Intersection Concert featuring Daneen Wilburn

Intersection Concert featuring Daneen Wilburn
Songs of Grace and Resilience: Gospel, Soul, and Jazz Storytelling
Friday, September 11, 2026
UC San Diego Park & Market, The Guggenheim Theatre

A vocalist of extraordinary emotional depth and authenticity, Daneen Wilburn opens the Intersections season with an unforgettable evening rooted in gospel tradition, soulful expression, and the power of personal story. Raised in a musical family and performing since childhood, Wilburn first captured national attention singing alongside legendary gospel artists at the Hollywood Bowl before stepping away from the stage to raise her family. Her remarkable return to music has established her as one of San Diego's most compelling vocalists, celebrated for performances that transform every concert into a deeply personal and communal experience.

Blending gospel, jazz, blues, and soul with effortless grace, Wilburn's performances move seamlessly between soaring spirituals, intimate ballads, and heartfelt storytelling. Her acclaimed a cappella rendition of Amazing Grace at Tony Gwynn's memorial before more than 25,000 people at Petco Park became one of San Diego's most memorable musical moments, demonstrating her rare ability to unite audiences through vulnerability, hope, and song. Since then, she has performed for former First Lady Laura Bush, sung at the wedding of Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan, and released her critically praised debut recording produced by Grammy Award-winning musician and producer Kamau Kenyatta.

Throughout the evening, Grammy Award-winning producer, composer, educator, and UC San Diego Teaching Professor Kamau Kenyatta serves as moderator, guiding conversations that provide context for Wilburn's music and exploring the traditions, influences, and lived experiences that have shaped her remarkable artistic journey. As producer of Wilburn's debut recording and a longtime collaborator, Kenyatta offers a uniquely informed perspective that enriches the concert without overshadowing its central focus: Wilburn's powerful voice and extraordinary gift for storytelling.

Together, Wilburn and Kenyatta create an evening that is both concert and conversation, inviting audiences to experience music not only as performance, but as memory, testimony, and shared humanity. Opening the season's exploration of identity, heritage, and connection, Songs of Grace and Resilience offers a powerful reminder that music has the ability to heal, inspire, and bring communities together.