Celebrate the holiday season with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra's enchanting "Holiday Pops 2024" concert at the prestigious Hill Auditorium. This year, the event promises an unforgettable evening under the baton of Music Director Earl Lee, marking his debut at the candy cane-striped podium. Scheduled for Saturday, December 21, 2024, at 8 PM, the concert will feature a magical journey to the North Pole, complete with a full orchestra performing festive classics, new orchestral arrangements, and transformative audience participation. Expect show-stopping guest appearances that will make this Southeast Michigan tradition a memorable experience for revelers of all ages. With an earlier start time to accommodate families, this event is designed to be enjoyed by all. Seats are available now as part of a subscription, with single ticket booking opening on July 18, 2024. Don't miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in the spirit of the season with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra at Hill Auditorium.

EPSG:4326

Holiday Pops 2024

University of Michigan

Winners of the SMTD Concerto Competition will perform their competition piece with one of the School’s orchestras in an upcoming performance at Hill Auditorium.

Concerto Competition: Undergraduate Finalists

Concerto Competition: Graduate Finalists

### Event Description: School Day Performance - Etienne Charles: Earth Tones

**Date and Time:**  
Friday, January 17, 2025, at 11:00 AM

**Venue:**  
Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre  
911 North University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

**Event Overview:**  
Join us for a captivating School Day Performance featuring Trinidad-born jazz musician, composer, and storyteller Etienne Charles. This special event, titled "Earth Tones," is designed for students in grades 6-12 and offers a unique multimedia jazz experience. The performance will include original compositions, images, and film, taking students on a sensory journey through sounds, video, and stories from at-risk coastal communities. The narrative will highlight the effects of global warming from tropical islands to the Louisiana Bayou, featuring musicians from the very communities most at risk.

**Themes:**  
- Music
- Jazz
- Multimedia
- Climate Change
- Environmental Activism

**Duration:**  
Approximately 60 minutes

**Age Recommendation:**  
Grades 6-12

**Featured Artists:**  
- Etienne Charles: Music Director, Trumpet, and Percussion
- Marcus Strickland: Woodwinds
- Warren Wolf: Vibraphone, Marimba, and Piano
- Eva Scow: Mandolin
- Jorge Glem: Cuatro
- Jonathon Muir-Cotton: Bass
- Val Jeanty: Turntables and Percussion
- John Davis: Drums

**Registration and Tickets:**  
Reservations are now open. To register, visit the event page or call the ticket office at 734-764-2538. Student, senior, and group discounts may be available.

**Sponsors:**  
- Supporting Sponsor: David Leichtman and Lauran McGinn
- Patron Sponsors: Anonymous, Laurence and Barbara Baker, David and Kiana Barfield Family Foundation, James and Nancy Stanley, Marianne Udow-Phillips and Bill Phillips

**About Etienne Charles:**  
Etienne Charles is renowned for his lush trumpet sound, varied compositional textures, and pulsating percussive grooves. A 2015 Guggenheim Fellow and 2022 Creative Capital Awardee, Charles is dedicated to connecting the Afro-descendant diaspora and highlighting marginalized communities through his music. His work often addresses touchy and controversial subjects, aiming to provoke thought and dialogue.

For more information about Etienne Charles, visit [etiennecharles.com](http://etiennecharles.com).

Don't miss this opportunity to engage, enlighten, and educate students through an energized multidisciplinary performance that addresses the critical issue of climate change. Reserve your seats today!

School Day Performance for Grades 6-12: Etienne Charles: Earth Tones

The most highly anticipated performance event of the year, the Collage Concert features the incredible range of SMTD ensembles and programs, with students performing one riveting work after another without pause.

Collage Concert

### Event Description: Caroline Shaw and Gabriel Kahane Performance

**Date and Time:** Thursday, January 23, 2025, at 7:30 PM  
**Venue:** Rackham Auditorium, 915 East Washington Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

**Event Overview:**
Join us for an extraordinary evening featuring the collaborative performance of Caroline Shaw and Gabriel Kahane, two highly respected contemporary composers and performers. This event marks their first large-scale collaboration after more than a decade of working together.

**Program Highlight:**
The centerpiece of the evening is "The Library of Babel," a new work co-commissioned by the University Musical Society (UMS). Inspired by Jorge Luis Borges’s 1939 short story, this composition delves into the magical realism of an infinite library filled with randomly arranged books, each containing exactly 410 pages. The narrative explores the collision of infinity with human understanding, inviting the audience to reflect on the joy, grief, wonder, and bewilderment that arise from a life oversaturated with information.

**Artists:**
- **Caroline Shaw:** A versatile musician, Shaw is a Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, violinist, and vocalist known for her innovative approach to sound and collaboration.
- **Gabriel Kahane:** A celebrated musician and storyteller, Kahane's work exists at the intersection of art and social practice, earning him acclaim as one of today's finest songwriters.

**Additional Information:**
- **Tickets:** Season ticket packages are now available, with individual event tickets on sale starting August 1. Discounts may be available for students, seniors, and groups.
- **Contact:** For ticket purchases, call the box office at 734-764-2538.

