2025-26 Performing Arts Series

Fri, Sep 19th @ 7:30 pm — Sauder Concert Hall

Musical theatre royalty and official Disney Legend Lea Salonga is bringing her acclaimed Stage, Screen & Everything In Between tour to North America in 2025. Musical theater fans will experience stage and screen classics from Lea’s iconic roles including songs from Miss Saigon, Les Misérables, Aladdin and Mulan, new-found favorites from the critically acclaimed Broadway and West End hit Old Friends, Broadway blockbusters, pop classics, and much more from her celebrated career and beyond.

“One thing was evident throughout the show – just how incredible Lea Salonga’s voice is. She was able to turn her hand to melodic ballads, Disney classics and some more upbeat, rocky sounds, and did each one practically note perfect.”

– South Wales Argus

Thu, Feb 12th @ 7:30 pm — Sauder Concert Hall

The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir is one of the best-known Estonian music ensembles in the world. Under the direction of founding director Tõnu Kaljuste, the program will feature famed Estonian composer Arvo Pärt’s works alongside other ethereal melodies that can only be brought to life by the choir’s resplendent sound. Touted as one of the 10 best choirs in the world by BBC Music Magazine, the repertoire of the choir extends from Gregorian chant and Baroque to the music of the 21st century, with a special focus on the work of Estonian composers. Each season the choir gives about 60–70 concerts both in Estonia and abroad.

“When the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir comes to town, audiences answer.”
– Washington Classical Review

Sat, Mar 07th @ 7:30 pm — Sauder Concert Hall

The popular and multi-award-winning quintet Goitse* was forged in the white-hot creative crucible of Limerick’s Irish World Academy. Named Live Ireland’s “Traditional Group of the Year,” Goitse has become a leader of the new generation of traditional Irish ensembles. Goitse has released six critically acclaimed recordings and maintains a year-round touring schedule that includes performances throughout Ireland, the UK, Germany, France and the United States. Their distinctive sound lies in the quality of their own compositions interspersed with age-old traditional tunes which make each performance unique.

*Goitse is a Gaelic word for ‘come here’ and is pronounced Go-wit-cha

Sat, May 16th @ 7:30 pm — Sauder Concert Hall

Grammy-nominated African American vocal ensemble SWEET HONEY IN THE ROCK® marks its’ 50th anniversary with a powerful three-year celebration that will honor its storied past and set the course for the future of the group, which has been described as, “one of the most dynamic, versatile and still relevant musical collectives today.”

Since its inception in Washington, D.C. in 1973, Sweet Honey in the Rock has thrived as a performance ensemble founded on the missions of empowerment, education, and entertainment. Throughout five decades, the ensemble members have worked to create engaging and socially conscious music that consistently takes an active stance toward making our planet a better place for all in which to live.

“Their sheer musicianship can still raise goosebumps.”
– The Guardian

Wed, Oct 15th @ 7:30 pm — Sauder Concert Hall

With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Sedaris is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today. David Sedaris is the author of Barrel Fever and Holidays on Ice, as well as multiple collections of personal essays, and as well as his most recent book, Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, each of which became an immediate bestseller. His live presentation will include readings from unpublished work as well as along with audience Q&A.

“Sedaris’s droll assessment of the mundane and the eccentrics who inhabit the world’s crevices make him one of the greatest humorists writing today.”
– Chicago Tribune

Sat, Dec 13th @ 7:30 pm — Sauder Concert Hall

A cappella sensation Voctave has had over 160 million social media views of their videos, and their albums frequently debut in the top 10 on the Billboard and iTunes charts. In 2024, they released the third volume in their popular The Corner of Broadway & Main Street series. Formed in 2015 by producer and arranger Jamey Ray, the voices that bring their arrangements to life represent a wealth of diverse backgrounds and musical experiences. The group has performed with Grammy, Dove and American Music Award recipients including Sandi Patty, Pentatonix’s Kirstin Maldonado, Mark Lowry, David Phelps, and Jody McBrayer.

“The eleven member team Voctave bring a cappella music to a new dimension as they arrange jazz standards and soundtrack tunes in a clever vocal fashion.”
– Jazz Weekly

Tue, Jan 27th @ 7:30 pm — Sauder Concert Hall

Cirque Kalabanté presents Afrique en Cirque, a show inspired by daily life in Guinea and created by Yamoussa Bangoura, a multidisciplinary artist of Guinean origin. Sharing the beauty, youth and artistry of African culture, the performance will feature acrobats executing gravity-defying moves and human pyramids accompanied by the contemporary sounds of live Afro-Jazz, percussion, and kora. The company began by doing shows in Quebec and, over the years, expanded to all of Canada, the USA and now performs all over the world. In 2018, Kalabanté opened their own studio and school in Montreal, where they offer classes in African dance, cirque, and drumming.

“A kind of daredevil circus, full of astounding leaps, rolls, and drum music, Kalabanté offers high-flying, jaw-dropping performances that will amaze the whole family.”
– The Georgia Straight

Fri, Mar 27th @ 7:30 pm — Sauder Concert Hall

Faces that disappear from drivers’ licenses. Paintbrushes that paint on their own. Photographs that literally come to life right before your eyes. Brace yourself for a whole new take on magic and step into Vitaly’s world. Hailed as “one of the most unique and innovative illusionists in the world” (Chicago Tribune), Vitaly Beckman stumped Penn & Teller three times on their hit TV show Fool Us and starred in his own 16-week off-Broadway run. Blending art and illusion with his captivating style, Vitaly Beckman’s one-of-a-kind theatrical experience retraces his journey from a boy with a dream to a man with a vision. During this journey, the audience rediscovers, along with Vitaly, the importance of finding beauty and wonder in everyday life and in all living things.

“Amazing magic! Ingenious!”
– Penn & Teller

Sat, May 02nd @ 7:30 pm — Sauder Concert Hall

Through an inimitable voice that The New York Times touts as, “a smooth, dark alto possessed of qualities you might associate with barrel-aged bourbon or butter-soft leather,” renowned vocalist and songwriter Lizz Wright sings with a soaring reflection of the cultural fabric of America. Drawing inspiration from her Southern upbringing in Georgia, she lies beneath the script of history, transcending social divides with an offer of love and deep sense of humanity. Her music accepts the beauty of reality and creates a collective experience of belonging for the listener. Wright’s songs embody a tradition that allows us to always feel at home.

“Wright translates with phenomenal fluency between inner awareness and outward demonstration, individual seeking and conscious communion, ecstasy and empathy.”
– NPR

Fri, Sep 12th @ 7:30 pm — Sauder Concert Hall

Grammy-nominated Mariachi Los Camperos’ abundant accolades and performances on premier concert stages can easily obscure the fact that its leaders come from humble roots deep within a mariachi tradition. The group’s founder, Nati Cano, forged his own mariachi group in 1961 from his artistic vision and determination. Until his death in 2014, he challenged the attitudes that led formally trained musical peers to look down on his beloved rural and working-class music. In the words of Jesús “Chuy” Guzmán, his disciple and successor as Camperos leader, “He wanted to have a mariachi that would have dignity, that would have heart, that would have soul, and he made Los Camperos.”

“The Los Angeles-based Mariachi Los Camperos is considered by many to be the finest mariachi ensemble in the world. Undoubtedly, it has played a central role in the United States in raising both the artistic standards and the public perceptions of mariachi music.”
– The National Folk Festival