Cal Performances at Home is much more than a series of great streamed performances. Fascinating behind-the-scenes artist interviews. Informative and entertaining public forums. The Cal Performances Reading Room, featuring books with interesting connections to our Fall 2020 programs. For all this and much more, keep checking this page for frequent updates and to journey far, far Beyond the Stage!
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Beyond the Stage
Humans at the Heart: The Storyteller’s Guide to the 2026–27 Season
Humans at the Heart: The Storyteller’s Guide to the 2026–27 Season
There’s a reason we’ve been telling stories since the beginning of human history: hearing another person’s experience, real or imagined, makes us feel at once more connected. If getting to witness a deeply human journey unfold before you is what draws you to the performing arts, this is the guide for you.
The 2026–27 Cal Performances season is full of performances that put people at their center, following histories, relationships, inner lives, and even small human moments that all make a story worth telling. Some of these narratives are centuries old, passed down through music and myth. Others are more recent, drawing on memories that deserve to be honored and preserved. And some are deeply personal, the kind that feel like the performer is sharing something they’ve carried for a long time. Whether you already know these stories or are coming to them for the first time, you’re guaranteed to encounter a character who transcends the boundaries of the stage—someone you’ll want to learn about, learn from, and root for.
MAR 6, 2027, ZELLERBACH HALL
If you’ve watched enough Broadway, film, or television over the past two decades, you almost certainly know Cheyenne Jackson’s name. He has built one of the most varied careers in American entertainment as an Emmy- and Grammy-nominated actor, singer, songwriter, and performer.
A solo concert is where all of this comes together, combining the glamour of cabaret with the intimacy of a musical memoir.
Through evocative songs and magnetic storytelling, Jackson shares how “a super-tall, super-queer, super-Christian kid from northern Idaho” found his way to Broadway, television, and a national solo tour, bridging the divide between performer and audience to let us in on the kind of storytelling that only happens when someone has lived enough of a life to have something profound to share.
APR 25, 2027, ZELLERBACH HALL
For all his world-conquering ambition, Alexander the Great evidently could not make up his mind about which princess he loved, and composer George Frideric Handel found that far more interesting than any of his battles. Alessandro is less a portrait of a military hero than of a man undone by his own ego and indecision, caught between two women who both adore him and a court that’s starting to lose patience.
It’s vain, romantic, a little ridiculous, and a dramatic musical delight—
especially considering the cast includes such superlative vocalists as French countertenor and Handel specialist Christophe Dumaux as Alessandro; American soprano Joélle Harvey as Lisaura, and Australian mezzo-soprano Xenia Puskarz Thomas as her competitor, Rossane. The English Concert itself has built a reputation as one of the finest Handel ensembles in the world, and now it is your turn to experience this captivating story from its most renowned tellers.
SEP 25–27, 2026, ZELLERBACH HALL
Inspired by the legacy and lore of one of literature’s most extraordinary minds, Christopher Wheeldon’s visionary choreography engages the superb dancers of The Australian Ballet to tell the story of Irish author Oscar Wilde. Known for his satirical prose, confident demeanor, and flamboyant fashion choices, Oscar Wilde is one of those figures whose life was almost as dramatic as anything he put on the page—a man of dazzling wit and triumph who also endured public heartbreak, and even imprisonment. What makes this ballet so special for anyone who loves a good story is that it incorporates Wilde’s life into the narrative, transcending a mere adaptation of his work. Choreographer Christopher Wheeldon threads Wilde’s personal journey together with characters from his own writings, including The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Nightingale and the Rose, so the line between the man and his imagination begins to blur in the most fascinating way.
Of the production, The Australian Ballet Artistic Director, David Hallberg, said,
“Working on Oscar has been deeply meaningful because it speaks to how ballet can continue to evolve, not only in movement, but also in the narratives it embraces.”
“For much of its history, ballet has told heteronormative stories, so to collaborate with Christopher Wheeldon on a work that so boldly brings a different experience to the stage has felt especially significant.”
There’s something deeply moving about watching a storyteller become the subject of someone else’s story, and this season-opening performance seems to understand that completely. Hallberg shared that Wheeldon “has a gift for marrying emotional depth and choreography, and through his storytelling he has created a ballet that feels both intimate and expansive. I hope audiences leave with a sense of having experienced something beautiful, but also something deeply human. A story of love, identity and vulnerability that has not often been given this kind of space in dance.”
