Akropolis Reed Quintet Announces 2025/2026 Season Highlights

Appearances at Duke Arts, Fontana Chamber Series, Zoellner Arts Center, Newport Classical, Music Mondays NYC, Peace Center, Pearl Arts, Howland Chamber Music Circle, and Ventura Music Festival

From the 2025 GRAMMY® Award-winning album, Pascal LeBoeuf’s Are We Dreaming the Same Dream? Presented by Moab Music Festival Winterlude 

Residency Program for Universities Across North America and High Schools in Detroit

Workshops at Florida State University, University of Michigan, Western Michigan University, University of Lincoln-Nebraska, The Pennington School, Brigham Young University-Idaho, Troy University (AL), and Duke University

Recipient of the 2025 Paul M Boylan Alumni Award from the University of Michigan 

US Artists International Grant in support of Akropolis performing at the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ in the Netherlands for the Calefax Reeds Festival 

 

“a sonically daring ensemble who specializes in performing new works with charisma and integrity” – BBC Music Magazine

“[Akropolis] has taken the chamber music world by storm” – Fanfare Magazine

akropolisquintet.org

 

Detroit, MI (August 22, 2025) – Acclaimed for their "collective voice driven by real excitement and a sense of adventure" (The Wire), the GRAMMY® Award-winning Akropolis Reed Quintet continues to share their signature warmth with audiences during the 2025-2026 season with a full schedule of concert performances, residency programs and workshops.

Highlights of Akropolis's 2025/2026 season include performances presented by Duke Arts, Fontana Chamber Series, Zoellner Arts Center, Newport Classical, Music Mondays NYC, Peace Center, Pearl Arts, Howland Chamber Music Circle, and Ventura Music Festival. Moab Music Festival Winterlude will present the 2025 GRAMMY® Award-winning project Are We Dreaming the Same Dream? with drummer Christian Euman and pianist Pascal Le Boeuf, who also composed the work. In addition to residencies at universities across North America, Akropolis continues to present the Detroit-based Together We Sound Festival, where they will carry on residencies at MLK High School, Detroit School of Arts and Cass Tech High School. Akropolis will also hold readings and workshops at Florida State University, University of Michigan, Western Michigan University, University of Lincoln-Nebraska, The Pennington School, 

Brigham Young University-Iowa, Troy University, and Duke University. The quintet continues its Akropolis Chamber Music Institute Summer Festival in Petoskey, MI, with additional world premieres by Michel van der Aa, Remy Le Boeuf, Patrick O’Malley, Wenbin Lyu, and Mikeila McQueston, a collaboration with GRAMMY® Award-winning baritone Kenneth Overton, plus performances of recent commissions by Augusta Read Thomas, Harriet Steinke, Derrick Skye, Stephanie Ann Boyd, Omar Thomas, Ryan Lindveit, and Oswald Hu?nh.

The season launches in Northern Michigan from August 2–10, 2025, with the fourth annual Akropolis Chamber Music Institute at Bay View in Petoskey, MI. This immersive program combines world premiere performances, mentorship, and collaboration, setting the tone for the year ahead.

Following their institute, Akropolis brings programs to Newport (Rhode Island) as a part of the Newport Classical Festival on Saturday, August 23, 2025, and to the Dalton Center Recital Hall (Kalamazoo, MI), presented by Fontana Chamber Arts on Sunday, September 21, 2025. Workshops in the Music Department at Western Michigan University will follow this concert. For their next engagements, they appear at McCain Auditorium (Manhattan, KS), presented by the QuVee Mock Masterclass Series on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, and Arts for the Soul on Friday, September 26, 2025, in conjunction with master classes at the University of Lincoln–Nebraska on Thursday, September 25, 2025.

