Nu Deco Ensemble Closes 2025-26 Season At The Adrienne Arsht Center With Grammy-Winning Artists Wyclef Jean And Ledisi

This Performance Marks Wyclef's Third Collaboration With Nu Deco And Ledisi's Second

Artwork by Javin Romero, Matthew Frazier, and Mark Obriski [Download]

Tuesday, February 24, 2026 - Nu Deco Ensemble announces the return of two Grammy-winning artists — Wyclef Jean and Ledisi — for the ensemble's 2025–26 season finale on April 10th at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami.

Wyclef Jean, whose global artistry and cultural reach have shaped popular music across decades, joins Nu Deco for his third collaboration with the ensemble, bringing his signature fusion of hip-hop, soul, and Caribbean influences to the symphonic stage. Ledisi, one of the most commanding vocal presences in contemporary music, returns for her second, delivering the emotional depth and technical brilliance that have defined her Grammy-winning career.

The evening's program reflects the full breadth of Nu Deco's orchestral language. Gustav Holst's Jupiter anchors the classical architecture of the night, while the world premiere of a new symphonic suite drawn from the legendary catalog of the Bee Gees brings the program into vivid contemporary focus. The suite was co-created by Nu Deco's writing cohort in collaboration with Steve Gibb — acclaimed guitarist and son of Bee Gees icon Barry Gibb — who will perform alongside the ensemble.

"The music becomes something deeper when it is made with artists you genuinely know and trust. Wyclef and Ledisi have been with us, believed in this work, and given generously of their artistry over the years — and we don't take that lightly. Each time we collaborate and create together, we find new colors, new nuance, new meaning. That kind of continuity is rare, and it means everything to us."

— Jacomo Bairos, Co-Founder and Music Director, Nu Deco Ensemble

On April 9th, both artists will join Nu Deco for the ensemble's annual Education Concert — a curated orchestral experience presented to 1,800 Miami-Dade County students. Wyclef Jean, participating for the third time, brings a sustained commitment to young audiences that mirrors Nu Deco's own educational mission. Ledisi joins this concert for the first time, expanding the reach and resonance of the program.

Surrounding the April 10th mainstage performance, Nu Deco's Access Program extends the evening's artistic experience to underserved communities throughout Miami. Approximately 200 guests from Access partners will attend the dress rehearsal, participate in the sound check, the main performance, and get an exclusive backstage tour. 350 reserved tickets are made available to community partners for the mainstage performance, alongside a pre-show Access Talk providing deeper context into the evening's repertoire.

Event Details:

Nu Deco Ensemble at the Arsht Center featuring Wyclef Jean and Ledisi

April 10th, 2026 at 8pm

Adrienne Arsht Center, Miami, FL

Tickets are available now at arshtcenter.org.

Photo credit: Alex Markow [Download]

“Nu Deco Ensemble is a chamber orchestra for the 21st century” - The New York Times

“A sonically spellbinding experience…Nu Deco Ensemble has proven that any genre can work in the arena of classical music”. - Billboard

“Will captivate your eyes and ears”. - Recording Academy

ABOUT WYCLEF JEAN

Wyclef Jean is a Grammy Award-winning artist, producer, and composer with over two decades of pioneering influence in the music industry and culture. As a founding member of the Fugees, their 1996 album "The Score" achieved monumental global and chart topping success, in addition to two Grammy Awards and a nomination for Album of the Year. He has released eight solo albums, including "The Carnival," which sold nearly nine million copies worldwide and was Grammy Nominated. As a producer and writer, he is responsible for hits like “Hips Don’t Lie” (Shakira), “Maria Maria” (Santana) and more. In 2020, Wyclef launched the podcast "RunThatBack".

As a leader in music tech he co-founded SodoMoodLab, composing music for Showtime’s "The Chi,” is Chief Creative Officer of OpenWav, and a consultant for Google DeepMind, where he focuses on AI technology. Now Global Culture Advisor of Circle, his goal is to help bring stablecoin innovation to the world stage and promote financial literacy across communities. As a philanthropist, he is deeply committed to honoring his home country of Haiti, recently sponsoring and mentoring Haitian students in a robotics program that achieved global accolades. He is a Global Ambassador for Global Citizen, is on the National Advisory Board for Music Will, and was honored with their 2025 Innovator Award. He remains a dynamic cultural force, seamlessly integrating music, education, and technology to drive meaningful social change.

ABOUT NU DECO ENSEMBLE:

Founded in 2015 by conductor Jacomo Bairos and composer/producer Sam Hyken, Miami-based Nu Deco Ensemble is redefining what an orchestra can be in the 21st century. Hailed by The New York Times as a “chamber orchestra for the 21st century,” Nu Deco fuses classical virtuosity with the energy of today’s most exciting artists and genres — creating concerts that are both artistically bold and emotionally powerful.

Through genre-defying collaborations, reimaginations of iconic artists, and commissions from living composers, Nu Deco has become a cultural engine for Miami and a model for orchestral reinvention nationwide. Since its inception, the ensemble has performed with a roster of world-renowned collaborators, including Robert Glasper, PJ Morton, Wyclef Jean, Jacob Collier, Kishi Bashi, Bilal, Ledisi, and Ben Folds, while reaching millions globally through digital content, streaming, and media partnerships.

Beyond the stage, Nu Deco is deeply committed to education and community impact. Its programs have reached more than 174,000 students through immersive education concerts, in-school residencies, digital initiatives, and the Nu Deco NXT youth ensemble, while its Access program has provided thousands of free tickets to community partners. Together, these initiatives form a lifelong platform that connects students, families, and audiences to music at every stage of life.

With its unique blend of artistic excellence, cultural fluency, and community engagement, Nu Deco Ensemble stands at the forefront of a movement to reimagine the orchestra as vibrant, inclusive, and essential to contemporary culture — truly the orchestra of now and next.

For Nu Deco Ensemble please contact:

Max Bodner | max@blackbox.la

For Wyclef Jean please contact:

wyclefjeanpr@shorefire.com

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