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2023-2024 Season Performances

This season at the Moss Arts Center — our 10th anniversary season — experience spellbinding sounds with Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismaily; infectious joy with Pink Martini featuring China Forbes; comforting spirituals with Javon Jackon, Nikki Giovanni, and Nnenna Freelon; energetic acrobatics with Cirque Mechanics; quirky wit with the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain; gorgeous and delightful parody with Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo; radiant sounds with the Bamberg Symphony; and much more.

Ticket Information

Whether you want to attend every show or curate your own experience, we have you covered.

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Seating Charts

The Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre — featuring three levels that seat approximately 1,200 — is a superior performance space. Designed with a system of almost infinitely adjustable acoustics and technical aspects, the Fife allows us to showcase artists presenting a range of theatrical and musical styles. There’s no bad seat in the house!

View Seating Charts

August

  • Article Item
    Members of the Cajun band Lost Bayou Ramblers, a group of six young white men wearing casual clothes, hold their instruments and are surrounded by the greenery of the bayou.
    Lost Bayou Ramblers , article

    SATURDAY, AUGUST 26, 5 PM: The Lost Bayou Ramblers perform a free, outdoor culminating concert as part of our Experience Art: 10th Anniversary Open House. Rooted in Cajun traditions, the progressive band continues to excite, challenge, and redefine genre expectations and cultural preconceptions.

September

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    The Brentano String Quartet wears evening attire in a grand, wood-paneled room, light streaming in from large windows to the right. The quartet is comprised of two white men, one white woman, and one Asian woman, who is seated. They each hold their instruments.
    Brentano String Quartet , article

    FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 7:30 PM: Having first performed in the Fife in 2014, Brentano String Quartet returns for the center’s 10th anniversary season, joined by leading violist and Juilliard faculty member Hsin-Yun Huang.

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    Women drummers from Rwanda perform onstage. They are Black women with brightly colored long braids, some of which are flying through the air with their motion. They wear blue and brown patterned dresses in slightly different styles.
    "The Book of Life" , article

    TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 7:30 PM: Rwandan writer and activist Gakire Katese Odile “Kiki” takes to the stage with Ingoma Nshya, the Women Drummers of Rwanda, for new theatre project "The Book of Life," a deeply moving perspective on life, loss, and recovery.

October

  • Article Item
    Host Kathy Mattea sings into a microphone on stage during a Mountain Stage performance. Mattea is a white woman with long grey hair. She wears a black blazer and plays an acoustic guitar, which is just visible behind a music stand. The background is ethereal-looking blue and grey lights.
    Mountain Stage with Kathy Mattea , article

    SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1, 7 PM: Join Grammy-winning country and bluegrass star Kathy Mattea for an episode of Mountain Stage recorded live from the Fife Theatre.

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    From left, Shahzad Ismaily, a bald brown man with white sideburns, round sunglasses, and a long white peacoat over a dark shirt; Vijay Iyer, a young brown man with medium length dark brown hair in a fade on the sides, wearing a black and silver brocade blazer over a black button down shirt, and Arooj Aftab, a young brown woman with dark brown hair pulled into a messy updo, wearing a black jacket with fluffy white sleeves. They stand in front of a dark grey background.
    Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shahzad Ismaily , article

    SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 7:30 PM: Three accomplished musicians forge a singular voice incorporating their distinct backgrounds and vast histories of collaboration.

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    Writer and activist Winona LaDuke, a middle aged Indigenous woman with long, straight brown hair. She smiles towards the camera in front of a light grey background in this headshot.
    Winona LaDuke , article

    MONDAY, OCTOBER 9, 7:30 PM: Harvard-educated economist, activist, and author Winona LaDuke has devoted her life to advocating for Indigenous people’s rights and environmental justice.

