St. Cecilia Music Center adds two Dynamic Singer/Songwriters to this season’s
Acoustic Café Folk Series:
GRAMMY Award-winning Shawn Colvin, March 8 and GRAMMY Nominated artist Joan Osbourne, April 30, 2026
Shawn Colvin will appear in concert on Sunday, March 8 for a special "Celebration of International Women's Day", followed by a special celebratory post-concert reception.
St. Cecilia Music Center (SCMC) brings Grammy-Award Winning artist Shawn Colvin (March 8) and Grammy-Nominated artist Joan Osbourne (April 30) for two exciting evenings of music within the Acoustic Café Folk Series.
Shawn Colvin, who has won three GRAMMY Awards, released thirteen superlative albums, and written a critically acclaimed memoir, will appear in concert on Sunday, March 8, 2026, for a special "Celebration of International Women's Day", to celebrate St. Cecilia Music Center’s history of women’s leadership and the founding women of the organization. The show will be followed by a special celebratory post-concert reception.
Later in Spring 2026, SCMC will bring the amazing Joan Osborne who will perform critically acclaimed music of the “Songs of Bob Dylan” from her newly released live album Dylanology Live, along with her many other hits on April 30.
Executive & Artistic Director of SCMC Cathy Holbrook says, “We are so excited to have both Shawn Colvin and Joan Osbourne at St. Cecilia Music Center this season on the Acoustic Café Folk Series. These two amazing women artists will help us celebrate our 143 year history within our community. Nine visionary Grand Rapids women founded St. Cecilia Music Center in 1883 and made history by building the first music hall in the United States founded exclusively by women who ingeniously created innovative grassroots funding campaigns to support the entire building process for St. Cecilia Music Center where we still exist today. For over a century, St. Cecilia Music Center has been a lasting cultural institution that has continually transformed this community by enriching the lives of West Michigan residents through the study, appreciation and performance of music.”
Tickets for both concerts will go on sale Friday, November 7 at 10 a.m. Tickets will be available online at www.scmcgr.org or by calling 616-459-2224. For questions, please contact the SCMC Box Office Manager at tickets@scmcgr.org or 616-459-2224 x201.
Tickets for Shawn Colvin are $65, $50 and $35. Tickets for Joan Osbourne are $60, $45 and $30.
Upcoming Acoustic Café Folk Series Concerts
- Singer/songwriter Joy Oladokun will appear on the series on November 18. [SOLD OUT]
- Grammy-nominated Yonder Mountain String Band, one of the greatest legendary bluegrass bands will perform on December 4.
- Three-time Grammy-winning artist Shawn Colvin will perform on Sunday, March 8 for a special "Celebration of International Women's Day", followed by a celebratory post-concert reception.
- Master Bluegrass/Newgrass Artist and Grammy Award winner Sam Bush will rock the stage on March 26, 2026.
- Multi-Grammy nominated artist, Joan Osborne, will perform a mesmerizing interpretation of the “Music of Bob Dylan” on Thursday, April 30 along with her other hits
- Legendary acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke will perform on May 12, 2026.
Additional Acoustic Café Folk Series concerts for spring 2026 will be announced throughout the season.
