Festival of Fine Arts Events Schedule
In-Person

The Christmas Gala
Holiday Celebration
Dec 9 2:30 PM 7:30 PM
The students and faculty of the Music Department perform holiday classics in both traditional and innovative arrangements. The FSC Orchestra, Symphony and Jazz Ensembles and Choirs gather their forces to put you in the holiday spirit as select FSC students in smaller ensembles greet you with their music as you arrive and will entertain you throughout the concert between larger ensembles. We encourage you to join the sing-along at the end of this special annual Holiday Celebration! For more information, call 863-680-4296.
Location: Branscomb Auditorium
Cost: $5 child/$10 adult
In-Person

Night at the Opera: Madama Butterfly
Jan 20 7:00 PM
At the turn of the 20th century in Japan, Lieutenant Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton of the U.S. Navy leases a house that comes with a geisha wife named Cio-Cio-San, known as Madam Butterfly. Though he is advised against it, he marries the girl. At the marriage ceremony it is revealed that Cio-Cio-San abandoned her ancestral religion for that of the Christian missions, causing her family to denounce her.Three years later Cio-Cio-San waits for her husband to return while being confronted with a troubling letter, an unwanted suitor, and constant longing for her American husband to return and meet his child. However, when Pinkerton does return, it is not the reunion Cio-Cio-San might have wished.
Location: Branscomb Auditorium
Cost: Free for FSC Faculty, Staff, and Students.
In-Person

Jazz Faculty Highlights Volume 4: The Music of Thelonious Monk
Directed by Jefrey Benatar
Jan 30 7:30 PM
Director of Jazz Studies, Jeffrey Benatar, leads from the piano a local group of Jazz greats to highlight the music of composer, bandleader, and pianist Thelonious Monk. For more information, call 863-680-4296
Location: Anne MacGregor Jenkins Recital Hall, Robert Davis Performing Arts Center
Cost: Free for FSC Faculty, Staff, and Students
In-Person

Special Guest: Marietta Simpson
Feb 6 7:30 PM
Marietta Simpson, one of the most sought-after mezzo-sopranos today, is Distinguished Professor of Music in Voice at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she has served on faculty since August 2005. Known for her deeply expressive, richly beautiful voice, Simpson has sung with every major orchestra in the United States, under many of the world’s greatest conductors. For more information, call 863-680-4296.
Location: Anne MacGregor Jenkins Recital Hall, Robert Davis Performing Arts Center
Cost: Free for FSC Faculty, Staff and Students. General Admission tickets $5 child/$10 adult.
In-Person

Celebration of Black Jazz Composers Concert
Directed by Jeffrey Benatar
Feb 13 7:30 PM
In honor of Black History month, The Florida Southern College Jazz Program will feature classic compositions by the greatest Black Jazz composers. The concert will highlight all of FSC’s Jazz ensembles. For more information, call 863-680-4296.
Location: Branscomb Auditorium
Cost: Free Admission, no ticket required.
In-Person

Urinetown The Musical by Greg Kotis
Directed by Mary T. Albright/Music Directed by Christianne Roll
Feb 16 - Feb 18
Inspired by the works of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, Urinetown is an irreverently humorous satire in which no one is safe from scrutiny. Praised for reinvigorating the very notion of what a musical could be, Urinetown catapults the "comedic romp" into the new millennium with its outrageous perspective, wickedly modern wit and sustained ability to produce gales of unbridled laughter. For more information, call 863-680-3089.
Location: Buckner Theatre
Cost: Free for FSC Faculty, Staff and Students. General Admission tickets $10 child/$20 adult.
In-Person

The FSC Studio Orchestra, Encore
Directed by Martha Placeres
Feb 20 7:30 PM
The FSC Studio Orchestra highlights the talents of the FSC Orchestra and the FSC Jazz Ensemble. Selections will combine the worlds of Jazz and Classical Music and will feature world premiere arrangements or compositions specifically created for this large ensemble. For more information, call 863-680-4296.
Location: Branscomb Auditorium
Cost: Free for FSC Faculty, Staff and Students. General Admission tickets $5 child/$10 adult.
In-Person

