Artist Series
Presenting internationally acclaimed
dance, music & theatre artists
The Artist Series seeks to encourage an aesthetic appreciation of diverse cultures as well as the artistic heritage of humankind.
Performances are often linked in ways that advance intellectual engagement through master classes, lectures or content of the artistic presentation. Please visitArts, Lectures & Performancesto view our most current listings, confirm dates and times and see a full list of upcoming performances, readings, lectures and discussions.
Tickets can be purchased online. Tickets can also be purchased in person or by phone by visiting the Box Office or calling570-372-ARTS. Will call is available.
2025–26 Artist Series
Dion Parson & 21st Century Band
October 9, 7:30 p.m. | Weber Auditorium
Grammy Award–winning drummer and composer Dion Parson has been leading the 21st Century Band for more than two decades. The outfit’s innovative sound bonds Virgin Islands traditions, such as Quelbe and Caribbean expressions — reggae, calypso, soca, mento, ska, zouk, steel pan, chutney and funk — with New Orleans and African influences. Whether you’re new to these sounds or they’re integral to your musical narrative, come hear their fresh and dynamic interpretations from Parson’s ensemble.
2025–26 Artist Series
Theatre Nohgaku
February 10, 7:30 p.m. | Degenstein Center Theater
Theatre Nohgaku is an international performance ensemble comprised of Japan and North American based members whose mission is to create and present plays in traditional noh style, complete with Hayashi musicians, masks, costumes and stage sets. The company serves as a unique cultural and artistic intermediary between Japan and the English-speaking world. Theatre Nohgaku performs contemporary work that reaches across boundaries of culture and language to tell stories that reflect our shared humanity.
2025–26 Artist Series
John Holiday
April 7, 7:30 p.m. | Weber Auditorium
Countertenor John Holiday has established himself as “one of the finest countertenors of his generation” (Los Angeles Times). His voice has been praised as “a thing of astonishing beauty” (New Yorker), “arrestingly powerful, secure and dramatically high” (Wall Street Journal), and “timeless” (Washington Post). His unique voice and powerful story have been the subject of profiles in The New Yorker, CNN’s Great Big Story, the Los Angeles Times and more.
In addition to traditional concert performances and recitals, Holiday has curated The John Holiday Experience to showcase his affinity and talent for many genres including classical, pop, jazz and R&B. He has performed at world-renowned venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, London’s Barbican Center and the Philharmonie de Paris. Career highlights include touring with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and appearing as Sorceress in Barrie Kosky’s production of Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, among others.
The winner of numerous major competitions and the recipient of honors such as the 2017 Marian Anderson Vocal Award, Holiday has also been named one of BroadwayWorld’s “New York Opera Gifts that Keep on Giving.” He currently holds a position as an associate professor, voice and opera at the University of Maryland School of Music.
Past Artist Series Events
Performed on October 29, 2024
Celebrating over 30 years of dance making, the Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company is a rare Asian American female-created touring company that honors and advances the dynamic spirit of Chinese-American cultural tradition. Nai-Ni Chen’s unique choreographic styles reflect the grace and splendor of the Chinese cultural traditions she studied in Taiwan and the dynamic spirit of modern and contemporary dance she acquired in New York. The Company’s contribution to the community has been honored by OCA, the leading national Asian American advocacy organization, New Jersey Chinese American Chamber of Commerce and the International Institute in Jersey City. The Company has toured extensively in the United States and international festivals around the world and has been honored with over 20 awards from the National Endowment for the Arts. Prominent institutions — including the Lincoln Center Institute, the Joyce Theater, Dancing in the Streets, New Jersey Ballet, Ballet Met, Dancing Wheels and Baraka Sele at NJPAC — all have commissioned notable works.
Performed on April 22, 2024
Lauded as “exquisite” by The Philadelphia Inquirer and “a pianist of sterling artistry” by Gramophone, Michelle Cann has become one of the most sought-after pianists of her generation. She made her debut with The Philadelphia Orchestra in 2021 and has performed concertos with The Cleveland Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, the Orquestra Sinfônica Municipal de São Paulo, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the symphony orchestras of Atlanta, Baltimore and Cincinnati. A celebrated chamber musician, Cann has collaborated with leading artists, including the Catalyst, Dover and Juilliard string quartets, violinists Timothy and Nikki Chooi, and cellist Thomas Mesa. She has appeared as co-host and collaborative pianist with NPR’s From the Top, collaborating with actor/conductor Damon Gupton, violinist Leila Josefowicz, and violinist and MacArthur Fellow Vijay Gupta.
Imani Winds is the 2024 Grammy winner in the classical compendium category for Jeff Scott’s Passion for Bach and Coltrane, released on their recently formed record label, Imani Winds Media. Celebrating over a quarter century of music making, the three-time Grammy-nominated ensemble has led both a revolution and evolution of the wind quintet through their dynamic playing, adventurous programming, imaginative collaborations and outreach endeavors that have inspired audiences of all ages and backgrounds. The ensemble’s playlist embraces traditional chamber music repertoire and newly commissioned works from voices that reflect historical events and the times in which we currently live. Twenty-six seasons of full-time touring has brought Imani Winds to virtually every major chamber music series, performing arts center and summer festival in the United States. They regularly perform in prominent venues, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center, and have a presence at festivals such as Chamber Music Northwest, Chautauqua Institution and Banff Centre. Their international presence includes concerts throughout Asia, Australia, Brazil, England, Europe and New Zealand. To date, one of Imani Winds’ most humbling recognitions is a permanent presence in the classical music section of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
Performed on Oct. 3, 2023
Saxophonist Branford Marsalis is one of the most influential and revered figures in contemporary music. The NEA Jazz Master, Grammy Award winner, and Tony Award nominee is equally at home performing concertos with symphony orchestras and sitting in with members of the Grateful Dead, but the core of his musical universe remains the Branford Marsalis Quartet. After more than three decades of existence with minimal personnel changes, this celebrated ensemble is revered for its uncompromising interpretation of a kaleidoscopic range of both original compositions and jazz and popular classics. After the Grammy-nominatedUpward Spiral, on which guest vocalist Kurt Elling was seamlessly integrated into the group, the Quartet has followed up with the Grammy-nominatedThe Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul, its most emotionally wide- ranging and melody-driven collection to date. John Zeugner captured the impact of the Quartet in a live performance in a recent concert review, calling it “casually confident, professional, cerebral, and supercharged with energy. The Branford Marsalis Quartet… was all of those adjectives and more.”
Performed on Feb. 14, 2023
Under music director Steven Mercurio, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra is recognized as one of Europe’s first-rank symphonic ensembles and is renowned for its versatility. Currently ranking among the most highly sought-after orchestras in Europe, the orchestra annually presents a broad program ranging from classical music to contemporary genres, film scores, jazz and musicals. Its glowing reputation attracts large domestic and international audiences. Composers, conductors and performers such as Ennio Morricone, Lalo Schifrin, James Morrison, Branford & Wynton Marsalis, Danny Elfman and Chick Corea have repeatedly come to record with the orchestra or to perform in Smetana Hall, the home concert stage of CNSO. The orchestra has also partnered with prominent artists such as Sting, Andrea Bocelli, George Michael, Placido Domingo and Angélique Kidjo. Successful tours have taken place all over North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania.
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