Synergy
MUSIC WITH A TWIST
Select concerts at SummerFest combine incredible music with a little something extra.
The Synergy Initiative invites top creators of music, dance, spoken word, and visual arts to collaborate across multiple genres and create performances that inspire audiences in unexpected ways.
These performances are co-produced by Inon Barnatan and Clara Wu Tsai
Opening Night: The Incomplete History of the World in Ten Pieces
This boundary-crossing performance blends music, storytelling, and theatrical narration in a fast-moving journey through history. Go on a vivid time-travel adventure—from medieval chant to modern revolution—where each piece becomes a portal to a defining moment in the story of music.
Brad Mehldau: Ride into the Sun
Backed by an acclaimed 17-piece chamber orchestra, jazz giant Brad Mehldau teams up with folk superstar Chris Thile—and others—for an unforgettable live performance of Mehldau’s 2025 GRAMMY®-nominated album Ride into the Sun.