Defiance College Schomburg Series
to open 32nd season

The Defiance College Schomburg Series will bring another diverse and exciting slate of performers to the campus and community when it kicks off its 32nd season. This season will combine a captivating virtuoso of the 12-string guitar, a South African dance company, a well-known Cincinnati jug band, a trio of Russian folk musicians, a classical pianist, and a talented folk rock band.

The season opens on Tuesday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m. in Schomburg Auditorium with the Umdabu Dance Company. The dance theater focuses on the presentation and preservation of traditional and contemporary South African history and culture, particularly that of the Zulu people. Umdabu is passionate about sharing this beautiful and widely unknown culture with people of all ages.

Performing on Thursday, Oct. 25, at 7 p.m. in Schomburg Auditorium will be the Cincinnati Dancing Pigs. The premier jug band features Defiance native Eric Buhrer on the jug, slide whistle, kazoo, bird calls, train whistle, boat whistle and various other sound-producing devices as well as his singing talents. Sharing the vocals with Buhrer is Keith Baker, who also covers the band’s percussion needs with his gloved hands majestically flailing at the genuine Columbus Washboard Company washboard, which is accessorized with cymbal, teak blocks, and cow bells. With Ed horning in the band ensemble is enhanced with his abilities on the banjo ukulele, harmonica, and vocals. John Marlowe lends a hand with his guitar playing and vocals, and Tom Beck ties it all together with fine work on the bass and additional vocals.

Performing on Tuesday, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. in Schomburg Auditorium will be Neil Jacobs, a virtuoso of the 12-string guitar. Jacobs occupies a category that can best be described as New American acoustic music. Both a composer and musician, Jacobs synthesizes folk, gypsy and jazz into his own distinctive and captivating style. He brings a rich and diverse knowledge of folk and gypsy traditions into his performances. Corporate sponsor of this event is The Hubbard Company of Defiance.

Moscow Nights is an exciting, versatile trio of world-recognized, prize-winning musicians from Russia set to perform in Schomburg Auditorium on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. These classically trained artists first took Western Europe by storm and now have brought their dazzling, toe-tapping music to North America. The repertoire is centered on masterpieces of Russian folklore and represents the diversity of the culture, ranging from gently humorous songs, to elaborate, lyrical, outwardly reserved and cool but brimming with vigor and vibrancy inside. Moscow Night’s lively program presents an authentic picture of Russian folk traditions and culture.

Classical pianist Robin Spielberg mesmerizes audiences with inspired tales, extraordinary piano technique and heartfelt performances. She will perform in Schomburg Auditorium on Tuesday, March 11, at 7 p.m. In the top echelon of contemporary composer/pianists, she began touring the U.S. in 1996. She made her Carnegie Hall debut in a sold-out performance in the Weill Recital Hall in 1997 and has performed there twice since. Other memorable performances include a guest spot on the PBS television special, “The Soul of Christmas: A Celtic Music Celebration with Thomas Moore;” live performances on “CBS Saturday Morning,” “Life Time Live,” “CBS New Orleans,” a private concert for the factory workers at the Steinway and Sons historic piano factory in New York, and a month-long concert tour through rural Montana.

Russel Martin and the Relics, set to perform on Tuesday, April 8, at 7 p.m. in Schomburg Auditorium, has existed in several different incarnations over the past 18 years and have managed to be both immensely entertaining and innovative. The last few years the group has invited audience members to participate in the performance by shaking maracas, bananas, and tambourines, banging on djembes and bongos, and figuring out how to operate that giant nut thing with the beads. This kind of misbehavior began out at Put-In-Bay during the summer of 2002.

Support for this year’s Schomburg Series has been provided by the Hubbard Company, Time Warner Cable, Martha Jones of the National Endowment for the Arts, and numerous individuals.       

Potential season ticket holders will be receiving a brochure in the mail. Season tickets may also be ordered online at www.defiance.edu/pages/schomburg.html. Individual performance tickets are also available at the door.