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2022-2023 Season

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You Can Dance–Outside! Ypsilanti: Hip Hop and Afrobeat
Family Friendly
Free
Public Workshop

You Can Dance —Outside! returns for another summer of movement and community across southeast Michigan.

Ash Arder: Solar Juke
Free
Installation
Performance

Ash Arder: Solar Juke

Saturday, September 3, 2022

Join Ash Arder, UMS’s Flint Artist-in-Residence, in a Detroit garden party and sound performance that uses “Whoop House” — a completely solar-powered sound sculpture — as a musical instrument.

NT Live: Straight Line Crazy
Film Screening

Ralph Fiennes leads the cast in David Hare’s searing social critique of the most powerful man in New York, a master manipulator whose legacy changed the city forever.

You Can Dance–Outside! Ann Arbor: West African Dance
Family Friendly
Free
Public Workshop

You Can Dance—Outside! returns for another summer of movement and community across southeast Michigan.

Trevor Noah: Back to Abnormal
Performance

Experience Trevor Noah, host of Comedy Central’s Emmy and Peabody Award-winning The Daily Show, in his first live UMS appearance!

You Can Dance — Outside! Ypsilanti: Step Dance
Family Friendly
Free
Public Workshop

You Can Dance—Outside! returns for another summer of movement and community across southeast Michigan.

This Is America: Johnny Gandelsman & Kinan Azmeh
In Person or Digital
Partner Event
Performance

Celebrating a 20-year friendship, violinist Johnny Gandelsman and clarinetist & composer Kinan Azmeh explore the sounds of their adopted home through music written by American and U.S.-based composers.

You Can Dance–Outside! Ann Arbor: Afro-Cuban Rhythms
Family Friendly
Free
Public Workshop

You Can Dance—Outside! returns for another summer of movement and community across southeast Michigan.

Emerson String Quartet
Performance

The Emerson String Quartet returns to Ann Arbor as part of its farewell tour.

Program

Felix Mendelssohn String Quartet No. 1 in E-flat Major, Op. 12
Johannes Brahms String Quartet No. 3 in B-flat Major, Op. 67
George Walker Lyric for Strings
Antonin Dvořák String Quaret No. 14 in A-flat Major, Op. 105

Songs of Freedom
Free
Partner Event

UMS is partnering with Sidewalk Detroit to present Songs of Freedom, an evening of music, dance, and a candlelight healing ceremony. Join us!

Sir András Schiff, piano
Performance

Sir András Schiff brings masterful and intellectual insights to his performances which have inspired audiences and critics alike. The program will include works by Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert, with each selection introduced from the stage.

Tunde Olaniran: Everything is a Portal
Free
Partner Event
Performance

Tunde Olaniran: Everything is a Portal

Friday, October 7 - Saturday, October 8, 2022

‘Everything is a Portal’ is a live performance companion to Cranbrook Art Museum’s current exhibition, Tunde Olaniran: Made a Universe.

Penny Stamps Speaker Series: Wynton Marsalis & Warde Manuel
Free
Talks & Discussions

Wynton Marsalis sits down with UM Director of Athletics Warde Manuel to explore art, athletics, and the creative process. These two successful New Orleans natives come together in a conversation moderated by Christopher Audain, Managing Director of the U-M Arts Initiative.

School Day Performance: JLCO 2223
In Person or Digital
School Day Performance

Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra kick off our season of in-person School Day Performances with a Big Band concert tailored for young people.

Wynton Marsalis’s All Rise
Performance

Wynton Marsalis’s All Rise combines a symphony orchestra, a jazz orchestra, and a chorus in a 12-movement arc built on the structure of the Blues, that moves from uplifting and energetic to dark and distressing to Marsalis’s vision of the “togetherness and ascendance” of humanity.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (2022)
Family Friendly
Performance

Wynton Marsalis and his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra honor the rich heritage of Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong, while presenting a stunning variety of new works from illustrious names.

City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra
Performance

Electrifying conductor Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla brings the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra to Ann Arbor as part of a limited US tour with cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason.

Program

Benjamin Britten Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes
Edward Elgar Cello Concerto in e minor, Op. 85
Thomas Adès The Exterminating Angel Symphony
Claude Debussy La mer

Hill Auditorium Student Open House 2223
Free
U-M Student Event

Go behind the scenes of Hill Auditorium and experience the venue like never before. Stroll through the venue, check out the view from the stage, and learn interesting facts about the history of the building. Bonus: we’ll send you off with a free bagel and coffee to enjoy on your way to your next class!

The Rite of Spring / common ground[s]
Performance

Pina Bausch’s pioneering work, one of the first that established her iconic approach to dance theater, is danced by a newly assembled company of dancers from more than a dozen African countries. Rite is paired with a new work created, performed, and inspired by the lives of two remarkable women: Germaine Acogny, the founder of the Senegalese company École des Sables who is widely considered “the mother of contemporary African dance,” and Malou Airuado, who performed leading roles in many of Bausch’s early works as a member of Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch.

Danish String Quartet: Doppelgänger
Performance

In its third UMS appearance, The Danish String Quartet brings its Doppelgänger project, an ambitious four-year international commissioning project in which composers create new works in response to a masterwork by Franz Schubert.

Program

Franz Schubert String Quartet No. 14 in d minor, D. 810 (“Death and the Maiden”)
Lotta Wennäkoski Pige
Franz Schubert “Death and the Maiden” (Schubert song arranged by the Danish String Quartet)

What Does the Sand Say?
Free
No Safety Net

How can we access the beauty and power of the earth while it is simultaneously disrespected, colonized, and exploited?

NT Live: Frankenstein on Halloween
Film Screening

Captured live in 2011, this thrilling production has become an international sensation and appears for one night only — a perfect way to celebrate Halloween!

