City of Asylum
Giving Voice.
Master and doctoral students of the University of Pittsburgh Jazz Program—Juwon Adenuga, David Adepegba, Laura Gonzalez Fidalgo, Godfrey Lubuulwa, Danny Fratina, Táyé Máyègha, and Elad Sobol—share their performance and compositional chops.
Dimitris Lyacos, a likely candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature, brings his trademark genre-defying flair to Alphabet City in this combination reading and musical collaboration celebrating his literary oeuvre and writing process.
Bassist and composer Anton DeFade celebrates the release of his latest single and its accompanying cassette tape at Alphabet City, joined by quintet members JD Chaisson, Evan David, Jacob Pleakis, and Brian Wolfe.
Dan Meunier, Chantal Joseph, Greg Lutz, Paul Thompson, and Subha Das bring the sounds of Trinidad and Tobago to the Pittsburgh music scene in an exciting concert where steel drums are the star of the show.
Hugo Cruz and the Caminos honor the music of home, past and present, in this tribute to highly influential Pittsburgh jazz musician Art Blakey, infusing seven of his classic compositions with the sounds of Cuban styles.
Vocalist and composer AurallaurA (Laura Chu Wiens) launches her sophomore album, "The Critique of Capital: An Engaging Revue," a confident, cabaret-like romp through jazz, world music, and other genres.
Lynn Speakman and Evan David go head-to-head and saxophone-to-saxophone in this dynamic alto and tenor sax duo showcase, accompanied by Joe Sheehan, Anton DeFade, and Thomas Wendt.
Pittsburgh guitarist John Shannon and trio members Cliff Barnes and James Johnson III celebrate the vinyl release of John’s debut full-length jazz album, which features original music inspired by the landscapes of Tarifa, Spain, and Pittsburgh.
Decades-long collaborative partners Alex Harding and Lucian Ban celebrate 20 years of creating together with their latest project, “DARK BLUE,” an amalgam of original pieces and improvisations informed by traditions of jazz, blues, and European chamber music.
Fan-favorite Cuban percussionist Hugo Cruz takes the stage with Kelsey Jumper, Brittany Dorazio, JD Chaisson, Mike Tomaro, Frank Cohen, Frank DiDiano, Craig Davis, and Eli Namay for the launch of his new 8-track album.
The 20-piece jazz orchestra of the Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts High School presents their spring concert, with special guest musician Dan Meunier joining on steelpan.
Six-time Jazz Poetry Month headliner James Brandon Lewis takes to the stage with his punk-jazz fusion band, the Messthetics, and poets Mark Andryczyk, Rania Mamoun, and Volodymyr Rafeyenko to herald in another month of poetry and improvisational jazz collaboration at City of Asylum.
Jazz Poetry 2026 welcomes Marta Sánchez for a stunning solo-piano album release, with compositions inspired by themes of isolation and solitude, as well as intimate, improvisational poetry collaborations with four City of Asylum Writers-in-Residence.
Innately fusion, this concert and book launch debuts poems by Erika Denae J that have leapt off the page and been adapted into musical compositions, brought to life with a 13-piece band including the likes of Jennifer Orchard, John Shannon, Theron Brown, Denzel Chismar-Oliver, James Johnson III, and more.
Writer-in-Residence Oleksandr Frazé-Frazénko and wife Mari Frazé-Frazénko bring the spellbinding sound of their folk-experimental duo—accompanied by fellow musicians Hellcat Sneer, Lesya Verba, and Hugo Cruz—to Alphabet City for a night of reimagined Eastern European songs.
This Pittsburgh Performs concert, curated by Carlos Clark, features music by composers from the US, Uruguay, and Brazil, offering a vibrant vision of discovery while simultaneously reflecting on the complex history of the Americas.
Welcome rock band The Leila on their debut North American tour as they blend elements of rock, soul, and traditional Moroccan sounds in songs about self-expression, empowerment, and societal issues.
James Johnson III, Ross Antonich, Joe Garner, Lorenze Jefferson, Michael Bernabe, Mike Hugo, and Alex Perez cook up innovative jazz hip hop fusions to bring a new sound to the steel city.
Award-winning singer, composer, and activist Mai Khôi and her group the Dissidents, featuring Mark Michelli, Jeff Siegfried, Eli Namay, and PJ Roduta, take to the Alphabet City stage for a farewell concert.
Legendary guitarist of over 50 years kicks off the three-part Kente Summer Madness jazz series, leading a killer quartet this summer at City of Asylum.
Etta Cox, eight-time winner of “Best Jazz Vocalist,” brings her Broadway chops and unparalleled vocal performance to the Alphabet City stage for a night of transformed jazz favorites and fan-favorites upon request!
Lifelong percussionist and Pittsburgh-based bandleader Steve Ippolito joins forces with trumpeter Brad Fritcher and bassist Denzel Chismar-Oliver to experiment with jazz and electronic roots and traverse new sonic planes.
Experimental electroacoustic collective Bombici brings uncommon time signatures, folks songs, dance music, and improvisational sounds to the Alphabet City stage.
Thomas Wendt, beloved percussionist in the Pittsburgh jazz scene, shows his versatility and expressive drumming prowess in the second installment of the Kente Summer Madness series.
Master of jazz, R&B, and Latin music, Dr. Emmett Goods returns to City of Asylum for a lively performance highlighting his rich musical background and lifetime of experience.
