Lineup Announced for Opening Nights Performing Arts Series

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News Release: Florida State University
August 5, 2014

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida State University will welcome back world-class performers and introduce new artists to the community during the 2014-2015 Opening Nights Performing Arts series.

Opening Nights Performing Arts, formerly known as Seven Days of Opening Nights, promises an eclectic mix of artists in the areas of music, dance, theater, creative writing, film and visual arts. While the series will run roughly October through April, the February festival will serve as the core element of the annual series.

Series highlights include performances by Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck, violinist Joshua Bell and “Orange is the New Black” author and activist Piper Kerman.

“We are pleased to present a spectacular lineup that includes top artists, many of whom will make Opening Nights their only stop in Florida or the Southeast,” said Christopher Heacox, executive director of Opening Nights. “In addition to the outstanding performances, education and community engagement are vital to our mission as arts presenters in the Big Bend community, and we are excited to introduce new programs this year.”

Partners in Education, a collaboration with Leon County Schools, is a national program through the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., that will provide arts integration workshops to area teachers. In addition, a new series, Creative Conversations, will bring community members, educators and artists together for discussions that will broaden the impact and perspective of performances. Creative Conversations, a Pop-Up series, master classes and K-12 events vary in time and location throughout the series. For more information, visit openingnights.fsu.edu.

Ticket sales for Opening Nights members begin Tuesday, Aug. 12, depending on membership level, and continue through Monday, Sept. 15. Tickets for the general public go on sale Tuesday, Sept. 16, at 11 a.m.

Student RUSH tickets are new to this year’s festival; $10 student RUSH tickets will be available 24 hours before each event in all sections, pending availability and limited to two RUSH tickets per student ID. For additional ticket information, visit openingnights.fsu.edu.

The Opening Nights schedule for this season is as follows: