Ars Nova presents Sun Ra Arkestra Performs the Music of John Coltrane

Please join Ars Nova Workshop in celebrating the life and legacy of John Coltrane on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth. A week of performances kicks off with the Sun Ra Arkestra performing bold new arrangements of the legendary saxophonist’s music at the Mandell Theater on Wednesday, September 23.

John Coltrane changed the course of music, but his story is also deeply rooted in Philadelphia. In 2026, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth, Ars Nova Workshop will present COLTRANE 100 — a citywide constellation of performances, conversations, exhibitions, listening events, community gatherings, educational programs, and neighborhood activations honoring Coltrane’s enduring legacy and Philadelphia’s central role in shaping it. Developed in collaboration with the John and Alice Coltrane estate, artists, scholars, community leaders, and cultural partners across the city, the initiative will unfold across venues, libraries, public spaces, and neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia.

On Coltrane’s 100th birthday, September 23, 2026, Ars Nova will launch this celebration with a very special performance by an iconic Philadelphia-based ensemble. Formed in the mid-1950s by its cosmic-philosopher namesake and led for more than three decades by the 102-year-old Marshall Allen, the Sun Ra Arkestra combines era-spanning jazz with dance, theatrics and an interstellar vision that helped lay the foundation for the Afrofuturism movement. This unique concert will feature a tribute from one pioneer to another, as Maestro Allen leads the ensemble in a career-spanning performance of Trane’s compositions, expanded beyond the stars as only the Arkestra can.