A message from our Executive Director, Michelle Woster, as we look to 2026
To say that the reordering of civic life in America has left most of us feeling unsteady would be an understatement. At The Cedar, our board and staff are grappling with what this all means for us—unprecedented attacks on the communities we serve, uncertainty in public funding, and rising operating costs. Yet through every step of 2025, one thing has remained constant: our mission has been our North Star.
Michelle Woster at The Cedar Soundcheck, 2026.
More than 150 events filled our beloved listening room this year, each one reflecting our deepest values—celebrating culture, investing in artists, and bringing people together.
Intercultural Appreciation
Our audiences were able to travel the world without leaving The Cedar—listening to the Ukrainian bandura, the West African kora, and the Estonian talharpa. We celebrated the Dalai Lama with our Tibetan neighbors and danced the Colombian cumbia all night. Through our community rental program, artists from Somalia, Mexico, Japan, and beyond curated their own stages. In 2025, global music wasn’t just something we presented—it was something we lived. The world’s music truly is here.
Creative Expression
From folk and bluegrass to jazz, Cajun traditions, and boundary-pushing new sounds, The Cedar remains a home for artists honoring the past and developing new experimental genres. We were especially proud to continue the Cedar Commissions, supporting six emerging Minnesota composers as they created brand-new work. In all, we paid more than 1,000 artists this year—musicians whose artist fees make up over a third of our entire budget. Supporting artists is not a line item for us; it is the heart of who we are.
Gathering in Community
When music isn’t filling the stage, our space becomes a gathering place for the Cedar-Riverside community. We hosted conversations about economic development and public health, offered free weekly Yalla Drumming classes for neighborhood kids, and brought more than 1,000 people together in the heart of the city at our free, outdoor summer plaza series. Again and again, we saw what happens when people share space: joy, connection, and a sense of belonging.
Looking Ahead
Our new Program Director, James Taylor, is already filling 2026 with bold and exciting performances (and a few surprises—keep an eye out for World Cup news!). But as we plan for the year ahead, we’re also facing hard realities: sharp reductions in public grant funding and rising costs from insurance to artist visas to travel.
This is where we need you.
Buy tickets, and bring friends.
Donate to help make more music.
Sponsor a show yourself or through your business.
Rent our venue for a gathering.
Volunteer your time and see music for free.
Every one of these actions helps ensure that The Cedar stays what it has always been—a place where cultures meet, artists thrive, and our community gathers in hope and acceptance.
Thank you for standing with us, and for helping keep the doors open and the music playing.
