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About the Distinguished Artists Series
29th Season!

Launched with the opening of Alumni Hall in 1991, the USNA Distinguished Artist Series has presented the world’s finest classical and cultural performers to the Academy with an eclectic mix of Opera, Ballet, Orchestra, and diverse national ensembles as part of a comprehensive program developed by the Naval Academy’s Senior Leadership to enrich the education of midshipmen through exposure and involvement with fine arts. 

Over the past 28 years, we have hosted 125 world-class performances to include the National Ensemble of Republic of Guinea, Bamberg Symphony, Danish National Radio Symphony, Bolshoi Symphony, Kirov Orchestra of St. Petersburg, Central Ballet of China, Moscow Virtuosi, Stuttgart Philharmonic, Georgian State Dance Company, London City Opera, Ballet de L’Opera de Bordeaux, Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Ballet, Venice Baroque Orchestra, L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Krasnoyarsk Dance Company of Siberia, Munich Symphony Orchestra, Russian National Ballet, Royal Drummers of Burundi, Hamburg Symphony, Ballet Folklórico de México, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and Band of Coldstream Guards, Warsaw Philharmonic, Dublin Philharmonic, Orquestra de Sao Paulo, Virsky Ukrainian Dancers, Merchants of Bollywood, Hungarian State Folk Ensemble, German State Philharmonic, and the National Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China to name only a few.

The existence of this flagship cultural program at the Naval Academy has long symbolized an institutional commitment to the educational role of the fine arts and the importance of cultural awareness – and we are thrilled to present our best season yet!

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MOMIX
Contemporary Ballet
Friday, September 6, 2019
7:00 PM, Alumni Hall

Momix transports audiences from their everyday lives to a fantasy world through its trademark use of magical lighting and imagery. Momix has thrilled fans in over 22 countries and has been featured on stage, screen and television. In an endless search for ‘another gravity,’ Artistic Director Moses Pendleton combines athletic dance, riveting music, outrageous costumes, inventive props and pure talent to create an entertaining multimedia experience.

 "... the IMAX version of dance theater… a savvy mix of puppetry, strobe lights and multi-media" —Star Ledger

“A joyous, fantastic, magical multimedia creation… celebrates the joy of spectacle-an eye popping mind boggling production.” —The New York Times

“…seduction and emotion…acrobatics, pure classical line, rhythmic gymnastics, circus tricks - they did everything with a touch of class and amazing body control.” —Montreal Gazette

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Stephanie Blythe, mezzo-soprano
with Craig Terry, piano
Friday, January 10, 2020
7:00 PM, Mahan Hall

 

Renowned opera singer and recitalist, mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe is considered one of the most highly respected and critically acclaimed artists of her generation.  Her repertoire ranges from Handel to Wagner, German lieder to contemporary and classic American song.  Ms. Blythe has performed on the world's great stages, such as Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera, Covent Garden, Paris National Opera and San Francisco, Chicago Lyric and Seattle Operas.  Ms. Blythe was named Musical America's Vocalist of the Year in 2009, received an Opera News Award in 2007 and won the Tucker Award in 1999.  Ms. Blythe recently released her first crossover recording on the Innova label with pianist Craig Terry, who joins her for this special performance.

Join us for an intimate Distinguished Artist Series concert in historic Mahan Hall – you will not want to miss this special performance from one of the world’s great vocal artists!

“Blythe’s voice is as powerful as any, and her confidence in her instrument is rightfully unwavering. To fill a hall with sound is not an easy feat for any singer, but to drop to a near whisper, as she did with The White Cliffs of Dover, without a single audience member even considering missing a word, is the act of a magician.” - Palm Beach Daily

"Stephanie Blythe is a hostess with the mostest.  An advocate for the song, whether she is singing Wagner’s 'Things are the way the are because of the eternal Gods,' or 'Der Deitcher’s Dog' in faux German with a yodel, Blythe sings with the ease of a consummate artist.  Her enthusiasm is contagious.” –Berkshire Fine Arts

"Carnegie Hall is no place for cabaret songs, an art form that thrived in Parisian cafes and Berlin nightclubs. Yet, on Friday the mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe, who can do anything, turned Carnegie’s 2,800-seat Stern Auditorium into her personal cabaret haunt.” – New York Times

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47th Annual Spring Oratorio
Friday, April 17, 2020
7:00 PM, Alumni Hall

Orff: Carmina Burana

In 1936, Carl Orff set to music a series of poems from an anonymous 13^th century manuscript that describes the exuberant and earthy celebration fate and fortune. Filled with humor and passion, Carmina Burana is one of the twentieth century’s most exciting and popular large-scale works for soloists, chorus, and symphony orchestra. This program continues a long tradition of great performances combining the professional artistry of the Annapolis Symphony with the Naval Academy’s own nationally acclaimed Glee Club.

Join us for a sublime evening of monumental music-making performed by the critically acclaimed USNA Men’s and Women’s Glee Clubs, the Baltimore Choral Arts Society, and the Annapolis Symphony Orchestra!

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