Lied Center Announces Opening Night and Lineup for 30th Anniversary Season

The Lied Center for Performing Arts (liedcenter.org) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln announces its 30th Anniversary Opening Night concert with the St. Louis Symphony, as well as its classical performances coming in 2019-20. On September 19 at 7:30 p.m., the Lied Center’s 30th anniversary season opens with GRAMMY® Award-winning St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO), one of the top orchestras in the world, in its debut with new Music Director Stéphane Denève. The program showcases Debussy’s colorful “La Mer,” piano virtuoso Jean-Yves Thibaudet with Ravel’s “G Major Piano Concerto,” and Gershwin’s “An American in Paris Suite.” SLSO returns following its landmark “Firebird” collaboration with American Ballet Theatre at the Lied in 2018.

Brooklyn Rider, a string quartet of superstars, features pianist Paul Barnes in concert to celebrate the release of their international CD recording, including Philip Glass’ new work “Annunciation” on October 3 at 7:30 p.m. Brooklyn Rider is the only classical group invited to play the SXSW festival. They are known for their collaborations with diverse artists, ranging from Sting and Elvis Costello to Béla Fleck and Gabriel Kahane. Brooklyn Rider offers an eclectic repertoire and gripping performances with legions of fans; the group receives rave reviews from classical, world, and rock critics alike.

Now in its eighth season, the Lied’s “Piano Series” brings top piano soloists to Lincoln. On March 1, 2020 at 4 p.m., Murray Perahia, one of the most sought-after and cherished pianists of our time, winner of three GRAMMY® Awards and nine Gramophone Awards, returns to the Lied Center for the first time in 15 years. The Los Angeles Times said that Perahia was “one of the most satisfying, illuminating, and all-around impressive pianists of any generation.”

The continuously innovative Aspen Santa Fe Ballet joins forces onstage with Van Cliburn Piano Competition medalist Joyce Yang on April 11, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. to create a dazzling program integrated with live performance. In its Lied Center debut, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet presents a program that includes musical compositions by Erik Satie, Philip Glass, and Robert Schumann, as well as the perspective-bending work Dream Play. Steinway artist Joyce Yang’s performances were described by the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal as showcasing “an enormous palette of colors, and tremendous emotional depth.”

Patrons can now purchase a Lied Center for Performing Arts Season Subscription in person at the box office (301 N. 12th St.), by phone at (402) 472-4747, or online at LiedCenter.org. A season ticket package is an order of any four or more events. Members of the general public will receive a 10% discount for season ticket orders including four to seven events. Orders of eight or more events will receive a 20% discount. If the performances are not sold out through season ticket orders, any remaining tickets will be available for single ticket purchase starting in early August.