2024-2025 Season

Join us for an evening of Contra Dance, a traditional folk style with English and Scottish roots, featuring live music, gender neutral calling, and line dances for anyone and everyone to enjoy.

Michigan-based musicians are bringing sounds from the underground to the Freighthouse through an immersive concert brought to you by iconic members of the Michigan noise and punk scene.

Featuring oud, violin, electric bass, synthesizer and world percussion, the Worlds Quartet masterfully blends rhythms, sounds, and textures from across the globe with world music-inspired original compositions.

With vibraphone, percussion, bass, piano, and vocals, the all-women salsa sextet presents an explosive and joyful show that encourages dancing and singing as well as reflection.

Calling all singers, poets, jugglers, storytellers, and rappers of Ypsilanti! Come try out that new piece you just wrote, dust off some old favorites, or grab a drink and find out what your neighbors have been working on.

Rhythm of the Feet takes you through the history and come-up of this uniquely Detroit dance style, with high energy footwork performed by the House of Jit collective.

Kicks, wiggles, spinning on the floor, plus fancy footwork paired with the music of Funk and Techno give us Detroit’s dance style called Jit. Join House of Jit founder and Jit master Michael Manson along with Queen Gabby, aka the Queen of Jit, as they perform this homegrown dance style for people of all ages.

On the brink of a presidential election that people on both sides have called the most consequential in history, Belgium’s extraordinary Ontroerend Goed offers a fun and thought-provoking examination of free will and politics that puts electronic voting devices — and the candidates’ fates — directly into the hands of audience members.

Led by Grammy-nominated violinist and composer Jeremy Kittel, Kittel & Co. inhabits the space between classical and acoustic roots, Celtic and bluegrass aesthetics, and folk and jazz sensibilities. 

Vocalist, writer, and arts educator Jazzy Ash invites you to come along on a pizzazzy, energetic musical adventure. This interactive concert delves into the history and development of jazz from its origins in New Orleans’ Congo Square to the present. 

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!

Pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason performs works composed over a 168-year period by a wide range of composers including Haydn and Chopin, showcasing her emotional depth.

Program

Joseph Haydn Piano Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI:50
Clara Schumann Nocturne from Soirées Musicales, Op. 6
Carl Nielsen Chaconne, Op. 32
Sofia Gubaidulina Chaconne
Frédéric Chopin Piano Sonata No. 3 in b minor, Op. 58

Encore: George Gershwin “The Man I Love” (arr. Percy Grainger for piano)

Elevator Repair Service’s John Collins and Scott Shepherd discuss the founding of ERS, the arc of its work, the importance of literature as a cultural influence, and their upcoming performance, Ulysses.

The London Philharmonic returns to Hill Auditorium after 13 years — with UMS debuts by principal conductor Edward Gardner and violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja — in a program of Shostakovich, Sibelius, and works by composer-in-residence Tania León and Benjamin Britten.

Program

Benjamin Britten Sinfonia da Requiem, Op. 20
Dmitri Shostakovich Violin Concerto No. 1 in a minor, Op. 77
Tania León Raices (Origins)
Jean Sibelius Symphony No. 5 in E-flat Major, Op. 82

Seven performers present an eclectic sampling from James Joyce’s life-affirming masterpiece, Ulysses, chronicling the experiences of three Dubliners on a single ordinary day in June 1904.

Learn about the process of voting and why it’s important to have your voice heard. After the performance, students will experience the power of puppetry in a hands-on puppet-making workshop, where they will make their own hand puppets to take back to the classroom for even more puppet adventures!

Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan returns to Ann Arbor for the first time in 13 years with an evocative performance of childhood and cultural memories that blends Taiwanese folk songs, Taoist chant, and electronica.

Join us for a 60-minute dance workshop led by members of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre.

Learn about the instruments featured in the Silkroad Ensemble’s performance of American Railroad, with a particular focus on the banjo, an instrument played and championed by artistic director Rhiannon Giddens.

Silkroad’s American Railroad illuminates the impact of the Transcontinental Railroad and westward expansion on the communities it displaced. The program includes new commissions by jazz artist Cécile McLorin Salvant and Silkroad artist and renowned pipa player Wu Man, as well as new arrangements by Rhiannon Giddens and other Silkroad musicians.

