With a Build-Your-Own Subscription, you can craft a 2025-2026 Wisconsin Union Theater (WUT) season of performing arts that is uniquely yours! From our jazz and classical performances to hip-hop, theater, dance and beyond, experience the full breadth of this season.
Keep reading for build-your-own (BYO) subscription inspiration, learn about the benefits of being a subscriber, and get to know our season performers.
Returning to a WUT Stage
With past performances spanning from 1992 to 2024, we're thrilled to welcome back these fan favorites.
- Manual Cinema's "The 4th Witch" - Last seen at Shannon Hall with “Frankenstein” in 2024
- Samara Joy - Last seen at Shannon Hall with a sold-out show in 2023
- Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company: “Still / Here” - Last seen at Shannon Hall with “Play and Play: An Evening of Movement and Music” in 2015
- Caroline Shaw (Attacca Quartet with Caroline Shaw) - Last seen at Shannon Hall with Sō Percussion in 2022
As Seen on TV
From Netflix originals to center stage at the Grammys, these artists have already lit up your screen. Now, see them take the stage in Madison.
- Noga Erez with Special Guest V1V1D - “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “The Kelly Clarkson Show”
- Manual Cinema’s “The 4th Witch” - PBS, The New York Times’s “The Forger”
- Dobet Gnahoré - GrammyAwards, “Dobet Gnahoré” (2006 TV movie)
- Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company: Still / Here - PBS’s “Bill T. Jones: Still/Here with Bill Moyers”
Global Greats
From Afro-Cuban jazz to Brazilian soul and electronic pop, these internationally acclaimed artists bring the world to Madison.
- Luedji Luna - Brazil
- HIROMI’S Sonicwonder - Japan
- Noga Erez with Special Guest V1V1D - Israel
- Dobet Gnahoré - Côte d'Ivoire
- Chucho Valdés & Paquito D’Rivera Reunion Sextet - Cuba
Celebration Sets: Musical Tributes & Legacy Shows
These powerful performances honor the legacies of cultural icons and shared histories through jazz, dance, and storytelling.
- Jason Moran and the Harlem Hellfighters: James Reese Europe and the Absence of Ruin
- Jason Moran honors James Reese Europe, a trailblazing Black composer and military bandleader whose legacy shaped both jazz and American history.
- “Emily - No Prisoner Be”: Joyce DiDonato and Time for Three
- Superstar mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato joins Time for Three in a new work by Pulitzer Prize-winning Kevin Puts, which synthesizes music, visuals, and poetry to celebrate Emily Dickinson.
- Emmet Cohen: "Miles and Coltrane at 100," featuring Jeremy Pelt & Tivon Pennicott
- Featuring trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, saxophonist Tivon Pennicott, and pianist Emmet Cohen, celebrate the centennial of Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
- Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company: “Still / Here”
- Blending movement, personal stories, and striking visuals, Bill T. Jones’s "Still / Here," returning 30 years after its premiere, is a testament to the survival and strength of people facing life-threatening conditions.
- Chucho Valdés & Paquito D’Rivera Reunion Sextet
- With some 29 Grammy and Latin Grammy awards between them, legends Chucho Valdés and Paquito D’Rivera reunite on a tour celebrating their 60-year friendship.
Hip-Hop Hooray
The Black Box Sessions: Hip-hop returns to the WUT season with hard-hitting lyricism and rising stars. Plus, global star Noga Erez performs at Shannon Hall on her North American tour. All this proves again that hip-hop is never one thing.
- Blueprint
- redveil
- Noga Erez with Special Guest V1V1D
- PARTYOF2
Piano Powerhouses
From jazz innovators to classical masters, these pianists are among the best of our time.
- HIROMI’S Sonicwonder
- Richard Goode, piano
- Jason Moran and the Harlem Hellfighters: James Reese Europe and the Absence of Ruin
- Emmet Cohen: "Miles and Coltrane at 100" featuring Jeremy Pelt & Tivon Pennicott
- Chucho Valdés & Paquito D’Rivera Reunion Sextet
The Theater-Goer
Experience captivating performances of theatrical productions, opera, and more featuring Emmy and Tony award-winners.
- Manual Cinema’s “The 4th Witch”
- “Emily - No Prisoner Be”: Joyce DiDonato and Time for Three
- Erin Morley, soprano, and Lawrence Brownlee, tenor
- Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company: “Still / Here”
Nostalgia & History Reframed
Relive music from centuries ago, or experience modern performers with a nostalgic sound!
- Black Box Sessions: Blueprint
- Richard Goode, piano: Beethoven’s Sonatas
- Samara Joy
- The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center performs the complete Brandenburg Concertos by J.S. Bach
- Doric String Quartet: "The Art of the Fugue"
Ensemble Energy
No part is too small. These performances feature full ensembles of 20+ performers, all showcasing the power of collaboration.
- Manual Cinema’s “The 4th Witch”
- The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center performs the complete Brandenburg Concertos by J.S. Bach
- Jason Moran and the Harlem Hellfighters: James Reese Europe and the Absence of Ruin
- Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company: “Still / Here”
- Samara Joy
Viral Moments (Popular on Social Media)
With more than 3.2 million monthly Spotify listeners and more than 5 million followers across platforms, these artists are making waves online and on stage alike.
- Luedji Luna
- Black Box Sessions: redveil
- Black Box Sessions: PARTYOF2
- Samara Joy
- Emmet Cohen
As a WUT 2025–2026 season subscriber, you gain access to the best seats in the house, subscriber-only events, and pre-sale ticket access to performances, including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Benjamin Grosvenor, piano.
All 2025-26 Shows by Series
Classical
Richard Goode, piano
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
“Emily - No Prisoner Be”: Joyce DiDonato and Time for Three
Erin Morley, soprano and Lawrence Brownlee, tenor
Doric String Quartet
Attacca Quartet with Caroline Shaw
Jazz
Luedji Luna
HIROMI’S Sonicwonder
Samara Joy
Jason Moran and the Harlem Hellfighters
Emmet Cohen: "Miles and Coltrane at 100" featuring Jeremy Pelt & Tivon Pennicott
Chucho Valdés & Paquito D’Rivera Reunion Sextet
Black Box Sessions: Hip-Hop
Blueprint
redveil
PARTYOF2
Special Events
Noga Erez with Special Guest V1V1D
Manual Cinema’s “The 4th Witch”
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Benjamin Grosvenor, piano
Dobet Gnahoré
Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company: “Still / Here”