A Grammy winner with an extensive and varied list of collaborators, ranging from the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra to the late David Bowie, composer Maria Schneider brings her 18-member jazz ensemble to the Moss Arts Center on May 4 at 7:30 p.m.

The Maria Schneider Orchestra will perform in the Moss Arts Center’s Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall.

Featuring some of the most celebrated musicians in jazz, the Maria Schneider Orchestra has performed at festivals and concert halls worldwide. Schneider formed the collective in 1992 and began tailoring her compositions to highlight the unique and creative voices of the group. The orchestra became widely known when they released their first recording, “Evanescence,” in 1994.

Schneider and the orchestra have a distinguished recording career, with a total of 12 Grammy nominations and five Grammy wins. The composer is among a small number of artists to have received Grammys in multiple genres, receiving the award in both the jazz and classical categories.

Her collaboration with her orchestra and Bowie resulted in his single called “Sue (Or in a Season of Crime)” and brought her a 2016 Grammy for best arrangement, instruments, and vocals. Schneider and her orchestra also received a 2016 Grammy for their work, “The Thompson Fields,” which won for best large jazz ensemble album.

Her 2004 album, “Concert in the Garden,” was the first recording to win a Grammy with internet-only sales and, even more significantly, it blazed the crowdfunding trail as the first release from ArtistShare, one of the first crowdfunding websites that also serves as a record label and business model for artists.

Creating music that blurs the lines between genres, Schneider has received many commissions and guest-conducting invitations associated with a wide range of musical backgrounds and has worked with over 85 groups from 30 countries.

This performance is supported in part by gifts received in memory of Michael Hyer.

During their visit to Blacksburg, members of the Maria Schneider Orchestra will conduct a clinic for students in the Virginia Tech Jazz Ensembles, hosted by Jason Crafton, assistant professor of trumpet and jazz studies in Virginia Tech’s School of Performing Arts.

Tickets

Tickets for the performance are $25-$55 for general public and $10 for students and youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased online; at the Moss Arts Center's box office, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300 during box office hours.

Parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street. Virginia Tech faculty and staff possessing a valid Virginia Tech parking permit can enter and exit the garage free of charge. Limited street parking is also available. Parking on Alumni Mall is free on weekdays after 5 p.m. and on weekends.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Kacy McAllister at 540-231-5300 or email kacy@vt.edu during regular business hours.

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