26-27 UMS Series Brochure final with order form

148th Season.

Be Present.

University Musical Society of the University of Michigan

Théotime Langlois de Swarte, violin

Thomas Dunford, lute

Wed Mar 17

2 BE PRESENT

For nearly 150 years, each new UMS season has begun

with a simple but powerful idea:

Gathering for live

performance matters.

When we share live music, dance, theater, and

storytelling, we participate in moments that are crucial

to our humanity and our connection to one another.

The artists and programs next season remind us why

such moments are so vital and essential. They invite

us to slow down and listen more closely, to dare to

experience the world through another person’s story.

Across orchestral music, jazz, theater, dance, and

multidisciplinary work, the 26/27 season reflects UMS’s

commitment to presenting artists whose creativity

expands our sense of possibility.

We are especially excited in 26/27 to explore the

powerful connections between the arts, health,

and wellness, in close alignment with the University

of Michigan’s theme year. At a time when many

of us are searching for ways to grapple physically

and emotionally with the world around us, artists

are increasingly exploring how creativity can foster

resilience, empathy, and healing.

The center of this theme is a multi-day residency

with the London Symphony Orchestra, led by Sir

Antonio Pappano. In addition to two performances

at Hill Auditorium, the orchestra will collaborate with

University of Michigan, Michigan Medicine, and

Arts Initiative partners, engaging with patients and

caregivers in local hospitals, and participating in

conversations and activities throughout the community.

There’s a growing understanding that music and the

arts can play a meaningful role in addressing isolation,

fostering resilience, and strengthening our collective

well-being.

Several other performances throughout the season

explore these ideas in deeply personal ways. In Watch

Me Walk, writer and performer Anne Gridley shares a

darkly funny and profoundly moving autobiographical

story about disability, identity, and the healthcare

system. In 300 Paintings, Australian artist Sam

Kissajukian transforms a personal mental health journey

into an astonishing blend of comedy, storytelling, and

visual art. Together with the searing work When I Saw

the Sea by Ali Chahrour, these performances mark

the return of No Safety Net, featuring provocative

theatrical works that invite audiences into moments of

extraordinary vulnerability, courage, and honesty.

Music lovers will find extraordinary riches throughout

the season. Our jazz and vocal programming is

especially thrilling this year, beginning with the radiant

voice of Samara Joy and closing with the Jazz at Lincoln

Center Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis for two concerts.

Many beloved artists return to the UMS stage next

season, including Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax, Yuja

Wang, and the incomparable Audra McDonald. Our

own UMS Choral Union will appear several times, and

our chamber music series continues to evolve with

programs that bring musicians together in unexpected

combinations, highlighting the spirit of curiosity

and dialogue.

With our 150th season just around the corner in

28/29, we’re launching a three-year commissioning

project that will result in new works in music, dance,

and theater. Our dance commission features New

York City Ballet principal dancer Sara Mearns and

choreographers Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber

for a new work that will have its world premiere in

October — a first for UMS to bring a new work like this

to life from start to finish!

All this incredible work is only possible with the

extraordinary work of our UMS team, and the

generosity of our partners, donors, and supporters —

your commitment sustains the artistic ambition

that defines UMS. We are deeply grateful to the

University of Michigan, whose faculty, students, and

leadership help make this organization such a vibrant

part of campus life, as well as to the many partners

throughout our community who collaborate with us in

extraordinary ways. We are especially grateful to U-M

President Domenico Grasso for his incredible support

this past year, and we welcome Kent Syverud as he

assumes the role in May.

We approach 26/27 and our coming 150th anniversary

with both confidence and humility, grounded in a

steadfast commitment to our mission and to our vision

of being a cultural catalyst for Michigan across all our

programming and activities.

We are honored to share these experiences with

you, and we look forward to seeing you throughout

next season!

Matthew VanBesien

President, UMS

3

Season

at-a-glance

September

October

Cont.

November

Cont.

The Cleveland Orchestra

FRANZ WELSER-MÖST,

music director and conductor

Fri Sep 25

Hill Auditorium

October

Bruce Hornsby &

The Noisemakers

Fri Oct 2

Hill Auditorium

Marks of RED

Shamel Pitts | TRIBE

Sat-Sun Oct 3-4

Power Center

Samara Joy

Fri Oct 9

Hill Auditorium

Isidore String Quartet

Anthony McGill, clarinet

Fri Dec 18

Y su mariachi

Lupita Infante

Sat Oct 17

Hill Auditorium

Sphinx Virtuosi featuring

J’Nai Bridges, mezzo-soprano

Sun Oct 18

Rackham Auditorium

UMS150 Dance

Commission &

World Premiere

SARA MEARNS, New York City Ballet

principal dancer

BOBBI JENE SMITH AND

OR SCHRAIBER, choreographers

Fri-Sat Oct 23-24

Power Center

Bruce Liu, piano

Wed Oct 28

Hill Auditorium

November

Julian Lage with

Medeski, Roeder,

& Wollesen

Sat Nov 7

Michigan Theater

Escher Quartet

Jason Vieaux, guitar

Sun Nov 8

Rackham Auditorium

Mozart’s Requiem

ANN ARBOR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

UMS CHORAL UNION

EARL LEE, conductor

Fri Nov 13

Hill Auditorium

Andy Akiho and

Sandbox Percussion

Sun Nov 15

Rackham Auditorium

Jack Tucker Comedy

Standup Show

Created and performed by

ZACH ZUCKER

Wed-Sun Nov 18-22

Arthur Miller Theatre

December

Handel’s Messiah


UMS CHORAL UNION

SCOTT HANOIAN, conductor

Sat-Sun Dec 5-6

Hill Auditorium

Yo-Yo Ma, cello

Emanuel Ax, piano

Thu Dec 10

Hill Auditorium



Fri Dec 18

Rackham Auditorium

4 BE PRESENT

January

February

Cont.

April

Watch Me Walk

Written and performed by ANNE GRIDLEY

Directed by ERIC TING

Thu-Sun Jan 21-24


C4 Trío

Thu Jan 28

Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre

When I Saw the Sea

ALI CHAHROUR,

director and choreographer

Music composed and performed by

LYNN ADIB and ABED KOBEISSY

Fri-Sat Jan 29-30

Power Center

February

Brass of the Berlin

Philharmonic with

Paul Jacobs, organ

Thu Feb 4

Hill Auditorium

Takács Quartet

Jeremy Denk, piano

Fri Feb 5

Rackham Auditorium

Joyce DiDonato in

Henry Purcell’s

Dido and Aeneas

JOYCE DIDONATO, mezzo-soprano

NICHOLAS PHAN, tenor

IL POMO D’ORO ORCHESTRA AND CHOIR

MAXIM EMELYANYCHEV, conductor

Sun Feb 7

Hill Auditorium

Gregory Porter

Thu Feb 11

Hill Auditorium

Ralph Vaughan Williams

A Sea Symphony


UMS CHORAL UNION

SCOTT HANOIAN, conductor

CHRISTINE GOERKE, soprano

NORMAN GARRETT, baritone

Sat Feb 13

Hill Auditorium

300 Paintings

Created and performed by

SAM KISSAJUKIAN

Thu-Sun Feb 18-21


J.S. Bach’s

St. Matthew Passion

MONTEVERDI CHOIR

ENGLISH BAROQUE SOLOISTS

MASAAKI SUZUKI, conductor

Sat Feb 20

Hill Auditorium

TREES

Directed and performed by

SAM GREEN

Written by SAM GREEN and

REBECCA SOLNIT

Sat Feb 27

Michigan Theater

March

London Symphony

Orchestra

SIR ANTONIO PAPPANO, music director

and chief conductor

MAXIM VENGEROV, violin

Wed Mar 3

Hill Auditorium

London Symphony

Orchestra


and chief conductor

ALISA WEILERSTEIN, cello

Thu Mar 4

Hill Auditorium

Seong-Jin Cho, piano

Sun Mar 14

Hill Auditorium

The Mad Lover

Théotime Langlois

de Swarte, violin


Wed Mar 17

Rackham Auditorium

New Works by Lucinda Childs

Gibney Dance Company

LUCINDA CHILDS, resident choreographer

Fri-Sat Apr 2-3

Power Center

Yuja Wang, piano

Thu Apr 8

Hill Auditorium

Audra McDonald

Sun Apr 18

Hill Auditorium

Rosamunde String Quartet

Thu Apr 22

Rackham Auditorium

The Ever Fonky Lowdown

Jazz at Lincoln Center

Orchestra with

Wynton Marsalis and

Wendell Pierce

Sat Apr 24

Hill Auditorium


Orchestra with

Wynton Marsalis

Sun Apr 25

Hill Auditorium

The Butterfly Who Flew

Into the Rave

OLI MATHIESEN COMPANY LTD featuring

DETROIT'S SUBURBAN KNIGHT

Fri-Sat Apr 30-May 1

Andy Arts, Detroit

Yuja Wang, piano

Thu Apr 8

Subscribe Today! Call 734-764-2538 or visit ums.org

5

Choose Your Own UMS

Adventure with Series:You

Buy 5 or more

different events

and save 10%.

Series:You is the perfect way to

curate your own UMS experience.

It’s easy! You select at least five performances that speak

to your personal interests — and maybe something that

will stretch or surprise you along the way. We provide you

with great seats, a 10% discount, and special subscriber

discounts on tickets all year long.

Order early to lock in the best seats! And remember, we

often hear from Series:You subscribers that their favorite

event of the year was something they had never before

experienced. Challenge yourself and try something new

to you!

Interested in a specific type of performance? Check

out our fixed package listings for the Choral Union

(orchestras and classical recitals in Hill Auditorium),

Chamber Arts, Dance, Theater, and Jazz Series on pages

32-34.

Prices are guaranteed until Friday, July 24, 2026.

Julian Lage

Sat Nov 7

6 BE PRESENT

Choral Union Series


Fri Sep 25

7 pm

Hill Auditorium

FRANZ WELSER-MÖST, music director and conductor

PROGRAM

Franz Liszt Orpheus

Bohuslav Martinů Symphony No. 2, H. 295

Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 2 in D major, Op. 73

After a 15-year absence, The Cleveland Orchestra returns

to Ann Arbor to open UMS’s season, with a program

conducted by Franz Welser-Möst in his 25th and final

year as music director of the ensemble. The performance

opens with one of Liszt’s 12 symphonic poems, Orpheus,

a work that composer Camille Saint-Saëns said is “woven

of sunbeams and starlight.” Bohuslav Martinů’s Symphony

No. 2, commissioned by the Czechoslovakian community

in Cleveland in 1943 and premiered by the Orchestra, is

appreciated for its pastoral character and a joie de vivre

that has been likened to fellow Czech Antonín Dvořák’s

orchestral compositions. The program closes with

Johannes Brahms’s second symphony, another pastoral

work with mischievous dances and peaceful melodies.

Note 7 pm start time.

Permanently Endowed Support Ilene H. Forsyth Choral Union

Endowment Fundnc

Bruce Hornsby &

The Noisemakers

Fri Oct 2

Hill Auditorium

7:30 pm

One of the most respected and creatively insatiable

musicians performing today, Bruce Hornsby has continually

redefined his sound since his breakthrough album The

Way It Is, which earned him the 1986 Grammy for Best

New Artist. From chart-topping pop to bluegrass, jazz,

classical, and electronica, his genre-crossing career

reflects a restless creative spirit. Early success led him to

tour with Steve Winwood, Eurythmics, and the Grateful

Dead, a group he joined for more than 100 performances

over several years. Along the way, he has influenced artists

such as Bon Iver and Ryan Adams and composed music

for several of Spike Lee’s films. Hornsby always delivers

performances that are spontaneous and electrifying,

and he makes his UMS debut in this concert with The

Noisemakers. The performance will feature material from

throughout his storied career, in addition to music from his

new album, Indigo Park.

