Events

Part of Hancher's 52nd Season

Co-commissioned by Hancher Auditorium 

American bass-baritone Davóne Tines—heralded by the Los Angeles Times as “one of the most powerful voices of our time”—brings together opera, art song, contemporary classical, spirituals, gospel, and songs of protest to tell his deeply personal story of perseverance in ways that embrace all of humanity.

In the Hancher co-commissioned work ROBESOИ, Tines grapples with the legacy of the famed Paul Robeson—a singer, activist, and political exile. Exploring the musical repertoire of Robeson, Tines and his band The Truth take us on a trip from the stage of Carnegie Hall to the floor of a Moscow hotel room, in an attempt to understand an icon by connecting with his vulnerability rather than aspiring to his monumentality.

“Tines is as mesmerizing as a singer can be. In his Mass, comfort and discomfort are intense. His voice can fill a space and then some, ringing gloriously but also, under pressure, distorting (you might even say queering) the very space he commanded.” — Los Angeles Times

PROGRAM: 
Alfred HAYES / Earl ROBINSON: “Joe Hill”
Traditional: “Balm in Gilead”
Traditional: “Volga Boat Song”
Johann Sebastian BACH: “Christ lag in Todesbanden”
Monologue from Shakespeare’s Othello
Oscar HAMMERSTEIN II / Richard RODGERS: “Some Enchanted Evening”
Traditional: “Scandalize My Name” (Part 1)
Traditional: “This is the Hammer”
Traditional: “Scandalize My Name” (Part 2)
Albert E. BRUMLEY: “Fly Away”
Traditional: “Nobody Knows”
Abel MEEROPOL / Earl ROBINSON: “The House I Live In”
Traditional: “Let It Shine”
Oscar HAMMERSTEIN II / Richard RODGERS: “Old Man River”

ROBESOИ was originally commissioned, developed, and produced by Little Island, Artistic Director Zack Winokur, Executive Director Laura Clement. Co-commissioned by the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation with support from the Ford Foundation, and by Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa, Monday Evening Concerts, and Kurt Chauviere.

This performance will be presented in a thrust configuration (seating on three sides); capacity is 226. All seating will be set up on the Hadley stage. This configuration is used primarily for daring, intimate, and immediate performance.

https://hancher.uiowa.edu/2024-25/davone-tines-the-truth

This month, we will celebrate the rich history and profound impact of Black artists, tracing the journey of musical genres from spirituals and blues to jazz, hip-hop, and beyond, highlighting their influence on global culture.

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This program is part of the recurring AAMI series, Not a Monolith. Join us on the third Saturday of each month for this series, dedicated to exploring the diverse experiences, interests, and perspectives of Black individuals. Save the date for next month: Design Noir, May 17 @ 4PM.

Part of Hancher's 52nd Season

American bass-baritone Davóne Tines—heralded by the Los Angeles Times as “one of the most powerful voices of our time”—brings together opera, art song, contemporary classical, spirituals, gospel, and songs of protest to tell his deeply personal story of perseverance in ways that embrace all of humanity.

In Recital No. 1: MASS, Tines offers a program of spiritual and intellectual exploration. Tines envisions his work as stretching the boundaries of what classical music can be—and what impact it can have on an audience. Featuring works by Caroline Shaw (Hancher’s 2023–2024 composer-in-residence), J.S. Bach, Tyshawn Sorey, Margaret Bonds, and Julius Eastman, and using the framework of the Catholic Mass, the program interweaves Tines’s own lived experience to bring audiences through themes of spirituality, justice, and identity. This provocative recital will be performed at Hancher the evening before Easter Sunday.

“Tines is as mesmerizing as a singer can be. In his Mass, comfort and discomfort are intense. His voice can fill a space and then some, ringing gloriously but also, under pressure, distorting (you might even say queering) the very space he commanded.” — Los Angeles Times

PROGRAM
I. KYRIE
Caroline SHAW: Kyrie
Georg Friedrich HANDEL: “Leave Me, Loathsome Light,” from Semele, HWV 58
II. AGNUS DEI
Caroline SHAW: Agnus Dei
Tyshawn SOREY: Songs for Death, I. after Were You There
Margaret BONDS: “To A Brown Girl Dead”
Tyshawn SOREY: Songs for Death, III. after Swing Low
III. CREDO
Caroline SHAW: Credo
Johann Sebastian BACH: “Mache dich, mein Herze, rein,’” from St Matthew Passion, BWV 244
IV. GLORIA
Caroline SHAW: Gloria
Moses HOGAN: “Give Me Jesus”
V. SANCTUS
Caroline SHAW: Sanctus
Julius EASTMAN: Prelude to The Holy Presence of Joan D’Arc
VI. BENEDICTUS
Igee DIEUDONNÉ / Davóne TINES: Vigil

This performance will be presented in a thrust configuration (seating on three sides); capacity is 226. All seating will be set up on the Hadley stage. This configuration is used primarily for daring, intimate, and immediate performance.

https://hancher.uiowa.edu/2024-25/davone-tines-mass

Part of Hancher's 52nd Season

Featuring a Hancher co-commission

It's a superstar team-up as a Hancher-favorite ensemble is joined by our composer-in-residence. 

The second opportunity of the season to experience Third Coast Percussion (performs with Twyla Tharp Dance) and Jessie Montgomery (performs with PUBLIQuartet), our 2024–2025 composer-in-residence. The dynamic program showcases Montgomery's enviable excellence as a visionary creator and virtuosic performer. 

“[Third Coast Percussion exudes] infectious camaraderie and trademark joy in performing.” — Chicago Classical Review

Hancher has co-commissioned Montgomery's first work for percussion quartet, which will open the concert. 

PROGRAM:
Jessie MONTGOMERY: New Work for percussion quartet, co-commissioned by Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa
Lou HARRISON: Concerto for Violin with Percussion Orchestra; Jessie Montgomery, violin
Tirgan HAMASYAN: New Work for percussion quartet
JLIN / Philip GLASS: Reimagining of Etude No. 6 for percussion quartet

New Percussion Work by Jessie Montgomery commissioned for Third Coast Percussion by the Zell Family Foundation, Carnegie Hall, Hancher Auditorium at the University of Iowa, and Stanford Live, Stanford University.

This performance will be presented in a thrust configuration (seating on three sides); capacity is 226. All seating will be set up on the Hadley stage. This configuration is used primarily for daring, intimate, and immediate performance.

https://hancher.uiowa.edu/2024-25/third-coast-percussion