26-27

Two studio portraits: Branford Marsalis in checked suit and Dianne Reeves in black feathered dress

Branford Marsalis & Dianne Reeves Celebrate John Coltrane

NEA Jazz Masters and Grammy winners Branford Marsalis and Dianne Reeves come together to celebrate the centennial of John Coltrane with a new album and international tour.  

Five-time Grammy Award winner Dianne Reeves is one of the world’s preeminent jazz vocalists. Celebrated for her virtuosity, improvisational brilliance and seamless blend of jazz and R&B, Reeves made history as the first vocal artist to win Grammy Awards for three consecutive recordings in the category of Best Jazz Vocal Performance.

Four dancers mid-kick on blue-lit stage in colorful outfits, with a guitarist and cellist behind.

Music from the Sole

Blurring the lines between concert, dance and music performance, Music from the Sole is a vibrant tap and live music ensemble celebrating tap’s roots in the African diaspora. 

Two ballet dancers in teal costumes; male supports female against solid blue studio backdrop

Dance Theatre of Harlem

Dance Theatre of Harlem has achieved unprecedented success, building an extraordinary legacy of opportunity, creative expression and artistic excellence. 

The Company brings its bold, forward-thinking repertoire to the Mondavi Center, including treasured classics, neoclassical works by George Balanchine and Artistic Director Robert Garland, as well as innovative contemporary works that use the language of ballet to affirm Arthur Mitchell’s enduring belief that ballet belongs to everyone. 

Program to be announced.

A group of six vocal performers on stage, dressed elegantly, with an orchestra in the background.

Barbara K. Jackson Rising Stars of Opera

Since its inception in 2010, Rising Stars of Opera has featured vocal artistry, stirring melodies, and a glimpse at the opera stars of tomorrow, and every ticket has been free to the public thanks to Barbara K. Jackson.

Rising Stars of Opera features singers from the acclaimed San Francisco Opera Center performing a wide range of great arias with full orchestral accompaniment from our own UC Davis Symphony Orchestra.

Woman in dark green dress seated on wooden stairs, relaxed posture, direct gaze.

Yeol Eum Son, piano

Renowned for her refined artistry and flawless technical control, Yeol Eum Son brings electrifying contrasts to her Mondavi Center debut. 

Born in Wonju, South Korea, Son studied at Korea National University of Arts, winning medals at both the Van Cliburn and International Tchaikovsky Competitions.

Energetic taiko drummers in red costumes performing with large drums on stage.

Yamato

The word performance can’t fully describe the experience that is Yamato. It’s “physical music” that’s been celebrated the world over.  This Japanese Taiko drumming group looms (and booms) large, with more than 40 Taiko drums on stage representing different characters. Yamato does more than simply make their Taiko drums explode; they produce delicate music that gives the listener a palette of meticulously crafted sound. At once intense, then sad and even comforting and comical, you’re more than a bystander when you experience Yamato.
Headshot portrait of Tommy Orange with short dark hair, neutral expression, wearing dark shirt.

In Conversation with Tommy Orange

MacArthur Fellow and Pulitzer Prize finalist Tommy Orange is the author of the bestselling novel There There, a multigenerational portrait of urban Native American life.  Centered on communities often overlooked, There There tells the story of lives shaped by profound spirituality as well as the ongoing realities of addiction, abuse, and loss. His newest book, Wandering Stars, continues this exploration in a powerful narrative of epigenetic and generational trauma.
Black-and-white photo on the left and right: smiling Marin Alsop on left and Radulović holding violin on the right

San Francisco Symphony

A stunning night of star-powered orchestral music.

Acclaimed conductor Marin Alsop leads the San Francisco Symphony in a cinematic piece written for her by John Adams and Shostakovich’s masterful Fifth Symphony. Serbian-French violinist Radulović will bring electric energy and expressive virtuosity to Barber’s lyrical, demanding violin concerto.

ProgramThe Rock You Stand On John AdamsViolin Concerto, op. 14 Samuel BarberSymphony No. 5 in D Minor, op. 47 Dmitri Shostakovich
Sona Jobarteh with a Kora stands in a dry landscape, above Saha Gnawa holding various instruments.

Sona Jobarteh & Saha Gnawa

Two visionary forces shaping the future of African diasporic music come together in two complementary sets for an evening that honors deep musical lineages while embracing a new global perspective. 

Sona Jobarteh, the first professional female kora virtuoso to emerge from a West African griot dynasty, carries this centuries-old tradition forward through luminous vocals and masterful musicianship. Preserving her ancestral inheritance, she forges a bold humanitarian path into the future. 

Rosanne Cash sits in front of John Leventhal on blue couch in guitar-filled studio

Rosanne Cash with John Leventhal

Blending country music with Americana, folk, rock and blues, Rosanne Cash has shaped American music for more than four decades.  One of the most ambitious and literary songwriters of her generation” (Rolling Stone), Cash is America’s foremost musical woman of letters, a literate and incisive artist whose poignant and distinctive vocals turn every song into a revelatory tale.
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