Our Events

Each year, we invite artists of international renown to perform as part of our endowed Green Guest Artist series. Among the incredibly talented guests who have performed at the DePauw University Green Center are Yo-Yo Ma, Rhiannon Giddens, Thomas Hampson, Bobby McFerrin, Postmodern Jukebox, The Kings’s Singers, Sweet Honey in the Rock, and Frederica von Stade, to name only a few. These concerts are often preceded by master classes, workshops, and classroom visits to give all of our students a chance to meet and work with some of the best artists in the world. This year, we welcome the New York-based Founders ensemble, trumpeter Sean Jones, and multi-instrumentalist Jerron Paxton. 

Friday, Nov. 17 • 7:30 PM • Kresge Auditorium

Music and spirituality have always been intertwined in the artistic vision of trumpeter, bandleader, composer, and educator Sean Jones. Comfortable in any musical setting no matter the role or genre, from Lincoln Center to the Green Center, Jones’s extraordinary musicianship allows him to move seamlessly from setting to setting, be it intimate, orchestral or big band — as our Green Guest Artist and as headliner for DePauw School of Music’s 2023 JazzFest.

From fully staged operas and musicals to more intimate revue-style performances, we do it all! Each fall, our beautiful Moore Theatre whirls into action as the collaborative process of performing a musical begins. Then in the spring, the opera moves in and calls it home. In the between-time, Thompson Recital Hall hosts the performances by our “Music for the Stage” class as they perform scenes from various operas and musicals!

Thursday, February 29 – Sunday, March 2

Based on the beloved book by French author Antoine de Saint-Expuréy, British composer Rachel Portman’s opera The Little Prince imagines a child prince who has fallen to Earth from a tiny asteroid! Upon meeting a stranded airplane pilot, they explore Earth together, witnessing many unusual characters along the way and, eventually, learning many lessons about honesty and empathy from their experiences — a gentle reminder that “one sees clearly only with the heart.” 

The DePauw University School of Music is home to six unique large ensembles: University Orchestra, University Band, Jazz Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Festival Choir, and Vox Animae. These large-scale collaborations give each student an opportunity to perform with their peers and perform great repertoire of old as well as contemporary masterworks. Alongside our large-ensembles, we also host an array of studio concerts, jazz combo performances, and collaborative events involving multiple groups! Pictured here is a photo from our Holiday Gala closing number which included the orchestra, band, choir, as well as faculty performers!

Sunday, Sept 17 • 3 PM • Kresge Auditorium

The season-opening concert of the DePauw University Orchestra, conducted by Orcenith Smith, highlights an impressive range of repertoire from Aaron Copland’s masterpiece Appalachian Spring, inspired by the tune “Simple Gifts,” to Stravinsky’s irresistibly rhythmic Suite No. 1 and Elena Kats-Chernin’s “Dance of the Paper Umbrellas.” Couldn’t get tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras tour this summer? Come hear DUO perform Swift’s classic smash hit “Shake It Off” in Kresge, where tickets are free and everybody’s welcome! 

Each year, we host multiple music festivals: DePauw ChoralFest, DePauw Jazzfest, and in alternate years, Music of the 21st Century! These events provide a wealth of opportunities for everyone involved. The week-long Music of the 21st Century festival gives students a chance to work with living composers as they prepare their works for performance, including an intimate chamber concert and a large-scale gala closing concert! In contrast, Jazzfest is a single day where the GCPA transforms into a jazz beacon featuring guest artists, master classes for individual students as well as high school jazz ensembles from across Indiana, performances by the DePauw Jazz Ensemble, and a closing concert by a special guest artist! 

DePauw's inaugural ChoralFest, held on Oct. 6, 2023, featured “The Music of Z. Randall Stroope,” pictured at the left guest conducting over 200 DePauw University and Festival choral singers in Kresge Auditorium!

DePauw Jazzfest, on Nov. 17, will conclude with a Green Guest Artist Concert by guest trumpeter and composer Sean Jones and the The DePauw Jazz Festival Orchestra!

The Global Music Experience provides an opportunity for students and faculty to experience music from various cultures across the world. Previous programs focused on music from China and from India and Southeast Asia, concluding with a Green Guest Artist concert by tabla player Sandeep Das and the HUM Ensemble.

This year's Global Music Experience will focus on “Music in Mexico” and include a guest performance by Eric Salazar (pictured) and a week-long residency by Dr. Lauryn Salazar. Both are open to everyone interested in learning more about Mexican music!

Music performance majors typically present two solo recitals during their time at DePauw: a 30-minute recital that caps off their junior year and an hour long one at the end of their senior year to showcase all that they have learned!

And, student recitals are not just limited to performance majors! Every student in the music program may elect to perform a recital. Invite your friends, family, and everyone you know to experience music in a way that only you know how!