NOV 1, 2026, HERTZ HALL
Virginia Woolf’s Orlando is one of literature’s great character studies, following a protagonist who travels through centuries, changes gender, navigates complex relationships, and somehow remains entirely, stubbornly themself. Orlando as a character invites us to reflect on identity, about what makes us who we are across time and circumstance—and turns out to be a perfect point of inspiration for an evening of music.
Mezzo-soprano Ema Nikolovska and guitarist Sean Shibe have built a program that riffs on the character and energy of Woolf’s groundbreaking 1928 novel, with echoes of the medieval Chanson de Roland and Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso.
The music itself features Nikolovska’s powerful vocals alongside acoustic and electric guitar for eclectic repertoire by artists like John Dowland, Schubert, Bob Dylan, and Laurie Anderson, in addition to commissioned works written in the past and coming year by exciting voices from the US, UK, and Canada. Passages from the novel run through the entire performance, resulting in something that feels less like a traditional recital, and more like a story being told by many voices across many eras.
NOV 12–15, 2026, HENRY J. KAISER CENTER FOR THE ARTS, OAKLAND
Over one million Africans labored in WWI as soldiers, as porters, and as people caught in the middle of a war that was never really theirs—yet most of their names were never recorded. William Kentridge’s extraordinary theatrical work is built around this silence, and what it means when people try to speak into it. Featuring outstanding contributions from composer Philip Miller, choreographer Gregory Maqoma, and music director and co-composer Thuthuka Sibisi, the production utilizes projection, music, movement, and a libretto collaged from fragments of poetry, proverbs, and historical texts in multiple languages to create a portrait of people whose stories were deliberately left out of the historical record. Maqoma shared,
“Working on The Head & the Load profoundly reshaped my understanding of history, particularly the scale and weight of African participation in the First World War, a history that has largely remained invisible.”
“Entering William Kentridge’s world of excavation and reconstruction made me confront how much of what we think we know is structured by absence.”
Performed here in its West Coast premiere, this electrifying, fiercely beautiful, and utterly engrossing work focuses its energy not on a simple retelling of events, but, according to Maqoma, a “re-evaluation of history, one that shifts the lens away from dominant narratives toward those who carried its invisible weigh.” The production immerses audiences in the type of memory that is energetically felt more than it is cognizantly understood. Across a 180-foot-long stage (presented this season at the Henry J. Kaiser Center for the Arts Arena), The Head & the Load sees the contributions of 37 dancers, actors, vocalists, and musicians—and enlists the emotional power of music, dance, speech, shadow play, projection, and sculpture—to deliver a deep meditation on a story that has rarely been told … and never been told like this.
FEB 10, 2027, ZELLERBACH HALL
At its core, Dido and Aenas is a story about what happens when love and duty pull in opposite directions—and when someone gets left behind. Purcell wrote this epic opera in 1689, but the heartbreak at the center of it feels “[astoundingly] so modern, fresh and utterly captivating,” shared Joyce DiDonato. The plot follows Dido, Queen of Carthage, falling for the Trojan hero Aenas, who ultimately abandons her to fulfill his destiny; what follows is one of opera’s most devastating portraits of grief.
DiDonato, one of the most celebrated mezzo-sopranos of her generation, has spent years living with this role, and brings to it something beyond technical mastery.
Her hope with this program is that the audience leaves “deeply moved, knowing that to love is always worth it”—which, really, is the story of Dido in a single sentence. Drawing on the talents of period ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro and soloists including lyric tenor Nicholas Phan, this is a performance that treats a 45-minute opera (paired here with Carissimi’s deeply moving Jephte) with the full emotional weight it deserves.
NOV 21, 2026, ZELLERBACH HALL
Before he led his regiment through the trenches of World War I, James Reese Europe packed Carnegie Hall, built a union for Black musicians, and was widely considered the most important bandleader in America. And yet, within a decade of his untimely death at 39, his name had almost completely vanished from the history books.
The Absence of Ruin is jazz pianist and composer Jason Moran’s meditation on Europe’s life,
particularly remembering his role in WWI as a bandleader who landed alongside the all-Black Harlem Hellfighters unit that contributed to breaking the stalemate on the Western front, and led a military music ensemble that helped popularize the new spirit of jazz in France. The production features a full ensemble reimagining Europe’s original compositions alongside photographs and film footage that piece together a portrait of a man who knew, even as he marched into war, that his music meant something bigger than himself.
SEP 27, 2026, HERTZ HALL
A regal presence on stages the world over, dramatic baritone Lester Lynch combines his captivating voice with the talents of painist Korth to create emotional milieus that movingly depict love, loss, and mortality. Among the repertoire is Samuel Barber’s Dover Beach. Barber held onto a special affection for Matthew Arnold’s poem of the same name for his entire life, composing music inspired by the very textures he felt within the writing. Decades after creating his own Dover Beach, Barber still remarked on how contemporary the emotions felt, and it’s easy to hear why.
Arnold’s poem is about the loneliness of losing faith, and the desperate human appeal that follows: “Ah love, let us be true to one another.”
Barber’s setting takes that plea seriously, building from a quiet and atmospheric opening into something far more painful before hauntingly returning to where it began. Paired with additional works including Mahler’s Rückert Lieder—a piece about the private, almost sacred act of creation—it’s a program that sits with some of the most tender, yet exposed aspects of being human. Lynch is a baritone known for commanding the grandest roles in opera, but what makes this recital so compelling is the intimacy it demands. Stripped of staging and costuming, it’s just the voice and the story within the song.
Explore More and Secure Your Seats
This list is just a taste of the stories waiting for you during the 2026–27 Cal Performances season. We encourage you to explore the full season for yourself, and to discover our other season guides as well on Beyond the Stage.
Want to secure your seats early and save up to 25% on tickets? When you subscribe by bundling as few as four performances, you unlock the very best experience we have to offer! Explore our Subscriber benefits, and mark your calendars for when subscriptions go on sale at noon (PT) on May 5, 2026!
UC Berkeley students have access to exclusive student discounts, including a special bundle of 4 tickets called a Flex Pass. UCB Student tickets go on sale on August 21, 2026.
Related Events
Beyond the Stage: 2026–27 Season Guides
Explore the six guides to the season below to find the performances that were made for you.
“Organic Seeds” in the Sanctuary: Silkroad’s Artistic Approach to Music
“Organic Seeds” in the Sanctuary: Silkroad’s Artistic Approach to Music
“‘Organic’ is a term completely subjective to the individual. In the context of this Sanctuary tour, it meant allowing for each unique artist to bring their idea, their musical ‘seed,’ and share it in a way that felt authentic to them.”
By Angelina Josephine Rosete, Cal Performances’ Engagement Writer
Of all ensembles that perform music across cultural boundaries, Silkroad Ensemble emerges as a living testament to what music can fully be, transcending audience expectations with their signature organicism and collaborative ethos. Founded 25 years ago under the vision of Yo-Yo Ma, the Silkroad Ensemble has long operated on the guiding principle that music is a living conversation that grows richer with each voice that is invited in. This season, that conversation has taken on a new urgency. As part of Cal Performances’ Illuminations: “Exile and Sanctuary” programming, Silkroad arrives with artistic director Rhiannon Giddens at Zellerbach Hall on March 19–20 with Sanctuary: The Power of Resonance and Ritual, a program that begs the question: what does it mean for music to be a home?
In an interview with Maeve Gilchrist, Silkroad’s Scottish-Irish harpist, we explore the ensemble’s approach to music that unfolds organically, and how the conversations that happen in music create a sanctuary for both artist and spectator alike.
Edinburgh-born and currently based in Kingston, New York, Gilchrist has been credited as an innovator on the Celtic (lever) harp, taking the instrument to new levels of visibility and performance. A member of the Grammy-winning Arooj Aftab Vulture Prince Ensemble and the Grammy-winning Silkroad Ensemble, she has performed and recorded alongside Yo-Yo Ma, esperanza spalding, and Ambrose Akinmusire, among others. She is ultimately an artist deeply fluent in the art of cross-cultural musical dialogue, and an ideal guide into the world Silkroad is building with Sanctuary.
