ZOELLNER ARTS CENTER
LEHIGH UNIVERSITY
DEAR FRIENDS,
Photo by John Kish IV
It’s hard to believe, but I’ve now spent over five years as executive director of Zoellner Arts Center. As I write this, I’m filled with gratitude. What an honor it has been—and continues to be—to come to work each day with a mission to connect our urban, suburban, and rural communities through the arts. Thank you for welcoming me so warmly to the Lehigh Valley and for continuing to walk alongside us on this journey.
This season opens on high notes — with The Bacon Brothers and Morgan Freeman's Symphonic Blues Experience. These Hollywood heavyweights have also centered music in their award-winning careers. The world-renowned Philharmonia Orchestra, under the prestigious baton of Marin Alsop, will perform stirring works of Tchaikovsky, Bartók, and Prokofiev, filling our hall with beauty and power. Mark Morris Dance Group returns with their signature blend of live music, exquisite movement, and bold fashion—this time set to the music of Burt Bacharach.
We’re thrilled to welcome back audience favorites like Postmodern Jukebox and the Vienna Boys Choir, and to continue our commitment to family-centered programming through the Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital Family Series. Our pre-show conversations with Lehigh Valley Health Network health professionals have become a highlight, and we’re excited to continue exploring the growing intersection of arts and wellness. Stay tuned for more news on this front.
IN THE
In the winter and spring, we invite you to experience the electrifying energy of Drum Tao, the return of the moving virtual reality installation Traveling While Black, and a celebration of Jane Austen’s 250th birthday with a delightful project by The Jane Austen Playlist. The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain will leave you smiling, while The Tallis Scholars—the world’s preeminent early music vocal ensemble—will offer a transcendent performance in the beautiful Packer Memorial Church. Finally, we close the season with the joyful rhythms of the NYC Ska Orchestra.
Zoellner Arts Center embraces its role as a university-based presenter. We are a space for a community of practice where educators and future makers converge. Student artists, along with the Departments of Music and Theatre and Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG), present concerts, plays, and exhibitions that reflect both their talent and the faculty who inspire them.
As always, we’re proud to be a space where creativity, community, and connection come together. Thank you for being part of this journey and for making Zoellner Arts Center such a vibrant home for the arts.
With gratitude,
Mark Fitzgerald Wilson Executive Director
BELIEVE ARTS
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2025 AT A GLANCE
Fall Events: ON SALE beginning TUE JUN 17
2026 AT A GLANCE
Spring Events: ON SALE to the general public THU OCT 23 SUBSCRIBERS CAN ACCESS THE BEST SEATS NOW AND SAVE UP TO 20%! See page 37.
COMPAGNIE MULTICORPS / MARCEL GBEFFA
Didę: Rise Up FRI APR 17
STUDENT JAZZ CONCERT SUN APR 19
PHILHARMONIC Music for Imaginary Movies FRI APR 24 SAT APR 25
SYMPHONIC BAND SUN APR 26
CHORAL ARTS Out of the Depths FRI MAY 1 SAT MAY 2
WIND ENSEMBLE Peace, Hope and Honor SUN MAY 3 P.25 NYC SKA ORCHESTRA FRI MAY 15
FAMILY SERIES SHOWS
PRESENTING SERIES
SUN SEP 7
6:00pm
FREESTANDING TOUR
For The Bacon Brothers, music is all about exploration. Their sound highlights not only the similarities between Kevin Bacon (known worldwide as an A-list Hollywood actor) and Michael Bacon (celebrated as an Emmywinning composer), but the differences, too. "We're two musicians who write songs very differently, and we've grown to really appreciate those differences," says Michael. The siblings have spent the better part of three decades creating their own mix of folk, rock, soul, and country music. They call that diverse sound "forosoco," and it's taken them around the world, from headlining gigs in Japan to American performances at iconic venues like Carnegie Hall, the Grand Ole Opry and Gruene Hall. And back by popular demand, to Zoellner!
Price $60/$50
Price includes $1.00 donation to sixdegrees.org
FRI SEP
12
7:30pm
Academy Award-winning legend Morgan Freeman joins us on stage to introduce this soul-stirring journey through the heart of the Mississippi Delta, where the Blues was born. Then the Symphonic Blues Experience begins. Multimedia cinematic imagery with Freeman's captivating narration, masterful performances by Blues artists from Ground Zero Blues Club, and sweeping symphonic arrangements performed by a chamber orchestra, guide the audience through a rich exploration of the Delta’s profound impact on global music, telling the story of how this unique region shaped not only the blues but also rock, gospel, and other popular genres. This immersive experience highlights the region’s enduring spirit and the pivotal role of Ground Zero Blues Club, co-founded by Mr. Freeman, in Clarksdale, Mississippi—a sacred ground for Blues preservation and a living testament to its power.
Price: $75/$65
SAT SEP 20
7:30pm
NOLI TIMERE
The culmination of a five-year collaboration between director/choreographer Rebecca Lazier and renowned sculptor Janet Echelman, NOLI TIMERE is a soaring aerial performance featuring a custom-designed, voluminous Echelman net sculpture and eight outstanding, multidisciplinary performers. NOLI TIMERE, Latin for 'be not afraid,' uniquely renders interconnectedness visible, making tangible how a change in one element has cascading effects on its surroundings, demonstrating the fragility of our ecosystem and the need for innovative responses to global challenges. The work is a fusion of contemporary dance and avant-garde circus, art installation and advanced engineering, public sculpture and social practice, exploring how we navigate an unstable world.
Price $39/$29
FRI OCT 3 7:30pm
SPHINX VIRTUOSI
Their Carnegie Hall performances are an established highlight of that venue’s fall season. The ensemble has garnered accolades from The New York Times that described the group as "...top-notch...more essential at this moment than ever...a vibrant, assured performance..."; and The Washington Post wrote “true to their name, the Sphinx Virtuosi call up the vision of an iconic mythological feline with its immeasurable power, unwavering command, and soulful beauty.”
Partial Repertoire: Jose White: La Bella Cubana; William Grant Still: Suite for Cello (featuring Sterling Elliott); Prokofiev: Sonata No. 7 Stalingrad.
Price $25
SUN OCT 5 4:00pm
SONGS OF THE UKRAINIAN FOREST
Kurbasy is an avant-garde musical project of the renowned progressive Les Kurbas Theatre in Lviv, Ukraine. Founded in 2008 as an informal vocal gathering of singer-actresses, the group has performed across Europe – from the front lines of occupied Eastern Ukraine to concert halls in Western Europe and the USA. The ambient approach of Kurbasy gives life to the indigenous polyphonic sounds of Ukraine’s rich traditional music heritage. Their sonic-theatrical explorations of Ukraine’s rich trove of calendar songs, lullabies, and legends, conjure the natural world, beliefs, and rituals, channeling contemporary connections to an archaic past.
Price $25
SAT OCT 11 7:30pm
SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR PEACE
The multi-Grammy® and Emmy Award®-winning choir performs a joyful program of South African freedom songs, traditional spirituals and some classics. The inspirational concert also features spirited music of Aretha Franklin, Harry Belafonte, Peter Gabriel, Kate Bush, Leonard Cohen and more! Heralded by Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Barack Obama, and Oprah Winfrey, the choir excites audiences worldwide, uplifting the soul and spreading joy through its earthy rhythms, rich harmonies, brilliant costumes, and infectious spirit. It’s perfect for the entire family!
Price $45/$35
FRI OCT 17 7:30pm
Following the roaring success of his Beatles tribute Pepperland, renowned choreographer Mark Morris teams up again with musical collaborator Ethan Iverson for The Look of Love, a wistful and heartfelt homage to the chart-topping songs of Burt Bacharach. A towering figure of popular music, Bacharach is known for his soaring melodies and unique orchestrations influenced by jazz, rock, and Brazilian music — his longtime lyricist, Hal David, providing unsentimental, poignant lyrics. The work is performed by an ensemble of piano, trumpet, bass, and drums, with singer, actress, and Broadway star Marcy Harriell on lead vocals.
Price $59/$49
FREE Pre-Show Event | 2:00pm-3:30pm
Deborah Rutter & Marin Alsop
The accomplished former Kennedy Center president and esteemed conductor present an arts conversation.
Limited capacity; First come, first served.
SUN OCT 26 4:00pm
PHILHARMONIA ORCHESTRA
+ MARIN ALSOP
Two days before their performance at Carnegie Hall, revered American conductor Marin Alsop leads London’s Philharmonia Orchestra in a program of symphonic staples. The concert begins with Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture, expressing an astonishing range of action and emotion across 20 minutes. Pianist Alexandre Kantorow, called an “exemplar of a new generation” after his 2023 Carnegie Hall debut (The New York Times), then performs the thrilling solo part in Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3. The program concludes with Bartók’s riveting Concerto for Orchestra, aptly named for the soloistic spotlight it shines on each section of the ensemble.
Price $55/$45
FUN-A-PALOOZA
Experience a fun time with your young ones! Visit our community partners—PBS39, Just Born, Crayola, and many more—on hand with FREE activities, treats and giveaways! Be on the lookout for a food truck, an Instagrammable Spot, Ziggy the Zoellner Zebra and a Family Series Sneak Peek! Check our website for more details.
0:00am Doors Open
10:30am Halloween Costume Dance Party!
11:00am LVHN Wellness Pre-Show Activities: Our friends at Lehigh Valley Health Network are on hand with music and tips for healthy habits.
12:00pm Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus! The Musical! (admission charge)
1:30pm That's a Wrap!
