Concert Calendar

The University at Buffalo Department of Music is recognized world-wide as an institution where artistically compelling and very unique events take place. We are the only place on the globe that presents all 16 of Beethoven's string quartets annually, and in perpetuity (since 1955). We are regarded by many musicians near and far as a destination to experience the creation and performance of new music at the highest level. Our Visiting Artist Series resembles concert listings at some of the world's most prestigious and revered concert venues. Please enjoy perusing our concert offerings, and we'll look forward to seeing you at a concert event in the near future!

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  • Spring 2024

    February

    Thursday, February 1
    11 a.m.–6 p.m.

    Slee Hall box office only.

    Special Ticket Promotion:

    Buy One Get One Free!

    Receive one complimentary ticket for every ticket purchased to a UB Department of Music concert. The complimentary ticket does not need to be for the same event. 

    Saturday, February 3
    7:30 p.m.

    $30

    Center for the Arts
    Drama Theatre

    Co-presented by UB Center for the Arts and UB Department of Music

    Lotus Lives, a Chamber Opera

    Two opera singers performing on stage holding hands.

    Scored for two singers with brass ensemble, Lotus Lives tells the story of a Chinese American woman exploring her heritage through a fascinating juxtaposition of chronologies. The on-screen and shifting panorama of singers, dancers, instrumentalists, and shadow puppetry, both live and prerecorded. The music blends contemporary styles with rap, Chinese folk music, and dance-club music into an exuberant romp accompanied by a dazzling display of electronics.

    Sunday, February 4
    3 p.m.

    $10*
    *UB students free with vaild ID

    Baird Recital Hall

    Faculty Recital:

    Michael Serio, piano with guest pianist Debi Adams

    Michael Serio.

    Michael Serio will be joined by Debi Adams, faculty member of the Boston Conservatory, in a piano four hand program that will include a set of 7 pieces by Thomas Cabaniss called "Tiny Bits of Outrageous Love," Samuel Barber's "Souvenirs," Brahms's "Waltzes," Op. 39, and arrangements of Rachmaninoff's "Vocalise" and Mozart's "Papageno."

    Friday, February 9
    7:30 p.m.

    $20

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Slee Visiting Artist Series:

    Cécile McLorin Salvant

    Cécile McLorin Salvant.

    Cécile McLorin Salvant, is a composer, singer, and visual artist. The late Jessye Norman described Salvant as“a unique voice supported by an intelligence and full-fledged musicality, which light up every note she sings.”

    Salvant has developed a passion for storytelling and finding the connections between vaudeville, blues, theater, jazz, baroque and folkloric music. Salvant is an eclectic curator, unearthing rarely recorded, forgotten songs with strong narratives, interesting power dynamics, unexpected twists, and humor.

    Local artist Curtis Lovell will open for Cécile McLorin Salvant in a 20 minute set.

    Wednesday, February 21
    7:30 p.m.

    $10*
    *UB students free with vaild ID

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Faculty Recital:

    Jaman Dunn-Danger, baritone with Michael Serio, piano

    Jaman Dunn-Danger.

    Program
    Mendelssohn: It is enough, from Elijah
    Verdi: Confutatis, from Messa da Requiem
    J.S. Bach: Stürze zu boden, from Cantata No. 126
    Beethoven: Ha, welch ein Augenblick, from Fidelio
    Mozart: Hai gia vinta la causa, from Le Nozze di Figaro
    Massenet: Vision fugitive, from Hérodiade
    Mahler: Leider eines fahrenden gesellen
    Finzi: Let Us Garlands Bring, Op. 18

    March

    Friday, March 1
    7:30 p.m.

    $10

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Recital on the Fisk:

    Eastman Organists

    This annual concert features a few advanced, highly accomplished students from the renowned organ studio at the Eastman School of Music. Alums who have performed at this concert in past years have gone on to secure top prizes in competition and distinguished organist positions.

