SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents its 65th anniversary season of world-class cultural and artistic events, from stimulating lectures and animated conversations with today’s thought leaders to brilliant performances by the world’s most accomplished dancers, singers, musicians and performers. Single (non-subscription) tickets for UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2024-2025 season go on sale Friday, August 2 at 10 a.m.
SANTA BARBARA — A capacity Arlington Theatre audience thrilled to a surprise appearance by Oprah Winfrey at last night’s UCSB Arts & Lectures Speaking with Pico event. Winfrey came out to celebrate the success of her friend Dr. Abraham Verghese, whose novel The Covenant of Water was an Oprah’s Book Club pick in 2023 and has been on the New York Times fiction bestseller list continuously since its release.
Due to the evacuation order issued by the county for parts of Santa Barbara, as well as the warning issued today by the National Weather Service, Mountain Stage with Host Kathy Mattea has been canceled. There is no reschedule date at this time.
As reported by KEYT, “The National Weather Service announced a high risk for life threatening and damaging flash flooding in all of Santa Barbara down to Los Angeles, and stressed the importance of preparation and avoiding flooding roadways.”
Special note:
We regret to announce that, due to circumstances beyond our control, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo’s January 25 performance at The Granada Theatre has been canceled. There is no reschedule date at this time.
Ticket purchasers may apply the value of their tickets toward a ticket exchange for another event in the 2023-2024 season, donate the value of their tickets to Arts & Lectures (tax-deductible), or receive a refund to their original form of payment.
We appreciate your patience as we work through ticket holders’ replies and requests.
Questions? Contact us at (805) 893-3535 or info@artsandlectures.ucsb.edu, Mon-Fri, 10 AM-5 PM.
Sincerely,
Arts & Lectures
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Renée Fleming on Thursday, February 1 at 7 p.m. at The Arlington Theatre, 1317 State St. Santa Barbara. Radiant soprano Renée Fleming’s lustrous voice is the stuff of legends. Affectionately called “America’s Diva,” only she can claim to have sung at the Super Bowl, Buckingham Palace, a Nobel Peace Prize ceremony and a presidential inauguration, in addition to all the world’s major opera houses – not to mention boasting five Grammy wins, an indie rock album and a Tony-nominated Broadway appearance. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear “one of the truly magnificent voices of our time” (Los Angeles Times) lend her trademark warmth and sensitivity to a rare recital program.
Due to the evacuation order issued by the county for parts of Santa Barbara, as well as the warning issued today by the National Weather Service, Mountain Stage with Host Kathy Mattea has been canceled. There is no reschedule date at this time.
As reported by KEYT, “The National Weather Service announced a high risk for life threatening and damaging flash flooding in all of Santa Barbara down to Los Angeles, and stressed the importance of preparation and avoiding flooding roadways.”
