Star lineup for University Concert and Lecture Series

Posted on August 31, 2021

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Sphinx Virtuosi

UNC Greensboro’s University Concert and Lecture Series returns this year with a stunning array of renowned artists. Season tickets and single event tickets are available here, and start at $5 for students. Many of the events are thematically tied to the University’s year-long collaboration of “She Can/We Can,” which examines the actions leading up to and past the 19th amendment and how they affect equity and equality today.


Margaret Atwood‘s appearance in the University Concert and Lecture Series has been rescheduled for Sunday, February 6, 2022 at 7:00 pm.

older woman portrait

Margaret Atwood, the author of “The Handmaid’s Tale,” bestselling dystopian novel that has won numerous awards, including the 1986 Nebula Award, the 1986 Booker Prize, and the 1987 Prometheus Award, and has been adapted into a 1990 film, a 2000 opera, and a 2017 television series. Atwood is also known for “The Blind Assassin” and, most recentlyThe Testaments,” a sequel to “The Handmaid’s Tale.” The author of more than 50 books has won the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, the Franz Kafka International Literary Prize, the PEN Center USA Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Los Angeles Times Innovator’s Award.

A performance by College of Visual and Performing Arts faculty and students will begin the evening, followed by a moderated discussion presented by University Libraries with Atwood. Season ticket-holders will be invited to a champagne toast following the event.

Sphinx Virtuosi, Friday, October 8, 8 p.m, Tew Recital Hall
(pictured above)

Sphinx Virtuosi are up next ‒ a dynamic professional chamber orchestra dedicated to increasing racial and ethnic diversity in classical music. Eighteen of the nation’s top Black and Latinx classical soloists make up the ensemble and the musicians are primarily alumni of the internationally renowned Sphinx Competition. This ensemble earned star reviews from The New York Times for their acclaimed debut at Carnegie Hall. They make classical music accessible to communities historically underrepresented in the field through numerous education initiatives and community engagement, such as free lessons and violins to elementary school students in Detroit and Flint, Mich., a summer camp, and a full-scholarship intensive performance academy. They also host an annual conference for artists and leaders in diversity, award career grants to extraordinary Black and Latinx classical artists and award competitive scholarships.

Songwriter-storyteller Shana Tucker

Shana Tucker, Friday, October 29, 8 p.m, Tew Recital Hall

Jazz, roots folk, acoustic pop, and R&B are united by singer-storyteller Shana Tucker. Her unique genre of “ChamberSoul,” offers a rich weave of music and narrative. A trained classical musician, Tucker has worked with Cirque du Soleil and received grants from the United Arts Council and Nevada Arts Council, and has been a panelist for and the Washington Women in Jazz Festival. Her collaborations include performing a cello/vocal duet with soprano Andrea Edith Moore for “Singing on the Land,” a project presented by the NC Department of Cultural Resources; “Come Hear NC,” which arranges for musicians to perform at historic sites across the state; “They Are All,” an exploration of living with Parkinson’s Disease, presented at American Dance Festival 2019; and “Continuing To Tell,” a multidisciplinary public space performance that highlights the history of Civil Rights in Durham, N.C. Tucker was recently named the first-ever Artist in Residence at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts in Asheville, N.C. for their 2019-2020 concert season. In Spring 2018, Shana was Resident Teaching Artist at Springhouse Community School in Floyd, Va., where she co-presented “Courageous Conversations,” a semester-long course about racism, intersectionality and how to be an authentic, effective ally.

Kelli O’Hara, Friday, January 14, 8 p.m, UNCG Auditorium 

Two-time Grammy nominee and Drama League’s Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award winner, Kelli O’Hara is one of Broadway’s greatest contemporary leading ladies. Best known for her roles as Anna Leonowens in “The King and I” and her portrayal of Katie Bonner in “The Accidental Wolf,” she has won numerous awards such as the 2019 Drama League’s Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theatre Award, the 2015 Tony Award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, along with Grammy, Drama League, Outer Critics, and Oliver nominations. O’Hare has appeared in Netflix’s “13 Reasons Why,” Martin Scorsese’s “The Key to Reserva,” CBS All Access’ “The Good Fight,” “Blue Bloods, N3mbers,” and the animated series “Car Talk.” She has also appeared in Broadway pieces “Kiss Me, Kate,” “The Bridges of Madison County,” “South Pacific,” “Sweet Smell of Success,” “Follies,” “Dracula,” and “Jekyll & Hyde.”

Geena Davis, Saturday, February 26, 8 p.m UNCG Auditorium 

Oscar, Golden Globe, and Academy award winner, Geena Davis is well known for her parts in “Thelma & Louise,” “A League of Their Own,” “The Fly.” “Beetlejuice,” “Angie,” “The Long Kiss Goodnight,” and “Stuart Little.” Davis is the Founder and Chair of the non-profit Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, the Special Envoy for Women and Girls in ICT for the UN’s International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the co-founder and chair of the Bentonville Film Festival (BFF), whose mission is to champion women and diverse voices in all forms of media.Most recently, Davis starred in 20th Century Fox’s The Exorcist, a serialized psychological thriller based on the 1971 book of the same name; “Marjorie Prime,” based on the Award-Winning play; and “Dear Angelica,” one of the first VR narrative films from Oculus.

Malpaso, Saturday, April 23, 7:30 p.m, UNCG Auditorium 

Since its establishment in 2012, Malpaso Dance Company has already become one of the most sought after Cuban dance companies with a growing international profile. Emphasizing a collaborative creative process, Malpaso is committed to working with top international choreographers while also nurturing new voices in Cuban choreography. The company tours with 11 dancers and is led by its original three founders; resident choreographer and Artistic Director Osnel Delgado , Executive Director Fernando Sáez, and dancer and co-founder Daileidys Carrazana.

Photography by Nan Melville, George Whiteside, Michael McCullough, Emilio Madrid, and courtesy of the artists.

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