Our History
We have been hosting musicians and ensembles of international stature since 1903. Fritz Kreisler and Sergei Rachmaninov once braved getting to Ithaca (in 1919 and 1921) and more recently, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Alfred Brendel, Zakir Hussain, and the Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg. Originally featuring only Western classical artists, the series presented Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar in 1987 and has since grown to encompass a broader spectrum of the world’s greatest musicians and musical traditions.
More recently, a generous gift from the Dallas Morse Coors Foundation for the Performing Arts has renamed the Cornell Concert Series. This will allow the series to continue its efforts to bring world-class musicians to campus. Dallas Morse Coors ’40, graduated from the College of Arts & Sciences and went on to have a successful career in the U.S. Foreign Service and with the Bank of America. His love of music and the performing arts prompted him to support various organizations throughout the Washington, D.C. area, where he lived, and he created the foundation to continue supporting performing arts and music.
Past Highlights
2024-25 Season: Tuba Skinny | Mariachi Herencia de México | Danish String Quartet | Yamato: The Drummers of Japan | Jonathan Biss | Chief Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott) | Sona Jobarteh | Roomful of Teeth
2023-24 Season: Dover Quartet | The Knights with Chris Thile | Frank Vignola and Tessa Lark | National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine | DoosTrio | Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra | Tisra | The Klezmatics
2022-23 Season: Sean Ardoin | Scottish Chamber Orchestra | Smetana Trio | Quartetto di Cremona | Amadou & Mariam | Snarky Puppy | Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
2021-22 Season: Amir ElSaffar | Stefon Harris and Blackout | Yungchen Lhamo | Karen Slack and the Miró Quartet | Lúnasa | The Percussion Collective | Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
2020-21 Season: Jennifer Koh | Vijay Iyer | Dover Quartet | Jeremy Denk | Regina Carter | Ladysmith Black Mambazo | Christian Sands | Pacifica Quartet
2019-20 Season: Yamato – The Drummers of Japan | Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center | Stefon Harris and Blackout | Terri Lyne Carrington and Social Science | Daniil Trifonov and Sergei Babayan | Lorelei Ensemble | Marlow Rosado
2018-19 Season: A Far Cry with Simone Dinnerstein | John Scofield’s “Combo 66” | Christina and Michelle Naughton | Spring Quartet | $25 Student Membership | Roomful of Teeth | Jennifer Koh’s Limitless | Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer
2017-18 Season: Alicia Olatuja | Sweet Honey In The Rock | Jeremy Denk | The Danish String Quartet | Catalyst String Quartet | Latif Bolat | St. Thomas Choir of Leipzig
2016-17 Season: Christian McBride and Edgar Meyer | Vida Guitar Quartet | Simon Shaheen’s Zafir | Jerusalem Quartet | Eighth Blackbird | Fred Hersch | Sphinx Virtuosi | Zakir Hussain with Niladri Kumar | Tamara Stefanovich
2015-16 Season: Sara Davis Buechner | Freiburg Baroque Orchestra with Christian Gerhaher | Spanish Harlem Orchestra | Wu Man & The Shanghai Quartet | Joel Krosnick | Jack DeJohnette’s Made In Chicago | Steven Isserlis & Robert Levin | Emanuel Ax
2014-15 Season: Nrityagram Workshop | Nrityagram Dance Ensemble | Orchestre de la Suisse Romande | Pierre-Laurent Aimard & Tamara Stefanovich | Ravi Coltrane Quartet | Jordi Savall & Concert des Nations | Dawn Upshaw & Gil Kalish | So Percussion | Prague Philharmonic Choir | Tafelmusik: The Galileo Project
2013-14 Season: Dafnis Prieto Proverb Trio | Mariinsky Orchestra | The Rose Ensemble | Midori | Alfredo Rodriguez | Tempesta di Mare | Orpheus Chamber Orchestra | Roby Lakatos Ensemble
2012-13 Season: Tia Fuller Quartet | Gonzalo Rubalcaba Trio | Les Violons du Roy with Emmanuel Pahud | Shanghai String Quartet with Peter Serkin | Berlin Philharmonic Wind Quartet | Creole Choir of Cuba | Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band | Anonymous 4 | Swedish Chamber Orchestra with Garrick Ohlsson
2011-12 Season: The Rose Ensemble | Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble | Brad Mehldau & Joshua Redman | Water is Rising | Jason Moran & Dave Holland | Julliard String Quartet | Ian Bostridge | Purbo Asmoro | The Bad Plus | Australian Chamber Orchestra with Dawn Upshaw
2010-11 Season: Maria Schneider Orchestra | Apollo’s Fire | Marino Formenti | Leonidas Kavakos | Savion Glover: Solo in Time | Anat Cohen Quartet | St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra | Leon Fleisher: Beethoven Concerto Project
2009–10 Season: Gabriela Montero, piano | Dave Holland Quartet | Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg | Yamato: The Drummers of Japan | Isabel Bayrakdarian, soprano | Alexandre Tharaud, piano | Zakir Hussain presents Masters of Percussion | Christian McBride and Inside Straight
2008–09 Season: Jason Moran and the Big Bandwagon | Song and Dance of West Africa | Marsalis Brasilianos | Marc-Andre Hamelin | Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir with Tallinn Chamber Orchestra | Juilliard String Quartet | Shanghai Quartet | Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Band | Joel Krosnick and Gilbert Kalish | Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra
2007–08 Season: Pharoah Sanders | Tango Buenos Aires | Gamelan Cudamani | Andrew Manze & Richard Eggar | Apollo’s Fire | Hugh Masekela | Alban Berg Quartet | Camerata Nordica | Garrick Ohlsson
2006–07 Season: Nathan Gunn | Jason Moran and the Bandwagon | Los Angeles Piano Quartet | Toshiko Akiyoshi/Lew Tabakin Quartet | Moscow State Symphony Orchestra | St. Louis String Quartet with Kevin and Heidi Grant Murphy | Orlando Consort | The Bad Plus | Mark Morris Dance Group | Dafnis Prieto Absolute Quintet | Kremerata Baltica
2005–06 Season: Branford Marsalis | Rebel Ensemble for Baroque Music | The Borodin Quartet | Ballet Flamenco Jose Porcel | The English Concert | Alfred Brendel | Jerusalem Chamber Music Festival | Empire Brass | Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings | Roby Lakatos Ensemble