12:00pm | Baker Hall
Based on the book Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems
Script by Mo Willems and Mr. Warburton
Lyrics by Mo Willems
Music by Deborah Wicks La Puma Dramaturgy by Megan Alrutz
FUN Family
Whatever you do, don’t let the Pigeon star in his own musical production! With a script written by Mo Willems, the creator of the #1 New York Times bestselling, Caldecott Honor award-winning “Pigeon” picture books, and featuring music by Deborah Wicks La Puma (Elephant & Piggie’s We Are in a Play!), TheaterWorksUSA‘s Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical! is even more fun than staying up late and having a hot dog party!
It’s not easy being the Pigeon-you never get to do ANYTHING! But when the Bus Driver has a crisis that threatens to make her passengers (gasp!) late, maybe that wily bird CAN do something. Featuring an innovative mix of songs and feathers, Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! The Musical! is sure to get everyone’s wings flapping. Price
1 This play was commissioned by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and was first produced at the Kennedy Center during the 2019-2020 season. Don't Let The Pigeon Drive The Bus is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com
THU NOV 13
7:00pm
When New York City pianist Scott Bradlee created Postmodern Jukebox out of a basement in Queens in 2011, his goal was simple: to remake the pop hits of today into the classic sounds of the legends of yesterday. Miley Cyrus became The Platters. Bruno Mars became Frank Sinatra. The Spice Girls became The Andrews Sisters. Guns ’n’ Roses became Bessie Smith.
Now, over a decade and two billion YouTube views later, Postmodern Jukebox has grown to become a pop culture mainstay in its own right, having played over a thousand shows on six continents. One part celebration of vintage music and culture, one part Saturday Night Live for singers, a Postmodern Jukebox show is an unforgettable trip back in time — in Baker Hall, again!
Price $69/$59
SUN NOV 23 4:00pm
ACADEMY OF VOCAL ARTS
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
Great voices share the drama and the passion of classic opera with Mozart's comic masterpiece, Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), where love, intrigue, and politics hilariously collide on the eve of Figaro and Susanna’s wedding. Join the quick-witted barber Figaro and his bride-to-be Susanna as they navigate a whirlwind 24-hours filled with mishaps and mischief. The Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia trains young artists with tremendous potential as international opera soloists. These singers share their talent, training and unique gifts on our concert stage.
Price $20 SAT DEC 13 12:00pm 4:00pm SUN DEC 14 12:00pm 4:00pm
THE NUTCRACKER
The Pennsylvania Youth Ballet’s magical production of The Nutcracker with a live orchestra playing Tchaikovsky’s masterpiece is a holiday tradition for the whole family! Enjoy the beauty of dancing snowflakes, the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Clara’s dream come to life, with guest artists from the world’s finest ballet companies and a cast of nearly 100 dancers.
Price $59/$49/$35
This joint production is a partnership between Zoellner Arts Center, the Lehigh University Music Department and Pennsylvania Youth Ballet.
FRI DEC 19
7:30pm
VIENNA BOYS CHOIR
This holiday season, the Vienna Boys Choir returns for a finely tuned performance in Baker Hall. Admired across the globe for their pure sound, heavenly voices and technical mastery, the cherubic ensemble features boy sopranos and altos from eight to 14, representing 31 countries, harmonizing their incredible vocals for an unforgettable night. Built on six centuries of tradition, the choir counts Joseph Haydn and Franz Schubert among its illustrious alumni. The group’s yuletide program has something for everyone: Baroque classics, contemporary popular hits, Christian hymns, Austrian folk tunes, polkas, waltzes and more!
Price $55/$45
SAT DEC 20
7:30pm
SEÁN HEELY’S CELTIC CHRISTMAS
Join champion Scottish fiddler Seán Heely and a cast of nationally acclaimed Celtic performers on a magical journey through Scotland and Ireland during the holidays. The fiddle and bagpipes will sweep you away to Christmastime and Winter Solstice celebrations, along with featured dancers from Scottish and Irish traditions that are sure to lift your holiday spirits and warm your heart. Kilts and tartan abound as the show travels through ancient Gaelic carols and songs, tucked in perfectly with lively Irish tunes and familiar Christmas and seasonal melodies with a Celtic twist. Heely is a DCbased US National Scottish Fiddle Champion, awardwinning Irish fiddler, Scots Gaelic singer, and harpist.
Price $45
Tickets on sale THU OCT 23
FRI JAN 23 7:30pm
DRUM TAO
Prepare to be blown away! DRUM TAO delivers a breathtaking spectacle of raw power and exquisite artistry. Imagine the earth resonating with the thunderous pulse of massive Wadaiko drums, interwoven with the soaring melodies of Japanese flutes and the delicate shimmer of harps. This isn't just a performance; it's a visceral experience that shatters expectations and redefines Japanese entertainment for a new generation.
SAVE UP TO 20%
See page 3 for details. Pricing on page 37+38.
From sold-out Off-Broadway runs that had Newsweek hailing them as a representation of Japan itself, to their wildly popular "MANGEKYO" longrun in Tokyo, DRUM TAO has captivated audiences worldwide. They've even shared the stage with the legendary Bolshoi Ballet and opened "Japonisms 2018" in Paris. Their global impact is undeniable, with a topranking debut album on iTunes and numerous prestigious awards from the Japanese government.
