2023-2024
Events
2023-2024
Events
2023-2024
Events
2023-2024
Events

2023-2024 Season

Holiday Pops Concert - Florence Symphony Orchestra

Holiday Pops Concert – Florence Symphony Orchestra

December 11, 2023    
7:30 pm
Celebrate the 75th season of the Florence Symphony Orchestra with our Holiday Pops concert, one of the most popular performances of the season. This year will include all your holiday favorites as well as a gospel/jazz version of the Hallelujah Chorus that’s “Too Hot to Handel.” Members of local high school choirs will join the FSO for this performance.
The Nutcracker - South Carolina Ballet

The Nutcracker – South Carolina Ballet

December 14, 2023    
7:00 pm
Columbia City Ballet, now South Carolina Ballet, is proud to announce our highly anticipated performances of Nutcracker at the FMU’s Performing Arts Center with a spectacular performances on December 14th. This holiday season, audiences will be enchanted by a holiday experience like no other, as South Carolina Ballet brings this beloved classic to life with a captivating twist and new custom backdrops, along with the high artistic and production standards synonymous with South Carolina Ballet (Columbia City Ballet). Inspired by the historic South yet thoughtfully updated for a modern and diverse audience, South Carolina Ballet (Columbia City Ballet) presents William Starrett’s Nutcracker with stunning new custom backdrops that will transport spectators to a world of graceful elegance, charm, and wonder. Drawing on the rich heritage of the south, the production’s innovative set design showcases a seamless blend of tradition and innovation. “We are thrilled to present this unique rendition of Nutcracker to the Florence community,” said William Starrett, Artistic Director of Columbia City Ballet. “Our goal is to breathe fresh life into this cherished ballet while paying homage to the history and culture of the South. Audiences can expect an unforgettable journey into a world of magic, beauty, and splendor.” The production promises to captivate both young and old with its heartwarming tale of Clara’s dreamlike adventure. As the story unfolds, audiences will be transported to a realm of dancing snowflakes, twirling flowers, and mesmerizing characters that will leave them in awe. In addition to the breathtaking performance, audiences can look forward to witnessing the beauty of new backdrops featuring intricately designed scenes showcasing classic southern charm. From grand mansions to majestic trees draped in snow, each backdrop has been crafted with great attention to detail, ensuring an immersive experience like never before.
The State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine presents “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”

The State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine presents “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”

January 17, 2024    
7:30 pm
Classical Arts Entertainment presents the ballet fairy tale “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” in two acts with one intermission. There are fairy tales that inspire creators to create performances in different genres and directions. One of these was the favorite fairy tale of the Brothers Grimm, “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” This time, the fairy tale comes to life in dance and staging by the State Ballet Theater of Ukraine. Our ballet is a story about love, friendship, witchcraft, and the eternal struggle between good and evil. Snow White is an excellent opportunity to spend time with the whole family and to introduce children to the art of classical ballet. A unique production, an excellent plot (bright acting images, virtuoso solo parts, comical dwarfs, funny little animals), famous characters, and dynamic music will give both adults and children a festive mood.
RUMOURS: A Fleetwood Mac Tribute

RUMOURS: A Fleetwood Mac Tribute

January 25, 2024    
7:30 pm
Formed in 2014, Rumours has taken the US by storm with their stage scorching renditions of Fleetwood Mac songs. Rumours has landed themselves the reputation of being the best Fleetwood Mac Tribute band. Rumours is fronted by Mekenzie Zimerman (Stevie Nicks vocals), Adrienne Cottrell (keyboards and Christine McVie vocals), and Denny Hanson (guitar and Lindsey Buckingham vocals). John Spiegel on lead guitar, Jim Ramsdell on bass, and Daniel Morrison on drums makeup one of the best live band performances you will see at any show. The band prides themselves on being the most authentic Fleetwood Mac Tribute without coming across as parody or a bore of a show. They will make you dance, sing along at the top of your lungs, and you’ll even learn something new about Fleetwood Mac at each performance. Rumours will leave you wanting more. Rumours will make you relive those Fleetwood Mac memories. Do you believe in miracles and the ways of magic? Rumours does.
Desiree Roots, Jazz Vocalist

