January 5, 2024
Premier musical artists from around the world will perform on Wheaton’s campus.
Open to the public with a ticket purchase, proceeds from each Artist Series concert support the continued growth of the arts at Wheaton College and in the surrounding community. Additional performance information can be found below. Tickets for these events and other Conservatory performances can be purchased at tickets.wheaton.edu.
Picosa Ensemble
Date: Saturday, January 20, 2024
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Armerding Concert Hall (520 E. Kenilworth Ave.)
Picosa is a Chicago-based ensemble of flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and composer-in-residence presenting compelling performances that reimagine the traditional classical music concert. Picosa concerts explore the human experience through music and narrative, and invite audience members to connect to the conversation with the question, “What’s your story…?” They believe music’s enduring power is its innate ability to engage performers, composers, and audiences in reflecting and conversing about common experiences, values, and aspirations. Picosa believes in equipping and encouraging the rising generation of musicians through school outreach programs, guest workshops, and residencies.
Shawn Okpebholo’s “Songs in Flight”
Date: Monday, March 11, 2024
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Edman Memorial Chapel (401 E. Franklin St.)
Pulitzer Prize-, MacArthur Genius Grant-, and Grammy Award-winning artist Rhiannon Giddens, alongside other internationally acclaimed and award-winning artists soprano Karen Slack, countertenor Reginald Mobley, baritone Markel Reed, and pianist Paul Sánchez will present award-winning composer Shawn E. Okpebholo’s song cycle, “Songs in Flight.” This powerful work is inspired by “Freedom on the Move,” a database spearheaded by Cornell University comprising over 30,000 newspaper advertisements placed by North American enslavers to aid in the capture of runaway enslaved people. The New York Times aptly describes the composition as one that “zeroes in on . . . the simultaneous presence of good and evil, perseverance and depravity, combining beauty and harshness.” The concert also features an evocative solo set of songs by Giddens as well as a performance of Okpebholo’s “Two Black Churches,” a set of songs described by The Washington Post as “devastatingly beautiful,” continuing the powerful narrative of history, resilience, and hope.
Handel’s “Messiah”
Date: Saturday, March 23, 2024
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Armerding Concert Hall (520 E. Kenilworth Ave.)
Handel’s “Messiah” is a masterpiece of classical music that has stood the test of time, beloved by music lovers the world over. Handel’s exquisite choral and orchestral writing and a foundational biblical text find expression in the grandeur and emotional depth of this titanic work. For a fitting Lenten remembrance, come see and hear John William Trotter’s semi-staged “Messiah” which will be fresh and renewing. The performance will feature soprano Olivia Doig Skaff and tenor James Ley, among others. The Wheaton College Concert Choir will perform alongside distinguished guest soloists and a string orchestra for the performance.