Join us as we celebrate Such Sweet Thunder, Duke Ellington’s masterful 1957 twelve-part jazz suite inspired by the timeless works of William Shakespeare. Originally conceived during Ellington’s time near the Stratford Shakespearean Festival, this groundbreaking composition channels the spirit, drama, and poetry of Shakespeare’s characters through the language of jazz.

Crafted in collaboration with Billy Strayhorn, and written in less than three weeks, the suite draws its name from A Midsummer Night’s Dream: “I never heard / So musical a discord, such sweet thunder.” Experience the full suite performed live — a rare chance to hear Ellington’s ambitious tribute as it was originally envisioned.