Schauspielhaus Zürich/ Zürich Dance Ensemble.

Known for his ability to dissect and demystify culture, Nedd has also worked extensively with the South African Impilo Mapantsula collective. In 2023, his innovative approach to movement and cultural commentary earned him the Swiss Performing Arts Award and the Ellis Beauregard Choreographer Award in 2025.

Trade scrolling for the real deal. See the viral dance live and be part of the conversation, Fri-Sat Apr 3-4 in the Power Center.

Get Tickets

Tickets start at just $20 (+ fees); $15-20 student tickets available.

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s February 2026 residency brought music, inspiration, and community connection to life, featuring engaging conversations with Wynton Marsalis, student performances, and visits that left a lasting mark on audiences of all ages.

Wynton Marsalis in Conversation

Celeste Watkins-Hayes, dean of the U-M Ford School of Public Policy, joined renowned musician Wynton Marsalis for a public conversation reflecting on America at 250 and the role of music in shaping culture and civic life. Their wide-ranging discussion invited the audience to consider how the arts influence national identity, foster dialogue, and help imagine the country’s future.

School Day Performance

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra brought the energy of live jazz to a packed school-day performance and livestream, welcoming approximately 2,300 students, teachers, and chaperones from more than 30 schools and seven homeschools, spanning grades K–12. The daytime concert introduced young audiences to the excitement of big band music in an engaging, educational setting.

During the post-show Q&A, a first grader bravely asked to play music together with the band, sparking an impromptu rendition of “Baby Shark” that had the entire auditorium singing and clapping along. In the video clip below, watch how this joyful moment perfectly captured the spirit of the day: interactive, inspiring, and filled with the shared power of live music.

The Jungle performance with USO

The U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance’s University Student Orchestra took center stage in a landmark collaboration with the JLCO, performing Marsalis’s Symphony No. 4, “The Jungle,” under the baton of USO Music Director Ken Kiesler. For the student musicians, the project offered a rare opportunity to rehearse and perform alongside world-class jazz artists in a large-scale, genre-blending work.

Learn more about “The Jungle” and how Marsalis draws inspiration from New York City’s vibrant, turbulent, electrifying pulse.

Children’s Hospital performance

JLCO musicians joined U-M Jazz students for a special performance at Sophie’s Place at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, sharing live music with patients, families, and healthcare workers. For those unable to attend in person, the performance was streamed directly into patient rooms, bringing the energy and joy of jazz throughout the hospital.

Coaching and Class Visits

In addition to their performances, musicians from the JLCO spent time in classrooms and rehearsal spaces across the community, connecting directly with young artists and students. At Duke Ellington Middle School, Community High School, and Huron High School, three student jazz bands performed for the visiting artists, receiving real-time feedback, mentorship, and encouragement. JLCO members also worked with the U-M Band Ensemble and the Washtenaw Community College jazz ensemble, sharing professional insights and engaging students in collaborative musical exchange.

JLCO Vice President Todd Stoll participated in a class visit exploring “Hot Takes vs. Deep Dives: Arts Journalism and Criticism in the Digital Age,” expanding the conversation to include how we evaluate and discuss the arts today.

Every visit by Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra creates unforgettable memories and experiences for students and community members across generations. This year’s JLCO residency turned classrooms, stages, and hospital rooms into vibrant spaces of learning and laughter, proving the power of jazz to inspire and unite audiences.

Thank you to our generous supporters who continue to make this extraordinary partnership possible.

Title Sponsor

Presenting Sponsors

Menakka and Essel Bailey
Gil Omenn and Martha Darling

Principal Sponsors

James and Nancy Stanley

Supporting Sponsors

UMS Medical Community Endowment Fund
Anthony Reffells

Patron Sponsors

Ken and Penny Fischer

Funded in Part By

Media Partners

WEMU 89.1 FM
WRCJ 90.9 FM
WGTE 91.3 FM
Michigan Public 91.7 FM
WDET 101.9 FM
Ann Arbor’s 107one

Martha Graham Dance Company returned to the Power Center stage to celebrate its 100th anniversary with three unforgettable performances and a dynamic lineup of events. The week brought together company dancers, U-M students, and audiences from beyond campus through a special lobby art installation, a book signing, and dance workshops for all skill levels. From stage to studio to shared spaces, the Martha Graham Dance Company made its presence unmistakable. Take a look back at this action-packed week.

Three Different Programs, Featuring U-M students

To highlight the breadth of Martha Graham’s repertoire, the company presented three distinct programs over the course of the weekend. Friday and Sunday performances featured Panorama, performed by 30 first-year University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance students, while Sunday’s program also included Appalachian Spring accompanied by live music from the U-M Contemporary Directions Ensemble. With a different program each night, audiences were inspired to return—35 households attended all three performances, and 78 households experienced two.