Shawn Colvin Bio:
“From extraordinary songs to mesmerizing guitar playing and a voice that goes effortlessly from bruise-tender to scar-hard in a matter of minutes this describes Shawn Colvin. Her lyrics are crafted and clever and full of subtlety and polished phrases. With delicious sarcasm and acerbic stories, she holds her audience spellbound as she performs her songs, so personal to her, that they speak to everyone who listens." – The Guardian
Shawn Colvin stopped the industry in its tracks with her arresting 1989 debut, Steady On. The following spring, Colvin took home the GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, establishing herself as a mainstay in the singer-songwriter genre. In the ensuing 30 years, Colvin has won three GRAMMY Awards, released thirteen superlative albums, written a critically acclaimed memoir, maintained a non-stop national and international touring schedule, appeared on countless television and radio programs, had her songs featured in major motion pictures and created a remarkable canon of work. Colvin triumphed at the 1998 GRAMMY Awards, winning both Record and Song of the Year for the Top 10 hit "Sunny Came Home," from the platinum-selling album A Few Small Repairs. Her inspiring and candid memoir, Diamond In The Rough, was published in by Harper Collins in 2012.Diamond In The Rough looks back over Colvin's rich lifetime of highs and lows with stunning insight and candor. Through its pages we witness the story of a woman honing her artistry, finding her voice, and making herself whole. Shawn Colvin was recognized for her career accomplishments when she was honored with the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Trailblazer Award by the Americana Music Association. Presenting her with this prestigious award was Bonnie Raitt. Said Raitt, "She's simply one of the best singers I've ever heard —and a truly gifted and deep songwriter and guitarist... She was groundbreaking when she emerged and continues to inspire me and the legions of fans and other singer/songwriters coming up in her wake." In September 2019, to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Steady On, Colvin released a newly-recorded version of her landmark debut. Colvin crafts a truly mesmerizing reinvention, performing the album with just her voice and guitar. The Steady On 30th Anniversary Acoustic Edition strips each song to the core, placing Colvin's songwriting masterclass on full display. "I've played these songs countless times, primarily as a solo acoustic artist," she says. "all in all, this is the incarnation that feels most genuine. This represents who I am as an artist and all I ever wanted to be, and I believe it does its predecessor proud." Colvin was recently honored with an induction into the 2019 Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, alongside legendary artists Lyle Lovett and Buddy Guy. In a moving induction speech, Jackson Browne praised her as "ineffable" —'that which is impossible to express in words' —and extolled, "Not many writers are able to do what Shawn does. It's a very special way of relating what really matters. It takes an original to get our attention. Shawn is utterly original in her singing, and original in what she speaks about in her songs. "Over the course of three decades, Shawn Colvin has established herself as a captivating performer and a revered storyteller, well-deserving of the commendation of her peers and the devoted audiences who have been inspired by her artistry. And as she enters her third decade as a songwriter and performer, she continues to reaffirm her status as a vital voice in music.
Joan Osbourne Bio:
In 2017, Grammy-nominated artist Joan Osborne released the critically acclaimed album, Songs of Bob Dylan. Her artistic and soulful reinterpretations of the selection of Dylan songs was an eye-opening moment in an already celebrated career. Eight years after her milestone recording, Osborne has released the stunning Dylanology Live. The captivating recording finds the gifted vocalist performing in front of a live audience, with special guests Amy Helm, Robert Randolph and Jackie Greene. Songs include “Spanish Harlem Incident”, “Buckets Of Rain” “Masters Of War”, “Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You” and “High Water (For Charley Patton)”. Throughout her three-decade, multi-Grammy nominated career, Joan Osborne has never been an artist confined to one space as she continues to seamlessly blend into any genre. Her incredible and distinctive voice always shines through her own songs, while she has also become one of her generation’s finest interpreters. Dylanology Live is yet another testament to her artistic range
SINGLE TICKETS FOR THE CMS of Lincoln Center series, Spectacular Jazz Series and Acoustic Café Folk Series: Single ticket prices include a $5.00 per ticket fee.
Acoustic Café Folk Series Tickets including ticket fees
Joy Oladokun with Special Guest Bartees Strange
Tuesday, November 18, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
A section $55
B section $40
C section $25
Yonder Mountain String Band
Thursday, December 4, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
A section $75
B section $55
C section $35
Shawn Colvin
Sunday, March 8, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
A section $65
B section $50
C section $35
Sam Bush
Thursday, March 26, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
A section $80
B section $65
C section $50
Joan Osborne
Thursday, April 30, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
A section $60
B section $45
C section $30
Leo Kottke
Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 7:30 p.m.
A section $60
B section $45
C section $30
