Miller Theatre at Columbia University Will Present 2026-27 Season With Jazz, Early Music & More
Highlights include Suzanne Farrin's opera MACABÉA and composer portraits featuring Talea Ensemble and Wet Ink Ensemble.
Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts has announced its 2026-27 season, featuring world premieres, returning artists, contemporary music, jazz, Bach programming, and early music performances.
Led by Executive Director Melissa Smey, the season will include four Composer Portrait concerts, four jazz performances, a five-concert early music series, a three-concert Bach series, and the return of the theater’s free Pop-Up Concerts and Morningside Lights programming.
The Composer Portraits series will spotlight composers Suzanne Farrin, Sam Pluta, Katherine Young, and Clara Iannotta, with each artist participating in onstage conversations connected to their performances. The series will feature multiple world premieres, including new Miller Theatre commissions by Pluta, Young, and Iannotta. Farrin’s program will include the concert premiere of her opera Macabéa, based on Clarice Lispector’s The Hour of the Star, performed by Talea Ensemble with Charlotte Mundy and Christopher Herbert.
The jazz series will feature performances by the Alfredo Rodríguez Trio, Kris Davis with Tyshawn Sorey and Ingrid Laubrock, the Anthony Hervey Septet, and the Craig Taborn Dream Archives Trio with Tomeka Reid and Ches Smith.
Miller’s early music programming will once again take place at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin and will feature performances by Stile Antico, The Gesualdo Six, The Tallis Scholars, Quince Ensemble, and Cappella Pratensis with Piffaro. Several concerts will include contemporary commissions and world premieres alongside Renaissance and medieval repertoire.
The Bach series will include Grammy Award-winning violinist Jennifer Koh performing Bach’s complete Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin in a single evening, a performance of the Goldberg Variations arranged for string trio with Geneva Lewis, Emma Wernig, and Jay Campbell, and a recital by Simone Dinnerstein pairing Bach with works by Brad Mehldau and Keith Jarrett.
The 2026-27 season also marks the 15th anniversaries of Pop-Up Concerts and Morningside Lights, two free public programs created during Melissa Smey’s tenure. Pop-Up Concerts will continue as informal onstage performances throughout the year, while Morningside Lights XV, titled “A Common Thread,” will return September 19, 2026 with community lantern workshops beginning September 12.
In a statement included with the announcement, Smey said the season is “driven by a spirit of discovery,” highlighting artists “actively shaping the field” while also celebrating programs that make the arts more accessible to the surrounding community.
COMPOSER PORTRAITS
The Composer Portraits series will begin October 29, 2026 with Suzanne Farrin and continue February 4, 2027 with Sam Pluta, March 25, 2027 with Katherine Young, and April 8, 2027 with Clara Iannotta. Series subscriptions start at $64 for all four concerts.
JAZZ SERIES
The jazz lineup includes the Alfredo Rodríguez Trio on October 3, 2026; Kris Davis, Tyshawn Sorey, and Ingrid Laubrock on November 7, 2026; Anthony Hervey Septet on December 5, 2026; and the Craig Taborn Dream Archives Trio on February 6, 2027.
EARLY MUSIC SERIES
The early music series will feature Stile Antico on October 15, 2026; The Gesualdo Six on November 12, 2026; The Tallis Scholars on December 3, 2026; Quince Ensemble on February 11, 2027; and Cappella Pratensis with Piffaro on March 4, 2027. All performances will take place at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Manhattan.
BACH SERIES
Jennifer Koh will perform Bach’s Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin on September 24, 2026. Geneva Lewis, Emma Wernig, and Jay Campbell will perform the Goldberg Variations arranged for string trio on October 8, 2026, followed by Simone Dinnerstein’s recital on November 5, 2026.
FREE PROGRAMMING
Miller Theatre’s Pop-Up Concerts will continue throughout the season with monthly performances announced during the year. Morningside Lights XV: “A Common Thread” will take place September 19, 2026, with free workshops beginning September 12.
Subscriptions for the 2026-27 season are on sale now. Single tickets will go on sale Monday, July 13 at noon through www.millertheatre.com.
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