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Ecstatic Waters
Featuring Steven Bryant, composer
The Wind Ensemble culminates its season with a special concert celebrating the music of American composer Steven Bryant. Performance highlights include Bryant’s seminal work Ecstatic Waters, as well as his Concerto for Piano featuring Assistant Professor of Piano Alexander Bernstein ’16 (Artist Diploma).
Contempo Ensemble
Rod Vester, Director
In the Key of C
The CONTEMPO Ensemble is a sixteen-piece contemporary band composed of vocalists and instrumentalists from diverse musical backgrounds. The ensemble’s mission is to educate, entertain and inspire as they use music for positive social change. In the Key of C will take the audience on an exciting and memorable musical journey featuring an array of genres including pop, rock, indie, rhythm and blues, soul, alternative and original compositions by ensemble members.
Studio Big Band
A Night at the Pops
The Studio Big Band presents a pops concert featuring your favorite melodies from Henry Mancini, George Gershwin, Marvin Hamlisch and other popular artists.
Amanda Gookin & Sam Suggs
Shenandoah New Music
Praised for her “expert technical work” (The Strad), cellist Amanda Gookin “pushes Classical forward” (Los Angeles Times) and champions the future of music through the creation and bold performance of new works, and a dedication to education, culture and community engagement. Through “brilliant and compelling programming” (The Strad), double bassist Sam Suggs gathers musical materials through composition, re-composition and improvisation, melting barriers of genre and style with fresh interpretations and deft transitions between old and new worlds of sound. Together, these two collaborative partners present a remarkable evening of genre-bending chamber music.
Pippin
Thursday February 22nd @ 7:30pm
Friday, February 23rd @ 7:30pm
Saturday February 24th @ 7:30pm
Sunday February 25th @ 2:30pm
Music and lyrics by Steven Schwartz
Book by Roger O. Hirson
There’s magic to do when a prince learns the true meaning of glory, love and war in this musical masterpiece. With an infectiously unforgettable score from four-time Grammy winner, three-time Oscar winner and musical theatre giant, Stephen Schwartz, Pippin is the story of one young man’s journey to be extraordinary. Winner of four 2013 Tony Awards including Best Musical Revival, this updated circus-inspired version of Pippin continues to captivate and appeal to the young at heart throughout the world.
Heir to the Frankish throne, the young prince Pippin is in search of the secret to true happiness and fulfillment. He seeks it in the glories of the battlefield, the temptations of the flesh and the intrigues of political power (after disposing of his father, King Charlemagne the Great). In the end, though, Pippin finds that happiness lies not in extraordinary endeavors, but rather in the unextraordinary moments that happen every day.
Suggested Show Rating: PG-13
Clayton Stephenson: Moving Forces
American pianist Clayton Stephenson’s love for music is immediately apparent in his joyous charisma onstage, expressive power and natural ease at the instrument. Hailed for “extraordinary narrative and poetic gifts” and interpretations that are “fresh, incisive and characterfully alive” (Gramophone), he is committed to making an impact on the world through his music-making. His accolades along the way have been numerous: in addition to being the first Black finalist at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 2022, he was named a 2022 Gilmore Young Artist, as well as a 2017 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts and a Young Scholar of the Lang Lang International Music Foundation.
Student Soloists Competition Winners Concert
Join us as the Symphony Orchestra accompanies the winners of the Student Soloists Competition, representing students from across the Keyboard, Instrumental and Vocal/Choral Divisions. In celebration of Black History Month, the ensemble also presents Jessie Montgomery’s Soul Force, a work whose title is drawn from Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The one-movement symphonic work seeks to portray the notion of a voice that struggles to be heard beyond the shackles of oppression, and features elements of popular African-American musical styles, such as big-band jazz, funk, hip-hop and R+B.
Studio Big Band
The Legacy of Ellington & Strayhorn
The Studio Big Band celebrates the legacy of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and Billy Strayhorn, a musical collaboration resulting in hundreds of compositions rooted deep in the Great American Songbook.
DanceWorks Chicago with the Dance Ensemble
Friday, February 2nd @ 7:30pm
Saturday, February 3rd @ 7:30pm
Sunday, February 4th @ 2:30pm
Performing Arts Live
DanceWorks Chicago — a dance company committed to developing early-career artists and promoting the artistic growth and excellence of a diverse group of dancers and choreographers — joins the Shenandoah Conservatory Dance Ensemble for a thrilling and unprecedented collaboration that pushes the boundaries of professional artistic partnerships. Under the artistic direction of Julie Nakagawa, DanceWorks Chicago sets up a creative laboratory at Shenandoah, rehearsing established company repertoire and creating new works. The residency culminates in a joint performance highlighting an array of contemporary dance styles in a program featuring repertoire created and performed by DanceWorks Chicago and Shenandoah Conservatory Dance Ensemble, and the premiere of a new collaborative work by special guest choreographer Katie Vickers.
Contempo Ensemble: Home for the Holidays
Rod Vester, Director
Home for the Holidays
Get into the holiday spirit with the CONTEMPO Ensemble. This dazzling concert will take you on a festive journey filled with joyous and heartwarming sounds that are sure to make your season merry and bright. Known for its expansive repertoire, the CONTEMPO Ensemble performs a wide variety of styles and genres, including original compositions by ensemble members. Bring a friend and come enjoy a night of seasonal favorites and new songs for everyone.