Resilience can ripple outward, changing the lives of people, families and communities. A cultural trauma navigator, Resmaa Menakem connects individual and familial experiences to societal processes, helping people find paths forward from intergenerational racial and historical trauma. Known best for his New York Times bestseller My Grandmother’s Hands and his Guerrilla Muse podcast, Menakem helps us apply critical, empathetic and embodied thought to controversial topics. His work sets a course for critical understanding, healing and transformation of our ailing societies.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Abraham Verghese in conversation with Pico Iyer on Wednesday, February 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. Dr. Abraham Verghese’s instant New York Timesbestseller, The Covenant of Water, was released in May to widespread critical acclaim and was named an Oprah’s Book Club pick. One of the most masterful literary novels published in recent years, the book is the long-awaited follow-up to Verghese’s previous novel, Cutting for Stone, which topped the New York Times bestseller list for more than two years, is being adapted for film and was named one of Amazon’s 100 Books to Read in a Lifetime. A distinguished Stanford professor and a prominent voice in medicine, Verghese received the National Humanities Medal from President Obama. Following the conversation and Q&A, both Abraham Verghese and Pico Iyer will be available to sign their most recent books.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Taj Mahal Quintet and Sona Jobarteh on Thursday, February 22 at 8 p.m. at Campbell Hall. Celebrated blues legend Taj Mahal brings his glorious voice and virtuosic multi-instrumentalism to this uniquely powerful evening of new world music. A musical innovator, cultural ambassador and winner of the 2023 Grammy Award for Best Traditional Blues Album, Taj Mahal’s long career touches on every imaginable strand in the fabric of roots music.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents climatologist and geophysicist Michael E. Mann on Friday, February 23 at 7:30 p.m. at UCSB Campbell Hall. With more than two decades on the front lines of climate science and policy, Michael E. Mann has become one of our best known and most valuable science communicators. Through six books, including his latest, Our Fragile Moment, Mann explains what the research means, how we should live and what we should demand of our leaders. Using Earth’s deep climate history to reframe the problems that we face today, Mann combines urgency with agency, encouraging people to appreciate the gravity of the unfolding climate crisis while emboldening them to act before it truly does become too late.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Leila Josefowicz, violin on Sunday, February 25 at 4 p.m. at Campbell Hall. An invaluable advocate for living composers, Leila Josefowicz has premiered dozens of new works for violin including concertos written expressly for her by John Adams, Esa Pekka-Salonen and many others. Josefowicz’ program illuminates the path to contemporary music that travels through expressionism. Works by Debussy and Szymanowski transport us to a lush, harmonic fantasy world, while those by Tüür and Stravinsky continue our journey into a more visceral realm that delights us with unexpected humor, excitement and passion.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour – two nights, two programs – on Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. The Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour returns for two nights of exhilarating mountain adventures at larger-than-life scale. Featuring the world’s best films on subjects ranging from base jumping in Pakistan to freediving the Mara Islands of South Korea, the tour delivers adrenaline-packed thrills alongside profound messages about human potential and the natural world. Curated and hosted by Roman Baratiak, A&L Associate Director Emeritus, an entirely different program of films screens each night.
SANTA BARBARA – UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Meow Meow on Thursday, March 7 at 8 p.m. at Lobero Theatre. Named one of the Top Performers of the Year by The New Yorker, Meow Meow’s award-winning solo works have been curated by David Bowie, Pina Bausch, Mikhail Baryshnikov and numerous international arts festivals. Her new show is a wildly enjoyable tip-of-the-top-hat to the Weimar Republic’s notable “wild women” – both fictional and real – that channels the era’s urgent blend of art, entertainment and winking social commentary.
SANTA BARBARA — ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! (Viva) is back with another exciting free community event. Enjoy three free exhilarating performances from Afro-Latin music group, Quitapenas.
Founded in 2011 and born under the warm California sun, Quitapenas share a love of dance rhythms from the tropical Afro-Latin diaspora.The group is made up of first generation sons of immigrant parents from Guatemala and Mexico. They borrow aesthetics from the radical 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Their songs are a remix of history, and invite one to engage in the liberating evenings of Angola, Peru, Colombia, Brazil and beyond. The name means “to remove worries.” Everybody has a “pena” and the mission of Quitapenas is simple: to make you dance and leave you without a worry.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Tommy Emmanuel, CGP on Saturday, March 9 at 8 p.m. at Campbell Hall. Recognized as one of the best acoustic guitar players on Earth, Tommy Emmanuel brings a sense of palpable joy to every note he plays. Incorporating the sounds of blues, country, rock, classical and Spanish music, his unique style encompasses a multi-dimensional landscape of masterful guitar playing. A four-time winner of Australia’s “Golden Guitar” Award, his long-awaited 2023 album Accomplice Two features scores of musical legends ranging from Michael McDonald to Billy Strings.
