BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Prior Performing Arts Center - ECPv6.15.17.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Prior Performing Arts Center X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Prior Performing Arts Center REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20230312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20231105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250916T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250916T180000 DTSTAMP:20261013T140601 CREATED:20250811T144455Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250812T160333Z UID:4259-1758045600-1758045600@priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu SUMMARY:Hanif Abdurraqib DESCRIPTION:Prior Presents 2025–26\n \n \n \n \n \n Hanif Abdurraqib\n \n Reserve Tickets\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nHanif Abdurraqib is a poet\, essayist\, and cultural critic from Columbus\, Ohio. His poetry has been published in journals including Muzzle\, Vinyl and PEN American. His essays and music criticism have been published in The FADER\, Pitchfork\, The New Yorker\, and The New York Times.  \nAbdurraqib’s first full length poetry collection\, 2016’s The Crown Ain’t Worth Much\, was nominated for a Hurston-Wright Legacy Award. His first collection of essays\, They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us\, was named a book of the year for 2017 by Buzzfeed\, Esquire\, NPR\, Oprah Magazine\, Paste\, CBC\, The Los Angeles Review\, Pitchfork\, and The Chicago Tribune. He released Go Ahead In The Rain: Notes To A Tribe Called Quest with University of Texas Press in February 2019\, which became a New York Times Bestseller and a finalist for the Kirkus Prize. \nHis second collection of poems\, A Fortune For Your Disaster\, was released in 2019 by Tin House and won the 2020 Lenore Marshall Prize. In 2021\, he released the book A Little Devil In America with Random House. Placing as a finalist for the National Book Award\, the National Book Critics Circle Award\, and the The PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay\, it also won the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction and the Gordon Burn Prize. \nHis most recent book is There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension (Random House\, 2024)\, a New York Times Bestseller and longlisted for the National Book Award in nonfiction. A 2021 MacArthur Fellow\, Abdurraqib was also named a Windham-Campbell Prize recipient in 2024. \nJoin us this September to experience this public lecture from Hanif Abdurraqib in the Luth Concert Hall at The Prior. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Details\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Sep 16\, 20256 p.m. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Price\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Free entry\, reservation required. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Venue\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nLuth Concert Hall\nThe Prior Performing Arts Center \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n “Omnivorous in his influences and prolific in his output\, Abdurraqib is forging a new form of cultural criticism\, one that is informed by lived experience and offers incisive social and artistic critiques.” \n MacArthur Foundation\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Explore More URL:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/event/hanif-abdurraqib/ LOCATION:PRIOR PRESENTS – Luth Concert Hall –\, 1 College St\, Worcester\, MA\, 01610\, United States CATEGORIES:Artist Residencies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/hanif-abdurraqib-web.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250330T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250330T160000 DTSTAMP:20261013T140601 CREATED:20240627T201732Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241219T200456Z UID:2032-1743350400-1743350400@priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu SUMMARY:Sphinx Virtuosi | American Form/s DESCRIPTION:Prior Presents 2024–25\n \n \n \n \n \n Sphinx Virtuosi\n \n \n \n \n \n American Form/s\n \n \n \n \n \n A co-production with Music Worcester\, Inc.\n \n Buy Tickets: Sun Mar 30\, 2025 @ 4:00 PM\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nDescribed by the Washington Post as musicians who demonstrate “immeasurable power\, unwavering command and soulful beauty\,” the Sphinx Virtuosi is a dynamic and inspiring chamber orchestra. It serves as the flagship performing entity of the Sphinx Organization\, a Detroit-based leading social justice non-profit dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. Comprised of 18 accomplished Black and Latinx artists\, a critical aim of the Sphinx Virtuosi is to evolve and transform the face of classical music through artistic excellence\, pioneering programming\, and impassioned community engagement. As a bilingual ensemble\, these artist-citizens break down existing barriers to foster connections with the broader community. \n\nThis co-production with celebrated Worcester arts presenter Music Worcester features American Form/s\, a journey through classically-framed infusions of soul\, bluegrass\, jazz\, blues\, and rag. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n   \n“With a burst of new attention to phrases like diversity\, equity and inclusion over the past two years\, Sphinx’s steady\, patient work has come to seem prescient.”   \n— The New York Times \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Details\n \n \n \n \n \n \n March 30\, 20254:00 PM \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Price\n \n \n \n \n \n \n $55 | $45 | $35Prices are subject to change without notice \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Venue\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nLuth Concert HallThe Prior Performing Arts Center \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n About The Artists\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n About The Sphinx Organization\n The Sphinx Organization is dedicated to transforming lives through the power of the arts and has reached more than 100 million people worldwide. Focused on increasing representation in classical music and celebrating excellence\, Sphinx programs serve beginner students\, seasoned classical music professionals\, cultural entrepreneurs\, and artistic administrators by addressing the systemic lack of access within Black and Latino communities.  \nBased in Detroit\, Michigan\, with global reach\, Sphinx envisions a day in which our art form reflects our greater society\, where every young person has the opportunity to express themselves and learn classical music\, where audiences reflect the breadth of our community\, and where leadership – on stage and off – includes all deserving voices.  \nRead more about Sphinx’s programs at www.sphinxmusic.org. \n \n \n \n \n \n About The Sphinx Virtuosi\n The Sphinx Virtuosi is a dynamic and inspiring professional self-conducted chamber orchestra and serves as the flagship performing entity of the Sphinx Organization – the leading social justice non-profit dedicated to transforming lives through the power of diversity in the arts. Comprised of 18 accomplished Black and Latino artists who reflect the highest level of musicianship in America\, a critical aim of the Sphinx Virtuosi is to evolve the breadth and impact of classical music through artistic excellence\, pioneering programming\, and impassioned community engagement. Its members serve as cultural ambassadors for audiences and communities around the United States and abroad. \nSince 2004\, the Sphinx Virtuosi’s concerts have been presented by leading arts organizations\, including annual return visits to Carnegie Hall as an established highlight of the fall season. Frequently selling out venues\, the ensemble has garnered effusive accolades\, including from The New York Times\, that has described the group as “top-notch…more essential at this moment than ever…a vibrant\, assured performance” and The Washington Post that wrote “true to their name\, the Sphinx Virtuosi call up the vision of an iconic mythological feline with its immeasurable power\, unwavering command\, and soulful beauty.” Their debut album\, Songs for Our Times\, was released on Deutsche Grammophon in July 2023 and represents the rich history of the Sphinx Organization and the vibrant future of classical music by centering the artistry of extraordinary composers and artistic visionaries.  \nTheir 2024-25 season includes performances for Washington Performing Arts and the John F. Kennedy Center\, the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society\, the Symphony Center Presents in Chicago\, IL\, and a return performance at the New World Symphony in Miami. \nHeralded for its kaleidoscopically varied repertoire and bold thematic programming\, Sphinx Virtuosi concerts give prominence to historically excluded composers such as Samuel Coleridge-Taylor\, Alberto Ginastera\, Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson\, Florence Price\, Heitor Villa-Lobos\, and George Walker. In an effort to expand its repertoire and engage new audiences\, the ensemble commissions new works annually. Commissions have included major new works from Michael Abels\, Terence Blanchard\, Valerie Coleman\, Xavier Foley\, Ricardo Herz\, Jimmy Lopez\, Jessie Montgomery\, Daniel Bernard Roumain\, and Carlos Simon.  \nMembers of the Sphinx Virtuosi have performed as soloists with major American orchestras\, including the New York Philharmonic and the Cleveland\, Detroit\, Atlanta\, Philadelphia\, Seattle\, and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestras. Members also hold professional orchestral and academic positions. The Sphinx Virtuosi’s community engagement initiatives regularly extend beyond masterclasses and workshops to members leading community empowerment initiatives within arts organizations and connecting with other Sphinx programming to further the mission of achieving excellence through inclusive programming. As a bilingual ensemble\, these artist-citizens frequently break down existing barriers empowering the artform to connect with the broader community. During the pandemic\, the ensemble found creative ways to connect with audiences and communities virtually through performances\, panel discussions\, masterclasses\, Q&A sessions\, and more reaching over 30\,000 people across 20 organizations. \nThe Sphinx Virtuosi has collaborated with major artists such as Terence Blanchard\, Denyce Graves\, Sweet Honey in the Rock\, Damien Sneed\, Will Liverman\, J’Nai Bridges\, and Davóne Tines\, among others. Outside of the classical realm\, its musicians have also worked with leading international artists such as Beyoncé and Jay-Z and made high-profile appearances\, including on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and the broadcast of the 2022 GRAMMY Awards.  \nSphinx Virtuosi Tours are made possible through the support of Robert F. Smith\, JPMorgan Chase\, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Learn more at www.sphinxmusic.org/sphinx-virtuosi. \n \n \n \n \n \n About percussionist Josh Jones\n \nA native of Chicago\, Illinois\, Josh Jones started hitting things at age 2 and received his first drum set at age 3. Josh began his formal studies in percussion with the Percussion Scholarship Program under the direction of Chicago Symphony member Patricia Dash\, and Chicago Lyric Opera member Douglas Waddell. He earned his Bachelor’s in Music from DePaul School of music and was the orchestra fellow of both the Detroit and Pittsburgh symphonies. In 2022\, Josh joined the Grant Park Festival Orchestra as Principal Percussionist. Josh has been featured at Carnegie Hall\, on radio and television\, and has had two short documentaries made about his musical development and experience. He also authored a percussion method book series\, “Spatial Studies for Hitting Things”\, and writes musical and philosophical blogs on his website\, drummojo.com. Josh really enjoys giving back to the community as well as mentoring young musicians and traveling. \n \n \n \n \n \n About co-presenter Music Worcester\n Celebrating More Than 160 Years of Music and Culture\nMusic Worcester\, Inc.\, originally known as the Worcester County Music Association\, for years ran the Worcester Music Festival. Current programs reflect the merger in the mid-1990s of the Festival with International Artists Series and the MA Jazz Festival. Great performances by world-renowned orchestras and guest soloists\, chamber music\, ballet\, world music and dance\, jazz and choral masterworks are hallmarks of Music Worcester’s annual operations. \nMultiple educational programs currently serve youth and families of greater Worcester: masterclasses by visiting artists\, Tickets to Opportunity\, Festival Singers\, in-schools residencies\, and the Young Artist Competitions. Integral to Music Worcester’s annual operations\, The Worcester Chorus has been part of the organization since the very first concert season in 1858. \nLearn more at MUSICWORCESTER.ORG \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Explore More URL:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/event/sphinx-virtuosi-american-forms/ LOCATION:PRIOR PRESENTS – Luth Concert Hall –\, 1 College St\, Worcester\, MA\, 01610\, United States CATEGORIES:Artist Residencies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/sphinx-virtuosi-landscape.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250318T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250318T180000 DTSTAMP:20261013T140602 CREATED:20240627T201641Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250313T144623Z UID:2068-1742320800-1742320800@priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu SUMMARY:Jha D Amazi of MASS Design DESCRIPTION:Prior Presents 2024–25\n \n \n \n \n \n Jha D Amazi\n \n \n \n \n \n Residency supported by the Division of Justice\, Equity\, Belonging\, and Identity\n \n RSVP: Tue Mar 18\, 2025 @ 6:00 PM\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nAs a Principal at MASS Design Group\, Jha D Amazi leads the Public Memory and Memorial Lab\, an ongoing research and design project which asks\, “How can spatializing memory support healing and inspire collective action for generations to come?” MASS Design’s Public Memory and Memorials Lab has engaged communities to design projects such as The Embrace (Boston\, MA)\, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice (Montgomery\, AL)\, and the Franklin Park Action Plan (Boston\, MA). Across its work\, the Lab honors the experiences\, histories\, and cultures of people historically denied representation in our memorial landscape. \nBeyond MASS\, Amazi is also a spoken word artist\, event producer\, and space maker for LGBTQ+ communities of color. With an M.Arch from the University of Pennsylvania\, Amazi has worked as a Designer at Sasaki and taught studio at the Boston Architectural College. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n   \n“Design excellence should be defined by the impact a project (through all phases; conception\, construction\, and occupancy) has on the quality of life of those who experience the space.”   \n— Jha D Amazi \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Details\n\n \n \n \n \n \n March 18\, 20256:00 PM \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Price\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Free Entry (RSVP Required) \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Venue\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nLuth Concert Hall\nThe Prior Performing Arts Center URL:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/event/jha-d-amazi/ LOCATION:PRIOR PRESENTS – Luth Concert Hall –\, 1 College St\, Worcester\, MA\, 01610\, United States CATEGORIES:Artist Residencies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/amazi-landscape.