“Sorey continues to defy classification, constantly evolving and astounding with his versatility and range.” —All About Jazz
Celebrated drummer and composer Tyshawn Sorey makes his Walker Art Center debut in a pair of performances on April 26. Acting as a jazz archivist with a crate digger’s ear for the underappreciated, he surfaces little-known gems and makes historical material fresh—and thoroughly his own. The Pulitzer Prize winner is joined by two longtime collaborators, pianist Aaron Diehl and bassist Harish Raghavan, for the evening’s first concert, which draws on their albums Mesmerism (2022) and Continuing (2023). In the later program (ticketed separately), venerated alto saxophonist Greg Osby joins the trio for a mesmerizing set.
Tyshawn Sorey Trio
Saturday, April 26, 6:30 pm
McGuire Theater
Tickets start at $25
Tyshawn Sorey Trio & Greg Osby
Saturday, April 26, 9 pm
McGuire Theater
Tickets start at $25
ABOUT TYSHAWN SOREY
Composer and multi-instrumentalist Tyshawn Sorey has performed globally with his own ensembles, as well as alongside industry titans including John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, Vijay Iyer, Jason Moran, King Britt, Claire Chase, Roscoe Mitchell, and Steve Lehman, among many others.
He was named the 2024 Pulitzer Prize in Music winner for his composition Adagio (for Wadada Leo Smith), after being recognized as a 2023 Pulitzer Finalist for Monochromatic Light (Afterlife). Previously, Sorey roared onto the international landscape as a 2017 MacArthur Fellow and a 2018 United States Artists Fellow. Adding to his reputation as a multi-faceted talent, Downbeat Magazine recognized Sorey with its 2023 Critics Poll Award as a Rising Star Producer, while annually placing him near the top of its Composer and Drum Set performance lists. Other recent accolades include the Pew Fellowship, the Fromm Fellowship, the American Academy of Arts and Letters’ Goddard Lieberson Fellowship, and the Koussevitzsky Prize.
Sorey’s trio (featuring pianist Aaron Diehl and bassist Harish Raghavan) is currently touring with Sandbox Percussion Ensemble, performing a newly commissioned piece in honor of the Max Roach Centennial titled Cogitations. In the future, Sorey plans to continue pushing boundaries, extending cultural norms, and reformulating public perceptions of modern Black/Afrodiasporic creative practice through the breadth and depth of his works.
ABOUT GREG OSBY
For the past 39 years, saxophonist, composer, producer, educator and curator Greg Osby has maintained a formidable presence on the international music scene, both leading his own ensembles and collaborating with other acclaimed groups. Recognized by the New York Times as one of the “most provocative musical thinkers of his generation,” he is highly regarded for his insightful and innovative approach to composition, performance, and improvisation, earning numerous awards and critical acclaim for his recorded works and passionate live appearances.
Born and reared in St. Louis, Osby began his professional music career in 1975, furthering his musical education at Howard University and Berklee College of Music. Upon relocating to New York in 1982, he rapidly established himself as a notable and in-demand sideman for artists as varied as Herbie Hancock, Dizzy Gillespie, Jack DeJohnette, Andrew Hill, Freddie Hubbard, Muhal Richard Abrams, Woody Shaw, Jim Hall, Chick Corea, and The Grateful Dead, and is a founding member of the innovative M-BASE music collective. After recording for JMT/Polygram and Blue Note Records, Osby launched his own label, Inner Circle Music, in 2007, serving as a platform for today’s brightest artists. In his own words, he aspires to be regarded as a “provocateur and an experimentalist,” grounding his work in “sound, structure, and science as well as intuition, intellect and the human spirit.”
TICKETS
Ordering tickets is easy: visit walkerart.org/tickets or call 612.375.7600. Prices include all applicable fees. Box Office is open Wednesday–Sunday and one hour before performances.
ACCESSIBILITY
For more information about accessibility, visit our Access page.
For questions on accessibility or to request additional accommodations, call 612.375.7564 or email access@walkerart.org.
STUDENTS COME EARLY
Students own the rush line! Get in line an hour before showtime for $15 rush tickets. One ticket per person with student ID. (Some restrictions apply.)
GET TOGETHER
Experience these performances in a group of 10 or more people and save 15% on tickets. Purchase group tickets online, over the phone, or in person. The discount is automatically applied at checkout on orders of 10 or more tickets to the same performance.
MEMBERS DO MORE
Become a member and enjoy a 20% discount on performance tickets, receive unlimited free gallery admission, and more. Call 612.375.7655 or visit walkerart.org/membership.
ABOUT THE WALKER ART CENTER
The Walker Art Center is a renowned multidisciplinary arts institution that presents, collects, and supports the creation of groundbreaking work across the visual and performing arts, moving image, and design. Guided by the belief that art has the power to bring joy and solace and the ability to unite people through dialogue and shared experiences, the Walker engages communities through a dynamic array of exhibitions, performances, events, and initiatives. Its multiacre campus includes 65,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space, the state-of-the-art McGuire Theater and Walker Cinema, and ample green space that connects with the adjoining Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. The Garden, a partnership with the Minneapolis Park & Recreation Board, is one of the first urban sculpture parks of its kind in the United States and home to the beloved Twin Cities landmark Spoonbridge and Cherry by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen. Recognized for its ambitious program and growing collection of more than 15,500 works, the Walker embraces emerging art forms and amplifies the work of artists from the Twin Cities and from across the country and the globe. Its broad spectrum of offerings makes it a lively and welcoming hub for artistic expression, creative innovation, and community connection.
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Program support provided by Therese Sexe and David Hage.
Acknowledgments
The Walker Art Center’s Performing Arts programs are made possible by generous support from the Doris Duke Foundation through the Doris Duke Performing Arts Fund, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Producers Council
Performing Arts programs and commissions at the Walker are generously supported by members of the Producers’ Council: Christina Evans and Weston Hoard; Nor Hall and Roger Hale; Judith Brin Ingber and Jerome Ingber; Neal Jahren; King’s Fountain/Barbara Watson Pillsbury; Sarah Lutman and Rob Rudolph; Emily Maltz; Leni and David Moore, Jr./The David and Leni Moore Family Foundation; Therese Sexe and David Hage; and Mike and Elizabeth Sweeney.
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