School Day Performance

In addition to their public performances, the company performed Appalachian Spring and We the People for 600+ K-12 students from nine Southeast Michigan schools.

Lobby Installation

Peter Sparling, U-M professor emeritus and former Martha Graham principal dancer, celebrated the company’s visit with Doom-Eager: Paintings for Martha, a Power Center lobby exhibition inspired by Night Journey and Graham’s tragic heroines.

Martha Graham at 100 Book Signing

A special book signing at Literati Bookstore celebrated Martha Graham Dance Company: 100 Years, the photography book by Ann Arbor natives Deborah Ory and Ken Brower of NYC Dance Project, with remarks from the photographers alongside Sparling.

You Can Dance!

Rehearsal Director Blakeley White-McGuire and MGDC dancer Meagan King led a free You Can Dance! workshop for community members of all ages and skill levels, exploring movement inspired by Martha Graham’s iconic style in an accessible, welcoming environment.

Masterclasses and Workshops

Artist facilitators Seycon Nadia and Cara Graninger brought Martha Graham’s legacy to life in 12 school workshops across Southeast Michigan, guiding students to create their own pieces inspired by her innovative dance style. MGDC artists engaged with students across multiple academic contexts through performances, conversations, and classroom visits. White-McGuire participated in a 30-minute moderated conversation in the course Community Matters, exploring the intersections of community engagement and community impact through dance. MGDC apprentice dancer Grace Sautter visited both the American Culture course Dance in America and the UMS-sponsored Engaging Performance class, leading Q&A sessions with students in each setting. In addition, SMTD dance majors participated in a masterclass hosted by White-McGuire and observed a portion of an MGDC rehearsal on the Friday prior to the performance.

Thank You to Our Sponsors

UMS first presented the Martha Graham Dance Company in 1970, and they remain one of our closest artistic partners. We are grateful to our generous supporters who helped make this residency possible.

Title Sponsor

The Ehrenberg Family Charitable Foundation

Principal Sponsors

Herbert S. and Carol L. Amster Endowment Fund

Ken Fischer Legacy Endowment Fund

Supporting Sponsors

Ilene H. Forsyth Theater Endowment Fund

Claire L. Turcotte

Funded in Part by

Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation

Media Partners

Michigan Public

Martha Darling and Gil Omenn

Martha Darling and Gil Omenn have lived in Ann Arbor for more than 25 years and have been avid arts supporters in our community, serving on the boards of UMS and the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and a fixture at performances. Their 25/26 season support includes a performance sponsorship of the Fauré Piano Quartets on Thursday, February 12, featuring violinist James Ehnes, violist Jonathan Vinocour, cellist Raphael Bell, and pianist Inon Barnatan. We spoke to Martha and Gil about their background in the arts and many years of friendship with James Ehnes, who they affectionately know as “Jimmy.”

What were early performing arts experiences that helped form your love for the arts today?

Martha Darling (MD): I grew up in Los Angeles, where the year-round weather allowed kids to be outside playing games and sports. But I do remember going to downtown Los Angeles for the Civic Light Opera to see Broadway shows from the time that I was about 12. Touring and remounting shows then was a big deal, and we went to 6-8 shows a year. I think my first show was Peter Pan with Mary Martin, and we also saw first-class runs with the stars of the day: Damn Yankees with Jerry Lewis, a lot of Rogers and Hammerstein, including South Pacific with Mary Martin, and Lerner and Lowe. It was live music, and looking back I realize how terrifically lucky I was to have these experiences. I took the “statutory” three years of piano when I was a kid, but I was a swimmer and not really interested in music until I got to Reed College, where friends introduced me to Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, and so on, opening my eyes to discovery.

Gil Omenn (GO): I came to music much earlier. I started with piano from both of my parents, then clarinet, oboe and alto sax throughout school. In high school, I played oboe in the Youth Orchestra connected to The Philadelphia Orchestra and alto sax in the Bands of Tomorrow Competition of Greater Philadelphia. I played clarinet in the Princeton Marching Band and even made the cover of Sports Illustrated! Then I played piano for the Second Year Show at Harvard Medical School. I served on the boards of the Seattle Symphony and the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra. After coming to Ann Arbor in 1997 as Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and CEO of the University of Michigan Health System, I helped start the Life Sciences Orchestra, which just played its 25th anniversary concert in Hill Auditorium.

Martha, you met violinist James Ehnes when you lived in Seattle. How did you end up there?