Photos: Franz Welser-Möst, Bruce Hornsby by Jim Chapin Photography

Subscribe Today! Call 734-764-2538 or visit UMS.ORG

7

Marks of RED


Dance Series

Sat Oct 3 7:30 pm

Sun Oct 4 2 pm

Power Center

After the jaw-dropping 2025 presentation of BLACK

HOLE, Shamel Pitts | TRIBE returns with its newest

multidisciplinary dance work, Marks of RED. A work of

magical realism narrated by and featuring the viewpoints

of six women, Marks of RED is an Afrofuturistic

meditation that explores the effect that memory

has on our experiences, senses, bodies, reality, and

imaginative possibilities. Anchored in the distinctive

Gaga movement style in which Pitts was trained (he

danced with Batsheva Dance Company for seven years),

the work draws inspiration from sumo wrestling, butoh

dance, and techno music, molding ritual, movement,

and sound into a rumination on Black embodiment. The

multidisciplinary piece explores the deep complexity of

self-expression and is the fourth installment of Shamel

Pitts's RED Series. “I know I’ve just witnessed a beautiful

work when I leave the theater full of questions; but more

so when I leave the theater with answers and clarity.”

(Dance Currents)

Note: This performance uses strobe lighting.

Samara Joy

Jazz Series

Fri Oct 9

Hill Auditorium

7:30 pm

Few figures throughout jazz history have experienced the

kind of meteoric success that vocalist Samara Joy has,

especially at such an early age. At just 26, her career is

nothing short of sensational. With six Grammy Awards to

her name, including a Best New Artist win, as well as an

NAACP Image Award, Joy has achieved the kind of profile

typically reserved for pop celebrities. Her visibility has

made her a steady presence on network TV and a favorite

among younger music fans on TikTok, where she’s helped

introduce timeless American music to new generations.

With each performance, she has earned a reputation

as a masterful interpreter of jazz standards as well as

her own songs, drawing comparisons to her legendary

jazz heroines, including Sarah Vaughan, Betty Carter,

Abbey Lincoln, and Carmen McRae. The Bronx native

began singing as a child and won Best Vocalist at Jazz at

Lincoln Center’s prestigious Essentially Ellington program

before studying jazz at SUNY Purchase, winning the

Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Competition while still a

student. Joy returns to Hill Auditorium with her septet after

her sold-out 2024 UMS debut.

8 BE PRESENT

Photos: Marks of RED by Douglas Mason, Mass MoCA; Samara Joy by AB+DM

Y su mariachi

Lupita Infante

Sat Oct 17

Hill Auditorium

7:30 pm

The critically adored Mexican American singer Lupita

Infante is part of a new generation of mexicana artists, so

deeply rooted in tradition that they possess the confidence

and expertise to reinvent it brilliantly for the modern day.

Lupita's name is instantly recognizable to tens of millions

of Mexicans as she is the granddaughter of Pedro Infante

Cruz, one of the most beloved Mexican singers and actors

of the 20th century. She carries her family's legendary

legacy forward, already earning a host of accolades for

her mariachi, ranchera, and norteña music with a modern,

millennial perspective. Lupita Infante makes her UMS debut

with this performance.

Chamber Arts Series

Sounds of Unity



Sun Oct 18

4 pm

Rackham Auditorium

PROGRAM

Rachel McFarlane American Dialogues

Roberto Sierra Sinfonietta for Strings

Damien Geter Declaration

Jessie Montgomery Banner

Maurice Ravel "Blues" from Violin Sonata

(arr. Mladen Miloradovic)

Igor Stravinsky Concerto in D for String Orchestra (“Basle”)

The Sphinx Virtuosi celebrate our country’s everevolving

story through newly commissioned works and

reimagined classics that give voice to our shared ideals

and diverse perspectives. The program includes Rachel

McFarlane’s American Dialogues, as well as the timeless

“Blues” movement from Maurice Ravel’s Violin Sonata.

Works by Roberto Sierra and Jessie Montgomery offer

vibrant explorations of heritage and transformation, while

Stravinsky’s Concerto for Strings in D connects past

and present in a timeless meditation on artistic freedom.

Through music that bridges time and culture, this program

invites audiences to engage in a musical conversation

about who we are — and who we aspire to become.

American mezzo-soprano J’Nai Bridges, lauded by The

New York Times for her “plush-voiced mezzo-soprano,”

joins the Sphinx Virtuosi for a bold, new song cycle by

Damien Geter with a libretto by Aaron Dworkin.

Permanently Endowed Support: Helmut F. and Candis J. Stern

Endowment Fund

Photos: Lupita Infante, J'Nai Bridges by Dario Acosta


9

Dance Series

UMS150 Dance

Commission &

World Premiere

Fri-Sat Oct 23-24

Power Center

7:30 pm

FEATURING

Sara Mearns,

New York City Ballet principal dancer

Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber,

choreographers

As part of the leadup to our 150th season in 28/29, UMS

is commissioning new works across several artistic

disciplines. The first of these features a new, eveninglength

dance collaboration with New York City Ballet

principal dancer Sara Mearns and co-choreographers

and dancers Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, whose

Obsidian was performed by Ballet BC in October 2025. This

new piece will be developed on the U-M campus in June

2026, with the world premiere in October.

Smith and Schraiber have both performed in Ann Arbor as

members of the Batsheva Dance Company, where their

professional identities were shaped before they changed

their focus to choreography. Sara Mearns, who The New

York Times has described as a “go-for-broke dancer,”

began studying dance at age 13 in South Carolina and

entered the School of American Ballet, the official school

of New York City Ballet, in 2001. She joined the company

a few years later and was promoted to soloist in 2006

and principal dancer in 2008. This UMS commission and

world premiere will be set for six dancers, with live music

performed by two pianists.

Thank you to the following early investors in this UMS150 Dance

Commission:

Presenting Sponsors: Alec Gallimore and Reates Curry and

Jon and Sandy Willen

Principal Sponsors: Mike and Kristie Martin

and Brian Willen and Monika Hakimi

Supporting Sponsors: David and Kiana Barfield Family

Foundation, Martin and Betty Danto Family

Foundation, Steve Stancroff and Tamar Springer,

and an anonymous donor

10 BE PRESENT

Photo: Bobbi Jene Smith and Sara Mearns by Stacy Anderson Photography

Choral Union Series

Bruce Liu, piano

Wed Oct 28 7:30 pm

Hill Auditorium

PROGRAM

György Ligeti Etude No. 4: Fanfares

Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 14 in c-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2 (“Moonlight”)

Frédéric Chopin Nocturnes, Op. 27, Nos. 1 and 2

Maurice Ravel Alborada del gracioso (from Miroirs)

Claude Debussy Rêverie, L. 68

Ludwig van Beethoven Piano Sonata No. 21 in C Major, Op. 53 (“Waldstein”)

Federico Mompou Glossa sobre Au clair de la lune

Isaac Albéniz "El Puerto" from Iberia

Franz Liszt Rhapsodie espagnole, S. 254, R. 90

"Liu can do the impeccable glitter, but his playing is more than pyrotechnics. It is

powerful, polished, and emanates from a disciplined mind." (The Telegram) Not yet 30,

Bruce Liu, the First Prize winner of the 2021 International Chopin Piano Competition in

Warsaw, has become a worldwide sensation and one of the most compelling pianists

of his generation. A musician praised for his dazzling technique, his curiosity, and

an artistry that combines “nimble versatility” (The New York Times) and “playing of

breathtaking beauty” (BBC Music Magazine), the Paris-born, Montreal-raised Liu makes

his UMS debut with a wide-ranging program. “You don’t always know where Bruce Liu is

taking you,” says ResMusica, a French classical music and dance publication, “but you

feel compelled to follow him.”

Photo: Bruce Liu by Christoph Koestlin


11

Jazz Series

Julian Lage with

Medeski, Roeder,

& Wollesen

Sat Nov 7

7:30 pm

Michigan Theater

Hailed as one of the most prodigious guitarists of his

generation, Julian Lage has spent more than a decade

exploring the many strains of American music via

impeccable technique, free association, and a spirit of

infinite possibility. With roots tangled up in jazz, folk,

classical, and country music, Lage brings what The New

York Times calls “a disarming spirit of generosity” to his

playing, approaching tradition as an open field for invention.

His most recent album, Scenes From Above, was released

in January 2026 and is his first with a striking new quartet

featuring his steadfast bassist Jorge Roeder, vaunted

keyboardist John Medeski, and dynamic drummer Kenny

Wollesen — close collaborators who had never recorded

together. Though conceptualized by Lage, this recording is

not about him as a bandleader. Instead, he is firmly rooted

as an equally contributing band member within the quartet.

The four dazzling musicians give and take space in equal

measure, shaping music that feels both spontaneous and

purposefully alive.

Chamber Arts Series

Escher Quartet


Sun Nov 8

4 pm

Rackham Auditorium

PROGRAM

Sergei Prokofiev String Quartet No. 2 in F Major, Op. 92

Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco Guitar Quintet, Op. 143

Jorge Morel Danza Brasilera

Jason Vieaux Tidal Pools

J.S. Bach Prelude in E-flat Major, BWV 998

Agustín Barrios Vals No. 4 in G Major

Luigi Boccherini Guitar Quintet in D Major, G. 448 (“Fandango”)

Classical guitarist Jason Vieaux makes his UMS debut,

joining the Escher Quartet for a program of rarely heard

music written for string quartet and guitar. Vieaux,

“perhaps the most precise and soulful classical guitarist

of his generation” (NPR), has a wide-ranging career, with

an extensive discography that includes many classical

recordings and even a solo work dedicated to him by Pat

Metheny. For several years, he has partnered with the

Escher Quartet, which made its UMS debut in 2024. Taking

its name from the Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher, and

inspired by his interplay between individual components

that together form a creative whole, the Escher Quartet has

been championed by key musical figures worldwide for its

interpretations of both classics and new works.

Permanently Endowed Support: Carl Cohen Chamber Arts

Performance Fund

12 BE PRESENT

Photos: Julian Lage Quartet by Hannah Gray Hall, Jason Vieaux by Tyler Boye

Choral Union Series

Mozart’s Requiem

Fri Nov 13

Hill Auditorium

7:30 pm


UMS CHORAL UNION

Scott Hanoian, music director

EARL LEE, music director and conductor

HERA HYESANG PARK, soprano

AVERY AMEREAU, mezzo-soprano / contralto


STEPHANO PARK, bass

PROGRAM

Johannes Brahms Alto Rhapsody, Op. 53

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Requiem in d minor, K. 626

While Mozart is not primarily known for sacred music, his final

composition — the Requiem Mass — stands among his most

sublime achievements. Left unfinished at his death at age 35 and

immortalized in the film Amadeus, the work was commissioned

anonymously by a mysterious benefactor and was ultimately

completed by Mozart's student, Franz Xaver Süssmayr, from his

sketches. As Mozart's health declined, he is said to have believed

he was composing the Requiem not for another, but for himself,

a notion that deepens the work’s haunting resonance. Blending

fear and hope with extraordinary emotional depth, the Requiem

has captivated listeners for centuries. This performance marks

the UMS Choral Union’s first return to the piece in 80 years, in

collaboration with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and its

music director, Earl Lee. The program opens with Johannes

Brahms’s rarely-performed Alto Rhapsody, a striking work for alto,

male chorus, and orchestra.

Chamber Arts Series

Andy Akiho and

Sandbox Percussion

Sun Nov 15

4 pm

Rackham Auditorium

PROGRAM

Andy Akiho Pentalateral

Additional works to be announced

Following his UMS debut last season alongside the Imani Winds,

composer and percussionist Andy Akiho returns with his steelpan

and the Brooklyn-based ensemble Sandbox Percussion, a

quartet that came together in 2011 because of their interest in

expanding the percussion repertoire. This exhilarating ensemble

champions living composers through an unwavering dedication

to contemporary chamber music and has established a wider

audience for classical music through collaborations with leading

composers and artists. For their UMS debut, they’ll perform works

by Andy Akiho from their many collaborations, dating back 15

years to when Akiho and Sandbox member Ian Rosenbaum met in

graduate school. The program will include bespoke arrangements

of Akiho's earliest works, selections from his Pulitzer Prize-winning

composition Seven Pillars, and excerpts from a new large-scale

piece, Pentalateral. Sandbox Percussion “has been expanding the

repertoire for their vast array of instruments since 2011,” noted

Gramophone, “reveal[ing] both the refined virtuosity the musicians

have cultivated and their exceptional taste in choosing composers

who write for percussion with vibrant and elegant imagination.”

