The Music of Sun Ra on Saturday April 11, 2026 7:30PM and Sunday April 12, 2026 2:00PM

Sun Ra's elaborate costumes and interstellar visions often overshadowed the fact that he was an extraordinary composer and musician. From the 1940s to the 1990s, his compositions transported listeners on sonic journeys through space and time, challenging conventional jazz boundaries while inspiring generations of musicians with his visionary artistry. Guest director and pianist Orrin Evans leads SRJO in The Sun Ra Suite, which was originally premiered in 2013 by Evans and his Captain Black Big Band At Dizzy's Club Coca Cola in Lincoln Center, honoring the centennial year of Sun Ra's birth. Selections include Sun Ra's Space is the Place, The Hour of Parting and Rocket Number Nine. Other concert selections include favorite big band works reflecting Orrin's background in the music scenes of New York City and his childhood home Philadelphia.

Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra is the Pacific Northwest's premier big band jazz ensemble. Founded in 1995, the 17-piece big band is made up of many of the most prominent jazz soloists and band leaders in the Puget Sound region. SRJO’s mission is to promote appreciation of the uniquely American art form of large ensemble jazz and to share the joy of live professional jazz performance.