Spring arts events showcase talented Wooster students

The College of Wooster will present a variety of arts events throughout its spring 2026 semester, beginning at the end of January. Open to the greater Wooster community, events from the departments of Music, Theatre and Dance, and the  College of Wooster Art Museum (CWAM) include performances from music ensembles, theatre and dance productions, and the spring art exhibit. The wide variety of events highlight the diverse talents of students studying professionally in the arts and from other majors.

• College of Wooster Art Museum exhibitions 1970: Mirrored Pasts, Predictable Futures, Ebert Art Center (1220 Beall Avenue). Opening to the public on Jan. 20, this exhibition invites viewers to reflect on the year 1970, a pivotal moment in art history as artists responded to the progress and heightened anxieties that grew following the post-war era. Curated by students, works in the exhibition prompt viewers to consider how those tensions continue to echo today. The exhibit will be on display until April. The CWAM is open Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday, 1 to 4 p.m.
• Friday, Feb. 6: Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo Concert featuring Saxophonist Pete Mills, 7:30 p.m., Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center (525 E. University Street). Pete Mills, Columbus-area saxophonist and member of the Columbus Jazz Orchestra, joins The College of Wooster Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo in a fun-filled evening of great, swinging jazz standards and new compositions; with free admission and the event is open to the public. Conducted by Jeffrey Lindberg, the ensemble specializes in playing large-ensemble jazz and gives opportunities for participants to compose, arrange, and improvise music.
• Friday, Feb. 13: I HEART ART, 4 p.m., Ebert Art Center (1220 Beall Avenue). In collaboration with the Wellness Center and Peer Health Educators, The College of Wooster Art Museum invites all to celebrate love in all its forms with art, craft activities, and treats.
  

  Wooster Symphony Orchestra performs in fall 2025.

• Friday, Feb. 20 and Sunday, Feb. 22: Wooster Symphony Orchestra Concert featuring the Escher String Quartet, Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center (525 E. University Street). Performances are at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 and 3 p.m. on Feb. 22. The world-famous Escher String Quartet joins the Wooster Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jeffrey Lindberg, in a performance of Edward Elgar’s Introduction and Allegro for Strings, Op. 47. The program also includes Dvorák’s Serenade for Strings and Mendelssohn’s “Italian” Symphony, in honor of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Tickets are required and available at Buehler’s (Milltown and Towne Market) and Scheide Music Center.
• Thursday through Sunday, Feb. 26 – March1: The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde 7:30 p.m., Freedlander Theatre (329 E. University Street). Directed by Shirley Huston-Findley, professor and department chair of theatre and dance, The Importance of Being Earnest, a satirical comedy set in Victorian London, demonstrates Wilde’s ability to critique the performance of the wealthy and powerful through witty repartee and farcical situations, allowing us to recognize the absurdity and transparency of social conventions. Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee only on Sunday, March 1, at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are required and available at the box office in Freedlander Theatre or at wooster.edu/snippet/tickets.
• Friday, Feb. 27: Wooster Chorus Concert, 7:30 p.m., Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center (525 E. University Street). Founded in 1964, the Wooster Chorus is comprised of students representing all academic areas and directed by Christin Sears, visiting assistant professor of choral music and director of choral activities. The award-winning ensemble has been praised for its beautiful sound, high level of artistry, creative programming, and engaging performances.
• Friday, March 6: Wooster Contemporary Chamber Ensemble Concert, 7:30 p.m., Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center (525 E. University Street). Directed by Dylan Findley, visiting assistant professor of music, music theory, and composition, the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble focuses on music by living composers.
• Sunday, March 8: Scot Symphonic Band & Wooster Pipe Band Concert, 3 p.m., McGaw Chapel (340 E. University Street). Directed by Jeffrey Gershman, professor of music and director of bands, the band is the premier wind ensemble at the College. Scot Symphonic Band performances draw both from the cornerstones of the wind literature and the finest contemporary works. The College of Wooster Pipe Band is directed by Palmer Shonk ’10 and Sean Lawry and continues to foster Scottish arts and culture at the College.
  

  Founded in 1964, the Wooster Chorus is comprised of students representing all academic areas.

• Sunday, March 8: Wooster Chorus Pre-Tour Concert, 7:30 p.m., Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center (525 E. University Street). Founded in 1964, the Wooster Chorus is comprised of students representing all academic areas and directed by Christin Sears, visiting assistant professor of choral music and director of choral activities. The award-winning ensemble has been praised for its beautiful sound, high level of artistry, creative programming, and engaging performances.
• Thursday through Sunday, April 16-19: Spring Dance Concert, 7:30 p.m., Freedlander Theatre. Directed by Emily Baird, assistant professor of Theatre & Dance, the concert features original and diverse choreography from members of The College of Wooster Dance Company and Baird. This spring’s concert also features the work of guest artist Francesca Baron and an I.S. piece by Larissa Cardine ’26. Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee only showing on Sunday, April 19, at 2 p.m. Tickets are available at the box office in Freedlander Theatre or at wooster.edu/snippet/tickets.
  

  The College of Wooster Dance Company performs in the 2025 Spring Dance Concert.

• Saturday, April 18: Wooster Concert Band & Wooster Singers Concert, 3 p.m., Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center (525 E. University Street). The Wooster Singers is the College’s non-auditioned mixed voice ensemble music course, open to music majors and non-majors alike and conducted by Christin Sears, visiting assistant professor and director of choral activities. The Wooster Concert Band includes students, staff, and faculty of the College, along with community members from Wayne County, ranging in age from 16 to 80 and is conducted by Jeffrey Gershman, professor of music and director of bands at Wooster.
• Friday, May 1: Senior Studio Art Group Show Celebration, 4 p.m., Ebert Art Center (1220 Beall Avenue). Each studio major exhibits their Independent Study work in the MacKenzie Gallery at the heart of Ebert Art Center and submits one work to the group exhibition in the College of Wooster Art Museum. Students will offer gallery talks about their work as part of the College’s annual Senior Research Symposium, showcasing the scholarship of students across campus for Independent Study.
• Friday, May 1: Wooster Symphony Orchestra Concert, 7:30 p.m., McGaw Chapel (340 E. University Street). Conducted by Jeffrey Lindberg, professor of music at the College, the Wooster Symphony Orchestra presents a performance of Dmitri Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47. Senior violinists Noah Hankin ’26 and Jane Nolte ’26 will be featured in a performance of Amitié for Two Violins and Orchestra by Eugene Ysaye. The ensemble will also premiere Pursuit for Symphony Orchestra, a new work by composer Dylan Findley, assistant professor of music at Wooster. Tickets are required and available at Buehler’s (Milltown and Towne Market) and the Scheide Music Center.
• Saturday, May 2: Wooster Contemporary Chamber Ensemble Concert, 7:30 p.m., Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center (525 E. University Street). The Contemporary Chamber Ensemble focuses on music by living composers and is directed by Dylan Findley, assistant professor of music, music theory, and composition.
• Sunday, May 3: Scot Symphonic Band & Wooster Pipe Band Concert, 3 p.m., McGaw Chapel (340 E. University Street). Directed by Jeffrey Gershman, professor of music and director of bands, the band is the premier wind ensemble at the College. Scot Symphonic Band performances draw both from the cornerstones of the wind literature and the finest contemporary works. The College of Wooster Pipe Band is directed by Palmer Shonk ’10 and Sean Lawry and continues to foster Scottish arts and culture at the College.
  

  Scot Symphonic Band performs at Homecoming Celebration of the Arts in fall 2024.

• Tuesday, May 5: Jazz Ensemble Concert, 7 p.m., Scot Amphitheater. Chicago vocalist Abigail Riccards joins The College of Wooster Jazz Ensemble to celebrate the end of spring classes. The performance will highlight the contributions of the ensemble’s graduating seniors. In the event of rain, the concert will be moved to Gault Recital Hall at 7:30 p.m. to ensure the performance continues as planned.
• Friday, May 15: Commencement Concert, 3 p.m., McGaw Chapel (340 E. University Street). The College of Wooster will celebrate commencement weekend with a concert featuring the Wooster Chorus, directed by Christin Sears, visiting assistant professor of choral music and director of choral activities. The performance will honor the achievements of graduating students.

All events are open to the public. For more information on events in the Department of Music, contact administrative coordinator Melissa Puster at mpuster@wooster.edu or 330-263-2419. For information on Theatre and Dance events, contact Scott Schwarzwalder at sschwarzwldr@wooster.edu or 330-263-2541. For additional information on the CWAM exhibitions, visit the CWAM website or call 330-263-2495.

Featured image: Students perform in the Theatre and Dance departments spring 2025 production of Legacy of Light.

Posted in Event, News on January 27, 2026.