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Matthew Whitaker
Musical prodigy Matthew Whitaker grew up surrounded by music. At age 9, he began teaching himself how to play the Hammond B3, and four years later became the youngest artist to ever be endorsed by Hammond. His always joyful performances, which span jazz, R&B and soul, display an innate mastery of the keyboard. Now three…
Emanuel Ax, Piano
For this long-anticipated Savannah Music Festival debut, celebrated pianist Emanuel Ax brings a unique program of Beethoven Sonatas interspersed with works by Schoenberg. “Ax’s playing is always marvelously articulate and totally unfussy. Nothing is done for effect or to draw attention to the player rather than to what he is playing; though his range of…
Madison Cunningham / Juana Molina
Madison Cunningham is a 26-year- old Grammy Award-winning artist and songwriter known for her “wonderfully tangled imagery and cutting self-awareness” (NPR). As a guitarist, Madison has pushed the boundaries of a conventional singer-songwriter as her “guitar work is both classic and wildly emotive, and her soaring vocals are pristine and inspired” (Consequence of Sound). Madison…
Philip Dukes & Friends IV: The Voice of Bach, A Musical Salute
No series featuring the music of Bach would be complete without his music for voice. Collaborating with the Savannah VOICE Festival to present Mark Delavan (who played Gianni Schicchi in the collaborative Puccini production at SMF 2015), the Bach Cantata in the first half is contrasted by a second half of songs by Copland and…
Noon30: Brandee Younger Trio
A leading voice of the harp, Brandee Younger recently made history at the 2022 Grammy Awards as the first Black female solo artist nominated in the Best Instrumental Composition category for her song ‚”Beautiful Is Black.” The mesmerizing track is from her 2021 major label debut album, Somewhere Different, that also received a 2022 NAACP…
Muddy and Wolf Revisited: A Tribute to Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf feat. Bobby Rush with North Mississippi Allstars
The North Mississippi Allstars are joined by blues and R&B showman Bobby Rushto celebrate the music of pioneering bluesmen Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. After 25 years, twelve albums, four Grammy Award nominations, and sold out shows all over the world, North Mississippi Allstars continue to expand the band’s sound, which is always rooted in…
Brandee Younger Trio / Immanuel Wilkins Quartet
Additional Showtimes: 5 pm, Wednesday, April 10 A leading voice of the harp, Brandee Younger recently made history at the 2022 Grammy Awards as the first Black female solo artist nominated in the Best Instrumental Composition category for her song “Beautiful Is Black.” The mesmerizing track is from her 2021 major label debut album, Somewhere…
Philip Dukes & Friends III: Bach’s Eternal Inspiration
Some 200 years after Bach’s death, 20th Century composers were still heavily inspired by the Baroque Era and the compositional techniques used (fugue, counterpoint, etc.), Stravinsky being one such composer. The fact that this will unquestionably still be the case in 2050, makes Bach’s music an eternal inspiration.
Brandee Younger Trio / Immanuel Wilkins Quartet
Additional Showtimes: 8:30 pm, Wednesday, April 10 A leading voice of the harp, Brandee Younger recently made history at the 2022 Grammy Awards as the first Black female solo artist nominated in the Best Instrumental Composition category for her song “Beautiful Is Black.” The mesmerizing track is from her 2021 major label debut album, Somewhere…
Kaia Kater / Viv & Riley
Additional Showtimes: 5 pm, Tuesday, April 9 Grenadian-Canadian Kaia Kater’s jazz-fueled voice and deft songcraft have garnered her extensive critical acclaim. Through artful banjo playing and lush songwriting, Kaia draws on influences rooted in Quebec, the Caribbean and Appalachia, all of which reflect the diversity of her background. Kater was a participant in SMF’s Acoustic…
Kaia Kater / Viv & Riley
Additional Showtimes: 8 pm, Tuesday, April 9 Grenadian-Canadian Kaia Kater’s jazz-fueled voice and deft songcraft have garnered her extensive critical acclaim. Through artful banjo playing and lush songwriting, Kaia draws on influences rooted in Quebec, the Caribbean and Appalachia, all of which reflect the diversity of her background. Kater was a participant in SMF’s Acoustic…
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys / AJ Lee & Blue Summit
Additional Showtimes: 3 pm, Sunday, April 7 Formed in the Smoky Mountains, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys are exactly what you would expect and not at all what you would expect from a tattooed East Tennessee bluegrass outfit. However, they take pride in being ambassadors of their genre. The group has brought their music from rural…
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys / AJ Lee & Blue Summit
Additional Showtimes: 7 pm, Sunday, April 7 Formed in the Smoky Mountains, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys are exactly what you would expect and not at all what you would expect from a tattooed East Tennessee bluegrass outfit. However, they take pride in being ambassadors of their genre. The group has brought their music from rural…
Latin Dance Party: Orquesta Akokán
Additional Showtimes: 6 pm, Saturday, April 6 Led by dynamic singer Kiko Ruiz, producer Jacob Plasse, arranger Michael Eckroth and the “island’s greatest instrumentalists” (The New York Times), Orquesta Akokán has a cohesion forged by years of international touring. The Cuban powerhouse ensemble’s sound has blossomed into an intimate dialogue between good friends, allowing for fearless…
Noon30: Tony Trischka
Tony Trischka is considered one of the most influential living banjo players. Trischka’s EarlJam honors Scruggs, the pioneer of a unique three-finger banjo style and one of the most important figures in bluegrass. “The depth of Earl’s genius becomes ever more apparent when I transcribe his solos, which I’ve been doing my entire life and…
Latin Dance Party: Orquesta Akokán
Additional Showtimes: 9 pm, Saturday, April 6 Led by dynamic singer Kiko Ruiz, producer Jacob Plasse, arranger Michael Eckroth and the “island’s greatest instrumentalists” (The New York Times), Orquesta Akokán has a cohesion forged by years of international touring. The Cuban powerhouse ensemble’s sound has blossomed into an intimate dialogue between good friends, allowing for fearless…
Michael Collins & Friends
Back for his second chamber music residency at Savannah Music Festival, clarinetist Michael Collins performs his first Savannah recital, also featuring returning pianist Ana-Maria Vera. As Gramophone noted, “Collins plays with an irresistible exuberance.
