From the classics to jazz to blues and from touring artists to presentations by our own faculty, students, and alumni, the offerings are extensive.
Through both our Ovations! touring professional artists and series such as Sound Choices and Music Theater, we bring you a number of musical performances throughout the year.
View the Events Calendar for Lively Arts
Pablo Sáinz Villegas, guitar
Tuesday, September 26, 2017; 8:00 p.m., Gorell Recital Hall, second floor Sutton Hall
Known for the passion he puts in every performance, Pablo Sainz Villegas expresses his emotion through the guitar marking him as “this generation's great guitarist.” Internationally renowned, he has played on some of the world's most notable stages from Carnegie Hall in New York to the Berlin Philharmonie and praised by The New York Times for his “virtuosic playing characterized by irresistible exuberance.”
Jersey Boys
Sponsored by Park Inn by Radisson Indiana
Thursday, October 12, 2017; 8:00 p.m., Fisher Auditorium, IUP Performing Arts Center
This Best Musical Tony, Grammy, and Olivier award-winning Broadway hit is driven by the true story of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, The Four Seasons. The story follows four blue-collar kids—Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy DeVito, and Nick Massi—and how they became one of the greatest successes in pop music history. They wrote their own songs and sold 175 million records worldwide—all before they were 30. Contains strong language.
MozartFest
Saturday, October 21, 2017, 8:00 p.m.; Gorell Recital Hall, Second Floor Sutton Hall
Arias from well-known operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart come alive on the Gorell stage as members of the IUP faculty perform these classic hits.
Lizzie Borden
October 19-21 and 25-28, 2017, 8:00 p.m.; and October 22, 2:00 p.m.; Waller Hall Mainstage Theater, IUP Performing Arts Center
A bloody deed erupts amidst the corseted respectability of Victorian Massachusetts, creating an enduring mystery explored through a new musical interpretation. Contains strong language and situations.
Home Grown
Saturday, October 28, 2017, 7:00 p.m.; Fisher Auditorium, IUP Performing Arts Center
Please Note: The performance time for this event has changed from the previously published time. It will now begin at 7:00 p.m.
The IUP Percussion Ensemble and the IUP Dance Theater combine their talents to present an evening concert featuring the original compositions and choreography of alumni, students, and faculty—all “home grown” at IUP.
Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra
Manfred Honeck, conducting
Monday, October 30, 2017; 8:00 p.m., Fisher Auditorium, IUP Performing Arts Center
The world-renowned Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra returns to Indiana for another outstanding performance. Maestro Manfred Honeck will conduct the program, including Beethoven's Eroica symphony. Founded in 1895, this internationally recognized ensemble has performed all over the United States, Europe, Asia, and South America and continues a long tradition of collaboration with IUP.
Black Violin
Wednesday, November 8, 2017; 8:00 p.m., Fisher Auditorium, IUP Performing Arts Center
With a mission to always engage the audience to look at things from a different perspective, Wilner “Wil B” Baptiste and Kevin “Kev Marcus” Sylvester capitalize on their differences and their stunning technique. To most people, jazz, hip-hop, funk, and classical are musical genres. But to revolutionary music group Black Violin, they're nothing but ingredients.
Leaves of Grass
Friday, November 10, 2017, 8:00 p.m.; Gorell Recital Hall, Second Floor Sutton Hall
Leaves of Grass, the iconic collection of poems by the renowned American poet Walt Whitman, is given a new voice in this beautiful jazz setting composed by Fred Hersch. Join jazz vocalist Laura Ferguson and the IUP Chamber Jazz Ensemble as they continue this celebration of American music and poetry.
Sing in the Holiday!
Friday, December 1, 2017; 7:30 p.m.; Fisher Auditorium, IUP Performing Arts Center
Hear the IUP and Indiana area school choirs celebrate the season with joyful tunes new and old. Join in and sing along with us on childhood favorites as well as the season's most beloved carols. This will be something special for the entire family.
