From Jazz to Circus: Inside the Green Music Center’s '25–'26 Lineup with Jacob Yarrow

Jacob Yarrow joins Tim to unpack Sonoma State’s Green Music Center: World-class halls, wildly diverse ’25–’26 season (jazz, mariachi, contemporary circus, holiday shows & more), and how the venue keeps Sonoma County listening.

Fresh from moving the Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau into its new HQ at the Toscano Hotel (come visit!), Tim sits down with Jacob Yarrow, Executive Director of Sonoma State University’s Green Music Center (GMC), for a lively tour of one of Northern California’s premier performing arts hubs. We learn what makes GMC special, such as the acoustically famed Weill Hall, intimate Schroeder Hall, and the indoor-outdoor lawn experience, and how the rooms themselves become part of the music.

They then preview the upcoming 2025–26 season: a New Orleans-style jazz kickoff with an uptown big band vibe, mariachi and swing, adventurous new-music string quartets, and a can’t-miss appearance by a contemporary circus company from Australia. Holiday favorites return with touring ensembles and Broadway star power, plus community favorites like outdoor movie nights on the lawn. Jacob also shares how GMC partners with the Santa Rosa Symphony, supports student performances, and welcomes audiences whether they’re dressed up for a night out or dropping by post-hike.

Along the way we discuss pepperoni rolls, West Virginia, marching bands, moonshine lore, and why Sonoma is sneakily packed with live music.

More info & tickets: gmc.sonoma.edu

Plan your Sonoma Valley trip & events: sonomavalley.com

Every week our podcast guests answer YOUR questions about wine country and visiting Sonoma.

This week Jacob Yarrow takes on these important Sonoma Valley questions:

We are here for two days and we don’t have a car. How can we get around and see things?

We are visiting and are wondering what we should do and what is famous here?

Are there any wineries that have cabernet?

I’m supposed to be in Napa with a car, but instead I’m in Sonoma on foot. What should I do, and can it involve white wine?

We Get Questions is brought to you by the Sonoma Plaza Tasting Pass: Save up to 25% off tasting fees and choose three great wineries around the historic Sonoma Plaza. Details at https://bit.ly/SonomaTastingPass

Got questions about Sonoma Valley? You can email us at [email protected], text us at 707-996-1090 or contact us through Facebook, Instagram, TikTok or just walk into one of our two visitor centers.

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