Dive into an extraordinary array of musical events presented by the Musco Center for the Arts at Chapman University. From the orchestral mastery of The Chapman Orchestra to the soulful folk harmonies of The Wailin' Jennys, these events showcase diverse genres and unparalleled artistry. Join us as we explore the depth of symphonic compositions, choral renditions, and global musical influences in a series of performances that promise to captivate and inspire audiences of all backgrounds.

A Symphony of Arts: Celebrating Musical and Cultural Excellence at Chapman University

Chapman University's Musco Center for the Arts is set to host an exciting array of performances this season, weaving together music, dance, and opera. From the orchestral splendor of The Chapman Orchestra and the University Wind Symphony to the soulful harmonies of The Wailin' Jennys, and from the innovative choreography of Doug Varone and Dancers to the timeless elegance of the Juilliard String Quartet, these events promise to captivate audiences. Each event not only showcases immense talent but also highlights the diverse cultural influences that enrich the arts.

Chapman University's Musco Center: A Season of Cultural Enrichment

Chapman University is set to be a vibrant hub for an eclectic mix of musical performances this season, featuring notable orchestras, choirs, and quartets at the Musco Center for the Arts. From classical symphonies and dynamic wind ensembles to folk harmonies and grand operatic productions, this series promises an exhilarating journey through diverse musical landscapes. With accomplished guest conductors and ensembles like The Chapman Orchestra and the Juilliard String Quartet, these events are poised to captivate audiences with their artistic prowess and passion.

Embark on a Musical Journey: A Season of Diverse Sounds at Chapman University

The Musco Center for the Arts at Chapman University offers an eclectic mix of performances showcasing the brilliance of orchestral, choral, folk, and operatic music. From the powerful symphonies led by conductors Dr. Elliott Bark and Dr. Nathaniel Parker, to the enchanting harmonies of The Wailin' Jennys, the upcoming season promises a rich tapestry of sound. Highlights include the University Wind Symphony, dynamic choral performances by the University Choir and Singers, and the grand Spring Opera, all culminating in the prestigious Sholund Scholarship Concert.

A Musical Journey at Musco Center: From Orchestral Masterpieces to Folk Harmonies

Chapman University is set to host a series of remarkable musical events this spring, offering audiences an exquisite blend of choral and operatic performances. From the refined harmonies of the University Choir and Singers to the grandeur of a full-scale opera, and culminating with the Sholund Scholarship Concert, the season promises to be a compelling journey through diverse musical landscapes. These events, orchestrated by the Musco Center for the Arts, not only showcase the talents of Chapman’s ensemble but also highlight the university's commitment to cultivating artistic excellence.

Musical Masterpieces at Chapman: A Spring of Choral and Operatic Wonders

The University Choir, a select ensemble of voices chosen from across the University, and the University Singers, Chapman's select chamber choir, perform a program of choral works ranging from classical to contemporary.

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University Choir & University Singers

Chapman University

Back on the Musco stage after last year’s soul-stirring, sold-out show, The Wailin’ Jennys continue to create and perform some of the most exciting music on the folk-roots scene, consistently thrilling audiences with their breathtaking signature harmonies, impressive instrumental prowess, and sophisticated arrangements.

The Wailin' Jennys

With unparalleled artistry and enduring vigor, the Juilliard String Quartet (JSQ) continues to inspire audiences around the world. Founded in 1946 and hailed by The Boston Globe as “the most important American quartet in history,” the ensemble draws on a deep and vital engagement to the classics, while embracing the mission of championing new works, a vibrant combination of the familiar and the daring

Juilliard String Quartet 

Doug Varone and Dancers’ artistic investigations dig deep into the storytelling of human nature, engaging in dialogue with diverse audiences and creative communities globally. Their deeply emotional and technically versatile work has earned them the reputation of one of the most respected dance companies working today

Doug Varone and Dancers

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"Los Lobos make music that depicts the aspirations and longings of the Chicano community. They also play some pretty mean rock & roll." – Rolling Stone

Los Lobos have stayed true to their East L.A. upbringing, rooted in their Mexican and Latin American heritage — rancheras, bolero, cumbias, son huasteco – and nurtured by a patchwork of American cultural influences, including blues, jazz, doo-wop, and rock ‘n’ roll.

