Thursday, July 23, 2015

UNCW’s Office of the Arts has a slate of internationally recognized talent scheduled for the 2015-16 season, the university announced today. There will be eight performances from September 2015 through June 2016 at UNCW’s Kenan Auditorium. The Office of the Arts is also co-presenting an additional event in October with Thalian Hall.

Subscriptions are on sale now through the Kenan Box Office at 910.962.3500 and online at www.etix.com. Subscribers receive a discount of more than 20 percent off regular ticket prices, as well as priority seating for all performances. Single tickets go on sale August 15 with savings for senior citizens, students, faculty, groups of 10 or more, UNCW alumni and parents of UNCW students.

The season kicks off with country music legend Ricky Skaggs on Friday, September 11. The 14-time GRAMMY(R) Award-winner is a master of the mandolin and has been topping the charts since the 1980s. In 1982, he was inducted to the Grand Ole Opry, the youngest member at the time. He has garnered eight awards from the Country Music Association (CMA) and dozens of other honors.

With a repertoire including choral music from medieval to contemporary and experimental, the Vienna Boys Choir brings their talents to Wilmington on October 15. Historically known for performing since the Holy Roman Empire, the Vienna Boys Choir is beloved around the world for its arrangements of Lehar, Lanner and Strauss in addition to the choir’s original works.

“I’m excited to begin my tenure at the university with such an incredible lineup of talent ahead, and I’m thankful to my colleagues for programming such an extraordinary season of artists across a wide variety of disciplines” said Kristen Brogdon, director of the Office of the Arts.

Brogdon was named director of the Office of the Arts after a national search in May. In her new position, she oversees all arts programming from UNCW’s five academic arts departments and student-supported units.

New York’s Dušan Týnek Dance Theatre will take to the stage in a special performance at Thalian Hall on October 23. Garnering critical acclaim, this ensemble of dancers has built a reputation for their high level of innovation, sophistication and exceptional level of artistry. 

Known for his work in Oceans 13, The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo, and Dexter, Julian Sands has been seen world wide in films, on stage and on television. In 2005, he began collaborating with Nobel Prize winning playwright and poet Harold Pinter to create “A Celebration of Harold Pinter.” Directed by John Malkovitch, the humorous and fascinating one-man show about Pinter’s life and work comes to campus on November 17.

On January 28, 2016, the Office of the Arts welcomes Elizabeth Loparits and Norman Bemelmans back to the Kenan Auditorium stage for an evening of solo classical piano. Loparits will play the music of Frederic Chopin, and Bemelmans will perform repertoire from Rachmaninoff and Liszt.

New York Magazine raved that Daniel Beaty’s “Emergency” is “inspired.” OnFebruary 12, 2016, audiences will have the opportunity to watch Beaty portray 40 characters through a powerful performance about a slave ship emerging in front of the Statue of Liberty. Through each individual’s response, he weaves a stirring commentary on what it is to be human and the longing to be free.

The Houston Ballet’s second company will travel to Wilmington on March 22, 2016, to perform fresh choreography in a wide array of dance works, performed by Houston’s classically trained ensemble of emerging ballet artists.

The Marcus Roberts Trio will take to the stage on April 19, 2016. Known for their virtuosic style and new approach to jazz, the trio is comprised of Marcus Roberts on piano, Rodney Jordan on bass and Jason Marsalis on drums. 

The season ends on June 9, 2016 when percussion legends Savion Glover and Jack DeJohnette. This two-set concert featuring Glover’s tap artistry and DeJohnette’s jazz drumming will take the audience on a journey of melodies extracting unprecedented and beautiful music living within two masterful souls.

Subscriptions are available through Kenan Box Office between noon and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. The three packages available for purchase are $120, $199 or $298, with a special $40 subscription price for UNCW students. There is also a Passport Package for community members in which they can select four or more shows and receive a 10% discount. Prices for each event range from $13 to $54 and packages are based on which shows are selected. All performances are at 7:30 p.m.

The Office of the Arts’ “UNCW Presents” series serves the UNCW campus and the Wilmington community by shining a spotlight on the intellectual life of the campus through diverse and unique cultural programming. Curated by UNCW’s Office of the Arts, the series also includes free outreach opportunities available to the public, including master classes, lectures, demonstrations and more within the Wilmington community and our partner community groups. “UNCW Presents” participates in the cultural life of the region as a member of the NC Presenters Consortium and Arts North Carolina.

 #AA