Price $49/$39
SUN FEB 1 1:00pm 4:00pm
BUGS
BY KAKI KING
One of the most acclaimed rock guitarists today blends music and technology with the wild and wonderful world in a fun-filled story about bugs, beetles, critters, and all things sugar! Inspired by her children, Kaki King has created an enchanting concert that combines music, light, and imagery to encourage children to think about nature, ecology, and the animal kingdom. As she plays, different notes feed information into her signature projection mapping program, triggering images of the busy and fascinating lives of bugs onto her guitar. Her “magic guitar” becomes a kaleidoscope of color and sound, illuminating the extraordinary world of BUGS.
Price $18/$12 child
GENERAL ADMISSION
Run Time: 60 min. approx. (no intermission)
THU FEB 5 7:00pm
SANGJARU
Sangjaru is a captivating Korean folk fusion band that merges the energy of traditional Korean music with the infectious rhythms of gypsy swing, funk, rock, and improvisation. The name "Sangjaru" originates from the combination of two Korean words, "sangja" (box) and "jaru" (sack). While a box retains a fixed form, a sack adapts to its contents. Inspired by this analogy, the band aspires to infuse new creativity into the rich traditions of Korean music.
Price $20
is presented as an artistic installation that recreates the setting of Ben’s Chili Bowl in Washington, D.C.
SELECT DATES
FEB THRU APR
A Virtual Reality Experience
Traveling While Black is a film by Academy Award winner Roger Ross Williams and Emmy Award-winning Felix & Paul Studios that transports viewers to historic Ben's Chili Bowl diner in Washington, D.C. Viewers share an intimate series of moments with several of Ben’s patrons as they reflect on their experiences of restricted movement and race relations in the United States. Confronting the way we understand and talk about race in America, Traveling While Black highlights the urgent need to not only remember the past but to learn from it and to facilitate a dialogue about the challenges minority travelers still face today.
Admission Information:
Scan the QR code for specific dates and timeslots
Online registration required for timeslot Pay-if-you-wish: FREE, $5, $10 per person
SAT FEB 14 7:30pm
AKROPOLIS REED QUINTET
The GRAMMY® Award-winning Akropolis Reed Quintet celebrates their 16th season as “a sonically daring ensemble who specializes in performing new works with charisma and integrity” (BBC Music Magazine). Comprising five reed players and entrepreneurs unbounded by limits or categorization, The Wire describes Akropolis as a “collective voice driven by real excitement and a sense of adventure." Akropolis has graced the Classical Billboard Charts with each of their last three albums, including #2 in April, 2024. Composed of the same five members that brought about its founding in 2009, Akropolis delivers 120 concerts and educational events worldwide each year and has premiered and commissioned more than 150 works by living artists and composers.
Price $25
SUN FEB
THE JANE AUSTEN PLAYLIST
LOVE AND MUSIC OF REGENCY ENGLAND
4:00pm
Discover the music that Jane Austen played and loved. The Jane Austen Playlist, founded in 2019, is a historical music project featuring the music of the Austen family in digitized notations, companion recordings, and dramatically narrated performances. In addition to Jane’s passion for writing, she also loved music. All of Jane’s writing, including her letters and colorful characters, express music's role in her life. Accomplishment in music by young ladies in Regency England is discussed in the backdrops of the Netherfield drawing room, displayed in the Cole’s music room, and delighted in at Sir John Middleton’s gatherings.
Price $20
GENERAL ADMISSION
SUN MAR 1 4:00pm
GRIMMZ FAIRY TALES
GRIMMZ Fairy Tales is a new play for children that centers on two modern-day street performers, Jay and Will, who bring the time-honored stories of the Brothers Grimm to life with a contemporary urban spin. They’re known not just for their sounds but for the stories their music tells through off-the-chart theatrical effects. Performed in hip-hop style amid a brick landscape with graffiti and flashing lights, the featured tales include Cinderella Remix, Rapunzel and Snow White & the Seven Shawties. Pay your bling and hear them sing in a concert experience like no other! “A hip-hop revelation for the younger generation!”
Price $18/$12 child
GENERAL ADMISSION
Run Time: 60 min. approx. (no intermission)
FRI MAR 6 7:30pm
HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE!
Join us for Dirty Dancing in Concert, the classic film’s first live film-toconcert experience. Enjoy the digitally remastered hit movie like never before on a full-size cinema screen, with a live band and singers performing the iconic 1980s soundtrack. Directly following the film, the band and singers will throw an encore party that will surely take you back to the time of your life as you sing and dance along to your favorite Dirty Dancing songs. Immerse yourself in the timeless romance and experience one of the most memorable movies of the past 35 years! Price $55/$49
SUN MAR 22
4:00pm
TOMMY DORSEY ORCHESTRA
In Big Band history, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra is recognized as one of the best all-around dance bands. It could swing with the best of them, and no other band could come close to Tommy’s when it came to playing ballads. Tommy Dorsey, “The Sentimental Gentleman of Swing,” was a master at creating warm, sentimental, and always musical moods. Frank Sinatra credited Tommy with teaching him breath control, which helped to create such vocal classics as There Are Such Things, This Love Of Mine, and I’ll Never Smile Again. The music world lost Tommy at an early age, but his legacy of great music has transcended time. The Tommy Dorsey Orchestra still represents explosive and swinging Big Band entertainment at its very best.
