Performances & Events
North University and Thayer Street directly adjacent to Hill Auditorium will be closed for construction during the 2026 fall semester. We recommend event attendees arrive early, anticipate limited parking, and consider public transit options.
Construction will limit access to the Thayer Street Parking Structure. The Power Center Fletcher Street Parking Structure or the Palmer Structure are the nearest alternatives.
Increased traffic and limited parking may impact attendees of events at Hill Auditorium, Rackham Auditorium, Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, and the Power Center.
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Free - no tickets required
David Zerkel and Liz Ames will present a recital of original works written for tuba and piano. The program will begin with the outstanding Tuba Sonata written by Norwegian composer Trygve Madsen. The Madsen will be followed by a very expressionistic work, Lamento, by the great Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina. The first half will close with John Harmon’s Silhouette for tuba and piano. The main feature of the second half is the Tuba Concerto written by the American Trombonist Raymond Premru. The piece was composed in memory of the late John Fletcher, a British tubist who has served as David’s inspiration throughout his professional career. It is an unusually touching piece. The second half also includes a hauntingly beautiful work by the Japanese-Canadian composer, Cait Nishimura.
Free - Registration Recommended
Join us to celebrate Judy Rice’s life and legacy at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. All who have been impacted by Judy’s love, generosity, mentorship, and artistry are welcome. Doors open at 5pm. Registration is encouraged, but not required.
Jazz Ensemble & Jazz Trombone Ensemble at the Detroit Jazz Festival
Waterfront Stage, Hart Plaza, Downtown Detroit, MI
Free - no tickets required
Catch the U-M Jazz Ensemble and U-M Jazz Trombone Ensemble performing in downtown Detroit at the world’s largest free jazz festival.
Free - no tickets required
Jayce Ogren conducts the CDE in a program of works by Steve Reich, Jordan Nobles, and Frederic Rzewski.
Nicholas Walker, double bass
Blanche Anderson Moore Recital HallEarl V. Moore Building
Free - no tickets required
SMTD Professor of Double Bass Nicholas Walker performs a recital with special guest Jacob Warren, double bass. The recital will begin with Professor Walker’s transcription for double bass of J. S. Bach’s Partita in A minor for solo flute, BWV 1013. The second half of the program will feature 8 original works by Nicholas Walker: In April of 2017 Walker wrote ZUGZWANG – Eight Duos for Double Basses, for Matthew McDonald & Rick Stotijn to play at the 50th Anniversary ISB Convention in Ithaca. The three bassists have a deep love of Germanic music, although they each hail from non-German countries. This inspired a work for bassists from all cultures to play together, eight duos that depict “Eight German language words that do not exist in English, but ought to.”
Free - no tickets required
Graduate student Abigail Peel performs a final master’s degree recital.
CONTESTED: Libretto Workshop Reading and Audience Response
Stamps AuditoriumWalgreen Drama Center
Free - no tickets required
A public libretto reading of a new opera-in-progress, Contested: The Monument and the Shadow, by librettist Anita Gonzalez with composer Joel Thompson. Moving between past and present, the opera explores the construction and removal of Confederate monuments in the American South, examining how societies preserve, challenge, and reckon with contested histories. It brings conflicting perspectives into dialogue and invites audiences to consider whose memories are preserved, how historical narratives evolve, and what it means to confront the legacy of the past. Audience members will have the opportunity to respond to the work and provide feedback to the creative team. Come to be a part of the creative process and to get a sneak peak at this new opera in development!
“Blow Up” – Grad Student Dance Concert
Dance Performance Studio TheatreDance Building
Master of Fine Arts in Dance candidate Olga Rabetskaya presents dance works generated during the first year of the MFA program.
“Brasilintime: Batucada com Discos” (2006)
Hatcher Library North, First Floor, Room 100 (Hatcher Gallery Event Space), 913 S University Ave, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
Free - no tickets required
Join Assistant Professor of Musicology Gustavo Souza Marques (Gusmão) for a screening + Q&A of Brasilintime: Batucada com Discos (2006), with the film’s director and University of California San Diego (UCSD) professor Brian Cross (B+). The film explores the intersections between American hip-hop and Brazilian music through legendary figures from both musical scenes, including hip-hop producer Madlib and internationally renowned drummers such as the late Ivan Conti “Mamão” and Dom Um Romão.
“Changing Channels” – MFA Thesis Dance Concert by Lauren Blair Smith
Dance Performance Studio TheatreDance Building
Free - Tickets Required
The Department of Dance proudly presents Changing Channels, an innovative and original dance thesis concert directed and choreographed by Master of Fine Arts in Dance candidate Lauren Blair Smith. Performances will be held on September 18 and 19 at 7:30pm. Admission to the event is free. Tickets will be available at the door starting one hour prior to each show, with doors opening 30 minutes before showtime each night. Changing Channels explores the psychological and physical experience of code-switching through a dynamic blend of contemporary choreography, original music production by Singaporean producer Alif Aircho, and multimedia elements. Using the metaphor of switching television channels, this performance navigates different emotional states, societal expectations, and the complex journey of identity.