With her ravishing vocal presence and extraordinary ability to draw enormous feeling from a single note, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Sierra Ferrell embodies a transcendent eclecticism that utterly defies categorization. Born in West Virginia and based in Nashville, Ferrell has garnered critical acclaim and a dedicated fanbase on the strength of her magnetic live shows. After releasing her debut album, Long Time Coming, in 2021, Ferrell won the coveted Emerging Act of the Year honor at the 2022 Americana Awards. Delightfully unbound by genre or era, Ferrell’s original songs instantly transport her audience to an enchanted world.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Roomful of Teeth with Gabriel Kahane on 4 p.m. Sunday, March 24 at Hahn Hall. Grammy Award winners Roomful of Teeth have carved themselves a niche as one of America’s most interesting contemporary vocal ensembles. Collaborating with artists and thinkers from around the world, the group seeks to amplify voices old and new and expand the capabilities of the human voice. Their engaging new program features works by founding member Caroline Shaw, special guest Gabriel Kahane and other composers known for creating meaningful and adventurous new music.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Robert B. Reich on Wednesday, April 3 at 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Hall. Robert B. Reich is one of America’s foremost experts on jobs and the economy. A bestselling author, award-winning documentarian and a respected commentator, Reich is renowned for his ability to present complex issues with warmth and urgency. In the face of growing economic insecurity, lagging wage growth and technologies eliminating jobs, many believe society’s major institutions no longer function in ways that benefit most people. Amid widespread strikes and labor disputes, Reich examines widening inequalities of income, wealth and political power, and expertly shows how restoring equal opportunity is critical for all Americans.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Fatoumata Diawara on Wednesday, April 7 at 7:00 p.m. at Campbell Hall. Combining thrilling vocals with deft guitar work and a flair for fashion, Fatoumata Diawara is a musical sensation out of West Africa. Singing in Bambara, the language of her native Mali, along with French and English, Diawara delivers biting social commentary and plays stinging electric guitar solos that ride on her band’s sinuous funk-influenced beats. Her latest album, London Ko, was produced by Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz) and reflects a boldly eclectic approach that remains firmly rooted in her heritage.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Lauren Groff in conversation with Pico Iyer on Tuesday, April 9 at 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Hall. A three-time National Book Award finalist, bestselling novelist and short story writer, Lauren Groff spins highly imaginative fiction out of an acute awareness of the historical forces that shape human behavior. In a six-book oeuvre that spans centuries and embraces a variety of diverse settings, Groff elevates gripping storylines with electrifying prose and startling, unforgettable descriptions. Known for literary masterpieces such as Fates and Furies and Matrix, her latest novel is The Vaster Wilds, a thrilling adventure story set in the wilderness of colonial America. Both Groff and moderator Pico Iyer will be available following the presentation to sign books.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents the Danish String Quartet on Wednesday, April 10 at 7 p.m. at Campbell Hall. The Danish String Quartet is joined by Finnish cellist Johannes Rostamo for the eagerly-anticipated capstone to their international Doppelgänger Project. In part IV, the Danish pairs Schubert’s String Quintet, frequently cited among the greatest of all works of chamber music, with a new piece titled Wreath – For Franz Schubert by renowned British composer Thomas Adès. Part III of the project was heralded by The New York Times as “ensemble music at its purest – a consensus interpretation, rendered selflessly in service of the group as instrument.”
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Herbie Hancock on Wednesday, April 17 at 8 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. Experience a night under the spell of Herbie Hancock, jazz’s most versatile and influential keyboard player. As pianist for Miles Davis in the mid-1960s, Hancock helped pioneer a groundbreaking new sound in jazz. A trained engineer, he was among the first bop players to explore the potential of electric instruments and combine jazz with funk and rock. Hancock has garnered a Kennedy Center Honor, an Academy Award for his Round Midnight film score and 14 Grammys, including a prestigious Album of the Year for his 2007 tribute River: The Joni Letters.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents RuPaul on Thursday, April 18 at 7:30 p.m. at The Arlington Theatre. If we’re all born naked and the rest is drag, this is RuPaul stripped bare. Pop culture icon and international drag superstar RuPaul invites you to a spiritual awakening to celebrate the release of his new memoir, The House of Hidden Meanings. Allow your mind, body and soul to be enveloped in RuPaul’s lyrically poignant stories on life, love and finding your voice. During this special event, RuPaul offers fans a manual for living – a personal philosophy that testifies to the value of chosen family, the importance of harnessing what makes you different and the transformational power of facing yourself fearlessly. Don’t miss the opportunity to hear RuPaul’s extraordinary story as told by RuPaul.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Antonio Sánchez Birdman Live on Friday, April 19 at 8 p.m. at The Arlington Theatre. After the success of Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman, which won four Academy Awards including Best Picture, drummer/composer Antonio Sánchez performed his dramatic Grammy Award-winning score live around the world.
