Presidential Lecture and Performance Series Spring Lineup

The second half of Texas Tech’s Presidential Lecture and Performance Series taking place this spring will feature Ailey II, a critically acclaimed dance company; Anoushka Shankar, a sitar musician; Billy Collins, a former United States Poet Laureate; and the Santa Fe Opera Spring Tour.

General Admission tickets are $15 for all events and are available through all Select-A-Seat locations or by calling (806) 770-2000.  Texas Tech students will receive one free ticket with valid ID at the Student Union Building information booth located at the entrance to the Allen Theatre on the campus of Texas Tech.

• Feb.17: Ailey II will perform at the Allen Theatre at 7 p.m. Ailey II is a critically acclaimed dance company that presents dazzling performances and innovative community programs across the country and internationally. Ailey II dancers are considered to be some of the most talented of their generation. The dance company is under the artistic direction of former Ailey dancer Sylvia Waters. The Ailey spirit shines as these artists perform an exhilarating and diverse repertoire that includes Alvin Ailey’s timeless classics and thrilling new works by today’s most outstanding choreographers.
• March 30: Anoushka Shankar will perform at the Allen Theatre at 7 p.m. She is a unique sitar musician and has emerged as one of the leading figures in world music today. Shankar is deeply rooted in Indian classical music, having studied exclusively with her father, the legendary Ravi Shankar, and is now one of the foremost performers in that tradition. She has flourished as a performer and composer, exploring fertile ground in the crossover between Indian music and a variety of genres including electronic, jazz, flamenco and Western classical music.
• April20: Former United States Poet Laureate Billy Collins will appear at the Allen Theatre at 7 p.m. His last three collections of poems have broken sales records for poetry. This program was funded in part by a grant from the Sybil B. Harrington Endowment for the Arts of the Lubbock Area Foundation. Collins’ work has appeared in a variety of periodicals including The New Yorker, The Paris Review and The American Scholar. Collins is a Guggenheim fellow and a New York Public Library “Literary Lion.”
• April 29: The Santa Fe Opera will perform at Hemmle Recital Hall at 7 p.m. The Santa Fe Opera’s Apprentice Program has been helping young singers establish their careers since Santa Fe Opera founder John Crosby created the program as part of the opera’s debut season in 1957. Touring dozens of cities throughout New Mexico and Texas, these talented singers perform a wide-ranging repertoire ranging from songs of the season to musical theater selections and even sacred music.