Oberlin’s 2024-25 Artist Recital Series Launches in September

For more than 145 years, Oberlin’s Artist Recital Series has brought many of the world’s celebrated artists to our community. This season's concerts showcase brilliantly diverse performers and intimate music-making that ranges from classical to contemporary to American Roots to world music.

The series kicks off September 28 with the Takács Quartet, who are joined by bandoneón artist Julien Labro, and continues through April. All programs in the six-concert series will be held in Finney Chapel at 90 N. Professor Street in Oberlin.

The complete schedule includes:

Takács Quartet with Julien Labro, bandoneón-accordion  
Saturday, September 28 | 4:30 p.m.

The Grammy-winning Takács Quartet joins bandoneón artist Julien Labro for an innovative program that features commissioned works by Bryce Dessner and Clarice Assad plus original compositions and arrangements by Labro, with the Ravel String Quartet.

“Classical music doesn’t get much more life-enhancing than this.” —The Guardian

Seckou Keita, kora
Saturday, December 7 | 7:30 p.m.

An exceptional and charismatic musician, Seckou Keita has become one of his generation’s most influential and inspiring kora players. A master of the African instrument, which resembles both a harp and a lute in sound, Keita has been celebrated for his ingenious tunings and virtuosity and is praised as "one of the finest exponents of the kora."

“...the most hypnotic instrumental work of the night.”—The Guardian

Emanuel Ax, piano, and
Anthony McGill, clarinet
Tuesday, February 4 | 7:30 p.m. 

During Emanuel Ax’s 50-year career, he has amassed eight Grammy Awards, the Avery Fisher Prize, and countless accolades for his performances as both a solo artist and collaborator. With Anthony McGill—one of classical music’s most recognizable and brilliantly ­multifaceted figures and principal clarinet of the New York Philharmonic—this clarinet-piano duo will perform works by James Lee, Franz Schubert, Florence Price, Jessie Montgomery, Adolphus Hailstork, and Leonard Bernstein.

“[Ax’s] greatness, his overwhelming authority as musician, technician, and probing intellect emerges quickly as he plays.” —Los Angeles Times

 “[McGill is] a captivating virtuoso on the stage and a longtime advocate for social change extending beyond it.” —New York Times

Midori
Wednesday, March 5 | 7:30 p.m.

Violinist Midori is a visionary artist, activist, global cultural ambassador, and dedicated music educator who explores and builds connections between music and the human experience. In the four decades since her debut with the New York Philharmonic at age 11, she has performed with the world’s most prestigious orchestras and collaborated with renowned musicians such as Leonard Bernstein and Yo-Yo Ma. Her Oberlin program includes works by Che Buford, Brahms, Poulenc, and Ravel, in collaboration with pianist Özgür Aydin. 

"More than 30 years after bursting on the scene as a pint-size violin prodigy, Midori continues to set an example for how to be an engaged musician in the modern world." —San Francisco Chronicle

Martha Redbone Roots Project
Sunday, April 6 | 7:30 p.m.

Martha Redbone and her ensemble’s performance weaves the sounds of her childhood and her ancestral homelands in coal country, Harlan County, KY, while embodying the folk, blues, and gospel sounds from the ancestors of the Black migration mixed with the Indigenous foundation of the region.

“...[The Martha Redbone Roots Project is] a brilliant collision of cultures…”—The New Yorker

Third Coast Percussion with Jessie Montgomery, violinist and composer 
Wednesday, April 30 | 7:30 p.m.

This Grammy-winning percussion quartet has forged a unique path with its virtuosic, energetic performances that showcase the extraordinary depth and breadth of musical possibilities in the world of percussion. They are joined by Grammy-winning composer and acclaimed violinist Jessie Montgomery in a program of works by Lou Harrison, Tigran Hamasyan, Jlin, and Philip Glass, along with a new piece written for the ensemble by Montgomery.

"...experience a musical performance that is propulsive, exciting, and full of gorgeous sounds all the way through" —New York Classical Review

“[Jessie Montgomery] never fails to enthrall with her rhythmically complex, richly orchestrated, highly original pieces.” —WTTW (Chicago PBS)

Three bonus Oberlin Conservatory special events—featuring guest artists in concert with Oberlin students and faculty—are scheduled for this year. 

“The Art of Afghan Rubâb and Tabla” with Homayoun Sakhi and Salar Nader
Sunday, October 6 | 7:30 p.m.
Finney Chapel

Premier rubâb player Homayoun Sakhi and acclaimed tabla artist Salar Nader perform the music of their Afghan homeland, pushing artistic boundaries that reflect their country’s position at the confluence of Persian, Central Asian, and Indian cultures. The program also features Oberlin Conservatory’s Performance and Improvisation (PI) Ensemble.

“The evocative music of Homayoun Sakhi and Salar Nader tells a story of hope and perseverance, both of the Afghan people and of their traditional music.” —Richmond Times-Dispatch

Omar by Rhiannon Giddens ’00
and Michael Abels
Friday, December 6 | 7:30 p.m. | Finney Chapel
Sunday, December 8 | 7 p.m.
Maltz Performing Arts Center, Cleveland
Reservations required

Join us for a special concert performance of the Pulitzer Prize-winning opera written by Rhiannon Giddens ’00 and orchestrated by Michael Abels, based on the true story of a 19th-century Islamic scholar from West Africa who was enslaved in South Carolina. Conducted by John Kennedy ’82, the performance spotlights Gidddens and a cast of acclaimed Oberlin alumni, joined by the Oberlin Orchestra and choral ensembles.

“...a melting pot inspired by bluegrass, hymns, spirituals and more, with nods to traditions from Africa and Islam. It’s an unforced ideal of American sound: expansive and ever-changing.” —New York Times

International Contemporary Ensemble
Friday, March 14 | 7:30 p.m. Warner Concert Hall

Now in its third decade, the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) is a multidisciplinary collective of musicians, digital media artists, producers, and educators, including numerous Oberlin alumni committed to building and innovating collaborative environments. ICE artists will culminate a weeklong residency at Oberlin with a performance of their program, “Composing While Black, Volume I,” joined by Oberlin students and faculty.

“[The International Contemporary Ensemble] remains an essential contributor to the exploration of new music.” —Musical America

Subscriptions and Single Tickets
Subscriptions to the 2024-25 Artist Recital Series are available to the public now, with full-season and Pick 3 packages both offering significant savings over individual ticket prices.

Get tickets for the full season—all six Artist Recital Series concerts—for just $180, a savings of $5 per ticket. Seniors age 55 and older, members of the military, and Oberlin staff and alumni pay just $150, and students pay only $48.

Pick 3 packages allow you to select any three concerts on the Artist Recital Series (pending availability) and save $5 off the regular price of each ticket.

Single tickets for individual concerts will be on sale August 15.

For the second year—thanks to the generosity of Richard ’62 and Linda ’62 Clark—Oberlin students can receive free tickets to each concert on the Artist Recital Series with a valid OCID.

Subscription packages are available now online.

Oberlin’s Central Ticket Service will open for business on August 1. Patrons may reserve tickets by calling 800-371-0178 or visiting at the Eric Baker Nord Performing Arts Annex (67 N. Main Street) from noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.