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    Two light skinned Black women, one middle aged, in the background, and one younger, in the foreground, perform "Krummelpap, Scandals Wrapped with Prayer" on stage. The younger woman has a shaved head and wears a wine-colored velvet halter neck dress and sits on a stool. The older woman wears a striped tank top dress and stands behind her, her face twisted in concentration and both hands raised above the head of the younger woman, as if in prayer. Between her hands, a bright stage light is visible.
    Garage Dance Ensemble , article

    WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 9 PM, AND THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 7:30 PM: Garage Dance Ensemble brings this deeply personal and socially charged contemporary dance-theatre work named for krummelpap, a South African comfort food similar to American grits.

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    The members of Vox Luminis stand in a group on a set of outdoor brick stairs. The musicians in the group hold their instruments, and everyone wears evening attire.
    Vox Luminis , article

    THURSDAY, OCTOBER 19, 7:30 PM: Renowned Belgian early music vocal and instrumental ensemble Vox Luminis is defined by its unique sound, appealing as much through the personality of each timbre as it does through the color and the uniformity of the voices.

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    The logo for Broadway show "Come From Away," which is spelled out in yellow text with the O in "From" represented as the earth. Below the title is light blue text that reads "True Story. Hit Musical." The background is a blue woodgrain.
    "Come From Away" , article

    MONDAY, OCTOBER 23, 8 PM: This stirring and inspiring musical takes you into the heart of the remarkable true story of the small town in Newfoundland that opened its homes to 7,000 stranded travelers on 9/11.

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    The members of Pink Martini wear '60s-inspired outfits and dance in front of a multicolored '60s-inspired backdrop, some of them holding their instruments.
    Pink Martini featuring China Forbes , article

    FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 7:30 PM: After a fervent standing ovation for its 2021 performance at the Moss, audience favorite Pink Martini brings its infectious, bubbly sounds back to Blacksburg for a celebration guaranteed to have the audience dancing in the aisles.

November

  • Article Item
    At left, Nikki Giovanni, an older Black woman with short, grey, natural hair, and at right, Javon Jackson, a Black man with a short Afro. They sit in a recording studio, both wearing headphones, and he holds his saxophone. Blurred yellow lights reflect in front of the pair.
    Javon Jackson with Nikki Giovanni and Nnenna Freelon , article

    FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 7:30 PM: A historic collaboration between renowned poet and Virginia Tech legend Nikki Giovanni and saxophonist-composer and former Jazz Messenger Javon Jackson has yielded "The Gospel According to Nikki Giovanni."

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    An actress, an Asian woman with long red-brown hair, wears sunglasses and a fur coat and speaks into three microphones in stands, her right hand pointing towards the ceiling.
    Seongbukdong Beedoolkee Theatre , article

    WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 8, AND THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 7:30 PM: This Seoul, Korea-based innovative contemporary theatre company delivers a completely original take on the enduring Greek tragedy of "Medea," recasting the ancient tale as a commentary on contemporary media and serving it to the audience in outrageous ways.

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    The members of Invoke, four white men wearing casual cloths, playfully pose in front of a light grey background. One member pulls back the strap on his mandolin like a bow and arrow and one jumps into the air.
    Invoke , article

    THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 7:30 PM: Adding banjo, mandolin, fiddle, and voice to the string quartet, Invoke is reinventing classical music. Encompassing traditions from across America, including bluegrass, Appalachian fiddle tunes, jazz, and minimalism, the vibrant ensemble is fueled by its passion for storytelling.

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    Drummer Deantoni Parks, a Black man with short naturla hair, wears a sleeveless black leather vest and jeans and leans on a drum kit. He poses outside in front of a white exterior wall.
    Deantoni Parks , article

    PAST EVENT: Using the creative moniker “Technoself,” experimental composer and percussionist Deantoni Parks blends technology, hip-hop, sampling, and electronica to create fascinating sonic experiences covering a variety of progressive styles.

December

  • Article Item
    The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra performs its annual "Holiday Pops Spectacular" at the Moss Arts Center. In the foreground, a man in a Santa costume plays a red electric guitar while conductor David Stewart Wiley looks on from a large red sleigh.
    Roanoke Symphony Orchestra , article

    SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 4 PM: Mark your calendars! This much-anticipated audience favorite returns to the Moss, filling the Fife with holiday cheer as only the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra and its "Holiday Pops" program can.

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    Blacksburg Master Chorale poses for a group photo in a church. The members all wear black and face the camera.
    Blacksburg Master Chorale , article

    SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 4 PM: The New River Valley’s own Blacksburg Master Chorale is joined by a professional orchestra and soloists to present one of the most iconic works of the holiday season, Handel’s "Messiah."

January

  • Article Item
    12 members of Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra perform on stage
    Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis , article

    TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 7:30 PM: Grammy-winning trumpeter Wynton Marsalis leads the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Made up of 15 of today’s finest jazz musicians, the group performs the music of great jazz composers as well as original works.

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    People ride three tall on a green bicycle on stage. Behind them is a large windmill, and a large pink backdrop.
    Cirque Mechanics , article

    WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 7:30 PM: From the creative team that brought us "Birdhouse Factory" in 2022 and "Pedal Punk" in 2015 comes a fun-for-all-ages theatrical circus show inspired by the power of wind. Cirque Mechanics combines inspired storytelling and innovative mechanical staging for its latest smash, "Zephyr."

February

  • Article Item
    Vietnamese and Italian American singer and songwriter Julian Saporiti, right, stands on a beach on the western U.S. coast in the sun, his hands in the pockets of his brown ankle pants. He wears a blue and white striped button-down short sleeved shirt. At left is his wife and collaborator, Emilia Halvorsen-Saporiti, a young Asian woman with shoulder length dark brown hair. She wears a red sweater and light blue skinny jeans, arms crossed against the wind.
    No-No Boy , article

    PAST EVENT: Vietnamese and Italian American singer, songwriter, and scholar Julian Saporiti details the Asian American experience in an evening of heartfelt and poignant musical storytelling set to projected archival images, part of his multi-media project, No-No Boy.

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    The company of the national tour of "My Fair Lady." Photo by Jeremy Daniel. Cast members wear elegant early 1900s costumes and dance onstage in front of a purple backdrop, onto which the pattern of ornate curtains is projected.
    "My Fair Lady" , article

    WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 7:30 PM: Boasting such classic songs as "I Could Have Danced All Night," "The Rain in Spain," and "Wouldn’t It Be Loverly," director Bartlett Sher’s glowing production is “thrilling, glorious and better than it ever was” (New York Times).

  • Article Item
    Chief Musician Bill Edwards, from Bowie, Md., sings with the U.S. Navy Concert Band at Pittsburg State University during the band’s 2023 national tour. He is a white middle aged man with a high and tight cut wearing a black uniform and he sings into a microphone, a large US flag on the wall behind the band.
    United States Navy Band , article

    SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 3 PM: Co-presented by the School of Performing Arts and the Moss Arts Center, the United States Navy Band is the premier wind ensemble of the U.S. Navy.

  • Article Item
    Members of Mark Morris Dance Group perform "The Look of Love" in bright, pastel, color blocked uniforms. Brightly colored metal folding chairs are peppered throughout the dancers, and the background is teal.
    Mark Morris Dance Group , article

    SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 7:30 PM: Internationally celebrated choreographer Mark Morris teams up with collaborator Ethan Iverson for this evening-length homage to the legendary late Burt Bacharach. A towering figure of popular music, Bacharach is known for soaring melodies influenced by jazz, rock, and Brazilian music.

  • Article Item
    Author Elizabeth Kolbert, a middle aged white woman with curly, sandy brown hair and blue eyes, leans against the exterior wall of a building in this headshot. She wears a black blazer over a blue patterned button down shirt with a wide collar, and smiles towards the camera.
    "An Evening with Elizabeth Kolbert" , article

    TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 7:30 PM: Journalist and "New Yorker" staff writer Elizabeth Kolbert traveled from Alaska to Greenland, visiting top scientists to get to the heart of the debate over global warming.