**Sponsors:**
This event is supported by the Helmut F. and Candis J. Stern Endowment Fund.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to experience the innovative and thought-provoking collaboration of Caroline Shaw and Gabriel Kahane. Secure your tickets now and be part of an unforgettable evening of music and storytelling.

Caroline Shaw and Gabriel Kahane

Winner of an Avery Fisher Career Grant and the Sphinx Organization’s Medal of Excellence, flutist Demarre McGill appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra as soloist aged just 15. Since then he’s gone on to establish himself at the forefront of his craft, here joining Music Director Earl Lee and the A2SO for Mozart’s dazzling flute concerto.

Demarre McGill with Ann Arbor Symphony

Michigan Theater

Orchestra Hall

Join the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra for an enchanting evening of music at the January MainStage event, featuring the extraordinary talents of flutist Demarre McGill. This special performance, under the baton of Music Director Earl Lee, will showcase Mozart’s mesmerizing Flute Concerto, with McGill's virtuosity taking center stage. The program also includes Andrea Casarrubios’s vibrant Herencia, and concludes with the elegance of Mozart’s Symphony No. 39.

This captivating concert will take place on Friday, January 24, 2024, at 8 PM in Orchestra Hall Detroit, with a pre-concert talk at 7 PM. The magic continues on Saturday, January 25, 2024, at 8 PM at the Michigan Theater, also preceded by a pre-concert talk at 7 PM. 

Seats are currently available as part of a subscription, with single ticket booking opening on July 18, 2024. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience the brilliance of Demarre McGill alongside the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra in what promises to be a memorable musical journey.

January Mainstage

With a string section comprising all freshmen, the Philharmonia Orchestra provides student musicians an immersive opportunity to improve their large ensemble skills and play some of the greatest works in the symphonic repertoire.

University Philharmonia Orchestra

This ensemble, for graduate music students only, performs contemporary classical music in a variety of instrumentations, from solo works to chamber orchestra. The CDE frequently commissions and performs new works and hosts renowned guest artists and composer residencies. The CDE artistic advisor is SMTD composition professor Roshanne Etezady.

Contemporary Directions Ensemble

Earl V. Moore Building

The U-M Symphony Band is known for its professional quality of performance and keen sense of “trailblazing” in building repertoire.The Symphony Band splits into chamber groups for one concert each term, allowing the musicians to improve communications between instrument sections, helping to build a more cohesive band when they again rehearse as a full ensemble. The Chamber Winds perform both standard and modern works.

Symphony Band Chamber Winds

### Event Description: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

**Date and Time:**  
Saturday, February 1, 2025, at 7:30 PM

**Venue:**  
Hill Auditorium  
825 North University Avenue  
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

**Event Overview:**  
For the first time since their 2022 residency, the renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, led by the legendary Wynton Marsalis, returns to Hill Auditorium. This 15-piece ensemble has been a cornerstone of the jazz world for over 35 years, celebrating the rich heritage of jazz icons like Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Louis Armstrong. The orchestra is also known for presenting a stunning variety of new works from illustrious names, many of whom perform regularly with the ensemble. From swinging rhythms to supple melodies, their performances are sheer jazz perfection, making them a favorite among UMS audiences.

**Ticket Information:**  
- **Season Ticket Packages:** Now available
- **Individual Event Tickets:** On sale starting August 1
- **Discounts:** Student, Senior, and Group Discounts may be available

**Sponsors:**  
- **Principal Sponsor:** James and Nancy Stanley
- **Supporting Sponsors:** Gil Omenn and Martha Darling, Anthony Reffells, Columbia Asset Management

**Contact Information:**  
For tickets and more information, call the Box Office at 734-764-2538.

**Additional Notes:**  
This event is part of the following series: You, Jazz, Marathon, and Student Subscriptions.

Don't miss this opportunity to experience one of the most celebrated jazz orchestras in the world, live at Hill Auditorium. Secure your tickets early and be part of an unforgettable evening of musical excellence.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

The USO strives for and attains the highest level of excellence as a symphony orchestra. Led by the Director of Orchestras, the USO has performed on GRAMMY Award-winning and GRAMMY-nominated albums and is committed to performing the greatest works in the symphonic repertoire from the Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras, with concerts in historic Hill Auditorium. The USO frequently commissions new works, performs with celebrated guest soloists, and is one of the ensembles that accompanies the SMTD Concerto Competition winners.

University Symphony Orchestra

Concert Band provides large ensemble performance experiences in a wide range of musical styles and periods for all wind and percussion performers at U-M. The music performed includes works for both chamber and large ensemble works and is selected to provide challenging opportunities for musical growth. The Concert Band performs three concerts per semester.