The Escher Quartet, inspired by graphic artist M.C. Escher’s interplay between individual components working together to form a whole, performs Bartók’s second quartet alongside Mendelssohn’s anguished last major composition, and Dvořák’s joyful final quartet.

Program

Felix Mendelssohn String Quartet No. 6 in f minor, Op. 80
Béla Bartók String Quartet No. 2, Op. 17, Sz. 67
Antonín Dvořák String Quartet No. 14 in A-flat Major, Op. 105
[encore] Florence Price “Juba” from String Quartet No. 2

One of the most sought-after figures in contemporary music, Tyshawn Sorey has changed jazz as we know it. This genre-defying composer and drummer takes the stage for a performance featuring pieces from his acclaimed album Mesmerism, which showcases the joy of improvising over songs from the Great American Songbook. 

Join UMS and the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance for a free panel discussion about the Berliner Philharmoniker’s unique governing structure, its innovative educational and research initiatives, and the flagship Digital Concert Hall.

In the first of two programs by the Berliner Philharmoniker and chief conductor Kirill Petrenko, UMS welcomes back Benjamin Beilman (replacing Hilary Hahn) to perform Erich Korngold’s heart-tugging and cinematic violin concerto. Also on the program: Rachmaninoff’s first orchestral masterpiece, Isle of the Dead, and Dvořák’s dramatic Symphony No. 7.

Program

Sergei Rachmaninoff Isle of the Dead, Op. 29
Erich Korngold Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 35
[encore] Johann Sebastian Bach. “Largo” from Violin Sonata No. 3 in C Major, BWV 1005
Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 7 in d minor, Op. 70

Observe members of the internationally renowned Berliner Philharmoniker interacting with students from the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance for a series of masterclasses.

The Berliner Philharmoniker and chief conductor Kirill Petrenko perform Bruckner’s monumental Symphony No. 5, which explores themes of struggle, redemption, and spiritual transcendence, with rich brass chorales in the final movement. 

Program

Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major

This timeless masterpiece has enraptured audiences for centuries with its sublime beauty and profound spirituality. From the jubilant “Hallelujah” chorus to its stirring arias and evocative chorales, Messiah is brought to life by friends and colleagues from the community through both the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and the UMS Choral Union. 

The Ariel Quartet and cellist Alisa Weilerstein explore how folk music influences art music, with an uninterrupted suite of traditional folk music from around the world, along with pieces dating back to the origins of Western classical music. Then, they perform Schubert’s Cello Quintet in C Major, one of the most influential works in classical repertoire.

The charismatic four-piece a cappella quartet Kings Return joins forces with mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato in a special holiday program.

Jazz musician, composer, and storyteller Etienne Charles brings a moving multimedia jazz performance shedding light on the people and regions that are, or soon will be, severely affected by climate change.

Earth Tones, multimedia jazz performance, invites students into a sensory journey that includes sounds, video, stories, and musical idioms from at-risk coastal communities, depicting the effects of global warming from tropical islands to the Louisiana Bayou.

Jazz musician Etienne Charles explores the effects of climate change on vulnerable communities. We are excited about his appearance as the Ford School of Public Policy’s annual Martin Luther King Day speaker on January 17.

Caroline Shaw and Gabriel Kahane, both renowned contemporary composers and performers, present a new work inspired by the magical realism of Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges’s 1939 short story, “The Library of Babel.” Their first large-scale collaboration invites audiences to contemplate the joy, grief, wonder, and bewilderment that spring from a life oversaturated in information.

Members of the 1491s, a dynamic Native American sketch comedy group, join Eric Ting in conversation.

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra honors the rich heritage of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Louis Armstrong while presenting a stunning variety of new works from illustrious names, many of whom perform regularly with the ensemble. From swinging to supple, it’s all sheer jazz perfection — and no wonder their regular appearances are UMS audience favorites!

The first documentary film that explores the dynamic story of Detroit’s innovative and influential jazz musicians, Jazz from Detroit weaves a compelling historical and cultural tapestry through the 20th and 21st centuries.