The Hot Sardines
with the IUP Jazz Ensemble
Sunday, December 3, 2017; 7:00 p.m., Fisher Auditorium, IUP Performing Arts Center
The Hot Sardines bring people together with classic jazz through their unique, energized style. Their horn arrangements, vocals, and piano melodies bring us back to another time with their impressive range and variety. New York-based, the Hot Sardines will add in a few holiday tunes and team up with the IUP Jazz Ensemble for a one-of-a-kind concert experience.
Gypsy Songs
Tuesday, January 30, 2018; 8:00 p.m.; Gorell Recital Hall, Second Floor Sutton Hall
The IUP voice, choral, and piano faculty join forces for an evening of art songs, arias, and piano solos, including Brahms' Zigeunerlieder (Gypsy Songs).
ETHEL with Robert Mirabal: The River
Thursday, February 22, 2018; 8:00 p.m., Gorell Recital Hall, Second Floor Sutton Hall
ETHEL is known around the world for transcending the limits of traditional jazz and contemporary music, always adapting and finding ways to cross the boundaries of the musical and cultural diversity. Continuing a deeply successful six-year collaboration inspired by ceremonies dedicated to the sun, ETHEL and Native American flutist Robert Mirabal present their next evolution of the cross-cultural concert experience.
The Road to Yale: IUP Wind Ensemble
Saturday, March 3, 2018, 7:30 p.m.; Fisher Auditorium, IUP Performing Arts Center
This concert celebrates wind band music of the past and present. A list of composers will include Robert Litton, Vincent Persichetti, Charles Ives, Carter Pann, and Martin Ellerby. The concert will be repeated at Yale University following a prestigious invitation for IUP to perform at the 2018 College Band Directors National Association conference.
Jacob Shaw, cello
Tuesday, March 6, 2018; 8:00 p.m., Gorell Recital Hall, Second Floor Sutton Hall
Award-winning cellist, Jacob Shaw, has performed across Europe, Asia, and North America. A native of Great Britain who now calls Copenhagen his home, he has created the concept of “Radical Classic,” an alternate movement to build a diverse and new generation of classical music fans. His vast repertoire is a fresh approach to classic recitals and includes traditional works that range from sonatas to folk music.
Lise de la Salle, piano
Tuesday, March 20, 2018; 8:00 p.m., Gorell Recital Hall, 2nd Floor Sutton Hall
In just a few years, through her international concert appearances and her award-winning recordings, Steinway Artist Lise de la Salle has established a reputation as one of today's most exciting young artists and is a musician of uncommon sensibility and maturity. Her playing inspired a Washington Post critic to write, “For much of the concert, the audience had to remember to breathe...the exhilaration didn't let up for a second...”
HAYA: Migration Concert
Thursday, April 5, 2018; 8:00 p.m., Fisher Auditorium, IUP Performing Arts Center
HAYA Band's Migration Concert is about finding your own spiritual home and seeing the beauty in life. Founded in 2006 and based in Beijing, the group is an award-winning music collective representing a new era in folk music. HAYA expresses their understanding of modern Mongolian music that connects to their passion for nature. This concert marks their U.S. debut.
Kinky Boots
Thursday, April 19, 2018; 8:00 p.m., Fisher Auditorium, IUP Performing Arts Center
This Broadway mega-hit tells the story about a most unexpected and unlikely pair. The winner of a Tony for Best Musical, a Grammy, and London's Olivier Award, Kinky Boots encourages people to embrace their differences. Set in Great Britain, the line-up includes 16 original songs by pop legend Cyndi Lauper and is bona fide huge-hearted, high-heeled, and high-stepping spectacular.
Figaro! Figaro! Figaro!
May 2, 4, and 5, 2018, 7:30 p.m.; Waller Hall Mainstage Theater, IUP Performing Arts Center
Produced by IUP Music Theater, this unique blend includes two 45-minute abridged comic operas in one night—The Barber of Seville by Rossini and The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart. See how Figaro helps Count Almaviva win the heart of Rosina in the first episode, followed by how Figaro defends his own bride from the Count in the second half.
