Welcome to Celebrity Series: we're glad you're here.
Card to Culture—an initiative between Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), Massachusetts Health Connector, and WIC Nutrition Program—offers accessible, low-cost arts and culture programming to low-income and working families across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
This season, EBT and WIC card holders can purchase $20 tickets for Celebrity Series concerts. Please take a look at the options below and see if there's a show that sparks your interest. We can't wait to see you at a performance!
Yulianna Avdeeva, piano (in Groton, MA)
Pianist Yulianna Avdeeva, a Chopin Competition gold medalist with a flourishing career throughout Europe, makes her eagerly anticipated Celebrity Series debut, offering a bold and audacious program featuring short works by Liszt and Beethoven’s Hammerklavier Sonata.
Thursday, January 16th at 8PM at Groton Hill Music Center
Malpaso Dance Company
Cuba’s most in-demand contemporary dancers return to Boston with a vibrant program showcasing the company’s commitment to working with international choreographers while also nurturing Cuban artistry.
Friday, January 17th at 8PM and Saturday, January 18th at 2PM and 8PM at Emerson Paramount Center
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis
Impeccably tight and always in the pocket, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis returns, after a sold-out performance at Symphony Hall in 2024, to lend their old-school class and effortless polish to covers of jazz standards, 20th-century classics, originals by Marsalis and other band members, and more.
Wednesday, January 22nd at 8PM at Symphony Hall
Dafnis Prieto Sí o Sí Quartet
Cuban-born drummer Dafnis Prieto returns to Celebrity Series with his dynamic Sí o Sí Quartet. Prieto—a Grammy Award winner and MacArthur Fellow—is known for blending Cuban percussion instrumentation, rhythms, and textures with the classic jazz drum kit, providing a distinctive pulse for the foursome’s “ecstatic and intelligent” (AllAboutJazz) contemporary post-bop explorations.
Friday, January 14th at 8PM at Berklee Performance Center
Jamie Barton, Matthew Lipman, Tamar Sanikidze
In a Celebrity Series first, the thrilling combination of a mezzo-soprano, a violist, and a pianist share the stage for a program featuring Romantic-era classics and culminating in the Boston premiere of a Celebrity Series co-commission by Joel Thompson written for the ensemble.
Saturday, January 25th at 8PM at NEC's Jordan Hall
Jad Abumrad: How to Talk to a Human
Journalist Jad Abumrad, creator and former co-host of NPR’s Radiolab, returns to Celebrity Series with his latest project, How to Talk to a Human, an innovative, lively, and timely presentation about the art and science of interviews and tough conversations.
Friday, January 31st at 8PM at Sanders Theatre
Meklit
Meklit Hadero is an Ethiopian American vocalist, songwriter, composer, and former refugee known for her electric stage presence, innovative sound, and cultural advocacy. Meklit refracts American funk, soul, indie pop, and jazz through traditional Ethiopian styles, incorporating complex polyrhythms and propulsive grooves with her soulful, melismatic vocals. The result is an irresistible sound that is entirely her own.
Saturday, February 1st at 8PM at Berklee Performance Center
Seong-Jin Cho, piano
Our allotment of discounted Card to Culture tickets for this performance has sold out. Full-price tickets may still be available.
Caleb Teicher & Conrad Tao: COUNTERPOINT
Counterpoint is the latest collaboration between pianist and composer Conrad Tao and choreographer and tap dancer Caleb Teicher, last seen together on the Series in More Forever (2020). In this dynamic duet performance, the artists engage in a mesmerizing dialogue of harmonic, theatrical, and rhythmic interplay, bridging their disparate traditions and creating a collective experience that fires the imagination and opens the heart.
Friday, February 7th at 8PM and Saturday, February 8th at 2PM and 8PM at Boston Arts Academy Theater
Dover Quartet
The Dover Quartet returns to Boston following their appearance on the Debut Series in 2018, marking a thrilling opportunity for audiences to experience their continued excellence and artistic growth. The Quartet will perform Schumann’s Quartet No. 1 alongside Tchaikovsky’s moving first string quartet, and Dvořák’s 1893 “American” quartet, written in an Iowa Czech immigrant community.
Friday, February 14th at 8PM at NEC's Jordan Hall
Víkingur Ólafsson & Yuja Wang
Our allotment of discounted Card to Culture tickets for this performance has sold out. Full-price tickets may still be available.
Lang Lang, piano
Our allotment of discounted Card to Culture tickets for this performance has sold out. Full-price tickets may still be available.
Jason Moran: Duke Ellington: My Heart Sings
Guided by Duke Ellington’s great canon, Moran takes a solo piano climb up “Mount Ellington” in this extraordinary celebration of the composer’s enduring legacy 125 years after his birth. Experience the timeless genius of Ellington’s music, brilliantly reimagined by Moran.
