Share

Among the greatest of all orchestras today, the legendary London Symphony Orchestra returns to Santa Barbara for a special concert co-presented by CAMA and the Music Academy of the West. Under the esteemed leadership of Music Director Sir Antonio Pappano since 2024, the LSO continues to shine on the globalstage. Sir Antonio, renowned for his profound musical insight and charismatic conducting, was Music Director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden from 2002 to 2023, and named “Conductor of the Year” at the prestigious International Opera Awards in 2023. Joining the LSO as violin soloist is Dutch violinist Janine Jansen, celebrated internationally for her intense expressivity and impeccable technique. Among the world’s star soloists, she performs regularly with the world’s most eminent orchestras and conductors, playing the Shumsky-Rode Stradivarius from 1715, on generous loan from a European benefactor.

A titan of contemporary dance and creator of the Gaga movement language Ohad Naharin brings his powerhouse Tel Aviv-based company back to Santa Barbara with MOMO. Laurie Anderson and Kronos Quartet’s Landfall and Philip Glass’ Metamorphosis provide the slow-simmering musical backdrop to this daring new work. MOMO has two souls, with separate yet conjoined narratives running alongside one another, hypnotic and intense. Through it all, a shared passion of deep sorrow and beauty unfolds on stage.

Yuja Wang and Víkingur Ólafsson join forces for an unforgettable night of four-handed keyboard mastery. Lauded for her charismatic artistry, emotional honesty and captivating stage presence, Wang is a regular with the world’s top symphony orchestras and was named Musical America’s Artist of the Year in 2017. An acclaimed visionary interpreter of such monuments of the piano repertoire as J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations, Ólafsson has received Opus Klassik’s Solo Recording Instrumental of the Year twice since his debut with Deutsche Grammophon in 2017.

Ain't Too Proud – The Life and Times of The Temptations is the electrifying smash-hit Broadway musical that follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Nominated for 12 Tony® Awards and the winner of the 2019 Tony Award for Best Choreography, it’s a thrilling story of brotherhood, family, loyalty, and betrayal during a decade of civil unrest in America. Set to the beat of the group’s treasured hits, including “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready,” and “Papa Was a Rolling Stone,” Ain’t Too Proud tells the unforgettable story of the legendary quintet that Billboard Magazine named the greatest R&B group of all time

Experience Jim Henson’s original masterpiece Labyrinth like never before with “Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: In Concert!” Watch the full movie, as a live band performs in sync with David Bowie’s original vocals, playing the songs and score composed by Bowie and Trevor Jones. Feel the power of the music from the cult classic live!

The sensational and sultry Storm Large will get the pulse-racing with her unique take on Kurt Weill’s seductive The Seven Deadly Sins. “A punk goddess,” declares Playboy. “An intoxicating cocktail of power and vulnerability,” raves the Times of London. “With the bawdiness and charisma of a young Bette Midler, she is destined to be one of the most electrifying performers of her time,” says Portland’s PDX Magazine, “You’re going to be wowed, maybe choking back tears. Nobody should be able to sing like that…” This concert draws you into the smokey, sensual world of cabaret, with works by Jacques Ibert, William Grant Still, and Jessie Montgomery.

The Chineke! Orchestra, whose motto is “championing change and celebrating diversity in classical music,” is one of Britain’s most exciting new orchestras. It was founded in London in 2015 by double bassist Chi-chi Nwanoku CBE to provide career opportunities at the highest level for Black and ethnically diverse classical musicians in the UK and Europe. They are currently a Resident Orchestra at London’s Southbank Centre, and their 2023 BBC Proms concert at the Royal Albert Hall featured musicians from 40 different countries. They have performed to great critical acclaim at leading European festivals such as the Lucerne and Edinburgh Festivals, as well as in the US and Canada. Zimbabwean-born conductor Vimbayi Kaziboni, Assistant Professor of Orchestral Studies and Contemporary Music at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, is widely sought after by top orchestras around the globe for his depth of approach, interpretive imagination, and expressivity. For its Santa Barbara debut, the Chineke! Orchestra presents an evening of compelling works by Black composers, and Franz Joseph Haydn’s Trumpet Concerto in E-flat featuring Aaron Azunda Akugbo, a founding member of Connaught Brass.

After mesmerizing audiences across Europe and the UK, The Rock Orchestra by Candlelight is set to electrify the USA again. Prepare for a spellbinding 90-minute spectacle that infuses iconic Rock & Metal anthems with a hauntingly beautiful energy. In ethereal candlelit settings, this band of 14 classical musicians unleash effortlessly enchanting melodies alongside powerful walls of distortion. Witness the unexpected union of Classical music and Metal

Returning to his roots to curate his first ensemble piece showcasing Indian classical dance, choreographer Akram Khan shares the stage with six renowned dancers and seven live musicians. Evoking our civilization’s collective memories, GIGENIS represents not just a performance but a profound statement – a testament to the enduring resonance of tradition in a rapidly changing world. Arts & Lectures joins the Grand Théâtre de Provence, Paris' Theatre des Champs-Elysées, The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., The Joyce Theater in New York and Sadler’s Wells in London in presenting this exclusive engagement.

Experience “an American cultural treasure” (Chicago Sun-Times) as Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater brings its unique blend of contemporary and classic movement to the stage. Showcasing a dazzling range of cultural influences and choreographic styles, the Ailey dancers merge virtuosic technique, palpable passion and “exquisite athleticism” (The Washington Post) into an irresistible stream of creative movement. The groundbreaking company returns with two