Photos: Earl Lee, Andy Akiho by Da Ping Luo, Sandbox Percussion by Alex Lee Subscribe Today! Call 734-764-2538 or visit UMS.ORG 13

No Safety Net Theater Series

Wed-Sat Nov 18-21 7:30 pm

Sun Nov 22 2 pm


Jack Tucker Comedy

Standup Show

Created and performed by ZACH ZUCKER

The Jack Tucker Comedy Standup Show is the misguided brainchild of Zach Zucker,

a performer who is celebrated for blending virtuosic clowning with razor-sharp satire.

His character Jack Tucker is a well-respected journeyman and bonafide legend on the

Upstate New York regional comedy scene, a catastrophically overconfident stand-up

comedian whose hacky punchlines, misplaced swagger, and desperate need to be

adored convince him that he’s going to make it big any day now. Jack Tucker is hilariously

awful, and that’s precisely the point. As his jokes collapse and his bravado frays, the

show exposes the fragile ego beneath the spotlight and the quiet terror behind the mic.

Zucker, whose clown lineage dates to the famous École Philippe Gaulier in France, the

training ground for actors such as Sacha Baron Cohen, Helena Bonham Carter, Emma

Thompson, and many others, is a cult favorite on the international comedy circuit, known

for his always sold-out Stamptown Comedy and a forthcoming Netflix special.

Recommended for mature audiences.

14 BE PRESENT

Photo: Jack Tucker Comedy Standup Show by Dylan Woodley

Handel’s Messiah

Sat Dec 5 7:30 pm

Sun Dec 6 2 pm

Hill Auditorium


UMS CHORAL UNION

SCOTT HANOIAN, UMS Choral Union music director and conductor

AMANDA FORSYTHE, soprano

SUN-LY PIERCE, mezzo-soprano


CHARLES H. EATON, baritone

Composed in 1741, Handel’s enduring masterpiece has enraptured

audiences for centuries with its sublime beauty and profound

spirituality. Composed in a miraculous three weeks in 1741, it

marked the beginning of a new direction for Handel, whose

oratorios were immensely popular. From the jubilant “Hallelujah”

chorus to its stirring arias and evocative chorales, Messiah is a

celebration of the season’s true meaning: comfort, hope, and the

promise of joy. Led by conductor Scott Hanoian and brought to life

each year by friends and colleagues throughout the community

who perform with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and the

UMS Choral Union, this musical tradition continues to shine

brightly. Each year, we receive dozens of comments from audience

members, some of whom have been attending for decades,

proclaiming it the musical highlight of the year.

Choral Union Series

Yo-Yo Ma, cello

Emanuel Ax, piano

Thu Dec 10

Hill Auditorium

7:30 pm

“Aside from being the most famous cellist alive, [Yo-Yo Ma] is a musician of immense

conscience, a wholeheartedly earnest presence who tends to bring out the best in

whatever company he is in.” (The New York Times) Beloved by UMS audiences, the

legendary cellist returns to UMS with pianist Emanuel Ax for an evening shaped by

decades of shared musical curiosity. Each has built an expansive career as a soloist,

collaborator, and advocate for the expressive power of classical music. Their many

performances together epitomize their personal and professional connection, with

running commentary reflecting a shared history that dates to their days at Juilliard. With

a combined 27 performances at UMS over nearly five decades (Ax made his debut in

1978, and Ma in 1982), this dream team of classical music returns to Hill Auditorium with a

program to be announced.

Permanently Endowed Support: Darragh H. and Robert O. Weisman Memorial

Endowment Fund

Photos: Handel's Messiah by Peter Smith, Yo-Yo Ma by Brantley Gutierrez, Emanuel Ax by Nigel Parry Subscribe Today! Call 734-764-2538 or visit UMS.ORG 15

Chamber Arts Series



Fri Dec 18

7:30 pm

Rackham Auditorium

PROGRAM

Johannes Brahms Clarinet Quintet in b minor, Op. 115

James Lee III Humanity’s Essential Gems

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Clarinet Quintet in A Major, K. 581

New York Philharmonic principal clarinetist Anthony McGill

joins the Isidore String Quartet for this exciting program

of chamber music. McGill returns for his first appearance

since his 2019 concert with the Takács Quartet, and the

Isidore String Quartet returns after its highly successful

UMS debut in March 2024. Together they’ll perform

two beloved clarinet quintets by Johannes Brahms and

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, while exploring new repertoire

written for the ensemble by U-M alumnus James Lee III.

Lee’s new clarinet quintet, Humanity’s Essential Gems, had

its world premiere in December 2025, and Lee describes

it as “explor[ing] what truly matters beyond basic survival,

focusing on deeper human needs like connection,

community, and art.”

16 BE PRESENT

Photos: Isidore String Quartet by Eduardus Lee, Anthony McGill by Martin Romero


Watch Me Walk

Thu-Sat Jan 21-23 7:30 pm

Sat-Sun Jan 23-24 2 pm




Downtown theater legend Anne Gridley, a founding

member of the New York City-based Nature Theater

of Oklahoma, brings her delightfully frank, gleefully

experimental, and profound new work embodying

the absurdity of navigating both disability and others'

perceptions of it. Anne has a disease you’ve probably

never heard of, and it doesn’t have a cure. Her doctor

says it shouldn’t define her, but she’s going to define it

for you.

Developed by Soho Rep as part of New York's 2026

Under the Radar Festival, Watch Me Walk is a hilarious,

biting, and compassionate new play about disability,

pity, injustice, family mythologies, and the absurdities

of the American health care system that will stay with

you long after the curtain — or Anne! — falls. Through

humor, grace, anger, and wry observation, she opens up

a space where audiences can both appreciate her story

and examine their own thoughts and reactions in real

time. “Gridley’s script, and the incredible performer who

tell[s] us her story without sentiment, remains a prime

example of what we get when autobiographical theater

works: intelligence, and the ability to laugh at oneself

with one’s heart, as always, in both the wrong and the

right place.” (The New Yorker)

Photo: Anne Gridley in Watch Me Walk by Maria Baranova


17

C4 Trío

Thu Jan 28 7:30 pm


HÉCTOR MOLINA, JORGE GLEM, and

EDWARD RAMÍREZ, cuatros

RODNER PADILLA, electric bass

“C4 is a legend, and their music is an explosion of

sounds.” (NPR) The C4 Trío, one of the most innovative

and original musical projects in the Venezuelan and Latin

American music scene, shines a spotlight on the cuatro, a

small guitar-like instrument associated with Latin American

folk music. Héctor Molina, who joined trumpet soloist

Pacho Flores onstage as a surprise special guest during

last season’s Orquesta Sinfónica de Minería concert, is

one of the instrument’s most prominent virtuosos. With

the C4 Trío’s unusual format — three Venezuelan cuatro

players and an electric bassist — they have achieved a

unique sound, rooted in Venezuelan folk music yet infused

with vibrant elements of jazz, Latin music, world music,

and pop. This versatility allows the group to seamlessly

navigate diverse musical genres and styles, impressing

audiences with their virtuosity, creative arrangements, and

the immense variety of sonic textures they extract from

the cuatro.

Brass of the Berlin

Philharmonic with

Paul Jacobs, organ

Choral Union Series

Thu Feb 4

Hill Auditorium

7:30 pm

Members of the Berlin Philharmonic brass section join

celebrated American organist Paul Jacobs for a special Hill

Auditorium concert that showcases the brilliant sounds

of virtuosic brass blending with the mighty organ. The

Hill Auditorium organ, named for former U-M president

(and UMS founder) Henry Simmons Frieze, was unveiled

at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exhibition in Chicago and

subsequently purchased by the University following a

public fundraising campaign. The program will include

a rich mix of Baroque, classical, and modern works for

various combinations of brass and organ, including

Kabeláč's Symphony No. 3 for Brass and Organ and works

by composers such as Giovanni Gabrieli, Richard Strauss,

George Gershwin, George Delerue, and more. Complete

program details to be announced.

18 BE PRESENT

Photo: C4 Trío, Berlin Philharmonic Brass by Peter Adamik


Fri-Sat Jan 29-30

Power Center

7:30 pm

When I Saw the Sea

ALI CHAHROUR, director and choreographer

Music composed and performed by LYNN ADIB and ABED KOBEISSY

For Lebanese director and choreographer Ali Chahrour, art is inseparable from the

present moment. Inspired by true stories of survival and resistance, When I Saw the Sea

is a powerful new theater work that confronts Lebanon’s kafala system — a structure

that binds migrant domestic workers to their employers and enables widespread

exploitation, abuse, and erasure.

At the heart of the performance are three women, all mothers who escaped this system.

They carry not only their own experiences, but the voices of countless others left

unheard. In this work that dissolves boundaries between dance, music, and theater,

they transform personal trauma into collective strength, weaving Arabic and Ethiopian

melodies into a powerful act of remembrance and defiance. Live musicians from Syria

and Lebanon help to create an intimate portrait of courage, dignity, and the urgent

demand for justice.

"When I Saw The Sea celebrates the strength of these women to endure and the

transformation of that strength into a path of liberation." (Broadway World) The title of

the piece comes from a 2024 video of a woman who had been abandoned on a steep

mountain road in Beirut without papers, money, or any resources by an employer fleeing

war. Despite everything, she was smiling and said, “It’s the first time I’ve seen the sea

here in Lebanon, and its horizon.”

Note: Performed with English supertitles.

Photo: When I Saw the Sea by Christophe Raynaud De Lage


19

Chamber Arts Series

Takács Quartet

Jeremy Denk, piano

Fri Feb 5

7:30 pm

Rackham Auditorium

PROGRAM

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart String Quartet No. 23 in F Major, K. 590

Carlos Simon Warmth from Other Suns

César Franck Piano Quintet in f minor

With its new cellist, Mihai Mirica, joining the ensemble following the

retirement of founding member András Fejér, the Takács Quartet

returns with pianist Jeremy Denk, “an artist you want to hear no

matter what he performs.” (The New York Times) Their program

features César Franck’s passionate piano quintet, one of the great

chamber works of the 19th century, as well as U-M alumnus Carlos

Simon’s 2020 work for string quartet, Warmth from Other Suns.

The work was inspired by Isabel Wilkerson’s book about the Great

Migration, when African Americans left the rural South to seek

homes in the urban West, Midwest, and Northeast.

Permanently Endowed Support: Ilene H. Forsyth Chamber Arts

Endowment Fund

Henry Purcell’s

Dido and Aeneas

Sun Feb 7

Hill Auditorium

4 pm





BETH TAYLOR, mezzo-soprano

HUGH CUTTING, countertenor

SONG HEE LEE, soprano

JIAYU JIN, soprano

The always-inventive American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato

made her UMS debut in 2017 with a concert opera performance

of Handel’s Ariodante, and subsequent appearances have

included song recitals, separate appearances with both Yannick

Nézet-Séguin and the gospel quartet Kings Return, and a

creative program titled Eden with Il Pomo d’Oro, a renowned

chamber orchestra that specializes in historically informed

performances of Baroque and classical music. DiDonato returns

with Il Pomo d’Oro and conductor Maxim Emelyanychev for a

concert performance of Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas. While

Dido’s famous lament “When I am laid in earth” has long been

featured in Joyce DiDonato’s repertoire, she did not perform the

complete opera in its entirety until 2024. This limited concert tour

also features American tenor and U-M alumnus Nicholas Phan in

the role of Aeneas. The first half of the program features Giacomo

Carissimi’s Jephte, a rarely-performed Baroque masterpiece for

tenor, soprano, continuo orchestra, and choir.

