Composer, conductor, and creative thinker, John Adams holds a unique position in the world of music. His works are distinguished by their depth of expression, brilliance of sound, and profoundly humanist themes. Notable operas and oratorios like Nixon in China, Doctor Atomic, and El Niño have transformed contemporary music theatre. Over nearly four decades, pieces such as Harmonielehre, Shaker Loops, The Dharma at Big Sur, and his Violin Concerto are among the most performed contemporary classical compositions.

As a conductor, Adams has led major orchestras worldwide, programming his own works alongside a diverse repertoire from Beethoven to Ellington. He holds honorary doctorates from Yale, Harvard, Northwestern, Cambridge, and The Juilliard School. A provocative writer, Adams authored the acclaimed autobiography Hallelujah Junction and frequently contributes to The New York Times Book Review. Since 2009, he has been the Creative Chair of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Born and raised in New England, Adams learned the clarinet from his father and played in marching bands and community orchestras. He began composing at age 10, with his first orchestral pieces performed during his teenage years. After graduating from Harvard University, he moved to California, where he has lived since. In 2019, he received Spain’s BBVA Frontiers of Knowledge award and Holland’s Erasmus Prize for notable contributions to European culture. In 2021, he was appointed Honorary Academician by the General Assembly of the Academicians of Santa Cecilia and received the Ditson Conductor’s Award from Columbia University for his exceptional commitment to American composers.

Conducting engagements in 2025–26 include return visits to the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, The Cleveland Orchestra, and New World Symphony, as well as appearances with the Gothenburg Symphony, Sinfonia Lahti, Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony, and Orquesta Sinfónica di Mineria. Recent appearances include The Cleveland Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, and The Metropolitan Opera for the American premiere of his opera Antony and Cleopatra. A five-time Grammy winner, Adams received a 2024 Grammy nomination for his recording of Girls of the Golden West. In 2022, Nonesuch Records released the 40-disc John Adams Collected Works, celebrating his 75^th birthday.

A consummate musician recognized for her grace, subtlety, and brilliance, the pianist Orli Shaham is hailed by critics on four continents. The New York Times called her a “brilliant pianist,” The Chicago Tribune referred to her as “a first-rate Mozartean,” and London’s Guardian said Ms. Shaham’s playing at the Proms was “perfection.”

Orli Shaham has performed with many of the major orchestras around the world, and has appeared in recital internationally, from Carnegie Hall to the Sydney Opera House. She is Artistic Director of Pacific Symphony’s chamber series Café Ludwig in California since 2007 and was Artist in Residence at Vancouver Symphony (USA) in 2022-2024.

Highlights of Ms. Shaham’s 2025-2026 concert season include Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto at the Classical Tahoe Festival, performances of Light Forming by David Robertson with St. Louis and Nashville symphonies, and the premiere of a concerto for violin and piano by Reena Esmail she commissioned with her brother, the violinist Gil Shaham, with the National and Virginia symphonies.

In 2026, Orli Shaham releases an album of American chamber music with members of the Pacific Symphony, including works by Margaret Brouwer, Avner Dorman, Reena Esmail and Viet Cuong. Her 2024 box set of the complete sonatas by Mozart received accolades worldwide. Ms. Shaham’s discography also includes her acclaimed solo album, Brahms Inspired; John Adams’ Grand Pianola Music with the pianist Marc-André Hamelin and the San Francisco Symphony, with the composer conducting; and American Grace, featuring Steven Mackey’s Stumble to Grace, written for her, with the Los Angeles Philharmonic.

Orli Shaham is on the piano and chamber music faculty at The Juilliard School and is Chair of the Board of Trustees of Kaufman Music Center. She is a major presence on public radio as Co-Host and Creative for NPR’s From the Top and was host of Dial-a-Musician, a radio feature series she created. She is regularly featured on the popular music education platform Tonebase, including masterclasses on Mozart’s piano sonatas and a lecture-performance about Clara Schumann.

Orli Shaham is a Steinway Artist.

Orli Shaham appears by arrangement with Colbert Artists Management, Inc. www.colbertartists.com