MUSE/IQUE is celebrating the legendary Quincy Jones with a special concert event, Quincy’s World: The New Founding Father of American Music. The concerts run for a limited engagement from March 5–8, 2026 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. Conducted by artistic and music director Rachel Worby, the performances feature vocalist Vanessa Bryan and Tony and Grammy Award winning performer Brandon Victor Dixon alongside the MUSE/IQUE orchestra.
We were invited to opening night, and it was an extremely entertaining and educational evening. Throughout the performance, Worby guided the audience through important milestones in Quincy Jones’ impressive career. The program highlighted his early days playing trumpet with jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie, his collaborations with Frank Sinatra, and his work across film and television, including helping bring Steven Spielberg on board to direct The Color Purple. The evening also celebrated Jones’ work as a producer behind Michael Jackson’s iconic albums Thriller and Bad.
One of the most exciting aspects of the concert was hearing jazz and pop music performed by a full orchestra. The sound felt fresh and modern while still honoring the original recordings, and the arrangements gave the music new life. We moved in our seats while appreciating the fabulous musicianship on stage.
The arrangements, created by members of MUSE/IQUE, offered inventive reinterpretations of familiar songs. A standout moment came with “It’s My Party,” recorded by Lesley Gore. Instead of its upbeat pop sound, the orchestra performed a slower, half-time jazz arrangement that gave the song a completely different feel.
Worby also shared the fascinating story behind the song’s success. After recording “It’s My Party” with Lesley Gore, Quincy Jones attended a concert at Carnegie Hall where he ran into producer Phil Spector. During their conversation, Spector mentioned he recorded a song with The Crystals. To Jones’ surprise the song was also title “It’s My Party.’ Realizing there might be a race to release the song first, Jones quickly returned to the studio and had about 100 copies of Gore’s recording pressed. He mailed them immediately to radio stations across the country. The strategy worked, within four weeks the song climbed to No. 1 and the version planned for The Crystals was never released.
My favorite moment of the evening came when Brandon Victor Dixon performed Michael Jackson’s “Human Nature” with the orchestra. His voice, paired with the lush orchestral arrangement, created a beautiful and magical moment.
MUSE/IQUE has a wonderful way of blending performance with storytelling. By sharing history and narratives about the artists they highlight, they transform a concert into a meaningful experience. It’s not just about hearing great music, it’s about understanding the cultural moments and creative collaborations behind it, making for a truly memorable evening.
Quincy’s World: The New Founding Father of American Music
with vocalists Vanessa Bryan and Brandon Victor Dixon
March 5-8, 2026
The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts,
9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90210
March 5 & 6 @ 7:30 pm
March 7 @ 2:30 pm & 7:30 pm
March 8 @ 7:30 pm
To learn more about MUSE/IQUE, membership opportunities, and tickets to attend a performance, please visit http://www.muse-ique.com/