The seeds from which we grow our roots build the foundation for future processes, especially in creative fields where we draw on tradition to forge new innovations. Gilchrist grew up in a household where every social gathering was an occasion for songs and storytelling. Music was never a fully individual pursuit. She shares, “Now, as a professional musician, I reflect on the joy of my musical baptism on a regular basis. It gives me perspective, reminds me of the importance of inclusion and passing on what was shared so generously with me.” That spirit of transmission, of music as something that is received and in turn offered forward, runs through everything Silkroad does.
At the heart of the program is an intentional shift in how the ensemble works. Rather than using commissioned scores, artistic director Rhiannon Giddens pushed for the group to learn primarily by ear, promoting in turn collective arranging and improvisation. The result, Gilchrist shares, is something that feels genuinely alive. “‘Organic’ is a term completely subjective to the individual,” she explains. “In the context of this Sanctuary tour, it meant allowing for each unique artist to bring their idea, their musical ‘seed,’ and share it in a way that felt authentic to them.” Each musician draws from their own cultural tradition and personal story—ranging from Sicilian tarantella to Moroccan Gnawa, Indian classical music to American old-time—planting these seeds into a shared ensemble soil, then tending them together.
To build this entire program by ear, with no sheet music and relying on collective instinct of a highly collaborative nature, is no easy feat. It requires, as Gilchrist puts it, “time and patience and a generosity of spirit.” But the payoff is a sense of communal ownership that she believes audiences will be able to feel. “I think the mindfulness that was present in the rehearsal process translates to a feeling of ownership within the ensemble. A feeling that in each piece of music there is a real part of each of us.” Of all the different cultural conversations occurring through this musical process, Maeve calls their collectivity “a family.”
Perhaps that is what makes Sanctuary so timely. “Music transports us to a place where we can have important emotional, contemplative, and connective experiences in ways that might not otherwise be possible,” Gilchrist reflects. “Helping create pathways to those heart spaces, where healing and change is possible, is essential now more than ever.” For Gilchrist, the heart of Silkroad lies in the process, in the moments of unexpected connection. “It’s the only organization I’ve ever been associated with that is focused on those moments. That’s a beautiful thing.”
To watch the Silkroad Ensemble perform this special program is to partake in a communal concert experience that emphasizes collaboration and improvisation to create music that heals. Through bearing witness to the conversations happening in this performance, the audience is invited into the sanctuary created in the dialogue between artists, instruments, and music. The seeds have been planted, and on March 19 and 20, Zellerbach Hall becomes the garden.
Q&A with Midsummer Night’s Dream vocalist Anna von Hausswolff
Q&A with Midsummer Night’s Dream vocalist Anna von Hausswolff
Giving a voice to Midsummer
Anna von Hausswolff thought she had done it all. That was before choreographer Alexander Ekman and composer Mikael Karlsson sought her out for a performance unlike any other. That performance was Midsummer Night’s Dream (which makes its West Coast premiere at Cal Performances in April 2026) and it put the young indie rock sensation squarely at the center of Ekman and Karlsson’s wild fantasy, in which the traditions of the Scandinavian Midsommar holiday get turned on their head by the magnificent dancers of The Joffrey Ballet.
How would you describe your role in the performance?
I’m the storyteller and the contemplator. I’m an insider and an outsider. I’m a foreigner and a friend. I’m a mythological creature telling the story of tradition, celebration, and love.
How did you react when Alex and Mikael approached you about collaborating for Midsummer?
I felt happy and honored, but also very nervous. I had never worked with such a big set-up and usually I work alone.
Had you worked with dancers before?
I have never worked with dancers before. Usually, when I do music, I have my own band and I’m the center of attention. This time I had to take a step back and let the dancers lead. It was inspiring to see them translate the music into movement. I was just a tiny particle in this big, amazing, colorful universe.
How would you describe the music?
It is a combination of different things: classical, contemporary, experimental music, pop, and traditional Swedish folk music.
What do you enjoy most about this production?
To see the dancers and to interact with them. They give me so much energy and adrenaline.
By your own account, Midsummer is your first large stage production. Any surprises that you weren’t expecting?