UMS 101: Ranchera
Public Workshop

Explore the world of the mariachi art song and learn about the history, traditions, and interpretations of artists in traditional Mexican and Latin American music.

NT Live: Jack Absolute Flies Again
Film Screening

Based on Richard Brinsley Sheridan’s The Rivals, Jack Absolute Flies Again is a rollicking new comedy that The Guardian called “one of the funniest productions in the National’s history.”

Aida Cuevas with Mariachi Aztlán
Family Friendly
Performance

With a career of over 40 years and nearly as many albums, Grammy Award-winner Aida Cuevas, “the Queen of Ranchera Music, “is joined by Mariachi Aztlán, one of the top collegiate mariachi bands in the country.

School Day Performance: Aida Cuevas with Mariachi Aztlán
In Person or Digital
School Day Performance

For this School Day Performance Aida Cuevas, known as the “Queen of Ranchera Music,” exhibits her stunning vocals and her unwavering devotion to traditional mariachi music.

Berliner Philharmoniker
Performance
Pre-Performance Talk

Berliner Philharmoniker
in two different programs

Friday, November 18 - Saturday, November 19, 2022

The Berlin Philharmonic’s new chief conductor, Kirill Petrenko, makes his UMS debut with this two-concert residency.

Fri Program

Andrew Norman Unstuck
W.A. Mozart Violin Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Major, K. 207
Erich Korngold Symphony in F-Sharp Major, Op. 40

Join host Doyle Armbrust for “The Society for Disobedient Listeners” — a special pre-performance talk. (Friday only)

Sat Program

Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 7

Berlin Philharmonic Master Classes
Free
Master Class

Berlin Philharmonic Master Classes

Friday, November 18 - Saturday, November 19, 2022

Join members of the internationally renowned Berlin Philharmonic and students from the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance for a series of master classes on North Campus.

NT Live: Much Ado About Nothing
Film Screening

Shakespeare’s rom-com on sun, sea, and mistaken identity takes place at the family-run Hotel Messina on the Italian Riviera, a legendary spot that has been visited by artists, celebrities, and royalty. But when the owner’s daughter weds a dashing young soldier, not all guests are in the mood for love. A string of scandalous deceptions soon surrounds not only the young couple but also the adamantly single Beatrice and Benedick.

Handel’s Messiah
Performance
Pre-Performance Talk

Handel’s Messiah

Saturday, December 3 - Sunday, December 4, 2022

Ann Arbor’s most beloved holiday tradition with the UMS Choral Union and the Ann Arbor Symphony in Hill Auditorium.

Anansi the Spider
Digital Event
Family Friendly
School Day Performance

Classic West African and Caribbean tales come to life through the magic of digital storytelling!

Itzhak Perlman and Friends
Performance

For this special performance in Hill Auditorium, superstar violinist Itzhak Perlman brings together pianists Emanuel Ax and Jean-Yves Thibaudet and the Juilliard String Quartet for a mixed chamber music program.

Program

Jean-Marie Leclair Sonata for Two Violins in e minor, Op. 3, No. 5
W.A. Mozart Piano Quartet No. 2 in E-Flat Major, K. 493
Ernest Chausson Concerto for Violin, Piano, and String Quartet, Op. 21

UMS 101: Bluegrass
Public Workshop

Learn about the origins of American roots music known as bluegrass, and get to know some of the instruments and artists that make this uniquely American genre so soulful.

Béla Fleck My Bluegrass Heart and Punch Brothers
Family Friendly
Performance

When Punch Brothers and Béla Fleck come together in this special double-bill evening, one thing is certain: audiences benefit from their lifelong devotion to bluegrass as much as the musicians.

Ash Arder: Whoop House Work-in-Progress Showing
Free
Installation

Ash Arder: Whoop House
Work in Progress Showing

Monday, January 9 - Monday, January 23, 2023
Penny Stamps Speaker Series: Robin Frohardt
Free
No Safety Net
Talks & Discussions

Hear from the creator of The Plastic Bag Store, part of UMS’s No Safety Net 3.0 Festival.

The Plastic Bag Store
Film Screening
Installation
No Safety Net
Performance

The Plastic Bag Store is a public art installation and immersive film experience that questions our culture of consumption and convenience — specifically, the enduring effects of our single-use plastics.

salt:dispersed
Digital Event
No Safety Net
Performance

salt:dispersed
Selina Thompson

Tuesday, January 17 - Monday, February 13, 2023

In this digital presentation, performance artist Selina Thompson recreates her award-winning dramatic monologue about a journey she made by cargo ship to retrace the triangular route of the transatlantic slave trade.

Takács Quartet with Jeremy Denk, piano
Performance

The Takács Quartet and Jeremy Denk return to Rackham Auditorium with a program featuring Fanny Mendelssohn, Haydn, and Schumann.

Program

Franz Joseph Haydn String Quartet in F Major, Op. 77, No. 2
Fanny Mendelssohn Quartet in E-Flat Major
Robert Schumann Piano Quintet in E-Flat Major, Op. 44

Are we not drawn onward to new erA
No Safety Net
Performance
Q&A

Are we not drawn onward to new erA
Ontroerend Goed

Friday, January 20 - Saturday, January 21, 2023

Like its title, this performance is a palindrome that you will be able to see both forwards and backwards. A visual metaphor for this crucial moment in our future history, tracing the process of humans moving towards their downfall — or their salvation.

School Day Performance: Are we not drawn onward to new erA
School Day Performance

Climate change — an issue that is frequently cited by youth as one of the most pressing issues of our time — takes center stage in this ingenious theatrical presentation.

Ypsilanti Freighthouse Community Arts Forum
Free
Talks & Discussions

UMS is thrilled to share some exciting news about a partnership with the City of Ypsilanti, that will result in a two- to four-week artistic residency at the Ypsilanti Freighthouse twice each year. Join a free Community Arts Forum to provide input on and ideas for the kinds of programming you’d like to see during these residencies.

