(PRINCETON, NJ) -- McCarter Theatre Center presents Jazz in June, a five-performance series in McCarter's Berlind Theatre, featuring leading voices in contemporary jazz, global traditions, and family-friendly musical storytelling.
"Jazz in June brings established artists together with emerging voices who honor the roots of jazz while helping shape where it goes next," said Paula Abreu, McCarter's Director of Presented Programming, William Lockwood Jr. Chair. "This season's lineup spans intimate collaborations, global influences, and family-friendly programming, offering audiences the chance to experience jazz in ways that are joyful, surprising, and deeply personal."
The series opens Friday, June 5 at 7:30pm with Catherine Russell & Sean Mason, the GRAMMY-nominated voice-and-piano duo known for their vibrant interpretations of classic jazz traditions. Their album My Ideal honors the roots of blues, R&B, jazz, and pop through fresh arrangements that highlight Russell's timeless vocal style and Mason's expressive piano work. "Singing with the great pianist Sean Mason allows for fun and being in the moment. We understand each other," says Catherine Russell.
Praised by NPR for "a voice that wails like a horn and whispers like a snake in the Garden of Eden," Catherine Russell is a leading interpreter of American popular song, born into a distinguished musical lineage as the daughter of Luis Russell, Louis Armstrong's longtime musical director, and Carline Ray, a pioneering vocalist and bassist. Her singing carries echoes of classic vocalists such as Alberta Hunter, Bessie Smith, and Dinah Washington while remaining unmistakably her own, rooted in warmth, clarity, and a deeply expressive sense of storytelling. Her discography includes the GRAMMY-nominated Harlem on My Mind, and she has appeared on more than 200 recordings with artists including David Bowie, Paul Simon, Steely Dan, and Wynton Marsalis.
Pianist and composer Sean Mason, a Charlotte, North Carolina native and Juilliard graduate, is an emerging voice on the jazz scene who has performed with Branford Marsalis and Wynton Marsalis, who served as an early mentor. His debut recording The Southern Suite showcases his work as both composer and bandleader.
On Sunday, June 7 at 11:00am, acclaimed musician and educator Oran Etkin presents Timbalooloo, an interactive family concert designed for children ages 1–8. Etkin's music has been featured on major concert stages and on a GRAMMY Award-winning compilation. With Timbalooloo, he takes children on a musical journey around the world, introducing different instruments and cultures while showing how global musical traditions form the backbone of American music and society. One of the few productions for young audiences embraced by major theaters and jazz festivals worldwide, Timbalooloo has been presented at venues including the Kennedy Center, Istanbul Jazz Festival, North Sea Jazz Festival, and Shanghai Theatre.
That evening at 7:00pm, bassist, composer, and bandleader Christian McBride brings his ensemble Ursa Major to the Berlind Theatre. An eleven-time GRAMMY Award winner, McBride is one of the most influential figures in contemporary jazz, serving as Artistic Director of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival, Co-Artistic Director of the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, and Artistic Advisor for Jazz Programming at NJPAC. He also hosts NPR's Jazz Night in America. Joining McBride are acclaimed and emerging artists, pianist Mike King, drummer Savannah Harris, saxophonist Nicole Glover, and guitarist Ely Perlman.
On Tuesday, June 9 at 7:30pm, Brazilian bandolim (Brazilian mandolin) virtuoso Hamilton de Holanda performs with his trio. A Latin GRAMMY-winning artist and leading global ambassador of Brazilian music, de Holanda revolutionized the 10-string bandolim, blending choro with jazz and global traditions. The trio's new album NOVA is a deeply emotional and globally inspired work that blends Brazilian musical traditions with contemporary influences from around the world. The album centers on the intuitive musical chemistry between de Holanda, keyboardist Salomão Soares, and drummer Thiago "Big" Rabello. Featuring guest artists including Anoushka Shankar, Ibrahim Maalouf, and Paulinho da Costa, it explores themes of ancestry, gratitude, transformation, and cultural dialogue while remaining rooted in Brazilian identity.
The series concludes Wednesday, June 10 at 7:30pm with The Brandee Younger Trio. Harpist and composer Brandee Younger is redefining the harp in contemporary music. In 2022, she became the first Black woman nominated for a GRAMMY Award for Best Instrumental Composition. Her album Brand New Life earned the 2024 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album.
Her 2025 release Gadabout Season is a more reflective, deeply personal collection of original works that further showcases her singular voice as a composer and bandleader.
Among the most celebrated jazz artists to emerge in the 21st century, Younger has collaborated with Common, Lauryn Hill, John Legend, Pharoah Sanders, and Christian McBride, expanding the harp's reach across jazz, soul, and popular music.
As The New York Times wrote, "No harpist thus far has been more capable of combining all of the modern harp traditions — from Salzedo, through Dorothy Ashby, through Alice Coltrane — with such strength, grace and commitment."
Tickets are available for purchase online or by calling Patron Services at (609) 258-2787. Subscribers may choose 3 events and save 10% or 4 events and save 15%.
McCarter is one of the country’s flagship theaters and a vibrant center for community and the performing arts. Located on the campus of Princeton University, the company is an independent nonprofit, serving as a nationally renowned, multi-disciplinary creative hub for arts and ideas, offering theatre, music, dance, spoken word, and educational programs for all ages. A two-time Tony Award winner, McCarter’s legacy of artistic excellence dates back to the theatre’s first performances in 1930. Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, Kaufmann & Hart’s You Can’t Take It with You, and William Inge’s Bus Stop all had their premieres on the McCarter stage, paving the way for a long history of collaborations with playwrights to launch remarkable works that have gone on to tens of thousands of performances, reaching millions of audience members around the world.
The company is equally revered for presenting global artists on its stages, including Alvin Ailey, Yo-Yo Ma, Samara Joy, Hasan Minhaj, Jon Stewart, Caetano Veloso, Rhiannon Giddens, Patti Smith, Esperanza Spalding, Lake Street Dive, and Herbie Hancock, among many others. Of the 100,000 community members who directly participate in the company’s work every year, more than 5,000 are students taking part in McCarter’s robust educational offerings in Princeton, Trenton, and schools throughout the region. McCarter leads with values of “justice and joy, and beauty in belonging,” creating stories and experiences that enliven minds, expand imaginations, and engage communities.
