The College of Wooster will feature a wide variety of arts events throughout the fall semester of the 2026-27 academic year. Open to the community, events from the departments of Music, Theatre and Dance, and the College of Wooster Art Museum (CWAM) include numerous performances from music ensembles, theatre and dance productions, and the fall art exhibit.
- Tuesday, Sept. 15: College of Wooster Art Museum exhibition Radically Rooted Opening Celebration, 4 p.m., Ebert Art Center (1220 Beall Avenue). Celebrating its opening, the fall exhibition at The College of Wooster Art Museum invites viewers to engage with campus nature, specifically trees and forestland. “Radically Rooted” features alumna Susan Stair ’76, whose work will be on display throughout the fall. 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, Sept. 18: Celebration of the Arts, 4 p.m., McGaw Chapel (340 E. University Street). During Homecoming Weekend with families and alumni, the annual Celebration of the Arts concert will feature performances by the Wooster Chorus, Wooster Jazz Ensemble, Scot Marching Band and Pipe Band, College of Wooster Dance Company, and students studying theatre and art & art history.
- Tuesday, Sept. 22: Radically Rooted Reception and Artist’s Talk, 4 p.m., Ebert Art Center (1220 Beall Avenue). Susan Stair '76, artist of Radically Rooted, will discuss the fall CWAM exhibit’s themes and artworks in further detail.
- Friday, Oct. 16: Wooster Contemporary Chamber Ensemble Concert, 7:30 p.m., Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center (525 E. University Street). The Wooster Contemporary Chamber Ensemble Wooster Contemporary Chamber Ensemble will perform a concert inspired by poetry, biology, history, the Baroque era, and First American religious traditions, all written by living composers. The ensemble is directed by Dylan Findley, assistant professor of music composition and theory, and Perry Roth, adjunct instructor of music, saxophone.
- Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 22-25: EMILIA by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, 7:30 p.m., Freedlander Theatre (329 E. University Street). Directed by Shirley Huston-Findley, professor of theatre & dance, the fall production reveals the life of Emilia Bassano, an English poet whose legacy has been forgotten. Poet, mother, and feminist, Bassano’s writings were one of the first published collections of poetry written by a woman in England.Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. with only a matinee showing on Sunday, Oct. 25, at 2 p.m. Tickets are required and available at the box office in Freedlander Theatre or may be purchased online as the event approaches.
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: Wooster Contemporary Chamber Ensemble Concert with the Art Department, 7 p.m., 3rd floor, Ebert Art Center (1220 Beall Avenue). Under the direction of Marina Mangubi, Eugene and Charlene Derge Sussel Endowed Professor of Art and Art History, students will paint live to the Wooster Contemporary Chamber Ensemble’s music written by composers at The College of Wooster. The ensemble is directed by Dylan Findley, assistant professor of music composition and theory, and Perry Roth, adjunct instructor of music, saxophone.
- Friday, Nov.13: Wooster Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo Concert, 7:30 p.m., Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center (525 E. University Street). Featuring Chicago trumpeter Victor Garcia, Wooster Jazz Ensemble presents a combination of big band favorites and new works composed and arranged by guest soloist Garcia. Conducted by Jeffrey Lindberg, Olive Williams Kettering Professor of Music at the College, the Wooster Jazz Ensemble specializes in playing large-ensemble jazz and gives opportunities for participants to compose, arrange, and improvise music. Conducted by Greg Slawson, visiting instructor of music, the Jazz Combo focuses on the exploration of jazz improvisation from standards to contemporary works.
- Saturday, Nov. 14: Wooster Chorus Concert, 7 p.m., Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center (525 E. University Street). The Wooster Chorus is pleased to present their fall concert entitled, “Storms to Light.” Through a diverse collection of choral works, the music reflects on the literal and metaphorical storms people encounter and the light that can emerge in their wake. Founded in 1964, the Wooster Chorus is comprised of students representing all academic areas within the College’s liberal arts curriculum. The award-winning ensemble has been repeatedly praised for its beautiful sound, high level of artistry, creative programming, and engaging performances.
- Sunday, Nov. 15: Scot Marching & Pipe Band Concert, 3 p.m., McGaw Chapel (340 E. University Street). The concert will feature highlights from the ensembles’ fall season, including music performed at pregame, halftime, and in the stands in support of the Fighting Scots football team. The Scot Marching Band is directed by Ryan Kilgore, with Jeff Gershman as assistant director, while The College of Wooster Pipe Band is directed by Palmer Shonk ’10 and Sean Lawry.
- Thursday through Sunday, Nov. 19 – 22: Fall Dance Concert, 7:30 p.m., Freedlander Theatre (329 E. University Street). Directed by Emily Baird, assistant professor of theatre and dance, the Fall Dance Concert features a variety of student-choreographed pieces based on different themes and artistic styles. One of two dance concerts that the department puts on each year, the Fall Dance Concert is presented “in-the-round,” with audience members seated on all four sides of the stage, bringing them face-to-face with modern dance. Performances take place at 7:30 p.m. with a matinee only on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 2 p.m. Tickets are required and available at the box office in Freedlander Theatre or may be purchased online as the event approaches.
- Saturday, Nov. 21: Scot Symphonic Band Concert, 3 p.m., Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center (525 E. University Street). Directed by Jeff Gershman, the band is the premier wind ensemble at the College.
- Sunday, Nov. 22: Concert Band & Wooster Singers Performance, 5 p.m., Gault Recital Hall of Scheide Music Center (525 E. University Street). The Wooster Singers is one of the College’s mixed chorus groups, 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 and neighboring counties, ranging in age from 16 to 80 and is conducted by Jeff Gershman, professor of music and director of bands at Wooster.
- Friday, Dec. 4: Wooster Symphony Orchestra performance of The Nutcracker and The Mouse King, 7:30 p.m., McGaw Chapel (340 E. University Street). Featuring narrator Richard Figge, professor emeritus of German studies, the ensemble presents “the full story” of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, created by John Mauceri and based on E.T.A. Hoffmann’s original fairy tale. Conducted by Jeffrey Lindberg, Olive Williams Kettering Professor of Music at the College, the Wooster Symphony Orchestra includes both students and local community members and offers experience playing orchestral literature of various musical genres. The Wooster Symphony Orchestra is the second-oldest orchestra in continuous performance in Ohio, holding three regular concerts every year. Tickets are required and available at Buehler’s Milltown and Towne Market, Scheide Music Center, and at the door before the concert.
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.