Saturday, March 1st at 8PM at Berklee Performance Center
Leonidas Kavakos, violin & Daniil Trifonov, piano
Our allotment of discounted Card to Culture tickets for this performance has sold out. Full-price tickets may still be available.
Midori, violin & Özgür Aydin, piano (in Groton, MA)
Renowned for the expressive agility of her playing, violinist Midori returns to the Series for the first time since 2012 with a program that lends her finely honed touch to songs of mourning and lamentation across cultures.
Thursday, March 6th at 8PM at Groton Hill Music Center
Midori, violin & Özgür Aydin, piano (in Boston, MA)
Renowned for the expressive agility of her playing, violinist Midori returns to the Series for the first time since 2012 with a program that lends her finely honed touch to songs of mourning and lamentation across cultures.
Friday, March 7th at 8PM at NEC's Jordan Hall
KODO
Kodo returns to the Celebrity Series with Warabe, a soul-stirring program created to celebrate the group’s 40th anniversary. In this performance, Kodo’s drummers, singers, and other traditional instrumentalists look to the group’s classic repertoire and early days, blending simple forms of taiko expression that celebrate their unique sound, resonance, and physicality. Come and experience the soul-stirring rhythm of life firsthand.
Sunday, March 9th at 5PM at Symphony Hall
Jazz Festival: Sean Mason Quartet
Pianist and composer Sean Mason artfully navigates the confluence of contrasts, masterfully blending the past and the future, the fresh and the timeless, uptown glamor and downtown grit, the blues joint and the church pew. This visionary young bandleader illuminates the rich tapestry of jazz history to show a new path forward.
Thursday, March 13th at 7PM and 9PM at Arrow Street Arts
Jazz Festival: Linda May Han Oh
Malaysian Australian bassist and composer Linda May Han Oh shares her remarkable musicianship and distinctive voice with Celebrity Series audiences. Celebrated for her pivotal role as both the inspiration for a character and a featured bassist in the Pixar movie Soul, Linda also earned a Grammy Award for her contributions to Terri Lyne Carrington’s New Standards, Vol. 1 in 2023. The Financial Times lauded “her vibrant tone, close control, and confident attack,” underscoring her status as a highly sought-after talent in the music world.
Friday, March 14th at 7PM and 9PM at Arrow Street Arts
Jazz Festival: Mali Obomsawin Quartet
Mali Obomsawin, from Odanak First Nation, is a multifaceted artist known for her prowess as a bassist, singer-songwriter, and composer. Recognized as one of GRAMMY.com’s top ten emerging jazz artists to watch in 2023, Obomsawin stands out among the vibrant community of up-and-coming Indigenous jazz artists.
Saturday, March 15th at 7PM and 9PM at Arrow Street Arts
An Evening with Meow Meow
International cabaret goddess Meow Meow returns to Boston for her Series debut, An Evening with Meow Meow, featuring an array of the chansons, cabaret classics, and covers that have made her a favorite around the world. Expect mischief, mayhem, marvelous singing, and, perhaps, a little audience participation.
Saturday, March 15th at 8PM at Sanders Theatre
Jazz Festival: Brandee Younger
Harpist Brandee Younger, current Resident Artistic Director at the illustrious SF Jazz, is carving a unique path in the music world while honoring the legacy of those who paved her way. Her most recent album, Brand New Life, pays tribute to jazz harp trailblazer Dorothy Ashby, a Black female musician who defied expectations by becoming a bandleader and composer on an unconventional instrument.
Sunday, March 16th at 5PM and 7PM at Arrow Street Arts
Fleur Barron, mezzo-soprano & Kunal Lahiry, piano: The Power and the Glory
Mezzo-soprano Fleur Barron and pianist Kunal Lahiry’s program, The Power and the Glory, weaves together works from Latin America, Europe, and Asia, bringing a new voice to traditional and historical works, and showcasing contemporary creations. Together, Barron and Lahiry create meaningful moments of profound beauty, making space for empathy and understanding.
Tuesday, March 18th at 7:30PM at Pickman Hall
Calidore String Quartet
With over a decade of shared experiences, the Calidore Quartet has cultivated a deep chemistry and musical kinship that demonstrates “the kind of sublimity other quartets spend a lifetime searching [for]” (Los Angeles Times).
Sunday, March 23rd at 3PM at NEC's Jordan Hall
Julia Fischer, violin & Jan Lisiecki, piano
Renowned German violinist Julia Fischer, also a concert pianist of note, takes the stage with acclaimed Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki for a recital program featuring a selection of violin sonatas from Mozart, Beethoven, and Schumann. The artists are well-matched, sharing a commitment to precision, balance, and detail; their pairing promises an evening of sublime artistry and technical prowess as they make Celebrity Series debuts.
Friday, March 28th at 8PM at NEC's Jordan Hall
Action at a Distance: Graveyards and Gardens: Created and performed by Caroline Shaw & Vanessa Goodman
Pulitzer Prize-winning composer and vocalist Caroline Shaw, twice heard on the Series as a founding member of Roomful of Teeth, and esteemed dancer and choreographer Vanessa Goodman draw profound inspiration from the life of soil in their innovative dance and music installation, Graveyards and Gardens.
