The Luckman Fine Arts Complex at Cal State LA Announces an Electrifying 2025–2026 Season
Featuring global icons and stars including Gladys Knight, Aída Cuevas, Goran Bregović, La Santa Cecilia, and Isabella Rossellini
LOS ANGELES, CA, UNITED STATES, August 19, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Luckman Fine Arts Complex proudly unveils its 2025–2026 season lineup celebrating artistic excellence from around the world, with presentations spanning Latin rock, ranchera, flamenco, jazz, contemporary dance, and beyond. The season reaffirms The Luckman's role as a premier destination for boundary-breaking and culturally rich experiences.From Grammy®-winning icons like Gladys Knight and Aída Cuevas to Oscar nominee Isabella Rossellini and world-renowned dance companies such as the Los Angeles debut of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s acclaimed Sutra featuring the warrior monks of the Shaolin Temple, this season offers something for every arts lover — with storytelling, rhythm, and tradition at the heart of it all.
In addition to stage performances, The Luckman will present an exciting exhibition featuring the work of acclaimed Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, as well as a group exhibition in partnership with LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions).
Not just in person, The Luckman allows viewers to reach art at the tip of their fingers with the continuation of our series Luckman Sessions that will feature 5 new episodes along with the additional ones you can currently stream at no cost online. It is the culmination of accessible art that makes The Luckman your destination for arts discovery.
“For over 30 years, The Luckman has enriched the Los Angeles community by connecting students, faculty, staff, and our neighbors with the transformative power of the arts. As we look to the future, we remain committed to art’s ability to inspire, challenge, and unite.” - Executive Director, Nicholas Mestas
THE 2025-2026 PRESENTING SEASON
La Santa Cecilia
September 13 & 14, 2025
GRAMMY®-winning ensemble La Santa Cecilia kicks off The Luckman season delivering deeply moving stories of love, identity, and social justice that resonate across borders and generations. Infused with cumbia, bolero, rock, jazz, and ranchera, their sound is a vibrant fusion of Latin American traditions and modern global rhythms.
Aída Cuevas
September 28, 2025
The Queen of Ranchera Music takes the stage in a powerful tribute to her storied five-decade career. With a voice heralded as one of the most emotive in Mexican music history, Aída Cuevas presents timeless hits celebrating her status as the only woman in mariachi to have earned both GRAMMY® and Latin GRAMMY® awards.
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui
Sutra
November 2, 2025
A breathtaking convergence of contemporary dance and ancient tradition, Sutra unites choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, sculptor Antony Gormley, and warrior monks of China’s Shaolin Temple. With a haunting live score by Szymon Brzóska, this visually stunning work explores Eastern philosophy through martial arts, movement, and modern stagecraft.
Gladys Knight
December 12, 2025
Very few singers over the last sixty years have matched Gladys Knight’s unassailable artistry. A seven-time GRAMMY® Award winner, she has enjoyed #1 hits in pop, gospel, R&B, and adult contemporary, and has triumphed in film, television, and live performance. Knight has recorded more than thirty-eight albums over the years, including four solo albums. She’s been awarded a Kennedy Center Honor for Lifetime Artistic Achievements, the National Medal of Arts, and a 2024 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company
Diciembre Mexicano
December 20, 2025
Celebrate the warmth and joy of Mexico’s holiday traditions with Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company. Joined by Ballet Folklórico De Esperanza, Mariachi Tesoro de San Fernando, and the Cencamatl Choir, this beloved seasonal performance captures the spirit of Mexican culture through dazzling costumes, vibrant dance, and live music.
Jazz at Lincoln Center Presents
Great American Crooners
February 13, 2026
Step back into the golden age of jazz with JALC’s Great American Crooners. Led by rising stars Benny Benack III, Robbie Lee, and Shenel Johns, the evening revives timeless classics made famous by Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and more — complete with stories of the legends behind the music.
Isabella Rossellini
March 14, 2026
An Oscar-nominated cinematic legend, animal researcher, and icon of intellect and curiosity, Isabella Rossellini returns with her latest one-woman show. With warmth and wit, she guides audiences through a reflection on art, nature, and identity — seamlessly blending performance and personal storytelling.
Drum Tao
March 28, 2026
Feel the pulse of Japan with Drum Tao, the globally renowned taiko ensemble. Fusing traditional drumming with martial arts, multimedia effects, and modern flair, this high-octane spectacle promises to be a thrilling feast for the senses.
Goran Bregović
March 29, 2026
Genre-bending Balkan sensation Goran Bregović brings his raucous, jubilant energy to The Luckman stage. From Romani rhythms to electronic beats, Bregović’s performances are celebrations of cultural fusion and uncontainable joy, sure to have the audience dancing in the aisles.
THE LUCKMAN GALLERY
A Tender Excavation
Curated by Selene Preciado, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions
On view beginning beginning November 1, 2025
A Tender Excavation brings together a group of artists that work with historical and familial photographic archives as a point of departure to construct new narratives and elicit transformation featuring artists Susu Attar (Iraq/Los Angeles, CA, b. 1982), Arlene Mejorado (Los Angeles, CA, b. 1987), Kyzza Terrazas (Mexico, MX, b. 1977), Mely Barragán (Tijuana, MX, b. 1975), Mercedes Dorame (Gabrielino Tongva, b. 1980), Inas Halabi, (Palestine/UK/Netherlands, b. 1988), Sky Hopinka (Ho-Chunk Nation/Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, b. 1984), Heeso Kwon (Seoul, SK/San Francisco, CA, b. 1990) among others.
Ai Weiwei
Vehemently Subtle
On view beginning March 13, 2026
Contemporary artist Ai Weiwei is known for his artistic approach as a pivotal critic when it comes to Chinese cultural development and politics. Since the 1980s he has been considered one of the foremost provocative modern artists who uses his work to champion the freedom of expression in various forms. In this exhibit, The Luckman Gallery is pleased to showcase some of the artworks he is best known for and others that have not been presented in galleries.
David Monnich
D.Monnich Media
+1 210-422-1764
david.h.monnich@gmail.com
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