MD: After college in Oregon, I did graduate work at Princeton in international economics. After a brief stint working as a field organizer for Movement for a New Congress, I spent four years in Paris doing consulting work for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, an outgrowth of the Organization for European Economic Cooperation, which managed European reconstruction through the Marshall Plan. One of the things I explored as part of that work was the policy implications of the role of women in the economy. After four years, I was ready to return to the United States and took a position at a think tank in Seattle. A few months before I left Paris, a friend made a connection to a friend of his from Seattle who was passing through Paris as part of his White House fellowship. That was how I met Gil over 50 years ago. We were in Seattle for a few years, then moved to DC, and then back to Seattle in 1982 for 15 years before we came to Ann Arbor.

And James Ehnes?

We’ve known him so long we call him “Jimmy.” When he was 19, he came to the Seattle Chamber Music Festival (SCMF), which was founded by a good friend of ours, Toby Saks, a cellist who had been with the New York Philharmonic. Toby had a vision to create a chamber music festival and invite young musicians who had just graduated from the country’s leading music schools. Jimmy made his first appearance in 1995.

The festival continues to be terrific for both the musicians and the audiences. So many artists we’ve seen at UMS were people we first saw at the Seattle Chamber Music Festival — Inon Barnatan, Anton Nel, Richard O’Neill (now with the Takács Quartet), and many others. Jimmy became the artistic director of the Festival eight years ago, and we still spend every July in Seattle for it.

James Ehnes performing with pianist Inon Barnatan:

Do you have a favorite memory of James Ehnes, whether in concert or personally?

We used to play softball together — Jimmy is a great baseball fan! Last summer, the SCMF put together a small ensemble to play the National Anthem at a Seattle Mariners game, and Jimmy got to throw the first pitch — a dream come true for him! Just like with music, he practiced a lot to ensure that his throw made it to the catcher without bouncing. We were thrilled for him. He recently joined the faculty at Indiana University as a violin professor.

Those of us who were in the audience for James Ehnes’s concert in Rackham a couple of years ago remember how delightful and engaging he was in introducing each piece and really developing a great rapport with the audience.

I think you’ll see that in their performance this month, too. The four members of this quartet all know each other from Seattle.

Funny that you mention that — Inon Barnatan told us that they first performed one of the Fauré quartets together there, and they had such a great time that they decided to take the concert on the road. It’s not part of a larger tour, so we were thrilled to be able to find a date when all four of their calendars aligned.

They are always interested in exploring the works of new and lesser-known composers and know how to spread the joy about music. Each year, Jimmy commissions a new work for the festival — the last one was a duo for violin and mandolin with Chris Thile — and he loves to introduce people to pieces they haven’t heard before. Our horizons have been stretched throughout the past 40 years because of a range of outstanding composers that have appeared on the SCMF and UMS programs.

All of us at UMS thank Martha Darling and Gil Omenn for their ongoing support of great music in our community. We invite you join them (and Jimmy!) in our wonderful presentation of French masterworks by Fauré on Thursday, February 12, 2026.

More Info & Tickets

Miles and Trane on Record: A Critic’s Favorites

Mark Stryker is the writer and producer of the documentary film The Best of the Best: Jazz from Detroit (2025, now streaming on Prime Video). He is also the author of Jazz from Detroit (2019, University of Michigan Press). An updated edition will be published in paperback on Feb. 11, 2026.

Here is a YouTube playlist of my favorite Miles Davis and John Coltrane recordings. I avoided posthumous box sets since large compilations run contrary to the spirit of the game. These are not my picks for the “greatest” or “most influential” records, through everything here is great and influential. These are my 10 desert island picks for each as a leader, presented in reverse order. Because I am making the rules, I allowed myself bonus tracks, too, to include individual performances I couldn’t leave out.

— Mark Stryker

Read More:

Miles Davis and John Coltrane at 100

Miles Davis

10. ‘Round About Midnight (1955-56), Columbia.

Miles’s debut on Columbia presents the finest group of its era throwing down in a perfectly programmed LP, leading with a stunning reading of Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight.” With Coltrane on tenor sax, Red Garland on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Beautifully recorded too by Columbia’s ace engineer Frank Laico.

9. Jack Johnson (1970), Columbia.

Embracing his inner Sly Stone, Jimi Hendrix, and James Brown, Miles ditched the murky sprawl of Bitches Brew for a streamlined band and a funk-rock knockout punch. Miles floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee. By design, much of Miles’ ‘70s electric music sounds in a state of becoming, but Jack Johnson has the bracing clarity and expression of music fully arrived.