I didn’t realize what a big team it takes to make such an ambitious show come to life. There are dancers but also musicians, technicians, producers, production assistants. It was amazing to see these creative people synchronize with each other and make magic happen. If one person failed, somehow the problem was fixed. It takes patience and precision. I was amazed by everyone around me.
Do you have a fond Midsommar memory from childhood?
We had this beautiful summer house in the Swedish countryside. My favorite thing was to run in the field in front of the house and pick seven different flowers to put them under my pillow. Tradition says that if you put these flowers under your pillow before you go to bed, you will dream of your future love.
What makes Midsommar unique to other Swedish holidays?
It feels more connected to Norse mythology and Aesir faith with its weird traditions and beliefs connected to nature and nature-beings. It’s full of folklore and superstition. It’s one of the most interesting, weird, and magical celebrations in Sweden.
Explaining the “Early Music” Genre with Jeremy Geffen
Explaining the “Early Music” Genre with Jeremy Geffen
“It’s a combination of performance and scholarship.”
Video editing by El Zager, Cal Performances’ Social Media, Digital Content and Engagement Specialist
So, what is “Early Music” anyway? What movements does it include? And are Early Music artists really trying to recreate what the music sounded like at the time it was made—before recordings even existed?!
While genre tags are generally intended to help listeners create a clearer picture of the music they’re about to experience, genres that are tied to time periods can feel much harder to grasp. In this five-minute video, Jeremy Geffen, Cal Performances’ Executive and Artistic Director, helps to demystify the “historically informed performance movement” and shares more about the styles and performers who are defining Early Music for modern times.
To see what Early Music performances are coming up at Cal Performances during the 2025–26 season, see our genre calendar page here.
Transcript
Jeremy Geffen:
Hi everyone. I’m Jeremy Geffen, the Executive and Artistic Director for Cal Performances, and I’m here for question time!
What periods fall under the Early Music umbrella?
We think of things like Renaissance, Medieval, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and it starts to get a little bit more broad from there. Even within those, there are groupings. Like, anything from essentially Medieval to Baroque is often classified as early music. These are post-hoc categorizations rather than deliberate decisions on the part of a composer to write in a specific style.
What are the qualities that distinguish Early Music?
The variety of sonic experience of Early Music varies enormously, because it can be an a capella concert in which you’re just hearing early music vocal techniques, which in many cases are not totally dissimilar from modern vocal techniques, and especially from some very specific styles of new music where the sound is essentially performed with what they call straight tones, so there’s no vibrato—you just want the purity of the sound and the pitch, and it all fits together like an organ… In other types of early music performance, you’re hearing music performed on instruments, or versions of instruments from the time in which they’re written. Sometimes they’re performed on the traditional instruments, like the folk instruments that led to the creation of those more modern, formalized instruments… So, there’s an enormous amount of variety within early music.
And one of the things I love about it is that there’s often not much of a divide between what was formalized music and what was the full tradition. So, much of the dance music that is so prevalent in Medieval and Baroque music directly comes from music that was meant to be danced to, and therefore is accompanied by more folksy types of instruments.
What is the role of scholarship in Early Music performance?
The historically informed performance movement was really an outgrowth of the second half of the 20th century, and it’s a combination of performance and scholarship. Bach was quite specific in his scores. There’s not a lot of room for improvisation within it, except in places where he’s very specific that he wants something to be improvised, or maybe an ornament here or there. There are no recordings from this time. Recording technology didn’t exist until the 20th century or the very end of the 19th century, so, it’s really a guess as to how the music sounds. And to fill in those blanks, you have to rely on scholarship. People like Jordi Savall and Christopher Hogwood, these are great performers, but they’re also great researchers. And what they bring to a performance is a combination of their sonic imagination combined with the accounts, the firsthand accounts, that they would’ve read of the performances of pieces during this time.
There’s an Indiana Jones element to this. There’s an element of discovery, because we’ll never know exactly how these pieces sounded at the time of their premiere. For many elements of the Baroque tradition, there’s much more onus on the performer. Renaissance and Medieval periods, we have a lot of vocal music. There were so many composers writing during these periods. In many cases, the idea of composer as a sole profession did not exist in the way that it does now.
What Early Music performances are at Cal Performances this season?