Philip Dukes & Friends II: Bach and Beyond
This concert features two composers that were most definitely not influenced by JS Bach, and in the case of Tchaikovsky, Bach’s music was very much “back and beyond.” Although he acknowledged his technical skills, he in no way regarded Bach as a musical legend.
Noon30: Stephane Wrembel Quartet
Widely considered one of the masters of the Django Reinhardt style, French guitarist Stephane Wrembel’s music has expanded to incorporate jazz, blues, classical, swing, flamenco and rock ‘n’ roll. He immersed himself in Django’s native Sinti culture (a Western European Roma group), learning from Sinti guitarists Angelo Debarre and Serge Krief. Wrembel then pursued studies…
Crescent City Funk: Dumpstaphunk / Cha Wa
Additional Showtimes: 5:30 pm, Friday, April 5 Dumpstaphunk is simply one of the funkiest bands out of the Crescent City. Born on the Jazz & Heritage Festival stage, and composed of Neville and Meters family bloodlines, the group ignites deep, gritty grooves that keep audiences on their feet. Alongside Tony Hall, Nick Daniels, Alex Wasily,…
Cajun Dance Party: The Savoy Family Cajun Band
Additional Showtimes: 7 pm, Saturday, April 6 Aptly named the “First Family of Cajun Music,” the Savoy Family Cajun Band hails from Eunice, Louisiana. Patriarch and celebrated accordion builder Marc Savoy is a National Heritage Fellow. His wife Ann Savoy wrote a well-known book on Cajun music history, and has produced numerous recordings with the…
Cajun Dance Party: The Savoy Family Cajun Band
Additional Showtimes: 4:30 pm, Saturday, April 6 Aptly named the “First Family of Cajun Music,” the Savoy Family Cajun Band hails from Eunice, Louisiana. Patriarch and celebrated accordion builder Marc Savoy is a National Heritage Fellow. His wife Ann Savoy wrote a well-known book on Cajun music history, and has produced numerous recordings with the…
Doc and Earl: Doc at 100 / Tony Trischka’s EarlJam
Doc Watson and Earl Scruggs both had transformative impacts on bluegrass and American acoustic music. Celebrating their 100th birth years, this co-bill spotlights each of their musical legacies through stories, tunes and songs. Doc at 100 pulls together friends and former musical collaborators of Arthel “Doc” Watson, also featuring commentary from Ted Olson, author of…
Escher String Quartet feat. Philip Dukes
Escher String Quartet has received acclaim for its profound musical insight and rare tonal beauty. Violinists Adam Barnett-Hart and Brendan Speltz have been residents in the Philip Dukes & Friends series for the past two seasons. For this season of SMF, the full quartet returns for their first featured appearance since 2021, welcoming Dukes to…
Crescent City Funk: Dumpstaphunk / Cha Wa
Dumpstaphunk is simply one of the funkiest bands out of the Crescent City. Born on the Jazz & Heritage Festival stage, and composed of Neville and Meters family bloodlines, the group ignites deep, gritty grooves that keep audiences on their feet. Alongside Tony Hall, Nick Daniels, Alex Wasily, John Michael Bradford and Deven Trusclair, cousins…
Stephane Wrembel Quartet / Tatiana Eva-Marie & Avalon Jazz Band
Additional Showtimes: 5 pm, Thursday, April 4 Widely considered one of the masters of the Django Reinhardt style, French guitarist Stephane Wrembel’s music has expanded to incorporate jazz, blues, classical, swing, flamenco and rock ‘n’ roll. He immersed himself in Django’s native Sinti culture (a Western European Roma group), learning from Sinti guitarists Angelo Debarre…