Music

Light Lane

Light Lane

August 29, 2024 - September 30, 2024

"Light Lane" draws attention to sustainability and celebrating our city with bicycles featuring images created by local artists and music selected to accompany their work.

Duke Arts Block Party 2024

Duke Arts Block Party 2024

September 6, 2024

Launch into the new school year with a block party from Duke Arts and the Nasher Museum! Open to all undergrads, mingle with classmates while enjoying food, live music, workshops, and of course – art!

Conjunto Breve

Conjunto Breve

September 4, 2024

Multinational salsa band Conjunto Breve was founded by percussionist Brevan Hampden in 2012. Members of the band come from all corners of the Americas. This event is free and open to the public. No reservations are required.

Music Maker Blues Revue

Music Maker Blues Revue

September 25, 2024

Acclaimed artists from the Music Maker Foundation's record label take over American Tobacco Campus in this free event. No reservations are required.

Faith & Harmony / Dedicated Men of Zion

Faith & Harmony / Dedicated Men of Zion

September 18, 2024

This double-bill of two North Carolina-based family Gospel ensembles showcases Gospel as one of the quintessential musical genres of the American South. This event is free and open to the public. No reservations are required.

Ensemble Intercolor

Ensemble Intercolor

Thursday, February 20 at 7:30pm

Ensemble Intercolor is a trailblazing young trio that combines cimbalom, viola, clarinet and voice with their varied cultural backgrounds – the three musicians are from Belarus, Colombia and France

Ciompi Quartet: 
Vienna to L.A.

Ciompi Quartet: Vienna to L.A.

Saturday, November 9 at 7:30pm

The Ciompi Quartet of Duke University has delighted audiences and impressed critics around the world. All its members are professors at Duke University. Reservations are open now for this free event.

Ciompi At Duke: A Collaboration

Ciompi At Duke: A Collaboration

Saturday, February 15 at 7:30pm

The Ciompi Quartet of Duke University has delighted audiences and impressed critics around the world. All its members are professors at Duke University. Reservation is available now for this free event.

Racine Nago

Racine Nago

Wednesday, October 30 at 7:30pm

Racine Nago's powerfully expressive music features call-and-response vocals and intricate percussion to create crosscurrents of rhythm that move the body and nourish the soul.

Jerusalem Quartet

Jerusalem Quartet

Saturday, May 3 at 7:30pm

Jerusalem Quartet returns with Mozart’s so-called ‘Dissonance’ Quartet, which features some of the composer’s boldest harmonic writing.

Zodiac Trio

Zodiac Trio

Sunday, April 6 at 7:00pm

Zodiac Trio are at the forefront of innovative programing, heralded as ‘a breathtaking ensemble of virtuosity and sensitivity’ (Radio France).

Daniela Liebman

Daniela Liebman

Sunday, March 30 at 7:00pm

Twenty-one-year-old prodigy hailing from Mexico has already performed with over thirty orchestras on four continents, including her professional debut at age 8.

Elias String Quartet

Elias String Quartet

Saturday, March 15 at 7:30pm

Elias String Quartet is one of the UK’s foremost ensembles, celebrated by BBC Music Magazine as a ‘tour de force’ and The Strad as a ‘remarkable ensemble.’

Goldmund Quartet

Goldmund Quartet

Saturday, March 1 at 7:30pm

The Goldmund Quartet has garnered a reputation as one of the leading string quartets of the great classical and modern works of the quartet canon, delivering performances of ‘exquisite playing.'

Michelle Cann

Michelle Cann

Friday, February 21 at 7:30pm

“The Women of Chicago’s Black Renaissance”program pairs Cann’s acclaimed renditions of works by each featured artist with spoken commentary about their fascinating lives and histories.

Juneteenth Jamboree

Juneteenth Jamboree

June 19, 2024

Kyshona, Grace Givertz and Sam Rise sing the music of freedom movements and pay tribute to the storytelling, oral traditions and civil rights icons.

The Stomp

The Stomp

June 12, 2024

Fiddler extraordinaire Brian Farrow, singer-songwriter Dusky Waters and local musicians cook up an energetically acoustic musical gumbo.

Tonality: America Will Be

Tonality: America Will Be

Saturday, January 18 at 7:30pm

Tonality is an award-winning chamber chorus with a mission to deliver authentic stories through voice and body to incite change, understanding and dialogue.