The Plastic Bag Store Family Art-Making Activity
Family Friendly
Free
Installation
No Safety Net
Public Workshop

The Plastic Bag Store
Family Art Making Activity

Saturday, January 21 - Saturday, January 28, 2023

Families are invited to visit The Plastic Bag Store and participate in a guided hands-on workshop.

Cultural Exchange Rate
Installation
Interactive
No Safety Net

Cultural Exchange Rate
Tania El Khoury

Tuesday, January 24 - Sunday, January 29, 2023

Lebanese artist Tania El Khoury presents an interactive live art project, in which you immerse yourself into one family’s secret boxes to explore sounds, images, and textures that trace more than a century of border crossings.

Penny Stamps Speaker Series: Tania El Khoury
Free
No Safety Net
Talks & Discussions

Hear from the creator of Cultural Exchange Rate, part of UMS’s No Safety Net 3.0 Festival.

Aaron Diehl Trio: Mirrors
Performance

Diehl’s new project, Mirrors, showcases his fluency in both classical repertoire and dynamic jazz improvisation, connecting Bach’s counterpoint with the vocabulary of bebop.

Sphinx Symphony Orchestra with EXIGENCE
Performance
Pre-Performance Talk

Celebrating its 25th Anniversary, the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra of top Black and Latinx professional musicians from around the country presents its first national tour.

Program

Carlos Simon Motherboxx Connection
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Ballade for Orchestra
Valerie Coleman Seven O’Clock Shout
Michael Abels Delights and Dances
Traditional, arr. Augustus Hill Fix Me, Jesus
Carlos Cordero Holding Our Breath
Joel Thompson Seven Last Words of the Unarmed
John Legend / Common, arr. Eugene Rogers “Glory” from Selma

Talking Trash: an Interactive Discussion Inspired by The Plastic Bag Store
Free
In Person or Digital
No Safety Net
Talks & Discussions

Turn inspiration into impact with insights from researchers, scientists, artists, and activists tackling the question: What can we do about single-use plastics?

Our Carnal Hearts
No Safety Net
Performance

Our Carnal Hearts
Rachel Mars

Wednesday, February 1 - Saturday, February 4, 2023

Rachel Mars and four belting female singers come at you with a hilarious dark show about the hiding workings of one of our uglier emotions…envy.

Your Sexts Are Shit: Older Better Letters
No Safety Net
Performance

Rachel Mars’s filthy, funny, and intimate show creates a love letter to the lost art of letter writing…which has degraded into X-rated anonymized sexts from platforms like Whatsapp and Grindr.

No Safety Net: Closing Student Party
Free
No Safety Net
U-M Student Event

Join the University Musical Society Student Committee for a night of performances to celebrate UMS’s No Safety Net Festival, featuring two sets of music from Cece June and the Calista Quartet.

Joshua Bell, violin
Performance

Joshua Bell, one of the most celebrated violinists of his era, returns for his fifth recital program with UMS.

Program

Ludwig van Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 1 in D Major, Op. 12
Robert Schumann Violin Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 121
Ernest Bloch “Nigun” from Baal Shem
César Franck Sonata in A Major for Violin and Piano

Prelude Dinner: Joshua Bell
Development Event

Join us at the Michigan League for an opportunity to park early, gather with friends, enjoy a meal, and learn more about the evening’s performance.

Brno Philharmonic
Performance
Pre-Performance Talk

Brno Philharmonic

Friday, February 10, 2023

Dennis Russell Davies and the Brno Philharmonic perform works from Leoš Janáček and William Bolcom alongside the UMS Choral Union, brass players from SMTD, and organist Christian Schmitt.

Program

Leoš Janáček Sinfonietta
William Bolcom Humoresk for Organ and Orchestra
Leoš Janáček Glagolitic Mass

Join host Doyle Armbrust for “The Society for Disobedient Listeners” — a special pre-performance talk.

You Can Dance: Detroit Jit 22/23
Free
Public Workshop

Calling All Curious Movers…You Can Dance! returns for another season of movement and community at Riverside Arts Center.

Getting Dressed
Digital Event
Family Friendly
School Day Performance

Travel into a digital world of swirling skirts, sashaying socks, glitter ball jackets, and tumbling t-shirts.

Ballet Preljocaj: Swan Lake
Performance
Pre-Performance Talk

Ballet Preljocaj
Swan Lake

Friday, February 17 - Sunday, February 19, 2023

Contemporary dance superstar Angelin Preljocaj tackles the Mount Everest of the ballet world with his new take on Swan Lake.

NT Live: The Seagull
Film Screening
Performance

Following his critically acclaimed production of Cyrano de Bergerac, Jamie Lloyd brings Anya Reiss’s adaptation of Chekhov’s classic play to the stage. Starring Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones). “A maverick show that proves how dangerous and daring a revival can be.” (The Guardian)

UMS 101: Stepping
Public Workshop

Immerse yourself in the world of stepping and learn some of the signature styles.

Maria Schneider Orchestra
Performance

The NEA Jazz Master, Pulitzer Prize finalist, David Bowie collaborator, and seven-time Grammy winner Maria Schneider brings her 18-member collective to Hill Auditorium for its UMS debut.

You Can Dance: Ballroom 22/23
Free
Public Workshop

Calling All Curious Movers…You Can Dance! returns for another season of movement and community at Riverside Arts Center.

Step Afrika!
Family Friendly
Performance

Step Afrika!

Sunday, March 12, 2023

Step Afrika! introduces audiences to the importance of stepping in cultural identity and the use of body percussion as a means of communication.

