Featured Performers

• Caroline Shaw, Artistic Director
• Gabriel Kahane

Program

• SHAW & KAHANE: Hexagons*
• Other works to be announced

After more than a decade of musical friendship,composer-performers Caroline Shaw and Gabriel Kahane come together for their first large-scale collaboration, a deeply immersive and thought-provoking performance inspired by the literary genius of Jorge Luis Borges.

In this new, jointly-written song cycle, Shaw and Kahane draw inspiration from Borges’ enigmatic short story, The Library of Babel, inviting audiences to explore a world of infinite knowledge and boundless mystery. The cycle reflects on the overwhelming and often paradoxical nature of life in a society saturated with information—containing moments of joy, grief, wonder, and bewilderment, all woven into a stunning musical tapestry.

Shaw’s evocative, innovative compositions combine with Kahane’s poignant lyrics and masterful storytelling to create a performance that transcends genres, offering a profound meditation on the human experience in the digital age. This is a rare opportunity to witness two visionary artists at the height of their creative collaboration.

*Hexagons was commissioned by Newman Center for the Performing Arts, San Francisco Performances, University Musical Society, Duke University, Philharmonie de Paris, Philharmonic Society of Orange County, Wigmore Hall, and the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts.

**Please note that this concert was changed from its original published date in our 2024/25 Season Brochure. .

Sponsors

FESTIVAL UNDERWRITER

Jelinek Family Trust

CONCERT SPONSOR

City of Laguna Beach