    Buffalo International Guitar Festival

    Curated by UB Faculty member Sungmin Shin, in collaboration with the Slee Visting Artist Series.

    Friday, March 8
    4 p.m.

    Free

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Master Class:

    Jason Vieaux, guitar

    Friday, March 8
    7:30 p.m.

    Free

    Baird Recital Hall
    Room 250 Baird Hall

    Buffalo Guitar All-Stars

    An all-star cast of Buffalo area guitarists will perform.

    Saturday, March 9
    7:30 p.m.

    $20

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Slee Visiting Artist Series:

    Jason Vieaux, guitar

    Jason Vieaux.

    Buffalo native and Grammy-winner Jason Vieaux, “among the elite of today’s classical guitarists” (Gramophone), is described by NPR as “perhaps the most precise and soulful classical guitarist of his generation.” In appearances from New York’s Lincoln Center to Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw and the Seoul Arts Center, Jason Vieaux has cemented his reputation as an artist of brilliance and uncompromised mastery. Cited for his “eloquent and vibrant performances” on disc (Gramophone Magazine) he is hailed as “virtuosic, flamboyant, dashing and, sometimes ineffably lyrical” (New York Times) on stage.

    Four Paths of Light: Bach to Metheny

    • J.S. Bach – Cello Suite #1, BWV 1007 (arr. Vieaux)
    • Leo Brouwer - El Decameron Negro
    • Pat Metheny - Four Paths of Light -composed for and dedicated to Mr. Vieaux
    • J.S. Bach - Violin Sonata No. 1 in G Minor, BWV 1001 (arr. Vieaux)

    Sunday, March 10
    11 a.m.

    Free

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Special Event:

    Festival Participant’s Concert

    Soloists, ensembles, and the festival guitar orchestra will be featured.

    the golden ass logo.

    Wednesday, March 13 -
    Thursday, March 14

    7:30 p.m.

    $10

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Tiffany Skidmore.

    Center for 21st Century Music:

    the golden ass, a chamber opera in one act by Tiffany Skidmore

    Featuring the Slee Sinfonietta 

    An abstract setting of the Cupid/Psyche myth, this performance features the Slee Sinfonietta under the direction of guest conductor David Cubek; guest artist Nina Dante as Psyche, Tiffany Dumouchelle as Venus, and guest artists Adam Zahller as Cupid and Justin Anthony Spenner as Father; as well as a chorus of UB student performers

    Tuesday, March 26
    7:30 p.m.

    $10

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Faculty Recital:

    Eric Huebner, piano

    This concert is presented in celebration of composer Roger Reynold's 90th birthday and will feature the world premiere of his Piano Études, book II: Extensions and the New York premiere of Actions for piano and computer musicians.

    Wednesday, March 27
    7:30 p.m.

    Free

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Center for 21st Century Music:

    Susan Narucki, soprano and Curt Macomber, violin

    Program to feature György Kurtág's "Kafka Fragments"

    Susan Narucki.

    Susan Narucki

    Curt Macomber.

    Curt Macomber

    April

    Tuesday, April 9
    7:30 p.m.

    $10

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Faculty Recital:

    Aurora Borealis

    Tiffany Du Mouchelle, soprano and Stephen Solook, percussion

    Featuring works presented on their upcoming CD (Fall 2024) by: Milton Babbitt, John Cage, Carolyn Chen, Tania León, Lewis Nielson, and Roberto Sierra

    Slee Beethoven String Quartet Cycle, Part II: Viano Quartet

    Viano.

    Lucy Wang & Hao Zhou, violin; Aiden Kane, viola; Tate Zawadiuk, cello

    • Friday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m. – Concert IV: Opp. 95, 18/6, 132
    • Master Class on Saturday, April 13th at 11 a.m.
    • Saturday, April 13 at 7:30 p.m. – Concert V: Opp. 18/5, 130
    • Sunday, April 14 at 3 p.m. – Concert VI: Opp. 18/4, 135, 59/2

    Praised for their “virtuosity, visceral expression, and rare unity of intention” (Boston Globe), the Viano Quartet is one of the most sought-after performing young ensembles today and currently in-residence at the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center Bowers Program from 2024-2027. Since winning First Prize at the 2019 Banff International String Quartet Competition, they have traveled to nearly every major city across the globe.

