Music Worcester announces 2025-26 season with 'stunning array of talent'

Yahoo

07-05-2025

Jazz vocalist Catherine Russell and pianist Sean Mason will bring their highly praised interpretations of new and standard jazz repertoire to the BrickBox Theater at JMAC on March 26.
WORCESTER — Visits by Orchestra National de France with pianist Daniil Trifonov, the American Spiritual Ensemble, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and celebrated pianist Simone Dinnerstein, as well as 11 concerts continuing the multi-year "The Complete Bach" project, are among the highlights of Music Worcester's 2025-26 season, it's 167th, announced on May 6.
The annual Summer@Music Worcester series was also announced. The 29 concerts in total will span musical genres, Music Worcester said, with classical music, jazz, world music, choral classics, spirituals, dance and more.
'Next season brings a stunning array of talent from across the globe, representing multiple performing arts disciplines and genres, right here to Central Massachusetts," said Music Worcester executive director Adrien C. Finley, in the announcement. "From solo recitals to large-scale dance and choral-orchestral presentations, the 2025-26 promises to delight, inspire, and deepen one's engagement with composers from over six centuries.'
Musicians of the Old Post Road will officially open Music Worcester's 2025-26 season on Oct. 5 in First Unitarian Church of Worcester performing Bach's Cantatas BWV 170, 173, and 179.
Looking ahead
Summer@Music Worcester will feature three concerts beginning July 18 with a performance by the renowned South African choral singing group Ladysmith Black Mambazo at Mechanics Hall in a co-presentation with Crocodile River Music. On July 25, Emi Ferguson, principal flute of the Handel & Haydn Society will perform with early music ensemble band Ruckus at the BrickBox Theater at the Jean McDonough Arts Center. On Aug. 15, Hermitage Piano Trio will play at Tuckerman Hall.
The Boston-area early music ensemble Musicians of the Old Post Road, regular visitors to Worcester, will officially open Music Worcester's 2025-26 season on Oct. 5 in First Unitarian Church of Worcester performing Bach's Cantatas BWV 170, 173, and 179. The concert will be part of the second year of Music Worcester's international project "The Complete Bach" which will present live performances of all the known works by composer J.S. Bach culminating in March, 2035, on the 350th anniversary of his birth.
The Second AnnualBACHtoberfest Weekend, Oct. 24-26, presents four concerts at Mechanics Hall, including pianist Simone Dinnerstein, former Music Worcester artist in residence, leading her string ensemble Baroklyn as well as performing with cellist Alexis Gerlach. On Oct. 26, the BACHtoberfest Choir, a special choir made up of singers from around the country, will perform for the second year.
November concerts include violinistKyung-Wha Chung, violin, with a program including Debussy and Schubert on Nov. 2, and Orchestre National de France with pianist Daniil Trifonov performing works by Ravel, Saint-Saëns, and Barraine on Nov. 7, both in Mechanics Hall. The Grammy Nominated American Patchwork Quartet will be at The Prior Performing Arts Center at the College of the Holy Cross on Nov. 14.
Pianist Simone Dinnerstein, former Music Worcester artist in residence, will perform as part of the Second Annual BACHtoberfest Weekend, Oct. 24-26 at Mechanics Hall.
Holidays and beyond
The holiday season kicks off with the beloved long-standing tradition of Worcester Chorus's annual performance of Handel's Messiah at Mechanics Hall on Dec. 6. The Worcester Chorus Women's Ensemble will present their annual Holiday Concert at Trinity Lutheran Church in Worcester on Dec. 21.
The first concert of the new year on Jan. 10 features the return of Everett McCorvey and the American Spiritual Ensemble to Mechanics Hall. The concert marks the beginning of McCorvey's term as Music Worcester's 2026 artist-in-residence, during which he'll spend weeks at a time living in Worcester collaborating with a number of educational and community non-profit organizations.
"The Complete Bach" returns with cantatas from Bach's Christmas Oratorio performed by theWorcester Chorus with the Winchendon Music Festival Players on Jan. 24 in Mechanics Hall, and Boston's Emmanuel Music presenting solo cantatas BWV 60, 158, and 199 on Feb. 21 at Assumption University's Curtis Hall. "Bach's Birthday Bash Weekend" March 20 to 22 in Mechanics Hall will include The Sebastians performing "The Brandenburg Concertos," a concert by the Worcester Chamber Music Society and a "Cantatathon."
Among other performances in the season, jazz pianist Aaron Diehl will bring his trio to the Prior Performing Arts Center at the College of the Holy Cross on Feb. 27; the Refugee Orchestra Project will perform at Mechanics Hall on March 1; and Argentinian pianist Nelson Goerner, winner of ​​the Geneva International Music Competition, will play a recital of works by Liszt and Albéniz at Assumption University's Curtis Hall on March 5.
"Bach's Birthday Bash Weekend" March 20 to 22 in Mechanics Hall will include The Sebastians performing "The Brandenburg Concertos."
Nominated for a 2025 Grammy Award for their latest album "My Ideal," celebrated jazz vocalist Catherine Russell and acclaimed pianistSean Mason will bring their highly praised interpretations of new and standard jazz repertoire to the BrickBox Theater at JMAC on March 26.
The season comes to a close on May 9 when Dance Theatre of Harlem returns to Worcester for a performance co-presented by The Hanover Theatre and their new Dance Series.
Music Worcester's 2024-25 season is still on-going, with performances upcoming featuring the Grammy-winning trio Time For Three at the BrickBox Theater at the JMAC on May 14 and the Worcester Chorus performing works by Handel and Charpentier in Mechanics Hall on May 17.
For complete information on the full season as well as subscriptions and tickets visit musicworccester.org.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Music Worcester announces new season with 'stunning array of talent'