Price $35
SUN MAR 29
4:00pm
CLICK, CLACK, MOO
“Cows that type? Hens on strike! Whoever heard of such a thing!” When his granddaughter Jenny comes for a visit, Farmer Brown declares the farm a tech-free zone. He takes her laptop in the cold barn with the shivering cows who use her computer to type messages requesting blankets. “No way,“ replies Farmer Brown. “No blankets!” The cows go on strike and the chickens join them in solidarity. No blankets? No milk! No eggs! Will Farmer Brown give in to the animals’ demands?
Click, Clack, Moo is written by Billy Aronson (book), Kevin Del Aguila (lyrics), and Brad Alexander (music); based on the book by Doreen Cronin with illustrations by Betsy Lewin.
Price $18/$12 child
FRI APR 10 7:30pm
THE UKULELE ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN
A worldwide phenomenon, they have won legions of fans with their quicksilver arrangements (spanning pop to classical) and dry British humor. Featuring only ukuleles—of various sizes and registers—the rock-star strummers have played for members of the British Royal Family, for the Houses of Parliament in London, and for millions of international television and online viewers. They’ve sold out twice at Carnegie Hall, The Royal Albert Hall in London, the Sydney Opera House and much more. Founded by George Hinchliffe and Kitty Lux, they are best known for playing versions of famous rock songs and film themes, sometimes changing these to subvert the audience's expectations, serving up a hilarious “soup of contrasts.”
Price $45/$35
SAT APR 11
7:30pm
THE TALLIS SCHOLARS
IN PACKER MEMORIAL CHURCH
Under the direction of founder Peter Phillips, hear one of the most prolific and decorated choral groups of the last century. Through their excellence and scholarship they have helped to establish Renaissance sacred music as a significant part of Western classical music today. The unified and pure sound that they weave from diverse voices is otherworldly. Their ability to capture both the deep emotion and consummate simplicity found in choral works of the Renaissance period has firmly established them as the leading performers of the genre worldwide.
Price $35 | FREE SHUTTLE from parking garage
This concert is presented in memory of Frederick W. Graf, Organist and Choirmaster, 1954-1992 Cathedral Church of the Nativity.
FRI APR 17
7:30pm
COMPAGNIE MULTICORPS/ MARCEL GBEFFA DIDĘ: RISE UP
Didę is a contemporary dance performance that immerses you in the mystical universe of Gèlèdé tradition, where each dancer becomes a messenger of transfigured feminine energy. This choreographic creation by Marcel Gbeffa transcends the boundaries of time and space by blending respect for Beninese traditions with aesthetic innovation. Masks, created by artist Sarah Trouche and carved by Sébastien Boko, transform into contemporary sculptures that come to life with palpable intensity through the dancers' movements. Didę is a true celebration of African culture, an opportunity to rediscover contemporary dance through an original lens while honoring the intangible and spiritual heritage of traditional Beninese dance.
Price $20
FRI MAY 15 7:30pm
NYC SKA ORCHESTRA
The NYC Ska Orchestra is a unique 18-piece big band that blends the exuberant musical layers of the jazz Big Band era with Jamaican roots music. Led by trumpeter and vocalist Kevin Batchelor, and featuring Jamaican music legend Larry MacDonald on congas and vocals, they create and perform lush original compositions and arrangements of classic songs from the rich and culturally iconic Jamaican music of ska, mento, rock steady, reggae, and jazz from the 1950s and 1960s. Together, Batchelor and MacDonald have recorded and/or performed with nearly every great Jamaican music artist, including Peter Tosh, Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, Lee Scratch Perry, Skatalites, and Toots & The Maytals; and regularly work with the leading Jamaican artists of today.
Price $35/$25
G A G Lehigh University Art Galleries
Celebrating 100 Years of Art at Lehigh
FREE & OPEN to All!
Lehigh University Art Galleries (LUAG) is Lehigh’s free, public art museum for all! Located inside Zoellner Arts Center, LUAG cares for a permanent collection of over 20,000 works of art, including over 50 outdoor sculptures located throughout campus. Art experiences, dynamic programming, and meaningful art education for learners of all ages invite all to explore, reflect, and connect with art — and with one another. With a commitment to making our collection and exhibitions inclusive and accessible both in person and online, LUAG serves as a cultural resource for campus, the greater Lehigh Valley, and beyond.