School Day Performance: Stepping with Step Afrika!
School Day Performance

Step Afrika! integrates song, dance, storytelling, humor, and audience participation in highlighting the importance of stepping in cultural identity and the use of body percussion as a means of communication.

Daniel Hope with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra
Performance

Violinist Daniel Hope returns with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra in a new program that takes a deep dive into the rich repertoire of American music, exploring its roots and distinctive qualities.

Program

Aaron Copland “Hoe-Down” from Rodeo
Duke Ellington “Come Sunday” from Black, Brown and Beige
Florence Price Adoration
Kurt Weill American Song Suite
Samuel Barber Adagio for Strings, Op. 11
Aaron Copland “At the River” from Old American Songs
Philip Glass Echorus
George Gershwin Song Suite

Prelude Dinner: Daniel Hope with the Zurich Chamber Orchestra
Development Event
Pre-Performance Talk
Canceled: Farida and the Iraqi Maqam Ensemble
Performance

Due to health considerations, Farida has canceled her March 2023 concert with the Iraqi Maqam Ensemble. We are in the process of reaching out to ticketholders for this event.

Chineke! Orchestra
Performance
Pre-Performance Talk

Chineke! Orchestra

Saturday, March 25, 2023

UK-based Chineke! Orchestra makes its UMS debut, in a program featuring Florence Price’s first symphony and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Violin Concerto performed by Elena Urioste.

Program

Carlos Simon Fate Now Conquers
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Violin Concerto in g minor, Op. 20
Florence Price Symphony No. 1 in e minor

Join host Doyle Armbrust for “The Society for Disobedient Listeners” — a special pre-performance talk, 7 pm in the lower lobby of Hill Auditorium. Armbrust will be joined by LaRob K. Rafael, producer and director of Chicago-based Hearing in Color and host, WFMT.

You Can Dance: Tap 22/23
Free
Public Workshop

Calling All Curious Movers…You Can Dance! returns for another season of movement and community at Riverside Arts Center.

NT Live: The Crucible
Film Screening
Performance

Lyndsey Turner directs this contemporary new staging, designed by Tony Award-winner Es Devlin (The Lehman Trilogy). Starring Erin Doherty (The Crown) and Brendan Cowell. “A gripping revival of Arthur Miller’s masterpiece.” (The Telegraph)

Cécile McLorin Salvant
Performance

A UMS favorite since her 2017 debut, Cécile McLorin Salvant continues to defy expectations with her genre-obliterating virtuosity.

Whoop House: St. John St Memorial Block Party
Free
Installation
Partner Event

St. John Street Historical Committee and UM-Flint’s Community Design Studio invite you to reflect and share stories from our past while envisioning our shared future.

Julius Eastman’s Femenine
Performance

American composer, pianist, vocalist, and dancer Julius Eastman was young, gay, and Black when it was even more difficult to be young, gay, and Black in America. The Los Angeles music collective Wild Up is carrying the music of Julius Eastman forward, performing his chamber work Femenine.

Come Together: An Evening of Community and Song
Free
Performance
Ypsi Freighthouse

UMS’s Ypsilanti Freighthouse residency begins with an invitation to community members to share their voices through a Community Sing, led by Detroit native Dr. Brandon Waddles, a transcriber of Black gospel music whose choral compositions and arrangements have been performed around the world.

UMS Live Session: Christian Schmitt, organ
Digital Event

UMS Live Session:
Christian Schmitt, organ

Saturday, April 22 - Monday, May 22, 2023

UMS celebrates 130 years of Hill Auditorium’s Frieze Memorial Organ with virtuoso Christian Schmitt and a digital-exclusive performance.

Audra McDonald
Performance

Audra McDonald

Sunday, April 23, 2023

Six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald returns to the Hill Auditorium stage for one night only!

Power Moves: Breakdancing, Art, and Creativity
Family Friendly
Free
Public Workshop
Ypsi Freighthouse

In this workshop, local movement artist Maurice Archer will lead families in an interactive breakdancing demonstration and a graffiti artist will guide families through developing their b-boy and b-girl names.

Kaleigh Wilder Trio: The Story Cuts Across What the Map Cuts Up
Pay What You Wish
Performance
Ypsi Freighthouse

Baritone saxophonist Kaleigh Wilder has performed around the world, led her first album release, and now has plans to release two more albums as a bandleader with a New York-based record label—among several other ongoing projects. Hear her perform at the Freighthouse with Jaribu Shahid on bass, drummer Ben Hall, and dancer Alexandria Davis.

The Regenerate! Orchestra
Free
Performance
Ypsi Freighthouse

The Regenerate Orchestra, which is made up of community members of every stripe, comes together to bring Ypsilanti a one-of-a-kind musical experience.

Marsae Lynette – Reconnecting Currents: A Healing at the Huron
Pay What You Wish
Performance
Public Workshop
Ypsi Freighthouse

In this participatory public event, Marsae Lynette presents an evening of film, performance, and community, inviting audiences to reconnect with one another and freshwater sources like the Huron River.

Open Mic Night at the Freighthouse
Free
Ypsi Freighthouse

Open Mic Night

Friday, April 28, 2023

Bring yourself, your friends, and whatever unique creative contribution you can offer in a local artist showcase hosted by Ypsilanti resident and singer/songwriter Rochelle Clark.

Late Night DJ Set with Todd Osborn
Free
Ypsi Freighthouse

Ghostly International artist Todd Osborn leads a free late-night DJ set, following Open Mic Night at the Freighthouse.

John E. Lawrence & The Power Band
Pay What You Wish
Performance
Ypsi Freighthouse

In the closing performance of UMS’s April Ypsilanti Freighthouse residency, John E. Lawrence and The Power Band take the stage for a sophisticated evening of jazz.

