44th Season Preview

July 31, 2020

Sunday, Sept. 13 -

On the lawn at MECC

• The Symphony of the Mountains Brass Quintet celebrates some of the most notable brass composers of history across a variety of styles including Scott Joplin, Johann Sebastian Bach, Duke Ellington, Lennie Niehaus and more during this outdoor afternoon concert on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020. Enjoy the end of the summer while safely indulging yourself with a picnic and live music as the audience spreads out on the lawn behind the Goodloe Center at Mountain Empire Community College. This performance is dedicated to the late May Harman Bartlett Straughan, who was a founding member of the Pro-Art Association and served as a faithful member of the board for many years.

• Annual favorite, American Shakespeare Center returns like we’ve never seen them before! Twelfth Night will be presented this fall as a broadcast from the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, Virginia. Love flows freely and confusion runs rampant in Shakespeare’s tale of shipwreck, mistaken identity, and unrequited love. Nobles and servants alike navigate twisted paths on their quests for love. American Shakespeare Center’s vibrant, unplugged, and live music underscores this hilarious, heartwarming, frolic through imagined Illyria. Information about how to tune in for this event will be made available in the coming weeks!

• After a stunning performance last fall, pianist Bomin Park returns with a concert entitled Amazing Grace—Hymns on Piano featuring classic and popular hymns arranged for piano including favorites Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee, Breathe on me, Breath of God and Amazing Grace. This performance is scheduled for Friday, October 30, 2020 at 7:30 PM in Cantrell Hall on the UVA Wise campus. Reservations are required for this event in order to minimize risk for patrons, the performer, and our staff. If you would like to reserve your spot, please call the office at 276/376-4520 or email pro-art@uvawise.edu.

2021

• Spring 2021 brings together pianist Peter Ryan and world-renown cellist Dave Eggar for a performance entitled Kickin’ it Old School on March 25, 2021. The duo will be performing classics from the 17th century, including selections from Brahms, Debussy, Beethoven and others—promising a noteworthy and one-of-a-kind collaboration between these accomplished musicians.

• Richmond Ballet II will return to the area for the first time in five years to perform The Legend of the Swan Queen: Selections from Swan Lake on Friday, April 9, 2021. Juxtaposing innovative new works with highlights from the timeless classic Swan Lake, audiences have an opportunity to follow the evolution of classical ballet into a more progressive, current form all in one evening.

All dates and venues put forth in our current season schedule are subject to change. Other programs may be added to the schedule as safety concerns for the programs continue to be addressed.

The Pro-Art Association works tirelessly to fulfill its mission to promote the arts and expand accessibility to cultural experiences for residents and students in Wise, Lee, and Dickenson Counties and the City of Norton. We would like to stress that all students are free to attend all of our performances all season long. If you would like to help support this effort, please consider visiting proartva.org to make a tax-deductible contribution.

For updates in regards to performance modifications during the pandemic, please visit proartva.org. To request a season brochure, please call the office at 276/376-4520 or send an email to pro-art@uvawise.edu.