Sales begin July 15 for ninth season of Goshen College’s Performing Arts Series

With the goal of engaging audiences with a range of styles and celebrating cultural diversity and contributions of the arts, the Performing Arts Series committee selected performers from a variety of musical backgrounds, including folk, bluegrass, classical, gospel and musical theater, to reflect the values and interests of Goshen College.

All performances will take place in Sauder Concert Hall unless otherwise noted. With its simple elegance and unique architecture, the performance hall is quickly establishing a reputation among audiences and performers as one of the finest venues for acoustic music in the Midwest.

The 2005-06 line-up is announced as follows, with individual ticket prices listed:

On Sept. 9 at 7:30 p.m., Nanci Griffith and the Blue Moon Orchestra will take the stage. Two Grammy awards are only the beginning of international recognition of Griffith’s musical accomplishments. The journey of this acclaimed singer-songwriter has taken her from folk and country roots to performances in venues such as Carnegie Hall and London’s Royal Albert Hall. Collaborating and performing with her long-time back-up band, The Blue Moon Orchestra, Griffith’s performances are marked with her distinctive voice, brilliant songwriting and uncommon emotional commitment. (A$40, B$35, C$16)

Praised as a “top notch conductor-less string orchestra” by “The Washington Post,” International Sejong Soloists (ISS) will perform with Eugenia Zukerman on Oct. 23 at 4 p.m. in Sauder Concert Hall. ISS has given critically acclaimed concerts at venues such as Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and in many cultural centers of Europe and the Far East. The group was recently featured as young artists-in-residence on NPR’s “Performance Today,” and since 1997 have served as ensemble-in-residence at the Aspen Music Festival. Zukerman, one of the finest flutists and well-known television personality and arts commentator, collaborates with ISS in this concert appearance. (A$22, B$17, C$9)

To lovers of musical theater around the world, Colm Wilkinson needs no introduction. Best known as the original Jean Valjean in “Les Misérables” and creator of the role of Phantom in “Phantom of the Opera,” Wilkinson has mesmerized audiences in London, New York and beyond. On Nov. 19 at 7:30 p.m., Wilkinson will perform his stage show “Some of My Best Friends Are Songs,” which has brought audience members to their feet. ($45, $40, $18)

To celebrate Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 250^th birthday, the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra will collaborate with Goshen College’s Chamber Choir and their own Philharmonic Chorus to present the composer’s beloved “Requiem” on Jan. 22 at 3 p.m. Maestro Edvard Tchivzhel and the orchestra will also perform “Symphony No. 20 in D Major.” (A$32, B$28, C$15)

The Blind Boys of Alabama will bring the spirit and energy of pure soul-filled gospel music to Sauder Concert Hall at 7:30 p.m. on March 10. A performance ensemble for more than 60 years, the legendary group has enjoyed remarkable visibility and appreciation for recent albums, earning unprecedented popularity and introducing them to a completely new, contemporary audience. With four consecutive Grammies to their credit, The Blind Boys of Alabama continue to expand the very definitions of gospel and soul. (A$35, B$30, C$15)

On March 31 at 7:30 p.m., clarinetist Richard Stoltzman and pianist Peter Stoltzman will perform “Clarinet and All That Jazz.” This father-son duo has delighted audiences at world-renowned venues including Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. Performances and master classes have taken the Stoltzmans throughout the United States as well as Italy and Japan. They have also been featured on “CBS Sunday Morning” and NPR’s “Performance Today” and have recently released their first collaborative CD. (A$21, B$15, C$7)

Season ticket holders can enjoy these six performances, as well as having the opportunity to purchase the same seats for an additional bluegrass concert with the Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet. Two of the most influential musicians in American bluegrass music today will be featured as the Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet performs on Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. Rice is recognized as an acoustic guitar virtuoso in bluegrass, folk and jazz-influenced new music, while Grammy-award winner and five-time Grammy nominee Peter Rowan is a soulful singer and a poignant songwriter. Together they give a phenomenal performance. (A$20, B$15, C$7)

Performing Arts Series calendar:

• Sept. 9, 7:30 p.m. – Nanci Griffith and The Blue Moon Orchestra
• Oct. 23, 4 p.m. – International Sejong Soloists with Eugenia Zukerman
• Nov. 19, 7:30 p.m. – Colm Wilkinson
• Jan. 22, 3 p.m. – Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus with GC Chamber Choir
• Feb. 11, 7:30 p.m. – The Peter Rowan and Tony Rice Quartet (add-on)
• March 10, 7:30 p.m. – The Blind Boys of Alabama
• March 31, 7:30 p.m. – Clarinetist Richard Stoltzman and pianist Peter Stoltzman

Performing Arts Series season ticket holders are guaranteed the same seat for every performance in Sauder Concert Hall. Season tickets are $195 for A section seats (main floor, front sides, front of balcony), $165 for B section seats (main floor back, back sides, raised back and back of balcony) and $80 for seats in the C section (upper side balconies).

Because of the high demand for last season’s tickets, tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Season ticket sales will begin on July 15. Renewing 2004-05 subscribers’ orders will be filled July 15 to July 30 in order of date received, and new subscribers’ orders will be received on July 15 and filled after July 30 in order of date received pending availability. Individual orders will not be taken until Aug. 29.

For information about ticket availability, prices, reservations or more information, contact the Welcome Center at (574) 535-7566, e-mail welcomecenter@goshen.edu, or visit www.goshen.edu/events/.

– Jennifer Rupp

Editors: PHOTOS ARE AVAILABLE OF THE 2005-06 PAS PERFORMERS. For more information, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.