In his Santa Barbara debut, the acclaimed soloist will perform a rousing program ranging from W. A. Mozart to Florence Price SUMMARY UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Randall Goosby Sat, April 20 | 7 p.m. | Hahn Hall Acclaimed for…
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Rhiannon Giddens on Tuesday, April 23 at 8 p.m. at The Arlington Theatre. Singer and instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens’ iconic brand of folk music spotlights people whose contributions to American musical history have been overlooked or erased, and advocates for a more accurate understanding of the country’s musical origins through art. A two-time Grammy Award winner, MacArthur fellow and composer, she was awarded the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Music for her debut opera Omar. Her highly-anticipated new solo album, You’re the One, was released in August. For this show, Giddens will be joined by opening act Charly Lowry.
Starbucks is opening a new store in China every 15 hours and TikTok is redefining American social media – even as tensions build over Taiwan, cyberhacking and threats to global health. For the first time in a generation, the world has entered an era dominated by two superpowers.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Alonzo King LINES Ballet on Friday, April 26 at 8 p.m. at The Arlington Theatre. Blurring the lines between classical and contemporary, San Francisco-based Alonzo King LINES Ballet is renowned for its impeccable technique, captivating dancers and rich visual works. Alonzo King’s newest creation, Deep River, uses spiritual music from Black and Jewish traditions alongside original compositions by Jason Moran to assert the power of hope in the face of seemingly impossible odds.
SANTA BARBARA – – UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Kronos Quartet | Five Decades on Wednesday, April 24 at 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Hall. For 50 years, San Francisco’s Kronos Quartet has challenged and reimagined what a string quartet can be, centering its work around the key issues of our time. Kronos has commissioned, performed and recorded works that engage with topics such as war and destruction, the climate crisis, social injustice and spirituality. Now, the multi-Grammy Award-winning quartet marks its anniversary with a program of new commissions, signature works from its vast repertoire and pieces from its Fifty for the Future project.
Heralded as the voice of her generation, poet and activist Amanda Gorman empowers people across the globe with an undeniable message about the power of using your voice to make a difference. Gorman made history as the first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate of the United States and is celebrated for her commitment to advocating for the environment, racial equality and gender justice.
As the world’s foremost forest ecologist, Suzanne Simard has reshaped the way we understand the life and growth of plants. In her groundbreaking work Finding the Mother Tree, Simard explained how trees interact and communicate using below-ground fungal networks. Her research established the existence of “mother trees” that play an important role in the flow of information and resources in a forest. The concepts she developed have influenced everyone from earth scientists to artists – think James Cameron’s Avatarand Richard Powers’ The Overstory. Join Simard for a dazzling journey through the unseen world going on above our heads and under our feet.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson in conversation with K. Corley Kenna on Tuesday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Hall. Marine biologist, policy advisor and writer Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson is co-founder of Urban Ocean Lab, a think tank for the future of coastal cities, and co-creator of the podcast How to Save a Planet. Her forthcoming book, What if We Get It Right? offers answers to the crucial question: What would the future look like if we forged ahead with all the solutions to actually address the climate crisis? With grace and humanity, Johnson encourages us to step away from hopelessness and envision possibility.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Cristina Mittermeier on Friday, May 10 at 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Hall. National Geographic photographer Cristina Mittermeier has dedicated her life to safeguarding the world’s oceans and inspiring millions to do the same.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Ephrat Asherie Dance on Wednesday, May 15 at 8 p.m. at Campbell Hall. Ephrat “Bounce” Asherie, a New York-based b-girl with extensive training in ballet and modern dance, returns to reveal and explore the complexities of street and social dance forms. ODEON brings together and remixes street and club dances including breaking, hip hop, house and vogue, set to a mix of early 20th century romantic music and popular Afro-Brazilian rhythms.
