Lila Downs
Día de los Muertos

Welcome to Cal Performances’ 2025–26 season, a busy schedule that promises to spotlight fresh viewpoints, captivating stories, and breathtaking talent in presentations with the power to expand the boundaries of the performing arts and inspire one and all to engage more deeply with the world around us. From now into early May, you’ll find an array of artists representing the very best in the worlds of music, dance, and theater.

During these first weeks of the season, we’ll welcome—to name only a few!—artists as accomplished as countertenor Aryeh Nussbaum; pianists Daniil Trifonov and Nobuyuki Tsujii; superstar mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter in concert with the brilliant keyboardist Kristian Bezuidenhout, and the Bay Area’s own beloved and renowned Kronos Quartet.

A major season highlight promises to be the October North American premiere of trailblazing choreographer Hofesh Shechter’s new Red Carpet with an extraordinary troupe of dancers from the legendary Paris Opera Ballet. Earlier this summer, I had the chance to witness this thrilling production at Paris’ storied Palais Garnier, and I can assure you that this is one production you definitely will not want to miss.

We’ll also see the return of Víkingur Ólafsson as our 2025–26 Artist in Residence. The revered Icelandic pianist appears in October as soloist in two concerts with London’s extraordinary Philharmonia Orchestra under the baton of principal conductor Santtu-Matias Rouvali, and returns to our stage for a solo recital in the spring. (For more on Ólafsson and his UC Berkeley residency this season, please see Thomas May’s feature article, beginning on the next page.)

The full season lineup continues with a wide range of talent including conductor Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra; pianists Jeremy Denk and Alexandre Kantorow; vocalists Joyce DiDonato and Renée Fleming; the Takács String Quartet; early-music superstars The English Concert, Jordi Savall, and The Tallis Scholars; jazz greats Cécile McLorin Salvant and Somi; family events like Disney’s MOANA Live-To-Film Concert and special Thanksgiving weekend dates with MOMIX; and appearances by Silkroad Ensemble with Rhiannon Giddens, the Vienna Boys Choir, and Broadway diva Kelli O’Hara.

Following the visit by the Paris Opera Ballet, our acclaimed dance series is further distinguished by genre-defining artists and major new productions including the Martha Graham Dance Company celebrating its centennial; The Joffrey Ballet in an otherworldly celebration of the 
traditional Scandinavian solstice festival; the long-awaited Cal Performances debut of A.I.M by Kyle Abraham; and, of course, return engagements with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Mark Morris Dance Group.

And there’s so much more! I encourage you to visit our website and check out the interactive season brochure that has been designed to provide the best possible online reading experience; this dynamic tool has also been configured to map perfectly to your device, whether it’s a desktop, laptop, or mobile. Please take a look today!

As you explore the calendar, I recommend you pay particular attention to our 2025–26 Illuminations theme of “Exile & Sanctuary,” a series of offerings focusing on how issues of displacement can inform bold new explorations of identity and community; and how artistic expression can offer safe harbor during times of unrest or upheaval—an idea I hope will ring true for each performance you experience this season.

The opportunity to engage with diverse artistic perspectives and share the transformative power of the live performing arts is one of life’s greatest pleasures, and I look forward to encountering these profound and entertaining experiences with you in the months ahead.

Jeremy Geffen
Executive and Artistic Director, Cal Performances