The Vail Series

Here are just a few notable speakers from past years:
  • Itzhak Perlman
  • Yo-Yo Ma
  • Renée Fleming
  • Wynton Marsalis
  • Jessye Norman
  • Chris Thile and Edgar Meyer

About the Series

Get ready for an exciting 45th season of arts performances! The Vail Series offers a captivating blend of music and artistry. From string performances to a cappella brilliance, and from multidisciplinary showcases to rising stars, the 45th season is set to enthrall audiences with a range of unforgettable experiences.

Canadian string ensemble collectif9 performs with the power of an orchestra and the intimacy of a chamber ensemble, mounting engaging and intriguing programs around the world. They present “Rituaels,” a dynamic program spanning from the Middle Ages to modern times, promising an immersive musical experience.

With a record-breaking 10 Grammy Awards and numerous other accolades, Take 6 brings exceptional a cappella vocals to the stage, astounding global audiences. We are delighted to have them come to Denison’s campus and thrill us with their vocal acrobatics!

Third Coast Percussion’s multidisciplinary show, “Metamorphosis,” combines percussion with movement artistry by Lil Buck and Jon Boogz. TCP will be joined on stage by Trent Jerry and Cameron Murphy, movement artists who specialize in street choreography in an engaging performance, with special lighting direction and music by Philip Glass, Tyondi Braxton, and Jlin.

Young Concert Artists on Tour: Four extraordinary rising stars Lun Li (violin), Daniel McGrew (tenor), Joseph Parrish (bass baritone), and Albert Cano Smit (piano) will dazzle with their performances during their campus residency in February.

Modern music collective Wild Up is committed to creating thought-provoking and exciting concerts that create a sense of community. Their innovative programming, together with Pulitzer Prize winning composer Raven Chacon, will bring exhilarating energy to the evening as part of our TUTTI 2024 New Arts Festival.

Kittel & Co: Blending classical, Celtic, bluegrass, folk, and jazz influences, Jeremy Kittel and his five-piece band promise an eclectic and electrifying performance that will bring down the house with their amazing artistry.

Read the 2023-24 Vail Season Opening Letter »

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Sights & Sounds

Ethel Perfomance detail 1
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Dafrakura Performance detail 1
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Regina Carter Performance 1
Regina Carter with students 1
Regina Carter Performance 2
Regina Carter with students 2
Regina Carter in the classroom
Regina Carter Performance 3

Series Archives

1987 - 1988

Christopher Parkening
Christopher Parkening is celebrated as one of the world™s preeminent virtuosos of the classical guitar.A The Los Angeles Times wrote, Parkening is considered America™s reigning classical guitarist, carrying the torch of his mentor, the late AndrA©s Segovia.

1986 - 1987

Navah Perlman
Known for her lyrical eloquence on the stage, Navah Perlman has established herself as one of the most poetic and admired pianists of her generation. She has performed to critical acclaim in major concert venues throughout North America, Europe and Asia.
Czech Philharmonic
The Czech Philharmonic has won ten Grand Prix du Disque de l'AcadA©mie Charles Cros, five Grand Prix du disgue de l'AcadA©mie franA§aise and several Cannes Classical awards. VA¡clav Neumann (1920-1995) was a talented Czech conductor and proponent of the music of Gustav Mahler and of Czech composers.
Kathleen Battle
Soprano Kathleen Battle's luminous voice has been called "...without qualification, one of the very few most beautiful in the world" (The Washington Post). What has perhaps distinguished her most is her ability to create an unwavering emotional bond between herself, her music and her audience.
Andrea Lucchesini
Born in 1965, Andrea Lucchesini began a brilliant international career in 1983 and since then has been engaged as a soloist with major orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, Concertgebouw Orchestra, Vienna Symphony, Houston Symphony, London Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National and the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra.

1985 - 1986

Mitchell/Ruff Duo
The Mitchell-Ruff Duo was officially formed in 1955 when pianist Dwike Mitchell and bassist and French horn player Willie Ruff left Lionel Hampton's band to strike out on their own, but they first met back in 1947, playing in an Air Force band. This was their second performance at Denison.
Yo-Yo Ma & Patricia Zander
One of the world's foremost cellists, Yo-Yo Ma has produced a phenomenal body of work. Of his 75 albums, 15 have won Grammy awards. Patricia Zander, pianist, teacher and mentor, toured with Ma for ten years. This was Ma™s first of many performances at Denison.