Ephrat Asherie Dance | Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival 2018 (Jacob’s Pillow)
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Bruce Liu on Thursday, May 16 at 7 p.m. at Hahn Hall, Music Academy. Following his win at the Chopin International Piano Competition in 2021, Bruce Liu experienced a star-is-born moment at London’s Royal Festival Hall in March of 2022. Summoned at the last moment to join the Philharmonia Orchestra for an all-Tchaikovsky program, Liu called for the notoriously difficult Concerto No. 2 as a substitute for the more commonly played Concerto No. 1. After an astounding performance and glowing reviews, Liu found himself shifted to an even higher level of demand.
Pulitzer Prize finalist, cultural critic, producer and screenwriter Xochitl Gonzalez is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of its newsletter Brooklyn, Everywhere, about class, gentrification and the American Dream. Her debut novel, Olga Dies Dreaming, was named a Best of 2022 by The New York Times, Timemagazine, The Washington Post and NPR. Her highly-anticipated new book, Anita de Monte Laughs Last, was released in March 2024.
SANTA BARBARA — Due to unforeseen and extenuating circumstances, José Andrés is unable to join the UCSB Arts & Lectures series this Sunday. Mr. Andrés’ ongoing commitments to World Central Kitchen as they mourn the loss of their team members have made his attendance at the event impossible at this time.
We have worked closely with his team to reschedule his appearance for Thursday, May 23 at 5:30 PM at the Arlington Theatre, Santa Barbara. We offer our sympathies to José Andrés and the entire World Central Kitchen organization during this incredibly challenging time.
SANTA BARBARA — Make waves this summer with UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2024 FREE summer films line-up: Sun, Surf and Cinema. The program continues with Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves in the classic surf heist film, Point Break, at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden on Friday, July 12 at 8:30 pm. Come early to enjoy the glorious setting and share the night with friends. There will be giveaways and surprises.
Friday nights under the stars! Arts & Lectures’ annual FREE summer film series continues for 2024 with Sun, Surf and Cinema, seven nights of beach-inspired movies under the stars SUMMARY UCSB Arts & Lectures’ Sun, Surf and Cinema FREE summer…
SANTA BARBARA — Get ready to make waves this summer with UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2024 FREE summer films line-up: Sun, Surf and Cinema. The program continues with Hawaiian surf and romance in Blue Crush at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden on Friday, July 26 at 8:30 pm. Enjoy pre-screening festivities including a live set by DJ Darla Bea, raffle prizes and more.
SANTA BARBARA — Get ready to make waves this summer with UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2024 FREE summer films line-up: Sun, Surf and Cinema. The program continues with Wes Anderson’s 2004 film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou starring Bill Murray and an all-star cast at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden on Friday, August 9 at 8:30 pm. Enjoy pre-screening fun including a live DJ set from Val Mar Records, raffle prizes and more.
SANTA BARBARA — Get ready to make waves this summer with UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2024 FREE summer films line-up: Sun, Surf and Cinema. The program continues with the smash hit ABBA musical Mamma Mia! at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden on Friday, August 16 at 8:30 pm. Enjoy pre-screening festivities with KLITE’s Catherine Remak, enter to win raffle prizes, and more. Costumes are encouraged.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures and the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture present the FREE outdoor summer film series, Sun, Surf and Cinema, seven classic flicks celebrating the thrills and delights of beach and ocean life, Friday evenings under the stars through Fri. Aug 23 at 8:30 p.m. at the County Courthouse Sunken Garden. This year’s totally tubular lineup includes: Jaws, Point Break, 50 First Dates, Blue Crush, The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou, Mamma Mia! and Crazy Rich Asians. Bring breathable blankets, low chairs, a picnic and your friends!