An Evening with Los Lobos

Rejoice in the holiday season with Los Angeles Master Chorale’s Festival of Carols, featuring magnificent arrangements of traditional carols spanning the globe, alongside contemporary classics sung with the virtuosity and flair only the LA Master Chorale can deliver.

Los Angeles Master Chorale

A dance concert showcasing choreography by Jenny Backhaus, Doug Baum, Julianne O'Brien, Jessica Torres, and Ido Tadmor, and featuring renowned repertory from the Broadway hit, Sophisticated Ladies.

Fall Faculty Dance Concert

The University Choir, a select ensemble of voices chosen from across the University, and the University Treble Choir, featuring treble voice literature from around the world, perform a program of choral works ranging from classical to contemporary.

University Choir & Treble Choir

The Chapman University Big Band & Jazz Combo fire up for an evening of jazz favorites including music by Duke Ellington, Bob Florence, and Trombone Shorty. Selected student arrangements are also featured, along with a free post-show community reception!

Big Band & Jazz Combo

Now a singular presence in the ballet world and a beacon for dancers worldwide, the Dance Theatre of Harlem Company presents a powerful vision for modern day ballet that celebrates co-founder Arthur Mitchell’s belief that ballet belongs to everyone.

Dance Theatre of Harlem

The Chapman University Wind Symphony performs a concert of classical and contemporary symphonic works.

University Wind Symphony

The Chapman Orchestra presents an evening on orchestral and symphonic works. Program to include Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel’s Overture in C, Franz Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 1 in C.

The Chapman Orchestra

PHJB taps into New Orleans’ rich musical past and vibrant present, from its Afro-Cuban roots to its common ancestry with the Afrobeat of Fela Kuti and the Fire Music of Pharoah Sanders and John Coltrane, and forward to cutting-edge artists with whom they have shared festival stages from Coachella to Newport, including legends like Stevie Wonder and modern giants like the Black Keys, Beck, and the Foo Fighters.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band 

Roxane Gay is an author and cultural critic whose writing is unmatched and widely revered. Her work garners international acclaim for its reflective, no-holds-barred exploration of feminism and social criticism. With a deft eye on modern culture, she brilliantly critiques its ebb and flow with both wit and ferocity

Roxane with an “N” featuring author Roxane Gay

Relámpago del Cielo* Grupo Folklórico presents "La Cultura Colorida" at the Musco Center for the Arts. Join us as we pay homage to the rich, colorful traditions of Mexico with a vibrant presentation of dynamic dance suites brought to you by our renowned company performing artists, accompanied by Mariachi Santa Monica.

La Cultura Colorida 

This year, our theme is: "Sacred Sounds, Soulful Queens", as we honor women who helped shape artistic history in our nation. Come and experience a Juneteenth celebration of freedom and excellence, sure to inspire people of all ages.

Gospel Voices of OC - Sacred Sounds, Soulful Queens

The 48th Annual Shound Scholarship Concert presents Arthur Honegger's cinematic oratorio, KING DAVID, featuring The Chapman University Choir and University Singers, and The Chapman Orchestra. Stephen Coker, conductor, with Peter Atherton as the Narrator and Rebecca Sherburn as the Witch of Endor.

48th Annual Sholund Scholarship Concert

A violin virtuoso with indie rock roots and an activist mindset, Kishi Bashi returns to the Musco stage with Mike Savino on banjo and Emily Hope Price on cello.

Kishi Bashi

This year's edition of the Italian Perspective series is a unique opportunity to learn about the influence of Italian song culture throughout various periods, styles, and genres. A program of original plenary lectures and live performances will provide intellectual insight, cultural breadth, and aesthetic experiences – a fascinating journey stimulating the mind and the heart. Presentations will reveal the interlaced development of the historical genesis and significance of Italian song traditions, including folk songs, art songs, and opera arias. A reception with light refreshments at the conclusion of the event will provide guests with the opportunity to mingle and meet speakers and performers.

