Presented by Appalachian State University’s Office of Arts Engagement and Cultural Resources, this annual celebration of the performing and visual arts is held every summer in venues across the university campus, and features an eclectic mix of music, dance, theatre, visual arts and film programming.

Schedule of Events:

June 28, 2025

7:30 pm: Amos Lee

Philadelphia-born singer-songwriter Amos Lee released his gold-selling self-titled first album in 2005 and has been known for his association with a long list of collaborators and touring partners, from Paul Simon and Bob Dylan to Zac Brown Band and Willie Nelson. The force behind such acclaimed albums as Mission Bell and Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song, Lee’s recent years have been wildly productive. After 2022’s Dreamland album (which featured “Worry No More,” a Top 10 AAA hit and his biggest single in over a decade), he followed up with two full-length projects paying homage to musical heroes — My Ideal: A Tribute to “Chet Baker Sings” and Honeysuckle Switches: The Songs of Lucinda Williams. Don’t miss Amos Lee live at the Schaefer Center!

About Amos Lee
“There’s a lot of existential stuff in these songs,” says Amos Lee. “If you really listen to what’s in between the lines, there’s a lot of grappling with your place in the world, grappling with loss. There’s a lot of grappling with the balance between bailing out the boat and rowing at the same time — the experience of writing music and playing songs while trying, as we all are right now, to make sense of a world that feels like it’s changing really quickly.”

On his 11th studio album, Transmissions, singer-songwriter Lee continues to expand his sonic range while sharpening his closely observed lyrics that squarely address death, aging, and love.

For the new project, he craved a return to an old-school style of recording, working with his longtime band in a studio in rural Marlboro, New York that was built by drummer Lee Falco and his dad out of reclaimed wood from an old church (“it’s exactly what you’d think a studio in upstate New York should be,” notes Lee). Playing live on the floor for long hours, in close quarters, they were able to capture the album’s 12 songs in less than a week.

Fresh off some dates with Willie Nelson and heading into a co-headlining tour with the Indigo Girls, Amos Lee notes that his attitude about being embraced by his peers and his idols has transformed over the years, and that his gratitude deeply informs the emotions throughout Transmissions.

“I just appreciate everything a lot more now,” he says. “When you’re younger, you get it, but you don’t really get it because you’re like ‘Oh, cool — my first tour ever and I’m opening for Bob Dylan? Cool.’ Or Norah Jones, the biggest artist in the world, bringing you out right off the street. How do you appreciate that? I was just sort of clueless, honestly. Not out of malice, but you have no context.

“So now I’m just grateful to have a career,” he continues. “I’m grateful to be asked to share the stage with folks who I respect and admire and love and want to learn from and want to support. Now it’s about really being present while it’s happening and knowing that this is not promised, none of this is destiny. It’s a lot of chance. So, I’m making sure to really enjoy and appreciate all these opportunities.”

“I really wanted us to be all in the room, making music together, listening to each other and responding to each other,” says Lee. “In this age where you can do everything at home and fly it in, there’s something really beautiful about getting in a room and starting at the top, the drummer counting in the song and everybody just playing. I would call it vulnerability.”

Despite the simplicity of the set-up, though, Lee also augmented the band’s soulful, folk-funk sound with arrangements that extend the scope of some songs. “I’ve done a lot of shows over the past few years with orchestras,” he says, “and I wanted to find a way to have miniature moments that could represent those experiences. If you listen to the end of ‘Night Light’ or ‘Built to Fall,’ there are moments that express those ideas of collaboration and orchestration.”

Location: Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28607

June 29, 2025

10:00 am: 14th Annual Rosen-Schaffel Competition

Competition: 10:00am – 1:00pm
Winner’s Recital: 3:00pm – 4:00pm

Musicians compete in all disciplines for a chance to win cash prizes. The competition features a panel of distinguished judges who will provide feedback and mentorship to the contestants throughout the competition, before announcing the winners. The application opened this past spring to undergraduate and graduate students currently enrolled in a music degree program (up to age 26) at a college/university located in 11 Southeastern states: NC, SC, GA, FL, AL, MS, LA, TN, KY, WV and VA.

First Place: $2,500 + afternoon recital
Second Place: $2,000
Third Place: $1,500
Honorable Mention: $1,000
Audience Choice: $500

Named in honor of Mrs. Muriel Rosen and two of Mrs. Rosen’s family members, Nancy and Neil Schaffel, the Rosen-Schaffel Competition continues to uphold a legacy of excellence and artistic growth. This event is a cornerstone of Appalachian State University’s commitment to fostering the arts and providing exceptional opportunities for young musicians to achieve their dreams.

Location: Rosen Concert Hall, Broyhill Music Center, 813 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28607

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm: 14th Annual Rosen-Schaffel Competition Winner's Recital

Competition: 10:00am – 1:00pm
Winner’s Recital: 3:00pm – 4:00pm

The winner of the 14th Annual Rosen-Schaffel Competition for Young and Emerging Artists will perform a full recital of the works they performed during the competition held earlier that morning.

Location: Rosen Concert Hall, Broyhill Music Center, 813 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28607

July 1, 2025

7:30 pm: Touch

The Helene and Stephen Weicholz Global Film Series

In English/Japanese/Icelandic with English subtitles
Iceland, United Kingdom, Japan / Rated R / Directed by Baltasar Kormákur / 2024 / Drama, Romance / 121 minutes

A romantic and thrilling story that spans several decades and continents, Touch follows one man’s emotional journey to find his first love, who disappeared 50 years ago, before his time runs out.

Join us for a brief post-show talkback with film series curator Dale Pollock, as he discusses the movie in deeper context.

THEME
“The theme for this year’s series is Family, in its many forms and permutations. This selection of international films focuses on the fragility of family relationships when they are tested from within or from outside pressures, and how they remain resilient.” - Dale Pollock

About the curator
Dale M. Pollock, a writer, film producer, filmmaker and author, has served as head film critic for Daily Variety, chief entertainment correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, Dean of the School of Filmmaking at the (then) North Carolina School of the Arts, and Professor of Cinema Studies at NCSA, among other illustrious roles. He was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in the early 1980s, wrote Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, and his first work of fiction, Chopped: A Novel, is available in print, e-book, and audiobook. Pollock continues to teach Continuing Education classes at UNCSA, along with programming the Weicholz Global Film Series as part of An Appalachian Summer.