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250227T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250227T190000 DTSTAMP:20261013T140602 CREATED:20241217T200834Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250218T153630Z UID:2962-1740682800-1740682800@priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu SUMMARY:Jeremy Flower: A Series of Resolutions DESCRIPTION:Prior Presents 2024–25\n \n \n \n \n \n Jeremy Flower: A Series of Resolutions\n \n RSVP: Thu Feb 27\, 2025 @ 7:00 PM\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nwith the Semiosis Quartet\n\nJeremy Flower\, multi-instrumentalist and composer of acoustic and electronic music\, will perform a piece commissioned by Composer-In-Residence Osvaldo Golijov at The Prior on February 27. \nLike much of Flower’s work\, A Series of Resolutions aims to live outside genre definitions\, creating a place where moments of harmonic exploration and dissonance can coexist with earnest melodies. The extended sonic tapestry allowed through live electronic manipulation of the string quartet is mixed with synthesized and sampled sounds which can sometimes leave the listener wondering where a particular sound is originating. \nFlower and Golijov have collaborated extensively on film and concert music\, most recently the score to Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis\, as well as the Grammy-nominated song cycle Ayre (2006) and the double Grammy Award-winning Ainadamar (2007). Flower finds himself at home on a concert stage supporting groups such as the Silkroad Ensemble\, or David Krakauer as well as in louder settings with long-time collaborators Carla Kihlstedt\, Matthias Bossi\, and Jon Evans. \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Details\n \n \n \n \n \n \n February 27\, 20257:00 PM \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Price\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Free EntryRegistration Required \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Venue\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nLuth Concert HallThe Prior Performing Arts Center \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Explore More URL:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/event/jeremy-flower/ LOCATION:PRIOR PRESENTS – Luth Concert Hall –\, 1 College St\, Worcester\, MA\, 01610\, United States CATEGORIES:Artist Residencies,Holy Cross Community ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/jeremy-flower-landscape-web.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250210T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250210T190000 DTSTAMP:20261013T140602 CREATED:20240627T201624Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250624T185631Z UID:2058-1739214000-1739214000@priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu SUMMARY:August Wilson's Two Trains Running | The Acting Company DESCRIPTION:Prior Presents 2024-25\n \n \n \n \n \n August Wilson’s Two Trains Running\n \n \n \n \n \n The Acting Company\n \n \n \n \n \n Co-presented with the Division of Justice\, Equity\, Belonging\, and Identity\n \n Buy Tickets: Mon Feb 10\, 2025 @ 7:00 PM\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nThis event will sell out. Please check back frequently as additional tickets are being released. \nBeginning at 4:00 PM on February 10\, there will be an in-person wait list available for sign-ups on a first-come\, first-served basis at our Box Office table in the Beehive. We expect a limited number of seats to be available before show time so please consider arriving early to sign up for tickets if you have not registered already. \nFunded in part by the New England States Touring program of the New England Foundation for the Arts\, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program and the six New England state arts agencies. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nTwo Trains Running is the 1960s chapter of acclaimed playwright August Wilson’s American Century Cycle\, a decade-by-decade saga of African American life in the 20th century. This fully designed\, fully staged production from The Acting Company is part of the first-ever tour authorized by the Wilson estate\, which The Prior presents in partnership with Connecticut College and Middlebury College. \nSet in Civil Rights era-Pittsburgh\, Two Trains Running this work tells the story of restaurant owner Memphis Lee and his host of regulars\, searching for work\, love\, and justice as their neighborhood changes in unpredictable ways. Accessible\, heartfelt\, and hilarious\, Two Trains Running is a lyrical tale of reinvention and reclamation: of finding out where you belong and how to take your place in the world. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Details\n \n \n \n \n \n \n February 10\, 20257:00 PM \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Price\n \n \n \n \n \n \n $55 | $45Prices are subject to change without notice \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Venue\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nBoroughs TheatreThe Prior Performing Arts Center \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Explore More URL:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/event/august-wilsons-two-trains-running/ LOCATION:PRIOR PRESENTS – Boroughs Theatre –\, 1 College St\, Worcester\, MA\, 01610\, United States CATEGORIES:Artist Residencies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/two-trains-running-new-web.