VOCES8

VOCES8

Saturday, December 7 at 7:30pm

2023 Grammy-nominated British vocal ensemble VOCES8 is acclaimed globally for their complex and wide-ranging a cappella concerts. Performing holiday music spanning centuries.

Ruckus Rock Revival

Ruckus Rock Revival

May 29, 2024

Blue Cactus, Kym Register and Kamara Thomas trace their country-rock lineages, paying tribute to rock inventors

Tenebrae

Tenebrae

Thursday, November 7 at 7:30pm

Described as “phenomenal” (The Times) and “devastatingly beautiful” (Gramophone Magazine), Tenebrae is acclaimed for its interpretation of choral works spanning five centuries.

Schaghajegh Nosrati

Schaghajegh Nosrati

September 29, 2024

Nosrati’s international acclaim stems from her dedication to the piano, which has earned her numerous accolades and concerts at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center and more.

Tesla Quartet

Tesla Quartet

September 7, 2024

The Tesla Quartet is acclaimed for their superb capacity to find the inner heart of everything they play, regardless of era, style, or technical demand” (The International Review of Music).

Modigliani Quartet

Modigliani Quartet

Sunday, October 27 at 7:00pm

The Modigliani Quartet has been making waves in the chamber music world since they first began playing together in 2003, following their studies at the prestigious Conservatoire de Paris.

Vesna Duo

Vesna Duo

Sunday, October 6 at 7:00pm

Celebrated for their unique interpretations of original and transcribed works for piano and percussion, the Vesna Duo is ‘smashingly effective’ (Wall Street Journal).

Randy Reed holding guitar

Randy Reed Tribute Recital

April 18, 2024

Classical guitar instructor, Randy Reed, is retiring at the end of this semester. Reed has been at Duke since 1994. Join us for a recital in tribute to his time ...

An Evening with Gregory Porter at DPAC

An Evening with Gregory Porter at DPAC

February 22, 2024

Singer-songwriter Gregory Porter has garnered wide acclaim for his rich baritone and fusion of jazz, soul, and gospel. Drawing inspiration from legends like Nat King Cole, Donny Hathaway, and Stevie Wonder, Porter ...

Ndlovu Youth Choir

November 9, 2023

Founded in 2009 as an after-school program in Elandsdoorn, Limpopo, South Africa the Ndlovu Youth Choir rose to international fame following an unforgettable journey on America’s Got Talent in 2019. ...

The Ciompi Quartet: Night Music

The Ciompi Quartet: Night Music

February 17, 2024

Presented by “From beginning to end the playing sounded intelligent and sure, softened at the edges with a full and mellow tone.” Featuring Jennifer Johnson Cano, mezzo soprano and Ieva ...

Songs in Flight

Songs in Flight

April 3, 2024

Presented by In 2019, Cornell University started “Freedom on the Move,” a database of “runaway ads” from the United States’ early newspapers—names, dates, descriptions, rewards. The database notes that it ...

Kings Return

Kings Return

March 22, 2024

Presented by The dynamic four-piece a cappella group Kings Return is made up of such a rich and powerful blend of vocal timbres that it’s no wonder that in a short time, ...

Zlata Chochieva

Zlata Chochieva

February 2, 2024

Presented by The possessor of a comprehensive technique who brings an inner glow to every bar. Having performed in the top concert halls around the globe from a very young ...

Benjamin Grosvenor

Benjamin Grosvenor

March 8, 2024

Presented by “He commands the stage with aristocratic ease … Mr Grosvenor makes you sigh with joy … A temperament rare in yesteryear, let alone now.” We are thrilled to ...

The Marian Consort

The Marian Consort

February 18, 2024

Presented by “Daring and vivid” Across their fifteen years together, the Marian Consort has amassed an international reputation for their “astounding” performances and ensemble sound. (The Herald) This fall, the youthful choir brings ...

Doric String Quartet

Doric String Quartet

April 26, 2024

Doric String Quartet led a spellbinding series of concerts, rich in variety, impeccable in execution. The Doric String Quartet is one of the leading quartets of its generation, widely celebrated for its ...