Concert Band

### Event Description: Nate - A One Man Show

**Event Title:** Nate - A One Man Show

**Written by and Starring:** Natalie Palamides

**Venue:** Arthur Miller Theatre, 1226 Murfin Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

**Dates and Times:**
- Wednesday, February 5, 2025, at 7:30 PM
- Thursday, February 6, 2025, at 7:30 PM
- Friday, February 7, 2025, at 7:30 PM
- Saturday, February 8, 2025, at 2:00 PM
- Saturday, February 8, 2025, at 7:30 PM
- Sunday, February 9, 2025, at 2:00 PM

**Event Overview:**
"Nate - A One Man Show" is a groundbreaking and provocative performance written by and starring Natalie Palamides. The show premiered to wide acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, winning a Total Theatre Award for Innovation and Experimentation in 2018, and was later produced as a Netflix special by Amy Poehler.

In this one-man show, Natalie Palamides performs in drag as Nate, a hypermasculine, adrenaline-fueled, protein powder enthusiast. The performance oscillates between humor and discomfort, as Nate navigates complex themes of consent and toxic masculinity. The show is known for its clever and thought-provoking deconstruction of these themes, leaving a lasting impact on its audience.

**Content Warning:**
This production contains overt sexuality.

**Ticket Information:**
- Season Ticket packages for the 2024/25 season are now available.
- Individual event tickets go on sale starting August 1.
- Student, Senior, and Group Discounts may be available.
- To purchase tickets, visit the [UMS website](#) or call the box office at 734-764-2538.

**Critical Acclaim:**
"Comedy is staking out new ground in the conversation on sex and gender. There are big, uneasy, cathartic laughs to be had there, and Natalie Palamides knows how to find them." - The Guardian, London

**Additional Information:**
For more details on the event and to order tickets, please visit the UMS website or contact the box office.

Nate A One Man Show

The University of Michigan

The University of Michigan Symphony Band is a leader of the wind band movement in America. Through recordings and performances in prestigious venues such as New York’s Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Beijing’s National Center for the Performing Arts, and Milan’s La Scala , the U-M Symphony Band is known for its professional quality of performance and keen sense of “trailblazing” in building repertoire.

Symphony Band

### Event Description: Seong-Jin Cho, Piano Recital

**Date and Time:**  
Friday, February 7, 2025, at 7:30 PM

**Venue:**  
Hill Auditorium  
825 North University Avenue  
Ann Arbor, MI 48109

**Event Overview:**  
Join us for an extraordinary evening with Seong-Jin Cho, one of the most in-demand and exciting pianists of our time, as he makes his UMS recital debut. This special concert celebrates the 150th birthday of composer Maurice Ravel with a performance of his complete solo piano works. This monumental undertaking will be performed in only a few select cities in 2025, with Ann Arbor being the exclusive Midwest date on the tour.

**Program:**  
Seong-Jin Cho will perform the complete solo works of Maurice Ravel, including:
- Sérénade grotesque
- Menuet antique
- Pavane pour une infante défunte
- Jeux d’eau, M 30
- Sonatine
- Miroirs, M. 43
- Gaspard de la nuit
- Menuet sur le nom de Haydn
- Valses nobles et sentimentales, M.61
- Prélude
- A la manière de Borodine
- A la manière de Chabrier
- Le Tombeau de Couperin, M.68

**Artist Profile:**  
Seong-Jin Cho, a pianist of innate musicality and overwhelming talent, has established himself as one of the leading pianists of his generation. Known for his thoughtful, poetic, assertive, and tender playing, Cho combines virtuosic and colorful performances with an impressive natural sense of balance. He gained international acclaim after winning First Prize at the 2015 Chopin International Competition in Warsaw and has since performed with prestigious orchestras worldwide.

**Ticket Information:**  
- Season Ticket packages are now available.
- Individual event tickets go on sale on August 1.
- Student, Senior, and Group Discounts may be available.
- To purchase tickets, visit the UMS website or call the ticket office at 734-764-2538.

**Supporting Sponsor:**  
Sally Kennedy, in memory of David Kennedy

For more information and to learn more about Seong-Jin Cho, visit [seongjin-cho.com](http://seongjin-cho.com).

Don't miss this unique opportunity to experience the complete solo piano works of Ravel performed by a pianist of extraordinary talent and global acclaim. Secure your tickets early for an unforgettable night of music at Hill Auditorium.

Seong-Jin Cho, piano

asses.masses is Animal Farm meets Pokémon meets Final Fantasy: as exciting in form as it is in content. No previous gaming (or donkey) experience required.

The unemployed donkeys have one demand: the humans must surrender their machines and give all donkeys their jobs back. But revolution is never easy!

Events in Ann Arbor, MI

Holiday Pops 2024

Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra

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University of Michigan School of Music, ...

Concerto Competition: Und...

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Caroline Shaw and Gabriel...

University Musical Society

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Sphinx Organization

January Mainstage

Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra

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University of Michigan School of Music, ...

Contemporary Directions E...

University of Michigan School of Music, ...

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University of Michigan School of Music, ...

Jazz at Lincoln Center Or...

University Musical Society

University Symphony Orche...

University of Michigan School of Music, ...

Concert Band

University of Michigan School of Music, ...

Nate A One Man Show

University Musical Society

Symphony Band

University of Michigan School of Music, ...

Seong-Jin Cho, piano

University Musical Society

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University Musical Society