Made possible by Gilbert Family Foundation, all events are free and open to the public; VIP tickets available for purchase at dso.org
Events include performances by DSO musicians and guest artists, poetry, yoga, sensory-friendly offerings, and 32nd annual Concert of Colors
Detroit, (June 25, 2024) – The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) will activate its Sosnick Courtyard community green space with a free outdoor music festival on July 10 through 21, made possible by Gilbert Family Foundation.
With this fresh take on programming, the DSO invites audiences to enjoy the warm summer air, embrace community, and experience unforgettable performances by DSO musicians and guest artists. Sosnick Courtyard is located at 51 Parsons St in Midtown Detroit, adjacent to the DSO’s home of the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center. All events are free and open to the public, though registration is required. Seats are available on a first come first serve basis and patrons are encouraged to bring their own chairs and blankets. The DSO will also offer a VIP Experience Section, which costs $100 for a table for two people near the stage. Visit dso.org to reserve general admission tickets or purchase VIP tickets.
Programming will include a DSO chamber ensemble, the return of both Poetry & Music and the Urban Art Orchestra, a sensory-friendly family concert with Miss Paula and the Candy Bandits featuring pre-concert activities, a special collaboration with Opera MODO, a Detroit techno and jazz-infused performance by composer and experience designer Nova Zaii, and a program by New Music Detroit on July 18 as part of the 32nd Annual Concert of Colors festival, in collaboration with Detroit’s leading cultural institutions, celebrating summer’s go-to, free, live music and arts event in the great outdoors of Detroit’s Cultural Center. New Music Detroit will present "Open Channels," a sonic journey exploring the spectrum of human emotion and experience and our potential for illumination in times of darkness, featuring core members Jocelyn Zelasko and Justin Snyder alongside special guests Yvonne Lam (formerly of Eighth Blackbird) and Cole Randolph (DSO cello).
See below for event information and visit dso.org/summer for a full list of DSO summer programming.
SUMMER IN SOSNICK FESTIVAL EVENTS
Program and artists subject to change.
Made possible by Gilbert Family Foundation
WEDNESDAY, JULY 10 AT 7 P.M. – DSO CHAMBER ENSEMBLE: DANCING DOWN WOODWARD
Masterfully curated by the DSO's Jeremy Crosmer, this Classical-Pop fusion concert combines bombastic contemporary music with reimagined covers of songs by Detroit's famous musicians. On the Classical side, experience the exhilaration of music by Villa-Lobos, Kernis, and Crosmer himself. On the Pops side, dance along to selections from Motown, Lizzo, Eminem, and Jack White, all carefully crafted with a virtuosic twist for the DSO musicians. Let your imagination run wild with this uniquely stellar mash-up!
Hannah Hammel, flute
Ralph Skiano, clarinet
Will Haapaniemi, violin
Jeremy Crosmer, cello
FRIDAY, JULY 12 AT 8 P.M. – POETRY & MUSIC: A STARLIT NIGHT
A Starlit Night is a celebration of the power, beauty, versatility, and creativity of Black artists in Detroit. Spoken word artist La Shaun phoenix Moore hosts an evening of poetry and live music from Sosnick Courtyard featuring a musical performance by Starlit Ways, with DJ Stacye J on the 1s and 2s.
Spoken Word Performers:
Nandi Comer (Michigan Poet Laureate)
Galaxy
Jazmine Jamai
Mack Thorsday
SATURDAY, JULY 13 AT 8 P.M. – URBAN ART ORCHESTRA: SUMMER MADNESS
The Urban Art Orchestra presents Urban Art Orchestra: Summer Madness. Join us for a summer evening of music featuring live arrangements of timeless songs, new and old. This concert will serve as part two of Urban Art Orchestra’s “Legends” series, as they weave the listener through their interpretation of jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and techno classics. With fresh arrangements, electrifying soloists, and innovative cross-genre interplay, this concert promises to be an unforgettable experience.
SUNDAY, JULY 14 AT 3 P.M. – MISS PAULA AND THE CANDY BANDITS: SENSORY-FRIENDLY FAMILY CONCERT
Miss Paula and the Candy Bandits is a family-friendly rock band. Go on a mellow musical journey with Miss Paula and friends as they perform a special acoustic set of candy-coated rock music for kids and adults alike, featuring a guitar, vocalists, and percussion. Join in the fun with movement and call back singing!
Arrive early to enjoy pre-concert activities from 2–2:50 p.m., including lawn games and an instrument exploration station, where you can touch, hold, and play various musical instruments.
What is a sensory-friendly concert?
Relaxed and sensory-friendly events are designed for individuals on the autism spectrum and with other sensory sensitivities. Our culture can be unforgiving if you're unable to conform to standard concert etiquette. This can exclude individuals who are unable to sit still or who may express emotions such as joy or excitement through vocalization. This relaxed, sensory-friendly concert aims to remove barriers, allowing everyone to be themselves and enjoy a musical experience in a safe and judgement-free environment.