Location: Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28607

July 3, 2025

5:00 pm: ARTtalk: "Threading Communities," Kelsey Merreck Wagner

ARTtalk is a series of four events offering intimate, behind-the-scenes discussions with select artists from the visual and performing arts worlds appearing on the summer series. ARTtalks include:

“Threading Communities,” Kelsey Merreck Wagner

Introducing Kelsey Merreck Wagner’s artist’s residency at the Jim Thompson Farm in the Pak Thong Chai District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand in 2024. Wagner will discuss a selection of the exhibiting artists in Threading: Contemporary Art of Thailand, on view at the Turchin Center July 3-Dec 6.

About Kelsey Merreck Wagner
Kelsey Merreck Wagner (b. 1990) is a textile artist, anthropologist, and environmental activist. She received her B.A. (studio arts; focus: printmaking) at Western Michigan University, her M.A. (cultural studies & sustainability; focus: community-engaged arts) at Appalachian State University, and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Michigan State University (anthropology; focus: environmental art and activism).

She has exhibited work internationally in Canada, Thailand, Cambodia, and Italy, as well as shows across the united states including Illinois, New York, Texas, North Carolina, Michigan, Virginia, and Ohio. Her work is held in private, public, and institutional collections around the world. She is represented by Warin Lab Contemporary in Thailand.

Wagner’s creative process addresses human-environment relationships, especially our connections to animals, the impacts of climate change, and the influx of trash in local ecosystems. Her earlier projects, which focused on elephants, bats, oysters, mussels, dolphins, and birds — were made from large monoprints, which she painted, embroidered and drew on before stuffing and sewing the pieces together into sculptures. Her ongoing work with textiles are weavings made with plastic bags and recycled materials. The process of weaving abandoned mediums into a narrative of human/product/environment relationships points to the complex web of ecology we live in, destroy, and seek to protect.

As a social-practice artist, she collaborates with artists, educators, and community members via research, workshops, and public art projects. She is a co-founding member of the ARTWORMS Mekong Artist Collective, as well as a committee member for the Blue Ridge Fiber Guild. Additionally, Wagner is a curator with a history of exhibits focused on socio-cultural-environmental issues.

Location: Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, 423 West King Street, Boone, NC 28608

5:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Summer Exhibition Celebration 

Engage with visiting artists and fellow arts advocates, enjoy live music with Trevor McKenzie and Friends and refreshments, discover the exciting exhibitions showcased across six galleries by local, regional, national and international artists.

Webs of Significance: Center Award & Grant Winners
May 2-October 4, 2025
Gallery A & Petti / Peiser Gallery

The non-profit organization Center shares with the Turchin Center a commitment to change the world through the power of the visual arts. One of Center’s most significant contributions is its annual award and grant program, which has supported thousands of artists over the years. Webs of Significance features many of the 2024 award-winning photographers from across the country.

I Remember: Elizabeth Stone
June 6-November 1, 2025
Mayer Gallery

Photographer Elizabeth Stone thinks deeply about community connections and how people gather memories in meaningful ways. Sharing in the participatory multi-generational stories of I Remember is an opportunity to connect with extended communities that are both specific and anonymous. The installation includes identifiable individuals; at the same time, we see ourselves as part of a collective whole.

Image and Music: John Cohen
June 6-December 13, 2025
Bickers Gallery

The Turchin Center partners with photographer/filmmaker/musician/folklorist John Cohen’s extended family and gallerist L. Parker Stephenson to bring to campus an exhibition of Cohen’s Appalachian photographs of many of the region’s traditional musicians. Cohen coined the term “High Lonesome Sound” to describe old-time American mountain music.

Threading: Contemporary Art of Thailand
July 3-December 6, 2025
Hodges and Community Galleries

Central to the mission of the Turchin Center is a commitment to showcasing international artists. Turchin is pleased to present the seventh international series, Threading: Contemporary Art from Thailand, showcasing the art of 21 dynamic contemporary artists living and working in Bangkok and Saen Suk, Chon Buri, Thailand in collaboration with the university’s Office of International Programs.

Location: Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, 423 West King Street, Boone, NC 28608

7:30 pm: Celebrating Our Country and Community through Music    

A Classic Concert Series Event
Supporting Sponsorship provided by App State Campus Store and Broyhill Family Foundation.

Funded in part by the Satie Hunt Broyhill Endowment for the Performing Arts in honor of Dr. William L. Pelto, former Dean of the Hayes School of Music

Bring the whole family to an inspiring musical event! Faculty from the Hayes School of Music and young musicians from Cannon Music Camp’s 57th season present an interactive concert for all ages. Celebrating Country and Community through Music kicks off the lead-up to the U.S. Semiquincentennial, marking 250 years since the Declaration of Independence. Enjoy familiar tunes performed by soloists, chamber groups, singers, bands, and keyboardists, concluding with a thrilling full-orchestra finale. This family-friendly concert connects generations, celebrates communities, and promises to inspire. Don’t miss this unforgettable experience!

Location: Rosen Concert Hall, Broyhill Music Center, 813 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28607

July 6, 2025

7:30 pm: Ranky Tanky with Ms. Lisa Fischer

A Schaefer Spotlight Series Event

Series Sponsorship provided by Bonnie and Jamie Schaefer. Supporting Sponsorship provided by App State Campus Store, Broyhill Family Foundation, Appalachian Home Care, The Art Cellar, Explore Boone, Goodnight Brothers, Mast General Store, and SkyBest Communications, Inc.

