THE PEDRITO MARTINEZ GROU
September 13
Afro-Cuban percussionist Pedrito Martinez brings his band to Denver for one special evening as part of the Denver Biennial of the Americas Week. The Pedrito Martinez Group has received numerous accolades over the last decade including a Grammy nod for their first album in 2013 and most recently being named the No. 1 Latin Jazz Album in NPR’s Jazz Critics Top Jazz Albums for 2016.

BLACK VIOLIN
September 28-29
Since starting Black Violin a decade ago, classically trained Florida twosome Wilner “Wil B” Baptiste and Kevin “Kev Marcus” Sylvester have performed 200 shows a year in 49 states and 36 countries. They’ve played their blend of classical, hip- hop, rock, R&B and bluegrass music for everybody from the troops in Iraq to the President’s Inaugural Ball.

MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY
October 7
One of the greatest artists of the 20th century, Martha Graham created 181 works and invented a distinctive movement language that still resonates today for its ingenuity in delving into the human psyche. For the company’s return to the Newman Center, the program will include two of Graham’s masterworks, Dark Meadow and Errand into the Maze.

A NEW WORLD: INTIMATE MUSIC FROM FINAL FANTASY
October 20
Featuring music from Final Fantasy, one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time, “A New World” brings the music of composer Nobuo Uematsu to an intimate chamber music setting. The New World Players Chamber Ensemble performs under the direction of Eric Roth, featuring acclaimed piano soloist Benyamin Nuss.

GREGORY PORTER
November 4
NPR dubbed two-time Grammy Award®- winning singer Gregory Porter “the next great male jazz singer.” Porter writes and performs songs that dexterously weave together the threads of gospel, rhythm and blues, jazz and soul, producing a pure tapestry of sound.

ERTH’S DINOSAUR ZOO LIVE
November 11
Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo Live leads patrons on a breathtaking tour that begins in prehistoric Australia. Visitors will meet and interact with an eye-popping collection of life-like dinosaur puppets presented in an entertaining and educational live theatrical performance created by Erth Visual & Physical of Sydney, Australia.

MAVIS STAPLES
November 17
Legendary singer and civil rights activist Mavis Staples is an alchemist of American music, and has continuously crossed genre lines like no musician since Ray Charles. Weaving herself into the very fabric of gospel, soul, folk, pop, R&B, blues, rock, and even hip hop over the better part of the last 60 years, the iconic singer has seen and sung through many cultural shifts.

THE KING’S SINGERS
November 19
Acclaimed worldwide for their virtuosity, life affirming energy and charm, British-born a cappella group The King’s Singers return to the Newman Center after their sold-out performance in 2014. Instantly recognizable for their immaculate intonation, vocal blend, diction and incisive timing, The King’s Singers are consummate entertainers.

SPANISH HARLEM ORCHESTRA
December 7
Now in their 14th year, Spanish Harlem Orchestra has become a driving force in preserving and cultivating authentic, New York-style, hard core salsa music. The 13-member ensemble, including both vocalists and instrumentalists, is known to astound and mesmerize audiences with their energy on stage.

WINDHAM HILL – WINTER SOLSTICE
December 12
Celebrate the winter solstice and its warm traditions with a concert of original and traditional acoustic music drawn from the multi-platinum Winter Solstice series, as well as their many solo releases. Windham Hill founder and Grammy Award-winning guitarist Will Ackerman is joined by singer, fiddler, pianist, and songwriter Barbara Higbie.

THE TIERNEY SUTTON BAND
January 11
An eight-time Grammy Award nominee as both a recording artist and arranger, Tierney Sutton is often described as “a singer’s singer,” but just as often, as a “musician’s singer” who uses her voice like an instrument. The Tierney Sutton Band makes its Newman Center debut with a unique interpretation of the best of Sting’s diverse repertoire.

SPECTRUM DANCE THEATER
January 26
In 1970, black author and social critic James Baldwin, and white anthropologist Margaret Mead, sat together and recorded a conversation on what is arguably the defining subject of the American experience – race. Now over 40 years later, two contemporary artistic icons, Anna Deavere Smith (known for her documentary theater style in plays such as “Fires in the Mirror”) and choreographer Donald Byrd (Tony-nominated and Bessie Award-winning director/ choreographer) reimagine this monumental moment.

WILD UP
Feb 1
Future Folk wild Up is the ultimately flexible “go anywhere, play anything” modern music collective led by artistic director/conductor Christopher Rountree. With their program future folk, wild Up creates a communal concert of sound/noise/experience that celebrates old-world ways of living in the modern era.

ANTONIO SANCHEZ – BIRDMAN LIVE
February 22
Experience the explosive Oscar-winning film Birdman, accompanied live by composer and jazz drummer Antonio Sanchez, as his eclectic Grammy Award®-winning score provides the heartbeat of the film. The Oscar winner for Best Picture by maverick director Alejandro Inarritu stars Michael Keaton as a washed-up action star trying to reinvent his career on Broadway.

L.A. DANCE PROJECT
March 10
Bursting onto the dance scene in 2012, L.A. Dance Project has been turning heads with its fresh, contemporary vision of dance and stylistically diverse repertory. Performing a powerful triple bill including a ballet by Benjamin Millepied, the program is highlighted by bold musicality and dynamic movement.

SARAH CHANG
March 13
Recognized as one of the foremost violinists of our time, Sarah Chang has performed with the most esteemed orchestras, conductors and accompanists in an international career spanning more than two decades. Chang wows with a program that includes excerpts from Antonio Vivaldi’s four short violin concertos, known collectively as The Four Seasons, and Astor Piazzolla’s tribute to Vivaldi.

CASHORE MARIONETTES
March 23-24
Cashore Marionettes redefine the art of puppetry with their moving and humorous performance. The Cashore Marionettes have astounded both children and adults in Europe, the Far East, and across North America, and the Byron Theatre at the Newman Center is the perfect intimate venue to experience the marvel of this show.

NRITYAGRAM DANCE ENSEMBLE
April 6
One of the premiere Odissi dance ensembles performing today, Nrityagram has the unprecedented distinction of making the The New York Times’ “Best Dance of the Year” list two consecutive years in a row (2015 and 2016). More than a dance company, Nrityagram was founded in a village devoted to dance. The all-female troupe’s daily life of intensive training and meditation brings to the stage compelling performances that are at once sensual and lyrical.

ODC DANCE – THE VELVETEEN RABBIT
April 27
The Velveteen Rabbit captivates both children and adults with its celebration of the enduring power of love. Known for their athleticism and passion, the ODC dancers seamlessly navigate the many roles that bring the story to life. They embody characters as unusual as a crocodile, a pack of real rabbits, and a 10-foot-tall Nana.

TERENCE BLANCHARD AND THE E-COLLECTIVE
May 3
Trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard breaks the mold with his new quintet, The E-Collective. The project journeys to an exciting realm of grooved fusion teeming with funk, R&B, and blues colors. For this program, Blanchard is joined by guitarist Charles Altura, bassist Donald Ramsey, Fabian Almazan on piano and synths, and Oscar Seaton on drums.