Performance Calendar

Whether unearthing forgotten rarities or performing 20th-century standards, vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant makes every song unmistakably her own. Each song on her setlist unfolds like a fully realized drama: beautiful, complicated, and thought-provoking. Experience the artistry of an extraordinary storyteller when Cécile McLorin Salvant returns to Celebrity Series.

Saxophonist Edmar Colón and his Ensemble team with young string players from three leading educational programs around Boston for an afternoon of intergenerational inspiration and artistry. The youth ensembles open the concert with winter selections, followed by Colón's ensemble and side-by-side jazz-inspired interpretations of Puerto Rican folk songs.

A singular force in contemporary music, Tyshawn Sorey seamlessly blends jazz, classical, and improvisatory traditions from Europe and Africa to redefine the expressive potential of the drum kit. Guided by his “world aesthetic,” his compositions unfold with deliberate brilliance, erasing boundaries and reshaping 21st-century American music. Experience the immersive and meditative artistry of the Tyshawn Sorey Trio. 

Duke Ellington found deep inspiration in Africa, travelling with his orchestra to Dakar, Senegal in 1966 to perform at the first World Festival of Negro Arts. This trip led him to compose several of his most iconic works including Afro-Bossa, Liberian Suite, and the Grammy Award-winning Togo Brava Suite. Co-music-directed by JLCO saxophonists Chris Lewis and Alexa Tarantino, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis celebrates these compositions and the spirit of Duke's historic trip, nearly 60 years later. 

Pianist Alfredo Rodriguez, born into a prominent Cuban musical family, trained in classical conservatories, while percussionist Pedrito Martinez honed his deeply-rooted Afro-Cuban folkloric percussion and vocal techniques on the streets of Old Havana. Now, after years of growth and artistic evolution, Rodriguez and Martinez take center stage for a high-energy evening that pulses with the spirit of Cuban musical traditions. 

Captivating vocals, compelling storytelling, and a gift for improvisation make Dianne Reeves’ live performances can’t-miss events. Experience her artistry when she returns to Berklee Performance Center.    

In her headlining debut with Celebrity Series, Ndegeocello will perform a powerful set drawn from her Grammy Award-winning 2024 album No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin, offering an unforgettable evening with one of music’s most original and captivating voices.

Exuberant Jazz and Klezmer music share a double bill in the first of two concerts in our Neighborhood Arts Clarinet Weekend. Clarinetist Juan Ruiz and pianist Camila Cortina perform jazz, and Itay Dayan shares klezmer music that honors tradition while exploring new frontiers.

Tradition and innovation, high concept and deep feeling: Grammy Award-winning alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón doesn’t see these as opposites, but as the foundation for his smart, stylish, and expressive music. Don’t miss an evening of brilliant music-making that poses big questions while delivering irresistible grooves. 

Tradition and innovation, high concept and deep feeling: Grammy Award-winning alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón doesn’t see these as opposites, but as the foundation for his smart, stylish, and expressive music. Don’t miss an evening of brilliant music-making that poses big questions while delivering irresistible grooves.