Jan 19, 2025 | Music, News, Regional Arts Events, Theater
The spring 2025 season at the Weis Center for the Performing Arts includes ten professional performances – including world music, classical, bluegrass music, ballet dance, and jazz. Tickets are on sale now (ticketing info follows).
The season kicks off with flamenco and classical guitarist Pablo Gimenez and his Ensemble on Friday, January 31 at 7:30 p.m. Pablo is the artistic director of the Pablo Giménez Spanish Ensemble and the Corazon de Granada flamenco company.
Gospel quartet Kings Return will perform on Saturday, February 8 at 7:30 p.m. Kings Return takes pride in crafting a diverse yet supremely cohesive a cappella sound. The blend of their unique vocal timbres is so rich and smooth that, at times, it sounds more like a full choir than four men.
Heloisa Fernandes Quartet performs on Tuesday, February 11 at 7:30 p.m. The Brazilian pianist and composer will be joined by an ensemble that includes flute, bass and percussion.
Bluegrass ensemble Henhouse Prowlers perform on Friday, February 14 at 7:30 p.m. Founded nearly two decades ago, this Chicago-bred quartet gives audiences a sense of how much they love what they do. While bluegrass is the undeniable foundation of the Henhouse Prowlers’ music, the band bends and squeezes the traditional form into a keenly developed sound all its own.
Jazz drummer Nate Smith performs on Friday, February 21 at 7:30 p.m. Nate Smith is a drummer, composer and producer from Chesapeake, Virginia. His visceral, instinctive and deep-rooted style of drumming has led to three Grammy nominations. Smith fuses his original compositions with an eclectic mix of music, including everything from jazz to rhythm and blues and hip-hop to pop.
Esmé Quartet performs on Friday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m. Praised for its warm sound and powerful stage presence, the Esmé Quartet brings together four brilliant and distinct musical personalities to form a cohesive, close-knit group that is passionately dedicated to the string quartet repertoire.
World music quartet from Ukraine, DakhaBrakha performs on Thursday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m. Reflecting fundamental elements of sound and soul, Ukrainian “ethno-chaos” band DakhaBrakha creates a world of unexpected new music. Their shows are always staged with a strong visual element.
Houston Ballet II graces the stage on Friday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. Houston Ballet II is comprised of a stellar array of young dancers from around the world. They will perform Grand Pas de Deux from Don Quixote, Act II, A Dance in the Garden of Mirth and Sleeping Beauty, Act III.
Classical ensemble Neave Trio performs on Sunday, March 30 at 2 p.m. Since forming in 2010, the Grammy-nominated Neave Trio, including violinist Anna Williams, cellist Mikhail Veselov and pianist Eri Nakamura, has earned enormous praise for its engaging, cutting-edge performances.
The spring season ends with blues artist Ruthie Foster on Friday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m. Renowned for her ability to weave together a tapestry of diverse musical influences ranging from gospel and blues to folk and soul, Ruthie Foster’s musical odyssey has taken her from singing in churches in rural Texas to earning multiple Grammy nominations. With her milestone tenth studio album, Mileage, Foster continues to tell stories that reflect her personal triumphs, losses, and the universal human experience.
The season brochure is available at Bucknell.edu/WeisCenter.
A limited number of hardcopies are available upon request. To request a hardcopy brochure, contact Lisa Leighton, marketing and outreach director, at 570-577-3727 or e-mail [email protected] and one will be mailed at no cost.
Sponsors
The Weis Center’s 2024-25 season is supported by the following season-level sponsors: Bucknell Sports Properties, The Daily Item, Seven Mountains Media, Sunbury Broadcasting Corporation and WVIA.
Event sponsors include Martha and Alan Barrick, Centre Daily Times, Coldwell Banker Penn One Real Estate, Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau, Nancy and Sam Craig, WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital, Clayton and David Lightman, Teri MacBride and Steve Guattery, The News Item, Press Enterprise, Service 1st Federal Credit Union, Gary and Sandy Sojka, Standard Journal, Stone State Entertainment, ViaMedia, Williamsport Sun Gazette, Karl Voss and Chanin Wendling family, PAHomepage/WBRE/WYOU and WNEP.