Puppetry Workshop: The Power of Light & Shadow
Family Friendly
Free
Public Workshop
Ypsi Freighthouse

Experience Detroit Puppet Company’s presentation of The Carnival of the Animals and learn how to make your own shadow puppets.

NT Live: Othello
Film Screening
Performance

Shakespeare’s compelling tragedy of boundary-defying love is brought startlingly up-to-date by a stellar cast, including Giles Terera (Hamilton) as Othello, Rosy McEwen as Desdemona, and Pal Hilton as Iago.

UMS Live Session: Wild Up & Music By Julius Eastman
Digital Event

In a special Pride Month digital presentation, music collective Wild Up champions the music, life, and legacy of composer Julius Eastman.

Summer Sings 2023: Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana
Public Workshop
Summer Sings

The UMS Choral Union invites you to take part in the return of Summer Sings. Just come as you are to this no-audition, no-performance evening of memorable music-making!

K-12 Season Opening Party
Free
School & K12 Educators

UMS and UMMA co-host our annual K-12 season opening party to launch the 23/24 Season. Please join us for drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and live music at this special event for educators and administrators.

Snarky Puppy
Performance

Snarky Puppy

Sunday, September 10, 2023

With their 2023 Grammy-winning Empire Central, the genre-defying super-band Snarky Puppy returns to Ann Arbor for its third UMS appearance and its first since 2019.

Yoga at the Freighthouse
Participatory Experience
Pay What You Wish
Ypsi Freighthouse

Yoga at the Freighthouse

Tuesday, September 12 - Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Yoga instructor and Ypsilanti resident Marly Spieser-Schneider, will touch on fundamental physical and philosophical elements of the Iyengar Yoga practice, accompanied by live music.

Shakti: 50th Anniversary Tour
Performance

Following the Summer 2023 release of This Moment – their first new studio album in 46 years – revolutionary ensemble Shakti will continue to discover and explore the musical common ground bridging East and West on an exclusive US tour marking the 50th anniversary since their first concerts.

Open Mic Night with Shara Nova
Free
Participatory Experience
Ypsi Freighthouse

Singer, songwriter, and composer Shara Nova (My Brightest Diamond), who spent formative childhood years in Ypsilanti, hosts this open mic night and local artist showcase.. Bring yourself, your friends, and whatever creative contribution you can offer!

For Families // slapslap Performance and Music Making
Family Friendly
Free
Ypsi Freighthouse

For Families
slapslap
Performance + Music Making

Saturday, September 16 - Sunday, September 17, 2023

Just for families, join us for a musical and theatrical adventure provided by the unique electric bassoon and percussion quartet slapslap, which brings together up-tempo dance, music, storytelling, and creative play in a unique interactive event.

Sonic Contributions // Marcus Elliot
Pay What You Wish
Performance
Ypsi Freighthouse

Detroit-based saxophonist Marcus Elliot leads a seven-piece band of musicians and artists in this special collaboration with the African American Cultural and Historical Museum of Washtenaw County that celebrates the history of Ypsilanti as a refuge for Black Americans dating back to the 1830s.

Square Dance at the Freighthouse
Participatory Experience
Pay What You Wish
Ypsi Freighthouse

Join us for an evening of Square Dancing with the Detroit Square Dance Society. We’ll start with light refreshments before heading to the dance floor as we bring the Southern Square Dancing tradition to the Ypsilanti Freighthouse, with live music, non-gender calling, and line dances for anyone and everyone to enjoy.

Panel Discussion: Renée Fleming’s Music and Mind
Free
Partner Event
Talks & Discussions

Soprano superstar Renée Fleming is a leading advocate for the study of powerful connections between the arts and health, and has worked with the National Institutes of Health and other leading organizations to bring attention to research and practice at the intersection of music, health, and neuroscience. During her Ann Arbor visit, she will be joined by local researchers and medical practitioners for a public conversation exploring these important topics.

Renée Fleming, soprano & Inon Barnatan, piano
Performance

One of the most highly acclaimed singers of our time, Renée Fleming returns to Hill Auditorium for the first time since 2011 in a recital with pianist Inon Barnatan. Inspired by Renée’s 2023 Grammy Award-winning album, Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene, this special performance spans the classical, romantic, and contemporary eras, with beloved songs and new commissions exploring nature as both inspiration and victim of humanity. The National Geographic Society is providing an original video to reflect the musical selections.

LIGHTNING: A One-of-a-Kind Drag Show Extravaganza
Pay What You Wish
Performance
Ypsi Freighthouse

UMS is delighted to collaborate with Heads Over Heels Productions and Chroma Productions for two different sets in this drag show extravaganza.

West African Dance at the Freighthouse
Participatory Experience
Pay What You Wish
Public Workshop
Ypsi Freighthouse

Originating from the Malinke people of West Africa, Moribayassa is a traditional practice in which participants are invited to relieve their burdens through movement and music.

For Families // Moving to the Beat: West African Dance and Visual Art
Family Friendly
Free
Ypsi Freighthouse

Created especially for families, participants in this workshop will experience traditional West African Dance as well as contemporary AfroBeat dance moves! Afterward, families will participate in an art-making workshop that connects movement to visual art.

Inon Barnatan: Rachmaninoff Reflections
Free
Performance

Pianist Inon Barnatan performs a free recital for students and general public audiences on North Campus, including his own virtuosic solo piano arrangement of Rachmaninoff’s acclaimed Symphonic Dances.

Jerusalem Quartet & Inon Barnatan, piano
Performance

The Jerusalem Quartet returns for the first time in five years to Rackham Auditorium, performing Paul Ben-Haim’s rhapsodic quartet along with a quartet by Haydn, plus Dvořák’s sublime Piano Quintet with pianist Inon Barnatan.

