The Department of Music in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis is set to present six performances by globally celebrated artists as part of the 2026 Great Artists Series.

Initiated in 2017, the Great Artists Series showcases intimate recitals featuring some of the most illustrious figures in contemporary music. All performances take place in WashU’s historic E. Desmond Lee Concert Hall, which is situated in the 560 Music Center in University City.

The 2026 season will commence on January 25 with the esteemed countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, who also serves as the director of Opera Philadelphia. On February 1, Mali’s Ballaké Sissoko, a master of the traditional, 21-stringed West African kora, will partner with South African classical guitarist Derek Gripper. Rising pianist and composer Conrad Tao will take the stage on March 1.

On March 29, the Great Artists Series will feature renowned mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, a three-time Grammy recipient, followed by the Grammy-acclaimed Catalyst Quartet on April 12. The series will wrap up on April 30 with the distinguished British cellist Steven Isserlis, accompanied by Canadian pianist Connie Shih.

“The Great Artists Series has rapidly become a cherished tradition in St. Louis,” remarked Patrick Burke, a professor and chair of music. “It provides local audiences with exceptional opportunities to experience some of the world’s most exceptional musicians up close and personal. We couldn’t be prouder to present these extraordinary performers.”

Ticket Information

Subscriptions for all six performances are available for $150 (a 38% discount from the single-ticket prices). These subscriptions include prime reserved seating, exclusive pre-concert discussions, and all ticketing charges. Subscription renewals will be offered until May 2, with new subscriptions available starting May 7.

Individual tickets are priced at $40, or $37 for seniors and WashU faculty and staff, and $15 for students and children. Single tickets will go on sale on September 8.

The 560 Music Center can be found at 560 Trinity Ave., at the intersection with Delmar Boulevard. Tickets can be purchased through the WashU Box Office at 314-935-6543.

The event featuring Steven Isserlis and Connie Shih is sponsored by David and Melanie Alpers. The performance by Isabel Leonard will be part of the Department of Music’s annual Pillsbury celebration.

Anthony Roth Costanzo

“Vocally exceptional and dramatically adventurous” (New York Times), Costanzo is deemed “a consummate musician” (Le Monde) and “a genuine star” (The New Yorker).

Having performed professionally since the age of 11, Costanzo has graced numerous esteemed opera houses around the globe, including the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Opéra National de Paris, English National Opera, and the Los Angeles Opera.

His debut solo album, “ARC,” received a nomination for a Grammy Award in 2019. He also played a pivotal role in the Metropolitan Opera’s rendition of Philip Glass’s “Akhnaten,” which won the 2022 Grammy for best opera recording. Since June 2024, he has held the position of general director and president at Opera Philadelphia.

Ballaké Sissoko and Derek Gripper

Ballaké Sissoko is an international sensation celebrated for his “intricate, mesmerizing” (The Guardian) performances. He is also the progeny of kora innovator Djelimady Sissoko, whose seminal album “Ancient Strings” (1970) was the first entirely focused on the instrument.

In 2022, Sissoko collaborated on a series of concerts with Derek Gripper, a classically trained guitarist from Cape Town known for “his extraordinary and distinctive style of playing African music” (Afropop Worldwide). The duo soon reconvened in a London recording studio, producing an album in just three hours.

The resulting work, “Ballaké Sissoko & Derek Gripper,” is described as “a captivating dialogue through strings that embodies improvisation and interaction at their finest, transporting listeners to uncharted realms,” as noted by Songlines magazine, which named it the album of the year. Klof Magazine added: “Each track is filled with such depth and creativity, revealing different nuances with every listen.”

Conrad Tao

Described as an artist of “insightful intellect and generous vision” (New York Times), pianist and composer Conrad Tao is recognized as “the type of musician who is redefining the future of classical music” (New York Magazine).

Originating from Urbana, Illinois, Tao has showcased his talents on stages worldwide through both solo performances and concertos. He actively collaborates with violinist Stefan Jackiw and cellist Jay Campbell, forming the Junction Trio; with dancer and choreographer Caleb Teicher; and with improviser and vocalist Charmaine Lee. His accolades include a New York Dance and Performance Award (“Bessie”) for excellence in sound design/music composition for his evening-length collaboration with Teicher’s ensemble, titled “More Forever.”

Tao’s debut album, “Voyages” (2013), was acclaimed as a “striking debut” by Alex Ross of The New Yorker. Subsequent releases include “Pictures” (2015), featuring compositions by David Lang, Toru Takemitsu, Elliott Carter, Modest Mussorgsky, and Tao himself; and “American Rage” (2019). His latest album, “Bricolage” (2021), includes improvisations and experiments recorded with brass quartet The Westerlies in the rural settings of New Hampshire.

Isabel Leonard

“One of the most luminous talents in the American opera field” (San Francisco Classical)

Leonard is a three-time Grammy recipient with “charming comedic talent to rival her impressive voice” (Washington Post).

Leonard frequently graces the globe’s premier opera platforms. Recent highlights feature her iconic portrayal of Rosina in “Il barbiere di Siviglia,” with the Opéra National de Paris, Los Angeles Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera, along with her debut performance at Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu as Anita in Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story.”

Other notable performances encompass title characters in “Carmen,” “La Périchole,” “Cendrillon,” “Marnie,” and “Der Rosenkavalier,” in addition to Angelina in “La Cenerentola,” Dorabella in “Così fan tutte,” and Musetta in “La bohème.” Her film and television credits include the feature film “She Came to Me” (2023), the Leonard Bernstein biopic “Maestro” (2023), and the season 43 finale of “Sesame Street.”

Catalyst Quartet

Established in 2010, this Grammy-winning ensemble has been praised as “consistently vibrant” and “finely polished” (New York Times), recognized for performing with “flawless ensemble coherence” (Lincoln Journal Star).

Comprising violinists Karla Donehew Perez and Abi Fayette, violist Paul Laraia, and cellist Karlos Rodriguez, Catalyst has extensively toured across the United States and internationally, featuring sold-out concerts at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., Harris Theater in Chicago, the New World Center in Miami, and the Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall in New York.

Quartet members have been featured soloists with the Cincinnati Symphony, the New Haven Symphony, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, and the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá. They have also served as principal musicians with the Sphinx Organization’s highlighted ensemble, the Sphinx Virtuosi, on six national tours.

Steven Isserlis and Connie Shih

A cellist known for his “delicacy and accuracy” (The Guardian), who performs with “dramatic force,” “lyrical depth,” and “exquisite warmth” (Bachtrack), Isserlis boasts a remarkably diverse career as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, educator, author, and broadcaster.

Regularly collaborating with prominent orchestras and conductors worldwide, Isserlis passionately promotes both historical performances and modern compositions, having premiered pieces by Sir John Tavener, Thomas Adès, and György Kurtág, among others. His extensive discography encompasses everything from Bach’s complete solo cello suites (Gramophone’s instrumental album of the year) to late works by Tavener and, alongside Joshua Bell and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, the Brahms double concerto. He performs on the “Marquis de Corberon” Stradivarius from 1726, which is on loan from the Royal Academy of Music.

Shih, regarded as one of Canada’s most distinguished pianists, made her orchestral debut with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra at the age of 9. She has performed extensively across Canada, Europe, and the United States and has regularly collaborated with Isserlis, including chamber music recitals at Carnegie Hall and London’s Wigmore Hall.

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