Grant funding for the season includes Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
TICKETS
Patrons may call 570-577-1000, go online at Bucknell.edu/BoxOffice or use a mail-order form available at Bucknell.edu/WeisCenter.
Follow the Weis Center on Facebook and Instagram for the most current news and updates.
Jan 19, 2025 | Music, News, Regional Arts Events
The Weis Center’s spring season kicks off with Pablo Giménez Spanish Ensemble on Friday, January 31 at 7:30 p.m. in the Weis Center Concert Hall.
Pablo Giménez is a flamenco and classical guitarist who performs as a soloist, in chamber music ensembles and as an accompanist for flamenco dance and song. He is also the artistic director and guitarist of the Pablo Giménez Spanish Ensemble and the Corazon de Granada flamenco company.
Giménez holds degrees in classical and flamenco guitar from the Conservatory of Granada and the Conservatory of Córdoba, respectively. Additionally, he has studied at Codarts Conservatory in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, with guitarists David Martínez, Oscar Ghiglia and Paco Peña.
Giménez performed his solo Spanish guitar repertoire at the Bruno Walter Auditorium at Lincoln Center in New York in 2016. The show, Inspired by Flamenco, has also been performed in China, Taiwan, Poland, Germany and Spain. In 2017, he was awarded the Young Granada Prize for Art by the Instituto Andaluz. That same year, he formed the trio, Corazon de Granada, which made its world debut at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
TICKETS
Tickets are $25 for adults, $20 for seniors 62+ and subscribers, $15 for youth 18 and under, $15 for Bucknell employees and retirees (limit 2), free for Bucknell students (limit 1) and $15 for non-Bucknell students (limit 2).
The Weis Center is offering a special youth rate for High School Spanish Students – $5 tickets. Use Coupon Code WORLDMUSIC online only: Bucknell.edu/BoxOffice. Enter the code after selecting seats.
The same $5 ticket offer and code are available for Heloisa Fernandes Quartet’s performance on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. More info at: https://www.bucknell.edu/life-bucknell/arts-performances/weis-center-performing-arts/2024-25-season/heloisa-fernandes-quartet
All other tickets can be reserved by calling 570-577-1000 or online at Bucknell.edu/BoxOffice.
Tickets are also available in person from several locations including the Weis Center lobby (weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and the CAP Center Box Office, located on the ground floor of the Elaine Langone Center (weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
For more information about this event, contact Lisa Leighton, marketing and outreach director, at 570-577-3727 or by e-mail at [email protected].
For more information about the Weis Center for the Performing Arts, go to Bucknell.edu/WeisCenter or search for the Weis Center on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.
Nov 24, 2024 | Music, News, Regional Arts Events
One of the region’s most cherished holiday traditions, the Susquehanna Valley Chorale’s Candlelight Christmas, will take place on Saturday, December 14 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, December 15 at 3 pm at Zion Lutheran Church in Sunbury.
The beloved performance features the 100-year-old tradition of Nine Lessons and Carols.
The SVC ensemble includes over 70 members. The performance will be accompanied by Elizabeth Asmus on harp, David Cover on organ, the Commonwealth Brass, and percussion, as well as a traditional candlelighting to conclude the performance.
William Payn serves as Conductor and Music Director and David Cover serves as Accompanist.
Payn said of the tradition, “This event is not just a concert, but a celebration of the holiday spirit, inviting audiences to come together and enjoy the magic of music during the Christmas season.”
The concert will feature traditional carols such as Once in Royal David’s City, Angels We Have Heard on High, The First Nowell, Joy to the World, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and Silent Night, among others. The performance also includes the world premiere of So Many Hopes, written by Bill Payn, and features a new version of the song Celebrate!, rearranged specifically for SVC by the composer, Robert Cohen.