Program

Franz Joseph Haydn String Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 76, No. 6
Paul Ben-Haim String Quartet No. 1, Op. 21
Antonín Dvořák Quintet for Piano and Strings in A Major, Op. 81

Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About a Terrible Monster
Family Friendly
Pay What You Wish
Performance
Ypsi Freighthouse

Leonardo! A Wonderful Show About A Terrible Monster uses hundreds of illustrated puppets, book pages, two-dimensional props, furry monster puppets, live music, and the wonder of real-time filming to bring Mo Willems’ books to life.

DruidO’Casey: The Plough and the Stars
Dublin Trilogy
Performance

DruidO’Casey:
The Plough and the Stars

Wednesday, October 18 - Saturday, October 21, 2023

Sean O’Casey’s The Plough and the Stars is a gripping portrayal of the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin, Ireland, a six-day conflict led by Irish Republicans who were attempting to establish an independent Ireland while the British were preoccupied by World War I.

DruidO’Casey: The Shadow of a Gunman
Dublin Trilogy
Performance

DruidO’Casey:
The Shadow of a Gunman

Thursday, October 19 - Saturday, October 21, 2023

In The Shadow of a Gunman, Sean O’Casey explores the Irish War of Independence (1920-21). Set in a tenement house in Dublin, the story centers around the character of Donal Davoren, a struggling poet mistaken for an Irish Republican Army gunman by his neighbors, who approach him with a mixture of fear and intrigue.

DruidO’Casey: Juno and the Paycock
Dublin Trilogy
Performance

DruidO’Casey:
Juno and the Paycock

Friday, October 20 - Saturday, October 21, 2023

The Irish Civil War of 1922-23 provides a backdrop of political unrest and social upheaval that amplifies the struggles of the working-class characters in Sean O’Casey’s Juno and the Paycock.

Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería
Performance
Pre-Performance Talk

Carlos Miguel Prieto, named 2019 Conductor of the Year by Musical America, leads the Minería Symphony in their first Ann Arbor performance. Latin Grammy Award-winning pianist/composer Gabriela Montero, known for her passionate virtuosity and brilliant improvisation, performs her own first piano concerto.

Program

Gabriela Ortiz Kauyumari
Carlos Chávez Symphony No. 2 (“Sinfonía India”)
Gabriela Montero Piano Concerto No. 1 (“Latin”)
Silvestre Revueltas La noche de los mayas

DakhaBrakha
Performance

DakhaBrakha

Friday, November 3, 2023

The world music quartet DakhaBrakha create a world of unexpected new music with their exuberant, transnational sound rooted in Ukrainian culture.

Penny Stamps Speaker Series: Javaad Alipoor and King Raam
Free
Pre-Performance Talk

British-Iranian theater maker Javaad Alipoor and Iranian musician, writer, actor, and podcast host King Raam sit down to discuss their cultural backgrounds and theatrical murder mystery Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World”, moderated by Neda Ulaby from NPR.

Akropolis Reed Quintet
Performance

Are We Dreaming the Same Dream? is an electrifying concert experience that blurs the lines between classical, jazz, and contemporary music. Ann Arbor’s own Akropolis Reed Quintet — composed of clarinet, oboe, saxophone, bass clarinet, and bassoon — joins forces with Grammy-nominated composer and jazz pianist Pascal Le Boeuf, and drummer Christian Euman.

Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World
Performance

Javaad Alipoor’s Things Hidden investigates the nature of investigation, with the unsolved murder of an Iranian pop icon at its center.

School Day Performance: Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World
School Day Performance

This thrilling new work by Javaad Alipoor explores the story of an unsolved murder and challenges the audience to question how we consume information in a post-colonial world.

Maxim Vengerov, violin
Performance

Acclaimed violinist Maxim Vengerov brings his radiant and exuberant sound to the stage.

Program

Clara Schumann Three Romances for Violin and Piano, Op. 22
Johannes Brahms “Scherzo” from F-A-E Sonata
Robert Schumann Violin Sonata No. 3 in a minor, WoO27
Sergei Prokofiev Five Melodies, Op. 35bis
Sergei Prokofiev Violin Sonata No. 2 in D Major, Op. 9

Messiah Soloist Master Classes
Free
Master Class

The U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance Department of Voice, in conjunction with UMS, is pleased to present three Master Classes, each led by a soloist from this year’s UMS presentation of Handel’s Messiah.

Messiah Pre-Concert Presentation: Fortunate the Eyes that See and the Ears that Hear
Free
Pre-Performance Talk

Scott Hanoian, Music Director of the UMS Choral Union, in conjunction with the annual Handel’s Messiah performances, presents a pre-performance talk about the Saturday evening concert. He gives a conductor’s inside look at Handel’s treatment of the Charles Jensen’s libretto.

Handel’s Messiah
Performance

Handel’s Messiah

Saturday, December 2 - Sunday, December 3, 2023

Hear Handel’s Messiah, Ann Arbor’s most beloved holiday tradition, with the UMS Choral Union and the Ann Arbor Symphony in Hill Auditorium.

UMS 101: All About the Uke
Public Workshop

Immerse yourself in the virtuosity of the ukulele, an instrument rich with tradition that originated in Hawai’i in the 1800s.

Holidays in Hawai’i
Family Friendly
Performance

Shimabukuro draws on a vibrant catalog of holiday classics for his return appearance in Hill Auditorium.

School Day Performance: Jake Shimabukuro
School Day Performance

Jake Shimabukuro returns to the UMS School Day Performance series to present a program of holiday fun sprinkled with a little Hawaiian tradition.

Michael Feinstein and Jean-Yves Thibaudet
Performance

Two of today’s most celebrated artists join forces in an innovative program for two pianos that celebrates the music of George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Richard Rodgers, and more.

The Godfather Live
Film Screening
Performance
Pre-Performance Talk

With all of the plot twists, emotional outbursts, and suspenseful scenes of a true grand opera, Francis Ford Coppola’s epic film The Godfather deserves a full sensory experience.