Natalie Palamides premiered her show Nate to wide acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2018, before Amy Poehler produced it as a Netflix special. Nate careens between making the audience laugh and making them uncomfortable, and its clever and provocative deconstruction of toxic masculinity sticks with you long after the performance ends!

In his much-anticipated UMS recital debut, pianist Seong-Jin Cho celebrates Maurice Ravel’s 150th birthday with a concert featuring the composer’s complete works for solo piano.

Program

Complete solo works of Maurice Ravel:
Sérénade grotesque
Menuet antique
Pavane pour une infante défunte
Jeux d’eau, M 30
Sonatine
Miroirs, M. 43
Gaspard de la nuit
Menuet sur le nom de Haydn
Valses nobles et sentimentales, M.61
Prélude
A la manière de Borodine
A la manière de Chabrier
Le Tombeau de Couperin, M.68

Enjoy a delicious meal at a UMS Prelude Dinner before the evening’s recital by Seong-Jin Cho.

Join asses.masses co-creator Patrick Blenkarn for an evening of game-making. Learn the basics of game design and create concepts for provocative games with political potential. No previous knowledge or technical expertise required! Over the course of the workshop, participants will generate ideas together and play out early prototypes with analog tools (pen, paper, and collective creativity).

asses.masses creators Patrick Blenkarn and Milton Lim explore urgent questions around the social value of art, digital labor, and the political potential of games.

asses.masses invites you to play out the epic journey of a herd of donkeys trying to get their jobs back. Animal Farm meets Pokémon meets Final Fantasy in an inspiring day of video gaming and uprising!

Learn about the tabla, the principal percussion instrument in Hindustani classical music in this 90-minute workshop led by tabla teacher Pavan Kanekal.

One of the most influential and revered figures in contemporary music for over four decades, three-time Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis makes his UMS debut.

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis brings his classical chops to Rackham Auditorium in a chamber music evening featuring two members of the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance community: saxophone professor Timothy McAllister and collaborative pianist Liz Ames.

Chicago-based Third Coast Percussion has forged a unique path in the musical landscape with virtuosic, energetic performances that celebrate the extraordinary depth and breadth of musical possibilities in percussion.

This interactive performance will engage students and introduce them to the building blocks of music and the incredible range of percussion instruments that can be found in cultures from around the world. 

Named for the patron saint of music, La Santa Cecilia draws inspiration from all over the world, utilizing Pan-American rhythms including cumbia, bossa nova, rumba, bolero, tango, jazz, and klezmer music. This family-friendly concert features opening artist Sonia De Los Santos whose uplifting set celebrates women who make music in a joyful journey of Latin American rhythms.

You’ll dance right out of your seat as you take a joyful journey of Latin American music ranging from the joyous, energetic sounds of Afro-Peruvian music to the percussive beats of Colombian rhythms and the beautiful melodies of traditional Mexican folk.

The Rosamunde String Quartet unites esteemed musicians from renowned ensembles such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Pittsburgh Symphony, New York Philharmonic, and Los Angeles Philharmonic. Together, they share their love of chamber music with audiences worldwide.

Program

Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18, No. 3
Béla Bartók String Quartet No. 3
Franz Schubert String Quartet No. 14 in d minor (“Death and the Maiden”)

This free event at the Charles H. Wright Museum in Detroit will feature a conversation between Neil Barclay, President & CEO of the Wright Museum, and Shamel Pitts, the visionary artist behind BLACK HOLE: Trilogy and Triathlon. Together, they will explore the themes of transformation, the exploration of Black identity in the future, and the power of collaboration in the face of adversity.

Arts collective TRIBE, founded by choreographer and performer Shamel Pitts, presents Black Hole, a captivating dance performance of unity, vigor, and unrelenting advancement.

Engulfed in an evocative soundscape of original music, sound samples, and spoken word, the dancers embark on an hour-long, uninterrupted journey in movement, in which their tenacity and grace are emphasized by cinematic video projections and stark, monochromatic lights.

The 1938 Soviet historical drama was directed by Sergei Eisenstein with a score written by Sergei Prokofiev. It depicts the attempted invasion of Novgorod in the 13th century by Knights of the Holy Roman Empire and their defeat by Prince Alexander, aka Alexander Nevsky. The film and music were a true collaboration in that some of the film was shot to Prokofiev’s music and some of Prokofiev’s music was composed to Eistenstein’s footage. 

