Performance Calendar

Formed to celebrate the unique and inspirational power of African Gospel music, Soweto Gospel Choir draws on the best talent from the many churches in and around Soweto, South Africa. The choir is dedicated to sharing the joy of faith through music with audiences around the world and has received critical acclaim and audience adoration for their powerful renditions of African American spirituals, gospel, and folk music.

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. 

Rob Kapilow illuminates the enduring appeal of Lerner & Loewe’s classic Broadway musicals in his engaging What Makes It Great? format. Known for his insightful, entertaining style, Kapilow breaks down musical highlights from iconic shows like My Fair Lady, Camelot, and Brigadoon, enhancing listeners’ appreciation by revealing the brilliance behind timeless musical theater favorites. 

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. 

Pianist Leif Ove Andsnes returns to Celebrity Series for his third appearance—but for the first time as a solo recitalist. Praised for his insightful, compelling, and elegantly virtuosic interpretations, Andsnes brings clarity and structure to every piece he performs. 

Brilliant bass-baritone Davóne Tines and early music continuo band Ruckus form the perfect pairing to reflect on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Giving new life to Colonial- and Revolutionary-era hymns, ballads, and Baroque compositions, Ruckus and Tines embark on a musical journey that weaves through the pre-Civil War period, the Civil Rights era, and into the present day. 

The morning after the 2016 election, singer/composer Gabriel Kahane boarded a train from New York to Chicago, starting a 9,000-mile journey across America. In a climate of national division, Kahane listened to Americans’ stories; a song cycle, Book of Travelers, was born from their hopes, hardships, and shared moments of faith and resilience. Everyday American stories become extraordinary when you experience Gabriel Kahane’s poignant, wise, and empathetic Book of Travelers. 

French soprano Axelle Fanyo makes her Boston debut with a captivating program showcasing the vocal brilliance and emotional depth that have defined her rising career on opera and recital stages. Praised for her extraordinary expressiveness, Fanyo “does not only embody a character, she tells us the story. She clearly cultivates the art of communication, which gives her singing another dimension” (Forum Opéra).