Sun Ra Arkestra performs John Coltrane

Please join Ars Nova Workshop in celebrating the life and legacy of John Coltrane on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth. A week of performances kicks off with the Sun Ra Arkestra performing bold new arrangements of the legendary saxophonist’s music at the Mandell Theater on Wednesday, September 23, 2026. Formed in the mid-1950s by its cosmic-philosopher namesake and led for more than three decades by the 102-year-old Marshall Allen, the Sun Ra Arkestra combines era-spanning jazz with dance, theatrics and an interstellar vision that helped lay the foundation for the Afrofuturism movement. This unique concert will feature a tribute from one pioneer to another, as Maestro Allen leads the ensemble in a career-spanning performance of Trane’s compositions, expanded beyond the stars as only the Arkestra can.