In the labyrinthine world of Triptych, the audience is plunged into a man’s mind. Become the witness…or perhaps the voyeur…of what usually remains hidden and unsaid, taken into subconscious worlds to discover nightmares, fears, and desires.

Join Mambo Marci from Michigan’s largest salsa dance organization for a night of salsa dance at the Freighthouse. All are welcome, no matter your skill level or experience.

Four-time GRAMMY winner and violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter returns to Ann Arbor after 12 years featuring pianist Lambert Orkis, as they present a program of favorite violin sonatas by Mozart, Schubert, Clara Schumann, and Respighi.

Program

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Violin Sonata No. 18 in G Major, K. 301
Franz Schubert Fantasie in C Major for Violin and Piano, D. 934
Clara Schumann Three Romances, Op. 22
Aftab Darvishi Likoo
Ottorino Respighi Sonata for Violin and Piano in b minor

Legendary Lebanese composer, singer, and oud master Marcel Khalife returns to Ann Arbor for the first time in 20 years, joined by his son, virtuoso pianist Rami Khalife, and his nephew, cellist Sary Khalife.

Detroit Puppet Company presents its newest shadow puppet show, Sun Moon Secret. Based on the children’s book by Shazia Omar, the story follows twin sisters Surya and Chandra as they harness their magical powers to save their village from drought.

Join artists King Sophia and Sophiyah E. on a journey of mindfulness and the metaphysical, with ambient sound, lightly guided meditation, and an opportunity to tune out the outside world.

We want to thank K-12 educators for all the amazing work you do! Stop by, enjoy a glass of wine and light refreshments, and hear about upcoming UMS programs in the 25/26 season.

This program frames Vivaldi’s iconic concertos in a new light, inviting questions about the fleeting cyclical nature of our existence, our relationship with nature, and the eternal renewal of earth’s cycles, now being modified by climate change.

Program

Claudio Monteverdi Adoramus te, SV 289
Antonio Vivaldi Concerto for strings and basso continuo, RV 129 (“Madrigalesco”)
Marco Uccellini Bergamasca
Vivaldi Concerto in d minor, RV 813
Vivaldi Concerto in E Major, Op. 8, No. 1, RV 269 (“Spring”)
Vivaldi Concerto in g minor, Op. 8, No. 2, RV 315 (“Summer”)
Vivaldi Overture to La fida ninfa (“The Faithful Nymph”), RV 714
Vivaldi Concerto in F Major, Op. 8, No. 3, RV 293 (“Autumn”)
Vivaldi Grave from Violin Concerto in B-flat Major, RV 370
Vivaldi Concerto in f minor, Op. 8, No. 4, RV 297 (“Winter”)

Experience the rich tradition of Arabic maqam with world-renowned kanun player and composer Firas Zreik. The Palestinian-born New Yorker has transformed global perception of the kanun, stretching its potential as a cultural chameleon with his fresh, evolving sounds.

Known for his singular combination of robust swing and poetic insight, the two-time Grammy winner brings his one-of-a-kind brand of contemporary lyricism and vocal ingenuity to vocal jazz. This celebration of Weather Report, one of jazz’s great supergroups, which was active in the 1970s and early 80s, will reimagine the fusion band’s iconic songs in addition to new arrangements inspired by their constellation of musicians. 

Since their 2008 debut album, Frontier Ruckus has delivered a singularly detailed representation of the glorious, yet occasionally grim, minutiae of Midwestern suburban life through their obsessively crafted lyrics and colorful instrumentation. Join Matthew, David, and Zachary for a night filled with folk, alt-country, pop, rock, bluegrass, and all things Americana.

Join us for an up close and personal concert experience with Detroit’s own groundbreaking, Grammy-nominated, all-women Jazz band.

Ypsilanti, it’s time to take the stage! Singers, poets, rappers, comedians, and more — bring in your newest work, dust off an old favorite, or just come by to support your neighbors and fellow artists.

March (with puppets!) from Riverside Arts Center to the Ypsilanti Freighthouse alongside the Detroit Party Marching Band. The Processional ends at the Freighthouse, where you will join your neighbors in a community celebration, including live music by Djangophonique.

