Wynton Marsalis, Omara Portuondo kickoff Weill Hall's 2016-2017 season

Weill Hall at the Green Music Center has announced the lineup of artists for its fifth anniversary season in 2016 and 2017, including top names from the worlds of classical, jazz, folk and global music.

In a break from tradition, the season opens Oct. 1 and 2 with a jazz doubleheader: the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and Cuban singer Omara Portuondo celebrating her 85th birthday with special guests such as violinist Regina Carter.

“As we approach Weill Hall’s fifth season, we are unwavering in our mission to bring the finest international talent to Sonoma County and to extend enriching educational opportunities to both the university campus and the community at large,” Board Chairman Sandy Weill said in a press release. “This season is a fine showcase of both the reputation for excellence we have established and our exciting plans for the future.”

The season spans 31 concerts from Oct. 1 through May 5, down from 39 concerts the previous season. The lineup includes 15 returning artists and ensembles, plus 30 making their debut in the hall, located at the northeast corner of the Sonoma State University campus in Rohnert Park.

The 2016-17 season is the second planned in its entirety by Zarin Mehta, co-executive director of the Green Music Center. He was assisted by Peter Williams, senior director for popular programming at the Green Music Center.

The season is designed to appeal to a wide range of audience members, with popular programming ranging from spoken word artist Garrison Keillor and folk artist Arlo Guthrie to a children’s concert by Disney’s Choo Choo Soul with Genevieve, which will be offered to families at a reduced price.

“We have planned a showcase of outstanding talent from across genres of music,” Mehta said in a press release. “From award-winning soloists to internationally acclaimed ensembles, this season truly exhibits the diversity and excellence of programming this organization is now known for.”

More than a third of the season is dedicated to classical music, from recitals by top pianists Emanuel Ax, Yefim Bronfman and Richard Goode to orchestral concerts by the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra and Academic fur Alte Musik Berlin. Chamber music by groups such as the Zukerman Trio and the Miró Quartet and recitals by violinist Christian Tetzlaff and bass-baritone Eric Owens round out the classical choices.

World music and dance are also well represented and include flamenco guitarist Tomatito of Spain, singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo of Benin in West Africa and The Five Irish Tenors.

Dance ensembles range from Leela Dance, which performs the Indian classical dance known as Kathak, to Che Malambo, an all-male Argentinian dance company whose percussive dance and music date back to the gaucho cowboys of the 1600s.

Other jazz artists include pianist Brad Mehldau, performing an original work inspired by J.S. Bach; a double bill of trumpeter Arturo Sandoval and the Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band; and pianist and singer Michael Feinstein, known for his interpretations of the Great American Songbook.

Five concerts will celebrate the winter holidays. They include appearances by the Vienna Boys Choir, the American Bach Soloists performing Handel’s “Messiah,” the a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock and smooth jazz saxophonist Dave Koz with special guests.

Tickets to the 2016-17 season go on sale to MasterCard cardholders and 2015-16 subscribers at 10 a.m. June 2. Tickets go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. June 8. For a complete schedule, go to gmc.sonoma.edu.