Escher String Quartet

Escher String Quartet

January 20, 2024

Presented by …Eloquent, full-blooded playing… The four players offer a beautiful blend of individuality and accord. Former BBC New Generation Artists, season artists of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln ...

On and On: José James Sings Badu

September 9, 2023

Celebrated New York-based singer José James has been called a “jazz singer for the hip-hop generation,” as he shares a genre-bending sound influenced by jazz as well as contemporary hip ...

Darin and Brooke Aldridge

September 27, 2023

Unique vocal talent, accomplished songwriting and commanding instrumental skills are just a few of Darin and Brooke Aldridge’s gifts. Brooke is a four-time consecutive winner for Female Vocalist of the ...

Brandee Younger

September 13, 2023

Harpist Brandee Younger has spent fifteen years stretching boundaries both sonic and social by playing jazz, R&B and hip hop on the classical instrument and unearthing the underrepresented legacies of ...

Dawn Landes

September 6, 2023

Dawn Landes is a force to be reckoned with. This multi–talented American singer–songwriter, musician, and producer has five full–length albums and five EPs under her belt. From touring with roots ...

Announcing the return of Music in the Gardens

Duke Performances is thrilled to announce the return of Music in the Gardens, now FREE to all. This long-running concert series is held outdoors at Sarah P. Duke Gardens and will include a five-concert showcase of nationally-renowned artists. View the 2023 line-up below!

The Cookers

April 29, 2023

Hailed as a “bebop supergroup” by NPR, The Cookers’ seven members have played on over 1,000 recordings combined, and two of them — drummer Billy Hart and saxophonist Donald Harrison, ...

An Evening with Eliane Elias

April 28, 2023

Close to 40 years after her debut album as a bandleader, Eliane Elias is just hitting her stride.  Elias has picked up three Grammy and Latin Grammy wins in the ...

Nella

Nella

March 4, 2023

Nella Rojas got off to a blazing start when her debut Voy won Best New Artist at the 2019 Latin Grammys. The flamenco-driven title track was named one of the ...

Gregory Porter

An Evening with Gregory Porter

February 24, 2023

Gregory Porter’s powerful baritone shows out on recordings like “Concorde,” the opening track of 2020’s Grammy-nominated All Rise — an album All Music called “buoyantly sophisticated.” But to truly experience ...

Mingus Big Band in Charlotte

October 23, 2022

The Mingus Big Band is an avatar of the fierce jazz giant, Charles Mingus, now celebrating his 100th birthday year. Guided by his widow Sue Mingus, a 2023 National Endowment ...

U.S. Tour of Works by Felwine Sarr Comes to Duke Performances

Felwine Sarr, Anne-Marie Bryan Distinguished Professor of Romance Studies at Duke, has been described in various biographies as a public intellectual, humanist, philosopher, economist, musician, playwright and poet. His face and his distinguished work will soon become more familiar to the community with the production of two of his plays by Duke Performances.

Brother Ali

October 7, 2022

This event is a co-production between Motorco and Duke Arts. Tickets are sold via the Motorco website. ### with MaLLY / DJ LAST WORD Brother Ali is a respected Hip ...

Oddisee

November 9, 2022

This event is a co-production between Motorco and Duke Arts. Tickets are sold via the Motorco website. ### DMV rapper and record producer Oddisee realized early on that purpose and ...

Night In Tunisia

October 21, 2022

Save 20% when you buy 4 or more events. Book now. Log in here to access employee and student discounts. ### Radio France dubbed Yacine Boulares “one of the most talented jazzmen of ...

Mingus Big Band

October 22, 2022

Save 20% when you buy 4 or more events. Book now. Log in here to access employee and student discounts. ### The Mingus Big Band is an avatar of the fierce jazz ...

Nobuntu

October 16, 2022

Save 20% when you buy 4 or more events. Book now. Log in here to access employee and student discounts. ### To listen to Nobuntu is to experience joyous harmony that few ...

Joey Alexander

September 10, 2022

Save 20% when you buy 4 or more events. Book now. Log in here to access employee and student discounts. ### We are thrilled to open the season with Joey Alexander, the ...

