An EXCLUSIVE look into THE SUN RISES IN HARLEM featuring artists @therealkecialewis , @syberspace , @dc6singers , and the MUSE/IQUE Orchestra!
From Duke Ellington, to Cab Calloway, to Bessie Smith, MUSE/IQUE examines the evolution of jazz music and how Black artists reflected evolving modern life through a flourishing of art.
Reserve your seats and learn more at the link in our bio.
Presented in partnership with The Huntington, Skirball Cultural Center, and East West Bank.
An EXCLUSIVE look into DEFIANTLY JONI featuring artists @iamchrispierce , @dc6singers , the MUSE/IQUE Orchestra and more coming soon!
Joni Mitchell revolutionized American songwriting, paving a path for future musicians to take ownership of their artistry. Joni is defiant, an artist who has always prioritized her authenticity over compromise.
Tickets now live at the link in our bio!
Presented in partnership with CTG.
Proudly sponsored by Classical California.
An EXCLUSIVE look into LOOKING WEST with exciting artist announcements coming soon!
The American West is a tale of myth, history, storytelling, and everything in between. Join MUSE/IQUE for an exciting exploration into how art shaped our perspective of the American Frontier - from fantastical Hollywood film scores and Wild West tunes, to contemporary reclaimings of the true diverse history of the North American West.
Tickets now live at the link in our bio!
Presented in partnership with The Huntington, Skirball Cultural Center, and East West Bank.
“I want to set the tempo” - and she did! 🎷☀️
Nicknamed “The Empress of Blues,” Bessie Smith embodied the spirit of The Harlem Renaissance in a way only she could. American record producer John Hammond, who produced several records with Smith, once said:
“Bessie always told a story when she sang. Gunther Schuller’s book on early jazz says nobody in the history of music had better diction or knew better how to put over the contents of a lyric. For Bessie the lyric was the prime thing. She was an unbelievable natural musician. She refused to record with a drummer. She said, ‘I don’t want them messing up my rhythm. I want to set the tempo.’” [Associated Press, 1970]
Find your rhythm at The Sun Rises in Harlem this June 2, 3 & 7! Seats at the link in our bio.
📸: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Carl Van Vechten Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USZ62-54231]
MUSE/IQUE memberships create access 📚🎶
Along with 12 months of free admission to MUSE/IQUE shows, memberships fund all our Education and Community programs - including access for nearly 3,000 students and community partners to see our recent show, Back to Oz, and participate in immersive learning experiences 🎉
Become a member today and learn more about our Education and Community programs at the link in our bio.
📸 Haoyuan Ren @haoyuanren
Less than three weeks away til The Sun Rises in Harlem! 📸🎺
Check out some of our favorite show moments at @thehuntingtonlibrary - from stories of Hollywood’s first Golden Age and the European immigrants who came to Los Angeles to “UnAmerican” artists who never gave up on their principles.
Immerse yourself in the music that was the soundtrack to the Harlem Renaissance this June 2 and 3 at @thehuntingtonlibrary and June 7 at @skirball_la ! Reserve your seats at the link in our bio.
Photos from “Welcome to the Dream Factory” and “The UnAmericans” in April and June 2025.
📸 Haoyuan Ren @haoyuanren
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: KECIA LEWIS 🎙️
We’re excited to welcome @therealkecialewis back to the MUSE/IQUE stage for our next show of the 2026 season—celebrating over three seasons of performances with us!
Kecia is celebrating 40-plus years as a dynamic storyteller on stage and screen. Best known for her critically acclaimed performance as Ms. Liza Jane in Alicia Keys’ Hell's Kitchen, Ms. Lewis' career both on and off Broadway has garnered her Tony, Grammy, Drama Desk, Outer Critics, Lucille Lortel and Obie Awards. She can currently be seen as a series regular opposite Tracy Morgan on Crutch, streaming on Paramount Plus.
Experience Kecia’s stunning vocals live at “The Sun Rises in Harlem” this June 2 and 3 at @thehuntingtonlibrary and June 7 at @skirball_la ! Reserve your seats at the link in our bio.
