Concerts at the Villa presents world-class musicians performing musical masterpieces inspired by ancient art and literature.

All performances take place in the Auditorium at the Getty Villa. Parking is $10 after 4:00 p.m.

The Pythiad
May 21, 2016
Framed by the tales of nine lesser-known Greek heroes, The Pythiad is a multi-movement piece written for voice, string quartet, soprano saxophone, and string bass, performed by composer and saxophonist Jim Gailloreto, his ensemble Jazz String Quintet, and jazz vocalist Cheryl Wilson.

Cappella Romana
May 17 and 18, 2014
The program at the Getty Villa features Medieval Byzantine chant, the fraternal counterpart to Latin chant in the West. It opens with Holy Week-celebration music composed in and around Jerusalem from the seventh to the ninth centuries by the city's great church fathers: Patriarch Sophronios, Kosmas the Melodist, and Saint John Damascene. The program continues with excerpts of the hauntingly beautiful hymns and psalms for Pentecost that reflect the practice of the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople before the Latin conquest of 1204. These melodies are drawn from manuscripts held at the Abbey of Grottaferrata near Rome, whose library possesses one of the most important collections of medieval Byzantine chant manuscripts in the world.

Twinklings of Hope: Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat in Concert
September 9, 2013
Mahsa and Marjan Vahdat are internationally renowned as performers of classical and contemporary Persian music. With limited access to public stages in their homeland, the sisters often take to the road, bringing with them lush songs of love and loss. With each concert, they embody the promise of artistic expression to illuminate our common humanity. It is this same hopeful vision that has drawn people throughout the ages to the Cyrus Cylinder. On the occasion of this iconic object's visit to the Getty Villa, the sisters have created a special evening of music also featuring respected Tehran-based instrumentalists Pasha Hanjani (ney), Atabak Elyasi (setar), and Ali Rahimi (daf).

Songs from the Fifth Age: Sones de México
April 10, 2010
As both a source of political pride and a muse for cultural expression, Aztec civilization has captivated and inspired artists for more than five centuries. Grammy-nominated Sones de México has garnered accolades far and wide for turning fresh eyes to this rich legacy and performed a special program featuring guest artist Alfredo López, leader of the Mexican musical group Quetzalcóatl, to complement the exhibition The Aztec Pantheon and the Art of Empire.

From the Moon's Navel: A Family Concert with Sones de México
April 11, 2010
To mark the international exhibition The Aztec Pantheon and the Art of Empire, Sones de México shared a special program just for families with traditional songs and dances, legends, and myths from Mexico's vibrant musical heritage.

Musica Angelica
October 5, 2008
Southern California's premier Baroque ensemble and acclaimed soprano Ellen Hargis presented a musical Grand Tour through Europe around 1760 to complement the exhibition Grecian Taste and Roman Spirit: The Society of Dilettanti.

De Organographia
March 15 and 16, 2008
De Organographia, Gayle and Philip Neuman, performed the music of ancient Greece as transcribed from period notation preserved on stone and papyrus sources. Ancient song, including a surviving fragment from Euripides' play Orestes, as well as dramatic pieces and paeans were also part of the program. The March 16 family concert featured ancient Greek music played on reproductions of period instruments.

Patricia Barber
October 20 and 21, 2007
Patricia Barber performed her new, beautifully crafted jazz song-cycle, Mythologies, in two concerts at the Getty Villa. Mythologies is based on characters in Ovid's Metamorphoses, a Roman reinterpretation of Greek myth filled with gods, mortals, and humor. An equally gifted jazz quartet joined Barber for both performances, creating a rich musical landscape full of poetry and power.