Seasons of Sound & Movement: Your Passport to our Global Stage in 2027
Some of the world’s most beloved music begins with a vibrating string. This season, stamp your passport with four concerts that celebrate the many voices of string instruments: the plaintive oud of Iraq, the harp-lute kora of West Africa, the expressive violin of klezmer, and the lively fiddle of Ireland. Together they show how one simple idea, plucked or bowed, sounds completely different in every culture that shapes it. Then turn the page to the luminous singing of South India, the grace of Persian dance, and the shimmering gongs of Indonesia.
From January through June, seven concerts at three San Diego venues bring world-class international artistry close to home.
Winter at the La Jolla Community Center
We begin our season with the rich musical tradition of Iraq with the oud, in a solo program that honors deep tradition while embracing innovation. Next, the kora of Senegal fills the hall with cascading melodies and the centuries-old storytelling art of the griots, known as djeli. We close the winter with klezmer, the exuberant music of Eastern European Jewish communities, in a band program full of wit, heart, and virtuosity.
Spring at the Mingei International Museum
In April, the fiddle takes center stage for traditional Irish music, with tunes made for dancing and celebrating community. In May, we experience ancient traditions of South India for Carnatic singing, an intricate and devotional art, joined by violin and the rhythmic conversation of the mridangam drum. In June, an ensemble of dancers and musicians presents a spectrum of graceful traditions of Persian dance.
A June Special Event at Canyon Crest Academy
In the beautiful Performing Arts Center at Canyon Crest Academy, three guest dancers travel directly from Indonesia to present a special evening of classical Central Javanese dance. Their precise, flowing movements are accompanied by live gamelan, an orchestra of shimmering bronze gongs and metallophones.
Each performance features talented artists who carry these living traditions, offering the kind of deep, meaningful encounters that change how we see the world.
Tickets for the series go on sale in December. We hope you’ll join us!
La Jolla Community Center
General Seating: $40 | VIP Seating: $60
January 15, 2027
From the Tigris to the Pacific: A Creative Musical Journey
Featuring Rahim AlHaj
February 19, 2027
The Wisdom of Ancestors: West African Kora
Featuring Fode Sissoko
March 19, 2027
A People’s Story: Klezmer Music of Eastern Europe
Featuring Yale Strom & Hot Pstromi
Mingei International Museum
General Seating: $45
VIP Seating: $65
April 16, 2027
The Joy of the Jig: Tunes from the Emerald Isle
Featuring Brian Conway, Cate Sandstrom, & Máirtín de Cógáin
May 14, 2027
Devotion and Discipline: Carnatic Vocal Music of South India
Featuring Hemmige V. Srivatsan
June 18, 2027
Where Poetry Dances: Persian Music & Dance
Featuring Lucia Herlinda & the Golestan Ensemble
Canyon Crest Academy
General Seating: $45
VIP Seating: $65
June 6, 2027
Serenity in Motion: The Art of Javanese Dance
Featuring Gamelan Kasuryan, Ali Marsudi, Anggono Kusumo Wibowo, & Kadek Shanti Gitaswari Prabhawita
Tickets go on sale in December.
2027 Sponsors
Corporate Ambassadors
Global Visionary Sponsor: RAHD
World Voyager Sponsor: Chelsea Investment Corporation
Presenting Partners
This programming is supported in part by Creative West and the National Endowment for the Arts.
