In 1996, the UGA Performing Arts Center opened with a gala week of performances, including a recital by superstar soprano and Georgia native Jessye Norman, and a concert by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The center’s 25th anniversary season contains another gala week bookended by an appearance by six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald and the return of the Atlanta Symphony.
Here are the four events of the gala week.
An Afternoon with Audra McDonald
25th anniversary gala concert
April 24, 3 p.m.
Hodgson Concert Hall
McDonald is a Broadway legend and TV and film star. Join her and pianist Brian Hertz for a concert of show tunes and standards from the Great American Songbook. Then enjoy a party with food trucks and DJ Dan Geller on the quad.
Arts Chat: City on a Hill
April 26, 4 p.m.
Performing Arts Center Lobby
Georgia Museum of Art Director William U. Eiland and Deputy Director Annelies M. Mondi give an insightful—and free—look at the ceramic work and paintings that have greeted patrons for a quarter century. These include a pair of canvases by Lamar Dodd, founder of the art school at UGA.
UGA Symphony Orchestra
Mark Cedel, conductor
Pyeongkang Park, assistant conductor
April 28, 7:30 p.m.
Hodgson Concert Hall
The Hugh Hodgson School of Music performs Mahler’s epic “Fifth Symphony”—with its sublime slow movement—and the world premiere of “Fizzle, Sweep, Crash” by doctoral candidate Daniel Karcher.
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Donald Runnicles, conductor
David Coucheron, violin
Elisabeth Remy Johnson, harp
May 1, 3 p.m.
Hodgson Concert Hall
The gala week concludes with Beethoven’s mighty Third Symphony (“Eroica”) and Max Bruch’s “Scottish Fantasy,” in which Celtic melodies come to life with solo violin and harp.
For the UGA Presents performances (McDonald and the ASO), 25 tickets are available for just $25, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Performing Arts Center. Tickets for UGA students are always $10.
For a complete list of UGA Presents performances, visit pac.uga.edu/organizer/uga-presents.
To learn more about all UGA Performing Arts Center events, visit pac.uga.edu.
Three ways to order
- Purchase tickets online at pac.uga.edu.
- Call the Performing Arts Center box office at 706-542-4400, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Visit the UGA Performing Arts Center box office, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (five-minute parking is available in the drop off circle at the Performing Arts Center for purchasing or picking up tickets.)
COVID protocols
For information about the Performing Arts Center’s COVID-19 protocols, visit pac.uga.edu/safety-first. Flexible ticketing will be in place for all performances occurring through May 2022. Patrons may exchange tickets for another performance or receive a full refund until noon on the day of the performance, if occurring on a weekday, or by Friday at 5 p.m. if occurring on a weekend.
