The spring 2025 season at the Weis Center for the Performing Arts includes ten professional performances – including world music, classical, bluegrass music, ballet dance, and jazz. Tickets are on sale now (ticketing info follows).
The season kicks off with flamenco and classical guitarist Pablo Gimenez and his Ensemble on Friday, January 31 at 7:30 p.m. Pablo is the artistic director of the Pablo Giménez Spanish Ensemble and the Corazon de Granada flamenco company.
Gospel quartet Kings Return will perform on Saturday, February 8 at 7:30 p.m. Kings Return takes pride in crafting a diverse yet supremely cohesive a cappella sound. The blend of their unique vocal timbres is so rich and smooth that, at times, it sounds more like a full choir than four men.
Heloisa Fernandes Quartet performs on Tuesday, February 11 at 7:30 p.m. The Brazilian pianist and composer will be joined by an ensemble that includes flute, bass and percussion.
Bluegrass ensemble Henhouse Prowlers perform on Friday, February 14 at 7:30 p.m. Founded nearly two decades ago, this Chicago-bred quartet gives audiences a sense of how much they love what they do. While bluegrass is the undeniable foundation of the Henhouse Prowlers’ music, the band bends and squeezes the traditional form into a keenly developed sound all its own.
Jazz drummer Nate Smith performs on Friday, February 21 at 7:30 p.m. Nate Smith is a drummer, composer and producer from Chesapeake, Virginia. His visceral, instinctive and deep-rooted style of drumming has led to three Grammy nominations. Smith fuses his original compositions with an eclectic mix of music, including everything from jazz to rhythm and blues and hip-hop to pop.
Esmé Quartet performs on Friday, February 28 at 7:30 p.m. Praised for its warm sound and powerful stage presence, the Esmé Quartet brings together four brilliant and distinct musical personalities to form a cohesive, close-knit group that is passionately dedicated to the string quartet repertoire.
World music quartet from Ukraine, DakhaBrakha performs on Thursday, March 20 at 7:30 p.m. Reflecting fundamental elements of sound and soul, Ukrainian “ethno-chaos” band DakhaBrakha creates a world of unexpected new music. Their shows are always staged with a strong visual element.
Houston Ballet II graces the stage on Friday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. Houston Ballet II is comprised of a stellar array of young dancers from around the world. They will perform Grand Pas de Deux from Don Quixote, Act II, A Dance in the Garden of Mirth and Sleeping Beauty, Act III.
Classical ensemble Neave Trio performs on Sunday, March 30 at 2 p.m. Since forming in 2010, the Grammy-nominated Neave Trio, including violinist Anna Williams, cellist Mikhail Veselov and pianist Eri Nakamura, has earned enormous praise for its engaging, cutting-edge performances.
The spring season ends with blues artist Ruthie Foster on Friday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m. Renowned for her ability to weave together a tapestry of diverse musical influences ranging from gospel and blues to folk and soul, Ruthie Foster’s musical odyssey has taken her from singing in churches in rural Texas to earning multiple Grammy nominations. With her milestone tenth studio album, Mileage, Foster continues to tell stories that reflect her personal triumphs, losses, and the universal human experience.
The season brochure is available at Bucknell.edu/WeisCenter.
A limited number of hardcopies are available upon request. To request a hardcopy brochure, contact Lisa Leighton, marketing and outreach director, at 570-577-3727 or e-mail Lisa.Leighton@bucknell.edu and one will be mailed at no cost.
Sponsors
The Weis Center’s 2024-25 season is supported by the following season-level sponsors: Bucknell Sports Properties, The Daily Item, Seven Mountains Media, Sunbury Broadcasting Corporation and WVIA.
Event sponsors include Martha and Alan Barrick, Centre Daily Times, Coldwell Banker Penn One Real Estate, Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau, Nancy and Sam Craig, WellSpan Evangelical Community Hospital, Clayton and David Lightman, Teri MacBride and Steve Guattery, The News Item, Press Enterprise, Service 1st Federal Credit Union, Gary and Sandy Sojka, Standard Journal, Stone State Entertainment, ViaMedia, Williamsport Sun Gazette, Karl Voss and Chanin Wendling family, PAHomepage/WBRE/WYOU and WNEP.
Grant funding for the season includes Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts.
TICKETS
Patrons may call 570-577-1000, go online at Bucknell.edu/BoxOffice or use a mail-order form available at Bucknell.edu/WeisCenter.
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