Following his enthralling performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with Orchestre de Paris in March 2024, Yunchan Lim returns to Hill Auditorium for his UMS recital debut, performing Bach’s vibrant Goldberg Variations.

Program

Hanurij Lee …round and velvety-smooth blend…
J.S. Bach Goldberg Variations, BWV 998

The cherished ensemble celebrates its 50th anniversary with a program that pairs Haydn and Beethoven, two innovators of the string quartet form, with Benjamin Britten’s rarely-performed String Quartet No. 2.

Program

Joseph Haydn String Quartet in C Major, Op. 54, No. 2
Benjamin Britten String Quartet No. 2 in C Major, Op. 36
Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135

Filled with humor, music and movement, these songs, dances and folktales not only teach about our past but provide valuable wisdom for growing up today and our collective future.

UMS’s 25/26 Season opens with Verdi’s monumental Requiem, performed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the UMS Choral Union, and DSO music director Jader Bignamini, with a stellar international cast of soloists.

Interweaving immersive performance and audio documentary with Indigenous knowledge and voices, this mesmerizing new theatrical work invites audiences into ritualized listening, and to feel the sound vibrations emitted by the surrounding water, stones, copper, and tree trunks.

The prolific Chicago-based drummer, composer, and producer Makaya McCraven is a cultural synthesizer with a unique gift for blending past, present, and future into jazz-rooted 21st-century folk music.

The company creates dance at its most essential: visceral, powerful, thought-provoking, and transformative. Their meticulous performances, unmatched for precision, innovation, and inspiring beauty, will be on display in two different programs for their UMS debut. Each performance features a company of 20 dancers in works by some of today’s leading contemporary dance-theater choreographers.

Friday Program

Pieces of Tomorrow (Medhi Walerski)
PASSING (Choreography by Johan Inger)

Saturday Program

Obsidian (Bobbi Jene Smith / Or Schraiber)
Silent Tides (Medhi Walerski)
BOLERO X (Shahar Binyamin)

The Belcea Quartet performs in Ann Arbor for the first time in more than a decade, opening the 25/26 Chamber Arts Series with an evening of masterworks by Webern, Mozart, and Beethoven.

Program

Anton Webern Five Movements for String Quartet, Op. 5
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Quartet No. 19 in C Major, K. 465 (“Dissonance”)
Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet No. 16 in F Major. Op. 135

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

Program

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

One of the most celebrated artists in American history, the brilliant and always innovative Herbie Hancock returns to Hill Auditorium in a limited tour that promises to bring his signature mix of freewheeling, thought-provoking, and mind-expanding jazz and funk.

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

Boz Scaggs continues to captivate audiences with his polished yet gritty voice, nearly 50 years after his hit 1976 album Silk Degrees became part of the decade’s musical fabric.

One of the foremost violinists of our time, Gil Shaham returns to UMS for the first time in a decade,  performing an all-Beethoven program with his longtime recital partner Akira Eguchi.

Program

All-Beethoven Program
Violin Sonata No. 4 in a minor, Op. 23
Violin Sonata No. 5 in F Major, Op. 24 (“Spring”)
Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, Op. 47 (“Kreutzer”)

One of the world’s most adventurous and versatile chamber ensembles, the Danish String Quartet returns with a unique program that includes works by Stravinsky, Beethoven, and film composer and Radiohead founding member Jonny Greenwood, plus arrangements of traditional folk tunes and original compositions that trace musical pathways across the North Sea.

Program

Igor Stravinsky Three Pieces for String Quartet
Jonny Greenwood Suite from There Will Be Blood
Danish String Quartet Traditional arrangements and compositions
Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet No. 13 in B-flat Major, Op. 130 with the Große Fuge

Start the holiday season with an unforgettable Thanksgiving weekend concert featuring GRAMMY-winning quartet Béla Fleck and the Flecktones.

Handel’s timeless masterpiece has enraptured audiences for centuries with its sublime beauty and profound spirituality. Led by conductor Scott Hanoian, 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.

Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the Chamber Orchestra of Europe in an all-Brahms program, joined by violinist Veronika Eberle and cellist Jean-Guihen Queyras.