📸 Haoyuan Ren @haoyuanren
In need of a jazz lingo dictionary to prepare for our upcoming show? 🎺💃
You read that right! Circa 1938, Harlem Cotton Club icon Cab Calloway compiled a “Hepster’s Dictionary” of Harlem musician slang - thought to be the first dictionary written by an African American.
Don’t forget to practice your lingo before “The Sun Rises in Harlem” this June 2, 3 & 7! Reserve your seats at the link in our bio.
📸: Cab Calloway’s Hepster’s Dictionary
At the core of the Harlem Renaissance were Black Americans shaping a bold, modern identity on their own terms 🌇🎺
To the public, Cab Calloway was a dazzling performer and a staple of Harlem’s Cotton Club. But behind the scenes, those who knew him saw a very different side of inner strength and resilience:
“One of the mistakes I think that people make when they think about Cab Calloway is to ignore the possibility that inside that energetic, vibrant, vital man projected from the stage beats the heart of an ordinary man who can feel disappointments deeply, who is in his own way very shy and who has been through changes that would have broken a weaker man.”
–his wife, Nuffie, writing in his 1976 autobiography
Don’t miss how Black artists reflected evolving modern life through a flourishing of art at The Sun Rises in Harlem this June 2, 3 & 7! Seats at the link in our bio.
📸: William P. Gottlieb/Ira and Leonore S. Gershwin Fund Collection, Music Division, Library of Congress
Are you looking to #volunteer ? 🎷🩷
From welcoming and wayfinding, to working behind the scenes, volunteers create a meaningful experience for our guests. Plus, you’ll receive perks including complimentary seats to performances!
Contact [email protected] to learn more about our upcoming volunteer opportunities at our next show: The Sun Rises in Harlem 🌞🎺
📸 Haoyuan Ren @haoyuanren
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: SY SMITH 🎷
We’re excited to welcome @syberspace back to the MUSE/IQUE stage for our next show of the 2026 season—celebrating over six seasons of performances with us!
Sy has proven throughout her career that an R&B artist can be progressive while remaining firmly rooted in tradition. Foremost a singer with a vocal range spanning five octaves, Smith has worked with Whitney Houston, GRAMMY-winning trumpeter Chris Botti and GRAMMY-nominated group The Foreign Exchange, and most recently played Michelle Obama in 44: The Musical. Her latest LP “Until We Meet Again” has drawn comparisons to Minnie Riperton and Deniece Williams.
Don’t miss Sy’s show-stopping vocals live at “The Sun Rises in Harlem” this June 2 and 3 at @thehuntingtonlibrary and June 7 at @skirball_la ! Reserve your seats at the link in our bio.
📸 Haoyuan Ren @haoyuanren
What a week On the Road! 🌈🦁🎶
MUSE/IQUE visited 8 schools as part of our Community and Education program: On the Road! From Toll Middle School in Glendale to Ocean Charter School in West LA, students went Back to Oz in an unforgettable exploration of the self and our shared humanity.
Stay tuned for this week when MUSE/IQUE continues with our Community Tour, and learn how you can make an impact at the link in our bio.
Photos from Glenoaks Christian Schools and California School of the Arts - San Gabriel Valley in April 2026.
📸 Haoyuan Ren @haoyuanren
![“I want to set the tempo” - and she did! ️Nicknamed “The Empress of Blues,” Bessie Smith embodied the spirit of The Harlem Renaissance in a way only she could. American record producer John Hammond, who produced several records with Smith, once said:“Bessie always told a story when she sang. Gunther Schuller’s book on early jazz says nobody in the history of music had better diction or knew better how to put over the contents of a lyric. For Bessie the lyric was the prime thing. She was an unbelievable natural musician. She refused to record with a drummer. She said, ‘I don’t want them messing up my rhythm. I want to set the tempo.’” [Associated Press, 1970]Find your rhythm at The Sun Rises in Harlem this June 2, 3 & 7! Seats at the link in our bio. : Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Carl Van Vechten Collection, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USZ62-54231]](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6727396530465663385765_0_cee0cb728f218f626668f47b01143f21.jpg?o=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&h=105e66e5248d1c3d05829d13717946a5)
