Led by celebrated vocalist Julia Keefe (Nez Perce), The Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band is an ensemble of Native and Indigenous jazz musicians from across Indian Country. Opening act by Mali Obomsawin (Odanak First Nation), an award-winning bassist, songwriter, and composer whose debut album “Sweet Tooth” has received international acclaim.
As their neighborhood changes in unpredictable ways, a beloved Pittsburgh diner owner and his customers seek work, love, and justice in this heartfelt and hilarious play. Two Trains Running is the 1960s chapter of acclaimed playwright August Wilson’s American Century Cycle, a decade-by-decade saga of African American life in the 20th century.
Composer and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Flower will perform a new work commissioned by Composer-In-Residence Osvaldo Golijov for modular synthesizer and string quartet. A Series of Resolutions aims to live outside genre definitions where moments of harmonic exploration and dissonance can coexist with earnest melodies.
Jha D Amazi leads the Public Memory and Memorial Lab at the pathbreaking MASS Design Group. The lab’s projects honor the experiences and cultures of communities historically underrepresented in our memorial landscape, with works including The Embrace in Boston and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Alabama.
A journey through classically-framed infusions of soul, bluegrass, jazz, blues, and rag from the dynamic and inspiring chamber orchestra Sphinx Virtuosi, American Form/s is a co-production with Music Worcester.
MacArthur Fellow Hanif Abdurraqib is an award-winning poet, essayist, and music and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio. His newest release, There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension (Random House, 2024), was a New York Times Bestseller and longlisted for the National Book Award in nonfiction. His 2021 book, A Little Devil In America: Notes on Black Performance, placed as a finalist for the National Book Award.
How do we experience loss? How can we hold and appreciate what has been left to us? A new program from the Papermoon Puppet Theatre Company of Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Puno, Sewing Memories tells the story of Tala, a young girl coping with her father’s passing, through a poignant performance with astonishing modernist puppets.
From Grammy- and MacArthur-winner Osvaldo Golijov, The Prior's Composer-in-Residence, comes a thrilling new work-in-progress on the creation of the universe. At this special sneak peek, audiences will hear selections performed by three of Golijov’s closest collaborators, each of whom embody entire cosmogonies in their music-making. Reservations limited to students, staff and faculty of Holy Cross.
A potent symbol of unity in diversity, the American Patchwork Quartet draws influences from American folk, jazz and country as well as West African and East Asian styles to blend tradition and innovation in a celebration of America’s cultural mosaic. A co-presentation with historic local arts presenter Music Worcester.
Dedicated to serving transformative art experiences to all-age audiences, LayeRhythm invigorates communities from clubs, festivals, and stages, with interactive and improvisational games between the audience and performers. In SWITCH, audience ideas are collected and turned into music, lyrics and movement by the MC and performers.