The Tallis Scholars comes every year. And we have a piece later this season by Tomás de Victoria, who is certainly the most famous Spanish composer of his time, if not one of the most famous Spanish composers of all time. It’s called O magnum mysterium. It is heaven, and highly encourage everyone to come hear the Tallis Scholars sing that. Jordi Savall, one of his, or sometimes more than one of his ensembles will come once a year. In more recent years, The English Concert comes once a year, and their offering is exclusively a Handel opera or oratorio. So, it’s actually a very similar type of experience from year to year.
10 Things You May Not Know About Chris Thile
10 Things You May Not Know About Chris Thile
Chris Thile’s Musical Journey Across Genres and Generations
Mandolinist, singer-songwriter, composer, and radio host Chris Thile has built a career that bridges bluegrass, classical, and contemporary music. Best known for his work with the bands Nickel Creek and Punch Brothers, and as the former host of public radio’s Live from Here, Thile is widely recognized for redefining the mandolin for the 21st century.
Ahead of his return to Zellerbach Hall on Friday, February 27, 2026, we’re diving into details about his work and career, and why his live show is a can’t-miss experience for the whole Bay Area.
1. He was a child prodigy (in the truest sense).
Chris Thile started playing the mandolin at the young age of 5, setting the foundation for a lifelong career as a performer and composer. His early exposure to music within a family setting shaped his technical fluency and musical range.
2. Nickel Creek began as a family project.
Thile’s first band, Nickel Creek, formed in 1989 when he was just 8 years old, when he met his bandmates—siblings Sara and Sean Watkins, who were 8 and 12, respectively—through a mutual tutor. The group went from performing a weekly gig at a local pizza spot to touring as one of the most influential progressive acoustic bands of its generation. After a hiatus, Nickel Creek reunited and continues to perform and record today.
3. He was touring professionally before his teens.
Because Nickel Creek functioned as a family band, Thile was already touring nationally while still a child. This early professional experience contributed to his comfort on stage and deep familiarity with live performance.
4. He released solo music early in his career.
In addition to his work with Nickel Creek, Thile released solo recordings as a teenager, including Stealing Second (1997), which showcased his compositional voice and technical command of the mandolin outside of a band setting.
5. He’s a MacArthur Fellow.
In 2012, Thile received a MacArthur Fellowship—the prestigious “genius grant” awarded to just a handful of individuals each year who demonstrate exceptional creativity and potential. The foundation recognized his rare ability to forge a new musical language that seamlessly draws from bluegrass, classical, and other traditions, placing him among an elite group of artists, scientists, and innovators. At 31, he was one of the youngest recipients in the 2012 class.
6. He founded Punch Brothers.
In 2006, Thile formed Punch Brothers, an ensemble known for its intricate compositions, collaborative structure, and genre-crossing approach. The group has released multiple acclaimed albums and remains a central part of his musical output.
7. He’s hosted major variety shows on public radio and podcasts.
Thile became host of A Prairie Home Companion in 2016, later renamed Live from Here with Chris Thile. During its four-year run, the variety show blended live music, conversation, and original songwriting, and reached a national audience through public radio. More recently, he’s been focused on the production of a new musical variety show, The Energy Curfew Music Hour. Created with Claire Coffee and featuring Punch Brothers, Season One is available on all podcast platforms, with Season Two exclusively out on Audible.
8. Bach is a major part of his work.
Thile has long engaged with the music of J.S. Bach, performing and recording the Sonatas and Partitas originally written for solo violin, adapted for mandolin. His 2025 release, Bach: Sonatas and Partitas, Vol. 2, reflects an interpretive approach informed by both classical tradition and contemporary performance practice. For this project, he embraced a more personal interpretation, taking creative liberties with the scores and recording in unconventional locations of deep significance to him—including New York’s Tompkins Square Park.
9. He Founded His Own Music Camp to Foster Acoustic Community
A reflection of his deep commitment to nurturing the artistic community, Thile created “Acousticamp“—a four-day immersive program where he and hand-selected professional musicians, including members of Punch Brothers, share their expertise with acoustic instrumentalists of all skill levels. Through an energetic schedule of masterclasses, Q&A sessions, and spirited jam sessions, campers experience both rigorous musical growth and genuine joy. This year marks four years of camp, and registration is now open!