March

  • Article Item
    Musician Meshell Ndegeocello, a Black woman with shortly cropped natural hair and a star tatttooed near her right eye, stands outside near railroad tracks in the late fall or winter, wrapped in a camel-colored coat or large scarf. She looks towards the right of the frame, and some of the wooden tithes are covered in melting snow behind her.
    Meshell Ndegeocello , article

    PAST EVENT: Traversing soul, R&B, jazz, hip-hop, and rock, Grammy winner Meshell Ndegeocello’s work is bound by the search for love, justice, respect, and resolution.

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    At left, the members of So Percussion, four white men, stand around composer Caroline Shaw, a white woman., all wearing casual clothes in front of a grey background. At right, beat boxer and voice percussionist Shodekeh, a Black man with a salt a pepper beard, performs enthusiastically, both hands balled into fists with feeling. He wears a grey hoodie with the hood pulled up in front of a light brick interior wall.
    Sō Percussion with Caroline Shaw and special guest Shodekeh , article

    WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20, 7:30 PM: Multi-genre quartet Sō Percussion joins forces with two preeminent collaborators for an evening of music bridging the worlds of classical and pop.

  • Article Item
    Members of East Los Angeles Chicano indie-folk band Las Cafeteras pose around a restored matte black El Camino. Some members hold Mexican ukulele-sized guitars and drum sticks. The four brown men wear all black and the two brown women wear black with red accents.
    Las Cafeteras , article

    TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 7:30 PM: East Los Angeles Chicano indie-folk band Las Cafeteras has taken the music scene by storm with its infectious live performances, crossing many genres and borders along the way.

April

  • Article Item
    Members of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, three white women and four white men, stand in a line wearing all black. The women are order from shortest to tallest, left to right, and the men are ordered the same way., and they all lean right towards the tallest man. The woman on the far left holds a ukulele.
    Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain , article

    THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 7:30 PM: Featuring only ukuleles and the voices of its performers, the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain returns for an unforgettable evening.

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    Pianist Barbara Nissman, a white woman with blonde hair pulled into a bun, leans onto an on open grand piano, her chin rested on her folded hands.
    "Music on Mondays": Barbara Nissman, piano , article

    MONDAY, APRIL 8, 8 PM: Internationally acclaimed pianist and Steinway artist Barbara Nissman connects — not only with the music and its composer, but the composer to the listener — touching souls in the process. Nissman makes music relevant.

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    Eight of the dancers from Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, all men dressed in beautiful, detailed drag. They wear tutus in shades of pink, purple, and red, and stand in a line, all in the same position with hands on their hips and looking towards the top right edge of the frame.
    Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo , article

    SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 7:30 PM: An inspired blend of dance and impeccable humor, the world-class parody ballet company Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo makes its Southwest Virginia debut.

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    A young brown woman with long wavy hair pulled back into a ponytail sings on stage while other women dance nearby. She wears a traditional belt with large fringed tassels around her hips.
    "Small Island, Big Song" , article

    WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 7:30 PM: In this inspiring multimedia concert confronting climate change, artists from Pacific and Indian Ocean nations unite to blend traditions and create music celebrating the ways we are all connected. The result is a breathtakingly beautiful sound made by those who sing for the seas.

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    Conductor Jakub Hrůša, a middle aged white man with sandy brown hair, extends his arms out wide as he conducts the Bamberg Symphony during a live performance. All the string players watch him and their bows are raised in the air away from their instruments.
    Bamberg Symphony , article

    FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 7:30 PM: With a musical lineage stretching back to the 18th and 19th centuries — to Mahler and Mozart — Germany’s Bamberg Symphony is a favorite around the world, performing over 7,000 concerts in more than 60 countries and over 500 cities.

May