Pauline Adamek
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MUSE/IQUE announces their 2026 Season: Exploring the American Heart
Muse/ique, the Pasadena-based nonprofit performing arts organization known for its immersive, narrative-driven music and storytelling events, has released its full 2026 season calendar. The lineup takes audiences on a thematic journey through defining moments in American culture — from groundbreaking composers and cultural revolutions to frontier myths and iconic songwriters. Season membership grants access to all programs.
Muse/ique curates performances that blend classical, jazz, pop, and world music with storytelling, designed to broaden audience perspectives on history, culture, and sound. The 2026 season underscores this mission by spotlighting American innovators and the stories behind their art.
Above photo: MUSE/IQUE at The Wallis. Photo Credit: Haoyuan Ren, courtesy of MUSE/IQUE.
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QUINCY’S WORLD (THE SEASON OPENER)
Celebrating the legacy of composer and producer Quincy Jones, this multi-date opening runs March 5–8 at The Wallis in Beverly Hills. Featuring vocalists and the Muse/ique Orchestra, the program highlights Jones’s genre-spanning work — from pop classics to jazz and film scores.
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Thu, March 5, 2026: 7:30 p.m.
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Fri, March 6, 2026: 7:30 p.m.
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Sat, March 7, 2026: 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
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Sun, March 8, 2026: 7:30 p.m.
Venue: The Wallis (Bram Goldsmith Theater), 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA.
BACK TO OZ
A creative reimagining of the characters and themes behind The Wizard of Oz stories, Back to Oz plays at the Mark Taper Forum in April:
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Sat–Sun, April 18–19, 2026: 5:00 p.m.
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Thu–Fri, April 23–24, 2026: 7:30 p.m.
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Sat, April 25, 2026: 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
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Sun, April 26, 2026: 2:30 p.m.
Venue: Mark Taper Forum at The Music Center, Los Angeles.
THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE
This concert program explores the cultural explosion of the 1920s and 1930s that shaped American art, literature, and music. Performances take place in June at two venues:
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Tue–Wed, June 2–3, 2026: 7:30 p.m. at The Huntington (San Marino).
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Sun, June 7, 2026: 3:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. at Skirball Cultural Center (Los Angeles).
JONI MITCHELL — The Songs
A tribute to the work and influence of legendary singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, this summer program returns to the Mark Taper Forum:
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Sat–Sun, July 11–12, 2026: 5:00 p.m.
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Thu–Fri, July 16–17, 2026: 7:30 p.m.
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Sat, July 18, 2026: 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
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Sun, July 19, 2026: 2:30 p.m.
Venue: Mark Taper Forum.
THE WEST
Exploring the myths of the American frontier and its cultural resonances, The West plays late summer with performances at The Huntington and Skirball:
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Tue–Wed, August 25–26, 2026: 7:30 p.m. at The Huntington.
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Sun, August 30, 2026: 3:00 p.m. & 7:30 p.m. at Skirball Cultural Center.
AARON COPLAND AND THE AMERICAN SOUND
In October, Muse/ique concludes the season with a tribute to composer Aaron Copland and his seminal contributions to American music:
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Fri, October 23, 2026: 7:30 p.m. at The Wallis.
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Sat, October 24, 2026: 2:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
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Sun, October 25, 2026: 2:30 p.m.
Venue: The Wallis.
MUSE/IQUE Membership:
To learn more about membership and attendance, please visit muse-ique.com/membership
- MUSE/IQUE members receive complimentary admission to all MUSE/IQUE events.
- Admission for non-members starts with a trial membership, which includes three consecutive performances.
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Members get free admission to 12 months of MUSE/IQUE programs, effective from your date of purchase.
New to MUSE/IQUE? Experience a show before joining membership through their trial membership, or with single admission.
About MUSE/IQUE:
MUSE/IQUE is a member-supported, nonprofit performing arts organization making radically engaging live music experiences accessible for all. Built on a tradition of community and collaboration, we create events that feature an eclectic mix of artists and artistic disciplines that take place at a variety of our city’s historic locales and cultural institutions. MUSE/IQUE creates immersive musical adventures with an artistic collective that consists of top musicians from the worlds of jazz, rock, blues, gospel, and more, along with today’s best singers, dancers, and thinkers. Together with an enthusiastic and growing audience base, these artists reimagine the possibilities for the live music experience. MUSE/IQUE presents six major public events each year as well as a wide range of education and community engagement programs.
Founder and Artistic & Music Director Rachael Worby seamlessly blends musical performances with researched curation, combining music, movement, and ideas from a diverse range of genres. Each performance awakens our collective curiosity and inspires new thinking and ideas by provoking reflection and dialogue, challenging convention, and encouraging our audiences to see and think differently. Our mission is to build empathy and expand imaginations, creating context and explaining connections between our music and the world.
In addition to its live public performances, MUSE/IQUE brings intimate, interactive events to a growing list of community partner organizations. Each on-site event gives participants a curated experience based on programmatic themes of our upcoming performances and features guest artists direct from the MUSE/IQUE stage. Led by MUSE/IQUE staff, these events explore self-expression, encourage self-confidence and engage imaginations through music.
Partners include Ability First, Academy for Creative Industries – Marshall Fundamental High School, Academy of Music for the Blind, Braille Institute, California School of the Arts – San Gabriel Valley, Community Center of La Cañada Flintridge, Five Acres, Hollywood Food Coalition, Jazz Hands for Autism, Learning Works Charter School, Light Bringer Project, Mindful Veteran Project, Music Heals Mind, Pasadena Senior Center, Performing Arts For All, Professional Child Development Associates, San Fernando Valley Youth Chorus, Sycamores, Thomas Jefferson High School, TJHS Alumni Association, UCLA Community Youth Programs, Union Station Homeless Services – Centennial Place, Union Station Homeless Services – Heritage Square South, Urban Voices Project, Villa Esperanza School and Services, WriteGirl, Young Musicians Foundation, Youth Moving On (A Hillsides Program).
