Carpenter Center Launches New SPOTLIGHT SESSIONS Series With Bilal And Lucía
Grammy winner Bilal performs Sept. 12–13; jazz vocalist Lucía appears May 5, 2026.
By: A.A. Cristi Aug. 25, 2025
The Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center at California State University, Long Beach has announced its first new performance series in over a decade: Spotlight Sessions. The series launches this fall with Grammy-winning R&B and soul artist Bilal on September 12–13, followed by Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition winner Lucía on May 5, 2026.
Spotlight Sessions offers audiences a chance to discover bold, genre-defying artists up close, with seating located directly on stage and never more than 40 feet from the performers. Presented in an intimate cabaret-style setting, the series also includes bar service with beer, wine, and nonalcoholic beverages available before each show and during intermission. The program joins the Carpenter Center’s existing Wit & Wisdom, Dance, WOW!, Sunday Afternoon Concert, and Cabaret series.
“Our inaugural Spotlight Sessions give music fans the chance to witness Bilal and Lucía's artistry up close,” said Executive Director Megan Kline. “It's a rare opportunity to experience the unfiltered energy of these bold and captivating artists. Music fans are going to love it.”
Bilal opens the series on September 12–13, appearing at the Carpenter Center on the heels of his first new studio album in over a decade, Adjust Brightness. His performances will fuse soul, funk, and jazz with avant-garde electronic influences, and mark his only Southern California appearances this fall. The season concludes on May 5 with Lucía, a rising star in contemporary jazz who became the first Mexican finalist—and eventual winner—of the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in 2022. Her Carpenter Center debut will showcase a blend of American jazz standards and Latin folk music from her native Veracruz.
Tickets are $48.75–$58.75 for Bilal and $48.75 for Lucía, available at carpenterarts.org or by calling 562-985-7000 (M–Th, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.).
Convenient parking is available in Lot G12 directly in front of the Carpenter Center. Parking fees are $10 after 5:30 p.m. on weekdays and $10 all day on weekends. Full details are available at carpenterarts.org/parking.
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