Soloists include: Maya Caron, Kathleen Kelley, Fox Laubach, Molly Manhoff, Joanna Rees, Tabitha Weeks and Kirsten Weirich.
Sponsors for the performance include: Martha and Alan Barrick, Coldwell Banker Penn One Real Estate and Patricia McDowell. Co-Sponsors are Hoffman Advertising and Mifflinburg Bank and Trust. Underwriters include: Gloria Karchner, Jackie Paul and Al Bothe, Jr. and Bernadine Richard.
Tickets for the performance are $25 for adults, $10 for students, and children 12 and under are no charge.
Tickets are available online at SVCMusic.org, by calling 570-547-0455 or at the door.
For more information about this performance and future performances, visit SVCMusic.org.
Nov 24, 2024 | Music, News, Regional Arts Events
The Weis Center for the Performing Arts will welcome Tab Benoit with Jesse Dayton on Saturday, December 7 at 7:30 p.m. at the Weis Center.
Tab Benoit is a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and guitarist who has built a remarkable 30-plus-year career on the foundation of his gritty and soulful Delta-swamp blues. He’s acquired a devoted legion of fans along the way as well as five Blues Music Awards, including B.B. King Entertainer of the Year (twice) and an induction into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
He has recorded and/or performed with Junior Wells, George Porter Jr., Dr. John, Willie Nelson, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux, Billy Joe Shaver, Maria Muldaur, James Cotton, Cyril Neville, Kenny Aronoff, Allen Toussaint, Kim Wilson, Jimmy Thackery, Charlie Musselwhite, Kenny Neal, Chris Layton, Ivan Neville, Jimmy Hall, Jim Lauderdale, Anders Osborne and Alvin Youngblood Hart, to name a few. Benoit’s accomplishments as a musician are matched only by his devotion to the environmental health of his native Louisiana wetlands. He is the founder and driving force behind Voice of the Wetlands, an organization working to preserve the coastal waters of his home state. He received the Governor’s Award for Conservationist of the Year from the Louisiana Wildlife Federation. Benoit also starred in the iMax motion picture Hurricane on the Bayou, a documentary of Hurricane Katrina’s effects and a call to protect and restore the wetlands.
Jesse Dayton brings his fierce blend of Texas blues, outlaw country and punk rock to the stage, opening for Grammy-nominated blues powerhouse Tab Benoit on the I Hear Thunder tour. Celebrating his latest album, The Hard Way Blues, produced by Shooter Jennings and a #2 debut on the Billboard Blues chart, Jesse’s set is a raw, gritty journey through Americana. Known for his work with legends like Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Social Distortion, and fresh off a Grammy-nominated collaboration with Samantha Fish, Dayton’s live show captures decades of fearless musical spirit. Expect powerful guitar riffs, soulful storytelling and a performance that’s both timeless and electrifying.
The performance is sponsored, in part, by Martha and Alan Barrick and Coldwell Banker Penn One Real Estate.
TICKETS
Tickets are $30 for adults, $24 for seniors 62+ and subscribers, $20 for youth 18 and under, $20 for Bucknell employees and retirees (limit 2), free for Bucknell students (limit 1) and $20 for non-Bucknell students (limit 2).
Tickets can be reserved by calling 570-577-1000 or online at Bucknell.edu/BoxOffice.
Tickets are also available in person from several locations including the Weis Center lobby (weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and the CAP Center Box Office, located on the ground floor of the Elaine Langone Center (weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
For more information about this event, contact Lisa Leighton, marketing and outreach director, at 570-577-3727 or by e-mail at [email protected].
For more information about the Weis Center for the Performing Arts, go to Bucknell.edu/WeisCenter or search for the Weis Center on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.
Nov 2, 2024 | Music, News, Regional Arts Events
The Weis Center for the Performing Arts will welcome award-winning bluegrass ensemble Sister Sadie on Friday, November 15 at 7:30 p.m. at the Weis Center.
The performance is sponsored, in part, by the Williamsport Sun Gazette.
