Art Powered

Duke Performances announces its 2019/20 season with an extraordinary roster of presentations highlighting the influence musical & cultural heritage has on the creative process. Committing to a program of distinct commemorations from inimitable creators illustrates an enthusiastic acknowledgment of its responsibility to Duke University, Durham, and North Carolina’s vast arts ecosystem. Duke Performances has accepted the call for essential and immersive programming that advances discussions surrounding the power of art. Fittingly, “Art Powered” delivers an incomparable season of significant firsts, dedicatory reflection, and cathartic storytelling.

Featured Events

March 26-29, 2020
DPAC

American Ballet Theatre (ABT) showcasing incomparable technical and dramatic skills in a moving romantic masterwork
Leyla McCalla
March 4-6, 2020
Rubenstein Arts Center

Leyla McCalla reflecting on the legacy of the revolutionary Radio Haiti-Inter station and her Haitian-American identity
Mavis Staples
October 3, 2019
Carolina Theatre of Durham

Mavis Staples continuing her family’s musical tradition of singing uplifting songs that champion civil rights
February 14, 2020
Baldwin Auditorium

Joshua Redman acknowledging his late father Dewey’s work as a free bop torchbearer
December 4-7, 2019
The Fruit

Music Maker Relief Foundation celebrating its 25th anniversary of preserving the rich musical traditions of pioneering contributors to southern music
April 22, 2020
Baldwin Auditorium

The Tallis Scholars rejoicing with a devotional to the Virgin Mary
March 13-15 & April 24-26, 2020
Baldwin Auditorium

Belcea Quartet and Quatuor Ébène celebrating Beethoven’s legacy on the 250th anniversary of his birth
February 22, 2020
Carolina Theatre of Durham

The Trocks employing comedy and camp to tease ballet’s technical rigor
October 26, 2019
Duke Chapel

The Kingdom Choir building community with its distinctive blend of gospel and pop
May 5, 2020
Caroline Theatre of Durham

Lila Downs investigating Mexican heritage through the chili pepper
November 1, 2019
Reynolds Industries Theater

Sam Green and Yo La Tengo recounting the life’s work of a visionary futurist
November 22-24, 2019
Rubenstein Arts Center

Torry Bend confronting the overtly racist imagery of an iconic comic strip
September 19, 2019
Rubenstein Arts Center

Ambrose Akinmusire tackling institutional racism and cyclical poverty
April 9, 2020
Motorco Music Hall

Etienne Charles championing cultural fusion and his creole heritage
April 8, 2020
Motorco Music Hall

Cha Wa reveling in the Mardi Gras Indian tradition
March 21, 2020
Baldwin Auditorium

Imani Winds reflecting on the past, present, and future of the Civil Rights Movement
April 4, 2020
Baldwin Auditorium

Calefax Reed Quintet eradicating the borders between early and new music
Rafiq
November 7, 2019
Rubenstein Arts Center

Rafiq Bhatia breaking free from the predictability of genre or categorization