8. Bag’s Groove (1954), Prestige.

Two dates in one. First, Miles, tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins, and pianist Horace Silver on the brink of stardom; the exceptional rhythm section of Silver, bassist Percy Heath, and Kenny Clarke swing with pristine unity. Second, the pellucid perfection of the title blues in two takes, with pianist Thelonious Monk and vibraphonist Milt Jackson.

7. Nefertiti (1967), Columbia.

Iconic material abounds by saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Herbie Hancock, and drummer Tony Williams. Shorter’s title track, a miracle of lyric melodic-harmonic expression sums up ‘60s post-bop. The performance still startles: The horns keep repeating the melody; the rhythm section, including bassist Ron Carter, gets loose as Williams improvises a drum concerto.

6. The Lost Quintet (1969), Sleepy Night.

Taped in Rotterdam, 11/9/69, the final document of the band with tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter, pianist Chick Corea, bassist Dave Holland, and drummer Jack DeJohnette without extra players. The concert sounds like the end of the world. Audaciously free, wild, incendiary, amped up to 11. Good God. Dubbed the “Lost Quintet” because it was never recorded commercially.

5. Miles Ahead (1957), Columbia.

Miles’s first large-scale collaboration with arranger Gil Evans unfolds like a luminous hallucination, a concerto for Miles (on flugelhorn) that segues between numbers in the manner of a suite. The ballads vibrate with the warm breath of human feeling, the swingers bloom like roses. Evans’s insanely creative writing is gorgeously textured, translucent. Miles plays like a God.

4. Relaxin’ (1956), Prestige.

Best of the five Prestige LPs by the First Great Quintet. “If I Were a Bell” is THE defining track by the band: Miles’s muted trumpet dancing, the contrast with Trane’s brash tenor. Red Garland’s grooving. Paul Chambers’s purr and melodic walking. Philly Joe Jones’s fire. Melody in “2,” solos in “4.” The recurring tag. Swing! Plus, Miles’s voice: “I’ll play it and tell you what it is later.”

3. Miles Smiles (1966), Columbia.

Spontaneous perfection. The Second Great Quintet coming into its own, widening its play of formal abstraction, redefining improvised music every night on the bandstand and in the studio. Everything here remains state-of-the-art 60 years later: The compositions (including Wayne Shorter’s immortal minor blues, “Footprints”), exploratory solos, group dialogue, overarching aesthetic.

2. My Funny Valentine (1964). Columbia

A true peak, especially epic ballads “Stella by Starlight” and “My Funny Valentine.” The expressive control of Miles’s sound and solos are a high bar; he didn’t start with chops but sure as hell developed them. Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams equal a magic triangle of intuition and intellect. “Stella” is saxophonist George Coleman’s shining hour; Herbie on “All of You”!

1. Milestones (1958), Columbia.

I can’t say it any better than Tony Williams: “Milestones is the definitive jazz album. If you want to know what jazz is, listen to that album. It embodies the spirit of everyone who plays jazz.” The closing “Straight No Chaser” is EVERYTHING. Miles, Cannonball Adderley, John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones fulfilling their swinging destiny at the highest level.

Bonus Track 1: “Country Son” (1968).

An extended, suite-like track, encompassing furious, harmonically open swing, a premonition of funky jazz-rock, and dreamy rubato sections. Composed by Miles, from Miles in the Sky, the most underrated of his ‘60s LPs.

Bonus Track 2: “I Waited for You” (1953).

I adore Miles on the Blue Note label (1952-54). Still struggling to wean himself from drugs, his sound smolders with wounded vulnerability. This plaintive ballad includes lovely support from pianist Gil Coggins.

Bonus Track 3: “Love for Sale” (1958).

Euphoric swing! Kind of Blue sextet breaks loose. Dig how Miles phrases the melody, especially the tension-and-release of the dotted quarter notes floating behind the beat starting at 51 seconds. Peak ebullience from alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley.

John Coltrane

10. Soultrane (1958), Prestige.

The best of Coltrane’s 11 LPs made for Prestige in 32 months from 1956-58. Sharp execution, a gleaming tenor sound, a fabulous program of swinging standards, bebop and ballads, and the A+ trio that Coltrane favored in those days: pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Art Taylor. Trane’s three choruses on “You Say You Care” roar out of the gate like a Triple Crown winner.

9. Interstellar Space (1967), Impulse!

Lucid, deeply moving duets in rubato time with drummer Rashied Ali that reveal how much control Coltrane had over his horn and materials. The music may sound totally free at first, but defined structural arcs, thematic and motivic development, and key centers unify the polymodal flurries of scales, variegated sonics, and orchestral effects. “Venus” is pick of the litter.