20 BE PRESENT

Photo: Jeremy Denk by Josh Goleman, Takács Quartet by Amanda Tipton, Joyce DiDonato by Chris Gonz

Jazz Series

Gregory Porter

Thu Feb 11

Hill Auditorium

7:30 pm

With a voice that has been described as “liquid gold,” Gregory

Porter has captivated audiences around the world with his

soulful baritone and deeply emotional performances. His unique

blend of jazz, soul, and gospel has earned him critical acclaim

and huge global success, with performances that include

interpretations of standards by artists like Nat “King” Cole as

well as original compositions that reflect his distinctive style. A

Southern California native, he began singing in jazz clubs in San

Diego while attending San Diego State University on a football

scholarship. Eventually he moved to New York City to pursue

singing full-time, receiving eight Grammy nominations and two

awards for Best Jazz Vocal Album on his way to a standing

Valentine’s Day date at Carnegie Hall. Porter returns to Ann

Arbor for the first time since his memorable 2014 UMS debut.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

A Sea Symphony

Sat Feb 13

Hill Auditorium

7:30 pm


UMS CHORAL UNION

SCOTT HANOIAN, UMS Choral Union music director and conductor

CHRISTINE GOERKE, soprano

NORMAN GARRETT, baritone

PROGRAM

Ralph Vaughan Williams Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis

Ralph Vaughan Williams A Sea Symphony

English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams wrote his Sea

Symphony over a seven-year period in the first decade of the

20th century. Inspired by the sea poems from Walt Whitman’s

Leaves of Grass, Vaughan Williams transforms Whitman’s

ecstatic verse into music of sweeping grandeur and intimate

reflection, a meditation on setting forth into the unknown with

courage and hope. Paired with this transcendent work is Vaughan

Williams’s luminous Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, a onemovement

work composed for double string orchestra and solo

string quartet. Vaughan Williams had come across Tallis’s 16thcentury

tune while editing the English Hymnal, and the serene

and spiritual work remains one of his most beloved compositions

to this day. Neither of these works has been performed on a UMS

program in over 50 years, providing an opportunity to rediscover

Ralph Vaughan Williams, one of the most innovative and creative

figures in 20th century music. Conductor Scott Hanoian takes

the podium after his celebrated interpretation of Prokofiev's

Alexander Nevsky last year.

Photos: Gregory Porter by Erik Umphery, Scott Hanoian by Peter Smith Subscribe Today! Call 734-764-2538 or visit UMS.ORG 21


300 Paintings

Thu-Sat Feb 18-20

Sun Feb 21

2 pm

7:30 pm


Created and performed by SAM KISSAJUKIAN

Sometimes a breakdown coincides with a big

breakthrough. In 2021, Australian comedian Sam

Kissajukian quit stand-up, rented an abandoned cake

factory, and became a painter. Over the course of

what turned out to be a six-month manic episode,

he created 300 large-scale paintings, unknowingly

documenting his mental state through the process. Now

stable after seeking treatment, he created the show

300 Paintings as a way to tell his story, fusing comedy,

profound honesty, and visual art to explore the bipolar

mind. Intending to perform the show only once, he

won a major festival award, which sparked invitations

to perform from Adelaide to Edinburgh and New York.

Kissajukian brings his audiences on a hilarious and wildly

original rollercoaster ride that explores the ties between

art, mental health, and creativity.

Note: This production contains discussions of mental

disorder, including bipolar, insomnia, and psychosis, and is

recommended for ages 13+.

22 BE PRESENT

Photo: Sam Kissajukian by Limor Garfinkle

Choral Union Series

J.S. Bach’s

St. Matthew Passion

Sat Feb 20

Hill Auditorium

7 pm

MONTEVERDI CHOIR



Three hundred years ago, Johann Sebastian Bach penned

one of the great masterpieces of choral music: the St.

Matthew Passion, an almost unbearably powerful work

that overwhelms with a prevailing sense of both tragedy

and community. Bach specialist Masaaki Suzuki, who made

his UMS debut with the work over 20 years ago, returns to

conduct the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi

Choir. For over 60 years, the Monteverdi Choir has been

recognized as one of the most influential choirs in the world,

bringing fresh perspectives, immediacy, and drama to its

historically informed performance practice. One of the

most innovative period instrument ensembles in the world,

the English Baroque Soloists are known for their distinctly

warm and incisive playing. Suzuki says, “There is something

electrifying about making music with an ensemble whose

DNA is so closely entwined with Bach’s. The Monteverdi

Choir and English Baroque Soloists have helped to shape

the world’s understanding of this music for decades. To

collaborate with them … is both humbling and exhilarating.”


TREES

Sat Feb 27

7:30 pm

Michigan Theater

Directed and performed by SAM GREEN

Written by SAM GREEN & REBECCA SOLNIT

Cinematography by YONI BROOK

Oscar-nominated filmmaker and University of Michigan

alumnus Sam Green joins forces with National Book Critics

Awardee and environmentalist Rebecca Solnit in the latest of

his singular yet collective live cinema experiences. In Green’s

works, documentary film meets live original scores with Green’s

own live narration. TREES is a profoundly moving, “unique

and ephemeral” (The New York Times) study of humankind’s

relationship to our Earthly cohabitants, which serve as silent

witnesses to all of humanity across countless events and

generations, putting humanity’s place into perspective.

Featuring actress Judi Dench, poet laureate Ada Limon, and

scientists and stories from around the world, TREES marks

Green’s most ambitious film yet.

Note: Rebecca Solnit will not be appearing at this event.

Photos: Masaaki Suzuki by Marco Borggreve, Sam Green's TREES Subscribe Today! Call 734-764-2538 or visit UMS.ORG 23

Healing Sound: A Creative

Health Residency with the

London Symphony Orchestra

UMS is proud to partner with the London Symphony Orchestra and Michigan Medicine for a multiday

arts residency that will include numerous events, activities, demonstrations, and talks, all related

to a theme of music and wellness. The residency will culminate in UMSʼs presentation of two public

performances by the London Symphony Orchestra at Hill Auditorium.

For over 20 years, the London Symphony Orchestra has

promoted the integration of arts and wellness through their

Creative Health programs in London, helping to address mental

health challenges among healthcare professionals, improve

patient well-being through music-making in hospital settings,

and combat loneliness and isolation among older adults, along

with other goals.

With their first visit to Ann Arbor in more than 50 years, the LSO

will spend extra time in our community, sharing their expertise

and experience at the intersection of music and healthcare with

local practitioners, researchers, artists, and students.

During this residency, LSO musicians, alongside “animateurs,”

teaching artists who specialize in interfacing with medical

professionals, will demonstrate this unique aspect of their

musicianship and expertise. The residency is being developed

in response to a period of unprecedented uncertainty in

medical research, increasing pressures on the healthcare

sector, and a greater understanding of the positive impacts

of music on human health. It also offers the opportunity for

Michigan Medicine — and many other units on campus — to

highlight their own work at the intersection of arts and health,

with a special focus on research.

While the full roster of residency events is

still being developed, anticipated activities

include:

Small ensemble performances at the University of

Michigan hospital

Sharing best practices with local practitioners of creative

health work in clinical environments

Talks and panel discussions about the LSO's Creative

Health programs

Opportunities for researchers at the intersection of arts

and health to share their work with a broader audience

We are thrilled to be hosting this major residency initiative at the

University of Michigan, which aligns with the 26/27 focus on

arts and wellness. Additional details will be announced this fall.

24 BE PRESENT

Photo: London Symphony Orchestra creative leaders in their Creative Health programs across London

Choral Union Series

London Symphony

Orchestra

Wed Mar 3

Hill Auditorium

7:30 pm

SIR ANTONIO PAPPANO, music director and chief conductor


PROGRAM

Ludwig van Beethoven Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61

Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 8 in c minor, Op. 65

London boasts many wonderful orchestras, and the

London Symphony Orchestra, founded in 1904, is both the

oldest and widely considered the best, with a reputation for

quality, daring, ambition, and a commitment to sharing the

joy of music with everyone. The resident orchestra at the

Barbican, the LSO returns for its first UMS performances in

over 50 years, led by chief conductor Sir Antonio Pappano,

who makes his UMS debut. Their two performances are

the centerpiece of a larger residency that focuses on

arts and wellness, including musical engagements on the

wards of U-M hospitals, community work addressing social

isolation and loneliness, and additional opportunities to be

announced. At the heart of the residency are performances

that remind us how music can bring us all together and

create a sense of community. This first concert features

violinist Maxim Vengerov performing Beethoven’s exquisite

violin concerto 200 years after the composer’s death,

followed by Shostakovich’s tragic and powerful Symphony

No. 8, composed during World War II.

Choral Union Series

London Symphony

Orchestra

Thu Mar 4

Hill Auditorium

7:30 pm

SIR ANTONIO PAPPANO, music director and chief conductor


PROGRAM

Elizabeth Maconchy Nocturne

Edward Elgar Cello Concerto in e minor, Op. 85

Richard Strauss Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40

British composer Elizabeth Maconchy's Nocturne opens

the second of two Ann Arbor concert programs with the

London Symphony Orchestra. Written in 1950, the work is

an evocative sound portrait of a landscape at moonlight.

Cellist Alisa Weilerstein returns to the Hill Auditorium stage

as soloist for Elgar’s iconic Cello Concerto, written in 1919,

not long after the end of World War I. Elgar scholar Michael

Kennedy describes the work as conveying the impression

of “a man wearied with the world…finding solace in the

beauty of music.” Richard Strauss’s glorious tone poem Ein

Heldenleben closes the program with its sensational color

and imaginative orchestration — a musical depiction of a

hero constantly at battle with its critics.

Permanently Endowed Support:

Sir Antonio Pappano's appearance is made possible by: Menakka and Essel Bailey Endowment Fund for International Artistic Brilliance

Photos: Sir Antonio Pappano by Mark Allan, Alisa Weilerstein by Evelyn Freja Subscribe Today! Call 734-764-2538 or visit UMS.ORG 25


Choral Union Series

Sun Mar 14

4 pm

Hill Auditorium

PROGRAM

Jörg Widmann Sonatina facile

Sergei Prokofiev Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet, Op. 75

W.A. Mozart Fantasia in c minor, K. 396

(completed by Maximilian Stadler)

Sergei Prokofiev Piano Sonata No. 8 in B-flat Major, Op. 84

“Cho is a master. He displayed an impressive variety

of tonal colors and remarkable technique, dispatched

with jaw-dropping panache.” (The Wall Street Journal)

Pianist Seong-Jin Cho returns to Ann Arbor following his

remarkable all-Ravel performance in 2024. His expressive

magic and illuminative insights underscore his innate

musicality and poetic, colorful playing. A decade ago, Cho

won First Prize at the Chopin International Competition in

Warsaw, and his career has rapidly ascended since. This

wide-ranging program includes two works by Prokofiev,

whose ten pieces from Romeo and Juliet were arranged for

piano even before the full ballet premiered. Prokofiev’s own

impressive piano technique is evident in his works for solo

piano, which require both fiendish virtuosity and emotional

depth. In Cho’s hands, these works become not just a

dazzling showcase of pianistic prowess, but a profoundly

communicative experience that resonates long after the

final chord.

The Mad Lover

Théotime Langlois

de Swarte, violin


Chamber Arts Series

Wed Mar 17

7:30 pm

Rackham Auditorium

PROGRAM

Includes works by John Eccles, Daniel Purcell, Nicola

Matteis, Joan Ambrosio Danza, Henry Purcell,

and Henry Eccles

Théotime Langlois de Swarte led Les Arts Florissants in

a superb all-Vivaldi program in April 2025, and we are

thrilled to bring him back with lute player Thomas Dunford

for this concert that puts a spotlight on two instruments

that are frequently featured in Baroque music. Together,

they perform works from their album The Mad Lover,

reimagining an inconsolable character from the reign of

Charles II, someone representing the 17th-century English

notion of melancholy. During that period, melancholy

moved from a sign of vice into a mark of genius, and this

tale is told through music from the pen of such violin

virtuosos as the prodigiously gifted Nicola Matteis, a

violinist and composer who was quite popular in his time.

Heightened by the exuberance and wild abandon common

to the music of this period, this concert features music by

Baroque composers and musicians and weaves a different

sort of narrative of yearning and loss. Full program details

at ums.org.

