esperanza spalding

esperanza spalding is an artist in constant evolution. Best known as a bassist, vocalist, and composer, her work spans disciplines beyond music. Through dance, therapeutic research, regenerative agriculture, and more, she explores the power of transformation through the abstract. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, esperanza is a five-time Grammy Award winner and 2024 Doris Duke Artist Award recipient, whose acclaimed albums 12 Little Spells and Songwrights Apothecary Lab expertly weave jazz and art rock with Afro-Latin styles to create an expansive blend of sounds.

esperanza is the co-founder of Prismid Sanctuary, a non-profit artist residency and workshop space in Portland, where she leads residencies. From Wayne Shorter and Milton Nascimento, to Q-Tip and Janelle Monáe, her collaborators span genres and generations, and she continues to open new artistic terrain—inviting audiences not just to listen, but to imagine, question, and expand what music can do.

Fresh from a twelve-night residency at New York’s legendary Blue Note Jazz Club, esperanza’s Chan Centre debut will emphasize the simplicity and intimacy of her voice, bass, and catalogue. This concert will feature a special configuration of musicians performing selections from all eight of her previous albums and current releases, plus a special preview of her forthcoming project.