Singer-songwriter, producer, and pianist Ben Folds brings his solo piano show to the Moss Arts Center on June 8 at 8:30 p.m. as part of Virginia Tech’s first-ever summertime reunion weekend.

The performance will be held in the Moss Arts Center’s Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall.

The former frontman and pianist with the group Ben Folds Five, who is also known for his large body of genre-bending music, including multiple solo albums, collaborative records with artists from Sara Bareilles and Regina Spektor to William Shatner, and pop albums, Folds will perform a high-energy rock show using the intimacy of just a piano.

For over a decade, he has performed with some of the world’s greatest symphony orchestras and in 2017 was named as the first ever artistic advisor to the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. His most recent album, “So There,” is a blend of pop songs and movements from his Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, which soared to number one on the Billboard classical and classical crossover charts. Folds continues to perform with symphonies and recently returned to solo touring.

Folds has been featured for five seasons as a judge on NBC’s a capella show “The Sing Off;” continues to appear in cameo roles on cable and network television shows, such as “Billions,” “You’re the Worst,” and “Community;” and recently composed the soundtrack for the Netflix show “Handsome.” He is also writing his first book, which is described as a collection of interrelated essays and anecdotes about art, life, and music. It has a release date tentatively slated for late 2019.

Folds is an outspoken champion for arts education and music therapy funding in our nation’s public schools. He has served for over five years as an active member of the Americans for the Arts Artist Committee and was the only artist to appear at both national political conventions in 2016 advocating for arts education.

Reunion 2018, which will be held June 7-10, will feature four days of unique on-campus events, including tours of new campus facilities, programs by faculty and researchers, and time to network and mingle.

Tickets

Tickets for the Ben Folds performance are $40-$75 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.

Share this story