26 BE PRESENT

Photos: Seong-Jin Cho by Ben Wolf, Thomas Dunford and Théotime Langlois de Swarte by Julien Benhamou

Dance Series

New Works by

Lucinda Childs

Fri-Sat Apr 2-3

Power Center

7:30 pm

FEATURING


GINA GIBNEY, artistic director


PROGRAM

Lucinda Childs Three Dances (for prepared piano) John Cage

(Music by John Cage)

Lucinda Childs Another Look at Harmony, Part 4

(Music by Philip Glass)

The recent subject of a major profile in The New York Times,

Lucinda Childs was named to a five-year appointment as resident

choreographer of Gibney Dance earlier this year. A founding

member of the experimental 1960s collaborative Judson Dance

Theater, the 85-year-old choreographer is known for her close

association with composer Philip Glass, including his monumental

Einstein on the Beach. This exciting performance features a

landmark new work for 10 dancers, Another Look at Harmony,

Part 4, which will have its world premiere in January 2027. Scored

for choir plus organ, the large-scale production features music

that was originally composed for, but never used in, Einstein; the

new dance is being created in celebration of Philip Glass’s 90th

birthday, reuniting two defining figures of American minimalism

in a rare and timely artistic convergence. The first half of the

program will feature Three Dances (for Prepared Piano) John

Cage, which explores the intricate interplay between music and

movement. Childs’s postmodern minimalist precision and deep

reverence for structured repetition takes center stage in this

stunning evening that harkens back to her Judson Dance Theater

roots. “It all seems effortless — a heavenly ride of pure dance

and rhythm, at once minimal and maximal.” (Dance Enthusiast)

Photo: Lucinda Childs's Three Dances (for Prepared Piano) John Cage by Julieta Cervantes Subscribe Today! Call 734-764-2538 or visit UMS.ORG 27

Yuja Wang, piano

Choral Union Series

Thu Apr 8

Hill Auditorium

7:30 pm

Yuja Wang returns to UMS for the first time in nearly a

decade to close the 148th Annual Choral Union Series with

her charismatic artistry, emotional honesty, and captivating

stage presence. She is known for her fearless approach

to music-making, teaming up with The Philadelphia

Orchestra in 2024 to perform all four of Rachmaninoff’s

piano concertos, followed by his Rhapsody on a Theme of

Paganini, in a landmark performance at Carnegie Hall. Two

decades after her international breakthrough, when she

replaced Martha Argerich as piano soloist with the Boston

Symphony Orchestra while still a student at the Curtis

Institute of Music, she brings virtuosity, spontaneity, and

daring to every program. “Her combination of technical

ease, coloristic range, and sheer power has always been

remarkable … but these days there is an ever-greater depth

to her musicianship, drawing you into the world of each

composer with compelling immediacy.” (The Financial

Times) Program to be announced.

Audra McDonald

Sun Apr 18 6 pm

Hill Auditorium

Unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as

both a singer and an actress, Audra McDonald has won a

record-breaking six Tony Awards — including awards in all

four acting categories — as well as two Grammys and an

Emmy. Her recent “stupendously affecting” turn as Mama

Rose in Gypsy (The New York Times) was widely praised

for its visceral and emotionally complex interpretation,

with the Los Angeles Times calling it “if not a religious

experience, then a spiritually transfiguring one.” In 2025,

TIME featured her in a cover story titled “Audra McDonald

Is Our Greatest Living Stage Actor.” Beyond Broadway, she

has had major roles in The Gilded Age and The Good Fight,

among other TV series and films. McDonald’s commanding

presence and magnetic connection with audiences make

every concert feel both grand and personal. She returns for

her ninth UMS appearance since her 2000 debut.


28 BE PRESENT

Photos: Yuja Wang by Julia Wesely, Audra McDonald by Allison Michael Orenstein

Chamber Arts Series

Rosamunde

String Quartet

Thu Apr 22

7:30 pm

Rackham Auditorium

PROGRAM

George Walker String Quartet No. 1

Felix Mendelssohn String Quartet No. 6 in f minor, Op. 80

Ludwig van Beethoven String Quartet No. 15 in a minor,

Op. 132

This all-star string quartet is composed of members of

some of the world’s leading orchestras: Noah Bendix-

Balgley, first concertmaster of the Berliner Philharmoniker;

Shanshan Yao, current principal violinist of the

Kammerakademie Potsdam and former violinist of the New

York Philharmonic; Teng Li, principal violist of the Chicago

Symphony Orchestra; and Nathan Vickery, cellist in the

New York Philharmonic. Each year, they coordinate their

complex orchestral schedules to find time to explore the

string quartet repertoire together, sharing their love of

chamber music with each other and with audiences around

the world.

The Butterfly Who Flew Into the Rave

Oli Mathiesen Company Ltd

featuring Detroit's Suburban Knight

Fri-Sat Apr 30-May 1

7:30 pm

Andy Arts (3000 Fenkell Ave, Detroit)

“This could be the definition of leaving it all on the floor … a shatteringly powerful show of

street dance choreography and techno beats.” (The Guardian) Witness the chaotic bliss of

a three-day rave, condensed into a single hour. Experience the messy sprawl of the rave —

all the pain, sweat, and catharsis — with its relentless movement, seamless without pause,

and detailed down to every beat. Oli Mathiesen’s radical 2024 work, The Butterfly Who Flew

Into the Rave, is an endurance-based piece set to the pulsating soundtrack of the album

Nocturbulous Behavior by Detroit techno and Underground Resistance pioneer Suburban

Knight. Mathiesen is a Māori choreographer and dancer based in New Zealand whose

artistry traverses the dynamic intersections of dance, physical theater, and film, all through

the captivating lens of contemporary dance. Joined by Lucy Lynch and Sharvon Mortimer,

the three club fiends create an evening of hypnotically intense perpetual motion, nailing

“the pure joy and rapture that goes hand in hand with techno and rave culture.”

(Fest Magazine, Edinburgh)

Note: This production features flashing lights, strobe lights, loud sounds, and smoke/haze.

Recommended for ages 12+.

Photos: Rosamunde String Quartet by Robb Davidson, The Butterfly Who Flew Into the Rave by Lucy Parakhina Subscribe Today! Call 734-764-2538 or visit UMS.ORG 29

A Celebration of

Wynton Marsalis and the


Orchestra

These performances are part of Wynton Marsalis's final season as artistic

director of Jazz at Lincoln Center and music director of the Jazz at Lincoln

Center Orchestra. We celebrate Wynton and the JLCO for their dozens of

magnificent performances over the past 30+ years.

30 BE PRESENT

Photo: Wynton Marsalis by Lawrence Sumulong

Jazz Series



Orchestra with

Wynton Marsalis and

Wendell Pierce

Sat Apr 24

Hill Auditorium

7:30 pm

“You really just want to be entertained,” says Mr. Game,

the sly hustler-narrator portrayed by acclaimed actor

Wendell Pierce (The Wire, Treme, Jack Ryan), who presides

over Wynton Marsalis’s 2019 masterpiece The Ever Fonky

Lowdown. Combining droll commentary with soulful,

big band-backed vocals, the Lowdown brilliantly reveals

Marsalis’s incisive, panoramic view of modern society

with its irresistible cocktail of deception, racism, greed,

and gullibility that corrupts the promise of democracy

in America and around the world. It covers terrain from

football to politics, from power to poverty, from love

and romance to betrayal and corruption. Scored for jazz

orchestra, narrator, three dancers, three vocalists, and

guitar, The Ever Fonky Lowdown is a horn-fueled survey

of the political malaise and cultural decay now plaguing

America with an exhortation to rise above the structures

that have been holding us back for centuries.

Jazz Series


Orchestra with

Wynton Marsalis

Sun Apr 25

4 pm

Hill Auditorium

This concert marks the end of an era: in June 2027,

Wynton Marsalis will step down as artistic director

of Jazz at Lincoln Center and music director of the

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra after 40 years with

the organization. Wynton has never demanded the

spotlight, performing as part of the trumpet section of

JLCO and highlighting the work of his incredibly talented

bandmates. Join us as we celebrate JLCO's 28th UMS

concert — and Wynton Marsalis's 31st and final Ann

Arbor appearance with the Orchestra.

Photos: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra by Luigi Beverelli and Peter Smith Subscribe Today! Call 734-764-2538 or visit UMS.ORG 31

Series

Packages

Marathon Series

$2,150 / $1,400*

38 Performances

Includes all 38 events in the season at a

25% discount, plus free parking!

* Prices listed are approximate and depend on the specific seats selected for each performance. We encourage you to call the UMS Ticket Office to place your

Marathon subscription for the best and fastest service rather than ordering online.

Choral Union Series

Eleven performances by classical ensembles and

recitalists in Hill Auditorium

11 Performances

Hill Auditorium

Main Floor

$1,000 / $900 / $800

Mezzanine

$780 / $640

Balcony

$500 / $400 / $300 / $220


FRANZ WELSER-MÖST,

music director and conductor

Fri Sep 25

Brass of the Berlin

Philharmonic with

Paul Jacobs, organ

Thu Feb 4



and chief conductor


Wed Mar 3

Bruce Liu, piano

Wed Oct 28

Mozart’s Requiem


UMS CHORAL UNION

EARL LEE, conductor

Fri Nov 13

Yo-Yo Ma, cello

Emanuel Ax, piano

Thu Dec 10

Henry Purcell’s

Dido and Aeneas





Sun Feb 7

J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion

MONTEVERDI CHOIR



Sat Feb 20



and chief conductor


Thu Mar 4


Sun Mar 14

Yuja Wang, piano

Thu Apr 8

32 BE PRESENT

Chamber Arts Series

7 Performances

Rackham Auditorium

$340 / $300 / $250 / $190



Sun Oct 18

Escher Quartet


Sun Nov 8

Andy Akiho and

Sandbox Percussion

Sun Nov 15



Fri Dec 18

Takács Quartet

Jeremy Denk, piano

Fri Feb 5

The Mad Lover

Théotime Langlois

de Swarte, violin


Wed Mar 17

Rosamunde String

Quartet

Thu Apr 22

Dance Series

3 Performances

Power Center

Main Floor

$180 / $160 / $80

Balcony

$160 / $150

Marks of RED


Sat-Sun Oct 3-4

UMS150 Dance Commission

& World Premiere

BOBBI JENE SMITH AND OR SCHRAIBER,

choreographers

SARA MEARNS, New York City Ballet

principal dancer

Fri-Sat Oct 23-24

New Works by Lucinda Childs


GINA GIBNEY, artistic director


Fri-Sat Apr 2-3

Series Add-On:

Explore more dance with The Butterfly Flew Into the Rave at Andy Arts in Detroit, featuring New Zealand's Oli Mathieson Company and Detroit's

Suburban Knight. Dance subscribers may add this performance to their series and take 10% off.

Subscribe Today! Call 734-764-2538 or visit ums.org

33

No Safety Net

Theater Series

4 Performances

Power Center Arthur Miller Theatre


Main Floor

$140 / $130

Balcony

$130 / $120

Jack Tucker Comedy

Standup Show

Created and performed by ZACH ZUCKER

Wed-Sun Nov 18-22


Watch Me Walk



Thu-Sun Jan 21-24


When I Saw the Sea

ALI CHAHROUR, director and choreographer

Fri-Sat Jan 29-30

Power Center

300 Paintings

Created and performed by SAM KISSAJUKIAN

Thu-Sun Feb 18-21


Jazz Series

5 Performances

Hill Auditorium

Michigan Theater

Main Floor

$400 / $360

Mezzanine/Balcony

$360

Samara Joy

Fri Oct 9

Hill Auditorium

Julian Lage with

Medeski, Roeder,

& Wollesen

Sat Nov 7

Michigan Theater

Gregory Porter

Thu Feb 11

Michigan Theater



Orchestra with

Wynton Marsalis and

Wendell Pierce

Sat Apr 24

Hill Auditorium


Orchestra with

Wynton Marsalis

Sun Apr 25

Hill Auditorium

34 BE PRESENT

Your financial support is

essential to our mission.

When you make a philanthropic contribution in addition to

your subscription, you invest in the artistic and innovative

excellence UMS brings to the stage, as well as the hundreds

of educational activities that engage audiences of all ages

throughout Southeast Michigan.

Many people don’t realize that even when a performance

is sold out, ticket revenues cover less than half of the total

costs of bringing the artists to our community. And with

programming that extends beyond mainstage performances

to include dozens of free or low-cost learning and

engagement activities, digital presentations, and more, we

rely on your financial gifts to help make up the difference.

Every gift to UMS seeds moments

of inspiration.

