Building on the momentum of Shenandoah University’s landmark 150th anniversary, Shenandoah Conservatory launches its 2026/2027 season “Breaking New Ground,” a year that celebrates artistic excellence while embracing innovation, community engagement and new ways of experiencing the performing arts. As the university prepares to break ground this fall on the Shenandoah Center for the Arts — a transformative new home for performance, creativity and collaboration — the season reflects a conservatory looking boldly toward the future. Through inspiring performances, internationally acclaimed guest artists, innovative initiatives and the extraordinary work of its students and faculty, the conservatory celebrates a future defined by creativity, connection and artistic excellence.

“This performance season really reflects who we are becoming as a conservatory,” said Executive Director for Performances and Engagement Courtney Reilly ’18, M.S. “We’re honoring our tradition while breaking new ground through innovative performances, meaningful community partnerships and experiences that expand how audiences connect with the performing arts.”

Highlights of the season include the Performing Arts Live guest artist series, opening with the Dan Tyminski Band, led by 14-time Grammy Award winner Dan Tyminski. The series also features a candlelight performance by The Naghash Ensemble of Armenia; gospel legends The Legendary Ingramettes; the celebrated trio of violinist Tessa Lark, cellist Joshua Roman and bassist Edgar Meyer; and Camerata RCO, featuring musicians from Amsterdam’s Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra.

Additional guest artist series include World of the Piano, featuring internationally acclaimed pianists Orli Shaham, Sara Davis Buechner, Clayton Stephenson and Jon Nakamatsu, and Shenandoah New Music, showcasing the dynamic ~Nois Quartet, the award-winning improvising chamber ensemble 9 Horses and a collaborative concert with composer Hilary Purrington.

New this season, Shenandoah Conservatory launches its Well-Being Concert Series, an innovative initiative that reimagines the concert experience through the integration of live music, guided reflection and mindfulness practices. Developed in partnership with Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute and inspired by research on music and well-being, the series invites audiences to experience music as a source of connection, restoration and personal reflection in both campus and community settings.

Theatre and musical theatre explore ambition, identity and resilience through beloved classics and contemporary works, including “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying,” “American Psycho,” “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812,” “Shakespeare in Love,” Sophie Treadwell’s groundbreaking “Machinal” and Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer Prize- and Tony Award-winning “Angels in America, Part One: Millennium Approaches.”

Instrumental and choral ensembles present programs ranging from beloved masterworks to exciting contemporary repertoire. Highlights include Symphony Orchestra’s “A Tribute to the Emperor,” featuring internationally renowned pianist John O’Conor performing Beethoven’s majestic “Emperor” Concerto; the Wind Ensemble’s nationally recognized program; and performances by the Conservatory Choir, Shenandoah Voices and Shenandoah Chorus.

Jazz and commercial music ensembles bring the season to life with big band classics, rock favorites, jazz standards and electrifying performances by the CONTEMPO Ensembles.

Dance audiences will experience new works by faculty and distinguished guest choreographers, including Ali Koinoglou, David Dorfman, Stephanie Martinez and Jocelyn Hrzic.

Opera Up Close invites audiences to an original devised performance of “O Music of the Powers!,” an intimate exploration of love, loss and music’s transformative power, and concludes their season with a Main Stage Opera featuring a double bill of Giacomo Puccini’s “Suor Angelica” and Maurice Ravel’s “L’enfant et les sortilèges.”

The season also features dozens of free recitals, offering audiences opportunities to experience exceptional artistry in an intimate setting throughout the year.

Tickets for all performances are available online at ConservatoryPerforms.org. During regular box office hours (Tuesday through Friday from noon to 5 p.m.), tickets are available in person at the Shenandoah Conservatory Box Office located in the Ohrstrom-Bryant Theatre lobby and over the phone at (540) 665-4569.