Ranky Tanky (a Gullah phrase for “get funky”), whose jazz-influenced arrangements of traditional Gullah music NPR calls “lively, soulful honey to the ears” joins forces with Grammy winner Lisa Fischer, who the Minneapolis Star Tribune says brings “soul, jazz, rock, gospel, folk, pop, and classical …  [and] cuts loose with funk and fierceness and rocks with abandon.”

About Ranky Tanky
Ranky Tanky (a Gullah phrase for “get funky”) are five lifelong friends from Charleston, South Carolina, who have established themselves as passionate global ambassadors for their local culture and community, helping to faithfully preserve the traditions originated by African Americans in the coastal South during slavery that are kept alive through the present day.

In 2023, Ranky Tanky took home the GRAMMY Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album, celebrating their second GRAMMY win in a four-year span. Celebrating the music of their West African-rooted Gullah community, Ranky Tanky were honored in 2023 for their first-ever live album — Live at the 2022 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival — which was captured during their debut at the iconic festival. Ranky Tanky previously took home Best Regional Roots Music Album in 2020 for their studio album Good Time, marking the first-ever GRAMMY Award win for an album of Gullah music. The five-piece have now won Best Regional Roots Album for two consecutive releases and become the most awarded group in the history of the category.

The 2023 GRAMMY win is just the latest accolade in a long line of “firsts” that Ranky Tanky has achieved for the music of the Gullah community. The five-piece also reached #1 on each of the Billboard, Amazon and iTunes jazz charts, brought their songs and stories to national television on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the TODAY Show and PBS Newshour — and even performed during President Joe Biden’s 2020 inauguration festivities.

About Lisa Fischer
“There are some artists that bring a certain magic to their live performances that engage you in a way that is far beyond just listening to a record. Lisa Fischer is definitely one of these artists. Her voice alone demands your full and undivided attention. You can see it in the faces of the packed-out audiences, as every eye in the venue is transfixed by her incredible, yet effortless-looking performance. The range of her voice is quite frankly unbelievable. Add to that the control, the power, the delicateness, and the crystalline clarity, and you truly have a one-in-a-million performer on your hands. Whilst you might come across a singer with some of these attributes, to find one who has all of them in abundance is something unique and special.” – Kirstine Walton / Loud Hailer Magazine

Location: Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28607

July 8, 2025
 
7:30 pm: Arze 

The Helene and Stephen Weicholz Global Film Series

In Arabic with English subtitles
Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Egypt / Not rated / Directed by Mira Shaib / 2024 / Comedy, Drama / 90 minutes

Arzé, a single mother, takes her teenage son on a journey across sectarian Beirut in search of their stolen scooter, their only source of livelihood.

Join us for a brief post-show talkback with film series curator Dale Pollock, as he discusses the movie in deeper context.

THEME
“The theme for this year’s series is Family, in its many forms and permutations. This selection of international films focuses on the fragility of family relationships when they are tested from within or from outside pressures, and how they remain resilient.” - Dale Pollock

About the curator
Dale M. Pollock, a writer, film producer, filmmaker and author, has served as head film critic for Daily Variety, chief entertainment correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, Dean of the School of Filmmaking at the (then) North Carolina School of the Arts, and Professor of Cinema Studies at NCSA, among other illustrious roles. He was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in the early 1980s, wrote Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, and his first work of fiction, Chopped: A Novel, is available in print, e-book, and audiobook. Pollock continues to teach Continuing Education classes at UNCSA, along with programming the Weicholz Global Film Series as part of An Appalachian Summer.

Location: Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28607

July 9, 2025

1:00 pm: ARTtalk: "Mindful Meditations," cellist Joshua Roman

ARTtalk is a series of four events offering intimate, behind-the-scenes discussions with select artists from the visual and performing arts worlds appearing on the summer series. ARTtalks include:

“Threading Communities,” Kelsey Merreck Wagner

Introducing Kelsey Merreck Wagner’s artist’s residency at the Jim Thompson Farm in the Pak Thong Chai District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand in 2024. Wagner will discuss a selection of the exhibiting artists in Threading: Contemporary Art of Thailand, on view at the Turchin Center July 3-Dec 6.

About Joshua Roman
Joshua Roman is a cello soloist and composer, hailed for his “effortlessly expressive tone… and playful zest for exploration” (New York Times), as well as his “extraordinary technical and musical gifts” and “blend of precision and almost improvisatory freedom… that goes straight to the heart” (San Francisco Chronicle). His genre-bending programs have grown out of an “enthusiasm for musical evolution that is as contagious as his love for the classics” (Seattle Times), and he has collaborated with artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, DJ Spooky, Tony-winner/MacArthur Genius Bill T. Jones, Grammy Award-winning East African vocalist Somi, and Tony Award-nominated actor Anna Deavere Smith.

Cellist Joshua Roman: “Mindful Meditation”

Cellist, composer and curator Joshua Roman will discuss “Mindful Meditation,” a conversation born from a larger project, Immunity, which delves into his experiences with long Covid, the physical and mental work required for his return to the stage, and how he can help others move beyond their own limitations. Tessa Lark, Joshua Roman, and Edgar Meyer will perform on July 9 at 7:30pm at the Schaefer Center.

Location: Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, 423 West King Street, Boone, NC 28608
 
7:30 pm: Tessa Lark (violin), Joshua Roman (cello), and Edgar Meyer (double bass)

A Classic Concert Series Event

Supporting Sponsorship provided by App State Campus Store and Broyhill Family Foundation.

Grammy-nominated violinst Tessa Lark, acclaimed cellist Joshua Roman, and virtuoso bassist Edgar Meyer combine talents for an unparalleled evening of music.

PROGRAM

Johann Sebastian Bach – Sonata for Viola de Gamba in G Major, BWV 1027
Adagio
Allegro ma non tanto
Andante
Allegro moderato

Edgar Meyer – Trio 1986
I
II
III
IV

Edgar Meyer – New Trio (2024)
I
II
III
IV

Edgar Meyer – Trio 1988
I
II
III
IV

Edgar Meyer on the Lark/Roman/Meyer program:
“In 1986-1988, I wrote a series of three string trips that I premiered with Daniel Phillips and Carter Brey at the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. These were the first longer pieces that I had conceived as such, and they set the tone for my next four decades. Only one was partially recorded. After meeting Tessa and Joshua a few years ago, I realized that they were perfect for helping me document this personal milestone. I have now set out to write a new trio for us to “complete the thought.”