We invite you to consider supporting UMS with a

contribution above the costs of your subscription. Your gift

can help us continue to provide:

$100+

$250+

$500+

$1,000+

Ticket Subsidies for Six U-M Students

Masterclass, Class Visit, or Q&A with a

Visiting Artist

Ticket Subsidies for One U-M Class to

Attend a UMS Performance

Student Employment at UMS

We met when we were students in Cleveland and

enjoyed many performances by The Cleveland

Orchestra. We're thrilled that they are returning to open

the 26/27 season! UMS is such an immense part of the

very rich culture of our community, and we've greatly

enjoyed and appreciated all the high-quality programs

offered by UMS in the 20+ years since we moved to

Ann Arbor. We give to UMS so that we can do our part

to support the organization that continues to bring the

best musicians and artists from around the world to our

community — and to encourage students to attend the

performances and develop a love for the arts, just like

we did."

Shaomeng Wang and Ju-Yun Li

UMS Student Ticket Sponsors and UMS Campaign Council

members, pictured here with their family

$2,500+

$5,000+

$15,000+

Ticket Subsidies and Transportation

Grants for Under-Resourced Schools

School Day Performance and In-School

Workshops with Artist Facilitators

Mainstage Performance Support/

Sponsorship

Thank You!

ums.org/support 734-764-8489


35

Order Season

Tickets at

UMS.ORG/

SEASONTICKETS

Why Subscribe?

Subscribers, a.k.a. season ticket holders, get priority access

to the best seats, discounted ticket prices, free ticket

exchanges, and more.

As a subscriber, you can choose one of our curated fixed

packages — Choral Union, Chamber Arts, Jazz, Dance, or

No Safety Net Theater — or select any five (or more!) events

from this brochure to create your own Series:You.

Audra McDonald

Sun Apr 18

36 BE PRESENT

Season Ticket Packages come with

great perks, including:

Same-Seat Renewal for Choral Union and

Chamber Arts subscribers

If you subscribed to the Choral Union or Chamber Arts series

in the 25/26 season, you not only heard some incredible

performances, but you’ll also have access to your same seats

when renewing this season.

Ticket Discounts

Purchase at least 5 events, and you’ll save 10%. Purchase

the entire season as one of our Marathon Subscribers and

save 25%! Discounts apply on additional tickets purchased

throughout the year (standard processing fees apply). Fixed

package prices already reflect generous ticket discounts.

Access to the Best Seats — at the Best Prices

Season ticket holders get their foot in the door early, which

means that when it’s time to assign seats for individual

performances, you’ll be covered. And season ticket holders

have early access to seats for any events that are announced

later in the season.

Peace of Mind

Don't be the one who says, "Oh, yeah, I meant to see

that." Season ticket holders lock in their tickets for sellout

performances and don’t have to worry about missing out on

the most popular events of the season. Your friends will be

envious of your ability to plan ahead!

Risk-Free Ticket Exchanges

If you find that you can’t make an event, you can exchange

your tickets for no additional fee for another UMS event this

season, up to 48 hours before a performance. Within 48 hours,

there’s a $10 fee per ticket.

Parking Benefits

Order at least five events before Friday, June 26, 2026, and

you’ll be eligible for a limited number of free parking passes

in the Power Center structure (Fletcher St), a close walk to

central campus venues. If you would like parking passes,

be sure to check the parking pass box on the order form,

add a comment in your online order notes, or mention it to

the Patron Services staff if you order over the phone or inperson.

Parking passes are not automatically included with

your subscription.

Marathon subscribers are eligible for one pass for each

event in the season.

Choral Union subscribers are eligible for six free event

parking passes.

Chamber Arts, Jazz, and Series:You subscribers are

eligible for four free event parking passes.

Dance and Theater subscribers are eligible for three free

event parking passes.

Installment Billing & Payroll Deduction

Installment billing is easy, with three installments spaced

throughout the summer for a minimum order of $300 (credit

card only) — available online, by phone, and in person.

The first installment will be processed upon receipt of your

order, with subsequent installments billed to your credit card

on or around July 9 and August 13.

If you work for U-M, you can have the cost of your tickets

withdrawn through payroll deduction. Just place your order

by Friday, May 29, 2026, and the deductions will be made in

your June, July, August, and September paychecks. Payroll

deduction orders are not available online and must be placed

in person, or by phone or mail.

And don’t forget about the intangible

benefits of subscribing:

Personal Fulfillment

We hate to admit it, but sometimes we have to schedule

moments of personal escape into our lives. UMS season

tickets allow you to invest in yourself — and in the quality

of life in our community.

Building Relationships

Create shared memories by subscribing with people who are

important to you, and build lasting friendships with others who

love the performing arts.

Satisfy Your Curiosity

We always love to hear from subscribers who took a chance

on something they weren’t sure they would enjoy or had never

experienced before. Often, it ends up being their favorite event

of the season!

Be bold and be curious! Select an artist you’ve never heard

of, try an art form you haven’t experienced, or join us for an

interactive learning program. In every UMS season, you can

count on unexpected moments that will stay with you for a

lifetime — and that UMS will take you to a place where

the imagination is thriving, building a sense of wonder

and inspiration.


37

Seat

Maps

*

A B C D E

Price levels may vary by floor. See the order form for specific

prices based on the seats you are requesting in each venue.

Hill Auditorium (H1)

Orchestra Concerts

Hill Auditorium (H2)

Recitals & Amplified Concerts

Michigan

Theater (MT)

STAGE

STAGE

STAGE

4

3

2

4

3

2

5

4 3 2

1

5

4 3 2

1

MAIN FLOOR

MAIN FLOOR

10 9 8 7 6

10 9 8 7 6

MAIN FLOOR

MEZZANINE

MEZZANINE

16

15 14 13 12

11

16

15 14 13 12

11

21

20

19

18

17

21

20

19

18

17

BALCONY

BALCONY

BALCONY

Rackham

Auditorium (R)

Power

Center (P)

Lydia Mendelssohn

Theatre

STAGE

STAGE

STAGE

3 1

8

2

4

5

4

3

2

1

7 5

6

10

MAIN FLOOR

6

ORCHESTRA

9

8

7

BALCONY

BALCONY

General Admission Venues

Arthur Miller Theatre (1226 Murfin Ave, Ann Arbor)

Andy Arts (3000 Fenkell Ave, Detroit)

38 BE PRESENT

Important

Dates

For

Subscribers

(Past and Present)

Tue 4/28

Season tickets go on sale to renewing

subscribers from the 25/26 season; renewing

subscribers receive priority when orders are

placed on or before May 4, 2026

Tue 5/5

Season tickets go on sale to the public

at 10 am

Fri 5/29

Deadline for payment by U-M payroll

deduction, and for 25/26 Choral Union &

Chamber Arts season ticket holders to renew

the same seat location

Priority deadline to upgrade seats

Fri 6/26

Deadline for free parking benefits

Fri 9/18

Last day to order UMS season ticket packages

For

Donors

Tue 6/23

Individual event tickets available for annual

donors of $2,500+

Tue 7/14

Individual event tickets available for annual

donors of $250+

For

Students

Tue 8/11

Student subscriptions on sale to U-M students

in an accredited degree program who are

registered for Fall 2026 classes. See

ums.org/students for more details.

Mon 8/31

Student individual event tickets on sale ($15 or

$20) for most events* for all students with a

valid student ID who are currently enrolled at

any university or in high school.

Fall Bert’s Tickets are available for U-M

undergraduate students.

* Yo-Yo Ma / Emanuel Ax is $30

For

Everyone

Tue 7/14

Group Reservations open (groups of 10+

for an individual event)

Tue 7/28

Single Ticket Day! Tickets to all individual

events on sale at 10 am

Tue 9/8

Kids Club Tickets on sale; see page 42

for more information


39

Ticketing Policies

and Information

Season tickets will be sent in early August.

There is a $15 service charge for all

season ticket orders (per order not per

ticket). Individual event prices listed in this

brochure are guaranteed through Friday,

July 24, 2026.

Season Tickets/

Seating Priority

We get a lot of questions about how and

when seating is assigned and want to make

the process more transparent. If you have

specific requests, we encourage you to

indicate those in the order notes, and we’ll

do our best to meet your needs. Renewing

subscribers may place their orders on

Tuesday, April 28, 2026, a full week

before new subscribers.

After the renewal deadline (Friday, May 29,

2026), we will begin seating subscribers in

the following order:

Marathon Series Subscribers

Those who purchase the Marathon Series,

which includes every event in the season,

are seated first, by date received, with

priority given to donors of $1,000 or more

within each date.

Donor Subscribers

Subscribers who also donate $1,000 or

more are seated in date order by donation

level (all package types).

Fixed Package Subscribers

Those who purchase Fixed packages

(Choral Union, Chamber Arts, Jazz, Dance,

and No Safety Net Theater) are seated

next, by date received. Renewing Choral

Union and Chamber Arts subscribers

automatically receive their same seats.

All seats ordered by Fixed Package

subscribers, including upgrade requests,

additional tickets, or additional Series:You

packages, are assigned during this process.

Series:You Subscribers

Those who purchase Series:You are seated

next, by date received. Additional ticket

requests are seated at the same time as the

Series:You package.

We often get questions about why

subscribers cannot select their own

seats when ordering subscription

packages online. The ticketing

system that we license is not able to fully

accommodate the flexibility we offer,

particularly on Series:You subscriptions,

which allow a lot of customization. We have

explored several different systems, and

none of them currently offers online seat

selection given the level of customization

we like to provide our subscribers.

After the initial seating process is complete,

usually in late June, we can accommodate

those who wish to choose their own seats

either in-person at the League Ticket

Office (Monday-Friday, 1-5 pm) or by

phone (Monday-Friday, 10 am to 5 pm).

Subscription packages are still available

online but will show only the section that

was requested and not the specific seat

location.

Please Provide an Up-To-Date

Email Address & Mobile Phone

Number

UMS sends updated concert-related

parking, program notes, and late seating

information via email a few days before

each event. Please be sure that the

Patron Services Office has your

current email address and cell phone

number on file. This information will be

used to communicate ticketing and seating

updates throughout the season. Mobile

phone numbers will be used in the event of

late-breaking changes or reminders.

Digital Tickets

In Fall 2024, we began offering digital

tickets, which allow you to access your

tickets through an online portal, providing

you with the option to download them to an

Apple or Google Wallet and/or share them

with friends or family members.

We made this move largely because

of increased issues with fraud and the

predatory secondary market. Digital tickets

have dynamic QR codes that change every

30-60 seconds (so screenshots or photos

of the tickets will not work) and have

significantly reduced the number of double

seating issues as a result.

We’d like to encourage subscribers

to consider using digital tickets as

it helps with tracking exchanges,

removes the need for reprinting lost

tickets, and saves significant time and

money. All you need is a smartphone,

and you can easily access your

tickets. And our on-site staff is always

ready to help in case of any issues.

Please indicate whether you prefer digital or

printed tickets when you place your order.

40 BE PRESENT

How to

Order

Ticket Flexibility

Ticket Exchanges & Donations

If you find that you can’t make an event,

subscribers can exchange tickets for no

additional fee to another UMS event up to

48 hours before a performance. Within 48

hours, there’s a $10 fee per ticket. Ticket

exchanges will be accepted after subscription

tickets are issued.

Ticket Donations &

Unused Tickets

Tickets may be donated to UMS until the

published start time of the concert, with a

receipt issued for tax purposes. Unused tickets

that are returned after the performance begins

are not eligible for a donation. To donate your

tickets, call 734-764-2538 or email

umstix@umich.edu.

Refund Policy

Programs and artists are subject to change. If

an artist cancels an appearance, UMS makes

every effort to substitute that performance with

a comparable artist. Refunds will be offered

to subscribers if a substitute cannot be found,

or in the event of a date change. Service

charges are not refundable. UMS will not cancel

performances because of inclement weather.

Accessibility

All UMS venues have barrier-free entrances.

Seating spaces for patrons with mobility

disabilities and their companions are located

throughout each venue, and ushers are available

to assist patrons. Assistive listening devices are

available in all venues.

Further accessibility information, including relay

calls, large-print programs, and information

about elevator access, is posted at ums.org/

accessibility, or call 734-764-2538 for more

information.

UMS.ORG

734-764-2538

Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and

American Express accepted

Online

For credit card and installment billing orders, order season ticket

packages online at ums.org.

For payroll deduction, please call our Patron Services Office.

Phone Hours

Mon-Fri, 10 am – 5 pm

Closed Sat and Sun

Note: The Ticket Office will have extended in-person hours on Tuesday, May 5

from 10 am to 5 pm for our public subscription on-sale.

