After a year of virtual performances, the Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts plans to hold in-person events for its upcoming season. Performances by students, faculty members, and guest artists, as well as cinema screenings, begin on Sept. 18. Many of the events are free.

Music
The Virginia Tech Trumpet Festival kicks off the season on Sept. 18 with guest trumpeter Ryan Gardner, who will conduct masterclasses and perform, along with others, in an evening benefit concert.

Music on Mondays and Faculty/Guest Artist Series recitals, which allow audiences an intimate music experience in the Squires Recital Salon, are scheduled throughout the semester. This fall’s lineup includes:

Ensemble concerts and music lab recitals showcase the wide variety of student talent. A first-time addition to the season, the New Music + Technology Festival, will feature performances of new works by faculty and students, the L2Ork Linux Laptop Orchestra, Creativity + Innovation, the Virginia Tech New Music Ensemble, and guest artists.

Fall music ensemble concerts include:

Theatre
Four performances of “Wondrous Strange,” a collection of short plays by four female playwrights — Martyna Majok, Meg Miroshnik, Jiehae Park, and Jen Silverman — will be presented in the Squires Studio Theatre on Sept. 27 through Sept. 30. Set in Kentucky, each story is written with a supernatural edge and revolves around ghosts, loss, and memory.

Lynn Nottage’s “SWEAT” will be presented Nov. 9–12 and 14–16 in the Squires Studio Theatre. Filled with warm humor and heart, “SWEAT” tells the story of a group of friends who have spent their lives sharing drinks, secrets, and laughs while working together on the factory floor. When layoffs and picket lines begin to chip away at their trust, the friends find themselves pitted against each other in a heart-wrenching fight to stay afloat in this Pulitzer Prize-winner for drama.

Cinema
Each year, audiences look forward to the student-led Progeny Short Film Festival, which showcases local and regional talent. Held at the Moss Arts Center on Oct. 2, this year’s film categories include animation, documentary, experimental, Hokie Short, international, narrative, and pandemic/home video.

For a list of all events, visit the School of Performing Arts events website.

Sign up for the School of Performance Arts’ newsletter for news and events information.

Advance tickets are available online, at the ticket office, and by phone through the Moss Arts Center.

Written by Susan Sanders

For the safety of our audiences and performers, masks are currently required for attendance at all School of Performing Arts indoor events, regardless of vaccination status. This includes all concerts, theatre productions, and cinema screenings. Please note that the School of Performing Arts will refuse entrance to unmasked individuals. All attendees are encouraged to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. 

University policy requires masks in indoor public spaces and Virginia Tech students and employees are required to be vaccinated in accordance with Presidential Policy Memorandum 317. Please find the latest news, resources, and updates for the Virginia Tech community regarding COVID-19, including frequently asked questions about the new requirements, at the Ready website.

Effective Aug. 3, 2020, all university community members and visitors will need to display a parking permit, use the ParkMobile app, pay a fee, or pay using an hourly meter to park on the Blacksburg campus unless otherwise noted by signage. Find additional parking information here.