SANTA BARBARA — Get ready to make waves this summer with UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 2024 FREE summer films line-up: Sun, Surf and Cinema. The program concludes with the 2018 romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse Sunken Garden on Friday, August 23 at 8:30 pm. Arrive early for pre-screening festivities, giveaways and a playlist curated by DJ Darla Bea.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Snarky Puppy on Tuesday, October 1 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. Rousing solos set amidst a deep rolling groove will give the audience plenty to shout about as this powerhouse ensemble shows what has made them a festival favorite worldwide. Known for forging a new path through the thickets of the music industry, Snarky Puppy has earned a reputation as one of the hardest working and most sophisticated proponents of jazz and funk. Dueling drummers and a rotating roster of elite soloists keep the rhythmic fires burning whenever these imaginative musicians come to town.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Olivier Messiaen’s HARAWI produced in collaboration with Ojai Music Festival on Friday, October 4 at 8 p.m. at Campbell Hall. HARAWI, an American Modern Opera Company (AMOC*) production, realizes Olivier Messiaen’s deeply-affecting song cycle for voice and piano in a newly physicalized and dramatized version directed by Zack Winokur that features acclaimed soprano, Julia Bullock; pianist Conor Hanick; and dancers Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Salman Khan, Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That’s a Good Thing) on Saturday, October 5 at 4 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. The visionary behind educational nonprofit Khan Academy, Salman Khan seeks to remove the barriers to education that leave over 600 million children lacking basic math and reading skills. His free, world-class curriculum – available to anyone, anywhere – has made a massive impact, with its videos reaching over a billion views. Now, Khan is using the power of AI to make education even more accessible. With the introduction of the revolutionary Khanmigo, he’s giving every student around the world an AI-powered personal tutor that The Washington Post calls “the best model we have for how to develop and implement AI for the public good.” Author of the new book Brave New Words, Khan offers a uniquely prescient and practical look into how we can use AI to enhance HI: “human intelligence, human potential and human purpose.”
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Mavis Staples and The War and Treaty on Tuesday, October 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. A chart-topping soul/gospel/R&B pioneer, civil rights icon, National Arts Awards Lifetime Achievement recipient and Kennedy Center honoree, Mavis Staples delivers roof-raising performances with youthful vigor and commanding maturity. Called “one of America’s defining voices of freedom and peace” by NPR, she marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., performed at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration and sang in Barack Obama’s White House. Combining traditional folk, country, R&B and spirituals into a dynamic blend that’s all their own, The War and Treaty (Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter) were the first Black artists ever nominated for Duo of the Year by the Country Music Association. Taking the stage separately, Staples and The War and Treaty promise an unforgettable evening of deep soul and heart-wrenching gospel passion.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents the London Philharmonic Orchestra on Saturday, October 12 at 7 p.m. at the Granada Theatre. Uniquely groundbreaking and exhilarating to watch, the London Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO) has been recognized as one of the world’s great orchestras since its founding in 1932. Heard by millions on the soundtracks for The Lord of the Rings and other films, the ensemble performs a rare Santa Barbara concert with violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja.
SANTA BARBARA — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Fight Night by Ontroerend Goed on Tuesday, October 15 at 8 p.m. at Campbell Hall. In the leadup to the 2024 presidential election, innovative Belgian theater company Ontroerend Goed offers a fun and thought-provoking night of interactive theater. A critically-acclaimed hit of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Fight Night puts digital voting devices – and the fate of its candidates – into the hands of the audience. With no political ideology or mention of politics, this production is a sharp, impartial and completely entertaining analysis of how democracy works. Make your vote count!
