The UGA Performing Arts Center has celebrated diversity as long as it has been open. In 1996, the new facility was christened with a performance by legendary soprano Jessye Norman, a Black Georgia native. The 25th anniversary season includes concerts featuring African American musicians at the pinnacles of their chosen fields.
Ranky Tanky takes the Performing Arts Center stage on Nov. 16. (Photo by Peter Frank Edwards)
“Southern Journey: An Afro-Americana Celebration!” featuring Ranky Tanky and special guest Dom Flemons (Nov. 16) is a double bill of Grammy-winning acts. Ranky Tanky, a Charleston-based band, will be joined by Flemons, a founding member of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, for an evening of jazz, gospel, funk, R&B, and old-time music. Ranky Tanky is also participating in the Performing Arts Center’s Performances for Young People children’s concert series.
Saxophonist Branford Marsalis brings his quartet to Hodgson Hall on Feb. 19, 2022. (Photo by Eric Ryan Anderson)
The name Marsalis is synonymous with accomplishment in jazz. “Big Band Holidays” (Dec. 7 and 8) is a program featuring the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, led by trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis. Saxophonist Branford Marsalis then brings his own quartet to Hodgson Hall on Feb. 19, 2022.
Nobuntu will perform on Jan. 25, 2022. (Photo by Corey Photography)
Nobuntu (Jan. 25, 2022) is a dynamic female a cappella quintet from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, acclaimed throughout the world for their rousing performances of traditional songs, gospel, Afro-jazz and crossover music. Nobuntu is also on the Performances for Young People series.
Michelle Cann performs with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra on March 4, 2022. (Submitted photo)
In the first of two Atlanta Symphony Orchestra visits this season on March 4, 2022, Michelle Cann of the Curtis Institute of Music is the soloist in the “Piano Concerto in One Movement” by 20th century Black American composer Florence Price.
Anthony McGill and the Pacifica Quartet are slated to perform April 19, 2022. (Photo by Eric Rudd Photography)
The Grammy-winning Pacifica String Quartet (April 19, 2022) is joined by one of the most prominent Black orchestral musicians in the U.S., Anthony McGill, principal clarinetist of the New York Philharmonic. The program includes the Clarinet Quintet by rising Black American composer, pianist and educator James Lee III.
Six-time Tony Award-winner Audra McDonald will perform as part of the Performing Arts Center’s 25th anniversary celebration on April 24. (Allison Michael Orenstein)
The 25th anniversary gala performance (April 24, 2022) features Broadway, TV and film star Audra McDonald, winner of six Tony Awards. Her concert will include a mix of Broadway songs, standards from the Great American Songbook and more.
For a complete list of UGA Presents performances, visit pac.uga.edu/events.
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. (5-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 December 2021. Patrons may exchange tickets for another performance (including those in spring 2022) 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.