Season tickets are on sale for the 2011-12 Bluffton University Artist Series, featuring The Four Freshmen and The Ohio State University Flute Troupe, as well as the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin, the Pridonoff Piano Duo and juggler-comedian Mark Nizer.
All performances will be at 7:30 p.m. in Yoder Recital Hall, beginning Sept. 29 with The Four Freshmen.
One of the most important vocal groups in jazz history, The Four Freshmen pioneered a revolutionary style of close-harmony vocals that set the stage for bands like the Beach Boys and Manhattan Transfer.
Popular through the 1950s and '60s, and enjoying a comeback in recent years, they are known for hit singles such as "It's a Blue World," "Mood Indigo," "Day by Day" and "Graduation Day."
Second in the series will be the Chamber Orchestra Kremlin, on Nov. 3. Founded in 1991, the orchestra has carved a niche for itself under the direction of its founder and director, Misha Rachlevsky.
Comprised of some of Russia's finest young string players, the orchestra's warmth and high-energy performances stay with listeners long after its concerts end.
Ringing in the new year on Jan. 26, 2012, will be the Pridonoff Piano Duo. Elisabeth and Eugene Pridonoff, who formed the acclaimed duo in 1982, will bring their energetic and artistic styling to Bluffton.
Each a professor of piano and artist-in-residence at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, they are often compared to the great husband-wife piano duos of Josef and Rosina Lhevinne and Vronsky and Babin.
The Ohio State University Flute Troupe will take the Bluffton stage on Feb. 23. Established in 1985 by Katherine Borst Jones, professor of flute at Ohio State, the troupe consists of both undergraduate and graduate flute majors.
Known for its high level of performance using all of the instruments of the flute family, the ensemble is recognized as one of the premiere flute choirs in the nation.
Wrapping up the series on April 19 will be "Mark Nizer 3D." Nizer makes the impossible possible while incorporating 3D technology into a live show that combines world-class juggling, comedy, movement and music.
Interactive video creates lasers jumping out over the audience, robots performing onstage and neon balls playing live music while creating a unique 3D world that changes with every note.
Ticket information
Season tickets are $80 for adults, $70 for senior citizens and $65 for university faculty and staff. A family pass is $55 with the purchase of any season ticket.
Tickets can be purchased on the Web, at http://tickets.bluffton.edu, or by calling the box office at 419-358-3239.
Single-event tickets-$25 for adults, $20 for senior citizens and $15 for faculty and staff-will be available beginning Aug. 1.