LUAG celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2026! The museum's centennial celebration will launch in Fall 2025 with a special juried exhibition entitled, Here and Now: 100 Years of LUAG, 100 Local Artists — and exciting programming that will continue throughout the 2026 academic year. Follow along at luag.org
SEPTEMBER
SAT 6
7:30pm LUVME
MUSIC FOR STRINGS AND PIANO
LUVME’s first concert of the semester features music by its two directors, Darin Lewis and Kyle Wernke, and performances by Steven Beck (piano), Chris Gross (cello), and Michael Jorgensen (violin).
Price $10
SAT 13
8:00pm HELL’S
KITCHEN FUNK ORCHESTRA
FUNK !!!!!!!!
Bill Warfield and the Hell's Kitchen Funk Orchestra (HKFO) are back with their signature mix of jazz, blues, and soul. Known for their modernistic pieces, salsa rhythms, and post-bop energy, HKFO returns to the funk groove following their 2024 album with Gary Bartz. Join us for an electrifying performance! Bill Warfield, director.
Price $18
LEHIGH UNIVERSITY MUSIC DEPARTMENT
To instill a love for music, to foster the discipline it requires, to promote musical literacy and to develop creativity.
SUN 14
3:00pm
ATTACCA QUARTET
LA GRANDE BELLEZZA
The ensemble, winner of two Grammys, performs string quartets by Italians and Italian-Americans. Co-sponsored by Chamber Music Lehigh Valley and the Lehigh Music Department. Music by Salerni, Ippolito, and Verdi.
Price $25
OCTOBER
SUN 19
4:00pm
FREQUENCY STRING QUARTET
THREE B’S WITH A TWIST
Conductor Hans von Bulow counted composers Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms as the “Three B’s” of classical music in the late 19th century. The Frequency String Quartet, Lehigh’s Faculty String Quartet, presents an afternoon of music written by three composers that provide an alternate version of the “Three B’s”—Brahms, Bologne, and Bartók. Joseph Bologne, the Chevalier de Saint-Georges, was a French composer from the Classical Era whose charming quartets were performed in the court of Louis XVI, and Béla Bartók’s quartets represent some of the most important works of the 20th century.
Price $15
FRI 24
8:00pm
CHORAL ARTS INTO THE DARKNESS
Join the Lehigh University Choral Arts for Into the Darkness, a concert that delves into the realms of mystery, sorrow, and the unknown. Featuring a variety of music, including works by Edward Elgar, Jake Runestad, and Melissa Dunphy, this performance invites audiences to journey through haunting soundscapes that explore the eerie beauty of the dark. Sarah Frook Gallo, director; Liz Olson, assistant director.
Price $18
NOVEMBER
SAT 8
8:00pm
STUDENT JAZZ CONCERT
JAZZ ORCHESTRA, BIG BAND, & JAZZ COMBOS
Ensembles comprised of Lehigh University students and faculty present an exciting program of contemporary jazz works in their fall concert, led by director Cecilia Coleman. Bill Warfield, director.
Price $12
SUN
16
3:00pm WIND ENSEMBLE
A QUARTER CENTURY
The Wind Ensemble presents a concert of works written in the first 25 years of the 21st century. Compositions include Give us This Day, One Life Beautiful, and Omar Thomas’ Come Sunday. Darin Lewis, director.
Price $15
FRI
21
8:00pm
JAZZ REPERTORY ORCHESTRA
THE MUSIC OF BILL HOLMAN
The Lehigh University Jazz Repertory Orchestra, featuring Lehigh jazz faculty and students, explores the timeless works of legendary composer and arranger Bill Holman. Holman’s career spanned collaborations with Stan Kenton, the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra, and many other major ensembles. Under the direction of Cecilia Coleman, Lehigh’s jazz musicians bring Holman’s iconic music to life. Bill Warfield, director.
Price $15
DECEMBER
FRI 5 SAT
PHILHARMONIC
1001 NIGHTS
7:30pm
6
7:30pm
SUN 7
4:00pm
8:00pm
FREE
The Lehigh University Philharmonic opens its 20252026 season with a celebration of musical storytelling! Enjoy performances of Tchaikovsky’s iconic Romeo and Juliet Overture and Rimsky-Korsakov’s extraordinary Scheherazade! Kyle Wernke, director.
Price $18
CHORAL ARTS
CHRISTMAS VESPERS IN PACKER MEMORIAL CHURCH
Lehigh University Choral Arts presents its annual Christmas gift to the community. Sarah Frook Gallo, director; Liz Olson, assistant director.
Free; No tickets required. Early arrival suggested. Please note: Free parking is not available for this event.
JANUARY FRI 30
8:00pm JAZZ FACULTY
THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK
The Lehigh University Jazz Faculty showcases the music of America’s greatest pop and jazz composers in a tribute to The Great American Songbook. Bill Warfield, director.