Desiree Roots, Jazz Vocalist

February 1, 2024    
7:30 pm
Desiree is revered for her powerful yet controlled, lush voice with its 3½ octave range. Her ability to sing nearly every genre including Jazz, Gospel, Opera and popular music has made her one of the region’s most sought-after vocalists. She has performed throughout the East Coast with orchestras, regional Jazz bands and, as leader of her own ensembles, often to standing-room only audiences. She has shared the stage with Grammy Award winning guitarists, Buddy Guy and BB King; Jazz saxophonists Gerald Albright and Boney James; and, was a featured vocalist with The World Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra. Desiree was awarded the Theresa Pollak Prize for Excellence in the Arts (2004) for “Best Vocalist in the Commonwealth of Virginia.” Tickets are available to FMU students, faculty, and staff at no charge upon showing an FMU ID. Tickets to the general public are $10, as space allows. The FMU PAC Ticket Office at 201 South Dargan Street is open Monday through Friday, 12:00pm – 5:00pm, or by calling 843-661-4444.
Florence Symphony Orchestra Featuring Soloist Claire Compton

Florence Symphony Orchestra Featuring Soloist Claire Compton

February 12, 2024    
7:30 pm
For the past 25 years, Claire Compton has been the principal oboist for the Florence Symphony Orchestra. She has played as a soloist in churches throughout the state and enjoys playing with the Masterworks Choir of Florence, the Lexington County Choral Society, the Dutch Fork Choral Society and the Columbia Choral Society. Celebrating the 75th season, Florence Symphony Orchestra welcomes guest artist and principal oboist Claire Compton. Inspiration-Festive Overture Quinn Mason Concerto for Oboe in C Haydn Claire Compton-oboe Symphony No.6, op. 74 Tchaikovsky
FMU Concert Band

FMU Concert Band

March 5, 2024    
7:30 pm
The Francis Marion University Concert Band will be performing its fall concert at the FMU Performing Arts Center in downtown Florence. The Francis Marion University Concert Band is composed of FMU students as well as community members from the Pee Dee region. Community members include professional area music educators, band directors, choir directors, ministers of music, and FMU music faculty members. Membership is open to all FMU students and area residents who are experienced concert band instrumentalists. Performances include traditional concert band music as well as popular and show music. The program began as a way to give students of FMU a chance to perform music, earn academic credit for performance in the ensemble, and to become involved with other students in campus life. Beginning in the spring of 2002, the FMU Concert Band rehearsals were scheduled on Tuesday evenings and adult musicians from the region were invited to participate. The band continues to rehearse every Tuesday evening. We are always seeking additional participants; if you play a band instrument or know someone looking for a place to play, please contact us. Information can be found at Music – Instrumental Program or email Dr. Terry Roberts at troberts@fmarion.edu Tickets are available to FMU students, faculty, and staff at no charge upon showing an FMU ID. Tickets to the general public are $10, as space allows. The FMU PAC Ticket Office at 201 South Dargan Street is open Monday through Friday, 12:00pm – 5:00pm, or by calling 843-661-4444.
Forever Motown

Forever Motown

March 9, 2024    
7:30 pm
Direct from New York, the original Cast of “Forever Motown” delights with nine all-star performers, including former members of The Four Tops, The Temptations, and the Marvelettes. Forever Motown features Theo Peoples, Glenn Carl Leonard, and Traci Robinson-Greene. If you’ve ever heard Theo Peoples’ voice, it’s no secret why many regard him as one of the most ‘AUTHENTIC’ voices in the music industry and agree he has raised the bar high because of his soulful vocal style! For nearly two decades, Theo Peoples’ voice has been critical to the legacy of not just one but two of Motown’s iconic groups – the Temptations AND The Four Tops’! He has earned the singular honor of being the only man to be a member of both legendary groups, and his bona fide voice has been a ‘well received’ contribution in both cases! Glenn Carl Leonard started singing at the early age of 6 years old and by the time he reached 13 he began to earn a living performing. His first recording was with ‘The Chancellor’s On Cap City Records, a subsidiary of Scepter. He later recorded with True Reflection on Atlantic Records. In 1975, Glenn came to the attention of the world renowned and legendary the Temptations’. He had a long and illustrious career as the first tenor and lead singer of The Temptations from 1975 to 1983. He performed on 10 albums with The Temptations, singing lead on many songs including“I’m on Fire,” “Go For It,” “The Best of Both Worlds,” “Open Their Eyes,” “Ever Ready Love,” and the classic Christmas song“Silent Night” from TheTemptations’ Give Love At Christmas LP. One of the highlights of Glenn’s career was being a part of “The Temptations Reunion Tour” in 1982. After leaving The Temptations in 1983, Glenn entered into full time ministry. He founded and pastors a church in Houston, TX and is now doing concerts again with his new group, giving audiences all over the country a genuine Temptations experience. Traci-Robinson Greene is a New York born and educated artist who received dance training at Alvin Ailey Dance Center and Dance Theatre of Harlem. A triple threat, she has appeared in theatre, film and television including“School Daze,” “Malcolm X,” “The Cosby Show,” “David Letterman Show,”the Time WarnerSingers and the 8-time Tony-nominated Broadway hit, Sophisticated Ladies. Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Traci became the lead singer of the Marvelletes in 1991, performing all over the world and many years of the run in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Since then Traci has been a featured voice in Forever Motown.
The WannaBeatles with the Florence Symphony Orchestra

