The University Series

2009-2010 Ovation Season

Twyla Robinson

Twyla Robinson

September 17, 7:30 p.m.
W.M. Turner Auditorium
Choice5 Event
Soprano Twyla Robinson has consistently earned tremendous praise for her consummate musicianship, dramatic sensibility and ravishing vocal beauty. Her solo engagement will include works by Ives, Barber, Duparc, Foster and a bit of Americana. visit
Box Office Single tickets: $35 for A seating, $29 for B seating and $17.50 for C seating. Discounts available for seniors, students and youth.
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center

October 22, 7:30 p.m.
W.M. Turner Auditorium
Choice5 Event
Four world-class musicians will enrapture you with their performance of Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time and works by other French greats, Debussy and Ravel. The program, French Focus, highlights the unique elegance and beauty of French music. visit
Box Office point-A-media Single tickets: $35 for A seating, $29 for B seating and $17.50 for C seating. Discounts available for seniors, students and youth.
Twelfth Night

Twelfth Night

by William Shakespeare
Produced by the SFA School of Theatre
November 17–21, 7:30 p.m.
W.M. Turner Auditorium
4Select Event
In the most romantic of all comedies, disguise, music, trickery, mistaken identity and a bevy of unrequited loves entangle Viola as she searches for her brother, feared lost in a shipwreck. Hilarious antics lead to an ending so satisfying it could only be Shakespeare’s.
Box Office Tipton Ford Single tickets: $18 for adult, $12 for senior and $6 for student.
Liverpool Legends

Liverpool Legends

January 29, 7:30 p.m.
W.M. Turner Auditorium
Choice5 Event
In this “Ultimate Beatles Tribute Show,” the Liverpool Legends perform songs spanning the entire career of the Fab Four and on through their solo years. With precise attention to musical, costume and instrument detail, the lads make you feel like you’re watching the real thing! visit
Box Office BancorpSouth Single tickets: $35 for A seating, $29 for B seating and $17.50 for C seating. Discounts available for seniors, students and youth.
A Raisin in the Sun

A Raisin in the Sun

by Lorraine Hansberry
Produced by the SFA School of Theatre
March 2–6, 7:30 p.m.
W.M. Turner Auditorium
4Select Event
Join us for Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, the first play written by a black woman to be produced on Broadway. Set in the 1950s on the South Side of Chicago, it is the story of the dreams every member of the Younger household is struggling to attain.
Box Office Tipton Ford Single tickets: $18 for adult, $12 for senior and $6 for student.
American Ballet II

American Ballet II

March 9, 7:30 p.m.
W.M. Turner Auditorium
Choice5 Event
Hand-picked from around the world by the artistic staff of American Ballet Theatre, these 14 dancers (ages 16 to 20) present a varied repertoire that is rooted in classical ballet but also includes premieres of new choreographers. visit
Box Office Cataract, Glaucoma & Retina Consultants of East Texas Single tickets: $35 for A seating, $29 for B seating and $17.50 for C seating. Discounts available for seniors, students and youth.
Marvin Hamlisch

Marvin Hamlisch

March 23, 7:30 p.m.
W.M. Turner Auditorium
Choice5 Event
Marvin Hamlisch, best known for his award-winning scores for A Chorus Line, The Way We Were and The Sting, shares his genius with a program that combines his familiar with recently written compositions. visit
Box Office Commerical Bank of Texas Single tickets: $35 for A seating, $29 for B seating and $17.50 for C seating. Discounts available for seniors, students and youth.
SFA Opera

SFA Opera

Presented by the SFA Schools of Music and Theatre
April 15–17, 7:30 p.m.
W.M. Turner Auditorium
4Select Event
The SFA Schools of Music and Theatre showcase their talent with one of the masterpieces of operatic literature, sung in English. The production (title to be announced in the fall) will include an orchestra, full set and costumes, and, of course, beautiful music and voices.
Box Office Single tickets are $18 for adult, $12 for senior and $6 for student.
Conrad Herwig

Conrad Herwig

April 29, 7:30 p.m.
W.M. Turner Auditorium
4Select Event
The SFA Swingin’ Axes welcome jazz trombonist Conrad Herwig, a much sought-after musician whom jazz great Eddie Palmieri has called “the best trombonist on the planet.” The energetic evening will begin with SFA’s Swingin’ Aces. visit
Box Office Elliot Electric Supply Single tickets are $18 for adult, $12 for senior and $6 for student.
Moscow Ballet, Nutcracker
University Series Encore Event:
Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker

December 17 and 18, 7:30 p.m.
W.M. Turner Auditorium

Lehmann Eye Center Whimsical storytelling blends with exquisite dancing, spectacular sets and costumes, and the richness of Russian classical dance to make this a memorable holiday treat for all! Be among the first to purchase tickets to this event by becoming a University Series season ticket subscriber and electing to add on this University Series Encore Event! visit
Box Office Single tickets are $35 for A seating, $29 for B seating and $17.50 for C seating.
Art Exchange

Art Exchange

University of Chihuahua, Mexico Comes to SFA
September 18–November 28
Griffith Gallery
Students and faculty from the University of Chihuahua, Mexico, will exhibit their current work in Nacogdoches while simultaneously exhibiting SFA student and faculty works in Chihuahua.
Opening reception Sept. 18 at 6 p.m.
The Texas Church Photography Project

The Texas Church Photography Project

November 20–January 24
Reavley Gallery in
The Cole Art Center
Combining interests in art, architecture, history, preservation and traditional photography, five photographers collaborate on the Texas Church Project, a photographic record of 19th and early 20th century community churches preserving Texas cultural history. visit
Opening reception Nov. 20 at 6 p.m.
The Global Artistry of Leo and Diane Dillon

The Global Artistry of Leo and Diane Dillon

February 6–March 21
Ledbetter Gallery in
The Cole Art Center
Versatility, diversity, research and integrity have remained characteristics of the work by this prolific American husband and wife team of illustrators. This retrospective includes illustrations for African folktales to Scandinavian epics, from fantasy to science fiction.
Opening reception February 6 at 6 p.m.
Samuel Rothbort

Samuel Rothbort

A selection of sculptural works from the SFA Art Galleries’ permanent collection
March 26–April 17
Griffith Gallery
Samuel Rothbort (1882-1971) was a sculptor and painter who came to America in 1904 and won acclaim as an artist of raw talent by critics such as Hamilton Easter Field. His work is included in permanent collections from the Smithsonian to the Federal Reserve Board. visit
Opening reception March 26 at 6 p.m.

Welcome to the 2009-2010 Ovation Season! The College of Fine Arts is proud to bring some of the finest artistic, musical and theatrical selections to East Texas.

Great reasons to have season tickets:
  • Save nearly 25% over single ticket prices
  • Sit in the same seat for all performances
  • Be among the first to get tickets to the Great Russian Nutcracker
  • Create your own season with our TixMix option

All University Series performances are in W.M. Turner Auditorium and have reserved seating. Season tickets are $185 for A seating, $150 for B seating, $125 for C seating. Discounts are available for seniors, students, youth and SFA faculty and staff.

Griffith Gallery is located in the Griffith Fine Arts Building, Room 208, and is open 12:30 to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. The Ed and Gwen Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House is located at 329 E. Main St. It contains two galleries: the Jack and Doris Ledbetter Gallery on the first floor and the Florence Wilson Reavley Gallery on the second floor. Its hours are 12:30 to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday. All exhibitions, receptions and gallery talks are free and open to the public. Content and dates of shows are subject to change.

See the Gallery Series for more exhibitions.