    Tuesday, April 16
    7:30 p.m.

    $20

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Center for 21st Century Music:

    Slee Sinfonietta

    with flutist Carol Wincenc

    The program will feature Su Lian Tan’s Autumn Lute Song, Lukas Foss’ For Toru, and others.

    Friday, April 19
    7:30 p.m.

    $10

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Recital on the Fisk:

    Aaron Tan, organ

    Aaron Tan.

    Winner of the 2021 Canadian International Organ competition, and the 2018 American Guild of Organists National Young Artists Competition in Organ Performance, Aaron Tan is one of North America’s leading young artists. 

    Germani: Toccata
    Bach: Allein, BWV 663
    Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker
    Weir: Tree of peace
    Demessieux: Lumiere
    Bonnal: Paysages euskariens, mvmt 1
    Laurin: Poeme Symphonique for Advent
    Vaughan Williams: Choral Preluede on Song 33
    Vierne: Final – Symphonie 5

    Co-sponsored by the Buffalo Chapter of the American Guild of Organists

    May

    Wednesday, May 1
    7:30 p.m.

    $20

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Slee Visiting Artist Series:

    Yefim Bronfman, piano

    Yefim Bronfman.

    Internationally recognized as one of today’s most acclaimed and admired pianists, Yefim Bronfman stands among a handful of artists regularly sought by festivals, orchestras, conductors and recital series. His commanding technique, power and exceptional lyrical gifts are consistently acknowledged by the press and audiences alike.

    Schubert: Sonata in A minor, Op. 143
    Schumann: Faschingsschwank aus Wien
    Salonen: Sisar
    ~intermission~
    Chopin: Sonata in B minor Op. 58

    Co-sponsored by The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra

    Friday, May 3
    4-9 p.m.

    Free

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    “Twilight Music”:

    A Showcase of Student Performances

    This program will feature many UB student ensembles and performers.  If the weather cooperates, the event will take place on the plaza in front of Slee Hall.  We would encourage audience members to bring lawn chairs, food and refreshments. In the case of inclement weather, the performance will be moved indoors to Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall.  Details will be posted on our website closer to the concert date.

    June

    Sunday, June 9 -
    Saturday, June 15

    June in Buffalo tulip logo.

    June in Buffalo

    Jonathan Golove, Artistic Director

    This annual, international festival for aspiring composers includes a full week of concerts featuring the music of five distinguished faculty composers.  Afternoon concerts highlighting the work of the student composers will also take place throughout the week.  Some of the world’s most committed musicians to the performance of recent music will perform.  Daily lectures, masterclasses and workshops round out this intensive week.  The concert schedule and other details will be announced in the Spring.

  • Fall 2023

    September

    Wednesday, September 6
    11 a.m.–6 p.m.

    Slee Hall box office only.

    Special Ticket Promotion:

    Buy One Get One Free!

    Receive one complimentary ticket for every ticket purchased to a UB Department of Music concert. The complimentary ticket does not need to be for the same event. 

    Friday, September 8
    7:30 p.m.

    $10

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Faculty Recital:

    Tiffany Skidmore, composer

    Tiffany Skidmore.

    The William Blake Cycle: Unseen, Unbodied, Unknown, featuring saxophonist Kyle Hutchins

    Skidmore’s multimedia saxophone opera with chamber ensemble and spatial audio, video, and theatrical direction considers text and characters created by William Blake, exploring relationships between mythological characters in the Blake universe, non-binary gender identity, gender stereotypes, and sexual politics.

    Saturday, September 16
    7:30 p.m.

    $20

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Slee Visiting Artist Series:

    Nathalie Joachim, voice and flute

    Nathalie Joachim.