Price $15
FEBRUARY
SAT 7
8:00pm NEW YORK
JAZZ REPERTORY ORCHESTRA
HOLLYWOOD JAZZ
The New York Jazz Repertory Orchestra presents Hollywood Jazz, featuring iconic film music from the 1940s to the present under the direction of Bill Warfield. In 1992, Warfield was commissioned by the government of Spain to produce a musical for the Olympics. We will perform the music from Hollywood Jazz.
Price $15
SUN 8
3:00pm LUVME
MORE FOOD AND LOVE
Art Songs about food and love in Korean, Italian, and English, including the premiere of Paul Salerni’s Korean Love Songs. Yunah Lee, soprano and Kyung-Eun Na, pianoforte. Kyle Wernke and Darin Lewis, co-directors.
PHILHARMONIC
CONCERTO MARATHON!
The Lehigh University Philharmonic Orchestra’s annual concerto marathon returns! Come hear Lehigh’s students perform a variety of concertos alongside classics by John Williams, including The Mission, his theme for NBC Nightly News. Kyle Wernke, director.
Price $12
Price $10 FRI 20 SAT 21 7:30pm 7:30pm
SAT 28
8:00pm
JAZZ REPERTORY ORCHESTRA
TRADITIONAL AND CONTEMPORARY BIG BAND MUSIC
Experience the power and energy of traditional and contemporary Big Band jazz, performed by the Lehigh University Jazz Repertory Orchestra. Bill Warfield, director.
Price $18
MARCH
THU 5
7:00pm
FREE
DOLCE TREBLE CHOIR
RAISE YOUR VOICE
This concert is being held in Lamberton Hall located at 690 Taylor Street on Lehigh's campus.
Join the Dolce Treble Choir and the university’s Gender, Leadership, and Empowerment Center for Raise Your Voice, a fundraiser concert featuring a diverse array of clubs and ensembles from across the Lehigh University community. This special event celebrates the power of creative art to unite and uplift while also supporting the mission to promote gender equity.
FREE; No tickets required
CHOIR, DOLCE AND GLEE CLUB INTO THE UNKNOWN
8:00pm
Please note: Free parking is not available for this event. FRI 27 SAT 28
8:00pm
Lehigh Choral Arts explores uncharted territories with a concert featuring the University Choir, Dolce, and Glee Club. Spanning centuries and musical styles, the program includes works by composers like Caroline Shaw, Sarah Quartel, and Claudio Monteverdi, in a program celebrating human curiosity and discovery. This preview of the 2026 International Tour repertoire invites listeners to journey Into the Unknown. Sarah Frook Gallo, director; Liz Olson, assistant director.
Price $15
APRIL
SUN 19
3:00pm STUDENT JAZZ CONCERT
JAZZ ORCHESTRA, BIG BAND & JAZZ COMBOS
Lehigh University jazz students and faculty come together for their spring concert, performing contemporary jazz works. Bill Warfield, director.
7:30pm
Price $12 FRI 24 SAT 25
7:30pm
PHILHARMONIC
MUSIC FOR IMAGINARY MOVIES
The Lehigh University Philharmonic closes out its season with the world premiere of director Kyle Wernke’s new work Music for Imaginary Movies. Kyle Wernke, director.
Price $18
SUN 26
3:00pm FREE SYMPHONIC BAND
A presentation of new and old classics, including The Clapping Song, Seven Years in Tibet, a new work for tuba and band, and a few marches thrown in for good measure! Darin Lewis, director.
Free; No tickets required.
MAY
FRI
1
8:00pm
SAT 2
8:00pm
CHORAL ARTS
OUT OF THE DEPTHS
Lehigh Choral Arts presents Out of the Depths, a concert that plumbs the depths of the human experience with works for full choir and orchestra. Featuring compositions by 20th and 21st century composers like Ralph Vaughan Williams, Andrew Maxfield, and more. Join us on a sonic voyage from darkness into light. Sarah Frook Gallo, director; Liz Olson, assistant director.
Price $18
SUN
3
3:00pm WIND ENSEMBLE PEACE, HOPE AND HONOR
The Wind Ensemble presents works representing different cultures from around the world. Highlights will include Flower of Dreams: In Bloom in the Rokko Mountains, Danzon No. 2, and Variations on a Korean Folk Song. Darin Lewis, director.
Price $15
DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE
PASSAGE
BY CHRISTOPHER CHEN
OCT 3, 4, 8* – 11 | 7:30pm • OCT 5 | 2pm
A searing and timely exploration of colonialism, power, and the invisible walls that divide us. Passage is a gripping modernday allegory that speaks directly to our current moment— challenging us to reflect on systems of oppression and the struggle to connect across differences. Urgent, thoughtprovoking, and profoundly human, this play invites audiences to question how we move forward in a fractured world.
Adam Ercolani, director.
Price $12
THE FLICK
BY ANNIE BAKER
NOV 14, 15, 19* – 21 | 7:30pm • NOV 16 | 2pm
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, The Flick captures the quiet beauty of everyday life. Set in a crumbling movie theater, this masterfully observed play follows three employees as they sweep popcorn and navigate the delicate terrain of friendship, heartbreak, and longing for something more.
Zoë Miller ‘26, director.
Price $12
*The Dept. of Theatre is offering Pay-What-You-Wish Wednesdays. Contact Ticket Services for details.
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
BY OSCAR WILDE
FEB 20, 21, 25* – 28 | 7:30pm • FEB 22 | 2pm
Oscar Wilde’s dazzling comedy of manners bursts to life with razor-sharp wit and deliciously clever dialogue. A sparkling romp of mistaken identities, secret romances, and satirical jabs at society—The Importance of Being Earnest is a timeless treasure that never goes out of style. Jessie Dean, director.
Price $12
This production is being presented in the Fowler Black Box Theatre.
INTO THE WOODS
MUSIC AND LYRICS BY STEPHEN SONDHEIM BOOK BY JAMES LAPINE
ApR 10, 11, 14, 16 – 18 | 7:30pm • ApR 12 | 2pm
In our most expansive collaboration yet with the Lehigh University Department of Music, Into the Woods brings Sondheim and Lapine’s Tony Award-winning masterpiece to dazzling life. This beloved musical intertwines familiar fairy tales with unexpected twists, exploring the price of wishes and the consequences of choice. A rich and magical journey beyond “happily ever after,” Into the Woods is an unforgettable theatrical event for dreamers of all ages.
Lyam B. Gabel & Kashi Johnson, co-directors.
Sarah Frook Gallo, Liz Olson & Kyle Wernke, music directors.
Price $12
A Virginia M. & Bernard R. Hale '30 Production
SUBSCRIBE NOW FOR THE BEST SEATS before these public on-sale dates:
TICKETS ON SALE
CONTACT US
Fall Events TUE JUN 17
Spring Events THU OCT 23
IN PERSON ONLINE
Zoellner Arts Center
Ticket Services
420 East Packer Ave.
Bethlehem, PA 18015
www.zoellnerartscenter.org
email: inzactix@lehigh.edu
PHONE
610-758-2787 ext: 0
Box Office Hours: TUE 12-6pm, WED-FRI 12-5pm
For ticketed events: SAT 2 hours prior to curtain, 90 mins. all other days.
Check online for summer (May-Aug) and winter break (Dec – Jan) hours.
Senior, student, group, Lehigh University Faculty/Staff and LVAIC discounts available.
PARKING IS FREE in the garage attached to the center for all Presenting Series, Lehigh University Music Dept. and Dept. of Theatre events (excluding some weekday morning events, Christmas Vespers in Packer Chapel and Dolce in Lamberton Hall) Please note, there may be a parking charge for nonZoellner sponsored events.
All programs and artists are subject to change. In the event of a cancellation or material change, we will make every effort to contact all ticket holders. We must reserve the right to make any changes whatsoever in the event owing to any unforeseen or unavoidable cause or to cancel the event for any reason beyond our control without being liable to pay any ticket holder compensation for damages other than a ticket of comparable value to an event (based on availability).
Prices separated by slashes indicate seating area locations differentiated by color. Please note, not all sections are available for all performances.
SEATING CHARTS
Zoellner is a fully accessible facility. Free assistive listening devices available. Check online for details.
Questions? Please contact the box office.
Baker Hall: All seats except ADA seating and those in row S are accessed by steps. Diamond Theater: All seats except ADA seating are accessed by steps.
BAKER HALL ORCHESTRA
Photo Credits: Kevin Batchelor, Anastasia Chlibnyk, Chris Cunningham, Jeremy Daniel, John Dias, Matt Dine, Linda Ganus, Jack Hartin, Holden & Arts Associates, Ryan Hulvat, John Kish IV, Chris Lee, MarieAndrée Lemire, LU Dept. of Theatre, LU Music Dept., Stefan Mager, Zach Mahone, Joan Marcus, Jim McGuire, Stefan Meekers, Seungryul Na, Todd Rosenberg, Jason Walker, Joshua Black Wilkins, Hub Willson,
Leadership Funding: Victoria E. and Robert E. Zoellner ’54 ’15GP
PROGRAM SUPPORT
KEYSTONE SAVINGS FOUNDATION
MEDIA PARTNERS
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT
Claire and Ted Diamond ’37 ’85H Endowment • Marc A. Falato ’87 Presenting Series Endowment Fund The Arnan and Marlene Finkelstein Endowment Fund • Richard H. Johnson ’73G
Klees Family Instrumental Ensemble Endowed Fund • Anne R. Kline ’81 Endowed Fund for Creatively Integrated Programming
Lehigh University Creative Writing Program • The Long Family Endowment for Community Outreach in the Arts
SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Arts Center receives state arts funding support through a grant from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, a state agency funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
MARCIE AND GLENN M. YARNIS ’80
BARBARA AND HARVEY L. YORK ’67 ’94P ’98P
Zoellner
W. BEALL FOWLER ’59
THE POHANKA FAMILY FOUNDATION