Huddle
Digital Event
Family Friendly
School Day Performance

Papa Penguin receives a special delivery from the sky — a baby chick penguin! The hapless pair navigates slippery slopes and perilous adventures in this funny and moving story about love, life, and learning.

Community Dance Party in Detroit
Free
Participatory Experience
Hélène Grimaud, piano
Performance

Hélène Grimaud returns to Hill Auditorium for her UMS recital debut, bringing her thoughtful and tenderly expressive sound to the stage.

Program

Ludwig van Beethoven Sonata No. 30 in E Major, Op. 109
Johannes Brahms Three Intermezzi, Op. 117
Johannes Brahms Fantasies, Op. 116
J.S. Bach Chaconne from BWV 1004 (arr. F. Busoni)

The Jazz Continuum
Performance
Q&A

LaTasha Barnes’
The Jazz Continuum

Friday, January 19 - Saturday, January 20, 2024

LaTasha Barnes presents The Jazz Continuum, a new production centering the prolific artistry of jazz music and dance as a cornerstone of Black American culture and community.

Mariachi Herencia de México feat. La Marisoul
Family Friendly
Performance

A new generation takes mariachi to whole new heights when Latin Grammy nominee Mariachi Herencia de México presents Herederos (the “heirs”).

Digital School Day Performance: Mariachi Herencia de México
Digital Event
School Day Performance

Introduce your students to the traditions of mariachi performed by the next generation of young, talented musicians.

Emanuel Ax / Leonidas Kavakos / Yo-Yo Ma
Performance

This classical superstar trio returns to the Hill Auditorium stage with an all-Beethoven program.

Program

Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Trio in D Major, Op. 70, No. 1 (“Ghost”)
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21 (arr. Wosner)
Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Trio in E-flat Major, Op. 70, No. 2

Penny Stamps Speaker Series: Nkeiru Okoye
Free
Talks & Discussions

Composer Nkeiru Okoye sits down with classical radio host Terrance McKnight to discuss her world premiere work, When the Caged Bird Sings, and her vibrant career.

Nkeiru Okoye’s When the Caged Bird Sings
Performance

When the Caged Bird Sings is a new commission by American composer Nkeiru Okoye, fusing elements of oratorio, theater, and opera in a multi-movement musical ceremony. Okoye describes the work as “a gathering” that invokes the ritual of the concert experience as a ritual of community.

When the Caged Bird Sings: Post-Performance Student Afterparty
Free
U-M Student Event

Join the UMS Student Committee for food, games, and performances by U-M’s own Meghan Tuttle, Tarps Off, Maddy Ringo, and SANYA.

UMS 101: Reshaping American Movement: The Graham Technique
Public Workshop

Explore Martha Graham’s life and work led by local dance artist Peter Sparling.

School Day Performance: Martha Graham Dance Company
School Day Performance

Bring your students to this riveting performance and experience not only the rich history of the ensemble but also the fresh innovation of artists expanding the landscape of dance.

James Ehnes, violin
Performance

Two of the most sought-after recitalists on the international stage join forces, as Canadian violinist James Ehnes and his longtime recital partner, American pianist Andrew Armstrong, make their UMS live performance debuts together in a concert that will also include faculty and students from the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Program

Leclair Violin Sonata, Op. 9, No. 3
Shostakovich Violin Sonata in G Major, Op. 134
Howard They Have Just Arrived At This New Level (for string quartet, flute, and clarinet)
Sarasate Spanish Dances, Op. 22
Wieniawski Polonaise Brillante, Op. 21

Martha Graham Dance Company
Performance

The Martha Graham Company, recognized as a primal artistic force of the 20th century, gives a performance rooted in cultural history. These performances will include a new work choreographed by Jamar Roberts and set to music by Rhiannon Giddens, as well as Agnes DeMille’s 1942 classic Rodeo, with its iconic score by Aaron Copland reorchestrated for a bluegrass ensemble. Martha Graham’s final complete work, Maple Leaf Rag, rounds out the program.

You Can Dance! with Martha Graham Dance Company
Free
Public Workshop
Join us for a 60-minute dance workshop led by a member of the Martha Graham Dance Company and learn the fundamentals of the iconic Graham Technique first-hand.
Igor Levit, piano
Performance

In his much-anticipated return after his 2016 UMS debut, pianist Igor Levit performs a recital of transcriptions by Mahler, Hindemith, and Beethoven in Hill Auditorium.

Program

Paul Hindemith Suite 1922
Gustav Mahler
Adagio from Symphony No. 10 (arr. for piano by Ronald Stevenson)
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, Op. 55 (“Eroica”) (arr. for piano by Franz Liszt)

Isidore String Quartet
Performance

In its exciting UMS debut, the dynamic Isidore String Quartet takes the audience through a musical journey from the 18th to the 21st centuries.

Program

Franz Joseph Haydn String Quartet in C Major, Op. 20, No. 2
Billy Childs String Quartet No. 2 (“Awakening”)
Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet No. 15 in a minor, Op. 132

Marvin’s Binoculars
Digital Event
Family Friendly
School Day Performance

Marvin loves exploring the parks around his home looking for birds, bugs, and animals. On his ninth birthday he receives his very own pair of grown-up, pro binoculars! But then something terrible happens: he loses them, and to get them back, he must face the intimidating park warden.

Orchestre de Paris
Performance
Pre-Performance Talk

Orchestre de Paris

Thursday, March 14, 2024

The Orchestre de Paris returns to Hill Auditorium for the first time since 2002, featuring the UMS debuts of two young superstar artists — music director Klaus Mäkelä and Van Cliburn gold medal-winning pianist Yunchan Lim — in a program of Debussy, Rachmaninoff, and Stravinsky.

