2025-2026 Season

Get ready to stomp and scoot—join us at the Freighthouse for two hours of beginner line dancing with Ashley, set to classic country hits!

In collaboration with Independent Film Festival Ypsilanti (iFFY), this program features nine short films elevating a variety of performances and time-based artworks from musicians, dancers, animators, performance artists, and more. A panel featuring both filmmakers and performers will follow the screening.

Enjoy a Sunday afternoon of gospel music right in your backyard! Detroit gospel legend Alvin Waddles and his band accompany the all-female vocal quintet, Testimony Sings.

Joe Reilly’s new album Learn to Love Again, with his band The Community Gardeners, invites us to unite through music and community amid today’s chaos and division.

Little Miss Ann and Suzi Shelton of Birds of a Feather will uplift and inspire children as they make their ways back to the classroom. In this family-friendly program, school-related themes include bravery, cooperation, celebrating differences, favorite foods, and even ways to get to school!

Bassist Noah Jackson and his Detroit-bred band, Full Circle, present two performances that will delight the ears of jazz novices and aficionados alike.

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.

Join a rare night of unlikely collaborations curated by Ypsi-born indie rock musician Fred Thomas.

Ypsi’s Fun Girl Dance Company & School presents a day of family-friendly events that are part performance, part creative movement workshop, and guaranteed 100% FUN!

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.

Vancouver’s Ballet BC has been a leader in the Canadian contemporary dance scene for nearly 40 years, pushing the physical and emotional boundaries of the genre.

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)

Join us for a 60-minute dance workshop led by company members of Ballet BC. You Can Dance! workshops are free with registration and designed for all skill levels and curious movers. No dance experience required!

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

Pop on a VR headset, and discover what it’s like to sit right in the middle of a symphony orchestra!

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 (If oxygen were green)
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.

UMS is thrilled to welcome back the Imani Winds. This four-time Grammy-nominated ensemble has led both a revolution and an evolution of the wind quintet through its dynamic playing, adventurous programming, and imaginative collaborations.

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, Op. 133

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

Spinning dreamlike fiction and humor with urgent reality, this nearly wordless theatrical experience combines elements of clown, toys, puppetry, acrobatics, and nifty practical effects. Dimanche challenges us to look at what is happening to our planet, and what we are doing to the natural world and ourselves.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary, Martha Graham Dance Company continues to exemplify its founder’s timeless and uniquely American style of dance, one that has influenced generations of artists and continues to captivate audiences.

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.

Join us for a 90-minute dance workshop led by dancers from the Martha Graham Dance Company.

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

Franz Joseph Haydn Trumpet Concerto in E-flat Major
Paquito D’Rivera Venezuelan Concerto
Silvestre Revueltas Sensemayá
Alberto Ginastera Dances from Estancia, Op. 8a
Arturo Márquez Danzón No. 2 (version 2012)

An audience favorite from UMS’s 23/24 season was the US debut of México’s Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería, led by the dynamic conductor Carlos Miguel Prieto. This first time School Day Performance will feature The Night of the Mayas by Silvestre Revueltas, Sones de Mariachi by Blas Galindo, and other compositions by Mexican and Latin American composers.

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.

Julia Keefe and co-founder Delbert Anderson (Diné) talk original works inspired by songs and rhythms of their Native heritage, reimagined through the language and stylings of jazz.

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, is back to close out our 25-26 School Day Performance series with a Big Band concert tailored for young people.

Join Nicola Benedetti at the 18th annual Susan B. Meister Lecture in Child Health Policy.

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 performance of Marsalis’s Symphony No. 4, “The Jungle.”

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 some of Duke Ellington’s most iconic compositions.

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

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 celebrates the transcendent contemporary classical music of composer Arvo Pärt, and the indelible mark he has left on music and choral singing 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.

Elie Wiesel:Soul on Fire is an intimate documentary of the author, educator and humanitarian whose life’s work against global injustice was inspired by his experiences as a prisoner in Auschwitz and Buchenwald.

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 Karajan-Akademie of the Berliner Philharmoniker 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
Julia Wolfe Big Reeling
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.

We regret to inform audiences that concert has been canceled. We are in the process of notifying ticket buyers with options to refund or donate their tickets.

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 8-hour production (including 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.

Texas-based songwriter and guitarist James McMurtry is a supremely insightful and inventive storyteller who crafts searingly honest lyrics set against a rock/Americana backdrop. His Ypsilanti Freighthouse debut draws from his 2025 album The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy.

This special interactive performance for families invites you to explore music and dance from the Arab World. Led by Chloé Gray of Ypsilanti’s Fun Girl Dance Company and music educator and oud player Raphique Barakat, the event will focus on the dabke, a traditional line-and-circle folk dance featuring energetic stomping, jumping, and kicking to rhythmic music.

In this collaboration with iFFY, filmmakers who live or work in Washtenaw County will be invited to create a series of short silent films, all of which will be set to live, improvised music.

Known as “Detroit’s Queen of the Blues,” Thornetta Davis has captivated audiences across the United States and abroad for over 30 years, sharing stages with legendary Blues and R&B greats including Ray Charles, Etta James, and Buddy Guy.

The spring concert of the U-M Life Sciences Orchestra will feature the 150-member UMS Choral Union, and special guest solo vocalists, performing a stirring oratorio by English composer Edward Elgar.

Ypsilanti, it’s time to take the stage! Open Mic Night at the Freighthouse is back, and we want to hear from you.

Nidia Góngora brings the soul of Colombia’s Pacific coast to the stage, with a powerful, earthy, and luminous voice that carries centuries of Afro-Colombian tradition in this dance floor-ready event performed with marimba and percussion.

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 NEXUS (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.

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 children’s albums of environmental and community songs in this concert for families. After the performance, families are invited to stay for a hands-on activity.

At this free community event, meet the moment through music by composers Jessie Montgomery, Florence Price, Margaret Bonds, and more. Voce Velata — a local youth-led chamber ensemble — joins professional musicians to explore cultural idioms that are in dialogue with both our past and present.

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.

Join us at the Freighthouse for two hours of beginner line dancing with Ashley, set to country hits.

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.

Detroit’s Ian Fink brings a next-gen jazz combo to the intimate Ypsilanti Freighthouse.

Beyond This Point, composed of Chicago-based collaborative percussion/arts trio Adam Rosenblatt, John Corkill, and AJ Morrissey, straddles the disciplines of music, theater, and science through gesture and ingenuity.

Experience the musical legend’s brilliant piano playing and electrifying, genre-blurring sound that moves effortlessly between rock, jazz, folk, and beyond.