8. Coltrane’s Sound (1960), Atlantic.

Giant Steps and My Favorite Things get the most ink of the Atlantic LPs, but potent originals, a famous arrangement of “Body and Soul” with pedal points and “Giant Steps” substitutions, and a definitive “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes” capture the early Coltrane Quartet discovering its greatness. With pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Steve Davis, and drummer Elvin Jones.

7. The Mastery of John Coltrane, Vol. II: To the Beat of a Different Drum (1963
and 1965), Impulse!

Fantastic 2-LP compilation from 1978 collecting performances with drummer Roy Haynes, who subbed occasionally for Elvin Jones. The 1963 Newport set transcends: “I Want to Talk About You,” “Impressions,” “My Favorite Things.” Haynes’s chattering way of breaking up the
beat provides a trampoline for Coltrane, compared to Jones’s enveloping tornado of rhythms.

6. Ballads (1962), Impulse!

A record with bedroom eyes, this romantic LP provided a powerful argument against conservative critics who accused Coltrane of being anti-jazz. He sings these love songs on tenor with tenderness, patience, and sensitive lyricism, especially when he slides into his high register where the notes float softly among the clouds. McCoy Tyner’s piano accompaniment is to die for.

5. Blue Train (1957), Blue Note.

Quintessential hard bop and a high point of Coltrane’s early discography. Four alluring originals include two challenging tunes that became standards (“Moment’s Notice,” “Lazy Bird”). The groovy title blues launches one of Trane’s most memorable recorded solos. With trumpeter Lee Morgan, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Paul Chambers, drummer Philly Joe Jones.

4. Crescent (1964), Impulse!

The most sublime and elegantly proportioned of the Coltrane Quartet’s masterpieces. Keatsian poetry bathes the title track and “Wise One.” The jaunty “Bessie’s Blues” captures a universe in 3-½ minutes. The heartfelt “Lonnie’s Lament” brings pianist McCoy Tyner and bassist Jimmy Garrison to the fore. Not a note is wasted, even on “The Drum Thing” for Elvin Jones.

3. Live at the Half Note: One Down, One Up (1965), Impulse!

A holy grail bootleg tape until commercially released in 2005, this music captures the Coltrane Quartet at its most incendiary. The combustible, 28-minute version of “One Down One Up,” an exploration of whole tone and augmented scales, is from another planet; Coltrane and Elvin Jones speak in tongues during their ultimate saxophone- drums duet.

2. Transition (1965), Impulse!

A valedictory statement, taped mostly in June 1965, pushes the quartet to the outer limits of its language and intensity. The title track is a wild fever dream. Coltrane’s tenor strains to reach as high as he can go, climaxing in a beautiful nightmare of screams—yet the music never stops swinging or loses touch with the blues. Some days I even prefer this LP to A Love Supreme.

1. A Love Supreme (1964), Impulse!

After living with this music for 45 years, what strikes me most has little to do with the Aristotelian unity of its four movements, musicological insights, or the elevated technical resources and intellect of the quartet—and everything to do with the overwhelming power of its impassioned expression: It represents the peak of human feeling in art. Hearing it often brings tears to my eyes.

Bonus Track 1: “Bye Bye Blackbird” (1962), Pablo.

An irresistible swinger captured in concert in Stockholm. The 5-½ minute tag starting at 12:25 is some of my favorite music ever. Trane and Elvin! To paraphrase Amiri Baraka, they sound like the wild pulse of all living.

Bonus Track 2: “They Say It’s Wonderful” (1963), Impulse!

A gift for lovers of singers and song, the one-off LP collaboration between Coltrane and suave baritone Johnny Hartman lands like Cupid’s arrow. Romance is in the air. They say it’s wonderful, and they’re not wrong.

Bonus Track 3: “But Not for Me (1960), Atlantic.

I love the elation the quartet achieves in this swinging version of a beloved Gershwin tune, reharmonized with “Giant Steps” substitutions.
The extended tags capping each solo and the final tenor ride out at the end really sends me.

Bonus Tracks 4 and 5: “Impressions” and “Chasin’ the Trane (1961),
Impulse!

Gotta have these extended, volatile performances from a landmark run at the Village Vanguard. They set new standards for improvisation, group dynamics, and extended saxophone techniques. A Coltrane anthem at a racehorse tempo, “Impressions” explores the same modal territory as Miles Davis’s “So What.” The swift “Chasin’ the Trane” an ad-lib, 12-bar blues in F, is taken to extremes of abstraction. Coltrane mostly goes it alone with Jimmy Garrison and a maniacal Elvin Jones, whose elevated volume and aggressive dialogue on drums erases distinctions between foreground and background.