Song and Culture: An Italian Perspective

Enjoy the more than 100 voices of the Orange Community Master Chorale and Southern California Children’s Chorus in a soaring celebration of spring, led by OCMC director and founder Mike Short, and joined by Symphony Irvine.

Spring Choral Celebration - The Magic of Music Orange Community Master Chorale, Southern California Children's Chorus & Symphony Irvine

The worlds of theoretical physics and jazz collide on the Musco stage. Brown University professor, Chapman Presidential Fellow, and saxophonist Dr. Stephon Alexander leads a group of world-class musicians and cutting-edge physicists who bring to vivid life his best-selling book, The Jazz of Physics. Part concert and part scientific panel, this brilliant event reveals the true interconnectivity of STEAM – Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math – and how STEAM drives education and the universe. Joining Alexander will be jaron Lanier (the father of “Virtual Reality”), Melvin Gibbs (Grammy-nominated songwriter, composer, and musician), and Will Calhoun (multi-Grammy award-winning Living Color drummer).

Jazzy STEAM

Starting as a happy accident of solo singer/songwriters getting together for a one-time-only performance at a tiny guitar shop in Winnipeg, Manitoba, The Wailin’ Jennys have grown over the years into one of today’s most beloved international folk acts. 

The Wailin’ Jennys

The Chamber Music Society’s dedication to supporting the appreciation, performance, and composition of chamber music has flourished since its founding in 1969, allowing countless audience members to enjoy concerts and education programs and providing artists with development programs and opportunities to have their projects commissioned.

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

"Moses Pendleton and the entire company are notorious for consistently creating complex, dizzying universes and inviting the audience to join their new realities. And one thing is certain: Every ride is an incredible, unforgettable journey." – Broadway World

MOMIX - “Alice”

This new and highly anticipated project from Jazz at Lincoln Center celebrates the Great American Songbook in all of its playful and sophisticated glory, brought to life by two of this generation’s brightest stars. Each armed with prodigious trumpet talent and vocal charm, Bria Skonberg and Benny Benack III will relive and re-imagine some of the classic partners in jazz and popular song, including Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland and Bing Crosby, and Dean Martin and Peggy Lee. Featuring songs by Gershwin, Ellington, Cole Porter, Irving Berlin and many more, and joined by a who’s who of New York all-stars, this is an “unforgettable” evening of singin’ and swingin’ with Bria and Benny.

"Sing and Swing" - Our American Songbook Bria Skonberg and Benny Benack III

Small Island Big Song a collaboration between artists of Island nations drawing from their shared seafaring heritage to unite the Pacific & Indian Oceans. The performance ‘Our Island’ brings together some of the most prominent artists of Taiwan, Madagascar, Mauritius, Papua New Guinea, and Tahiti, who have made a choice to maintain the cultural voice of their people, to sing in the language, and to play the instruments of their land. These unique lineages mixed with their diverse contemporary styles - roots-reggae, beats, folk & spoken-word, establish a contemporary musical dialogue between cultures, drawing on their ancestral lineage to confront contemporary issues with a hope driven vision of the future. Framed with live visuals filmed across 16 island nations on a 3-year field trip by the project’s co-founders, creating “Beautiful cinematography and incredible music, one coherent, jaw-dropping piece"  as described by Rob Schwartz - Billboard.

Small Island Big Song

Husband-and-wife team Herb Alpert and Lani Hall are a musical power couple for the ages, with 11 Grammy Awards and countless chart-topping hits between them. Alpert is the legendary trumpeter of Tijuana Brass fame, who provided an upbeat soundtrack to the ‘60s with such hits as “The Lonely Bull,” “A Taste of Honey,” “Tijuana Taxi” and “This Guy’s In Love With You.” He’s taken his career in extraordinary new directions with his current agile, melodious jazz-pop trio. Hall, the unforgettable voice of the original Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66, has recorded 22 albums in three different languages. Their musical offerings include tunes from the American songbook, jazzy sets sprinkled with Brazilian rhythms, a Tijuana Brass medley and much more.