Program

All-Brahms Program
Tragic Overture, Op. 81
Double Concerto in a minor, Op. 102
Symphony No. 1 in c minor, Op. 68

Two award-winning Belgian companies come together for this stunning visual performance combining puppetry, video, mime, and clowning. Between dreamlike fiction and stark reality, Dimanche paints a witty and tender portrait of humanity surprised by the uncontrollable forces of nature, observing the absurdity of keeping up appearances amidst an ecological collapse.

Martha Graham is recognized as a primal artistic force of the 20th century. Her company celebrates its milestone 100th anniversary season with three unique programs that exemplify Graham’s timeless and uniquely American style of dance.

After their roaring UMS debut in 2023, México’s Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería and conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto return with trumpet soloist Pacho Flores.

Program

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

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

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

Step into a world of rhythm and soul as the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, led by the iconic trumpeter and cultural ambassador Wynton Marsalis, brings their unparalleled mastery to Hill Auditorium. The venerable ensemble takes the stage for a journey through the heart of jazz, blending classic big band energy with bold, fresh improvisation.

Scottish violinist Nicola Benedetti makes her UMS debut with an ensemble featuring guitar, accordion, and cello performing arrangements of popular classical works.

Program

Ernest Bloch “Prayer” from From Jewish Life
Manuel Ponce Estrellita
Pablo de Sarasate Carmen Fantasy, Op. 25
Peter Maxwell Davies Farewell to Stromness
Additional works to be announced

Violinist James Ehnes is joined by pianist Inon Barnatan, violist Jonathan Vinocour, and cellist Raphael Bell for a program of Gabriel Fauré’s piano quartets. Among his best-known chamber works, Fauré’s piano quartets are exquisitely crafted and ideal vehicles for these four superb artists and musical soulmates.

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

The year 1926 saw the birth of two towering figures who reshaped the landscape of modern music: Miles Davis and John Coltrane. In this limited tour, two of today’s most visionary musicians come together to honor their legacies in a concert that is more than just a centennial tribute, but a living, breathing continuation of their spirit.

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

Program

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

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

Program

Ludwig van Beethoven Septet in E-Flat Major for WInds and Strings, Op. 20
Dmitri Shostakovich Prelude and Scherzo for String Octet, Op. 11
Béla Bartók Divertimento for String Orchestra, Sz. 113

Legendary fiddler Martin Hayes leads a wide-ranging, family-friendly concert celebration a few days after St. Patrick’s Day, featuring an exciting variety of special guests, traditional sean-nós singing and dancing, and modern takes on Irish traditions.

Siblings Sheku Kanneh-Mason and Isata Kanneh-Mason bring their extraordinary musical chemistry to a program that bridges Romantic lyricism and 20th-century innovation. 

Program

Felix Mendelssohn Cello Sonata No. 1 in B-flat Major, Op. 45
Nadia Boulanger Three Pieces for Cello and Piano
Robert Schumann Five Pieces in Folk Style, Op. 102
Rebecca Clarke Sonata for Viola (or Violoncello) and Piano

Five-time Grammy Award winner Angélique Kidjo returns to Ann Arbor for the first time since 2020 with her powerhouse voice, electrifying stage presence, and joyous music.

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

Brooklyn-born, Basel-based choreographer Jeremy Nedd delves into the complexities of dance ownership and cultural appropriation, taking inspiration from a rapper’s copyright infringement lawsuit against a video game company.

The superlative ensemble returns in a program that includes a UMS co-commission by University of Michigan alumna Clarice Assad, plus works by Franz Joseph Haydn and Claude Debussy.

Program

Franz Joseph Haydn String Quartet No. 59 in g minor, Op. 74, No. 3 (“Rider”)
Clarice Assad New Work (UMS co-commission)
Claude Debussy String Quartet in g minor, Op. 10 (L.91)

In a rare concert performance and evening of master piano works for the 21st century, 10 outstanding pianists will perform all 20 of Philip Glass’s études on the Hill Auditorium stage.

MacArthur Genius Grant recipient and Pulitzer Prize winner Rhiannon Giddens has made a singular, iconic career out of stretching her brand of folk music into just about every field imaginable. Join us as the U-M Arts Initiative’s inaugural artist-in-residence takes the Hill Auditorium stage with her latest musical exploration.

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