SPELLLING
SPELLLING
The Unknown Exalted
1262 Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90024
Runtime: 60 minutes
No intermission
CAP UCLA Member presale: Jun 22 at 10 am
Newsletter subscriber presale: Jun 23 at 10 am
General public on sale: Jun 24 at 10 am
UCLA faculty and staff: Jun 24 at 10 am
UCLA students: Sep 21 at 10 am
The Unknown Exalted, a live performance of new material by Bay Area artist SPELLLING
The Unknown Exalted is an intimate live composition by SPELLLING, the moniker of the Bay Area experimental pop artist Chrystia Cabral. Built from new and unreleased material in its earliest form, the performance offers a rare glimpse into the moment when songs are born. With piano, synthesizer and a small ensemble of musicians responding in real time, without prior knowledge of the material, The Unknown Exalted unfolds through instinct, chance and synchronicity.
The work draws from Cabral’s recent practice as a creative instructor, where she developed methods to help artists access intuition through personalized prompt systems inspired by Brian Eno's oblique strategies, which encourage risk, spontaneity and new ways of thinking. This performance brings that philosophy into a live setting, inviting audiences into the process itself: a space where songs emerge, transform and reveal themselves in the moment.
SPELLLING, the moniker of the Bay Area experimental pop mastermind Chrystia Cabral, has emerged as a visionary artist, pushing the boundaries of genre and captivating audiences with her richly envisioned albums and enchanting live performances.
SPELLLING gained widespread recognition with the release of her critically acclaimed debut album, Pantheon of Me, in 2017. The album showcased her prodigious talent as a songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. In 2019, she signed to Sacred Bones and released her highly anticipated sophomore album, Mazy Fly, further elevating her artistic vision and expanding her sonic palette. In 2021 she released her breakthrough project The Turning Wheel, which saw her orchestrating and self-producing an album that features an ensemble of thirty-one collaborating musicians. The Turning Wheel has become a career-defining opus for the artist. The album received widespread unanimous praise, earning itself The Needle Drops #1 album of the year in 2021. SPELLLING and her band ‘The Mystery School’ have also become renowned for their live performances with Cabral's idiosyncratic stage presence and the band’s incredible musicianship and spiritual sense of communion with the audience. A collection of reenvisioned songs from throughout SPELLLING's critically-acclaimed discography was released in 2023, breathing new life into the extravagant orchestrations she’s written and produced entirely herself.
2025 saw the release of her fourth album Portrait of My Heart. A deeply personal album, Portrait of My Heart explores SPELLLING’s relationship to intimacy, blending energetic arrangements and emotional rawness with her singular voice to deliver love songs that cement her place as a
groundbreaking songwriter. You can now explore alternative versions of "Destiny Arrives" and "Portrait of My Heart" featuring collaborators Weyes Blood and Brendan Yates!
UCLA Nimoy Theater is located at 1262 Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90024. For GPS, use 10866 Wilshire Blvd to reach the parking structure. The entrance is on Glendon Avenue — look for either entrance marked VISITOR. Parking is $4, beginning at 5 pm for evening performances and 12 pm for matinees. Arriving before these times will incur the $30 day parking fee.
The box office is open Monday–Friday, 10 am–4 pm, and opens 60 minutes before showtime on show nights. The box office is cashless and accepts all major credit cards. For day-of questions, call 310-206-8655. For general inquiries, contact info@cap.ucla.edu or call 310-825-4401.
All late seating is based on availability and at the discretion of house manager.
Accessible seating and assistive listening are available. Ask any house staff member for assistance. For additional accommodations, contact info@cap.ucla.edu.
Beer, wine, mixed beverages, water, soda, and coffee are available in the lobby. Valid ID required for alcohol. Credit cards and cash accepted. For nearby restaurant options, visit the UCLA Nimoy Theater page.
A digital house program for this performance is available to view or download before the show. Find it on the CAP UCLA Program Notes page.
If the performance is sold out, join the standby line at the box office on the night of the show. A waitlist may also be available — if tickets are released, you will be notified by email with a window to purchase.
