Walker Art Center offers a globe-hopping mix for its 2013-2014 performing-arts season

Twin Cities audiences will get a chance to see the first episode of the Nature Theater of Oklahoma's "Life & Times," an epic pop-chamber opera that the New Yorker called a "masterpiece."

The New York-based troupe opens the 2013-14 performing-arts season at Walker Art Center on Sept. 26. The Walker's season spans the globe and emphasizes collaborations that often combine dance, theater, music, film and photography.

"Nature Theatre of Oklahoma has been tearing up Europe for 10 years with works that have been conceptually radical but totally entertaining," said Philip Bither, senior curator of performing arts at the Walker. "It's nice to bring them home."

Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sam Green will perform a "live documentary" about futurist R. Buckminster Fuller, accompanied by indie-rock veterans Yo La Tengo (Oct. 11).

In one of several co-presentations with the SPCO's Liquid Music series, Seattle-bred new music star Jherek Bischoff performs with guest vocalists Sondre Lerche, Greg Saunier, and Channy Leaneagh (Oct. 18, Fitzgerald Theater).

The sister duo CocoRosie brings their art-folk music to the Cedar (Oct. 19).

Composer/cellist Erik Friedlander collaborates with photographer Mitch Epstein in "American Power" (Nov. 1).

Electronic music experimentalist Tim Hecker teams with Daniel Lopatin's Oneohtrix Point Never (Nov. 16).

This year's Choreographers' Evening (Nov. 30) will be curated by Chris Yon and Taryn Griggs.

A Walker-commissioned work by postmodern dance makers Hijack (Kristin Van Loon and Arwen Wilder) gets a world premiere (Dec. 5-7).

The annual Out There series returns in January with appearances by Dutch theater makers Wunderbaum and the LAPD (Los Angeles Poverty Department); Japan's Niwagekidan Penino; French-German physical theater artist Clément Layes; and Chilean theater maker Lola Arias.

Brooklyn-based composer Olga Bell premieres her song cycle, "Krai" (Feb. 13, 2014).

The Walker has had a long relationship with choreographer Trisha Brown, who no longer makes work because of illness. Walker will present her farewell tour, "Works for the Stage 1983-2011." (March 12-15, 2014).

Brazil's Companhia Urbana de Dança's fuses hip-hop and capoeira (March 27-29, 2014).

Jazz pianist Brad Mehldau performs with his own trio and with mandolinist Chris Thile (April 8-9, 2014).

Burnt Sugar, a 19-member Afrocentric jazz-funk collective, deconstructs the music of Steely Dan (date TBD).

"Song of Jasmine" is a collaboration between Ragamala Dance and jazz saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa (May 15-17, 2014).