Professional Performing Arts at Brigham Young University

Celebrated musicians, innovative theatre-makers, acclaimed dancers, and a filmmaker—the best of the performing arts world—converge upon the stages of the Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center in this dynamic new season of inspiring performances. Join us as we explore the ways in which artists’ work compels us to be moved, inspired, and transformed.

Off The Map: Airplay

Friday, September 3, 7:30 p.m.

Circus and science collide in a gorgeous homage to the power of air. Flying umbrellas, larger-than-life balloons, giant kites floating over the audience, and the biggest snow globe you’ve ever seen will make you gasp in wonder and laugh until it hurts. The creation of husband-and-wife team Seth Bloom and Christina Gelsone, Air Play merges their circus and street theater performance art with the sculptural artistry of Daniel Wurtzel. With visual images seemingly drawn from the sky, this poetic ode to childhood will enchant and electrify the young and young at heart.

The 5 Browns

Thursday, September 30, 7:30 p.m.

Inspired by the resilience of the human spirit amidst devastating recent events worldwide, The 5 Browns present their program Rising Phoenix. With pieces ranging from past to present (Bach and the rock band Muse), classical to popular (Beethoven and The Beatles), intense to fun (Bartok and West Side Story), and emotional to triumphant (To Kill a Mockingbird and The Firebird), The 5 Browns take a panoramic approach to communicating with their audiences through this program.

7 Things I’ve Learned: An Evening With Ira Glass

Saturday, November 6, 7:30 p.m.

Ira Glass is the creator, producer & host of This American Life, the iconic weekly public radio program with millions of listeners around the world. In this evening-length engagement, Ira Glass shares lessons from his life and career in storytelling: What inspires him to create? What drives his passion? How have failures and successes informed his decisions? During this unique peek into his process, Ira Glass will mix stories live onstage and help his audience better follow the creative process of one of our foremost storytellers.

The Westerlies

Thursday, November 11, 7:30 p.m.

Formed in 2011, this self-described “accidental brass quartet” takes its name from the prevailing winds that travel from the West to the East. Join us for a program showcasing their unique genre-defying repertoire; with the precision of a string quartet, the audacity of a rock band, and the charm of a family sing-along, this is chamber music reinvigorated.

Utah Symphony

Thursday, November 18, 7:30 p.m.

Join us as Shiyeon Sung makes her Utah Symphony debut with Tchaikovsky’s profound and often heartbreaking exploration of fate and its inexorable designs.

King’s Singers Christmas

Friday, December 10, 7:30 p.m.

Just in time to get in the holiday spirit, we welcome back the King’s Singers to the BRAVO series for an evening of Christmas classics. The King’s Singers have represented the gold standard in a cappella singing on the world’s greatest stages for over fifty years. They are renowned for their versatility and skill in performance, unrivaled technique, and consummate musicianship.

CANCELLED: Berlin Philharmonic Piano Quartet

Tuesday, January 25, 7:30 p.m.

This highly praised group is a collaboration between three award-winning permanent members of the Berliner Philharmoniker: violist Matthew Hunter, cellist Knut Weber, and violinist Luis Esnaola, along with the renowned concert pianist Markus Groh. This outstanding ensemble is committed to representing the standard repertoire of classical, romantic, and modern pieces. They are also committed to finding undiscovered masterpieces of the literature that encompasses over 400 works.

Ballet Hispánico

Friday, February 4, 7:30 p.m.

Ballet Hispánico is the Nation’s renowned Latino dance organization and one of America’s Cultural Treasures. Having just celebrated its 50th year as a company, this program reimagines some of the most iconic pieces from the company’s legacy.

Off the Map: Manual Cinema: Frankenstein

Friday, February 11, 7:30 p.m.

Love, loss, and creation merge unexpectedly in this thrilling classic gothic tale conceived by Manual Cinema. Combining handmade shadow puppetry, cinematic techniques, and innovative sound and music, Manual Cinema stitches together the classic story of Frankenstein with Mary Shelley’s own biography to create a surprising and immersive story about the beauty and horror of creation.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

Tuesday, February 15, 7:30 p.m.

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (JLCO) comprises 15 of the finest jazz soloists and ensemble players today. Led by Wynton Marsalis, Jazz at Lincoln Center Managing and Artistic Director, this remarkably versatile orchestra performs a night of unforgettable jazz.

Nobuntu

Saturday, February 26, 7:30 p.m.

Nobuntu, the female a cappella quintet from Zimbabwe, has drawn international acclaim for its inventive performances that range from traditional Zimbabwean songs to Afro Jazz to Gospel. The ensemble’s concerts are performed with pure voices, augmented by minimalistic percussion, traditional instruments such as the Mbira (thumb piano), and organic, authentic dance movements.

An Evening with Morris Robinson

Wednesday, March 2, 7:30 p.m.

Morris Robinson is considered one of the most interesting and sought-after basses performing today. Join us as Robinson, a regular at the Metropolitan Opera, brings his exquisite technique and sublimely low and reverberant bass to the series for an evening that is sure to inspire.

Off the Map: Choir! Choir! Choir!

Tuesday, March 8, 7:30 p.m.

Equal parts singing, comedy, and community-building, the concept is simple: audience members get a lyric sheet at the door and are taught the vocal arrangement. We’ll record a video of the impromptu choir formed by the audience who came together for the first time that evening. This truly unique event is sure to send you home feeling great!

An Evening with Eric Whitacre featuring the BYU Choirs

Tuesday, March 15, 7:30 p.m.

Described by the Daily Telegraph as a “rare thing, a modern composer who is both popular and original,” Eric Whitacre is one of the most celebrated living composers, whose music has been revered and frequently performed by the BYU Choirs. These two entities will finally unite for an historic evening not only featuring treasured selections from Whitacre’s catalog performed by the BYU Choirs but will also be conducted and curated by Whitacre himself.

TRIVENI

Thursday, March 31, 7:30 p.m.

Zakir Hussain is regarded as an international musical phenomenon. His consistently brilliant and exciting performances have not only established him as a national treasure in his home country of India but have also gained him worldwide fame and collaborations with artists as diverse as George Harrison, YoYo Ma, and the Kodo Drummers. Because his percussive playing is marked by uncanny intuition and masterful improvisational dexterity, Hussain is widely considered a chief architect of the contemporary world music movement. This performance will feature Hussain on the tabla and collaborators Jayanthi Kumaresh on veena and Kala Ramnath on violin.