On Tuesday, July 28, in-person hours will also be extended, from 10 am to 5 pm.

In Person Hours

Visit the UMS Patron Services Office on the north end of the Michigan

League building (911 N University Ave)

Mon-Fri, 1-5 pm

Closed Sat and Sun

Mail

UMS Ticket Office

Burton Memorial Tower

881 North University Avenue

Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011

Make checks payable to UMS

Questions?

Contact the UMS Ticket Office at

734-764-2538 or umstix@umich.edu


41

Additional Ticket

Programs & Discounts

Group Tickets

Groups of 10 or more people attending a

single event receive priority over individual

event purchasers and save up to 20%

off the regular ticket prices to most

performances. For more information,

contact the UMS Group Sales Office at

umsgroupsales@umich.edu or

734-763-3100.

UMS accepts group reservations beginning

Tuesday, July 14, 2026. Plan early to

guarantee access to great seats!

Student Tickets

Student subscriptions will go on sale

beginning Tuesday, August 11. To purchase

a student subscription, you must be a

U-M student enrolled in an accredited

degree program for the Fall 2026 semester.

Students will need to present their ID in

person and will be issued digital tickets

for their events, accessible through the

UMS wallet, after student enrollment is

confirmed.

Students may order a maximum of two

tickets for a minimum of four qualifying

events in the season at a cost of $20 per

ticket (Yo-Yo Ma / Emanuel Ax tickets are

$30 per ticket). The name on the student

subscriber’s account must match the name

on the student ID. Seats will be assigned

by the Patron Services Office. Student

subscribers will receive exchange privileges,

though comparable seat locations cannot

be guaranteed.

Students at other universities who are

enrolled in accredited degree programs,

or those in high school, may purchase

discounted student tickets to individual

events beginning Monday, August 31, 2026.

Student tickets cost $20 (main floor and

mezzanine) and $15 (balcony) for most

performances (Yo-Yo Ma / Emanuel Ax

student tickets are $30). Student tickets

may be limited for some performances.

Bert's Tickets

UMS offers each U-M undergraduate

student one free ticket to a UMS

performance each academic year through

the Bert's Ticket program. Fall semester

event tickets will be available beginning

Monday, August 31, 2026. Quantities may

be limited for some performances.

Children and Families &

UMS Kids Club

UMS welcomes children ages 5+ who

are able to sit quietly in their own seats

without disturbing other patrons. Not all

performances are appropriate for children,

so please use discretion and/or speak to

a UMS Patron Services Representative for

guidance.

The UMS Kids Club program provides

discounted tickets for children in grades

3-12 and an accompanying adult. Kids Club

tickets go on sale on Tuesday, September

8, 2026. Visit ums.org/kids for more

information.

UMS will announce programming

specifically for families at the Ypsilanti

Freighthouse in July 2026. Visit

ums.org/YpsiFreighthouse.

To learn about our School Day

Performances and other programs for

students in grades K-12, visit

ums.org/k12.

Henry Purcell’s

Dido and Aeneas

Sun Feb 7

42 BE PRESENT

Private and

Public Support

Generous philanthropic

support covers over

60% of our annual

operations,

including artistic programs and

related learning and engagement

activities. In addition to financial support from

our annual donors and corporate sponsors,

grants from private foundations and our

funding partners help make it possible

for UMS to invest in special initiatives —

providing free and significantly discounted

tickets to U-M students; awarding grants that

help U-M faculty integrate the performing

arts into their curriculum; and bringing

cutting-edge, provocative performances that

challenge us to see and experience the world

in new ways.

Doris Duke Foundation

Endowment Fund

Special project support for several

components of the UMS season is provided

by the Doris Duke Foundation Endowment

Fund, established at UMS with a challenge

grant from the Leading College and

University Presenters Program at the Doris

Duke Foundation.

The Indian Trail Charitable

Foundation

An annual grant supports the Bert’s Ticket

program, which extends an invitation to

all U-M undergraduate students to attend

one UMS performance free of charge each

academic year.

Michigan Arts and Culture Council

General operating and other support are

provided by the Michigan Arts and Culture

Council and the National Endowment for

the Arts.

Michigan Medicine

Michigan Medicine provides multiyear

support for UMS programs and is

collaborating with UMS and the London

Symphony Orchestra in March 2027 on

programs related to music and health.

National Endowment

for the Arts

Special project support for UMS programs

and initiatives is provided by the National

Endowment for the Arts.

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan provides

important annual support for special UMS

projects and initiatives in the 26/27 season.

This support ensures that the performing arts

play an important part in students’ learning

and champions the artistic and cultural

vibrancy on campus, in Ann Arbor, and across

Southeast Michigan and the wider University

of Michigan community.


Arts Initiative

The U-M Arts Initiative supports several

special projects at UMS, most recently

Nigamon/Tunai in Fall 2025, the Flint Artist-in-

Residence program, and an ongoing multiyear

project with the Berliner Philharmoniker,

U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance, and

the U-M Institute for Social Research.

University of Michigan Credit

Union Arts Adventures Program

The University of Michigan Credit Union

Arts Adventures Program provides access

for extraordinary arts experiences and

exceptional learning opportunities for

students and families in our community.

Wallace Endowment Fund

Each season, a UMS presentation is funded

in part by the Wallace Endowment Fund,

established with a challenge grant from the

Wallace Foundation to build participation in

arts programs at UMS.

UMS is a member of Creative Washtenaw

and CultureSource.


43

University Musical Society



881 North University Avenue


Non-Profit

Organization

U.S. Postage

Paid

Ann Arbor, MI

Permit No. 27

Season Tickets

Now On Sale

148th Season.

Be Present.

Yo-Yo Ma and

Emanuel Ax

Thu Dec 10

@UMSPRESENTS

UMS.ORG 734-764-2538

Publication Date: April 2026

Front Cover: Samara Joy by AB+DM

Back Cover: Yo-Yo Ma by Brantley Gutierrez

How to

Order

UMS.ORG

734-764-2538

Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and

American Express accepted.

Summer Hours

(beginning May 4, 2026)

Phone:

Mon-Fri, 10 am – 5 pm

In-Person:

Mon-Fri, 1 pm – 5 pm

Closed Sat and Sun

Note: The Ticket Office will have extended in-person

hours on Tuesday, May 5, from 10 am to 5 pm.

Online

For credit card and installment billing orders,

order subscription packages online at ums.org.

For payroll deduction, please call our Patron

Services Office at 734-764-2538.

In Person

Visit the UMS Patron Services Office on the

north end of the Michigan League building (911

N University Ave). UMS also sells tickets for the

U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance and the

Ann Arbor Summer Festival.

Visit ums.org/contact for up-to-date

in-person hours.

Mail

UMS Patron Services Office


881 North University Ave


Make checks payable to UMS

QUESTIONS?

Contact the UMS Patron Services

Office at 734-764-2538 or

umstix@umich.edu

26/27 Season

Order Form

148th Season

Important Dates

Season Ticket Deadlines

Tue 4/28

Season tickets go on sale to

renewing subscribers from the

25/26 season

Renewing subscribers receive

seating priority when orders are

placed before May 4, 2026

Tue 5/5

Season tickets go on sale to the

general public

Fri 5/29

Deadline for payment by U-M payroll

deduction, and for 25/26 Choral

Union & Chamber Arts season ticket

holders to renew the same seat

location

Priority deadline to upgrade seats

Tue 6/23

Individual event tickets available for

donors of $2,500+

Tue 7/14

Individual event tickets available for

donors of $250+

Group Reservations Open (groups of

10+ for an individual event)

Tue 7/28

Single Ticket Day! Tickets to all

individual events on sale at 10 am

Fri 6/26

Deadline to request free parking

benefits

Tue 8/11

Student subscriptions on sale to

U-M students in an accredited

degree program who are registered

for Fall 2026 classes (students

who attend other universities may

purchase individual student tickets

beginning Monday, August 31)

Fri 9/18

Ticket On-Sale Dates for Individual Events

Last day to order UMS season ticket

packages

Mon 8/31

Student individual event tickets

on sale ($15 or $20 with ID for

most events; Yo-Yo Ma/Emanuel Ax

is $30).

Fall Bertʼs Tickets available for U-M

undergraduate students

Tue 9/8

Kids Club Tickets on sale. See page

42 for more information

Season Ticket requests are filled in the order in which they are received, with priority given

to UMS Donors with annual gifts of $1,000 or more, followed by Fixed Series and renewing

Series:You subscribers. Upgrade requests must be received by Friday, May 29, 2026.

See details about seating priority on page 40 of this brochure. Order early to guarantee the

best seats before tickets go on sale to the general public.

1 Fixed Series Packages

Orders must be received by Friday, September 18, 2026. Please consult the seating maps

on pages 38-39 as you make your selections.

Series (# of performances)

# of

Packages

Gold

Main

A

Main

B

Main

A

Mezz

B

Mezz

B

Balc

C

Balc

D

Balc

E

Balc

Total

Choral Union Series (11)

x

1,000 900 800 780 640 500 400 300 220

=

Gold Main

Gold Balc

A Mezz

A B C D

Chamber Arts Series (7)

x * *

340 300 250 190

=

Dance Series (3)

Please circle your preferred date for each event

x

180 160 160 150 80

* =

Shamel Pitts

UMS150 Dance

Commision &

World Premiere

Lucinda Childs

New Works

Sat Oct 3 @

7:30 pm

Fri Oct 23 @

7:30 pm

Fri Apr 2 @

7:30 pm

Sun Oct 4 @

2 pm

Sat Oct 24 @

7:30 pm

Sat Apr 3 @

7:30 pm

No Safety Net Theater Series (4)

Please circle your preferred date for each title

x

140 130 130 120

* * =

Jack Tucker Comedy

Standup Show

Wed Nov 18 @

7:30 pm

Thu Nov 19 @

7:30 pm

Fri Nov 20 @

7:30 pm

Sat Nov 21 @

7:30 pm

Sun Nov 22 @

2 pm

Watch Me Walk

Thu Jan 21 @

7:30 pm

Fri Jan 22 @

7:30 pm

Sat Jan 23 @

2 pm

Sat Jan 23 @

7:30 pm

Sun Jan 24 @

2 pm

When I Saw the Sea

Fri Jan 29 @

7:30 pm

Sat Jan 30 @

7:30 pm

300 Paintings

Thu Feb 18 @

7:30 pm

Fri Feb 19 @

7:30 pm

Sat Feb 20 @

7:30 pm

Sun Feb 21 @

2 pm

Jazz Series (5)

x

400 360 360

* * * =

Marathon Series (38)

x

~2,150 ~1,400

=

About the Marathon Series: When you purchase each of the 38 distinct programs on the season, you'll receive a 25% discount. If you purchase Gold Main Floor seats,

the total cost (with the discount applied) is approximately $2,150; if you purchase Balcony seats, it's approximately $1,400. We encourage you to call the UMS Ticket

Office at 734-764-2538 to place your Marathon subscription for the best and fastest service rather than ordering online.

*Seats are not available in this price section for venue listed

1

Fixed Series Package Sub-Total = $

Questions? Contact the UMS Ticket Office at 734-764-2538

Outside the 734 area code and within Michigan, call toll-free 800-221-1229

continue to step 2 >>>

2 Series:You Packages

SERIES:YOU: Choose 5 or more events from this listing and take 10% off. Orders must be received by Friday, September 18, 2026 to

receive the discount. Individual event prices are guaranteed until Friday, July 24, 2026.

STUDENT PACKAGES: Student packages are available only to U-M students in an accredited degree program beginning Tuesday,

August 11, 2026. Individual student event tickets will be available beginning Monday, August 31, 2026.

Performance

Date, Time (Venue)

# of

Tickets

Gold

Main

A

Main

B

Main

Gold

Balc

A

Mezz

B

Mezz

B

Balc

C D E

Total

The Cleveland Orchestra Fri 9/25, 7 pm (H1) x 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 =

Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers Fri 10/2, 7:30 pm (H2) x 80 72 64 76 56 * * * 20 =

Shamel Pitts Marks of RED 1 Sat 10/3, 7:30 pm (P) x 56 50 * 50 * 46 26 * * =

Shamel Pitts Marks of RED 2 Sun 10/4, 2 pm (P) x 56 50 * 50 * 46 26 * * =

Samara Joy Fri 10/9, 7:30 pm (H2) x 100 90 80 90 76 50 40 34 30 =

Lupita Infante Sat 10/17, 7:30 pm (H2) x 66 60 56 56 46 * * * 20 =

Sphinx Virtuosi / J’Nai Bridges Sun 10/18, 4 pm (R) x * 48 42 * * * 36 28 * =

UMS150 Dance World Premiere 1 Fri 10/23, 7:30 pm (P) x 76 70 * 70 * 66 40 * * =

UMS150 Dance World Premiere 2 Sat 10/24, 7:30 pm (P) x 76 70 * 70 * 66 40 * * =

Bruce Liu Wed 10/28, 7:30 pm (H2) x 76 70 66 66 56 46 36 26 16 =

Julian Lage Sat 11/7, 7:30 pm (MT) x 60 54 * 50 * 44 36 30 * =

Escher Quartet / Jason Vieaux Sun 11/8, 4 pm (R) x * 60 54 * * * 44 34 * =

Mozart's Requiem Fri 11/13, 7:30 pm (H1) x 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 =

Andy Akiho / Sandbox Percussion Sun 11/15, 4 pm (R) x * 48 42 * * * 36 28 * =

Jack Tucker 1 Wed 11/18, 7:30 pm (AMT) x $30 general admission =

Jack Tucker 2 Thu 11/19, 7:30 pm (AMT) x $30 general admission =

Jack Tucker 3 Fri 11/20, 7:30 pm (AMT) x $30 general admission =

Jack Tucker 4 Sat 11/21, 7:30 pm (AMT) x $30 general admission =

Jack Tucker 5 Sun 11/22, 2 pm (AMT) x $30 general admission =

Handel’s Messiah 1 Sat 12/5, 7:30 pm (H2) x 42 36 30 34 30 28 24 20 14 =

Handel’s Messiah 2 Sun 12/6, 2 pm (H2) x 42 36 30 34 30 28 24 20 14 =

Yo-Yo Ma / Emanuel Ax Thu 12/10, 7:30 pm (H2) x 175 150 125 150 125 70 60 50 40 =

Isidore SQ / Anthony McGill Fri 12/18, 7:30 pm (R) x * 60 54 * * * 44 34 * =

Watch Me Walk 1 Thu 1/21, 7:30 pm (AMT) x $40 general admission =

Watch Me Walk 2 Fri 1/22, 7:30 pm (AMT) x $40 general admission =

Watch Me Walk 3 Sat 1/23, 2 pm (AMT) x $40 general admission =

Watch Me Walk 4 Sat 1/23, 7:30 pm (AMT) x $40 general admission =

Watch Me Walk 5 Sun 1/24, 2 pm (AMT) x $40 general admission =

C4 Trío Thu 1/28, 7:30 pm (LMT) x 45 45 35 45 * 35 30 * * =

When I Saw the Sea / Ali Chahrour 1 Fri 1/29, 7:30 pm (P) x 46 40 * 40 * 36 20 * * =

When I Saw the Sea / Ali Chahrour 2 Sat 1/30, 7:30 pm (P) x 46 40 * 40 * 36 20 * * =




Series:You listing continues on next page >>>

Performance

Date, Time (Venue)

# of

Tickets

Gold

Main

A

Main

B

Main

Gold

Balc

A

Mezz

B

Mezz

B

Balc

C D E

Total

Berlin Phil Brass + Organ Thu 2/4, 7:30 pm (H2) x 100 90 80 90 76 56 46 36 28 =

Takács Quartet / Jeremy Denk Fri 2/5, 7:30 pm (R) x * 60 54 * * * 44 34 * =

Joyce DiDonato / Dido and Aeneas Sun 2/7, 4 pm (H2) x 76 70 66 66 56 46 36 26 16 =

Gregory Porter Thu 2/11, 7:30 pm (H2) x 100 90 80 90 76 56 46 36 28 =

UMS Choral Union / Sea Symphony Sat 2/13, 7:30 pm (H1) x 42 36 30 34 30 26 * * 14 =

300 Paintings 1 Thu 2/18, 7:30 pm (LMT) x 48 42 36 42 * 36 28 * * =

300 Paintings 2 Fri 2/19, 7:30 pm (LMT) x 48 42 36 42 * 36 28 * * =

300 Paintings 3 Sat 2/20, 7:30 pm (LMT) x 48 42 36 42 * 36 28 * * =

300 Paintings 4 Sun 2/21, 2 pm (LMT) x 48 42 36 42 * 36 28 * * =

Bach’s St. Matthew Passion Sat 2/20, 7 pm (H1) x 80 70 60 60 50 40 30 26 18 =

Sam Green TREES Sat 2/27, 7:30 pm (MT) x 60 54 * 50 * 44 36 30 * =

London Symphony 1 / Vengerov Wed 3/3, 7:30 pm (H1) x 130 120 100 90 76 60 50 40 30 =

London Symphony 2 / Weilerstein Thu 3/4, 7:30 pm (H1) x 130 120 100 90 76 60 50 40 30 =

Seong-Jin Cho Sun 3/14, 4 pm (H2) x 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 =

The Mad Lover

Langlois de Swarte / Dunford

Wed 3/17, 7:30 pm (R)

x

* 52 48 * * * 40 32 *

=

Lucinda Childs 1 Fri 4/2, 7:30 pm (P) x 76 70 * 70 * 66 40 * * =

Lucinda Childs 2 Sat 4/3, 7:30 pm (P) x 76 70 * 70 * 66 40 * * =

Yuja Wang Thu 4/8, 7:30 pm (H2) x 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 =

Audra McDonald Sun 4/18, 6 pm (H2) x 80 72 64 76 60 46 40 34 24 =

Rosamunde SQ Thu 4/22, 7:30 pm (R) x * 60 54 * * * 44 34 * =

JLCO: The Ever Fonky Lowdown Sat 4/24, 7:30 pm (H2) x 100 90 80 90 76 56 46 36 28 =

JLCO with Wynton Marsalis Sun 4/25, 4 pm (H2) x 100 90 80 90 76 56 46 36 28 =

Butterfly Flew Into Rave 1 Fri 4/30, 7:30 pm (Detroit) x $35 general admission =

Butterfly Flew Into Rave 2 Sat 5/1, 7:30 pm (Detroit) x $35 general admission =


Series:You Sub-Total = $

Less 10% (must purchase at least 5 events) = $

3 Parking & Transportation

2

Series:You Total (please do not round) = $

Pre-Paid Event Parking Passes may be purchased in advance for $10 each for the University of Michigan Thayer and Fletcher Street

parking structures, just a short walk from most concert venues in downtown Ann Arbor. Vouchers may be redeemed for parking

beginning two hours before the event and expire at the end of the 26/27 season. Each parking pass is good for one use only. Parking

is not guaranteed with vouchers, so please arrive early to allow enough time to park. Event parking in U-M structures may not be

available for Michigan Theater events.

Pre-Paid Parking Passes - Ann Arbor

x

$10 each

=

Subscriber benefit! I submitted my order prior to June 26, 2026 and would like free parking in the Power Center (Fletcher Street) structure on UMS

event nights. Marathon Subscribers are eligible for one free parking pass for each event in the season, Choral Union subscribers for six free event

parking passes; Chamber Arts, Jazz, and Series:You subscribers for four free event parking passes; and Dance and Theater subscribers for three

free event parking passes.

3

Parking & Transportation Sub-Total = $



continue to step 4 >>>

4 Invest in UMS with an Annual Donation

Your financial support is essential to UMS. When you make a tax-deductible contribution in addition to your subscription, you invest in the

artistic and innovative excellence UMS brings to the stage, as well as the hundreds of educational activities that engage audiences of all ages

throughout Southeast Michigan.

Your Financial Support Is Essential

$15,000+

Mainstage Performance Support

$1,000+

Student Employment at UMS

$5,000+

School Day Performance and In-School

Workshops with Artist Facilitators

$500+

Ticket Subsidies for One U-M Class to Attend

a UMS Performance

$2,500+

Ticket Subsidies and Transportation Grants

for Under-Resourced Schools

$250+

$100+

Masterclass, Class Visit, or Q&A with a Visiting Artist

Ticket Subsidies for Six U-M Students

Please print your name(s) as you would like it to appear in public

listings, or check the box below to remain anonymous. Donors of

$250 or more will be listed in the UMS program book and receive early

access to individual event tickets (on Tuesday, July 14, 2026).

I intend my full donation to be tax-deductible and decline all

non-deductible benefits.

Remain anonymous

4

Donation Sub-Total = $

Checklist

Totals

Please double check that you have completed the following

before sending in your order. Have you:

Filled out the next page with mailing and payment information?

Included your mobile phone number and your email

address(es) (to be used for concert notifications and/or

ticketing concerns)?

1

2

Fixed Series Package Sub-Total $

Series:You Sub-Total (do not round) $

Signed and enclosed your check (payable to UMS), or signed

the Payroll Deduction line in the “Payment Information”

section?

[Dance Series, No Safety Net Theater Series, and Marathon

Series only] Circled your desired performances on the order

form for events with multiple performances?

Included an annual donation to UMS? Thank you!

3 Parking & Transportation Sub-Total $

Postage/Handling $ 15.00

Sub-Total (Total 1-3 + Postage)

Filled out and included the entire order form?

4

Tax-Deductible Contribution to UMS $

Questions?

Contact the UMS Patron Services Office at 734-764-2538

or umstix@umich.edu

Grand Total

Outside the 734 area code, call toll-free 800-221-1229 please continue to next page >>>

5

Important Seating Information

A. If the seat section you selected is not available for an event that you have purchased, would you prefer (please check all that apply):

Change my seats to the next higher price section

Change my seats to the next lower price section

Call me at the mobile number listed below

Email me at the address listed below

If available, move me to a different performance of the same event and keep the same price section (note any exceptions below)

Please note: if you do not check a box, you will automatically be moved to the next lower price section, and the cost difference will be refunded back to you. If the venue that

you have selected has several levels (e.g., main floor and balcony), UMS will keep your seats on the level that you requested and move you to the next lower price section,

unless you indicate otherwise here:

B. Accessibility-Related Seating Needs or Special Seating Requests

C. How would you like to receive your tickets?

Tickets will be sent in early August, or after the final installment is charged. If you select the Digital Ticket option, parking passes will be mailed separately.

RECOMMENDED OPTION

Digital Tickets available through

wallet.ums.org

Sent to the address

listed in section 6

Held at the League Ticket Office for me

to pick up prior to my first performance

Sent to my summer address

(please list address and dates

below):

6

Billing Information

UMS ACCOUNT NUMBER (if known)

LAST NAME

FIRST NAME

ADDRESS

CITY STATE ZIP

MOBILE PHONE (include area code)

LANDLINE (if used, include area code)

EMAIL ADDRESS (for up-to-date information on parking, start times, late seating, program changes, etc.)

7 Payment Information

PAYROLL DEDUCTION

My payment is by U-M Payroll Deduction (order must be received by Friday, May 29, 2026). I understand I will be billed in four installments, once

monthly in June, July, August, and September. Donations will be deducted separately in monthly installments beginning in July.

NOTE: Payroll deduction requests must be mailed or emailed to umstix@umich.edu with a signature. Payroll Deduction requests cannot be accepted online.

U-M EMPLOYEE ID NUMBER

AUTHORIZATION SIGNATURE

CHECK (payable to UMS)

INSTALLMENT BILLING

I want to take advantage of installment billing for my season tickets (credit card orders totaling $300 or more) Tickets will be sent once all installments

have been processed.

Donations will be charged in full upon receipt, or call 734-647-1175 for additional options.

Season ticket packages will be charged in three equal installments: when the order is received, and on or around July 9 and August 13. For orders

postmarked after July 9, installment billing will be applied in two equal installments: when the order is received and August 13.

CREDIT CARD

For credit card security purposes, please call our Ticket Office at 734-764-2538 to provide your credit card number if you are mailing your order form,

or place your order online at ums.org.

OFFICE USE ONLY TICKET TOTAL: DONATION:

26-27 UMS Series Brochure final with order form

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