FEATURED EVENTS

Friday, January 20, 7:30 pm
Saturday, January 21, 4 pm

$15 General Public
$12 EIU Employees & Seniors (62+)
$7 Students

Punk Yankees is a provocative and entertaining dance theatre work that combines live performance, video and the internet to unpack ideas about authenticity, originality and the ownership of dance in the digital age.

With the controversial nature of dealing with issues of intellectual property, the work takes on challenging topics including sampling, mash-ups, stylistic referencing, impersonation, unconscious theft, lineage, cultural appropriation and ideas about “fair use” in dance.

Visit StealThisDance.com, a virtual stage for research and experiments for Punk Yankees, and a place where you can steal, buy and share some dance moves!

This is a Doudna Fine Arts Center New and Emerging Artist Series program.

7:30 pm
Recital Hall

$15 General Public
$12 EIU Employees & Seniors (62+)
$7 Students

The Axiom Brass Quintet has quickly established itself as “one of the major art music groups in brass chamber music.” Winners of the 2008 International Chamber Brass Competition and prize winners of the 2010 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, the Preis der Europa-Stadt Passau, the Plowman Chamber Music Competition and the Jeju City International Brass Quintet Competition in South Korea, Axiom Brass is dedicated to enhancing the musical life of communities across the globe and educating the next generation of musicians.

Internationally recognized for their groundbreaking programming, their repertoire ranges from jazz and Latin music to string quartet transcriptions, as well as original compositions for brass quintet.

This is a Doudna Fine Arts Center New and Emerging Artist Series program.

7:30 pm
The Theatre

$15 General Public
$12 EIU Employees & Seniors (62+)
$7 Students

Over one hundred and fifty years ago, Americans struggled with issues of slavery, race, freedom, equality, states’ rights, and America’s future. In the 1858 Illinois Senate race, as the country steamrolled towards an enormous and costly civil war, Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas embarked on a series of debates. Their epic clash of ideas and oratory forged a future President and a nation.

Without access to television, blogs, and podcasts, the debates were witnessed live by thousands along with written reports transported by railroad and telegraph across the country. A local race quickly became the focus of a divided country, whose future was on the line.

The Rivalry, Norman Corwin’s riveting depiction of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, uses dialogue from the original debate transcripts to bring to life the fierce competition between the future President and the incumbent Senator as they tackled the day's most controversial issues - slavery and the American concept of freedom.

The play eloquently reminds us of a time when substantive political debate engaged Americans in a way that screeching talking heads and the blogosphere cannot and underscores the impact of words and their effective communication in shaping public policy.

This is a Doudna Fine Arts Center New and Emerging Artist Series program.

7:30 pm
The Theatre

Tickets: $10

Theirs are the ancient songs of the Silk Road, the melodies of the Uyghurs, the Kazaks, the Kirkiz; the rhythms of the Hui, the Uzbek and Tatars. As you listen, close your eyes— the sounds will take you to the spice markets, deserts and vineyards of western China, a land of vast contrast, scale, and history. Experience TARIM, an ensemble of musicians and dancers from the Cultural Bureau of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

An Arts Midwest initiative, the 2011-13 Arts Midwest World Fest is generously sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts, 3M Foundation, MetLife Foundation, the Ministry of Culture of the People's Republic of China, and the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest in support of Yamma Ensemble. Arts Midwest World Fest is also generously supported by Illinois Arts Council, Indiana Arts Commission, Iowa Arts Council, Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, Minnesota State Arts Board, North Dakota Council on the Arts, Ohio Arts Council, South Dakota Arts Council, and Wisconsin Arts Board.

7:30 pm
The Theatre

$15 General Public
$12 EIU Employees & Seniors (62+)
$7 Students

Taking the Celtic scene by storm, The Tartan Terrors go beyond the ordinary by combining musical prowess with championship-caliber highland dancers and internationally recognized comedic performers.

After hearing the blistering piping of a two-time world champion bagpiper, the driving tones of drums from around the world and a guitar played unlike any most have ever heard, standing-room-only audiences understand why Dig This Magazine declares The Terrors “one act to keep an eye on!” and Celtic Beat Magazine hails them as “the heirs apparent to the [Celtic] mayhem.”

Members of the Tartan Terrors have performed on four different continents for guests including President Bill Clinton and Queen Elizabeth II. Their music is streaming for on-demand listening in multiple international podcasts, including a coveted spot on Pulse of the Planet in Spain.

This is a Doudna Fine Arts Center New and Emerging Artist Series program.

7:30 pm, The Theatre

Tickets: $10

The name Montana Skies is a metaphor for musical freedom, and the band members continue to follow their creative instincts far beyond traditional boundaries.

In concert, these award-winning musicians delve into music ranging from Pink Floyd and Rush to Vivaldi, as well as their own originals that have been featured everywhere from NPR to the Travel Channel.

Montana Skies’ seemingly non-stop tour schedule has taken them all across the United States, as well as to Canada, Asia and Russia, and their dedication to their musical vision has helped them build an enthusiastic grassroots fan base along the way.

Merging elements of classical technique, jazz improv and the power and energy of rock ‘n’ roll, Jonathan’s guitar wizardry and Jenn’s blazing electric cello combine to create a sound that is truly remarkable. While the music defies simple categorization, it is a fusion in the truest sense of the word.

It’s been called everything from chamber rock to psychedelic strings. Whatever you want to call it, rest assured, this ain’t your granny’s chamber music.

This is a Doudna Fine Arts Center New and Emerging Artist Series program.

7:30 pm
Dvorak Concert Hall

$15 General Public
$12 EIU Employees & Seniors (62+)
$7 Students

This 32-voice ensemble, whose members range from 9 to 14 years old, will present audience favorites from America’s musical history, along with exquisite arrangements of some of the most-loved classical music. It’s a show for the whole family!

The All-American Boys Chorus has appeared with many entertainers and artists, including Bob Hope, Tony Bennett, Paul Anka, Victor Borge, Della Reese, Melissa Manchester and Josh Groban. It also has shared the stage with noted statesmen, industrialists and celebrities, including former presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and George Bush; former chancellor Helmut Kohl of Germany; Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf; former Secretary of State Colin Powell; Henry Kissinger; Lee Iacocca; and Walter Cronkite.