Music Performances
All 2024-25 musical performances are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.
߲ݴý Music Showcase Concert
Saturday, October 5 at 4:30 p.m.
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts
߲ݴý's three choirs join the symphonic band and jazz band in a kaleidoscopic performance on Wesleyan Weekend. Alumni are invited to join in the music making.
Back to the New World: Lincoln Civic Orchestra
Sunday, November 3 at 4 p.m.
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts
The Lincoln Civic Orchestra performs works that pay homage to beginnings and original peoples. The concert, “Back to the New World," will open with a new composition by Brian Balmages entitled Origins. The work celebrates the beginning of time (the Big Bang) and the Indigenous Australians whose families lived in Australia long before British colonization. The concert closes with Antonín Dvořák's Symphony No. 9 From the New World. Dvořák composed this masterpiece in 1893 while he was serving as the director of the National Conservatory of Music of America in New York City. This Czech composer had spent much of his career cultivating folk music of his own country into his orchestral music. When he came to the United States and learned about our indigenous cultures (the "American Indians") and heard Negro Spirituals, he incorporated narrative components from The Song of Hiawatha and drew musical inspiration from Negro Spirituals. In a prophetic statement he made about the origins of this work he said, "I am convinced that the future music of this country must be founded on what are called Negro melodies. These can be the foundation of a serious and original school of composition, to be developed in the United States. These beautiful and varied themes are the product of the soil. They are the folk songs of America and your composers must turn to them."
Beyond: ߲ݴý Fall Bands Concert
Wednesday, November 6 at 7 p.m.
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts
The ߲ݴý Symphonic Band explores works of music that reflect on various meanings of the word “beyond.” The Jazz Ensemble will perform repertoire of varied vernacular styles.
Jazz Ensemble at Eastmont Senior Living
Thursday, December 5 at 6:30 p.m.
Eastmont Senior Living, 6315 O St. Lincoln, NE 68510
The ߲ݴý Jazz Ensemble takes holiday cheer into the community with a performance at the Eastmont Senior Living community. All are welcome to attend!
Love and Joy Come to You: Christmas with ߲ݴý
Sunday, December 8 at 7 p.m.
First United Methodist Church, 2723 N. 50th St., Lincoln
Celebrate Christmas with Wesleyan, and raise your voice in carols sung with the University Choir, Jazz Choir, Chamber Singers and Unity Choir. The Omaha Skutt Catholic High School Chamber Choir will join the ߲ݴý students in singing uplifting music that speaks to the heart of the holiday season.
My Heart Be Brave: ߲ݴý's Choir Tour
Wednesday, January 8 at 7 p.m.
Collegiate United Methodist Church, Ames, Iowa
featuring the Ames High School Concert Choir and Madrigal Choir
Thursday, January 9 at 7 p.m.
Wesleyan United Methodist Church, Muscatine, Iowa
Friday, January 10 at 7 p.m.
Wartburg College Chapel, Waverly, Iowa
featuring the Wartburg Choir
Saturday, January 11 at 7 p.m.
Plymouth Congregational Church, Des Moines, Iowa
featuring Adel DeSoto Minburn High School Choir
Sunday, January 12 at 3 p.m.
First United Methodist Church, Omaha
featuring the Omaha Burke High School Choir
Monday, January 13 at 7 p.m.
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts
featuring the Elkhorn North Concert Choir and Lincoln North Star Concert Choir
The ߲ݴý University Choir and Jazz Choir spread a message of love, courage, resilience, and hope with communities in Iowa and eastern Nebraska, offering an expansive and expressive program of music from many cultures and eras. Featured composers include Johann Sebastian Bach, Pavel Chesnokov, Reena Esmail, Marques Garrett, Moses Hogan, and Robert Ray.
߲ݴý Honors Choir Festival Concert
Saturday, February 7 at 7 p.m.
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts
Tickets must be purchased at the door for this event.
Nearly one hundred of Nebraska's finest high school musicians gather on campus to sing with guest composer/conductor Kyle Pederson and ߲ݴý's own Tom Trenney. Omaha Central High School's A Cappella Choir will be featured in the performance as well. For more information, visit Honors Choir.
߲ݴý Honors Bands Festival Concert
Saturday, February 15 at 2:30 p.m.
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts
Tickets must be purchased at the door for this event.
Nearly 120 of Nebraska's finest high school musicians gather on campus to form two bands that will perform with guest conductor Jon Noworyta and ߲ݴý's Joshua Roach. For more information, visit Honors Bands.
Vive La France: Lincoln Civic Orchestra
Sunday, February 23 at 4 p.m.
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts
With this program, the Lincoln Civic Orchestra exclaims, "Vive La France!" The concert will begin with the Overture to Orpheus of the Underworld by French composer Jacques Offenbach. The string section will play an arrangement of highlights from Michael Giacchino's film score to Ratatouille. The performance will close with Maurice Ravel's popular orchestral showpiece, Ravel, during which virtually all sections of the orchestra will be featured as a singular melody is passed around the orchestra while a contagious ostinato plays beneath it.
I Believe: Celebrating Music of Black Composers
Sunday, February 23 at 7 p.m.
First-Plymouth Church, 2000 D Street, Lincoln
߲ݴý's University Choir joins the Plymouth Choir and St. Paul's Choir in a program conducted by Anton Armstrong, conductor of the renowned St. Olaf Choir. Repertoire includes Robert Ray's Gospel Mass and the Nebraska premiere of Margaret Bonds' Credo. Donations will be received to benefit Bridges to Hope.
߲ݴý Bands Winter Performance
Wednesday, March 19 at 7 p.m.
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts
The ߲ݴý Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble present their winter concert.
Cinematic Adventures: Lincoln Civic Orchestra
Sunday, April 13 at 4 p.m.
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts
The Lincoln Civic Orchestra takes the audience to the movies! Before the invention of the moving picture, composers began composing "programmatic" music designed to tell specific stories, or reflect specific images. Ottorino Respighi's Pines of Rome is such a work, and the orchestra will begin the concert with a performance of its finale; The Pines of the Appian Way. The orchestra will then move forward in time, celebrating highlights from recent film scores such as Pirates of the Carribean, Apollo 13, Band of Brothers, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars.
Spring Celebration: ߲ݴý Bands
Wednesday, April 16 at 7 p.m.
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts
The ߲ݴý Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble celebrate their spring performance together in O’Donnell.
߲ݴý's Big Sing!
Sunday, April 27 at 7 p.m.
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts
More than 300 singers offer a vibrant and colorful program of choral music. ߲ݴý's four choirs will be joined by vocal ensembles from Lincoln's Standing Bear High School, Bennington High School, and Iowa's Shenandoah High School.
Mozart's Requiem
Sunday, May 4 at 7 p.m.
First-Plymouth Church, 2000 D Street, Lincoln
In anticipation of their performance at the Church of Sts. Simon Jude in Prague, the ߲ݴý University Choir will sing Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's iconic Requiem with singers from First-Plymouth Church and Hastings College and a chamber orchestra. Donations will be received to benefit Community Crops.
߲ݴý Commencement
Saturday, May 10
O’Donnell Auditorium, Vance D. Rogers Center for Fine Arts
The Music Department joins the rest of the university in celebrating the achievement of our graduates. The University Choir will sing for the Baccalaureate service at First United Methodist Church, and the Symphonic Band will play before and during the commencement ceremony in Abel Stadium.
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