North Carolina Museum of Art Announces 2023 Outdoor Performing Arts and Film Season

Raleigh, NC – The North Carolina Museum of Art (NCMA) is thrilled to announce the lineup for the 2023 Outdoor Performing Arts and Film season presented by First Citizens Bank. As part of the 2023 season, the NCMA will host Grammy, Stellar, and Dove Award–winning artists; Jazz at the NCMA; Juneteenth Joy; a series of outdoor films for all ages; Choreographers Spotlight; NCMA Groove; and Paperhand Puppet Intervention. Performances are held at the Joseph M. Bryan, Jr., Theater in the Museum Park.

2023 Outdoor Concerts

The Wood Brothers with Shovels & Rope

Friday, May 19, 7:30 pm

The Wood Brothers are Grammy-nominated leaders of American roots music, reaching far beyond the genre’s borders to connect across all audiences through visceral storytelling and songwriting. Opening for the Wood Brothers is Shovels & Rope, an American folk duo from Charleston, South Carolina, that blends traditional folk, rock and roll, and country rock.

Jacob Collier DJESSE WORLD TOUR SUMMER 2023 with special guest Lawrence

Tuesday, June 13, 7:30 pm

Recognized by audiences, critics, and fellow musicians alike as one of the most gifted young artists of modern times, 28-year-old Jacob Collier already has a seemingly endless list of achievements, including five Grammy wins, 11 Grammy nominations, and Album of the Year in 2021. Opening for Jacob Collier is Lawrence, an eight-piece soul-pop band comprised of musician friends from childhood and college. The band has since gained a devoted following for its high-energy, keyboard-driven sound, which features tight, energetic horns and explosive lead vocals.

Nickel Creek with Special Guest Aoife O’Donovan

Friday, July 21, 8 pm

Nickel Creek is the platinum-selling, internationally renowned roots trio of mandolinist Chris Thile, violinist Sara Watkins, and guitarist Sean Watkins. The Grammy-winning band has revolutionized folk and roots music since first performing together as children at a San Diego pizza parlor in 1989 and later signing to acclaimed roots label Sugar Hill Records after wowing the bluegrass circuit for a decade. Opening for Nickel Creek is Grammy Award–winning artist Aoife O’Donovan. Deemed “a vocalist of unerring instinct” by the New York Times, she has released three critically acclaimed and boundary-blurring solo albums, including her most recent record, 2022’s boldly orchestrated and literarily crafted Age of Apathy.

Steep Canyon Rangers with Amythyst Kiah

Friday, August 18, 7:30 pm

The Steep Canyon Rangers are made up of Graham Sharp on banjo and vocals, Mike Guggino on mandolin/mandola and vocals, Nicky Sanders on fiddle and vocals, Mike Ashworth on drums and vocals, Barrett Smith on bass, guitar, and vocals, and Aaron Burdett on guitar and vocals.

Amythyst Kiah’s Rounder Records debut, Wary + Strange, marks the glorious combination of two vastly different worlds: the iconoclastic alt-rock that first sparked her musical passion and the roots/old-time music scene where she’s found breakout success in recent years, including recognition from Rolling Stone as “one of Americana’s great up-and-coming secrets.” This performance is presented with Cat’s Cradle.

Gladys Knight with special guest Eric Benét

Friday, September 1, 7:30 pm

The NCMA welcomes Gladys Knight, the seven-time Grammy-winning Empress of Soul, for a special evening of pop, R&B, gospel, and adult contemporary music. Grammy-nominated R&B/neo soul singer Eric Benét opens.

This performance is presented in association with the African American Cultural Festival of Raleigh and Wake County.

Jazz at the NCMA

Curated by Moses T. Alexander Greene, Jazz at the NCMA showcases the art form of jazz, often considered “America’s classical music.” This spectacular season includes 10-time Grammy-winning a cappella group Take 6 with vocal powerhouse Chrisette Michele, five-time Grammy-winning jazz pianist Robert Glasper with 23-year-old jazz sensation Samara Joy, and more.