GRAMMY Nominated Harpist Brandee Younger Kicks Off International Tour

GRAMMY nominated harpist Brandee Younger will embark on an extensive international tour beginning October 2025, with performances across Europe and North America through Spring 2026. The run includes a robust slate of U.S. dates in major cities and storied venues alongside a full stretch of European festivals and concert hall appearances.

The tour begins in Europe with engagements with the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, Jazzfest Brno in the Czech Republic, Wiener Konzerthaus in Vienna, Enjoy Jazzfestival in Heidelberg, Blue Note Jazz Club in Poznań, Jassmine in Warsaw, and Akbank Jazz Fest in Istanbul.

The U.S. leg launches October 18 at the Hopkins Center for the Arts in Hanover, NH, followed by performances at The Freight in Berkeley, CA (Oct. 23), The Century Room in Tucson, AZ (Oct. 25), Sam First in Los Angeles, CA (Oct. 26), in Minneapolis, MN (Oct. 27), Dazzle in Denver, CO (Oct. 28), The Old Church Concert Hall in Portland, OR (Oct. 29), and the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute in Seattle, WA (Oct. 30). Additional fall stops include Bowker Auditorium in Amherst, MA (Nov. 13), a three-night stand at SOUTH Jazz Kitchen in Philadelphia, PA (Nov. 14-16), and a Brooklyn homecoming at National Sawdust (Dec. 13). The North American schedule continues into 2026 with appearances in Durham, Atlanta, Orlando, Montclair and Salt Lake City. Younger will return to Europe in 2026 as well, with appearances scheduled in Germany, France, Switzerland, Norway and Belgium.

This ambitious touring schedule follows the widespread critical acclaim for Younger's third album on Impulse! Records, Gadabout Season. Produced by bassist Rashaan Carter and featuring special guests including Shabaka, Courtney Bryan, Niia, and Josh Johnson, the album represents Younger's most personal and exploratory work to date. Much of it was written in a cabin in upstate New York and recorded in her Harlem apartment, with Younger serving as composer or co-composer on nearly every track. The project also marked a milestone as she became custodian of Alice Coltrane's restored harp, used throughout the recording. "This was not my first time playing the harp, but as this new music was unique to me, I had to become one with it at home," Younger reflects.

Critics have hailed Gadabout Season as a career high point. NPR's All Songs Considered called it "her strongest total statement as a creator so far," while The New York Times described it as "the best encapsulation yet of the tasteful, subtly radical sonic hybrid that she has been honing since she picked up the harp at age 11."

Additional praise has come from major outlets: The Wall Street Journal noted Younger "explores an unbound aesthetic with disarming grace," while Pitchfork praised its "dreamlike blend of lightweight jazz, classical precision, and the soulfulness of old-school R&B, all anchored by Younger's graceful harp." DownBeat featured her in its September issue, calling the work "an exquisite soundscape of a record." Further acclaim arrived from Jazz Times ("a radiant thing"), Financial Times ("moves a niche jazz tradition into a contemporary mainstream path"), Jazzwise ("A career landmark."), and Off Topic Magazine ("definitely Younger's best album... poetic, meditative, ethereal, gently jazzy, and animated by fresh ideas").

Younger's recent achievements extend beyond the studio. She was named a 2025 Doris Duke Artist Award recipient, honoring her innovative work in bringing the harp into mainstream jazz, hip-hop, and soul. In September, she joined Stevie Wonder at the Hollywood Bowl for a tribute to Minnie Riperton, performing Wonder's classic "If It's Magic." The invitation held deep significance: Younger is a protégé of the late Dorothy Ashby, who played on the original recording, and has a long-standing personal relationship with Wonder. The moment symbolized a continuation of musical legacy, with Younger bridging generations through her artistry.

Younger continues to grow the scope of her artistry, forging meaningful creative partnerships that reflect her singular vision. One such collaboration is with fashion designer Marrisa Wilson, who dressed Younger in the Bartica Dress from the Spring/Summer 2024 Marissa Wilson New York Collection for that historic Hollywood Bowl performance. This collaboration, first sparked by a special capsule collection with SFJAZZ and presented in a multi media context, has evolved into an ongoing creative partnership between the designer and the harpist. On the upcoming international tour, Younger will exclusively wear Marrisa Wilson's custom looks, underscoring her distinctive presence not only as a musician but as a style icon redefining stagewear for contemporary jazz.

Among the most celebrated jazz artists to emerge in the 21st century, Brandee Younger is a harpist, composer, and bandleader whose music connects spiritual jazz and classical training to the rhythmic soulfulness of R&B and hip-hop. Her previous Impulse! release Brand New Life won the 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album, while her track "Beautiful Is Black" from 2021's Somewhere Different earned her a GRAMMY nomination, making her the first Black female solo artist nominated in the Best Instrumental Composition category.

Tour Dates

October 2025

• October 2 & 4 - Jazz Orchestra Of The Concertgebouw & Brandee Younger - Rotterdam, Netherlands
• October 5 - Jazzfest Brno - Cabaret des Péchés, Brno, Czech Republic
• October 6 - Wiener Konzerthaus - Wien, Austria
• October 7 - Enjoy Jazzfestival - Kulturhaus Karlstorbahnhof, Heidelberg, Germany
• October 9 - Blue Note Jazz Club - Poznan, Poland
• October 10 - Jassmine - Warsaw, Poland
• October 11 - Akbank Jazz Fest - Beşiktaş, Turkey
• October 18 - Hopkins Center for the Arts - Hanover, NH
• October 23 - The Freight - Berkeley, CA
• October 25 - The Century Room - Tucson, AZ
• October 26 - Sam First - Los Angeles, CA
• October 27 - The Dakota - Minneapolis, MN
• October 28 - Dazzle - Denver, CO
• October 29 - The Old Church Concert Hall - Portland, OR
• October 30 - Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute - Seattle, WA

November 2025

• November 3 - Jazzfest Budapest - Eiffel Art Studios, Budapest, Hungary
• November 4 - Conservatori del Liceu Auditori - Barcelona Jazz Festival, Barcelona, Spain
• November 6 - Teatro Isabel la Católica - Granada, Spain
• November 8 - Rockit! Festival - De Oosterpoort, Groningen, Netherlands
• November 13 - Bowker Auditorium - Amherst, MA
• November 14-16 - SOUTH Jazz Kitchen - Philadelphia, PA

December 2025

• December 13 - National Sawdust - Brooklyn, NY

2026

• January 21 - Hayti Heritage Center, Durham NC -
• January 25 - Theater Regensburg - Sparks & Visions Festival, Regensberg, Germany
• Jan 30 - Sons d'hiver Festival, Creteil, France
• February 1 - Festspielhaus Baden-Baden - Baden-Baden, Germany
• February 3 - Moods Zurich, Switzerland
• February 4 - Bee Flat, Bern, Switzerland
• February 7 - Nasjonal Jazzscene - Victoria Hall, Oslo, Norway
• March 13 - Jazz At All Saints' - Atlanta, GA
• March 14-15 - Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, Orlando, FL
• March 19 - Montclair Art Museum - Montclair, NJ
• April 24 - Kingsbury Hall @ The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
• May 7 - Hr-Sendesaal - Hessischer Rundfunk - Frankfurt Am Main, Germany
• May 8 - Centralstation - Darmstadt, Germany
• May 20 - Flagey - Brussels, Belgium