Herb Alpert & Lani Hall

Dancer, choreographer, director and dance educator Camille A. Brown is the founder and artistic director of Camille A. Brown & Dancers, and has choreographed commissioned pieces for dance companies, Broadway shows and universities throughout the United States. Brown started her career as a dancer in Ronald K. Brown’s Evidence, A Dance Company, and has been a guest artist with Rennie Harris’s Puremovement, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She has choreographed major Broadway shows such as Choir Boy, Once on This Island and the production of Jesus Christ Superstar: Live in Concert! that aired on NBC.

Camille A. Brown & Dancers - "ink"

Artistic directors Kareli Montoya (Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles) and Jaime Cuéllar have created a vibrant holiday experience celebrating the traditions and customs of Christmas Eve in Mexico. Music and dance from across Mexico's diverse regions blend the traditions of Indigenous cultures, Spanish heritage, and diverse cultural influences in an exciting night of festive family fun.

Nochebuena: A Christmas Spectacular Ballet Folklorico de Los Angeles & Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuellar

In The Look of Love, Mark Morris and his dancers present a wistful and heartfelt homage to the chart-topping songs of the late Burt Bacharach and his longtime lyricist Hal David. This evening-length work features original choreography by Morris and new musical arrangements by Ethan Iverson, with Broadway star Marcy Harriell on lead vocals. Bacharach’s marvelous music “calls out for dancing,” says Morris. You’ll hear new arrangements of classic hits, performed live by the Mark Morris Dance Group’s Music Ensemble, from “I Say a Little Prayer” and “Walk On By” to “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head.” Morris, a hugely influential figure in the world of dance, founded his Mark Morris Dance Group in 1980 and remains its artistic director. His works are universally celebrated for their wit, creativity, musicality, and emotional depth.

Mark Morris Dance Group - “The Look of Love”

Combining the big-band swing of the 1930s and ‘40s with contemporary music such as funk and jazz fusion, the Big Phat Band, led by pianist/saxophonist/arranger Gordon Goodwin, is a national phenomenon, a “winning combination of impeccable musicianship and pop savvy” (JazzTimes). The music of this 18-piece jazz orchestra bubbles over with melodic ingenuity and infectious rhythms, and makes for a vibrant and energetic live experience that appeals to both beboppers and headbangers.

Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band

Celebrate one of Mexico’s most beloved holidays, Día de Los Muertos, with the nation’s premier Mexican folk dance company, Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles, and the musicians of Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuéllar, led by three-time Grammy award-winner Jimmy Cuéllar.

Ofrenda Ballet Folklorico de Los Angeles & Mariachi Garibaldi de Jaime Cuellar

As a child, Anoushka studied the sitar with her father, Pandit Ravi Shankar, one of the world’s best known North Indian classical musicians. Eventually, she would merge the meditative, introspective qualities of Indian classical music with a teenage love for electronic music and the Goan psychedelic trance scene, creating a sound “one foot in the past and one in the present.”

Anoushka Shankar

LATINXoxo is Migguel Anggelo's nonconforming and self-accepting rallying cry: a break from “Latin Lover” clichés and his Venezuelan father's gendered expectations. This artistic and inspirational transdisciplinary work immerses the audience in a highly personal story told through an artful collage of theater, queer comedy, physical movement, and sumptuous song selections. The musical repertoire spans decades of pop hits, his own original compositions, and the Spanish boleros that defined his youth. With indelible precision, weaving in and out of the audience, Venezuelan-born, Miami and Brooklyn-based Anggelo connects past and present while unraveling the stereotypes that would otherwise constrain him.

LatinXoxo

From Boston to Baghdad, Tampa to Toronto, The United States Army Field Band has spent six decades sharing their music throughout the nation and abroad, earning the title of “The Musical Ambassadors of the Army.” As the premier touring musical representative for the United States Army, this internationally acclaimed organization, composed of some of the finest musical talent, is considered by music critics to be one of the most versatile and inspiring musical organizations in the world.

U.S. Army Field Band

Known for its vibrant and accessible performances, The Australian Haydn Ensemble is one of Australia’s leading historically informed orchestras and chamber music groups. AHE brings together world-class musicians who excel in both modern and period instrument performance and pay equal attention to both performance and historical research. Its repertoire, focused on music of the late baroque and early classical era, stays true to the sounds that would have been familiar to Haydn and his contemporaries. AHE has performed all over Australia and in the USA and has received critical acclaim for its debut ABC Classics recording, The Haydn Album, which premiered at No. 1 on the Australian Classical Aria Charts. 

