MUSE/IQUE will close its 2026 season with a free public concert at Ambassador Auditorium in Pasadena on Oct. 28, following a run of performances at The Wallis in Beverly Hills.
The 7:30 p.m. concert is the organization’s annual Open House, and it is the full program rather than an excerpt: “American Sound Takes Flight: From Aaron Copland to Paul Simon — Our Musical Pursuit of Happiness,” conducted by Artistic and Music Director Rachael Worby. Admission is free but an RSVP is required, and seats go first come, first served.
MUSE/IQUE’s announcement, published by ArtsBeatLA, said the program features soprano Liv Redpath, the Broadway singer Brandon Victor Dixon and the MUSE/IQUE Orchestra. Dixon is a Grammy winner and a three-time Tony nominee, Stage and Cinema reported; the publication also reported that Redpath has sung with the Metropolitan Opera, LA Opera and the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
The concert traces the sound Copland built out of American folk tunes and church hymns through the artists who followed him. Stage and Cinema, previewing the program on Sept. 5, reported that Worby follows that line through Leonard Bernstein and John Williams into popular music, with Paul Simon’s “American Tune,” Prince’s “Purple Rain” and Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” among the songs.
Ticket buyers should note a discrepancy in the published schedules. MUSE/IQUE lists three performances at The Wallis: Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 24 at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. The Wallis, which sells the tickets, lists four, each with its own ticket link: Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., and Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. ArtsBeatLA reported that the Sunday performance is open to premium RSVPs only. Admission at The Wallis starts at $75 for nonmembers, Stage and Cinema reported.
The Wallis performances are in the Bram Goldsmith Theater at 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd. The program is presented in partnership with The Wallis and Classical California.
Ambassador Auditorium, at 131 S. St. John Ave., is a venue only and sells no tickets itself; the Ambassador Foundation of Pasadena, which operates it, directs ticket questions to the event promoter or ticketing platform.
MUSE/IQUE is a Pasadena nonprofit that was in its 15th year as of May, according to earlier Pasadena Now reporting. Worby conducted the Pasadena Pops from 2000 to 2010 before founding the organization, whose debut concert was staged on a lawn at Caltech in July 2011.
Wednesday, Oct. 28, 7:30 p.m. Ambassador Auditorium, 131 S. St. John Ave., Pasadena. For more call (626) 844-7703 or visit https://www.muse-ique.com/events-and-rsvp/american-sound. Tickets: Free; RSVP required.