Friday, March 28th at 8PM and Saturday, March 29th at 2PM and 8PM at Boston Arts Academy Theatre
Noam Pikelny & Friends
Bluegrass banjo standout Noam Pikelny brings together accomplished friends for this concert that promises virtuosity, playful and unbounded musicianship, and, if Pikelny’s self-deprecatingly hilarious YouTube outings are any indication, plenty of smiles and humor.
Saturday, March 29th at 8PM at Berklee Performance Center
Zlata Chochieva, piano
Pianist Zlata Chochieva, celebrated by critics and embraced by audiences throughout Europe, returns to the United States for her long-awaited Boston debut with a program that reflects her deep affinity for Rachmaninoff. Acclaimed for her “performances of huge emotional scope and intense drama” (The Guardian), Zlata Chochieva promises a can’t-miss Celebrity Series debut!
Tuesday, April 1st at 7:30PM at Pickman Hall
What Makes It Great? with Rob Kapilow: The Songs of Simon & Garfunkel
Rob Kapilow shines the What Makes It Great? spotlight on Simon & Garfunkel for an illuminating exploration of the duo’s songwriting process and compositional choices. Featuring live performances by two vocalists, Kapilow shares the surprising stories behind iconic hit songs and helps us listen to these longtime favorites with fresh ears.
Saturday, April 5th at 8PM at NEC's Jordan Hall
David Sedaris
The more things change—in our aging bodies, in our families and our relationships, in politics and society in general—the more we need David Sedaris. He slices through the chaos with spot-on observations, incisive wit, and, somehow, a humane and relatable point of view. Share a smile, a laugh, or a knowing smirk with fellow fans when David Sedaris returns to Symphony Hall to read new and unpublished material you can only hear live and in-person!
Sunday, April 6th at 7PM at Symphony Hall
Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain
Making a much-anticipated return to Boston for the first time since 2018, the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain promises a mix of unexpected delights and genre-hopping virtuosity. The group’s two previous appearances on the Series were smash hits with subscribers, so get your seats early and make sure you don’t miss the fun!
Friday, April 11th at 8PM at NEC's Jordan Hall
Zlatomir Fung, cello (Cambridge, MA)
The youngest cellist to win a Gold Medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, 24-year-old Zlatomir Fung enjoys a busy and varied international career. For his Celebrity Series debut, the passionate film fan has chosen works that conjure iconic moments from opera and screen, including a new fantasia on Bizet’s Carmen, written for him by Marshall Estrin.
Wednesday, April 16th at 7:30PM at Pickman Hall
Zlatomir Fung, cello (Groton, MA)
The youngest cellist to win a Gold Medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition, 24-year-old Zlatomir Fung enjoys a busy and varied international career. For his Celebrity Series debut, the passionate film fan has chosen works that conjure iconic moments from opera and screen, including a new fantasia on Bizet’s Carmen, written for him by Marshall Estrin.
Thursday, April 17th at 8PM at Groton Hill Music Center
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
The iconic Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to the Series for an annual showcase of the company’s extraordinary technique and emotive power, reaffirming their enduring importance in the American cultural landscape.
Thursday, April 24th at 8PM / Friday, April 25th at 8PM / Saturday, April 26th at 2PM and 8PM / Sunday, April 27th at 3PM at Boch Center Wang Theatre
Evgeny Kissin, piano
Room-shaking power and soul-soothing poetry come together during Evgeny Kissin’s return to Symphony Hall. Bach's Partita No. 2 for Keyboard gives way to Chopin’s contemplative Nocturnes. Shostakovich’s intense Piano Sonata No. 2 pairs with selections from his homage to Bach, his 24 Preludes and Fugues. Don’t miss a modern master of the keyboard when Evgeny Kissin takes the stage!
Tuesday, April 29th at 8PM at Symphony Hall
Samara Joy
Vocalist Samara Joy has reached tremendous heights as a prolific rising star in the jazz world. Linger Awhile, her 2022 debut album with Verve Records, drew critical acclaim and earned her two Grammys—Best Jazz Vocal Recording and Best New Artist in any genre. We invite you to experience her artistry and her open-hearted authenticity during this extraordinary Celebrity Series debut concert!
Saturday, May 3rd at 8PM at Berklee Performance Center
Tessa Lark, Joshua Roman, Edgar Meyer
Tessa Lark, at once a widely praised classical violinist and an acclaimed Appalachian fiddler, blends the elegance and expressiveness of her classical training with the spontaneity and verve of bluegrass and mountain music. Her joyful style sets a beautifully collaborative tone when paired with Edgar Meyer and Oklahoma-born cellist, composer, and curator Joshua Roman.
Friday, May 9th at 8PM at Sanders Theatre
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