Spring 2026 Performances
"The Fabulous Dorseys" With the Anderson Twins Sextet
January 31, 2026
Identical twins Peter and Will Anderson are two of the most extraordinary jazz woodwind players today, hailed as “virtuosos on clarinet and saxophone” (The New York Times). The Andersons have performed with jazz greats throughout the U.S., as well as Brazil, Japan, and the U.K. Their program, "The Fabulous Dorseys," brings the remarkable story of Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey to life. Performed by a sextet of New York’s finest musicians, the show traces the brothers’ journey from their start in the coal regions of Northeastern Pennsylvania as teenage professionals on trombone and saxophone through their rise as national stars with the Dorsey Brothers Band, to the dramatic 1935 sibling split that sent them on separate paths, followed by their long-awaited reunion a decade later.
Lucky Chops with the University Jazz Band
February 12, 2026
Lucky Chops has been unleashing high-energy brassy funk on the world since forming in New York City in 2006. The intensity of the band’s energy is fueled by their desire to share the healing and inspirational power of music with others. That power has resonated with audiences around the globe, giving the band hundreds of millions of views on their online videos and leading to live performances in more than twenty-five countries. Lucky Chops maintains a busy schedule touring across several continents.
The University of Scranton Jazz Band is a 25-member ensemble with big-band instrumentation, made up of University of Scranton student musicians from majors across the curriculum.
Sidney Outlaw and Christopher Johnson
February 28, 2026
Lauded by The New York Times as a “terrific singer” with a “deep, rich timbre,” Grammy-nominated baritone Sidney Outlaw is an internationally acclaimed opera and concert artist known for his powerful, forthright sound, bringing equal authority and artistry to the operatic, symphonic, and concert stages. Since bursting onto the global stage as the Grand Prize winner of the Concurso Internacional de Canto Montserrat Caballé, he has appeared with leading opera companies and orchestras across the U.S. and abroad.
A native of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Christopher Johnson is a member of acclaimed chamber orchestra The Knights. Also currently serving as Director of Music and Organist at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Scranton and as Director of Chapel Music at The Interchurch Center in New York City on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, he also performs regularly as a flautist and organist with Ensemble Eccolo, a chamber ensemble based in Altenburg, Germany.
General Recital featuring University of Scranton Student Musicians
March 4, 2026
Student musicians from Performance Music at the University will perform solo, duet, trio, and small ensemble renditions of various repertoire. Ensembles scheduled to perform include Steel Drum Band, Saxophone Ensemble, String Quartet, and Flute Ensemble.
The primary focus of Performance Music at The University of Scranton is its student choral and instrumental performing ensembles. There is no music major at The University; all enrolled Scranton students (undergraduate and graduate) are eligible for membership in the University bands, choirs, string ensembles, and steel drum band with neither an audition nor enrollment fee required for membership. Hundreds of students participate in the ensembles each year.
University of Scranton Singers and Symphonic Band
March 28, 2026
The University's Concert Choir and Symphonic Band are comprised of members of the university community from majors and departments spanning the curriculum – the vast majority of them undergraduate students, joined by a few graduate students and members of the faculty and staff, none of whom are music majors – all brought together by their mutual love of music-making. The primary focus of Performance Music at The University of Scranton is its student choral and instrumental performing ensembles. There is no music major at The University; all enrolled Scranton students (undergraduate and graduate) are eligible for membership in the University bands, choirs, string ensembles, and steel drum band with neither an audition nor enrollment fee required for membership. Hundreds of students participate in the ensembles each year.
University of Scranton Jazz Band featuring Guest Soloist Jen Krupa, Trombone
Jennifer Krupa is an acclaimed trombonist, musician, music educator, conductor, composer, and arranger. She has written original works and arrangements for a wide variety of ensembles which have been featured in recordings and performances across the globe, and her extensive discography spans nearly 40 recordings. In her two-decade tenure with the United States Navy Band Commodores Jazz Ensemble, Krupa held multiple key roles, including music director, arranger, tour manager, operations and personnel manager, and trombonist. She is currently on the faculty of The Juilliard School, where she directs The Juilliard Jazz Orchestra.