Location: Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28607

July 11, 2025

7:30 pm: Joan Osborne & Lisa Loeb

A Schaefer Spotlight Series Event

Series Sponsorship provided by Bonnie and Jamie Schaefer. Supporting Sponsorship provided by App State Campus Store, Broyhill Family Foundation, Appalachian Home Care, The Art Cellar, Explore Boone, Goodnight Brothers, Mast General Store, and SkyBest Communications, Inc.

Lisa Loeb and Joan Osborne, two unmistakable voices of the ’90s,team up for a special evening marking the 30th anniversaries of their breakthrough albums — Loeb’s Tails and Osborne’s Relish. Revisit the songs that shaped a generation, alongside new music and career-spanning fan favorites. Both Tails and Relish were landmark albums that transcended genres, blending folk, pop, and rock with deeply personal storytelling. Loeb’s “Stay (I Missed You)” and Osborne’s “One of Us” became defining anthems of the era, and their impact continues to resonate with longtime fans and new audiences alike.

About Joan Osborne
“This is the most personal record I’ve ever made,” multi-Grammy-nominated singer- songwriter Joan Osborne says about her ravishing new studio album, Nobody Owns You. “These songs come from my feelings about people in my family, about people who I care about, and just what to do with this time that we have on the earth. They come from a raw emotional place. And I’m asking myself that question: What am I here for?“ The result is a masterful collection of 12 contemplative songs offering hope and solace, while exploring Osborne’s own unique journey from small-town Kentucky to around the world.

The powerful album’s deeply melodic songcraft, including some co-writes with producer Ben Rice (Valerie June, Norah Jones), serves up a rich Americana sound. Her sumptuous alto and poetic lyrics are underpinned by rootsy textures, ranging from Rice’s banjo guitar to Cindy Cashdollar’s lap steel, to Dave Sherman’s piano and Hammond organ, to Jack Petruzzelli’s baritone guitar.

Osborne’s first-time collaboration with Rice turned out to be a match made in heaven. “It was a really fresh, new situation at his studio in Brooklyn,” says Osborne, who’s self- produced her most recent albums, including the critically acclaimed Trouble & Strife (2020). “He brought in people he’s worked with before and I brought in mine, like Cindy and Jack, and it was kind of a love fest.”

Before recording, Osborne and Rice began co-writing, and realized they were each experiencing tough times. “2022 was rough for me,” confirms Osborne, whose last release, Radio Waves, anthologized select performances broadcast on national airwaves since 1995. “I’d just gotten out of a 15-year relationship, which is hard, and my daughter’s getting ready to leave home for college, and my 92-year-old mother started exhibiting signs of Alzheimer’s. There was so much change going on in my life, and I felt so vulnerable. Then Ben lost his father during the process of making the record. We kept saying to each other, ‘Thank God we have this work to focus on.’ There’s a way to take grief and turn it into something beautiful.”

About Lisa Loeb
With a legacy spanning nearly 20 studio albums and EPs, multiple entrepreneurial ventures, and her own weekday SiriusXM radio show, “Stay with Lisa Loeb” on ’90s on 9, GRAMMY™ Award-winning singer-songwriter Lisa Loeb continues to solidify her status as one of the industry’s most creative and revered artists. Best known for her platinum hit “Stay (I Missed You)” from the 1994 film Reality Bites, Lisa was the first independent artist to have a #1 single on the charts without a recording contract.

Since then, she has released multiple hit singles and gold-certified albums. Recently, Lisa released her acclaimed album, A Simple Trick to Happiness, and co-created the musical Together Apart with 100 other Brown alums, to benefit The Actors Fund. Her latest album, a collaboration with The Hollow Trees, That’s What It’s All About, is a tribute to timeless songs. Lisa’s recent television appearances include “Fuller House,” “That ’90s Show,” and the Hallmark TV movie Hanukkah on Rye. Other highlights include creating an original New York Times crossword puzzle for its 75th anniversary, joining Daryl Hall on his show Live from Daryl’s House, and going on tour with Lyle Lovett for In Conversation and Song. Beyond music, Lisa’s impact extends through her children’s albums, eyewear line, acting, voiceover work, and philanthropy.

Location: Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28607

July 12, 2025

10:00 am: 39th Rosen Sculpture Walk

The nationally recognized Rosen Sculpture Competition and Exhibition has showcased contemporary American sculpture in outdoor settings across the university campus for the last 39 years. Join juror Joseph Bigley as he leads the outdoor tour of the 10 sculptures he selected as finalists for this year’s competition. Bigley is the Executive Director of the Western North Carolina Sculpture Center and professor of art at Appalachian State University; he shows his sculpture internationally. The walking tour will culminate at the Schaefer Center with an awards reception and complimentary boxed lunch.

Participants will gather outdoors, at the reception tent adjacent to the Schaefer Center. The Rosen Sculpture Walk will take place rain or shine. In the event of heavy rain, a presentation by the juror, including images of the sculptures, will be held indoors at the Schaefer Center. Event concludes with an awards reception and a complimentary boxed lunch.

About the juror – Joseph Bigley
A native of North Carolina, Joseph Bigley holds a Master of Fine Arts from Alfred University in Sculptural Dimensional Studies and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Appalachian State University. His work has been exhibited across the U.S. and internationally in China, the Netherlands, Spain, Montevideo, Uruguay, and Berlin. A mixed media sculptor and educator, Bigley worked as Assistant Professor of Art, Sculpture at Spelman College in Atlanta, Ga. for five years. He is currently a full-time lecturer of Art at Appalachian State University and is a founder and the executive director of the Western North Carolina Sculpture Center and Park in Lenoir, NC.

