March

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Sat, Mar 1, 8pm, Zellerbach Hall

The beloved South African vocal group, internationally recognized for one of “the most distinctive and uplifting choral sounds around” (NPR), visits with its unforgettable harmonies and inspiring message, born from the struggles of its homeland.
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Brentano String Quartet

Sun, Mar 2, 3pm, Hertz Hall

At the vanguard of American chamber music for more than 30 years, the distinguished quartet is known for stunning rapport and a rich, full ensemble sound. The program includes an early Beethoven quartet, Brahms’ third quartet, and a new work by esteemed Chinese born American composer Lei Liang.
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Maria Manetti Shrem and Elizabeth Segerstrom California Orchestra Residency

Vienna Philharmonic
Yannick Nézet-Séguin, conductor

Wed–Thu, Mar 5–6, 7:30pm, Zellerbach Hall

with Yefim Bronfman, piano

Fri, Mar 7, 7pm, Zellerbach Hall

A season highlight! “Devoted to tending the fire of tradition” (The New York Times), the magnificent orchestra returns with three programs of symphonic masterworks featuring star conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin. With his signature energy and dramatic flair, Nézet-Séguin leads the Philharmonic through repertoire at the very core of the ensemble’s more than 180-year history.
Major Support: Jerome and Thao Dodson (3/5), Diana Cohen and Bill Falik (3/5),Beth DeAtley (3/6), Anonymous (3/7)
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Wed, Mar 5, 7:30pm

MOZART

Symphony No. 41 in C major, K. 551, Jupiter

MAHLER

Symphony No. 1 in D major

Thu, Mar 6, 7:30pm

SCHUBERT

Symphony No. 4 in C minor, D. 417, Tragic

DVOŘÁK

Symphony No. 9 in E minor, Op. 95, From the New World

Fri, Mar 7, 7pm

BEETHOVEN

Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37

R. STRAUSS

Ein Heldenleben, Op. 40

Cal Performances’ 2025 Gala
with the Vienna Philharmonic

Save the Date:

Fri, Mar 7, 2025

5:30pm Cocktails and Light Bites
7pm Performance
9pm Reception and Dinner

The best seats for the performance will be reserved for gala guests. Contact our Development Office at 510.642.8653 or donate@calperformances.org for more information. All proceeds from this event will support Cal Performances’ artistic initiatives and education programs.

WORLD PREMIERE

yMusic Performs a World Premiere

by Gabriella Smith

Sat, Mar 8, 8pm, Zellerbach Playhouse

The adventurous ensemble continues its long collaborative relationship with composer Gabriella Smith with her newest work. The Cal Performances co-commission blends acoustic instruments and field recordings and invites the listener to commune with the fragile beauty of the natural world.
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Benjamin Beilman, violin
Steven Osborne, piano

Sun, Mar 9, 3pm, Hertz Hall

The dazzling young American violinist makes his Cal Performances debut with a recital that explores influence and inspiration between the composers Clara Schumann and Brahms, and works by French composers Lili Boulanger and César Franck.
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Sullivan Fortner Trio

Thu, Mar 13, 7:30pm, Zellerbach Hall

Pianist Sullivan Fortner is known for an expansive and distinctive approach to jazz that combines his New Orleans heritage with the hard bop sounds of New York, and a cosmopolitan flair born from years touring the world with luminaries like Roy Hargrove and Cécile McLorin Salvant.
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BAY AREA PREMIERE

William Kentridge’s
The Great Yes, The Great No

A Cal Performances Co-commission
Fri–Sat, Mar 14–15, 8pm
Sun, Mar 16, 3pm, Zellerbach Hall

William Kentridge, concept and director
Nhlanhla Mahlangu, associate director and choral composer
Phala O. Phala, associate director
Tlale Makhene, music director
Mwenya Kabwe, dramaturg

The internationally acclaimed South African artist returns to campus with his latest creation for the stage, a chamber opera set on a 1941 sea voyage from Marseille to Martinique. The production merges surrealist imagery with real-life historical events, lush South African choral music, dance, and poetry. Kentridge’s breathtaking visual inventiveness combines animated drawings, video projection, masks, shadow play, and bold sculptural costumes with spoken and projected text that explores the connections between anticolonial political, literary, and artistic movements.
This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts.
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Evren Ozel, piano
Music of the Night

Sun, Mar 16, 3pm, Hertz Hall

A member of the prestigious Bowers Program at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, the charismatic pianist offers an artfully crafted debut program that features an evocative collection of works by Debussy, Bartók, Robert Schumann, and Ravel, plus Beethoven’s famous Moonlight Sonata.
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Les Arts Florissants with Théotime Langlois de Swarte, violin
Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons at 300

Wed, Mar 19, 7:30pm, Hertz Hall

The spirited French violinist joins the acclaimed period-instrument ensemble in a concert honoring Vivaldi’s enduring work in its 300th birthday year, alongside gems by the composer’s peers and predecessors Monteverdi, Uccellini, and Geminiani.
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An Illuminations: "Fractured History" event.

Zakir Hussain and
Masters of Percussion

Fri, Mar 21, 8pm, Zellerbach Hall

A wildly prolific collaborator, the tabla star visits with the latest edition of this popular program, inviting a dynamic cast of virtuoso performers to the Zellerbach Hall stage for an evening of breathless interplay, improvisation, and musical exchange.
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Mahler Chamber Orchestra
Mitsuko Uchida, piano and director

José Maria Blumenschein, concertmaster and leader
Sun, Mar 23, 3pm, Zellerbach Hall

The superlative orchestra and magisterial pianist make their eagerly anticipated return, continuing a multiyear project to bring Mozart’s piano concertos to Berkeley. A revered Mozartean, Uchida has lived with these works for decades, performing and recording them to great acclaim.
Lead Sponsor: Nadine Tang
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