Susquehanna University will present a full slate of events throughout the month of April, from lectures about community revitalization and personal strength to performances showcasing the talents of student actors and various musical ensembles.
All events, unless otherwise noted, are free and open to the public.
Lecturer to speak about immigration
Criminology scholar María B. Vélez will deliver the lecture, The Potential of Immigration to Revitalize Communities and Reduce Crime, at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 2, in Isaacs Auditorium in Seibert Hall.
Vélez is an associate professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Maryland. Her research seeks to understand how stratification along ethnoracial, political and economic lines shapes the patterning of crime and justice outcomes. Key themes include investigating the influence of political conditions on crime patterns across neighborhoods, the dynamic nature of neighborhood crime and the consequences of structural racism across a variety of institutional domains — such as housing on the ethnoracial divide in neighborhood crime.
Vélez recently served as a committee member of the consensus panel for “Reducing Racial Inequality in Crime and Justice: Science, Practice and Policy” for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. She is also co-director of the Racial Democracy Crime and Justice Network with Rod Brunson.
This lecture is sponsored by Susquehanna University’s Arlin M. Adams Center for Law & Society.
Artist Series presents countertenor John Holiday
Countertenor John Holiday will present a concert at Susquehanna University at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, in Weber Auditorium in Weber Chapel.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, and $5 for non-Susquehanna students. A group of 15 or more is entitled to a 10% discount on tickets for this event, when purchased together.
Holiday has established himself as “one of the finest countertenors of his generation,” according to the Los Angeles Times. His voice has been praised as “a thing of astonishing beauty” by The New Yorker, “arrestingly powerful, secure, and dramatically high” by The Wall Street Journal and “timeless” by The Washington Post.
In addition to traditional concert performances and recitals, Holiday has curated the John Holiday Experience to showcase his affinity and talent for many genres including classical, pop, jazz and R&B. He has appeared at world-renowned concert venues from Carnegie Hall to the Philharmonie de Paris, toured with prestigious performers and ensembles, lent his talents to vocal productions, and been the winner of numerous major competitions and honors such as the 2017 Marian Anderson Vocal Award. He currently holds a position as an associate professor of voice at the University of Maryland School of Music.
Holiday’s performance is presented as part of Susquehanna’s Artist Series, which seeks to encourage an aesthetic appreciation of diverse cultures as well as the artistic heritage of humankind.
Students to perform choreopoem
Susquehanna University’s Writers Institute will present choreopoem performances at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 10, and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, April 11, in Isaacs Auditorium in Seibert Hall.
In choreopoem, students create and perform an original, full-length work of poetry and action, derived from the popular choreopoem course taught in Susquehanna’s English & Creative Writing Department.
The performance space is provided by the Department of Theatre’s Second Stage season, which features a collection of mostly student-generated productions focusing on simple performances of challenging works in unconventional spaces.
Shakespeare Club to present King Lear
Susquehanna’s Shakespeare Club will present William Shakespeare’s King Lear at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 11, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 12, in the Degenstein Center Theater in the Charles B. Degenstein Campus Center.
For this year’s rendition of the annual audience favorite, an all-volunteer company of students from various majors and backgrounds will perform the Bard’s dark tragedy of grief and greed.
University Jazz Ensemble to present concert
Susquehanna’s University Jazz Ensemble will perform a concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 11, in Stretansky Concert Hall in the Cunningham Center for Music & Art.
Under the direction of Gail Levinsky, professor of music, the Jazz Ensemble will perform pieces by noted jazz composers Benny Carter, Thad Jones, Sammy Nestico and Cole Porter.
The concert will also showcase the talents of guest performer Michael Kocour, a pianist who serves as director of jazz studies at Arizona State University. An active performer for more than four decades, Kocour has appeared at venues around the world and been a guest of Marian McPartland’s internationally syndicated NPR program Piano Jazz. He has previously performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Lovano, James Moody, Ira Sullivan, the Chicago Symphony and a host of other artists and ensembles.
Choral ensembles to present concert
Susquehanna University’s Chorale and Choir will perform a combined concert at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 12, in Stretansky Concert Hall in the Cunningham Center for Music & Art.
