Susquehanna University announces 2025-26 events season

Susquehanna University announces a full and varied slate of events for the 2025-26 academic year.

Performances will feature internationally known actors and musicians as well as highly regarded professionals who will present their writings, art and scholarship. Below are some highlights from the upcoming season. For Susquehanna University’s full schedule of events and ticket information, visit www.susqu.edu/artsandevents/.   

Artist Series brings music and theatre to campus 

Susquehanna’s Artist Series seeks to encourage an aesthetic appreciation of diverse cultures as well as the artistic heritage of humankind. This year’s Artist Series features:

• Dion Parson & 21st Century Band at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, Weber Auditorium.
• Theatre Nohgaku at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, Degenstein Center Theater, Charles B. Degenstein Campus Center.
• John Holiday at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 7, Weber Auditorium. 

Symposium celebrates America’s musical heritage

Featuring performances and workshops by leading professional musicians and lectures and presentations by renowned scholars, Diverse Sounds for a Young Nation, Oct. 16–18, celebrates and explores American music from 1860 to 1920, including spirituals, brass bands, popular songs, ragtime, banjo and string bands, “jass” and more, spanning vernacular and classical traditions.

An engaging two-and-a-half-day exploration of these foundational influences on our nation’s musical and cultural development, Diverse Sounds for a Young Nation will include performances by Dom Flemons, Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, The 8th Green Machine Regiment Band, The Roof Garden Jass Band and Susquehanna University Symphonic Band.

For more information on Symposium on Historic American Music: Diverse Sounds for a Young Nation, visit susqu.edu/symposium.

Lectures span sciences, humanities 

Susquehanna offers a robust series of lectures that span the sciences and humanities:  

Theatre to stage variety of productions

Susquehanna’s theatre department will present a season of classic plays, historical dramas and musical productions. All productions will be staged in the Degenstein Center Theater in the Charles B. Degenstein Campus Center:

• Chains of Dew by Susan Glaspell, 7:30 p.m., Oct. 2, 3 and 4, 2:30 p.m. Oct. 5.
• Spring Awakening by Steven Sater and Duncan Shiek, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13, 14 and 15, 2:30 p.m. Nov. 16.For mature audiences only.
• The Secret Garden by Marsha Norman and Lucy Simon, 7:30 p.m. March 19, 20 and 21, 2:30 p.m. March 22.
• The Lion in Winter by James Goldman, 7:30 p.m. April 24 and 25, 2:30 p.m. April 26, 2:30 p.m.

Musical offerings feature choral, orchestra and band

Susquehanna’s musical ensembles offer many opportunities for audiences to enjoy choral, orchestra and band music all year long. All performances will be in Stretansky Concert Hall in the Cunningham Center for Music and Art: 

Gallery exhibition features unique Japanese art  

Susquehanna’s Lore Degenstein Gallery will open the exhibition George Ferrandi: once more & hopeful stars with a reception at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30, in the gallery in the Charles B. Degenstein Campus Center. The exhibition closes Oct. 10. Ferrandi has been honoring stars through Nebuta, a traditional Japanese technique for constructing monumental, illuminated parade sculptures from paper, wire, string and wood.

Other exhibitions throughout the academic year include:

• 16th annual Figurative Art Exhibition, Oct. 25–Dec. 7.
• Bill Owens: Suburbia, Jan. 17–Feb. 22.
• Senior Graphic Design and Studio Art Majors Exhibition, March 14–April 27.

Seavey Reading Series brings authors to campus 

Susquehanna’s Seavey Visiting Writers Series will feature several award-winning authors who will present portions of their work. All readings will take place at 7 p.m. in Isaacs Auditorium, Seibert Hall:

• Laurence Roth, Tuesday, Sept. 16.
• Khalisa Rae, Tuesday, Oct. 21
• Akil Kumarasamy, Tuesday, Nov. 18.
• Anna Badkhen, Tuesday, Feb. 3.
• Gary Fincke, Tuesday, Feb. 24.
• Alan Gilbert, Tuesday, March 17.