10. His career spans awards, collaborations, and multiple disciplines.
Across his work with Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers, solo projects, and radio, Thile has received multiple Grammy Awards and nominations. His career reflects a sustained commitment to collaboration, composition, and live performance rather than a single genre or format.
Explaining the “New Music” Genre with Jeremy Geffen
Explaining the “New Music” Genre with Jeremy Geffen
“Finding new sonic possibilities”
Video editing by El Zager, Cal Performances’ Social Media, Digital Content and Engagement Specialist
So, what is “New Music” anyway? Is it really all that new? What does it sound like? And what comes next?!
While genre tags are generally intended to help listeners create a clearer picture of the music they’re about to experience, genres that are tied to time periods— especially time periods that include this very moment!—can feel much harder to grasp. In this five-minute video, Jeremy Geffen, Cal Performances’ Executive and Artistic Director, helps to demystify the New Music genre, and shares what makes it so exciting to explore!
To see what New Music performances are coming up at Cal Performances during the 2025–26 season, see our genre calendar page here.
Transcript
Jeremy Geffen:
Hi, I’m Jeremy Geffen. I’m the Executive and Artistic Director for Cal Performances, and I’m here to talk about new music.
What do we mean by “New Music”?
New music is perhaps the most artificial term that we use today because essentially it just means music of our time, and that can mean any number of stylistic options. To me, when I see the term new music, I think, okay, this is music that’s probably composed within the last 10 years. But I think… there are many pieces that musicians may consider having already entered the repertoire or the cannon that our audiences still consider new. So, a piece like Terry Riley’s In C, which is from, I think it’s from the ’60s, ’64, ’68… Pivotal piece. We wouldn’t have works like Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians, a lot of Philip Glass, without it. I think people still think of that as new. The ’60s were 60 years ago.
What is one example of a movement within the genre?
The Polish composer, Witold Lutoslawski, interestingly, he has something in common with John Cage. In much of Cage’s music, there is the element of chance. He was very inspired by the I Ching. So he actually, he wants to create random moments within pieces… so the piece will never be performed the same way twice. There’s a movement that Lutoslawski really champions, which is called aleatory. And aleatoric music provides much more of a scaffolding. So there’s actually, there’s harmony, there is melody, but there are also these moments where the performers, often entire sections of violins, are given patterns of notes which they can repeat at their own speed, at their own will. And it creates the impression of these clouds of sounds, which I find incredibly alluring because they’re presented in combination with “traditional styles of composition.”
What is one event at Cal Performances this season that provides and eclectic sampling of New Music works?
We have the JACK Quartet, who are a young American quartet. All new music is fair game to them. They are including works composed by some of the members of the group. There’s a piece by Gabriella Smith, who is a Berkeley native and one of the most in-demand composers of our time. There’s a piece by the wonderful Danish composer, Hans Abrahamsen, whose work we don’t hear enough because he hasn’t written all that much, especially that has crossed the Atlantic. And then the proto-modernist Helmut Lachenmann, who—that’s hardcore new music. [Editor’s note: Lachenmann piece has been substituted on current program since filming.] So, all within one concert, you’re getting this incredible amount of stylistic variety.
How do you see modern composers and performers evolving the genre?
Composers are writing in manners that will often advance the technique for the instruments for which they’re writing. So, they can find new sonic possibilities that haven’t yet been fully explored or haven’t been incorporated into formal pieces of music. There is such an incredible variety of sonic experience that can be found under the umbrella term “New Music.”
If you don’t have these moments where you’re trying to advance the technical aspects of an instrument, you don’t get works like the opening bassoon solo of Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. It was meant to be so difficult that it would sound like there was strain for the performer in it. The performer would crack. And now what’s happened is that it’s been around for well over 100 years, that was from 1913, and technique has adapted. And now every bassoonist can play that opening passage of The Rite of Spring without cracking, turn it into something beautiful.
It’s just wonderful to hear what people are coming up with. Because, similarly to Early Music thinking, “Well, this is what we’ve been hearing for the last 20 years. The next logical outgrowth from this is what I’m going to do now.” I think composers are thinking about what they’re going to write that is authentic to them, where they’re going to put their best foot forward, where they’re creating something that is meaningful to them. And you can absolutely hear it when a composer has found that voice, because those pieces are the most convincing.