The WannaBeatles with the Florence Symphony Orchestra

March 18, 2024    
7:30 pm
The WannaBeatles join the Florence Symphony Orchestra for a trip down memory lane commemorating the 60th anniversary of the first U.S. Beetles performance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964. This group of Grammy finalists are the only tribute act to have written songs for fellow nominees Paul McCartney and Betty White. The videos for “We Wanna Meet Paul” and (The Betty White Song) “Oh Betty! have brought smiles to fans and concert goers alike.
FMU String Ensemble

FMU String Ensemble

March 20, 2024    
7:30 pm
Open to all university students and faculty interested in learning and performing chamber music, the University String Ensemble members meet for weekly rehearsals during Fall and Spring academic semesters, giving public recitals and accompanying other campus ensembles. Tickets are available to FMU students, faculty, and staff at no charge upon showing an FMU ID. Tickets to the general public are $10, as space allows. The FMU PAC Ticket Office at 201 South Dargan Street is open Monday through Friday, 12:00pm – 5:00pm, or by calling 843-661-4444.
23 Mar

Snow White presented by the South Carolina Ballet/School of Dance Arts

March 23, 2024    
7:00 pm
Enjoy the classic story of The Nutcracker, presented by South Carolina Dance Theatre. With two performance on Friday, December 1st and Saturday, December 2nd, you’ll have the opportunity to experience the magic at the PAC.
Sean Kennard, Piano

Sean Kennard, Piano

April 2, 2024    
7:30 pm
Sean Kennard has won top prizes in the Queen Elisabeth Competition (Belgium), the International Music Competition of Viña del Mar (Chile), the Vendome International Piano Competition (Portugal), the Sendai International Music Competition (Japan), the Hilton Head International Piano Competition (USA), the National Chopin Competition, the Iowa Piano Competition, the American Pianists Association, and the International Chopin Competition of the Pacific. The Washington Post praised Kennard’s “powerful and involved music making,” describing him as “a strong luminous pianist.” His 2011 debut album received a rave review in American Record Guide, which pronounced it “a hidden gem,” attesting to its “perfect blend of lyricism and romantic passion,” “huge romantic sound, and bold melodic vision.” It proclaimed that he “plays the dickens out of the Stravinsky [Three Movements from Petrushka]” and “plays Chopin’s Preludes with more poise and vision than most pianists who have recorded them.” Fanfare affirmed the enthusiastic reception, naming the album “a very desirable disc” and citing “Kennard’s mastery of Chopin’s idiom,” its “impression of complete effortlessness” and “emotional responsiveness.” The review characterized his playing as “full of life and sparkle,” summing up: “while I wouldn’t necessarily say that Kennard outclasses Ashkenazy, Rubinstein, Moravec, Ohlsson…in this repertoire, he surely equals them.” THE DAVID MARSHALL AND CATHERINE KOGER BURNS MEMORIAL RECITAL SERIES: David Marshall Burns, Jr., and Catherine Koger Burns, natives of Charleston, South Carolina, were married and moved to Florence in 1933 where they became actively involved in civic activities and the arts. The Bums Recital Series was established in 1989 by Catherine Burns in memory of her husband and, upon her death in 1995, the Series was renamed the David Marshall and Catherine Koger Burns Memorial Recital Series. Tickets are available to FMU students, faculty, and staff at no charge upon showing an FMU ID. Tickets to the general public are $10, as space allows. The FMU PAC Ticket Office at 201 South Dargan Street is open Monday through Friday, 12:00pm – 5:00pm, or by calling 843-661-4444.
FMU Percussion Ensemble

FMU Percussion Ensemble

April 3, 2024    
7:30 pm
The Francis Marion University Percussion Ensemble is a contemporary chamber ensemble that explores the world of percussion from an improvisation-based approach. We model our performance methodology and musical ideology on the performance practice of drummer/composer Max Roach’s percussion ensemble M’Boom, especially in their focus on jazz and non-Western musical cultures as a touchstone for aesthetic inspiration. We employ improvisation as a key mode of praxis—both in terms of theory and practice—and special focus is given to compositions invented during collective improvisation exercises. Additionally, we explore “minimalism,” “game,” and “open score” notation/compositional systems, while also examining the ways in which poetry and literature can be interpreted in a musical setting. Tickets are available to FMU students, faculty, and staff at no charge upon showing an FMU ID. Tickets to the general public are $10, as space allows. The FMU PAC Ticket Office at 201 South Dargan Street is open Monday through Friday, 12:00pm – 5:00pm, or by calling 843-661-4444.
FMU Concert Choir and Voice Collective

