UNCSA Presents: November performance highlights

The UNCSA 2025-26 performance season, “UNCSA Presents,” continues this November with highlights including Stephen Sondheim’s “A Little Night Music”; Opera Scenes by the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute; Bassoon and Friends “Ofrenda,” a musical offering for Dia de los Muertos; the annual Emerging Choreographers showcase; Brass IMPACT!; and more.

Tickets to all events are $25 per event for adults and $20 for non-UNCSA students with a valid ID, but some events are free. Tickets can be purchased online or by calling the box office at 336-721-1945.

Bassoon and Friends: 'Ofrenda' – Nov. 1

School of Music faculty will collaborate in an engaging chamber concert for “Día de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead) with guest bassoonist Maribel Alonso from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. The program highlights overlooked female artists of the past and honors composers who have passed in recent years, featuring works by Barbara Strozzi; Ruth Crawford Seeger; Sofia Gubaidulina, including her “Duo Sonata for Two Bassoons”; and Lori Laitman, as well as living composers Jimena Contreras and Amanda Harberg, whose new trio will receive its premiere.

Music faculty member and bassoonist Stephanie Patterson curated the program to deepen understanding of the traditional Mexican holiday and to celebrate the country’s rich cultural appreciation for life. While the concert serves as an act of remembrance, Patterson hopes audiences will also celebrate and embrace the joy of living.

Performers, all members of the School of Music faculty, include vocalist Jodi Burns, pianist Allison Gagnon, oboist Rachel Messing, hornist Maria Serkin, double bassist Paul Sharpe and cellist Brooks Whitehouse. The concert takes place on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at Watson Hall on the UNCSA campus, 1533 South Main St.

'A Little Night Music' – opens Nov. 6

Under the direction of School of Drama Dean John Langs, UNCSA presents Stephen Sondheim’s Tony Award-winning musical “A Little Night Music,” produced in partnership with the schools of Design and Production and Music. This witty and romantic masterpiece follows a complex cast of characters through a tangled web of love, longing and second chances during one unforgettable weekend in the country.

The scenic design embraces an Art Nouveau aesthetic, with watercolor backdrops that heighten the story’s hazy and timeless quality. Innovative automation brings the setting to life through moving elements and manually operated wagons that add dynamic movement and physical texture to the stage.

The score will be performed by the UNCSA Symphony Orchestra.

“A Little Night Music” explores themes of love, desire and the enduring magic of human connection.

Performances will take place Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 6-8 and 13-15  at 7:30 p.m., and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Nov. 9. All performances will take place in Freedman Theater, located in Performance Place on the UNCSA campus, 1533 South Main St.

A.J. Fletcher Institute: Opera Scenes – Nov. 16

A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute Fletcher Fellows will perform scenes from across the operatic repertoire, showcasing their range and versatility through powerful vocal performances and compelling storytelling. The first half of the program highlights a variety of musical styles that complement the institute’s mainstage productions, featuring bel canto works by Donizetti and Rossini, 19th-century romantic opera by Massenet, and 20th-century repertoire by Barber. Each selection presents unique acting and vocal challenges for these emerging artists.

The second half of the afternoon shifts to the American Songbook, featuring the music of Irving Berlin. Through dialogue and song, the performers explore Berlin’s life and legacy while blending operatic training with the rhythmic nuance and lyrical storytelling of contemporary American music.

The performance will take place at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 16, in Catawba Theatre of Performance Place on the campus at 1533 S. Main St.

Emerging Choreographers – Nov. 18

The School of Dance will showcase its annual Emerging Choreographers performance, featuring original works by talented student choreographers. In collaboration with students from the School of Design & Production, each piece is supported by original lighting and production elements that bring this show to life. Audiences will have the opportunity to experience the creativity and experimentation with movement and storytelling that students are exploring throughout their training.

Performances will take place Tuesday through Saturday Nov. 18-22 at 7:30 p.m., and a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Nov. 22, in Agnes de Mille Theatre on the UNCSA campus, 1533 S. Main St.

Fall Percussion Studio: Percussion Unbound – Nov. 23

The UNCSA Percussion Studio players will present an exciting and stylistically diverse program featuring both new and classic percussion pieces. The concert will open with David Skidmore’s fast-paced “Torched and Wrecked,” a piece that evokes gravity-defying speeds. Debussy’s “Pagodes” follows in a shimmering arrangement for percussion ensemble that preserves the composer’s original impressionist color.

“Musique de Table” by Thierry De Mey features no traditional percussion instruments; students have created their own tabletops to perform a musical work originally made by the composer-choreographer. The concert will close with an anthem for music lovers, “Shofukan,” which will leave the audience dancing.

The concert will take place Sunday, Nov. 23 at 7:30 p.m. in Watson Hall on the UNCSA campus, 1533 South Main St. 

Brass IMPACT! – Nov. 24

School of Music faculty, alumni and students will come together for this year’s annual Brass IMPACT! concert, performing a collection of works in preparation for their featured appearance at the prestigious Midwest Clinic, hosted by the International Band and Orchestra Conference.

The 24-piece brass ensemble, led by Mark Norman, will feature solo performances by horn professor Maria Serkin and tuba professor Brent Harvey. The program will highlight both professional and student musicians, including original compositions and arrangements. Graduate student David Mailman composed an adapted version of Florence Price’s “Adoration” for the Hanes Magnet School Band, which will premiere the piece alongside the Brass IMPACT! players.

The concert also reflects the ensemble’s collaboration with the Ryan Anthony Foundation. A former School of Music faculty member, Ryan Anthony founded the benefit concert series “CancerBlows” to support cancer research and treatment, following his own prognosis. All proceeds from upcoming Brass IMPACT! performances will benefit the foundation’s efforts.

The performance will take place on Monday, Nov. 24 at 7:30 p.m. in Watson Hall on the UNCSA Campus, 1533 South Main St.

Tickets and information about additional “UNCSA Presents” performances can be found at uncsa.edu/performances.

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