2026-27

Our Common Home

Our Common Home

January 25 - February 19

A large-scale interactive exhibition that fuses art and technology to inspire reflection on climate action. Audiences are invited to engage in different ways, serving as a metaphor for the impact we have on our planet.

Sacred Spaces

Sacred Spaces
by Matthew Rushing

Friday, September 18 at 7:30pm

In Sacred Spaces, Alvin Ailey’s Associate Artistic Director Matthew Rushing and Co-creator and Musical Director Du’Bois A’Keen revisit the legacy and spirituality of Revelations.

Mo Amer

Mo Amer

Tuesday, September 22 at 7:30pm

Trailblazing comedian Mo Amer brings his sharp, deeply-personal stand-up to Durham to help kick off the Duke Arts Presents season. Known for his acclaimed series MO and three stand-up specials on Netflix, Amer has built a global following with comedy that blends personal storytelling, cultural insight, and fearless humor.

Día de los Muertos Ofrenda

Día de los Muertos Ofrenda

October 2 - November 5

Honor the dead at the Día de los Muertos Ofrenda at Duke Chapel. Visitors are invited to contribute photos, objects, or paper-chain links in remembrance of loved ones as part of this sacred Mexican tradition.

MAJOR

MAJOR
by Ogemdi Ude

Friday, October 2 at 7:30pm

In MAJOR, a dance-theater work by Ogemdi Ude, six Black femmes explore the power, memory, and physicality of majorette dance.

VOCES8

VOCES8
Lead Me Home

Thursday, October 15 at 7:30pm

Celebrated British vocal ensemble VOCES8 explores the traditions that shape American choral music, from early voices like William Byrd to contemporary composers like Caroline Shaw.

Awadagin Pratt

Awadagin Pratt
America 250

Sunday, November 1 at 2:00pm

Awadagin Pratt is one of the most distinctive pianists in American classical music. His program, America 250, traces the breadth of American voices from Florence Price to contemporary composers.

TREES

TREES
Directed & Performed by Sam Green

January 29 - January 30

Documentary filmmaker Sam Green returns to Duke with TREES, an ambitious live cinema performance blending film, live music, and on-stage narration. With music by Caroline Shaw and text by Rebecca Solnit, the work reflects humanity’s relationship with trees.

Jeremy Denk

Jeremy Denk

Friday, February 26 at 7:30pm

Jeremy Denk, one of America’s foremost pianists, pairs Clara Schumann, Amy Beach, and Louise Farrenc with contemporary composers including Tania León and Missy Mazzoli in this wide-ranging recital.

Ciompi Quartet and Friends

Ciompi Quartet and Friends
Appalachian Spring

Sunday, February 28 at 2:00pm

Ciompi Quartet performs Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring in its original chamber scoring for 13 instruments. Joined by musicians from the Durham Fellows Quartet, the program also features works by Stephen Jaffe and Osvaldo Golijov.

Tenebrae

Tenebrae
A Prayer for Deliverance

Tuesday, March 2 at 7:30pm

British choir Tenebrae is internationally renowned for its extraordinary clarity and emotional depth. A Prayer for Deliverance brings choral works centering on rest, solace, and spiritual reflection.

HopeBoykinDance: Troubled No More

HopeBoykinDance: Troubled No More

Saturday, March 20 at 7:30pm

HopeBoykinDance returns to Duke with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago for the premiere of "Troubled No More," a celebration of gospel legend Pastor Shirley Caesar.

Escher Quartet with pianist, David Fung

Escher Quartet with pianist, David Fung

Sunday, January 31 at 7:00pm

Inspired by M.C. Escher’s interplay of forms, the Escher Quartet joins pianist David Fung for Mozart, Schumann, and Korngold, music rich in dialogue, shifting between intimacy and concerto-like drama.

Quatuor Van Kuijk

Quatuor Van Kuijk

Friday, March 5 at 7:30pm

Hailing from France, Quatuor Van Kuijk are BBC New Generation Artists and winners of the Wigmore Hall Competition. Their Duke Arts debut features Mozart’s “Dissonance” alongside Bartók and Brahms.

Pacifica Quartet

Pacifica Quartet

Sunday, January 10 at 2:00pm

Two-time GRAMMY winners, Pacifica Quartet pairs Beethoven’s expansive Op. 130 with George Walker and Gabriela Lena Frank, placing bold contemporary voices alongside one of the repertoire’s most searching masterworks.

Schumann Quartett

Schumann Quartett

Friday, November 6 at 7:30pm

Three brothers and close collaborator, Veit Hertenstein, bring familial chemistry to Haydn, Ives, and Tchaikovsky, pushing each work to its limits with “extraordinary, frightening brilliance” (Bachtrack).

Camerata Nordica

Camerata Nordica

Sunday, October 4 at 7:00pm

A standout from Sweden’s chamber scene, Camerata Nordica’s self-conducted octet dives into Mozart, Mendelssohn, and Shostakovich, performing from within the ensemble for a thrilling sense of collaboration and energy.

Salix Piano Trio

Salix Piano Trio

Sunday, September 20 at 2:00pm

Named for the weeping willow, Salix Piano Trio shapes Mozart, Brahms, Higdon, Bridge, and Shostakovich into a vivid arc where elegance and intensity meet “fiercely intelligent playing” (The Washington Post).