Sister Sadie is a wildfire of raging hot bluegrass combined with breathtaking instrumental drive and awe-inspiring vocals. Comprised of original members Deanie Richardson (fiddle) and Gena Britt (banjo and vocals), and newcomers Jaelee Roberts (guitar and vocals), Dani Flowers (guitar and vocals) and Maddie Dalton (acoustic bass and vocals), Sister Sadie has combined the varied talents of each woman in the lineup to create something that is far more than the sum of its parts.
Sister Sadie’s sound is uniquely its own — undeniably classic, hard-driving bluegrass that is so much more. Rooted in forceful and tight vocal harmonies, the women’s music isn’t your granddaddy’s Appalachian high lonesome sound. This is something far more powerful than that — it’s the sound of the mountains themselves.
When Sister Sadie first formed, they didn’t plan to stick around for more than a decade. They didn’t even plan to stick around for more than one show. But fate had other plans. In December of 2012, the original lineup of the band took the stage at the Station Inn with the goal of having a good time and playing good music together.
The original Station Inn lineup formed the core of the band for the majority of the first eight years, featuring Dale Ann Bradley, Beth Lawrence, Tina Adair, and of course, Deanie Richardson and Gena Britt. Together, this lineup reached heights that none of them thought imaginable leading into what they had assumed would be a one-time Christmas season pickup gig. In 2019, following the release of their second studio album “Sister Sadie II” on Pinecastle Records, they had their debut on the Grand Ole Opry, won their first IBMA award for Vocal Group of the Year, and received a GRAMMY nomination for Bluegrass Album of the Year. In 2020, Deanie was named the IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year (the second woman to win that prize in the 30-year history of the awards), and the band took home the top prize as the Entertainer of the Year. Sister Sadie also was named Vocal Group of the Year for the second year running.
But without change, there is no growth—and Sister Sadie continues to grow.
The first gravitational shift came in finding a new lead vocalist in 2020—someone whose voice had the power and confidence to hold court and capture an audience. Fortunately, Jaelee Roberts had all of the above and more. Roberts had been in close proximity to the members of Sister Sadie for her whole life: Richardson played with her dad in New Tradition and Britt had played with her mom in Petticoat Junction. So when it came time to find a new voice for the band, her name immediately came to the fore. Despite her young age, there is nothing immature to be heard when she sings. Her voice is commanding, demanding the world stop and pay attention. It has the charisma and singularity to lead, while also melting like butter into spine-tingling harmonies. She is undeniable.
In 2021, Sister Sadie was featured in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s American Currents exhibit. That same year, the band took home a third consecutive IBMA Vocal Group of the Year award, and new member Jaelee Roberts was awarded the IBMA Momentum Vocalist of the Year award.
In 2022, there was a need for a third vocalist that would blend well with Jaelee and Gena. The first person to come to mind was one of Deanie & Gena’s favorite singer/songwriters, Dani Flowers. When the time came, they made the call & asked if she’d be interested and there was an immediate yes on the other end of the phone. Dani brings a sweet, tender tone in her lead vocals and her harmonies meld seamlessly. Her songwriting is second to none, which you’ll continue hearing on upcoming Sister Sadie recordings. While not intended, it was ironic how it worked out that Dani’s first show with Sister Sadie was at the Station Inn, where the band was originally formed. It seemed like the perfect fit, and it was. The addition of Dani maintained the inescapable magnetic draw that the Sister Sadie trio is known for.
In 2022, Gena Britt was recognized as the SPBGMA Banjo Player of the Year and Sister Sadie signed with Mountain Home Records to begin work on their third studio album.
The final puzzle piece fell into place with the addition of Maddie Dalton to the band in 2023. When Sister Sadie began their search for a new bass player to join the lineup, they also needed to find someone to fit the energy & drive that the band has maintained since the beginning. Maddie is widely known in the Missouri bluegrass scene & she is a musical force to be reckoned with. Maddie’s second show with the band was again at The Station Inn, the band’s home away from home. Playing together that night sealed the deal: that same spark from 2012 was alive and burning. This was the new Sister Sadie.