    Nathalie Joachim is a Grammy-nominated performer and composer. The Haitian-American artist is hailed for being “a fresh and invigorating cross-cultural voice”. (The Nation). Her creative practice centers an authentic commitment to storytelling and human connectivity while advocating for social change and cultural awareness, gaining her the reputation of being “powerful and unpretentious.” (The New York Times)

    Created by composer and Juilliard Creative Associate Nathalie Joachim Ki moun ou ye (Who are you?) is a new evening-length (65’) song cycle that weaves together textured vocal samples, somber flute tones, and longing melodies that take listeners on a journey of discovery and defining of self.  It will be performed in English and Haitian Kreyòl.

    Tuesday, September 19
    7:30 p.m.

    $10

    Baird Recital Hall
    Room 250 Baird Hall

    Center for 21st Century Music:

    Duo Gelland

    Duo Gelland.

    This eminent European ensemble turned the 18th century concept of a violin duo into a driving force of contemporary exploration. Cecilia and Martin Gelland revive forgotten gems with historically inspired insight, and in close collaboration with composers, bring new scores to life.

    October

    Sunday, October 1
    3 p.m.

    $10

    Baird Recital Hall
    Room 250 Baird Hall

    Faculty Recital:

    Michael Serio, piano

    Michael Serio.

    with special guest pianist Debi Adams

    Michael Serio will be joined by Debi Adams, faculty member of the Boston Conservatory, in a piano four hand program that will include a set of 7 pieces by Thomas Cabaniss called Tiny Bits of Outrageous Love, Samuel Barber's Souvenirs, Brahms's Waltzes, Op. 39, and arrangements of Rachmaninoff's Vocalise and Mozart's Papageno.

    Tuesday, October 17
    7:30 p.m.

    $10

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Center for 21st Century Music:

    Slee Sinfonietta

    Program to feature chamber musicians of the Slee Sinfonietta.

    Wednesday, October 18
    7:30 p.m.

    $20

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Slee Visiting Artist Series:

    Belcea Quartet

    Belcea Quartet.

    Corina Belcea & Suyeon Kang, violin; Krzysztof Chorzelski, viola; Antoine Lederlin, cello


    Schubert: Quartet in E-flat Major, D. 87
    Dvořák: Quartet in E-flat Major, Op. 51 “Slavonic”
    ~intermission~
    Bartók: Quartet No. 5

    As the London Times wrote in the Spring of 2019, these musicians are not confined by traditional boundaries. The two founding members, the Romanian violinist Corina Belcea and the Polish violist Krzysztof Chorzelski, brought a very different artistic provenance to the ensemble in 1994.

     

    Saturday, October 28
    7:30 p.m.

    $10

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Special Event:

    May Phang and Eric Huebner, piano

    An inaugural recital curated by Su Lian Tan and David Sanford for pianist May Phang. Color, shape, rumination, a set of expressions and impressions composed for the contemporary piano, this program includes underrepresented and emerging composers and will kick off with a world premiere by Jeffrey Mumford.

    Program to include:

    Kaija Saariaho: Ballade
    Jeffrey Mumford: resonant echoes, world premiere (commissioned by Su Lian Tan and David Sanford)
    John McDonald:
         1) That Thus May Flow…
             And Not Altogether Matter
         2) Sol, Ut
         3) Fantasy Couple
    Chen Zhangyi: Clima
    Su Lian Tan: The Other Pictures

    November

    Slee Beethoven String Quartet Cycle, Part I: Miró Quartet

    Miró Quartet.

    Daniel Ching & William Fedkenheuer, violin; John Largess, viola; Joshua Gindele, cello

    The Miró Quartet is one of America’s most celebrated and dedicated string quartets, having been labeled by The New Yorker as “furiously committed” and noted by the Cleveland Plain Dealer for its “exceptional tonal focus and interpretive intensity.” For over twenty-five years the Quartet has performed throughout the world on the most prestigious concert stages.