Program

Claude Debussy Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
Sergei Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2 in c minor, Op. 18
Igor Stravinsky The Firebird (complete version)

Weather Bird: Sullivan Fortner and Ambrose Akinmusire
Performance

Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and pianist Sullivan Fortner join forces for a concert at the intersection of jazz and chamber music in a tribute to the collaboration between Louis Armstrong and Earl “Fatha” Hines.

Canceled Event: Batsheva Dance Company: MOMO
Performance

Canceled Event:
Batsheva Dance Company
MOMO

Saturday, March 23 - Sunday, March 24, 2024

We regret to inform you that Batsheva has postponed its March tour to the United States, including the March 23-24, 2024 performances co-presented by UMS and Detroit Opera. We look forward to bringing the company back to Southeast Michigan in the future. Ticketholders will receive an email with options to refund or donate their tickets.

UMS 101: Dynamic Ladies of Jazz: An Evening of History and Appreciation
Public Workshop

The role of women in jazz goes back nearly a century. Local jazz bassist Marion Hayden leads this exploration of women who have made their name in this uniquely American art form.

Samara Joy
Performance

Samara Joy

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

At 24, Samara Joy is already setting the music world on fire, winning the 2023 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album, as well as the Best New Artist nod — only the second time in Grammy history that award has been bestowed upon a jazz musician.

Swing Dance Night
Participatory Experience
Pay What You Wish
Ypsi Freighthouse

Swing Dance Night

Thursday, April 4, 2024

Join Riverside Swings and Swing Ann Arbor for a night of swing dance at the Freighthouse! Learn the basics, then dance the night away to the sounds of special guest band The Aston Neighborhood Pleasure Club.

Hub New Music: 10th Anniversary Show
Pay What You Wish
Performance
Ypsi Freighthouse

Grab a drink and raise your glass – we’re celebrating this Michigan-based ensemble’s 10th birthday with an intimate night of chamber music at the Freighthouse. 

Y2Gay: Drag Show at the Freighthouse
Pay What You Wish
Performance
Ypsi Freighthouse

Back by popular demand: Drag Night is back in millennium glitching fashion! Dust off your favorite low-rise jeans, velour tracksuits, and platform sandals, because we are throwing it back with this 1990s and 2000s themed night. 

Canceled Event: Marcel, Rami, and Sary Khalife: Legacy
Performance

We regret that this performance has been canceled due to a hand injury Marcel Khalife sustained in a fall this summer. We are working to reschedule the date for the 24/25 season. Ticketholders will receive an email with options to refund or donate their tickets.

Alfred Hitchcock’s The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog Featuring Little Bang Theory, in collaboration with iFFY
Pay What You Wish
Performance
Ypsi Freighthouse

UMS is thrilled to collaborate with the Independent Film Festival Ypsilanti (iFFY) to present The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog, a 1927 British silent thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock about the hunt for a serial killer in London. Michigan’s Little Bang Theory, a trio founded by Detroit avant-garde music legend Frank Pahl, performs an original score on toy instruments to bring life to the timeless art of silent cinema.

Takács Quartet
Performance

Takács Quartet

Friday, April 12, 2024

The Takács Quartet, a perennial UMS favorite, returns with a program that nods to the natural world, including a new UMS co-commission by Nokuthula Endo Ngwenyama.

Program

Franz Joseph Haydn String Quartet in B-flat Major, Op. 76, No. 4 (“Sunrise”)
Nokuthula Ngwenyama flow (UMS co-commission)
Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet No. 8 in e minor, Op. 59, No. 2

For Families // Dancing Through México with El Ballet Folklórico Estudiantil
Family Friendly
Free
Participatory Experience
Performance
Ypsi Freighthouse
Open Mic at the Freighthouse
Free
Ypsi Freighthouse

Open Mic Night is back! From soulful music to gripping poetry, this is a platform where raw passion meets an appreciative audience and celebrates the incredible talent that exists in our own community.

The Philadelphia Orchestra
Performance
Pre-Performance Talk

The Philadelphia Orchestra and music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin return to Hill Auditorium in two programs:

Sat Program

Florence Price Symphony No. 4 in d minor
Sergei Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2 in e minor, Op. 27

Sun Program

Johannes Brahms Ein deutsches Requiem, Op. 45

For Families // Joe Reilly Earth Day Performance + Family Activity
Family Friendly
Free
Performance
Ypsi Freighthouse

Joe Reilly is a singer/songwriter, social worker, and Michigan educator who writes songs from his heart. The Italian, Irish, and Native American (Cherokee) singer draws from his three children’s albums of environmental and community songs in this Earth Day-themed concert for families. After the performance, families are invited to stay for a hands-on Earth Day activity. 

Shigeto Live Ensemble
Pay What You Wish
Performance
Ypsi Freighthouse

Michigan electronic musician Shigeto joins artists Marcus Elliot (saxophone), Ian Fink (keyboards), and special guests for this late-night show.

Regenerate! Orchestra
Participatory Experience
Pay What You Wish
Performance
Ypsi Freighthouse

Regenerate! Orchestra

Saturday, April 27 - Sunday, April 28, 2024

Part symphony, part jam session, part group meditation, the Regenerate! Orchestra invites audiences to participate at whatever level is comfortable: performing with the group, or sitting back and enjoying the results of a bespoke performance from musicians in our community.

Yo-Yo Ma and Kayhan Kalhor with Orchestra of the Americas
Performance

UMS hosts a special project and culminating performance with renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma, composer and kamancheh (spiked fiddle) virtuoso Kayhan Kalhor, conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto, and the Orchestra of the Americas on the University of Michigan campus.

Program

Gabriela Ortiz Téenek
Kayhan Kalhor Double Concerto for Cello and Kamancheh
Ottorino Respighi Roman Festivals
Ottorino Respighi The Pines of Rome

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