Yuja Wang and People of Earth launch chamber-style tour
Pianist Yuja Wang and the Latin-Caribbean jazz collective People of Earth debuted a new collaborative tour on July 23, performing at the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek as part of the Bravo! Vail Music Festival. The collaboration, years in the making, brings classical piano together with timba, salsa, bomba, plena, Haitian kompa, Brazilian MPB, soul, R&B and hip-hop. The touring configuration pares down the full collective of three vocalists, four horns, three percussionists, two keyboards and electric bass to a chamber-friendly lineup of Wang with percussionist and leader Gabriel Globus-Hoenich, trumpeters and vocalists Raul Rios and Jesus Ricardo, violinist and vocalist Ruben Rengel, percussionist and vocalist Ivan Llanes, and musical director Ahmed Alom, who shifts between keyboards, synthesizers and piano solos. Globus-Hoenich said the group chose the stripped-down format to suit classical concert halls while preserving its groove-driven sound.
NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo marks 100 years
The NHK Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo (NHKSO), founded in 1926, is celebrating its centennial with a 2026-27 season that ranges from Bach and Beethoven to Pokémon music. Director of artistic planning Shoichi Nishikawa called the orchestra "a public treasure" and said varied programming is key to its continued development. The season opens on September 12 with Fabio Luisi conducting Franz Schmidt's 1937 oratorio "The Book with Seven Seals," featuring solo vocalists, a choir and an organ alongside the full orchestra.
Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra performs free "Under The Stars" concert
The Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra staged its free "Under The Stars" concert at Neuroscience Group Field in Grand Chute, Wisconsin, on July 24, 2026, in a special collaboration with the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers baseball team. Music director Kevin Sütterlin described the event as a gift to the community and an opportunity to reach new listeners, noting that classical music is often wrongly perceived as "dusty and old." The program paired classical repertoire with rock and pop selections performed alongside the band Russ and the Renagades. The orchestra also offers a sensory-friendly concert format for attendees who prefer a quieter setting.
Tour expansion and upcoming season milestones
The Wang and People of Earth tour is set to continue into the Northeast, where audiences are more familiar with the collective's Latin-Caribbean sound. NHKSO's centennial year will extend across its full 2026-27 season, with further programming announcements expected ahead of the September 12 opener. The Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra will return to its regular home venue, the P-A-S, for additional concerts throughout the year.
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