Music for All of Us

Welcome to the Jacobs School of Music 2025–26 mainstage season.

Another turn around the sun means another year of thrilling, lovely, and thought-provoking music and dance.

This year, our season features those you know and love: Mozart, Ravel, and Puccini, and some fantastic others you will grow to love: Dove, Colette, and Gianna Reisen. We’ve also added a mainstage concert combination to the season this year, kicking off with Wagner, a concert version of the first act of Die Walküre and then later in the spring, we’ll feature the beloved Dett oratorio, The Ordering of Moses.

Add in the wonder of Fall and Spring Ballets, the Singing Hoosiers at Auer Hall and the MAC and Jacobs Live at the Movies—which this year will be performed at the IU Auditorium—remember to get your tickets through their box office. And, of course, The Nutcracker—with Marie in all her glory. This season truly has something for everyone, and further surprises are being planned, so follow us on social and check the website!

If you haven’t done it before, perhaps it’s time to think about a subscription? A subscription means discounts and privileges of course, but it also means that you are setting up future joy for yourself—you deserve it.

Upcoming Events

The Nutcracker

DEC 5, 12, 13 | 7:30 PM

DEC 6, 7, 13 | 2 PM

Jacobs faculty choreographer Sasha Janes shatters stereotypes in his reimagined version of this classic ballet, telling the story from the perspective of curious young Marie.

This contemporary take on a fantastical story still features the iconic score by Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky—and leaves us wondering where reality stops, and imagination begins.

Learn about The Nutcracker

Mansfield Park

FEB 13, 14 | 7:30 PM

Originally written for four-handed piano, this 2011 chamber opera for 13-piece orchestral ensemble is based on the 1814 novel by Jane Austen. The narrative follows the impoverished Fanny Price, who is sent as a child to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle at their family estate, Mansfield Park.

Learn about Mansfield Park

Cendrillon

MAR 6, 7 | 7:30 PM

Massenet lets us see a daughter’s immense grief—at the loss of her mother, their home, and her place in the family after her father’s remarriage. Yet her remarkable ability to not only survive but to forgive allows her to ultimately triumph.

Learn about Cendrillon

Explore previous seasons

Now is a great time to dive into our archive of on-demand content from previous seasons in order to prepare yourself for in-person experiences this fall.

Relive—or discover—some of your favorite offerings from IU Jacobs School of Music Opera and Ballet Theater as we get ready to greet you live soon!

Explore previous seasons