La Jolla Music Society is kicking off 2026 with a lineup that spans everything from classical piano performances to contemporary dance, cultural crossover music, and wildlife conservation storytelling.

The Conrad and Balboa Theatre will host five distinct performances this month, each offering something completely different from the last.

The Return of Yellowstone’s Apex Predator

Wildlife biologist and National Geographic Explorer Doug Smith led the project that brought gray wolves back to Yellowstone in the 1990s.

His presentation shares never-before-seen photos and videos documenting how the landscape has transformed since the wolves’ return, offering one of conservation’s most compelling success stories.

📆 Thursday, January 15, 7:30 PM
📍 The Baker-Baum Concert Hall

A Story Told Through Song and Image

COTTON brings together music, poetry, and visual art to explore African American narratives across time and geography.

Drawing inspiration from John E. Dowell’s haunting photographs of South Carolina cotton fields, this multimedia song cycle weaves newly commissioned poems from renowned writers, including Nikki Giovanni, Marc Bamuthi Joseph, and Alora Young.

Composer Damien Geter sets these words to music for mezzo-soprano, baritone, and piano, while enormous projected images evolve throughout the performance, creating a journey from rural Southern fields to New York City’s urban landscape.

📆 Friday, January 16, 7:30 PM
📍 The Baker-Baum Concert Hall

Where Bollywood Meets the Wild West

Sunny Jain’s Wild Wild East makes its La Jolla Music Society debut with two performances in one evening. Jain draws from his family’s immigration experience to reimagine immigrants as modern-day cowboys and cowgirls, blending Hindustani vocals with saxophone and guitar.

The result combines Bollywood classics, Spaghetti Western influences, Punjabi folk traditions, jazz improvisation, and psychedelic elements into something entirely his own. Whether he’s performing for the Smithsonian or in the Himalayas, Jain creates hypnotic rhythms that connect cultures.

📆 Sunday, January 18, 5 PM & 7:30 PM
📍 Concerts @The JAI

Brother Duo Takes on the Classics

Lucas and Arthur Jussen have built their reputation as one of the most dynamic piano duos performing today. Their almost telepathic connection at the keyboard translates into sophisticated interpretations that resonate with audiences and critics alike.

They’re returning to The Conrad with a program featuring works by Mozart, Schumann, Widmann, Debussy, and Rachmaninoff – a mix that showcases both their technical precision and musical range.

📆 Thursday, January 22, 7:30 PM
📍 The Baker-Baum Concert Hall

Movement Inspired by Mediterranean Roots

Compagnie Hervé Koubi brings Sol Invictus to Balboa Theatre, combining contemporary and urban dance with capoeira and martial arts.

Choreographer Hervé Koubi channels his Algerian heritage and Mediterranean culture into powerful imagery and inspired movement. The performance has made the company a standout on the international touring circuit, offering what Koubi describes as his declaration of love to dance – past, present, and future.

📆 Friday, January 30, 7:30 PM
📍 Balboa Theatre

See you there!

From intimate piano performances to large-scale dance productions, January’s lineup covers serious ground across artistic disciplines.

🎟️ Full season info and tickets can be purchased here
ℹ️ More info here

See you there, San Diego!