To many in the Greater Lansing community, the intimate and acoustically superior Fairchild Theatre on the campus of Michigan State University is a gem they discover and then love because of amazing performances and the fact that there’s not a bad seat in the house. With the release of the upcoming 2018-19 season, the MSU College of Music is encouraging more members of the community to discover this excellent concert space right in their backyard.

The new Music at MSU season runs from September through April featuring a wide variety of superb classical and jazz performances. Handel, Mozart, Bernstein, and a Strauss opera are all presented by the same college that brings top-notch jazz to the community including acclaimed visiting artists. [preview the series below]

The college will kick-off the musical season with “Fairchild Fanfare” ­on Saturday, September 15, at 8 p.m. (note time change from 3 p.m.) Part of the MSU Federal Credit Union Showcase Series, this event is a fast-paced montage with a fabulous array of musical talent including faculty artists and students performing works for piano four-hands, marimba, voice, strings, brass, woodwinds as well as jazz. A highlight of this series will be Chicago-based super-group Eighth Blackbird on Wednesday, April 10 at 7:30 p.m., defined as adventurous, vibrant and known for performing from memory, employing choreography and more.

The MSU Opera Theatre will awe audiences with two fully staged and costumed operas at Fairchild, including the ever popular Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II in November and two comedic one-act operas combined make up Rossini & Puccini: La Scala di Seta, Gianni Schicchi in March.

The Joanne and Bill Church West Circle Series returns to celebrate the great works of master composers including Strauss, Bernstein, Mozart and Schubert. And for one week in April, internationally renowned guests and faculty artists will headline the 19th annual Cello Plus Chamber Music Festival, featuring the return of the Korean Hearts of Vision Chamber Orchestra.

Two fan-favorite series will return this season, the Taylor Johnston Early Music Series and the MSU Federal Credit Union Jazz Artist in Residence program. Both series will feature amazing guest artists including jazz pros Mimi Jones and Melissa Aldana, and House of Time, an early music ensemble hailed by San Francisco Classical Voice as “musically suave…volatile and beguiling.”

Again MSU Music adds joy to December with A Jazzy Little Christmas and a new program, Peace, Joy & Songs of the Season, featuring selections from Handel’s Messiah and more at a new, sacred location at the beautiful St. Thomas Aquinas Church in East Lansing. In addition, 2019 will see the return of Piano Monster, when four grand pianos fill the Fairchild stage to be commanded by accomplished pianists with arrangements for solo piano, piano for four hands, and other exciting works. And once again the amazing Jazz Spectacular series of events will be held near the close of the season in April.

All of this and much more will take place at Fairchild Theatre as well as the other excellent performance spaces throughout campus including the Cobb Great Hall in Wharton Center, Cook Recital Hall and Demonstration Hall. In addition to these stellar performances in the college’s reserved-seat series, the Music at MSU season includes general admission events for several artist-faculty and guest artist recitals as well as performances by accomplished graduate and undergraduate students comprising the MSU Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Ensembles, Wind Symphony, and Choral Ensembles, led by acclaimed MSU conductors.

Season brochure mails in August

MSU Music presents an outstanding array of jazz and choral ensembles, artist-faculty recitals and musical theatre featuring new works at the beautifully renovated Fairchild Theatre, plus Orchestra, band and Wind Symphony concerts at the Wharton Center. General admission tickets and reserved seat event series will go onsale to the public August 17.

Event series highlights

All performances at Fairchild Theatre unless otherwise noted.

MSU Federal Credit Union Showcase Series

• Fairchild Fanfare
  Saturday, Sept. 15, 8 p.m. (note time change from 3 p.m.) 
• Peace, Joy & Songs of the Season
  Saturday, Dec. 8, 8 p.m., St. Thomas Aquinas Church, East Lansing
• A Jazzy Little Christmas
  Saturday, Dec. 15, 8 p.m.
• Eighth Blackbird
  Wednesday, April 10, 7:30 p.m.
• Piano Monster
  Saturday, April 20, 3 p.m.
   

Joanne and Bill Church West Circle Series

• The Last of the German Romantics: Richard Strauss
  Monday, Oct. 15, 7:30 p.m.
• “Tonight,” A Tribute to Leonard Bernstein
  Monday, Nov. 5, 7:30 p.m.
• Happy Birthday Mozart!
  Monday, Jan. 28, 7:30 p.m.
• The King of Song: Franz Schubert
  Monday, April 1, 7:30 p.m.
   

MSU Opera Theatre

• Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss II
  Wednesday, Nov. 14, 7:00 p.m.; Friday, Nov. 16, 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 17, 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 18, 3:00 p.m.
• Rossini & Puccini: La Scala di Seta, Gianni Schicchi
  Wednesday, March 20, 7:00 p.m.; Friday, March 22, 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, March 23, 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, March 24, 3:00 p.m.
   

Cello Plus Chamber Music Festival

• Treasure Troves of Schubert
  Wednesday, April 3, 7:30 p.m.
• A Baroque Blend of Strings and Voices
  Friday, April 5, 8:00 p.m.
• Korean Hearts of Vision Chamber Orchestra
  Sunday, April 7, 3:00 p.m.
   

Taylor Johnston Early Music Series (guest artists)

• Dark Horse Consort
  Thursday, Sept. 20, 7:30 p.m.
• Academy Players
  Friday, Feb. 1, 8:00 p.m.
• House of Time
  Tuesday, Feb. 26, 7:30 p.m.
   

Jazz Favorites: MSU Federal Credit Union Jazz Artist in Residence, Jazz Spectacular

• Melissa Aldana, saxophone
  Friday, Oct. 5, 8:00 p.m.
• Mark Whitfield, guitar
  Friday, Dec. 7, 8:00 p.m.
• Mimi Jones, bass
  Friday, Feb. 8, 8:00 p.m.
  Demonstration Hall
• Steve Davis, trombone
  Friday, March 29, 8:00 p.m.
• Jazz Spectacular Finale Concert with special guests
  Saturday, April 13, 8:00 p.m.