A special thanks to the Rosen family
Martin & Doris Rosen
Vision, generosity, and a pursuit of excellence are some of the many qualities that characterized the lives of Martin and Doris Rosen. From their years devoted to building a successful business, to their lives after retirement, revolving around family, philanthropy, and a commitment to the arts, this exceptional couple left an indelible mark on the communities in which they lived and worked.

Thanks to the continuing generosity of the Rosen Family, Martin and Doris’s legacy of support for quality visual arts programming has been continued by their children, and enables this beloved exhibition program to continue to develop and flourish. In July 1997, the Rosens donated Hephaestus, a large commissioned sculpture by Bruce White, to Appalachian State’s Permanent Collection, and it adorns the Rivers Street frontage area of the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts to this day.

On the occasion of the Rosens’ 50th wedding anniversary in October 1999, their children established the Martin and Doris Rosen Scholarship to assist rising junior or senior art majors at Appalachian State. Tireless supporters of the arts, the Rosen Family has given so much of themselves over the years to ensure that the arts remain a strong foundation of campus and community life in the High Country. We wish to extend to them our deepest appreciation.

Location: Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28607

July 13, 2025

7:30 pm: Heather Headley with Western Piedmont Symphony

A Schaefer Spotlight Series Event

Series Sponsorship provided by Bonnie and Jamie Schaefer. Supporting Sponsorship provided by App State Campus Store, Broyhill Family Foundation, Appalachian Home Care, The Art Cellar, Explore Boone, Goodnight Brothers, Mast General Store, and SkyBest Communications, Inc.

Ron Colvard, conductor

“Heather Headley is among the top singers with a vocal that absolutely astounds with its intensity… This woman is one of the great entertainers of the day, on record and on stage.” – Billboard Magazine

Tony and Grammy winner Heather Headley, accompanied by Western Piedmont Symphony and a 12-piece choir, performs a selection of popular tunes from the Broadway and pop songbooks.

About Heather Headley
In 1997, Heather won the role of Nala in the original Broadway cast of the Elton John and Tim Rice’s hit Tony-winning musical The Lion King. While still in The Lion King, Heather was asked to audition for the title role in the writing duo’s next Broadway venture together, Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida. Her portrayal of the Nubian princess, Aida, won her the praise of critics and the prestigious Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical. In addition to other awards, she also received the coveted Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical.  to the stage, starring in The Bodyguard in London’s West End, where she gained the critics praise and a new fan base overseas.

Heather continued her musical success on the pop charts with her 2002 debut album on RCA Records, This Is Who I Am. Two songs, “He Is” and the album track “I Wish I Wasn’t,” both emerged as Top 5 R&B and Dance chart hits. Heather earned numerous accolades for This Is Who I Am, including Grammy Award nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. Heather returned in January 2006 with In My Mind. The opening title tune single became Heather’s first #1 hit, topping the Dance and R&B charts.

In 2009, Heather released Audience of One, for which she won the Grammy Award for the Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album, followed in 2012 by Only One in The World. To the of delight of both audiences and critics, Heather made her return to Broadway in 2016, starring in the Tony Award-winning The Color Purple in the role of Shug Avery. In 2018, Heather had a recurring role on Chicago Med playing the formidable Gwen Garrett. Heather can currently be seen as a series regular on the Netflix Series Sweet Magnolias.

About Western Piedmont Symphony
Western Piedmont Symphony (WPS) is the professional orchestra of the western foothills of North Carolina, based in Hickory. For 59 years, WPS has enriched and engaged the communities of western North Carolina through high-quality symphonic music with creative, relevant performances, and educational opportunities for all ages. Each season, the Symphony presents an inspiring classical Masterworks series, a fun and entertaining Foothills Pops series, a variety of small music ensembles in the Crossroads series, family-friendly Discovery Family Concerts, plus education and community engagement programs in the Catawba Valley, all under the artistic direction of Maestro Matthew Troy. Experience the power of live music in concert with WPS.

Western Piedmont Symphony is supported by the North Carolina Arts Council and is a funded affiliate of the United Arts Council of Catawba County. WPS is a proud member of the League of American Orchestras.

Location: Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28607

July 15, 2025

7:30 pm: How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies

The Helene and Stephen Weicholz Global Film Series

In Thai with English subtitles
Thailand / Rated PG / Directed by Pat Boonnitipat / 2024 / Comedy, Drama, Family / 125 minutes

A man, driven by his desire for a multi-million-dollar inheritance, begins to care for his terminally ill grandmother. However, winning her favor will not be an easy task and he is not the only one with an eye on the money.

Join us for a brief post-show talkback with film series curator Dale Pollock, as he discusses the movie in deeper context.

THEME
“The theme for this year’s series is Family, in its many forms and permutations. This selection of international films focuses on the fragility of family relationships when they are tested from within or from outside pressures, and how they remain resilient.” - Dale Pollock

About the curator
Dale M. Pollock, a writer, film producer, filmmaker and author, has served as head film critic for Daily Variety, chief entertainment correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, Dean of the School of Filmmaking at the (then) North Carolina School of the Arts, and Professor of Cinema Studies at NCSA, among other illustrious roles. He was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in the early 1980s, wrote Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, and his first work of fiction, Chopped: A Novel, is available in print, e-book, and audiobook. Pollock continues to teach Continuing Education classes at UNCSA, along with programming the Weicholz Global Film Series as part of An Appalachian Summer.

Location: Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28607

July 16, 2025

7:30 pm: Peabo Bryson  

A Schaefer Spotlight Series Event

Series Sponsorship provided by Bonnie and Jamie Schaefer. Supporting Sponsorship provided by App State Campus Store, Broyhill Family Foundation, Appalachian Home Care, The Art Cellar, Explore Boone, Goodnight Brothers, Mast General Store, and SkyBest Communications, Inc.

Possessing a beautifully rich, almost operatic voice, two-time Grammy Award winner Peabo Bryson celebrates 50 years in music. Viewed in touring and pop culture as one of music’s iconic vocalists, Bryson has earned two Academy Awards, two Grammy Awards, eight Grammy nominations, five gold albums, 25 top 20 singles, and six #1 singles. His newest album, Missing You, is his 20th.