The Pennington School presents Akropolis for a three-day residency Tuesday, October 14 – Thursday, October 16, 2025, in Pennington, NJ, which includes woodwind and band workshops, culminating in a concert on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. Following that, the ensemble travels to Florida State University for an entrepreneurship session, master classes, and a Housewright Virtuoso Series performance at Opperman Hall, October 21–22, 2025, in Tallahassee, FL.

At the end of October, Akropolis appears with the Umpqua Symphony Association at Umpqua College (Roseburg, OR) on Sunday, October 26, 2025. They then head to Brigham Young University–Idaho for a concert on Monday, October 27, 2025, and educational activities on October 28, 2025. On Sunday, November 2, 2025, they perform for the Howland Chamber Music Circle at the Howland Cultural Center in Beacon, NY.

A highlight of the fall season is Akropolis’ international performance at the Calefax Reeds Festival at Muziekgebouw aan ’t IJ in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on Saturday, November 22, 2025 supported by a grant from USArtists International and the Paul M Angell Family Foundation. This is the first international reed quintet festival and honors Calefax’s 40th anniversary by featuring four days of concerts, workshops, and conversation. Composed for this occasion, celebrated Dutch composer Michel van der Aa has written a new reed quintet to be performed by 40 ensembles around the globe, including Akropolis, starting October 12, 2025. 

In January 2026, Akropolis performs at Baldwin Auditorium presented by Duke Arts (Durham, NC) on Friday, January 23, 2026, followed by a master class at Duke University on Saturday, January 24. Their southern tour continues with a concert at the Peace Center in Greenville, SC, on Sunday, January 25, 2026; a master class at Troy University (Troy, AL) on Wednesday, January 28, 2026; and a concert presented by the Troy Arts Council on Thursday, January 29, 2026.

In February, they appear at the Zoellner Arts Center at Lehigh University (Bethlehem, PA) on Saturday, February 14, 2026, followed by a performance in New York City for the Music Mondays series on February 16, 2026. The centerpiece of this concert is a newly commissioned 35 minute work entitled “Mass” by Detroit-based composer Harriet Steinke, designed to be performed in reverberant spaces like the historic Advent Lutheran Church in New York City. 

From February 21–27, 2026, Akropolis takes part in a weeklong residency for the Moab Music Festival’s Winterlude in Moab, UT, where they present the 2025 GRAMMY® Award-winning program Are We Dreaming The Same Dream?, in collaboration with Pascal Le Boeuf and Christian Euman. Akropolis’ week-long residency will include multiple performances and educational activities that blend music with the unique landscape of Moab.

In March, Akropolis returns to their alma mater, the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance (Ann Arbor, MI), for a student engagement and evening performance at Britton Recital Hall on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 as the recipient of the 2025 Paul M. Boylan Alumni Award. Akropolis clarinetist Kari Landry shares “It is a tremendous honor to be the first ensemble to ever receive this prestigious alumni award. We owe so much to the U-M faculty and community for bringing the five of us together, and for their unwavering support of our ambition to succeed with our reed quintet, an unheard-of chamber ensemble when we were students. To receive this accolade over a decade later means so much to the five of us.” 

They then perform at the Pearl Arts Center (Fort Wayne, IN) on Thursday, March 12, 2026. From May 4–6, 2026, Akropolis hosts the Together We Sound Festival in Detroit, MI, presenting newly composed works by students from MLK High School, Detroit School of Arts, and Cass Technical High School. The season concludes on Sunday, July 26, 2026, with a performance at the Ventura Music Festival at the Ventura College Performing Arts Center (Ventura, CA).

