City of Asylum
Giving Voice.
Ed Simon presents 50 short chapters that are asynchronously organized works of flash criticism, meant to draw connections across time periods, which each celebrate an aspect of an expanded and broader “America.”
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.
Grab a friend and celebrate Pride Month with a FREE screening, presented in partnership with one of the oldest LGBTQ+ film festivals in the world.
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.
English PEN Award winner Rodrigo Hasbún and moderator Anderson Tepper dive into the secrets and shrapnel of a 20-year-old friendship ripped apart in Rodrigo’s new novel.
There comes a time when you just can’t take it anymore. Share the story of when you reached your Breaking Point this July at Story Club PGH’s Story Slam, for the chance to win prizes and storytelling glory!
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.
In a new work as groundbreaking as “Code Girls” and “Hidden Figures,” author Sarah Valentine unearths the true story of Black cryptologists’ critical contributions to national security during the civil rights era.
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.
Widely published nonfiction writer Lucy Schiller shares the bleak reality of aging in the United States—and how it intersects with class, race, disability, and public policy—and the care necessary to mend this rift.
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!
Our On Topic series continues this season with a moderated discussion among free speech experts, who will get into the weeds of current controversies and the role free expression plays in maintaining a democratic government.
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.
Author of PEN Open Book Award–finalist “God Loves Haiti,” Dimitry Elias Léger shares his latest novel, part sports story and part passionate and improbable love story.
The award-winning author of “If They Come For Us” uses their sophomore collection of meditative poems to pursue the question: Exiled from ancestral homelands, how can one find a place for themself in the world?
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.
Sometimes the only way to move forward is to keep your eyes on the prize. Share a time when you refused to turn back this August at Story Club PGH’s Story Slam, for the chance to win prizes and storytelling glory!
With roots in Irish and Scottish folk music, Pittsburgh-based folk band Bealtaine keeps traditions alive while borrowing influences from the modern world.
A dedicated musician and staunch activist in his own right, Colter Harper and bandmates Kelsey Robinson, José Luis Martins, Tony DePaolis, and Lucas Ashby honor nine-time Latin Grammy winner and member of the Tropicália arts movement Caetano Veloso.
In a tribute to the myriad ways jazz builds and becomes community, lifelong friends and iconic musicians explore themes of connection both within and beyond the making of music.
Filmmaker Jose Muniain, photographer Lynn Johnson, and writer Amy S.F. Lutz ("We Walk: Life with Severe Autism") share their creative projects, which all center on the stories of real people living with profound autism.
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.
From the minds of Andrew Swensen and Yan Pang, City of Asylum hosts an expanded showcase of “Shelter,” the story of scars carried from childhood into adulthood, how pain can distort our perception and damage our relationships, and how we find our strength through it.