The University Jazz Band is a 25-member ensemble with big-band-style instrumentation, made up of Scranton student musicians from majors across the curriculum. They perform five or more times per year, and the majority of their performances are open to the public, free of admission charge, and often feature a nationally or internationally renowned guest soloist.
World Premiere Composition Series Concert Featuring Two New Works by Guest Composer and Conductor Ahmed Alom
Featuring the University's Concert Band and Concert Choir
May 2, 2026
Ahmed Alom, is a pianist, composer, and conductor whose artistry bridges classical and popular traditions, earning him recognition as “one of the most versatile artists in the Western Hemisphere” (Diario de Mallorca). His compositions have been performed by renowned musicians throughout the world, including pianist Yuja Wang, who premiered his “Displaced Etude No. 1” with the New York Philharmonic. As a soloist, Alom has appeared with Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, New World Symphony, and Orquesta Filarmónica de México, among others. A member of Triple Cortado, he is also the youngest Artistic Director of the Washington Square Music Festival, where he champions inclusive and innovative programming.
The primary focus of Performance Music at Scranton is its student choral and instrumental performing ensembles. There is no music major at The University; all enrolled Scranton students (undergraduate and graduate) are eligible for membership in the University bands, choirs, string ensembles, and steel drum band with neither an audition nor enrollment fee required for membership. Hundreds of students participate in the ensembles each year.
University of Scranton String Orchestra
May 8, 2026
The University's String Orchestra is a 40+ member ensemble comprised of members of the university community from majors and departments spanning the curriculum – most of them undergraduate students, joined by a few graduate students, alumni, and members of the faculty – none of whom are music majors, who are all brought together by their mutual love of music-making.
John Wilson
May 16, 2026
A native of the mid-valley area near Scranton, John Wilson, Orchestral Pianist for the San Francisco Symphony and Principal Keyboard for the Marin Symphony, San Diego Symphony, and Oakland Symphony, is critically and popularly acclaimed for his extraordinary artistry and commanding presence.
Last season cemented his reputation as a defining voice in American solo piano, beginning with a sold-out Carnegie Hall recital. In addition to his near constant orchestral work, he performed solo concerti with San Francisco Philharmonic, Marin Symphony, and Merced Symphony, and teaches at San Francisco Conservatory. His recording of Gershwin transcriptions by Earl Wild surpassed one million streams in its first year, and he appears on two Grammy‑winning recordings with San Francisco Symphony, and on “GRACE: The Music of Michael Tilson Thomas.”
Wilson has performed with violinist Joshua Bell, cellist Johannes Moser, and iconic vocalists Frederica von Stade, Sasha Cooke, and Michael Feinstein, played on international tours with the San Francisco Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas and Esa-Pekka Salonen, and made guest appearances with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. A passionate advocate for new music, he has premiered works by Michael Tilson Thomas, John Adams, Steve Reich, Timo Andres and Gabriela Lena Frank.
Scranton Brass Orchestra
June 14, 2026
The Scranton Brass Orchestra performed a “pops” concert featuring compositions, arrangements, and transcriptions for brass band/brass orchestra, including pops hits, Disney favorites, and music for film. The evening’s fare included Malcolm Arnold’s "Four Scottish Dances," Turrin’s "Overture for Brass," a number of Disney favorites, the theme from "Bridge Over The River Kwai," and more.
SBO is a fully professional 26-member ensemble founded in 2011 by its conductor Cheryl Y. Boga, project instigator Hal Baillie, and guest brass expert Mark Gould. Comprised of brass players and teachers from the region, membership is by invitation only. The group's performances are free of charge and open to the public, and often feature nationally and internationally acclaimed guest artists, including many of the most respected brass players of our time. The group made its debut in 2011 before hundreds of appreciative audience members and has since garnered acclaim from both audiences and musicians alike.