In 2023, Jaelee Roberts took home the honor of SPBGMA Female Vocalist of the Year. The band continues to work on the third album which is set to release soon.
Sister Sadie has been completely reborn, with an energy and excitement that they’ve never had before. Vocals have always been the foundation of Sister Sadie’s sound, and the new vocal blend—combining Gena Britt’s hard-driving North Carolina bluegrass, Dani Flower’s honeyed folk, and Jaelee’s world-shaking power and range—has spurred the band into exploring new aural territory. Finally Maddie Dalton’s charismatic and sublime bass underpins everything.
The addition of three new wildly talented musicians and vocalists has broadened the genre palette of their compositions as well, shifting the landscape of the music they make. This band didn’t climb down from their peak during these changes—they moved the entire mountain instead.
This new energy continues to drive the band forward. Now, entering their second decade as a band, the energy that they felt all those years ago burns brighter than ever before.
TICKETS
Tickets are $30 for adults, $24 for seniors 62+ and subscribers, $20 for youth 18 and under, $20 for Bucknell employees and retirees (limit 2), free for Bucknell students (limit 1) and $20 for non-Bucknell students (limit 2).
Tickets can be reserved by calling 570-577-1000 or online at Bucknell.edu/BoxOffice.
Tickets are also available in person from several locations including the Weis Center lobby (weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and the CAP Center Box Office, located on the ground floor of the Elaine Langone Center (weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
For more information about this event, contact Lisa Leighton, marketing and outreach director, at 570-577-3727 or by e-mail at [email protected].
For more information about the Weis Center for the Performing Arts, go to Bucknell.edu/WeisCenter or search for the Weis Center on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.
Oct 27, 2024 | Music, News, Regional Arts Events
The Weis Center for the Performing Arts will welcome classical ensemble Quartetto di Cremona on Sunday, November 3 at 4 p.m. at the Weis Center.
The performance is sponsored, in part, by Service 1st Federal Credit Union and Sam and Nancy Craig.
Winner of the 2019 Franco Buitoni Award, Quartetto di Cremona is among the world’s preeminent string quartets, noted for its lustrous sound, refined musicianship and stylistic versatility.
According to The Strad, its Lincoln Center debut in 2022 “was distinguished by splendid balance, abundant color and a relaxed mastery of all the musical elements.”
The quartet was established in 2000 at the Accademia Walter Stauffer in Cremona, Italy. Now in its 23rd season, Quartetto di Cremona has toured extensively in Europe, the U.S., South America and Asia; appeared at leading festivals, and performed regularly on radio and television broadcasts, including on the RAI, BBC, Westdeutscher Rundfunk and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The group’s extensive repertoire encompasses key masterworks from Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert; essential late nineteenth- and twentieth-century literature, and contemporary works by Osvaldo Golijov, Helmut Lachemann, Fabio Vacchi, Silvia Colasanti, Nimrod Borenstein and Kalevi Aho. The quartet is also known for its performances of work by Italian composers, including Verdi, Respighi and Boccherini.
When at the Weis Center, the quartet will perform: Dvořák’s String Quartet in F Major, Op. 96 “American”, Bartók’s Quartet No. 4 and Robert Schumann’s Op. 41 No. 1.
TICKETS
Tickets are $30 for adults, $24 for seniors 62+ and subscribers, $20 for youth 18 and under, $20 for Bucknell employees and retirees (limit 2), free for Bucknell students (limit 1) and $20 for non-Bucknell students (limit 2).
Tickets can be reserved by calling 570-577-1000 or online at Bucknell.edu/BoxOffice.
Tickets are also available in person from several locations including the Weis Center lobby (weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and the CAP Center Box Office, located on the ground floor of the Elaine Langone Center (weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
For more information about this event, contact Lisa Leighton, marketing and outreach director, at 570-577-3727 or by e-mail at [email protected].
For more information about the Weis Center for the Performing Arts, go to Bucknell.edu/WeisCenter or search for the Weis Center on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.