Australian Haydn Ensemble

Bring the whole family to the beloved Oscar®-winning animated film “The Little Mermaid,” transformed into a unique concert experience with a live symphony orchestra of professional and student musicians from The Chapman Orchestra —under the baton of Danko Druško in his Chapman conducting debut!

Disney’s The Little Mermaid in Concert

A Pulitzer Prize finalist, Linda Villarosa’s “Under the Skin” reveals the structural and social inequities in the American healthcare system that lead to higher rates of illness and shorter lifespans among Black individuals, compared to their white counterparts. In the devastating book, Villarosa explains how anti-Black beliefs have influenced medical research and practice, leading to worse treatment and outcomes for Black patients, who are also more likely to suffer from the stressors of environmental racism and communities neglected by the government. With tragic stories and shocking evidence, “Under the Skin” is another invaluable contribution from Villarosa, an award-winning writer at New York Times Magazine and a contributor to the 1619 Project.

Linda Villarosa - “Under the Skin”

Wrap up a beautiful summer day with an outdoor symphony serenade beneath the stars. Pack a picnic, grab a lawn chair or blanket, and gather the family for an evening of free music and fun featuring popular classics, pop tunes, and patriotic tunes! 

Symphony in the Cities

The Gospel Voices of OC is a multi-generational artistic celebration of African Americans through the lens and the influence of gospel music as a source of historical impact and resiliency presented from Juneteenth to the present day. With 100 plus performers spanning over 20 cities throughout Orange County and beyond, the Black-directed production team, led by Producer Debora Wondercheck, will cause your spirit to soar as it takes you on a journey you'll not soon forget! Join us!

Gospel Voices of Oc

New York City’s first all-women mariachi, Latin Grammy-nominated Flor de Toloache offers a fresh and versatile take on traditional Mexican music. Drawing their name from the legendary toloache flower used in Mexico as a love potion, these Latin Grammy nominees cast a spell over their audiences with their enchanting singing, grace, and beauty. They bring Mexican traditions to the present while adding a feminine and forward-thinking touch to mariachi.

Heartbeat of Mexico 2023

An interdisciplinary musical theater work, Bone Hill is inspired by four generations of singer-songwriter Martha Rebone’s family in the hills of coal-mining Appalachia. Traditional Cherokee chants, bluegrass, blues, country, gospel, jazz, rock, and funk are used to illuminate the family’s commitment to the land and an important part of American history that has remained untold.

Bone Hill: A Staged Concert - Martha Redbone

Enjoy the more than 100 voices of the Orange Community Master Chorale in a soaring celebration of spring that also features the Southern California Children’s Chorus.

Spring Choral Celebration

Known for her riveting performances that showcase both her emotional vulnerability and technical wizardry, powerhouse violinist and actress Lucia Micarelli returns to Musco Center. Her eclectic influences, as seen in her collaborations with John Groban and Jethro Tull, unfurl in an evening of music that moves from classical to jazz to traditional fiddle music and Americana.

Lucia Micarelli Quartet

Captivating audiences and critics around the globe, tenor Lawrence Brownlee has emerged as a pivotal voice for activism and diversity in the performing arts. Hailed as “one of the most in-demand opera singers in the world today” (NPR), Brownlee celebrates Black composers and writers, with text drawn from the Harlem Renaissance in his newest recital program, Belonging.

Lawrence Brownlee: Songs from the Harlem Renaissance

The athlete-illusionist dancers of Pilobolus know how to pack a lot of magic into a stage performance. Since their founding in 1971, these versatile and merry tricksters have incorporated puppetry, gymnastics, acrobatics, theatrics, multimedia lunacy, and extreme “wow” effects into their epic offerings. It’s hard to predict what they may do next, but whatever it is, it will be extraordinary.

