Cambridge Concert Series To Celebrate 30th Season Of American Classics

American Classics began in 1996 as a summer concert series at Swedenborg Chapel.

By Benjamin Pierce, Patch Staff

Nov 12, 2026 12:55 PM EST

CAMBRIDGE, MA — A local concert series is opening its 30th season with performances celebrating some of American music's songwriting partnerships.

American Classics will begin its "It Takes Two" season on Friday, Nov. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at First Church Congregational on 11 Garden St. in Cambridge. The series includes three concerts dedicated to teams of songwriters, lyricists, and composers.

The opening performance will feature music by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Ashman and Menken, and Warren and Dubin. Doors open at 7 p.m., with the concert expected to run approximately 90 minutes.

Singers Sarah Kornfeld, Davron Monroe, Julia Nelson, Marcus Schenck, Michelle Deluise, Bradford Conner, and Benjamin Sears will perform.

"Celebrating our 30th season is a profound milestone that honors our musical journey, audiences, and the performing arts community," Artistic and Producing Directors Bradford Conner and Benjamin Sears said. "Over the course of 150 memorable performances, including six commissions, American Classics has had the immense privilege of spotlighting more than 200 of the Boston area's most exceptional theatre and music luminaries, proving that AC's enduring legacy is the brilliance of our local talent. The music is pretty good, too."

The series will return to Cambridge on Feb. 19 at 7:30 p.m. with a concert featuring works by Lerner and Loewe, Kander and Ebb, Richard and Robert Sherman, and Dietz and Schwartz. Grace Allendorf, Valerie Anastasio, Brian De Lorenzo, Todd McNeel, John Manning, Carolyn Saxon, Conner, and Sears will perform.

The Cambridge season will conclude on April 16 at 7:30 p.m. with a program honoring Rodgers and Hart, Ira and George Gershwin, and Harburg and Arlen. The concert will feature Jean Danton, Christina English, Wes Hunter, Caryn May, Cynthia Mork, Dan Perry, Conner, and Sears.

Steve Sussman and Catherine Stornetta are the season's pianists.

American Classics began in 1996 as a summer concert series at Swedenborg Chapel in Cambridge. The organization was founded by Mary Ann Lanier, Sylvie Stewart, Conner, Sears, and Margaret Ulmer. It moved to the Longy School of Music in 1999, where it established a regular season of three programs before adding performances in suburban communities.

Past productions have included Irving Berlin's "Watch Your Step" and "Stop! Look! Listen!" and Cole Porter's "Fifty Million Frenchmen." The group's 2001 revival of "The Band Wagon" received a special Independent Reviewers of New England Award for Musical Theatre.

Tickets are $30, with a reduced price of $25 for seniors and students. The Cambridge venue is wheelchair accessible. Tickets and additional information are available online.

The three programs will also be performed at First Parish Church on 75 Great Road in Bedford on Nov. 15, Feb. 21, and April 18. Each Bedford concert begins at 3 p.m.