The Lensic Presents

The Swell Season is back. After reconvening for a limited number of sold-out shows in March 2022, followed by a more extensive US tour in August 2023, the duo returns with new music. A studio session that started out as an effort to create a couple new singles to bring with them on tour, ended up yielding a full length album, fittingly titled ´Forward´.

With the 2014 formation of I’m With Her, singer/songwriters Sarah Jarosz, Aoife O’Donovan, and Sara Watkins introduced an essential new force into the world of folk music.

The Waterboys have been led by Scottish singer and guitarist Mike Scott since the 1980s and have evolved through many line-ups, winning a fearsome concert reputation along the way.

Renée Fleming and a panel of experts explore how the arts impact the brain, drawing from Fleming’s 2024 anthology Music and Mind and leading initiatives in music, health, and neuroscience.

Renée Fleming’s Voice of Nature: the Anthropocene blends Romantic and contemporary song with film, reflecting on humanity’s evolving relationship with nature through music and visual storytelling.

Dominique Fils-Aimé is a rising name in jazz that you’ll want to watch—since her 2018 debut full-length, she has steadily collected awards and acclaim for her music.

Julia Keefe (Nez Perce) is an acclaimed Native American jazz vocalist, actor, and educator, leading the nine-piece Indigenous Jazz Ensemble to honor and carry forward Indigenous voices in jazz—past, present, and future.

For forty-eight years, Hubbard Street has been one of the most original forces in contemporary dance, bringing top choreographers and works to Chicago and beyond.

Soul legend Booker T. Jones brings his iconic sound to the Lensic, celebrating a legacy that includes Stax Records classics, a Grammy Lifetime Award, and Rock Hall induction.

Hasta La Muerte is an enthralling new production from the imagination of Las Cafeteras that explores the stages of grief and celebrates life and death in the spirit of the Indigenous Mexican Day of the Dead tradition.

With nearly 4 million followers across his social media, Josh Johnson was recently called “the funniest guy on the internet” by WIRED and is a star on the rise.

Formed by lead vocalists and songwriters Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig, acclaimed indie band Lucius is best known for their sinuous harmonies and highly-original, pop-noir musical artistry.

Four-time Grammy winner Stanley Clarke, a jazz-fusion pioneer and bass virtuoso, revolutionized the genre with Return to Forever and is celebrated as a living legend in global music history.

Circles: Honoring Indigenous Santa Fe is a powerful multi-arts experience that blends song, dance, spoken word, and visual storytelling into a vibrant celebration of Indigenous culture, presence, and resilience.

DakhaBrakha is a music quartet from Kyiv, Ukraine. Their music has textural, layered sounds with distinctive percussive heartbeats, thumping bass lines, distorted electric guitars, and influences of jazz, spoken word, rap, and punk.

Celebrate the holidays with The Klezmatics, the Grammy-winning klezmer superstars who revolutionized Yiddish music.

The Squirrel Nut Zippers bring their joyous, raucous Christmas Caravan tour back on the road, performing all the hits from holidays past.

The most delightful way to send off the year returns with Joe Illick and The New Year’s Eve Orchestra. This year's featured artist is acclaimed violinist Augustin Hadelich.

Storm Large: musician, actor, playwright, author, awesome. She returns to the Lensic for the fourth time, a show you won't want to miss.

Australian music ensemble The Ten Tenors returns to the Lensic for an evening of ten-part harmonies and show-stopping choreography.

Bring the whole family to see Grammy-winning folk and roots music duo The Okee Dokee Brothers!

Brazilian guitar duo Sérgio and Odair Assad blend classical, jazz, folk, and Latin styles with unmatched artistry, drawing on deep musical roots and training under Segovia’s disciple Monina Távora.

Trekking Mexico is a colorful educational show for the whole family that takes audiences on a journey through Mexico’s historic and geographic regions, featuring folkloric music and dance.

American Ballet Theatre embraces a rich tradition that seamlessly blends timeless classics with groundbreaking contemporary works.

With The Bad Plus, acclaimed artists Chris Potter and Craig Taborn revisit the formative repertoire of Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet.

It wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day without a visit from Lúnasa! These Irish music superstars return to the Lensic for the fourth time to bring joyous Celtic tunes to our stage.

Featuring a dozen musicians and songs in twenty-five languages, Pink Martini, Pink Martini plays a risk-taking blend of jazz, world music, cabaret, lounge, and mid-century film music.

This touching and playful show uses live sound effects, stunning interactive animation, and an abundance of theatrical imagination. Great for anyone age three and up.

The legendary bassists Christian McBride and Edgar Meyer will meld will meld McBride’s jazz and R&B fusion with Meyer’s bluegrass and classical sensibilities for what is sure to be an unforgettable performance of new compositions and timeless American standards. 

The Australian Chamber Orchestra lives and breathes its craft, making waves around the world for its explosive performances that redefine orchestral music.

Come and celebrate the fortieth anniversary of this much-loved institution on a white-knuckle shopping-trolley dash through every kind of musical genre.

Dance Theatre of Harlem stands as a dynamic force in the ballet world, captivating audiences both nationally and internationally.

Singer-songwriter heavyweights Craig Finn (The Hold Steady), Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers), and Alejandro Escovedo come together on the Lensic stage for a night of incredible music and collaboration.

In 1975, two visionary artists—film director Godfrey Reggio and composer Philip Glass—came together to create Koyaanisqatsi, an apocalyptic vision of the collision of urban life and technology versus the environment. The film comes to life at the Lensic with the score performed live by the Philip Glass Ensemble.   

Whether folk artist John Craigie is headlining solo or sharing the stage with longtime collaborators, his ability to make his crowd laugh, reflect, and connect is second to none.

Next to Normal is an intimate exploration of family and illness, loss and grief, featuring a thrilling rock score from composer Tom Kitt and book and lyrics from Brian Yorkey.

A pop savant who fastidiously avoided easy categorization throughout the course of his career, Todd Rundgren straddled the gap separating a mainstream star from a cult figure.

One Celebratory Event. One Spectacular Venue. Beloved hosts Lensic Executive Director Joel Aalberts and Actor Ali MacGraw. And Peeps and Pups from across the USA.