    • Thursday, November 2* – Concert I: Opp. 127, 18/1, 59/3
    • Friday, November 3* – Concert II: Opp. 74, 18/2, 131
    • Master Class on Saturday, November 4 at 11 a.m.
    • Saturday, November 4* – Concert III: Opp. 18/3, 133, 59/1

    Danish String Quartet

    Tuesday, November 7
    8 p.m.

    $30

    Mary Seaton Room
    Kleinhans Music Hall

    Danish String Quartet.

    Frederik Øland & Rune Tonsgaard Sørensen, violin; Asbjørn Nørgaard, viola; Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin, cello

    Bonus Concert at Kleinhans Music Hall

    Co-sponsored with the Buffalo Chamber Music Society.

    Purcell: Chaconne in G minor, Z. 730
    Haydn: String Quartet in G minor, Op. 20, No. 3
    Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 7, Op. 108
    ~intermission~
    A selection of Folk music

    Tickets for this event are at Buffalo Chamber Music Society

    *This event will not be offered as part of the BOGO sale.

    Wednesday, November 8
    7:30 p.m.

    $20

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Slee Visiting Artist Series:

    Danish String Quartet

    Mozart: Divertimento in F Major, K. 138
    Thomas Adès: Four Quarters String Quartet, Op. 28
    Britten: Three Divertimenti
    ~intermission~
    Schubert: String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D. 810 (“Death and the Maiden”)                 

    "What they do know is how to be an exceptional quartet, whatever repertory they play." — The New York Times

    Thursday, November 16
    7:30 p.m.

    Free

    Baird Recital Hall
    Room 250 Baird Hall

    Center for 21st Century Music:

    Kyle Hutchins, saxophone

    Works by Leah Reid, Ted Moore, Elizabeth A. Baker, UB composer Cort Lippe, and UB alumni Barry Moon.

    Saturday, November 18
    3 p.m.

    Free

    Baird Recital Hall
    Room 250 Baird Hall

    Special Event:

    Songs and Dances of Yvar

    Yvar Mikhashoff.

    Composer and pianist Yvar Mikhashoff taught at UB from 1973 until his death in 1993. This program will celebrate Mikhashoff’s legacy with original works and transcriptions performed by the Frisof/Pesca flute and piano duo as well as UB faculty, students and alumni.

    Presented with support from UB’s Center for 21st Century Music

    December

    Friday, December 1
    7:30 p.m.

    $10

    Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall

    Center for 21st Century Music:

    Fonema Consort

    Julio Estrada.

    Known for their “enthusiastic embrace of daring new music” (Chicago Reader), Fonema Consort commissions, performs, and records new music characterized by deep expressivity that explores the possibilities of the human voice in avant garde chamber settings. This concert features iconic works by eminent guest composer Julio Estrada, Pablo Santiago Chin, and Gabriela Paraskevaídis.

All concerts will take place at 7:30 p.m. in Lippes Concert Hall, Slee Hall, unless otherwise noted. Some concerts may take place in Baird Recital Hall, Room 250 Baird Hall.

All concert events are ticketed and priced below unless otherwise noted in the Event Calendar:

  • $20 for all visiting artist concerts
  • $10 for Center for 21st Century Music events, all Faculty recitals, organ recitals and special events
  • UB students with a valid ID will receive one complimentary ticket to all UB Music Department events

Further information: (716) 645-2921 or rehard@buffalo.edu

Buy One, Get One

Buy One, Get One ticket promotion on September 6, 2023 and February 1, 2024. Visit the Slee Hall box office from 11-6 p.m. to pick up your tickets!

The Slee Visiting Artist Series and the Slee Beethoven String Quartet Cycle are made possible, in part, by the generosity of the late Frederick and Alice Slee.

Center for 21st Century Music events are sponsored and managed by The Robert and Carol Morris Center for 21st Century Music in the UB Department of Music. Jonathan Golove, Artistic Director