The season kicks off on Saturday, October 5 with Gina Chavez, Latin Grammy® nominee, internationally-acclaimed recording artist, wife, and philanthropist.
The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall.
Called “a fearless talent” by the Austin American-Statesman, Chavez is an Austin native, 13-time Austin Music Award winner, and proud Vice President of the Texas Chapter of the Recording Academy. Chavez tours internationally as a cultural ambassador with the U.S. State Department and runs Niñas Arriba, a college for young women in gang-dominated El Salvador. Chavez will be in residency October 4 through 5 teaching teach masterclasses for UW students and giving the keynote address at the Wyoming Latina Youth Conference (WLYC).
The Boston Globe lauded Gina Chavez’s ease of moving “between social and love songs, between North American and Latin genres...the most natural thing in the world,” calling her Up.Rooted album “as confident as it is refreshing.”
Austin Monthly spotlighted Chavez at the Austin City Limits Music Festival, saying “While so many of the lineups for major music festivals bounce between trendy acts, nostalgia bands and industry staples, Gina Chavez is a breath of fresh air.”
NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts confidently raved “if you don't know her already, I dare you to walk away and not become a fan.”
Sponsors:
Open Doors Performing Arts Endowment, Wyoming Arts Council
Buchanan Center Special Events presents a family-friendly Halloween Movie Night on Friday, October 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the UW Arts and Sciences Auditorium. This free event is open to patrons of all ages, with concessions available for purchase in the lobby.
Movie Title: Hotel Transylvania
On Thursday December 5, at 7:30 p.m. in the UW Arts and Sciences Auditorium, Buchanan Center Special Events hosts the world's premier comedy club, comedy theater, and school of improvisation, The Second City.
Celebrating 65 years of legendary laughs, the performance showcases audience favorite songs, sketches, and characters, created by some of The Second City’s most illustrious alumni, including Catherine O’Hara, Tina Fey, Keegan-Michael Key, Amber Ruffin, Stephen Colbert, Tim Meadows, Bill Murray, Tim Robinson, Joan Rivers, Eugene Levy, Adam McKay, and many more. With material handpicked from its iconic comedy archive and brought to life by an all-star ensemble, see for yourself why The Second City continues to be the world’s most influential name in comedy for sixty-five years and counting.
"The troupe that gave us SCTV and inspired Saturday Night Live and Whose Line is it Anyway!" - Chicago Tribune
"A temple of satire" - TIME
"Legendary" - The New York Times
Sponsors:
UW College of Arts and Sciences
The spring season begins Sunday, March 2 with Trailblazing Women of Country: A Tribute to Patsy, Loretta and Dolly, which is dedicated to evolving country music into an equal and inclusive space for female artists by providing them with opportunities to be heard worldwide.
The concert will be held at 3:00 p.m. in the UW Arts and Sciences Auditorium.
Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton revolutionized country music and blazed a trail for future generations of female artists. With their chart-topping hits and record-breaking sales, Patsy, Loretta, and Dolly wove threads of contemporary womanhood throughout the tapestry of country music, resulting in unprecedented commercial success and earning each a place in the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Trailblazing Women of Country, will entertain and inspire audiences during this pivotal moment in our nation’s history, featuring soloists, featuring GRAMMY® nominee, Rissi Palmer ,and Nashville based singer, Kristina Train , supported by a 5-member all-female band.
Cline, Lynn, and Parton harnessed country music’s rich storytelling tradition to offer their uniquely empowered—and unmistakably female—perspective on issues faced by women of their day. Their shared legacy of musical excellence, earthy glamour, and unapologetic authenticity continues to resonate withlisteners of all ages and backgrounds in the 21st century.
Patsy’s assured contralto affirms that a woman can be heartbroken and sure of herself at the same time (“Crazy,” “Walkin’ After Midnight”); Loretta Lynn’s songs exalt autonomy attained through contraception (“The Pill”) and self-respect (“Don’t Come Home A-Drinkin’ with Lovin’ On Your Mind”); and Dolly Parton demonstrates that a woman can ascend the career ladder (“9-to-5”) while never losing sight of her roots (“Coat of Many Colors”).
Through their singular voices and artistry, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, and Dolly Parton defied restrictive gender norms, proving that women can be at once beautiful and strong, vulnerable, and powerful.
Women of Country appears by arrangement with IMG Artists and is produced by Eli Wolf.
Sponsors:
Fine Arts Outreach
Sponsors:
University of Wyoming College of Arts & Sciences, Wyoming Arts Council , Open Doors Performing Arts Endowment, Fine Arts Outreach
Closing out the Buchanan Center Special events 2024-2025 season is the U.S. Army Jazz Ambassadors, the official touring big band of the U.S. Army.
This FREE, family-friendly concert will be held on Wednesday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m. in Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts Concert Hall.
The Jazz Ambassadors present a versatile musical program that has earned them international recognition and appeals to all ages, from the big band sounds of the 1940s to the contemporary hits of today. The ensemble’s ability to connect with audiences has attracted the attention of Gordon Goodwin, Bobby Shew, Ernie Watts, and the Dave Brubeck All-Star Quintet, just a few of the outstanding jazz artists who have shared the stage with America’s Big Band. The Jazz Ambassadors have also been featured in unique joint concerts with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, the Seattle Symphony Pops, the Colorado Pops Orchestra, the New York Pops at Carnegie Hall, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Syracuse Symphony.
