From the Archive: Now, More Than Ever

Video and Audio Collections Curated by Jeremy Geffen

During the initial period of challenges created by the global COVID-19 pandemic, Cal Performances launched multiple seasons of online streamed performances via Cal Performances at Home, which was extremely successful and reached audiences throughout the world when we could not have live audiences.

Even before we were able to mobilize Cal Performances at Home, though, beginning in March 2020, Executive and Artistic Director Jeremy Geffen began curating Now, More Than Ever playlists of video performances by great artists past and present. These provided audiences free ongoing contact with the performing arts during a time when gathering together was not possible. The series grew to over 60 issues featuring upwards of 300 performances.

Three playlists were contributed by guest curators­­: classical singer Julia Bullock, mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, and cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason. Now, More Than Ever served as a reminder of the performing arts’ unsurpassed ability to express the power and potential of the human spirit and encouraged viewers to make time each day for the arts.

While a number of the videos linked in this series are no longer active, we have preserved the original playlists and the associated introductions and commentary that accompanied them during their initial launch. You can view all of the issues below.