The University Chorale, under the direction of Amy Caron, adjunct voice instructor, will begin the night by performing a repertoire of beloved vocal pieces such as Ola Gjeilo’s The Ground, Jacob Narverud’s Healing Heart and Michael John Trotta’s How Good. Their portion of the concert will also feature a unique rendition of Robert S. Cohen’s Truth Be Told, accompanied by a video of the composer’s own design.
Following their performance, the University Choir, under the direction of Amy Voorhees, director of choral activities and associate professor of music, will present a program of songs curated around the theme of transformation and flight which was originally showcased at their recent concert for the American Choral Directors Association. Pieces include a Filipino arrangement of George Hernandez’s Paruparong Bukid, Daniel Elder’s arrangement of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, a Swedish folk song arranged by Drew Collins, and works composed by Susan LaBarr, Fanny Hensel and Kahan Taporavela.
Voorhees will also lead the University Chamber Singers in performing Maurice Duruflé’s Ubi Caritas, Greg Jasperse’s Voice Dance and an arrangement of Puttin’ on the Ritz by the Swingle Sisters.
Alumnus to speak about resilience
Chad Lauer ’07 will deliver Using Adversity as Motivation at 7 p.m. Monday, April 13, in Isaacs Auditorium in Seibert Hall.
Lauer captivates audiences by sharing his story of addiction, grief and multiple cancer diagnoses. He uses these challenges as motivation to inspire others to accomplish their wildest dreams in their personal and professional lives. Lauer is the president of Lauer Media Company, partner of The Gilroy Group, and host of the Lauer Power podcast.
This lecture is sponsored by Susquehanna’s Sigmund Weis School of Business.
Symphonic Band & Wind Ensemble to present concert
The University Symphonic Band & Wind Ensemble will present a concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 18, in Stretansky Concert Hall in the Cunningham Center for Music & Art.
The ensembles, under the direction of Eric Hinton, director of bands, department head and associate professor of music, will perform a mixture of works by contemporary and classical composers. The concert will begin with the University Symphonic Band’s performance featuring Randall Standridge’s Galop Cornique, David Maslanka’s Give Us This Day and Five by the Beatles, an instrumental medley of five Beatles songs arranged by Ron Hickey. Maslanka’s piece is notable for its ending, which incorporates Johann Sebastian Bach’s melody Vater Unser in Himmelreich (Our Father in Heaven).
The second half of the concert will feature the University Wind Ensemble’s performances of Adam Gorb’s Dances from Crete, Frigyes Hidas’ Rhapsody for Bass Trombone and Wind Ensemble and The Ringing Isle by Jonathan Dove — a piece inspired by the sounds of English church bells.
Hickey and Hidas’ compositions will also feature trombone player and adjunct music faculty member Mark Lusk.
Theater to stage The Lion in Winter
Susquehanna’s Department of Theatre will present performances of James Goldman’s The Lion in Winter at 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 24, and Saturday, April 25, with a matinee showing at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 26. All performances take place in the Degenstein Center Theater in the Charles B. Degenstein Campus Center.
Historical figures Richard Lionheart, Prince John, Eleanor of Aquitaine and the great Plantagenet King Henry II come to life in this fast-paced, witty tale of family rivalry, bloodthirsty plots and ill-fated romance. As Eleanor of Aquitaine asks, “What family doesn’t have its ups and downs?”
Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for non-Susquehanna students. A group of 15 or more is entitled to a 10% discount on tickets for the same event, when purchased together.
University Orchestra to present concert
Susquehanna University’s Orchestra will perform a concert at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 25, in Stretansky Concert Hall in the Cunningham Center for Music & Art.
Under the direction of Zachary Levi, assistant professor of music, the orchestra will perform a catalogue of pieces by well-known classical composers, including the rousing Danse Bacchanale from Camile Saint-Saens’ opera Samson and Delilah, Dimitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, and the first movement of Carl Reinecke’s Flute Concerto.
The orchestra will be joined by McKenna Mowry ’26, winner of the music department’s Concerto Competition, for their performance of Reinecke’s work.
Box Office information
Located in the Degenstein Center Theater lobby, the box office is open Monday through Friday, noon to 5 p.m. during the academic year. It is closed on holidays and during university breaks.
