MUSE/IQUE honors Duke Ellington in performances entitled “THE DUKE: Ellington as America’s Ultimate Renaissance Man,” conducted by artistic and music director Rachael Worby, Sunday, May 21 at 7:30 p.m. at the Skirball Cultural Center in West Los Angeles and Wednesday, May 24 at 7:30 p.m. at the Huntington Library in San Marino.

With rousing performances of Ellington classics like “Sophisticated Lady” and “Take The ‘A’ Train,” Sy Smith (2022’s Central Avenue, 2021’s Tapestry at 50) and Myron McKinley (Central Avenue, Quincy At 90) and the MUSE/IQUE orchestra will have the audience moving their feet and imagining new possibilities.

A magical performance from Ellington’s “The Nutcracker Suite,” an arrangement of the original by Tchaikovsky, by principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre Herman Cornejo, and principal dancer of the American Ballet Theatre Skylar Brandt is an added treat.

Through his music, Duke Ellington made the old world new. The man known for his revolutionary fusion of jazz and classical not only gave America its signature sound, but he also lifted countless voices into our shared cultural conversation. MUSE/IQUE will illuminate Ellington’s ingenuity that shines in people’s lives, even today.

For tickets and information, visit muse-ique.com. The Skirball Cultural Center is located at 2701 Sepulveda Blvd. The Huntington Library is located at 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino.