25-26 Holiday Gift Guide

Give the Gift of Discovery 🎁

Unforgettable moments await in Winter and Spring 2026

This holiday season, look beyond physical things. The most memorable gifts aren’t the ones that sit on a shelf—they are the experiences that move us, the melodies that linger in our minds, and the conversations that start the moment the curtain falls.

Inside this guide, you’ll find a curated selection of Winter and Spring 2026 events, from the energy of world-class dance to the intimacy of a chamber recital—something to inspire everyone on your list.

These selections are projects we are especially passionate about and excited to share with you. They represent the boldest, most innovative artistic voices of the season, hand-picked to offer you something truly extraordinary.

For movers & shakers

Malpaso dancers with their arms stretched out and legs up

Malpaso Dance Company

Indomitable Waltz, Tabula Rasa and A Dancing Island

Saturday, January 31

One of Cuba’s most exciting contemporary ensembles delivers striking choreography and emotional depth with, “fluid movement, admirable technique, and easy musicality” (NOW Toronto).

Cirque Flip Fabrique

Blizzard

Sunday, March 1

Canada’s trailblazing ensemble brings Blizzard—a poetic, acrobatic journey into the heart of winter. The original music, trampoline walls, rotating prisms, and flawless physicality will carry you into a world of wonder.

Dancer in blue dress with leg in the air against a black backdrop

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Tuesday, April 14 – Wednesday, April 15

Celebrating 65+ years of unparalleled artistry, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns with new Artistic Director Alicia Graf Mack, showcasing both groundbreaking new works and the soul‑stirring classic Revelations.

For belters & songbirds

Ekep Nkwelle

Thursday, February 12 – Saturday, February 14

Rising star Ekep Nkwelle, last season’s featured vocalist for JLCO, returns to the Mondavi Center for a night of soulful jazz storytelling that resonates long after the final note.

The choir standing in front of a striped wall, raising one hand and looking straight into the camera.

Ndlovu Youth Choir

Wednesday, February 25

Hailing from South Africa, the Ndlovu Youth Choir uplifts audiences around the globe with powerhouse vocals, mesmerizing choreography, and infectious energy.

Lucía

Saturday, May 2

A rising star blending jazz, Latin, and pop into a sound uniquely her own, Lucía brings her luminous voice and vibrant stage presence to her Mondavi Center debut.

For culture explorers

Okaidja Afroso's hair flying up while smiling stepping onto a stool

Okaidja Afroso Ensemble

Friday, February 6 – Saturday, February 7

Ghanaian-born musician and storyteller Okaidja Afroso uses his distinct style of percussion, guitar, vocals, and dance to honor his upbringing in the coastal town of Kokrobite.

Alsarah in front of flower patterned wall.

Alsarah & The Nubatones

Friday, February 27 – Saturday, February 28

Led by Sudanese‑American singer‑songwriter Alsarah, this Brooklyn‑based ensemble blends Nubian, Arabic, and western music into a captivating “East‑African retro‑pop” sound that bridges cultural borders.

Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy holding hands in front of a red brick wall

Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy: Celtic Allstars

Friday, March 20

Dynamic musical power couple Natalie MacMaster and Donnell Leahy are joined by their daughter Mary Frances and special guests for a vibrant cross‑genre celebration rooted in family and Celtic tradition.

Shelby Means

Wednesday, May 13 & Thursday, May 14

Bassist, singer, and songwriter Shelby Means makes her Mondavi Center debut, showcasing the soulful artistry that has carried her from Molly Tuttle’s Grammy-winning Golden Highway to headlining her own stages across the country.

For maestro enthusiasts

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Riccardo Muti, music director and conductor

Brahms / Stravinsky / Ravel

Sunday, January 18

Making its Mondavi Center debut, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, led by Riccardo Muti, presents a compelling program featuring Brahms’s final symphonic work, Stravinsky’s fairy tale–inspired suite, and one of Ravel’s most celebrated compositions.

Joshua Bell holding his violin, with the Academy of ST Martin in the Fields around him playing their instruments

Academy of St Martin in the Fields with Joshua Bell

Ives / Brahms / Schumann

Saturday, February 28

The premier chamber orchestra returns under the direction of Joshua Bell, performing Brahms’s iconic Violin Concerto—an elusive and formidable showcase of virtuosity. The program also features Schumann’s Spring Symphony, a work brimming with optimism and renewal.

