“I want to be a force for real good. In other words, I know there are bad forces, forces that bring suffering to others and misery to the world, but I want to be the opposite force. I want to be a force which is truly for good.” -John Coltrane

John Coltrane changed the course of music, but his story is also deeply rooted in Philadelphia. In 2026, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth, Ars Nova Workshop will present COLTRANE 100 — a citywide constellation of performances, conversations, exhibitions, listening events, community gatherings, educational programs, and neighborhood activations honoring Coltrane’s enduring legacy and Philadelphia’s central role in shaping it. Developed in collaboration with the John and Alice Coltrane estate, artists, scholars, community leaders, and cultural partners across the city, the initiative will unfold across venues, libraries, public spaces, and neighborhoods throughout Philadelphia.

Centered around the future of the Coltrane House in Strawberry Mansion, COLTRANE 100 will explore not only Coltrane’s revolutionary musical achievements, but also the spiritual, social, and civic dimensions of his work. Major performances, oral history projects, youth engagement, wellness programming, symposiums, listening sessions, and artist commissions will connect generations and communities while asking larger questions about memory, preservation, Black cultural production, and the role of creative music in public life.

More than a retrospective, COLTRANE 100 is envisioned as a living, evolving celebration of sound, community, experimentation, and possibility — one that honors Coltrane’s belief in music as a force capable of transforming consciousness and shaping a more humane future.

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As part of COLTRANE 100’s citywide programming, Ars Nova Workshop presents a special talk series that brings together the musicians, scholars, and family members who knew John Coltrane’s music and legacy most intimately. The series features conversations with Reggie Workman, Andrew Cyrille, and Odean Pope on their firsthand encounters with Coltrane, alongside discussions with Michelle Coltrane, Terri Lyne Carrington, Immanuel Wilkins, and scholars Ashley Kahn, Angelika Beener, Salim Washington, Melvin Gibbs, and Yasuhiro Fujioka exploring everything from A Love Supreme to Coltrane’s 1966 tour of Japan. Together these talks offer rare, personal perspectives on the man behind the music and the communities that shaped him. These talks will take place at The Study at University City and the URBN Annex Screening Room from September 23rd through 26th, and are free with RSVP.

Major support for Coltrane100 provided by:

Additional support provided by: