BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Ranging thematically from reproductive rights to soul and jazz, Zoellner Arts Center's April lineup is a diverse one.
Below is the schedule of performers headed to the venue at 420 E. Packer St.
Sam Cooke, Gordon parks
Members of Nimbus, a contemporary dance company from Jersey City, New Jersey, will perform two sessions at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 5.
“The New Tide,” set to the music by the Sam Cooke, is also inspired by the photography of Gordon Parks (courtesy of the Gordon Parks Foundation).
Additionally, audiences will see Nimbus artistic director Samuel Pott’s “Spring," which honors Martha Graham’s seminal ballet from 1944, with the soundtrack “Appalachian Spring,” by Aaron Copland.
Pott, a performer, choreographer and educator, founded Nimbus in 2005 in support of a vision for dance, creativity, and the arts as a stimulus for growth and unity, both personal and communal. According to the dance group's website, his work is dedicated to the authentic, humanistic, and equitable engagement that emerges in individuals and in communities through deep exploration and learning in the dance and the arts.
Lehigh University professor Paul Salerni serves as conductor of the live orchestra.
New York Jazz
The New York Jazz Repertory — consisting of Manhattan musicians Bill Warfield on trumpet, keyboardist Cecelia Coleman and bassist Tony Marino — will perform a mix of modern jazz composed by Lehigh's jazz faculty.
The performance is 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 7.
A look at reproductive rights
Dubbed as a “feminist multimedia consciousness-raising session” Sara Lyons' “This Emancipation Thing,” examines the fight over reproductive rights across a span of generations — from 1968 to present day.
During the event, members of Lehigh's theater department will present archival texts from 1968, plus interview transcripts that feature feminists of all ages and genders.
The show runs April 12-14 and April 17-20.
Violin dreams
Diane Monroe,whose violin tracks have appeared in movies such as “Do the Right Thing,” and Mister Rogers' biopic, “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” will perform at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, April 12.
Monroe's newest piece is described as a “musical memoir that bridges jazz, classical, and traditional African music, revealing an African-American violinist’s trials and triumphs.”
Student-led recitals, performances
For those who support school spirit, check out these student/faculty performances:
- Lehigh's wind ensemble presents the music of Frank Ticheli, as part of the university's Horger Residency. Ticheli joined the school during rehearsals, lessons and lectures, finishing the residency with the concert slated for 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 14. Tickets are $15.
- Dancefest will showcase 15 of the university's dance groups at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 19. The groups will explore an array of styles following the theme, “Harmony in Motion: celebrating diversity in dance.” Tickets are $5.
- Additionally, Lehigh's philharmonic orchestra presents “Concerto Marathon” on Friday, April 26. The classical concert will showcase Lehigh student musicians playing from famous concertos such as Sibelius’s glorious Symphony No. 2. Tickets are $12.
