Join Grammy-winning Silkroad Ensemble in an unforgettable musical journey around the world, offering a fresh perspective on the history and migration of music. Presented in Centennial Hall. Silkroad brings together musicians globally to inspire collaboration and add more equity and justice into the world. Conceived by Yo-Yo Ma in 1988, Silkroad continues to break new ground with innovative music, cultural collaboration, and high-quality arts education under the leadership of visionary Artistic Director Rhiannon Giddens. In Uplifted Voices, Silkroad showcases a synthesis of global musical traditions and contemporary innovation, with each artist contributing their unique voice to craft a shared musical experience. From the Tuscarora Nation in North Carolina, singer-songwriter and activist Pura Fé blends traditional Native American sounds with contemporary Americana, honoring her Indigenous heritage while celebrating its enduring relevance. Japanese multi-percussionist Haruka Fujii has gained international acclaim as a prominent solo percussionist and marimbist, known for her interpretations of contemporary music and premieres of works by leading composers. Scottish harpist and composer Maeve Gilchrist intertwines jazz and folk while staying true to her Celtic roots, expanding the harp’s role into new, unexplored territories. Acclaimed cellist Karen Ouzounian centers her artistic practice on her love of the collaborative process and the development of adventurous new works. Lebanese violinist and composer Layale Chaker merges the intricate sounds of Arabic Maqam with jazz and contemporary classical elements, inviting listeners on a journey into new soundscapes. Mazz Swift, a violinist and composer, brings a deeply innovative approach, fusing classic African American music, electronica, and mindfulness, with improvisation as a central theme across genres.

Ten acrobats and a live string quartet celebrate the music of composer Dmitri Shostakovich in a stunning work of power, virtuosity, and physical poetry with Opus by Circa. Presented in Centennial Hall. Australian company Circa returns with a bold piece of extreme physicality and nuanced detail melded into a seamless whole with Opus. Beginning with a solo performer suspended on a rope serenaded by musicians, Opus then moves powerfully through rapidly alternating scenes of dislocated stillness and violent explosions into extreme physicality to arrive at exquisitely detailed and nuanced geometries of acrobats flying, balancing, and landing. This groundbreaking experience is brought to life by France’s Debussy String Quartet who perform three passionate quartets by 20th-century composer Dmitri Shostakovich live and from memory. The result? A red-hot fusion of extreme acrobatics, lyrical movement, and group choreography. Facebook Instagram LinkedIn Vimeo

Experience an evening of virtuosic brilliance with American pianist Jon Nakamatsu whose electrifying performances have captivated audiences worldwide for over three decades. Presented and fully seated on stage for an up-close and intimate audience experience in Centennial Hall. Now in his third decade of touring worldwide, Jon Nakamatsu continues to draw critical and public acclaim for his intensity, elegance and electrifying solo, concerto, and chamber music performances. Catapulted to international attention in 1997 as the Gold Medalist of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition—the only American to achieve this distinction since 1981—he subsequently developed a multi-faceted career encompassing recording, education, arts administration, and public speaking. From major symphony halls to intimate chamber performances, Jon Nakamatsu brings music to life in a way that feels both powerful and personal. Whether he’s playing Beethoven, Gershwin, or something in between, his performances are full of nuance and emotion.