Urinetown The Musical by Greg Kotis
Directed by Mary T. Albright/Music Directed by Christianne Roll
Feb 22 - Feb 25
Inspired by the works of Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, Urinetown is an irreverently humorous satire in which no one is safe from scrutiny. Praised for reinvigorating the very notion of what a musical could be, Urinetown catapults the "comedic romp" into the new millennium with its outrageous perspective, wickedly modern wit and sustained ability to produce gales of unbridled laughter. For more information, call 863-680-3089.
Location: Buckner Theatre
Cost: Free for FSC Faculty, Staff and Students. General Admission tickets $10 child/$20 adult.
In-Person

Pipa and Piano: Eastern music, Western music, and Everything in-between
Fen-Fang Chen Faculty Recital
Feb 27 7:30 PM
Join us as we explore Eastern music, Western music, and cross-cultural music. Enjoy an evening with Fen-Fang Chen as she performs, on the pipa and on the piano, both solo and collaborative selections of traditional Chinese music, Western Classical music, and everything in between. This lecture recital will lead you to experience various works from diverse genres, including PARTITA NO. 6 (J. S. Bach), NOCTURNE, Op. 48, No. 1 (F. Chopin), AMBUSH FROM ALL SIDES (Ying-Tzeng, Tang), INTO OUR HANDS TIGHT (In-kai Hsu), and more. For more information, call 863-680-4296.
Location: Anne MacGregor Jenkins Recital Hall, Robert Davis Performing Arts Center
Cost: Free Admission, no ticket required.
In-Person

A Musical Feast: Chamber Singers Choir Concert
Directed by Beth Gibbs
Feb 29 7:30 PM
Whether we raise a glass at the completion of the annual harvest or we gather around the Thanksgiving table and share our gratitude in song, music has often been at the center of celebration feasts. Join the Chamber Singers as we toast the joys of life and comfort one another through challenging times, gathering together for our Musical Feast. For more information, call 863-680-4296.
Location: Branscomb Auditorium
Cost: Free for FSC Faculty, Staff and Students. General Admission tickets $5 child/$10 adult.
In-Person

Special Guest: Seraph Brass Quintet
Mar 15 7:30 PM - Mar 16 7:30 PM
Seraph Brass was founded by trumpet soloist Mary Elizabeth Bowden with the mission of elevating and showcasing the excellence of female brass players and highlighting musicians from marginalized groups both in personnel and in programming. Winners of the American Prize in Chamber Music, the group has been praised for their “beautiful sounds” (American Record Guide) and “staggeringly high caliber of performance” (Textura). Now in its ninth touring season, Seraph primarily performs as a quintet, with a dynamic roster drawing from America’s top brass musicians. The group is currently in residency at the Walton Art Center’s Artosphere Festival, alongside the Dover Quartet. Seraph Brass is a Yamaha Performing Group and performs exclusively on Yamaha instruments. For more information, call 863-680-4296.
Location: Branscomb Auditorium
Cost: Free for FSC Faculty, Staff and Students. General Admission tickets $5 child/$10 adult.
In-Person

FSC|Dance: Perpetual Motion
Directed by Erin LaSala Phillips
Mar 22 7:30 PM - Mar 23 7:30 PM
The annual spring dance performance features choreography by FSC Dance Program faculty and invited guest artists that celebrates the dynamic and seemingly endless possibilities that encompasses dance movement. The first act of this exciting program includes an excerpt from the beautiful classical ballet La Bayadere, followed by innovative and riveting original choreography in the second act - all showcasing the talented students of the FSC Dance Program. For more information, call 863-680-4296.
Location: Branscomb Auditorium
Cost: Free for FSC Faculty, Staff and Students. General Admission tickets $10 child/$20 adult.
In-Person

FSC|Dance: Perpetual Motion
Directed by Erin LaSala Phillips
Mar 24 2:30 PM
The annual spring dance performance features choreography by FSC Dance Program faculty and invited guest artists that celebrates the dynamic and seemingly endless possibilities that encompasses dance movement. The first act of this exciting program includes an excerpt from the beautiful classical ballet La Bayadere, followed by innovative and riveting original choreography in the second act - all showcasing the talented students of the FSC Dance Program. For more information, call 863-680-4296.
Location: Branscomb Auditorium
Cost: Free for FSC Faculty, Staff and Students. General Admission tickets $10 child/$20 adult.
In-Person

Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie
Directed by Paul Bawek
Apr 5 - Apr 7
Leonard Vole stands accused of murdering a rich widow. The stakes are high with shocking witness testimony, impassioned outbursts from the dock and a young man’s fight to escape the hangman’s noose. Generally regarded as one of Christie’s most accomplished plays, this suspenseful thriller keeps audiences guessing until the very end. For more information, call 863-680-3089.
Location: Buckner Theatre
Cost: Free for FSC Faculty, Staff, and Students. Reserved Seating Tickets $10 child/$20 adult.
In-Person

