Create, collaborate, celebrate: Performing Arts unite for spring season

This spring, the College of Performing Arts is back with an enthralling array of academic showcases, esteemed guest artists, and special events that pay tribute to a diverse spectrum of voices spanning various periods and cultures. The Departments of Music and Theatre & Dance and the Marie Rader Presenting Series will deliver more of the captivating performances audiences love, while encouraging them to explore fresh outlooks and interpretations within music, theater and dance. 

• Centennial Concert - Saturday, March 2 
  In celebration of Rowan’s 100th birthday, the Department of Music will present the Centennial Concert. Distinguished alumni and faculty emeriti will unite their talents with Rowan’s Concert Choir, Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble and Jazz band to commemorate musical excellence at Rowan University. The momentous collaboration will include works from Carolyn Bremer, Aaron Copland, Ottorino Respighi, Dmitri Shostakovich and more.
• Rowan Opera Company - April 5,6 &7 
  This spring, the Rowan Opera Company together with the Rowan Symphony Orchestra, will be joined by Rowan faculty, staff, alumni and community members for their production of Gilbert & Sullivan’s The Yeomen of the Guard, a light and witty comedy.
• RENT - April 11-14 
  Experience raw emotion and powerful storytelling as Rowan Theatre & Dance proudly presents the Tony Award-winning musical, RENT, with a special opportunity for Rowan’s Theatre alumni.
• Rowan Choirs Concert - April 20 
  Rowan’s three vocal ensembles, the Concert Choir, University Chorus and Voces Chamber Ensemble will take the stage together for their final performance of the academic year, featuring music from classical to contemporary, including John Stoddart’s A Choral Fantasy on Soon I Will Be Done.

Here’s what else to look forward to… 

The Marie Rader Presenting Series: 
On January 26, see pianist and composer Arturo O'Farrill leading the Grammy Award-winning Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO), and joined by acclaimed guest vocalist Claudia Acuña. Blending the drama of big band jazz, the culture of Latin music and the virtuosity of eighteen of the world’s most accomplished musicians, the ALJO has enjoyed nearly two decades of critically acclaimed performances, reflecting Arturo’s dual sensibilities of contemporary, improvisational jazz. VIP ticket holders will have the chance to meet and greet Arturo at a reception following the performance. 

Then on March 24, the series welcomes Bindlestiff Family Cirkus Dynamic Trio to Pfleeger Concert Hall, bringing a unique hybrid of vaudeville, circus and sideshow spectacle for an interactive afternoon of fun for the entire family. 

For more on the series, visit go.rowan.edu/marieraderseries

The MainStage Season: 
Ready to unleash the beast within? Beginning February 22, Rowan’s Department of Theatre & Dance will present MONSTER, an all-singing, all-dancing, three-dimensional extravaganza for a unique take on the classic Mary Shelley myth. Writer John Clancy and his collaborators clash head-on with a Creator/Created dance and duel. 

And in April, see Theatre & Dance faculty and students collaborate for the annual Choreography Showcase from April 23-25. 

From the Department of Music: 
The Performing Arts Spotlight Series continues through the spring semester, with performances by faculty and guest artists including, Bryan Appleby-Wineberg on trumpet, Michael Fahrner on euphonium, guest artist George Curran on trombone, Matt Walley on trombone, Lois Herbine on flute, composer Roberto Pace and the percussion faculty with special guests.

Rowan’s 12 instrumental and vocal ensembles will continue with performances throughout the spring, including the 54th Annual Jazz Festival Concert, collaborations from our Concert Band and Brass Band and a special performance from our Percussion Ensemble on April 15 with guest conductor and percussion powerhouse Gordon Stout. 

Tickets for all Performing Arts performances are FREE for Rowan students. 

More from The Arts at Rowan: 
This spring from the Rowan University Art Gallery & Museum, a traveling exhibition by artist Ellen Harvey, depicting lost sites from around the world and down the street. Read more on the exhibition here. 

For a full list of performances, visit go.rowan.edu/tickets.