Artists as Researchers: Brittany J. Green Is Disrupting Classical Composition

For this installment of our “Artists as Researchers” series, we profile Brittany J. Green, a Ph.D. student in music composition and the current director of the Duke New Music Ensemble. She worked with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra to record her latest orchestral work, “Against/Sharp,” which explores the relationship between music and Black feminist theory; it will premiere online in January 2022.

Phil Cook

March 29, 2022

Phil Cook returns to Duke Performances for an intimate performance of the entirety of his new solo piano album All These Years. Recorded on a 1923 Steinway in Durham’s NorthStar ...

Pat Metheny

February 9, 2022

When Pat Metheny landed on the international jazz scene in 1974, he quickly became known for his unique rhythmic and harmonic sensibility, bolstered by a tendency to phrase melodies like ...

Three Lobed Recordings 21st Anniversary Festival

April 14, 2022 - April 17, 2022

Three Lobed Records’ founder and director Cory Rayborn characterized the seven new releases that mark the label’s twentieth anniversary as leaning “into the slightly weirder side of what you may ...

An Evening with Branford Marsalis

April 21, 2022 - April 22, 2022

For more than thirty years, the Branford Marsalis Quartet has told stories through sound with compositions original and classic, familiar and avant-garde. Joined by pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis, ...

In Scott Lindroth’s New Musical Work “T120,” the Extraordinary Meets the Mundane

Professor of music Scott Lindroth, whose new work ”T120” will premiere this Saturday, Oct 9 in Baldwin Auditorium, shares his thoughts on music-making during the pandemic and the long-awaited return to live, in-person performances. “I think it's heightened emotions for all of us in the performing arts to be able to be back on stage again, realizing how special that ritual is,” he shares.

Chris Pattishall Zodiac

November 5, 2021 - November 6, 2021

Self-taught pianist by three, professional musician by fifteen, teacher to Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis soon thereafter, and later Duke’s first Artist in Residence and Director of the Duke Jazz ...

Waxahatchee

April 10, 2021

Duke Performances is excited to present our virtual season – The Show Must Go Online! High-quality, commissioned films featuring artists originally slated for in-person performances will premiere on Vimeo for ticket holders. ...

Chris Pattishall
Zodiac

Chris Pattishall Zodiac WORLD PREMIERE: FRI, NOV 5 & SAT, NOV 6, 2021 GRAMMY-nominated pianist Chris Pattishall, a Durham native and rising star in the New York jazz scene, has ...

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Gianluca Corinaldesi: Art in Our COVID Life

Gianluca Corinaldesi started his position at Duke just three weeks before COVID stay at home orders. Learning to play the piano with his sons has brought joy to the Corinaldesi family home. "[It] puts me in a good mood like few other things," he reflects.

Branford Marsalis & Joey Calderazzo

May 1, 2021

Duke Performances is excited to present our virtual season – The Show Must Go Online! High-quality, commissioned films featuring artists originally slated for in-person performances will premiere on Vimeo for ticket holders. ...

Robert Meese ‘20: Summer Musical Immersion

My pre-pandemic plans involved performing orchestral and wind music in the United States and Austria at several summer festivals. Instead, I spent the summer studying orchestral scores and preparing for my first semester as a graduate student in Conducting.

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Join Duke Devilish Keys this Fall!

Are you a Duke student interested in performing piano around campus, rearranging contemporary music for keyboard, or connecting with other musicians from around the world? If so, Duke’s premiere a cappella-style piano group wants you!

Alarm Will Sound
1969

Alarm Will Sound 1969 DUKE PERFORMANCES PREMIERE: FRI, FEB 13, 2009 “Nonchalantly virtuosic” and “Überhip” (New York Magazine, Entertainment Weekly), the 20-member contemporary classical powerhouse ensemble Alarm Will Sound descended ...

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Small Town Records: Keeping the Music Going During COVID-19

Three leaders of Duke's student-run record label, Small Town Records, learned how to innovate, adapt to digital platforms, and create new music opportunities during a pandemic summer. “I can assure you that we will have STR running in some capacity, helping to shape the culture at Duke, for as long as we can," says Ryan Briggs,'21.

William Tyler
Corduroy Roads

William Tyler Corduroy Roads DUKE PERFORMANCES PREMIERE: THU, NOV 20 – SUN, NOV 23, 2014 For its 2014/2015 season, Duke Performances commissioned guitar virtuoso William Tyler — who occupies the ...

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