Peabo’s hits include  “Can You Stop the Rain,” “Reaching for the Sky,”, “If Ever You’re In My Arms Again,” “Show & Tell,” “You’re Looking Like Love To Me” with Roberta Flack, “Without You” with Regina Belle, “Tonight I Celebrate My Love” with Roberta Flack, “What You Won’t Do For Love” with Natalie Cole, “Here We Go” with Minnie Riperton, “Lovers After All” with Melissa Manchester, “A Whole New World” with Regina Belle (from Disney’s Aladdin), “Beauty & the Beast with Celine Dion (from Disney’s Beauty & the Beast).

About Peabo Bryson
With 20 albums to his credit, Peabo Bryson has enjoyed an unprecedented, across-the-board level of international success, Bryson has the distinction of being the first artist in music history to have separate records topping four different charts.

Acclaim and recognition are nothing new for this multi-talented singer, songwriter and producer. Born April 13, 1951, in Greenville, SC, Bryson spent much of his childhood on his grandfather’s farm in Maudlin, SC. “I have two sisters and a brother, but I’m the oldest male in the family, so I was taught to work and work hard!”

Bryson’s family not only instilled in him his work ethic, but a love for music as well. “My mother was a serious music lover. Whenever there was somebody great in town, she’d drag us along to catch their act. I have seen most of the greats of that period — Sam Cooke, Little Richard and even Billie Holiday. Sam Cooke was a great influence on me. His voice had a pure quality — straight from-the-heart.”

“I think the sensitivity in my songs stems from my early childhood. I was raised by women — my grandmother, until she died, and my mother. My grandmother was a woman who lived and loved with incredible passion.”

For Missing You — the 20th album of his career, his first in eight years and his first for Peak Records — Peabo Bryson continued to do what he does best on 11 tracks that showcase the broad palette of his skills. On “Count on Me” (produced by The Heavyweights) and “To Love About” (on which Peabo plays some driving acoustic lead guitar), Peabo proves he still has the goods to gracefully contend with today’s younger R&B stalwarts. The title song, “Missing You,” was recorded as a tribute to his mother (Marie) and sister (Agnes) who have both passed away, and for his son-in-law who was serving in Iraq. Elsewhere, smoothies such as “Heavenly” and “Don’t Give Your Heart” (produced by Barry J. Eastmond) and “My Last Goodbye” (produced by Peabo and Barry) reveal that, ultimately, he is in a class of his own.

An avid golfer, Peabo will never turn down a chance to “hit a few balls,” and has participated in numerous tournaments. To his family, he is simply a big brother, dedicated father and, most importantly, “Pop-Pop, handsome singer of love ballads.”

Peabo Bryson is, at his intimate best, a legendary vocalist offering a timeless mix of pop and soul as only he can. Bryson has amassed a loyal fan base, critical acclaim and an avalanche of awards by being one of the “truly best friends” a song could ever have.

Location: Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28607

July 18, 2025
 
2:00 pm: ARTtalk: Alonzo King LINES Ballet  

ARTtalk is a series of four events offering intimate, behind-the-scenes discussions with select artists from the visual and performing arts worlds appearing on the summer series. ARTtalks include:

Alonzo King LINES Ballet

Since 1982, celebrated contemporary dance company Alonzo King LINES Ballet  has collaborated with composers, musicians, and visual artists from around the world, drawing on deeply rooted cultural traditions and changing the way people look at ballet. In this intimate chat, members of the company discuss the juxtaposition of art, dance and movement. The company will perform on July 19 at 7:30pm at the Schaefer Center.

About Robert Rosenwasser
ROBERT ROSENWASSER is a co-founder of LINES Ballet. As Creative Director, he oversees each project’s aesthetic and artistic direction at the LINES Ballet company, including conceptual design and production. Alongside his artistic work with LINES Ballet, as General Manager for 32 years, he built the Company’s touring program into one of the nation’s most expansive.

In 2018, Robert Rosenwasser became Executive Director. In addition to his work with LINES Ballet, he has designed for Ballet de Monte Carlo, Béjart Ballet Lausanne, the Royal Swedish Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Frankfurt Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He has also collaborated on book projects with artists and poets Richard Tuttle, Mei-mei Berssenbrugge, Kiki Smith, Cecilia Vicuna, and Barbara Guest. His work is found at the New York Museum of Modern Art in the Department of Books and Illustrated Prints, at the Whitney Museum, and the Spencer Collection of the New York Public Library.

Mr. Rosenwasser grew up in New York, attending Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Cooper Union, and California Institute of the Arts.

Location: Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, 423 West King Street, Boone, NC 28608

July 19, 2025

7:30 pm: Alonzo King LINES Ballet: "Deep River" 

A Classic Concert Series Event

Supporting Sponsorship provided by App State Campus Store and Broyhill Family Foundation.

Alonzo King LINES Ballet travels to Boone with a soulful work created in collaboration with Grammy Award®-winning vocalist Lisa Fischer and Kennedy Center Artistic Director for Jazz Jason Moran. At the forefront of artistic innovation in ballet, the celebrated San Francisco-based company is recognized for its impeccable technique, captivating dancers, and rich visual works.

Master choreographer Alonzo King guides the company with a unique artistic vision, bending the lines between classical and contemporary aesthetics and drawing on deeply rooted cultural traditions. Deep River premiered as part of LINES Ballet’s 40th anniversary season. The moving work melds dance with Black spirituals and invites audiences to look at human beings as the pinnacle of creation. King says that the work is a reminder that “love is the ocean that we rose from, swim in, and will one day return to”—and that love can set us free.

About Alonzo King
Alonzo King has been called a visionary choreographer, who is altering the way we look at ballet. King calls his works “thought structures” created by the manipulation of energies that exist in matter through laws, which govern the shapes and movement directions of everything that exists. Named as a choreographer with “astonishing originality” by The New York Times, Alonzo King has guided LINES Ballet by his unique artistic vision since 1982.

King has works in the repertories of the world’s leading ballet and modern companies and has collaborated with distinguished visual artists, musicians, and composers across the globe. His work has been recognized for its impact on the cultural fabric of the company’s home in San Francisco, as well as internationally by the dance world’s most prestigious institutions.

Named a Master of Choreography by the Kennedy Center in 2005, King is the recipient of the NEA Choreographer’s Fellowship, the Jacob’s Pillow Creativity Award, the US Artist Award in Dance, the NY Bessie Award, the SF Arts Medallion Award, and the National Dance Project’s Residency and Touring Awards. In 2015, he received the Doris Duke Artist Award in recognition of his ongoing contributions to the advancement of contemporary dance. King was also named one of America’s “Irreplaceable Dance Treasures” by the Dance Heritage Coalition, joining historic icons in the field. In 2020, he was honored with a Dance Magazine Award, and his choreography appears in the 2023 short film Flower, produced by and starring Misty Copeland. King was also inducted into the California Hall of Fame in 2022 and received the Minyon Harlin Award from UCSF in 2024 for his service to women and girls with HIV. Furthermore, Alonzo King’s celebrated ballet Deep River is featured on NEXT at The Kennedy Center—a series on PBS that showcases artists who are at the forefront of their disciplines and serve as culture bearers of the 21st Century.

Location: Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28607

July 22, 2025

7:30 pm: The Last Journey  

The Helene and Stephen Weicholz Global Film Series

In Swedish with English subtitles
Sweden / Not rated / Directed by Felip Hammar and Fredrik Wikingsson / 2024 / Documentary / 95 minutes

Selected as Sweden’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards. When French teacher Lars Hammar retires, he envisions a delightful “third age” with travel, wine, and experiences together with his wife, Tiina. However, instead of indulging in life’s pleasures, Lars becomes increasingly passive and lacking in willpower, to the great frustration and despair of both Tiina and their son, Filip. That’s when Filip gets an idea: to take his frail old father to his beloved France and let him revisit the places he has loved most in life. By retracing the same road trip the family used to take when Filip was a child and secretly orchestrating some of life’s most delightful moments, he hopes to reignite Lars’ zest for life. With the help of Filip’s best friend Fredrik, some hefty doses of optimism and creativity, and an old orange Renault 4, the adventure can begin.

Join us for a brief post-show talkback with film series curator Dale Pollock, as he discusses the movie in deeper context.

THEME
“The theme for this year’s series is Family, in its many forms and permutations. This selection of international films focuses on the fragility of family relationships when they are tested from within or from outside pressures, and how they remain resilient.” - Dale Pollock

About the curator
Dale M. Pollock, a writer, film producer, filmmaker and author, has served as head film critic for Daily Variety, chief entertainment correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, Dean of the School of Filmmaking at the (then) North Carolina School of the Arts, and Professor of Cinema Studies at NCSA, among other illustrious roles. He was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize in the early 1980s, wrote Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas, and his first work of fiction, Chopped: A Novel, is available in print, e-book, and audiobook. Pollock continues to teach Continuing Education classes at UNCSA, along with programming the Weicholz Global Film Series as part of An Appalachian Summer.

Location: Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28607

July 23, 2025

2:00 pm: ARTtalk: The 5 Browns

ARTtalk is a series of four events offering intimate, behind-the-scenes discussions with select artists from the visual and performing arts worlds appearing on the summer series. ARTtalks include:

The 5 Browns

A conversation with the Juilliard-trained sibling piano ensemble on touring, and life as musicians. The 5 Browns have released eight albums that have collectively spent over 30 weeks at #1 on Billboard Magazine’s Classical Album Chart. The New York Post has proclaimed: “[F]ive pianos and 50 fingers add up to the biggest classical music sensation in years.” The ensemble will perform on July 23 at 7:30pm at the Schaefer Center.

About The 5 Browns
The 5 Browns – Desirae Brown, Deondra Brown, Stephen Beus, Gregory Brown, and Melody Brown — all attended The Juilliard School in New York, where they were joined by the Browns’ youngest brother, Ryan (now retired from the stage). The quintet enjoyed its first wave of critical attention in February of 2002, when People magazine dubbed them the “Fab Five” and they were featured on Oprah and 60 Minutes. The 5 Browns have released eight albums that have collectively spent over 30 weeks at #1 on Billboard Magazine’s Classical Album Chart. The New York Post has proclaimed: “[F]ive pianos and 50 fingers add up to the biggest classical music sensation in years.”

Location: Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, 423 West King Street, Boone, NC 28608

7:30 pm: The 5 Browns 

A Classic Concert Series Event

Supporting Sponsorship provided by App State Campus Store and Broyhill Family Foundation.

The 5 Browns are a classical ensemble consisting of five pianos whose repertoire ranges from beloved concert hall staples to lesser known works.

THE EDGE OF THE WORLD

The Planets       Gustav Holst / Greg Anderson / The 5 Browns
Mars, the Bringer of War      
Neptune, the Mystic
Jupiter, The Bringer of Jollity

Mad Rush       Philip Glass / Melody Brown

Blackbird       The Beatles / The 5 Browns / The 5 Browns

Variations on a Theme of Paganini for Two Pianos       Witold Lutoslawski / Deondra and Desirae Brown

Symphony No. 41, “Jupiter”   Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart / The 5 Browns / The 5 Browns
Molto allegro         

Over the Rainbow: Fantasy for Five Pianos (based on themes from The Wizard of Oz)       Harold Arlen / Greg Anderson / The 5 Browns

Dreaming, Op. 15, No. 3       Amy Beach / Stephen Beus

The Edge of the World       Nico Muhly / The 5 Browns
I. Reykjavik
IV. The Night Sky        

Ich ruf zu dir, Herr       Johann Sebastian Bach / Ferruccio Busoni / Gregory Brown

Danse Macabre       Camille Saint-Saëns / Greg Anderson / The 5 Browns

About The 5 Browns
The 5 Browns – Desirae Brown, Deondra Brown, Stephen Beus, Gregory Brown, and Melody Brown – all attended The Juilliard School in New York, where they were joined by the Browns’ youngest brother, Ryan (now retired from the stage). The quintet enjoyed its first wave of critical attention in February of 2002, when People magazine dubbed them the “Fab Five” and they were featured on Oprah and 60 Minutes.

The quintet has garnered extensive coverage from media outlets ranging from The Tonight Show, Good Morning America, The Today Show, Oprah, and The View, to CNN, Fox and Friends, Public Radio’s Performance Today, and The New York Times.

The 5 Browns have performed in hundreds of the world’s great concert halls, including Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium (New York), the National Center for the Performing Arts (Beijing), Suntory Hall (Tokyo), the Kimmel Center (Philadelphia), Laeiszhalle (Hamburg), Orchestra Hall (Chicago), Zaryadye Concert Hall (Moscow), and the National Concert Hall (Taipei). Individually and collectively, they have soloed with the National Symphony Orchestra; the Chicago, Philadelphia, Vancouver, New Jersey, Dallas, and St. Louis Symphony orchestras; and various other orchestras throughout the US and internationally.

The 5 Browns are thrilled to welcome one of their generation’s most electric pianists as a permanent member. Gold medalist at the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition and frequent soloist in concert halls around the world (including Carnegie Hall and Wigmore Hall), Stephen Beus has performed with The 5 Browns during four previous seasons.

Location: Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28607

July 26, 2025

7:30 pm: Pink Martini featuring China Forbes 

A Schaefer Spotlight Series Event

Series Sponsorship provided by Bonnie and Jamie Schaefer. Supporting Sponsorship provided by App State Campus Store, Broyhill Family Foundation, Appalachian Home Care, The Art Cellar, Explore Boone, Goodnight Brothers, Mast General Store, and SkyBest Communications, Inc.

30th Anniversary Tour
Drawing inspiration from music from all over the world – crossing genres of classical, jazz, and old-fashioned pop – Thomas Lauderdale founded Pink Martini in 1994 to provide more beautiful and inclusive musical soundtracks for causes such as civil rights, affordable housing, the environment, libraries, public broadcasting, education and parks.

Thirty years later, Pink Martini still tours the world, singing in 22 languages at opera houses, concert halls, film festivals, museums, and fashion shows.

“Pink Martini is a rollicking around-the-world musical adventure … If the United Nations had a house band in 1962, hopefully we’d be that band.” - Thomas Lauderdale, bandleader, pianist

About Pink Martini
Featuring a dozen musicians, with songs in 25 languages, Pink Martini performs its multilingual repertoire on concert stages on six continents. After making its European debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 1997 and its orchestral debut with the Oregon Symphony in 1998, the band has gone on to play with more than 50 orchestras around the world, including multiple engagements with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, the Boston Pops, the National Symphony at the Kennedy Center, the San Francisco Symphony, and the BBC Concert Orchestra at Royal Albert Hall in London. Pink Martini has released 11 studio albums on its own independent label Heinz Records (named after Lauderdale’s dog), selling over three million albums worldwide.

In 1994 in his hometown of Portland, Ore., Thomas Lauderdale was working in local politics when he saw the need for most engaging and inspiring music at political fundraisers. Drawing inspiration from music from all over the world — crossing genres of classical, jazz, and old-fashioned pop — and hoping to appeal to conservatives and liberals alike, he founded the “little orchestra” Pink Martini in 1994 to provide more beautiful and inclusive musical soundtracks for causes such as civil rights, affordable housing, the environment, libraries, public broadcasting, education and parks. One year later, Lauderdale called China Forbes, a Harvard classmate who was living in New York City, and asked her to join Pink Martini. Their first songwriting collaboration was “Sympathique (Je ne veux pas travailler),” which became an overnight sensation in France, was nominated for “Song of the Year” at France’s Victoires de la Musique Awards, and is still the band’s number one song. The band is celebrating its 30th anniversary.

About China Forbes
China Forbes was born and raised in Cambridge, Mass., and graduated *** laude from Harvard, majoring in Visual Arts and English, with a minor in Theater. After graduation, and before being lured west to sing with Pink Martini by Harvard friend and classmate Thomas Lauderdale, China lived and performed off Broadway, in New York regional theatre, and as a singer/songwriter in NYC clubs.

China became the lead singer for Pink Martini in 1995 and has co-written many of the band’s most beloved songs with Lauderdale, starting with “Sympathique,” and continuing to the most recent singles “Lemonade Song” and “Let’s Be Friends.” Her original song “Northern Line,” plays over the end credits of sister Maya Forbes’ directorial debut film, Infinitely Polar Bear (Sony Pictures Classics). In May 2024, China released The Road, her first solo album in 15 years, which features all original songs, including the single “Full Circle” and “Rise,” a deeply hopeful and personal song highlighting mental health challenges and suicide prevention.

She is the recipient of the 2022 Ella Fitzgerald Award at the Montreal International Jaz Festival; previous winners include Diana Ross, Etta James, and Liza Minelli.

About Thomas Lauderdale
Active in Oregon politics since college, Thomas Lauderdale founded Pink Martini in 1994 to play political fundraisers for progressive causes such as civil rights, the environment, affordable housing, and public broadcasting. In addition to his work with Pink Martini, he has appeared as a soloist with numerous orchestras and ensembles, including the Oregon Symphony, the Seattle Symphony, the Portland Youth Philharmonic, Chamber Music Northwest, and several collaborations with Oregon Ballet Theatre. Most recently, Thomas completed a decades-in-the-making album, Thomas Lauderdale Meets the Pilgrims. He is back in the studio working on a collaboration with the iconic Iranian singer Googoosh.

Thomas currently serves on the boards of the Oregon Symphony, Pioneer Courthouse Square, the Oregon Historical Society, Confluence Project with Maya Lin and, the Derek Rieth Foundation. He lives in Portland with his partner, pianist Hunter Noack.

Location: Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, 733 Rivers Street, Boone, NC 28607

Date: June 28-July 26, 2025

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