 

Akropolis Reed Quintet 2026-2026 Season Calendar

Saturday, August 2 – Sunday, August 10, 2025
Akropolis Chamber Music Institute at Bay View
Bay View Music Festival | Petoskey, MI
Link: www.akropolisquintet.org/acmi/ 

Saturday, August 23, 2025 at 4:00 pm 
Newport Classical Children’s Concert 
Newport County YMCA | Middletown, RI  
Link: https://newportclassical.org/event/childrens-concert-akropolis-reed-quintet/

Sunday, September 21, 2025 at 7:30 pm 
Fontana Chamber Arts Concert 
Dalton Center Recital Hall, Kalamazoo, MI 
Link: https://www.fontanamusic.org/event/akropolis-reed-quintet/

Monday, September 22, 2025 at 12:00 pm 
Monday, September 22, 2025 at 1:00 pm 
Western Michigan University Residency 
Irving S. Gilmore School of Music | Kalamazoo, MI 
Link: https://www.akropolisquintet.org/events/western-michigan-university-woodwind-seminar

Wednesday, September 24, 2025 at 7:00 pm 
QuVee Mock Masterclass Series Concert 
McCain Auditorium | Manhattan, KS 
Link: https://www.k-state.edu/mtd/mock/

Thursday, September 25, 2025 at 7:00 pm 
University of Lincoln-Nebraska Residency 
Westbrook Music Building | Lincoln, NE 
Link: https://www.akropolisquintet.org/events/university-of-lincoln-nebraska-masterclasses


Friday, September 26, 2025 at 7:00 pm 
Arts for the Soul Concert
First Presbyterian Church | Lincoln, NE 
Link: https://fpclincoln.org/art-for-the-soul-concert-series/

Tuesday, October 14 – Thursday, October 16, 2025 
The Pennington School Residency 
Woodwind Sectionals: Tuesday, October 14, 2025 at 10 am 
Instrumental Band Rehearsals: Wednesday, October 15 
Chamber Series Concert: Wednesday, October 15 at 6 pm 
Lectures: Thursday, October 16, 2025 
The Pennington School Music Building | Pennington, NJ 
Link: https://www.akropolisquintet.org/events/the-pennington-school-residency


Tuesday, October 21 – Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Florida State University Residency 
Entrepreneurship Session: Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 1:25 pm 
Master Classes: Wednesday, October 22, 2025
Kuersteiner Music Building | Tallahassee, FL 
Link: https://www.akropolisquintet.org/events/florida-state-university-residency


Tuesday, October 21, 2025 at 7:30 pm 
Housewright Virtuoso Series Concert 
Opperman Hall | Tallahassee, FL 
Link: https://music.fsu.edu/event/housewright-virtuoso-series-akropolis-reed-quintet-concert/


Sunday, October 26, 2025 at 3:00 pm 
Umpqua Symphony Association Concert
Umpqua College | Roseburg, OR 
Link: https://dcyomusic.org/concerts-and-events/2526-concert-series/

Monday, October 27 – Tuesday, October 28, 2025 
Brigham Young University-Idaho Residency 
Eliza R. Snow Performing Arts Center Concert: Monday, October 27 at 7:30 pm 
Workshops and Master Classes: Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Link: https://www.akropolisquintet.org/events/brigham-young-university-idaho-concert


Sunday, November 2, 2025 at 4:00pm 
Howland Chamber Music Circle Concert
Howland Cultural Center | Beacon, NY 
Link: https://howlandmusic.org/events/akropolis-reed-quintet/


Thursday, November 20  –  Sunday, November 23, 2025 
Calefax Reeds Festival 
Concert: Saturday, November 22, 2025 at 6:00 pm 
Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ | Netherlands, Amsterdam 
Link: https://calefax.nl/en/festival/


Friday, January 23, 2026 at 8:00 pm 
Duke Arts Concert 
Baldwin Auditorium | Durham, NC 
Link: https://arts.duke.edu/events/akropolis-reed-quintet/


Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 12 pm 
Duke University Master Class 
Mary Duke Biddle Music Building | Durham, NC 
Link: https://www.akropolisquintet.org/events/duke-university-master-class


Sunday, January 25, 2026 at 2:00 pm 
Peace Center Concert 
Peace Center Concert Hall | Greenville, SC 
Link: https://www.peacecenter.org/events/detail/26-akropolis-reed-quintet

Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at 1:00 pm 
Troy University Master Class 
Troy University | Troy, AL 
Link: https://www.akropolisquintet.org/events/troy-university-master-class


Thursday, January 29, 2026 at 7:00 pm 
Troy Arts Council Concert 
Troy Arts Council | Troy, AL 
Link: https://troyartscouncil.net/home


Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 7:30 pm 
Zoellner Arts Center Concert 
Baker Hall | Bethlehem, PA 
Link: https://zoellner.cas.lehigh.edu/content/akropolis-reed-quintet

Monday, February 16, 2026 at 7:00 pm 
Music Mondays Concert 
Advent Lutheran Church | New York, NY
Link: https://www.musicmondays.org/


Saturday, February 21  –  Friday, February 27, 2026
Moab Music Festival Winterlude 
Featuring Are We Dreaming The Same Dream? with Pascal Le Boeuf and Christian Euman
Weeklong residency includes multiple performances and educational activities 
Star Hall | Moab, UT 
Link: https://moabmusicfest.org/calendar/winterlude/


Tuesday, March 10, 2026 
University of Michigan Residency 
Student Meeting: 12:30 pm 
Concert: 8:00pm 
Britton Recital Hall | Ann Arbor, MI 
Link: https://www.akropolisquintet.org/events/university-of-michigan-school-of-music-theater-and-dance

Thursday, March 12, 2026 at 7:30 pm 
Pearl Arts Concert 
Pearl Arts Center | Fort Wayne, IN 
Link: https://pearlarts.org/


Monday, May 4, 2026 – Wednesday, May 6, 2026 
Together We Sound Festival: Detroit High School Composers Concerts
MLK High School, Detroit School of Arts, Cass Tech High School | Detroit, Michigan
Link: https://www.akropolisquintet.org/detroit-high-school-residency


Sunday, July 26, 2026 at 3:00 pm 
Ventura Music Festival Concert 
Ventura College Performing Arts Center | Ventura, CA 
Link: https://www.akropolisquintet.org/events/ventura-music-festival


About Akropolis Quintet

Founded in 2009, the GRAMMY® Award-winning Akropolis Reed Quintet is “a sonically daring ensemble who specializes in performing new works with charisma and integrity” (BBC Music Magazine). Comprising five reed players and entrepreneurs unbounded by limits or categorization, Akropolis has graced the Classical Billboard Charts with each of their last three albums, including #2 in April, 2024, and has won seven national chamber music prizes including the 2014 Fischoff Gold Medal. Having premiered and commissioned more than 200 works by living artists and composers, they are pioneers and champions of a new genre of classical music—the reed quintet.

Composed of the same five members that brought about its founding at the University of Michigan, they are the first ensemble to receive the University's Paul M. Boylan Alumni Award. Akropolis delivers 120 concerts and educational events worldwide each year at luminary series including Tanglewood, Bravo! Vail, University Musical Society, Chamber Music Northwest, and more. Akropolis became the first ever GRAMMY® winning reed quintet with their 2024 album, Are We Dreaming the Same Dream?, in collaboration with Pascal Le Boeuf and drummer Christian Euman, taking home Best Instrumental Composition for the track “Strands” at the 67th Grammy Awards held in February, 2025.

Utilizing their “sheer musical imagination” (Gramophone), the quintet is also known for powerful collaborations with youth and others within its Southeast Michigan community. Certified as a 510(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Akropolis runs a Detroit-based summer festival called Together We Sound, holds an annual, school year-long music composition residencies at Cass Tech, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Detroit School of Arts high schools, and produces a 10-day Chamber Music Institute focused on artist training and mentorship in Petoskey, MI. 

Described as “pure gold” by the San Francisco Chronicle, Akropolis Reed Quintet performs worldwide and is represented exclusively by Ariel Artists. Learn more at https://akropolisquintet.org/. 

*Photo Credit: Jason Walker

# # #