Hill Auditorium
KINGS ReJOYCE!
Joyce DiDonato and Kings Return
$15-20 student tickets available
The charismatic a cappella quartet Kings Return has such a rich, warm, and powerful blend of vocal timbres that it’s no wonder the Grammy-nominated group has amassed a large and devoted following since their 2016 founding in Dallas.
Unbound by a single genre, their sound is rooted in gospel, jazz, R&B, and Western classical music. One of their signature “staircase performances” (where they often rehearse and post their videos online) caught the eye of about 10 million people, including Grammy-winning mezzo-soprano and frequent UMS guest artist Joyce DiDonato, who reached out to explore a collaboration. UMS audiences are the beneficiaries of this serendipitous exchange, with a special holiday program that will no doubt inspire vocal music lovers, families, and the thousands of students and alumni who have sung in a cappella groups across the U-M campus.
Valet parking will be available beginning 1 hour before the performance for $30 per car (cash only) on N University Ave in front of Hill Auditorium.
Thank You to Our Sponsors
PRINCIPAL SPONSOR
- Karl V. Hauser and Ilene H. Forsyth Choral Union Endowment Fund
SUPPORTING SPONSOR
- Sharon and Dallas Dort
- Norman and Debbie Herbert
- Peter Toogood and Hanna Song
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MEDIA PARTNERS
Multi-Grammy Award winner and 2018 Olivier Award winner for Outstanding Achievement in Opera, Kansas-born Joyce DiDonato entrances audiences across the globe, and has been proclaimed “perhaps the most potent female singer of her generation” by The New Yorker. With a voice “nothing less than 24-carat gold” according to The Times, Joyce has towered at the top of the industry both as a performer, a producer, and a fierce advocate for the arts. With a repertoire spanning over four centuries, a varied and highly acclaimed discography, and industry-leading projects, her artistry has defined what it is to be a singer in the 21st century.
Recent highlights include Handel’s Theodora for the Teatro Real in Madrid and a highly acclaimed European recital tour with performances at Teatro alla Scala, Staatsoper Berlin, Athens Megaron, and Palau de la Música de Valencia. Joyce continued her celebrated musical partnership with Yannick Nézet-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra, and made debut appearances with the Norwegian National Opera Orchestra and the London Philharmonic Orchestra. In December 2024, Joyce toured the United States with Dallas-based a cappella group Kings Return with a festive programme entitled ‘Kings Re-Joyce’. An intensive spring residency at the Konzerthaus Dortmund featured the world premiere of ‘Another Eve’, a song cycle by Rachel Portman, as well as her concert debut in Handel’s Jephtha alongside Il Pomo d’Oro.
Dynamic and soothing four-piece vocal group Kings Return take pride in crafting a diverse yet supremely cohesive a cappella sound: The blend of their unique vocal timbres is so rich and so smooth that, at times, it sounds more like a full choir than a mere four men. Discovered after posting a series of bare-bones stairwell performances that went viral, their music is a balm to the soul, laced with expansive harmonies that flex the agility and effortless range of their vocal talent.
Kings Return was first conceived in 2016, when Kunda asked some friends to perform with him for a college recital. The a cappella performance captivated the crowd and soon led to local gigs, where the group cut their teeth before finalizing the lineup in 2020. Composed of tenor Vaughn Faison, bass Gabe Kunda, tenor JE McKissic, and baritone Jamall Williams, the Dallas-based quartet has since captured the hearts of millions of fans in-person and online. They earned their first taste of fame that summer, when they arranged, performed, and posted a video of their soul-stirring, a cappella rendition of “God Bless America,” which went viral. The next year, they posted a more classical a cappella performance of “Ubi Caritas,” which also went viral, amassing over 10 million views. A pivotal moment for the budding act, Kings Return began to shift away from a strictly gospel focus to explore a more diverse musical repertoire. They dropped their debut EP in December 2021, a warm, jazz-leaning holiday album titled Merry Little Christmas, followed by the June 2022 release of their stunning Bee Gees cover “How Deep is Your Love” off debut LP ROVE, which earned a GRAMMY nomination for “best arrangement instrumental or a cappella.”
The group’s name perfectly embodies their intentions as artists: “Kings” because they possess a charismatic power, moving forward with confidence to conquer whatever challenges arise. The “Return” signifies another important part of their mission: to give back to the communities that have supported them along the way. “We don’t use any instruments, and it can feel very vulnerable to perform on stage alone, especially as Black men — with all stigma that entails,” says Kunda. “When we come together to do this vulnerable thing called a cappella, it strengthens our bonds. It makes us tighter as a unit and as human beings. We want to be examples for other men like us.”
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