1984 - 1985

Leontyne Price
Operatic soprano and national treasure Leontyne Price has been honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of the Arts, and 19 Grammy awards, including a special Lifetime Achievement Award.
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra is the nation™s only full-time professional chamber orchestra. Pinchas Zukerman, who was Saint Paul™s director from 1980 to 1987, is renowned for being one of the world™s greatest violinists. This was Saint Paul™s second performance at Denison, and Zukerman™s third.
Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra
The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra is the nation™s only full-time professional chamber orchestra. Pinchas Zukerman, who was Saint Paul™s director from 1980 to 1987, is renowned for being one of the greatest violinists of the 20th and 21st centuries.

1983 - 1984

The Chamber Music Society Of Lincoln Center
As the nation™s premier repertory company for chamber music, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center brings audiences the finest performances of an extraordinary body of repertoire, dating as far back as the Renaissance and continuing through the centuries to the finest works of our time.
Lorin Hollander
Lorin Hollander is a world-renowned concert pianist with a continuously acclaimed career that began with a Carnegie Hall debut at age 11. An internationally recognized spokesman for the transformation of education, he has testified before the U.S. Congress as a visionary and advocate for the arts.
Pinchas Zukerman
Equally respected as a violinist, violist, conductor, pedagogue and chamber musician, Pinchas Zukerman is a master of our time. The Los Angeles Times called him expressively resourceful, infectiously musical, technically impeccable¦ and The New York Times said he generates a warm, liquid sound that fills a hall.
The Mitchell/Ruff Duo & Dizzy Gillespie
The Mitchell-Ruff Duo was officially formed in 1955 when the pianist Dwike Mitchell and the bassist and French horn player Willie Ruff left Lionel Hampton's band to strike out on their own. American jazz trumpet player, bandleader, singer and composer Dizzy Gillespie requires no further introduction.

1982 - 1983

Lynn Harrell
Cellist Lynn Harrell is a consummate soloist, chamber musician, recitalist, conductor and teacher. His work throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia has placed him in the highest echelon of today™s performing artists.
Jon Hendricks & Company
Jon Hendricks™ trademark is that each song is a fully realized story, which earned him the nickname the James Joyce of jive. In 1981 he formed Jon Henricks and Company, featuring his wife, Judith, his daughter, Michelle, and Bob Gurland.
Alicia De Larrocha
Reuters called Alicia de Larrocha the greatest Spanish pianist in history. She won multiple Grammy Awards, a Prince of Asturias Award for the Arts, and became the first Spanish artist to win the UNESCO Prize.

1981 - 1982

Peter Serkin
Throughout his career, renowned pianist Peter Serkin has successfully conveyed the essence of four centuries of musical repertoire, and his performances with symphony orchestras, recital appearances, chamber music collaborations and recordings are respected worldwide.
American String Quartet
Formed in 1974 when its original members were students at Juilliard, the American String Quartet was launched by winning both the Coleman Competition and the Naumburg Chamber Music Award in the same year. It is internationally recognized as one of the world™s foremost quartets.

1980 - 1981

New England Ragtime Ensemble
The New England Conservatory Ragtime Ensemble and its conductor, Gunther Schuller, are best remembered for Joplin: The Red Back Book in 1974, which won the Grammy for Best Chamber Music Performance. Schuller also has been honored with a Pulitzer and a MacArthur genius award.
The Jazz Tap Ensemble
The Jazz Tap Ensemble is dedicated to those two great American traditions”tap dancing and jazz music. Hailed as leaders in the renaissance of tap, the Ensemble™s dancers and musicians have virtuosic talents and bring a spirited display of creativity and spontaneity.
The Cleveland Quartet
Since its inception in 1969, the Cleveland Quartet has played more than 2,500 concerts around the world, created award-winning recordings of more than 60 chamber works, premiered new music by contemporary composers, and spent countless hours as dedicated conservatory teacher-performers.

1979 - 1980

Itzhak Perlman
Itzhak Perlman has earned the superstar status rarely afforded a classical musician. One of the preeminent violin virtuosos of the 20th century, he has performed for presidents and royalty and was awarded the National Medal of Arts and Kennedy Center Honors.
The Mclain Family Band
The McLain Family Band toured the nation and 62 countries around the world. Instrumentally, this bluegrass band was strictly acoustic, with compositions of their own as well as a repertoire that drew upon country standards and eastern Kentucky traditional music.
Ruby Dee & Ossie Davis
Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis, both award-winning actors, writers and activists have led extraordinary lives with history-making careers. Together, they were awarded the National Medal of Arts, Kennedy Center Honors, and were inducted into the NAACP Hall of Fame.
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