Side by side images of Daniele Rustioni conducting in a black tuxedo and Daniel Muller-Schott playing the cello in front of a red background in a black suit

San Francisco Symphony

Daniele Rustioni, conductor & Daniel Müller-Schott, cello

Dvořák & Brahms

Saturday, March 14

Named “Best Conductor” at the 2022 International Opera Awards, Rustioni leads the San Francisco Symphony with presence and precision. They are joined by Müller-Schott, an outstanding violinist praised for his “magnetic” talent (New York Times).

Mahler Chamber Orchestra | Yuja Wang, piano and director

Mahler Chamber Orchestra
Yuja Wang, piano and director

Matthew Truscott, concertmaster and leader

Prokofiev / Tsfasman / Chopin

Monday, April 27

One of the most dynamic pianists of our time joins forces with the all-star Mahler Chamber Orchestra for their Mondavi Center debut, presenting a rare opportunity to hear cherished works performed at the highest level.

For classical connoisseurs

Image of musicians standing on stairs with their instruments, dressed formally and looking into the camera, next to an image of Randall Garner looking off to the side and holding a violin.

Sphinx Virtuosi with Randall Goosby, violin

White / Assad / Prokofiev

Thursday, March 5

A vibrant conductorless chamber orchestra of 18 top Black and Latinx musicians, the Sphinx Virtuosi—joined by acclaimed violinist Randall Goosby—present a thoughtfully curated mix of new and classic works.

Ivalas Quartet

Haydn / Skye / Beethoven

Sunday, March 8

With a mission to spotlight BIPOC composers alongside classical greats, the Ivalas Quartet—recent Graduate Resident String Quartet at Juilliard—makes their Mondavi Center debut with a dynamic program of Haydn, Derrick Skye, and Beethoven.

Attacca Quartet

Haydn / Lang / Poulenc & Chopin / Bartók

Sunday, April 19

The Grammy-winning Attacca Quartet—known for their fearless range and electrifying precision—brings a Juilliard-born spirit of curiosity to a program that moves fluidly between the traditional to the contemporary.

Christopher Taylor posing on piano in a black tuxedo with red bow tie

Christopher Taylor, piano

Liszt Transcriptions of Beethoven Symphonies

Friday, June 5 – Sunday, June 7

Christopher Taylor returns to complete his ambitious journey through Liszt’s transcriptions of Beethoven’s symphonies, delivering the final four in a two-concert tour de force.

For inventive improvisers

Coltrane 100: Both Directions at Once

Featuring Joe Lovano, Melissa Aldana, Ndudzo Makhathini, Linda May Han Oh and Jeff “Tain” Watts

Thursday, April 16

A centennial celebration of the iconic saxophonist John Coltrane, featuring reimagined classics and new works inspired by his legacy.

Håkon Kornstad

Thursday, April 23 – Saturday, April 25

Norwegian saxophonist and classically trained tenor, Kornstad takes the stage solo—live looping sax, flute, and voice—to craft micro‑orchestral soundscapes where jazz improvisation and operatic lyricism intertwine in real time.

Unlimited Miles: Miles Davis at 100

Led by John Beasley with Mark Turner, Sean Jones, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Ben Williams, and Terreon Gully

Wednesday, May 13

Celebrating a century of Miles Davis, this dynamic sextet—led by GRAMMY-winning pianist John Beasley—explores Davis’ groundbreaking legacy through bold arrangements that span his iconic career.

For storytellers & seekers

Blade Runner LIVE

Friday, January 23

Experience Ridley Scott’s multi-Academy Award-nominated cult classic, Blade Runner (2007 Final Cut), on a vast HD screen while Vangelis’ synthesiser-led score is performed by The Avex Ensemble for the first time in-sync with the 1982 motion picture.

Javier Zamora

Author of Solito

Campus Community Book Project

Tuesday, March 10

Award-winning poet, memoirist, and storyteller, Javier Zamora talks about his memoir Solito, which is an intimate, firsthand account of his journey to the United States and a vivid exploration of resilience and love.

Mohanad Elshieky

Comedian

Friday, May 29 – Saturday, May 30

Libyan-born and New York–based comedian Mohanad Elshieky brings sharp wit and understated delivery to the stage — with incisive takes on culture and politics that have earned him spots on Conan, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Comedy Central.