Cal Performances

Folk icon Judy Collins looks back on a six-decade career in this retrospective concert, tracing hits like "Both Sides Now" and "Send In the Clowns." A contemporary of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, she's recorded 55 albums and inspired a tribute record from artists including Rufus Wainwright, Dolly Parton, and Leonard Cohen.

Chicago's next-generation mariachi ensemble celebrates Día de los Muertos with a program that fuses traditional repertoire with salsa, bolero, bossa nova, and other Latin genres. Founded ten years ago by César Maldonado through the Mariachi Heritage Foundation, the group is known for its bold storytelling.

Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen returns with recital partner James Baillieu for a program of Bach, Reger, and Richard Strauss alongside Wagner's Tristan-imbued Wesendonck Lieder. The evening closes with traditional Christmas favorites sung in English, German, Italian, and Davidsen's native Norwegian.

Jazz pianist and composer Jason Moran leads a multidisciplinary meditation on James Reese Europe, the underrecognized Black bandleader whose all-Black regiment helped popularize jazz in France during World War I. Moran's longtime Bandwagon rhythm section joins a seven-piece horn section, with visuals by Oscar-nominated cinematographer Bradford Young.

Cirque Kalabanté blends traditional African movement and music with Montreal's circus arts tradition in this family-friendly spectacle about the transmission of knowledge and the meeting of cultures. The troupe is led by Guinean-born multidisciplinary artist Yamoussa Bangoura, who founded his own school of circus arts.

The Hot Sardines throw a sassy, swinging holiday show at Zellerbach Hall, inspired by classic films like White Christmas and It's a Wonderful Life alongside jazz standards from Louis Armstrong, Édith Piaf, and Duke Ellington. Expect a raucous, retro yuletide extravaganza built for a full band and a full house.

The San Francisco Gay Men's Chorus brings its mischievous singing elves back to Berkeley for the cherished Holiday Spectacular, a yearly dose of music, laughter, and seasonal cheer.