FSC Opera Theatre and Opera Orchestra Present: Dido and Aeneas
by Henry Purcell. Directed by Mark Thomsen/Orchestra Directed by Martha Placeres
Apr 5 7:30 PM
Loosely based on book IV of Virgil’s Aeneid, the Queen of Carthage, Dido, offers a Trojan prince, Aeneas, safe harbor on his journey home after the war. While Aeneas is in Carthage, Dido falls in love with him. The plot thickens as a vengeful Sorceress hatches a plot to separate the lovers through a storm at sea. The Sorceress sends one of her demonic servants disguised as the god Mercury to persuade Aeneas to return home immediately, thereby leaving Dido. Aeneas is persuaded to leave and tells Dido he is leaving. Having learned of Aeneas’ departure, Dido realizes she cannot bear to lose him, and sings her final aria, the famous Dido’s Lament. For more information, call 863-680-4296.
Location: Branscomb Auditorium
Cost: Free for FSC Faculty, Staff and Students. General Admission tickets $5 child/$10 adult.
In-Person

FSC Opera Theatre and Opera Orchestra Present: Dido and Aeneas
by Henry Purcell. Directed by Mark Thomsen/Orchestra Directed by Martha Placeres
Apr 7 2:30 PM
Loosely based on book IV of Virgil’s Aeneid, the Queen of Carthage, Dido, offers a Trojan prince, Aeneas, safe harbor on his journey home after the war. While Aeneas is in Carthage, Dido falls in love with him. The plot thickens as a vengeful Sorceress hatches a plot to separate the lovers through a storm at sea. The Sorceress sends one of her demonic servants disguised as the god Mercury to persuade Aeneas to return home immediately, thereby leaving Dido. Aeneas is persuaded to leave and tells Dido he is leaving. Having learned of Aeneas’ departure, Dido realizes she cannot bear to lose him, and sings her final aria, the famous Dido’s Lament. For more information, call 863-680-4296.
Location: Branscomb Auditorium
Cost: Free for FSC Faculty, Staff and Students. General Admission tickets $5 child/$10 adult.
In-Person

FSC Jazz Program Highlights
Directed by Jeffrey Benatar
Apr 10 7:30 PM
Featuring all FSC Jazz Ensembles, this concert highlights music from the Jazz canon, old and new, in a variety of ensemble combinations.
Location: B202/Anne MacGregor Jenkins Recital Hall
In-Person

Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie
Directed by Paul Bawek
Apr 11 - Apr 14
Leonard Vole stands accused of murdering a rich widow. The stakes are high with shocking witness testimony, impassioned outbursts from the dock and a young man’s fight to escape the hangman’s noose. Generally regarded as one of Christie’s most accomplished plays, this suspenseful thriller keeps audiences guessing until the very end. For more information, call 863-680-3089.
Location: Buckner Theatre
Cost: Free for FSC Faculty, Staff, and Students. Reserved Seating Tickets $10 child/$20 adult.
In-Person

The Art of Music Choir Concert
Directed by Beth Gibbs
Apr 16 7:30 PM
While music is an art in and of itself, choral music is often inspired by other art forms and can bring a deeper understanding to the works that inspire it. For this evening’s concert, both the Chamber Singers and the Concert Choir will present selections that were directly influenced by paintings, sculpture, and poetry. Featuring excerpts from Randall Thompson’s A Peaceable Kingdom and works highlighting many additional languages and cultures, this evening of music is sure to bring you closer to The Art of Music. For more information, call 863-680-4296.
Location: Branscomb Auditorium
Cost: Free for FSC Faculty, Staff and Students. General Admission tickets $5 child/$10 adult.
In-Person

FSC Symphony Band Spring Concert: The Spring Collection
Directed by J. Jossim
Apr 18 7:30 PM
A collection can be described as a group of items that one acquires sparked by some kind of emotional connection.Let the rhythms and dance of our Spring Collection take you on a musical journey full of promise and must-haves. The Symphony Band is in full swing and promises to offer the perfect addition to a music lovers' collection.
Location: Branscomb Auditorium
Cost: Free for FSC Faculty, Staff and Students. General Admission tickets $5 child/$10 adult.