Pilobolus

Rosanne Cash has made a name for herself as one of America's preeminent singer-songwriters. Through 15 albums that have earned four Grammys, she has defied classification as merely a country artist or the eldest daughter of Johnny Cash through her deft exploration of folk, pop, rock, blues, and Americana.

Rosanne Cash Duo

In Mexico, Christmas is not just a single day but a whole season of Christmas-related celebrations! Today, the Christmas traditions in Mexico vary from region to region and are a blend of indigenous culture, Spanish heritage, and many other influences. Focusing on Nochebuena (Christmas Eve), this spectacular concert features a dazzling cast of musicians and dancers presenting traditions, costumes, and customs that people in Mexico celebrate during the festive season.

Nochebuena: Christmas Eve in Mexico

Known around the world for his role as Hikaru Sulu in the TV and film series Star Trek, actor, activist, and social media sensation George Takei has since become a prominent voice for immigrant and LGBTQIA+ rights, particularly in his poignant recollections of his childhood spent behind the barbed-wire enclosures of Japanese-American internment camps during WWII.
George Takei is part of the Engaging the World: Leading the Conversation on Ethnic Studies hosted by Wilkinson College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences.

An Evening with George Takei

Using poetry, music, movement, and visuals, The Just and the Blind illuminates the underheard experiences of incarcerated youth and the realities their families face. Spoken word artist and activist Marc Bamuthi Joseph joins with composer/violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain and street dance phenomenon Drew Dollaz to explore themes of racial profiling, sentencing and the prison-industrial complex from the perspective of fathers of Black and Brown sons.

The Just and the Blind

Classically-trained composer/pianist JooWan Kim leads Ensemble Mik Nawooj in the creation of Meta Music by sampling principles of both hip-hop and classical. Merging genres with a resident MC, a lyric soprano, woodwinds, French horn, string, piano, and drums, Ensemble Mik Nawooj creates rigorous, nuanced, and accessible music that challenges the aesthetics of Western European concert music in a way that is fast-paced, engaging, and fun.

Ensemble Mik Nawooj

Visually and sonically striking, DakhaBrakha has long served as protective Ukrainian music and cultural ambassadors. Mixing their traditional homeland melodies with jazz, hip-hop, trance, dance, and trans-national instrumentation, this Kyiv folk punk quartet powerfully raises awareness with their bright and unforgettable "ethno chaos” sound and avant garde stage show.

DakhaBrakha

Enjoy lovely classical music in a free, casual outdoor concert out on the Aitken Arts Plaza lawn. This intimate “On The Lawn” concert features four to six members of Pacific Symphony Orchestra.

Symphony on the Go: "On the Lawn"

The OCSA Foundation is thrilled to present this special 35th anniversary concert to commemorate the school’s rich tradition of collaboration and artistry!Join us for an evening unlike any other, as students from a variety of conservatories within the schools of Fine & Media Arts, Dance, Music, and Theatre reimagine classic scenes from the world of opera and the concert stage. Supported and inspired by an all-star lineup of guest artists, and led by conductor and OCSA alumnus Michael Repper (IM, ‘08), this campus-wide celebration will take guests on a musical journey of operatic gems and symphonic favorites. Prepare to be wowed as our students, both past and present, transform the stage into one of the greatest opera houses of all time!

Symphony of Dreams - Musco Center for the Arts

Musco Center for the Arts at Chapman University

Back by popular demand! Violist Wil B and violinist Kev Marcus met in high school orchestra, studying classical composers in the morning and listening to contemporary rhythms in the afternoon. Now in their 15th year as the professional duo Black Violin, they are busting genres and fusing musical traditions together. Black Violin challenges conventions and expectations through their distinctive multi-genre sound called “classical boom.”

Black Violin

A full-scale performance of a major opera with music performed by The Chapman Orchestra.

Spring Opera

Chapman University’s Hall-Musco Conservatory of Music presents this annual grand finale concert, featuring the combined forces of The Chapman Orchestra and Chapman Choirs

Musco Center for the Arts

25 - 27 Apr, 2025

Spring Opera

May 17, 2025

49th Annual Sholund Scholarship Concert

Apr 4, 2025

University Choir & University Singers

Mar 9, 2025

The Wailin' Jennys

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