FMU Concert Choir and Voice Collective

April 8, 2024    
7:30 pm
Open to all university students, the University Concert Choir has an average enrollment of between 35 and 45 students. This group has sung in numerous area churches and has also performed with the Florence Symphony Orchestra. They have performed such major choral works as the “Polovetzian Dance and Chorus” of Alexander Borodin, the “Schicksalslied” of Johannes Brahms, and the Ninth Symphony of Ludwig van Beethoven. Recently their concerts have included selections accompanied by the newly formed Francis Marion string ensemble. Francis Marion’s Voice Collective is a small, audition-only vocal group. This group performs throughout the region for schools and service organizations. They have also performed in Orlando, Florida, in Baltimore, Maryland, in Washington, D.C., in Vienna, Austria, and on a performance cruise to the Bahamas. Tickets are available to FMU students, faculty, and staff at no charge upon showing an FMU ID. Tickets to the general public are $10, as space allows. The FMU PAC Ticket Office at 201 South Dargan Street is open Monday through Friday, 12:00pm – 5:00pm, or by calling 843-661-4444.
FMU Jazz Combo

FMU Jazz Combo

April 9, 2024    
7:30 pm
The FMU Jazz Combo allows students in a small group setting to learn and hone improvisational skills within the the jazz idiom. Works have been selected from music by Corea, Glasper, Shorter, and more. Tickets are available to FMU students, faculty, and staff at no charge upon showing an FMU ID. Tickets to the general public are $10, as space allows. The FMU PAC Ticket Office at 201 South Dargan Street is open Monday through Friday, 12:00pm – 5:00pm, or by calling 843-661-4444.
FMU Music Industry Ensemble

FMU Music Industry Ensemble

April 11, 2024    
7:30 pm
The Music Industry Ensemble is a chamber ensemble devoted to the development of individual performance and improvisation skills through the staging of music for small groups representing a variety of classic and modern jazz, pop, rock and soul styles. The M.I.E. provides a workshop in which students also learn arranging, microphone technique and scheduling, sound reinforcement and lighting design. Please contact Dr. Brandon Goff bgoff@fmarion.edu for additional information about participating in the M.I. Ensemble. Tickets are available to FMU students, faculty, and staff at no charge upon showing an FMU ID. Tickets to the general public are $10, as space allows. The FMU PAC Ticket Office at 201 South Dargan Street is open Monday through Friday, 12:00pm – 5:00pm, or by calling 843-661-4444.
The Barricade Boys

The Barricade Boys

April 26, 2024    
7:30 pm
Direct from the UK… Get ready to have your socks knocked off and your heart racing with The Barricade Boys! These four dazzling performers are taking the world by storm with their electrifying show that will have you tapping your feet, belting out your favorite tunes, and grinning from ear to ear. From the heart-wrenching emotion of Les Miserables to the harmonies of the Jersey Boys, The Barricade Boys will take you on a musical journey like no other. Throw in a mix of the greatest pop, rock, swing, and Motown hits of all time, and The Barricade Boys create the ultimate West End party musical mashup! But it’s not just about the music – these four superstar performers will also share hilarious and inspiring stories from their time on stage touring the world and also in some of the biggest shows in the West End, including Wicked, Billy Elliott, The Phantom of the Opera, The Sound of Music, Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat and more. Get ready for a night you’ll never forget, filled with jaw-dropping vocals and sensational dance routines!
"Beethoven's 9th" with Select Soloist, Masterworks Choir, and the Florence Symphony Orchestra

"Beethoven's 9th" with Select Soloist, Masterworks Choir, and the Florence Symphony Orchestra

May 6, 2024    
7:30 pm
The Masterworks Choir and the Florence Symphony Orchestra join forces to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, first performed in Vienna, May 7, 1824. Beethoven’s use of the poem “Ode to Joy” by Friedrich Schiller, marks the first time a famous composer used voices in a symphony. Symphony No. 9, op. 125 Beethoven
An Evening with Roger McGuinn

An Evening with Roger McGuinn

May 23, 2024    
7:30 pm
Mr. Tambourine Man not only lived history, he made history with his fearless sense of experimentation. As the leader of the influential 60s group, The Byrds, he was on the leading edge, combining the rock beat of the Beatles with the folk sensibilities of Bob Dylan, to create the genre known as “folk-rock” His groundbreaking work on The Byrds “Sweetheart Of The Rodeo” album, is widely credited with ushering in the genre of country rock. Roger’s solo career began in 1973 and has yielded 13 albums, a Grammy nomination, and extensive touring and performing for enthralled audiences ever since.

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