Your sensory-friendly experience includes:
- A relaxed, family-friendly concert environment that embraces neurodiversity
- An information guide and social narrative to help you prepare for the event, which will be available on dso.org and distributed to ticketholders in advance
- A limited number of Sensory Toolkits containing fidget toys and noise-reducing headphones, available for use during the event
- An indoor quiet room, to take a break if needed
- Movement and dancing during the concert—both are welcome!
- Flexible seating: Bring your own picnic blanket or lawn chairs and choose how close you would like to be to the stage and speakers during the concert
- Limited audience size for reduced crowds
- Trained event staff: The Mid-Michigan Autism Association has provided training to DSO staff to help them better understand the characteristics of autism and how to better communicate and support autistic individuals
Please contact Kiersten Alcorn, Manager of Community Engagement, at kalcorn@dso.org with any accessibility questions.
THURSDAY, JULY 18 AT 6 P.M. – 32ND ANNUAL CONCERT OF COLORS FEATURING NEW MUSIC DETROIT
New Music Detroit (NMD) will present a special free performance in Sosnick Courtyard for Detroit’s 32nd Annual Concert of Colors festival. In collaboration with Detroit’s leading cultural institutions, join us as we celebrate three decades of free outdoor, live music, and arts events throughout Detroit’s Cultural Center. Learn more about Concert of Colors.
In Sosnick Courtyard, New Music Detroit (NMD) presents Open Channels, a sonic journey exploring the spectrum of human emotion and experience and our potential for illumination in times of darkness. NMD core members Jocelyn Zelasko and Justin Snyder will be joined by special guests Yvonne Lam (formerly of Eighth Blackbird) and Cole Randolph (of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra), performing music written in the past two decades by living composers.
FRIDAY, JULY 19 AT 8 P.M. – AN EVENING WITH OPERA MODO
Join MODO for a soul-stirring evening of song!
This one-night-only event includes a special sneak peek of Opera MODO’s upcoming run of Carlisle Floyd’s electrifying opera, Susannah. Dive into a world of passion, betrayal, and redemption in this groundbreaking all-Black production, coming to Detroit for the first time ever!
Throughout the opera, we witness the enchanting Susannah Polk, a captivating young woman at odds with a hypocritical village blinded by their own desires. Follow her journey from innocence to empowerment, from victim to victor, set against the backdrop of the mesmerizing Tennessee mountains. Feel the heat rise as secrets unravel, lust clashes with piety, and the power of resilience shines through each note. Let the stunning vocals and emotive melodies transport you to a world where tradition meets sensuality, where forgiveness battles with vengeance, and where the true essence of HOME is discovered.
Don't miss this exclusive preview concert that promises to ignite your senses, stir your soul, and leave you craving more. Join us for an unforgettable evening with Kimwana Doner and Dr. Brandon Waddles (and others!) performing selections from Susannah and other operatic, musical theater, and spiritual works that remind of us of HOME.
SATURDAY, JULY 20 AT 8 P.M. – NOVA ZAII
Nova Zaii, a composer, inventor, and overall experience designer, is bringing his solo electro-acoustic project and his band The JuJu Exchange to the Sosnick stage. The night will highlight music from his upcoming project, which features his patented invention, the Nova Portals (a touchless instrument), in a Detroit techno and jazz-infused context. The JuJu Exchange will present music from their recent released album JazzRx, a collection of personalized “sonic-prescriptions” inspired by prompts from their fanbase. Don’t miss this highly-anticipated inception!
SUNDAY, JULY 21AT 11 A.M. – YOGA & MUSIC IN PARTNERSHIP WITH DETROIT YOGA LAB
Calling all yogis! Yoga & Music returns to the beautiful Sosnick Courtyard. Join us for a special session led by a Detroit Yoga Lab certified instructor, accompanied by live, soothing music.
About the DSO
The acclaimed Detroit Symphony Orchestra is known for trailblazing performances, collaborations with the world’s foremost musical artists, and a deep connection to its city. Led by Music Director Jader Bignamini since 2020, the DSO makes its home at historic Orchestra Hall within the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Music Center, offering a performance schedule that features the PVS Classical, PNC Pops, Paradise Jazz, and Young People’s Family Concert series. In addition, the DSO presents the William Davidson Neighborhood Concert Series in metro area venues, as well as eclectic multi-genre performances in its mid-size venue The Cube, constructed and curated with support from Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings. A dedication to broadcast innovation began in 1922, when the DSO became the first orchestra in the world to present a live radio broadcast of a concert and continues today with the groundbreaking Live from Orchestra Hall series of free webcasts.
Since its first school concerts a century ago, and particularly since the founding of the Civic Youth Ensembles in 1970, the DSO has been a national leader in bringing the benefits of music education to students, teachers, and families in Detroit and surrounding communities. The DSO remains committed to expanding its participation in the growth and well-being of Detroit through programs like its Detroit Neighborhood Initiative—cultural events co-created with community partners and residents—and Detroit Harmony, a promise to provide an instrument and instruction to any student in the city who wants to learn. With unwavering support from the people of Detroit, the DSO actively pursues a mission to impact lives through the power of unforgettable musical experiences.