Levitt Pavilion concert to showcase Wright State’s fine and performing art students

Wright State University music, musical theatre and visual arts programs will come together for a special concert at the Levitt Pavilion in downtown Dayton.

Wright State Arts Live! A Celebration of Fine and Performing Arts will be presented at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 16, at the Levitt Pavilion Dayton, 134 South Main Street. Read about the venue’s safety guidelines.

The free concert features a sampling of Wright State’s fine and performing arts while promoting the 2021–22 music, theatre and visual arts season offered in the Creative Arts Center. It also serves as a launch of ArtsGala, Wright State’s annual art event and fundraiser.

“We thought it would be a great way to showcase all of the performing and visual arts at Wright State, while at the same time incorporating the launch of ArtsGala 2022,” said Dan Zehringer, D.M.A., chair of the School of Music. “We really wanted to highlight to our alumni and patrons the amount of diverse programming opportunities available year-round in the CAC and partake in what we’re doing. After all, the arts at Wright State University host the largest amount of concerts of any organization in the Miami Valley.”

The concert also presents a unique opportunity for the School of Music, the Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures, and the Department of Art and Art History to perform on the same stage.

“It’s a great time for all of us to share the stage and celebrate the arts at Wright State University,” said Joe Deer, artist director of the Department of Theatre, Dance and Motion Pictures.

The concert will include performances by the Men’s Chorus and Fight Club, under the direction of James Tipps, Ph.D., professor of music; the Percussion Ensemble, under the direction of Jerry Noble, director of percussion; and the Jazz Band and Faculty Quartet, conducted by David Diamond, D.M.A., adjunct instructor in trumpet, and joined by members of the School of Music faculty.

Music theatre students will present selections from “Mamma Mia!,” which will be performed Oct. 29–Nov. 14 in the Festival Playhouse in the Creative Arts Center.

The performances will be accompanied by an on-stage slideshow of works by students and faculty in Wright State’s Department of Art and Art History.

“While our patrons are enjoying the live music performed on stage, they can also see visually works from our art department,” Zehringer said.

The College of Liberal Arts hopes the Sept. 16 concert is the beginning of a new tradition every fall at the Levitt Pavilion, Zehringer said.

Wright State Arts Live is sponsored by ArtsGala, which takes place April 9, 2022, in the Creative Arts Center.