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241122T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241122T193000 DTSTAMP:20261013T140602 CREATED:20240627T201558Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241106T172833Z UID:2051-1732303800-1732303800@priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu SUMMARY:Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band with Mali Obomsawin DESCRIPTION:Prior Presents 2024–25\n \n \n \n \n \n Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Bandwith Mali Obomsawin\n \n Buy Tickets: Fri Nov 22\, 2024 @ 7:30 PM\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nThe Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band (JKIBB) is an ensemble of Native and Indigenous jazz musicians from across Indian Country. Performing pieces from their under-appreciated predecessors in jazz alongside works by contemporary Indigenous composers\, the band spotlights a vibrant\, long-standing tradition of Indigenous improvised music today. Led by the celebrated vocalist Julia Keefe (Nez Perce)\, the ensemble brings charisma\, passion\, and purpose to every stage\, leaving audiences both inspired and educated. \nJKIBB will be supported at The Prior by Mali Obomsawin (Odanak First Nation)\, an award-winning bassist\, songwriter and composer. Obomsawin’s stunning debut Sweet Tooth (2022) received international acclaim and was named in “best of” lists from GRAMMY.com to JazzTimes and NPR. With an expansive background in American roots\, rock\, and jazz\, Obomsawin carries several music traditions. Beyond the stage she is a community organizer and advocate for Indigenous rights and environmental justice. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n   \n“Jazz is a uniquely American art form. The Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band…takes that one step further.”  \n— Olympian\, 2022 \n \n“[Obomsawin’s Sweet Tooth] not only works as potent commentary on indigenous heritage\, autonomy and experiences\, but as gripping\, dynamic and thunderous music in and of itself.” \n— Morgan Enos\, Jazz Times \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Details\n \n \n \n \n \n \n November 22\, 20247:30 PM \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Price\n \n \n \n \n \n \n $25Prices are subject to change without notice \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Venue\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nBoroughs TheatreThe Prior Performing Arts Center \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Explore More URL:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/event/julia-keefe-indigenous-big-band-mali-obomsawin/ LOCATION:PRIOR PRESENTS – Boroughs Theatre –\, 1 College St\, Worcester\, MA\, 01610\, United States CATEGORIES:Artist Residencies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/jkibb-landscape.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241119T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241119T190000 DTSTAMP:20261013T140603 CREATED:20240627T201528Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250109T160036Z UID:2062-1732042800-1732042800@priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu SUMMARY:Mfoniso Udofia's Sojourners | Pop-up with The Huntington Theatre DESCRIPTION:Prior Presents 2024–25 with The Huntington Theatre\n \n \n \n \n \n Mfoniso Udofia’s Sojourners\n \n RSVP: Tue Nov 19\, 2024 @ 7:00 PM\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nWith Sojourners\, the first chapter in her sweeping Ufot Cycle\, nationally acclaimed playwright Mfoniso Udofia explores the collision of marriage\, migration\, and the pursuit of education. Set in 1978\, this lively\, funny play centers on a young and brilliant Nigerian couple arrives in Houston\, looking to earn their degrees and bring insights back to their home country. But when Abasiama discovers that her husband has been seduced by Motown records and American culture\, she has to choose between the Nigerian Dream and her obligations as a matriarch.  \nUdofia draws inspiration for the nine-play Ufot Cycle from her time growing up in Southbridge\, MA and from meeting playwright August Wilson at Boston’s Huntington Theatre. The Prior is thrilled to partner with the Huntington on this pop-up event\, which brings the company’s full production of Sojourners to Holy Cross.  \nUdofia’s plays have previously been produced at New York Theatre Workshop\, American Conservatory Theater\, the Playwrights Realm\, the Boston Court\, and more. She also writes and produces for film and television\, including on “Lessons in Chemistry\,” “Let the Right One In\,” and “A League of Their Own.” \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nContent Advisory\nThis performance includes a content advisory. Click below to read more.  \n\n \n Read Content Advisory\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ‘Sojourners’ rises to the challenge — and beyond — of launching a nine-play cycle\n \n \n \n \n \n Click below to read the full review of The Huntington’s debut of Sojourners in The Boston Globe. \n \n Read More\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Details\n \n \n \n \n \n \n November 19\, 20247:00 PM \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Price\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Free EntryCourtesy of initiative from Boston’s Mayor Michelle Wu \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Venue\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nBoroughs TheatreThe Prior Performing Arts Center \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Explore More\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Over the next two years\, a consortium of theatre companies and activation partners across Greater Boston will produce Mfoniso Udofia’s 9-play cycle which follows three generations of a Nigerian American family. Boston’s Ufot Family Cycle represents two years of convening\, planning\, and investment by The Huntington to incubate and create this one-of-a-kind event. \n \n Read More URL:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/event/mfoniso-udofias-sojourners/ LOCATION:PRIOR PRESENTS – Boroughs Theatre –\, 1 College St\, Worcester\, MA\, 01610\, United States CATEGORIES:Artist Residencies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/new-sojourners-landscape.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241003T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241003T180000 DTSTAMP:20261013T140603 CREATED:20240627T201501Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240926T192140Z UID:2065-1727978400-1727978400@priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu SUMMARY:Aimee Nezhukumatathil DESCRIPTION:Prior Presents 2024–25\n \n \n \n \n \n Aimee Nezhukumatathil\n \n RSVP: Thu Oct 3\, 2024 @ 6:00 PM\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nPoet and essayist Aimee Nezhukumatathil is the author of the New York Times-bestselling World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies\, Whale Sharks\, and Other Astonishments. Her essay collection\, Bite by Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees\, blends reporting\, research\, and memoir to celebrate food as a locus for care\, grief\, desire\, nostalgia. \nNezhukumatathil’s four poetry collections explore how we live in the world\, lend inventive attention to issues of environmental concern. Said Poetry Foundation of Lucky Fish\, “Nezhukumatathil’s third book affirms her reputation as one of the master miners of the curious fact in science\, history\, nature and culture.” The winner of numerous prizes and fellowships\, Nezukumatahil is also the first-ever poetry editor for SIERRA magazine\, the story-telling arm of The Sierra Club. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n   \n“Nezhukumatathil speaks with resonance and fierceness.”   \n— Publishers Weekly \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Details\n\n \n \n \n \n \n October 3\, 20246:00 PM \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Price\n\n \n \n \n \n \n Free Entry (RSVP Required) \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Venue\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nLuth Concert Hall\nThe Prior Performing Arts Center \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Explore More URL:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/event/aimee-nezhukumatathil/ LOCATION:PRIOR PRESENTS – Luth Concert Hall –\, 1 College St\, Worcester\, MA\, 01610\, United States CATEGORIES:Artist Residencies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/aimee-landscape-2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240926T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240926T193000 DTSTAMP:20261013T140603 CREATED:20240627T201708Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T120303Z UID:2048-1727379000-1727379000@priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu SUMMARY:Johnny Gandelsman\, violin | This Is America DESCRIPTION:Prior Presents 2024–25\n \n \n \n \n \n Johnny Gandelsman\, violinThis Is America\n \n \n \n \n \n With special guest artists Worcester Chamber Music Society\n \n Buy Tickets: Thu Sep 26\, 2024 @ 7:30 PM\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nIn response to the despair\, alienation\, and turbulence of the COVID-19 era\, Grammy Award-winning violinist and producer Johnny Gandelsman developed This Is America\, a commissioning and recording project featuring over twenty new works for solo violin written by American and US-based artists. \nThis is America celebrates our country’s rich cultural tapestry and its myriad perspectives\, offering a vivid counterpoint to the idea that this land can be understood through a singular\, dominant point of view. Each composition in the anthology reflects on the current state of American society in a personal and intimate way\, looking through an unflinching lens at universal topics like separation\, loneliness\, hope and love. \nIn addition to giving a full concert at The Prior\, Gandelsman will perform briefer segments of the anthology across the city in collaboration with community partners: This Is America becomes This Is Worcester. We hope you will join us on the journey! \nThis program is made possible by the Heidi Brake Smith ’82 Fund for the Arts. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nPre-concert Conversation\nJoin us at 6:30 PM in the Ensemble Room on the 2nd Floor of The Prior for a pre-concert conversation between Johnny Gandelsman and This Is America contributing composer Èbùn Oguntola\, free and open to all ticketholders. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n   \n“A violinist who can do anything…”   \n— Philadelphia Inquirer \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \nHailed as a group with imagination\, style and chops\, the Worcester Chamber Music Society (WCMS) took the Worcester\, Massachusetts scene by storm with its initial concert in 2006. It has become a recognized cultural presence within the Greater Worcester area by presenting sold-out concerts to captivated audiences\, receiving consistent critical acclaim\, building new young audiences\, and training rising musicians through both its Neighborhood Strings and Summer Music Camp programs. \nWCMS brings world-class chamber music to intimate Greater Worcester venues. WCMS nurtures the community through a unique combination of affordable concerts\, education and community engagement. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n   \n“Through the years the Chamber Music Society has crafted thoughtful\, innovative and interesting programs\, and its playing has become so effortless\, so technically virtuosic and so musically expressive….\, they have become one of the most loved and admired treasures in our musical community.”   \n— John Zeugner\, Telegram & Gazette \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Details\n \n \n \n \n \n \n September 26\, 20247:30 PM \nPre-concert talk with composer Èbùn Oguntola6:30 PM \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Price\n \n \n \n \n \n \n $45 | $35 | $25Prices are subject to change without notice \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Venue\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nLuth Concert HallThe Prior Performing Arts Center \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Explore More URL:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/event/johnny-gandelsman-this-is-america/ LOCATION:PRIOR PRESENTS – Luth Concert Hall –\, 1 College St\, Worcester\, MA\, 01610\, United States CATEGORIES:Artist Residencies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/jg-landscape-2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240912T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240912T193000 DTSTAMP:20261013T140604 CREATED:20240627T194433Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240903T140527Z UID:2055-1726169400-1726169400@priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu SUMMARY:Camille A. Brown & Dancers | I AM DESCRIPTION:Above: Alain ‘“Hurrikane” Lauture in “I AM” by Whitney Browne \n \n \n \n \n \n Prior Presents 2024–25\n \n \n \n \n \n Camille A. Brown & DancersI Am\n \n Buy Tickets: Thu Sep 12\, 2024 @ 7:30 PM\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nFour-time Tony Award-nominated choreographer and director Camille A. Brown is a “prodigious” (VOGUE) Bessie\, Obie\, and Princess Grace Award-winning choreographer and director. She made history as the first Black director at the Metropolitan Opera to direct a mainstage production when she co-directed Fire Shut Up In My Bones (2021). With the Broadway revival of for colored girls… in 2022 (which earned her a Tony nomination for Best Direction of a Play)\, she became the first Black woman to direct and choreograph a Broadway play since Katherine Dunham in 1955. \nFollowing her work as the choreographer of the new Alicia Keys musical Hell’s Kitchen\, which led to a Tony Award nomination for Best Choreography\, Brown returns to the roots of her own dance company\, deepening her exploration of Black joy in a new work titled I AM. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n   \n“The dancers\, strong\, flexible\, and clean in their moves\, seem to exult in their physical prowess\, and in the presence of each other\, as if each one is challenging each other to go further\, dance faster\, jump higher\, be their best selves. They have community in each other\, and they radiate joy…”   \n— Bess Hochstein\, Splash Magazines(from her review of the world premiere ofI AM at Jacob’s Pillow – July 31\, 2024) \n \n \n \n \n READ THE FULL REVIEW\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Details\n\n \n \n \n \n \n September 12\, 2024\n7:30 PM\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Price\n\n \n \n \n \n \n $45 | $35 | $25Prices are subject to change without notice \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Venue\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\nLuth Concert Hall\nThe Prior Performing Arts Center \n\n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Explore More URL:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/event/camille-a-brown-and-dancers-i-am/ LOCATION:PRIOR PRESENTS – Luth Concert Hall –\, 1 College St\, Worcester\, MA\, 01610\, United States CATEGORIES:Artist Residencies ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://priorperformingartscenter.holycross.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/final-cabd-landscape.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR