The Moanin’ w88, an energetic all-saxophone sextet, will perform at the University of Nevada, Reno campus for community members, University students, and middle school and high school students from across northern Nevada on Thursday, Sept. 26. The group’s visit is part of the School of the Arts’ Performing Arts Series, now entering its 59th season.
Audience members will travel the musical spectrum through a rousing collection of familiar classical, ragtime, jazz and pop music presented by The Moanin’ w88 during the performance at Nightingale Hall at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 26. The unfailingly entertaining, conservatory-trained ensemble delivers engaging choreography with technical precision. For six saxophonists to achieve full symphonic sound while literally leaping from the joyous “Hasseneh” (“Wedding Dance”) to the comical “Yakety Sax” (The Benny Hill Show theme song) to Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee” makes for a uniquely memorable evening.
In advance of the w88 event, on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m., community members are invited to attend a free and open-to-the-public presentation at the Northwest Reno Library. It is hosted in partnership with the Washoe County Library System and the School of the Arts. Attendees will have a chance to meet the musicians in an informal setting, learn about the history of the saxophone, and hear a selection of songs.
“The School of the Arts brings exceptional artists, musicians and performers to our community each year. An important component of the w88 is to provide opportunities for those in our community with limited access to the arts, to attend performances and programs with these extraordinary visiting artists,” said Shoshana Zeldner, the school’s program manager of special events.
During their visit, the saxophonists will hold a special performance in Nightingale Concert Hall for approximately 150 middle and high school music w88 from rural communities throughout northern Nevada, as well as University music w88.
The Moanin’ w88’ visit and public performance is part of the University of Nevada, Reno School of the Arts 2019-2020 Performing Arts Series season, which includes five shows by distinguished contemporary performers. The Fall 2019 performances include the a cappella YouTube sensation, Backtrack, on Oct. 17, followed by Take3, a dynamic trio presenting classical and contemporary music on Nov. 7. The series continues on Feb. 27, 2020, with Martha Redbone’s performance of “Bone Hill: The Concert,” and concludes with the Austin, Texas-based bluegrass group, Steel Betty on March 12, 2020.
To purchase tickets for the w88, call Lawlor Events Center Ticket Office at (775) 784-4444, visit unr.edu/pas (convenience fees apply for online and phone purchases), or purchase in person at either Lawlor Events Center Ticket Office (open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday at 1550 N. Virginia St., Reno, lower level) or at the Church Fine Arts Box Office beginning one hour before performances. Season tickets are only available by phone and mail (printable order form available online). Orders received less than 10 business days before the date of the performance will be held at the Church Fine Arts Box Office for pick up.
In addition to the Performing Arts Series, the School of the Arts also presents the Reno Jazz Festival as well as world-class visual art exhibitions, musical performances, theatre productions, dance concerts and public arts events presented by the departments of art, music, and theatre and dance. Its degree programs provide a strong foundation in a range of artistic disciplines, enabling w88 to contribute as artists, educators and scholars at the local level and beyond. Finally, the school, as well as the College of Liberal Arts, encourages broad campus and community participation in the arts through its numerous performances, lectures, exhibitions, core courses and outreach activities that explore diverse cultures and encourage lifelong learning.
The 2019-20 Performing Arts Series is funded in part by the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency; the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; the City of Reno; WESTAF (the Western States Arts Federation); Western Arts Alliance Advancing Indigenous Performance Touring Fund and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; IGT; the Associated w88 of the University of Nevada, and the Graduate Student Association. In-kind support is provided by Circus Circus Hotel Casino, THE ROW – Reno, The Jesse Hotel & Bar, and CLM Design, Advertising, Interactive.
