Nazareth Arts Center announces its 2026-27 season and brings actor Giancarlo Esposito as Weekend of the Arts Headliner
The Nazareth University Arts Center welcomes celebrated film, television, and stage actor Giancarlo Esposito to its Callahan Theater stage on Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. as the kickoff performance of Nazareth’s Weekend of the Arts (Oct. 16-18) and the first in Nazareth’s 2026-27 Headliner Series. He will tell stories of his journey as a biracial artist navigating the entertainment industry. Esposito, who won the 2012 Critics’ Choice Award and earned a 2012 Emmy nomination, is best known by television audiences for his iconic portrayal of drug kingpin Gustavo “Gus” Fring in AMC’s award-winning series Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. He’s also known for his roles as Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian and Stan Edgar in The Boys. He has appeared in Spike Lee films like Do the RightThing and Malcolm X. He has alsoappeared in Netflix’s hit seriesThe Gentlemenandthe 2026 comedy Kill Me. Esposito has continued to captivate audiences in his recent projects, including Marvel’s Captain America: Brave New World, the Russo Brothers’ The Electric State, and Netflix’s The Residence. As a speaker, Giancarlo Esposito brings the same passion and precision that define his acting career. He candidly shares his journey from his early days on Broadway to becoming one of Hollywood’s most respected talents. Additional tickets are offered for a smaller meet-and-greet session with him before he speaks.
The Nazareth Arts Center Headliner Series continues with one of Rochester's most popular New Year's Eve traditions, the Capitol Fools on Thursday, Dec. 31, at 2 and 6 p.m. Former cast members and a co-writer of the Capitol Steps return as the new Capitol Fools to perform their musical parody where no politician is safe, and every absurdity gets its moment in the spotlight. The Capitol Fools blaze new steps up a stairway of satire, while still performing all the beloved bits: breakneck costume changes, over-the-top impressions, all-new song spoofs as they skewer the day’s news with wisecracking wordplay, wit, and whimsy.
Garth Fagan Dance rounds out the Arts Center’s Headliner Series with a multi-day series of performances,May 6-8 at 7:30 p.m. and May 9 at 2 p.m. Nazareth was thrilled to present the premiere event of GFD's 55th Anniversary Season in 2026 and looks forward to celebrating their next season on the Nazareth Arts Center Callahan stage.
Tickets for each headliner event are on sale now at boxoffice.naz.edu.
SHARED STAGES
Concerts at Beston Hall
Nazareth University’s Glazer Music Performance Center welcomes five world-class concerts for the fall 2026 Concerts at Beston Hall — a collaboration between Point of the Bluff Vineyards and Nazareth. The series kicks off Sept. 13 with Grammy-winning Rebirth Brass Band, carrying on its New Orleans brass band tradition. On October 2, 40 Fingers, a quartet of guitar players from Italy conquering social media with millions of views, comes to Beston Hall. Powerhouse performer and award-winning blues artist Vanessa Collier is Oct. 17, and Juno Award-winning nouveau flamenco guitarist Jesse Cook brings his Forever Live Tour to Nazareth on Nov. 22. Rounding out the fall lineup is one of indie music's most compelling artists, S. Carey, on Dec. 9. Tickets for each of the shows are available at bestonhall.com.
RPO Sunday Matinee Series
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Andreas Delfs bring their Sunday Matinee Series to Nazareth University’s Glazer Music Performance Center with four concerts in Beston Hall — two this fall and two in the spring. Andreas & Haydn is Sunday, Sept. 20, at 2 p.m., and Andreas & Mozart is Sunday, Dec. 13, at 2 p.m. In 2027, the RPO returns with Andreas & Schubert on Sunday, March 21, at 2 p.m, and Andreas & Beethoven on Sunday, May 23, at 2 p.m. RPO tickets.
Chamber Music Rochester
Explore the 50th anniversary season of Chamber Music Rochester. From timeless classics to modern composers, CMR’s performances highlight the best of small ensemble artistry. All of their concerts are in Glazer Music Performance Center’s Beston Hall at Nazareth. The Marvelous Mr. Mendelssohn is Sunday, Oct. 18, at 3 p.m.; Eddie Barbash from The Late Show Band, the Sequel, is Nov. 15, at 3 p.m.; Early Romanticism of Bartók is Sunday, March 14, at 3 p.m. The ABCs: Assad, Brahms, and Cabell is Sunday, April 25, at 3 p.m., and Beethoven and Mozart’s Viola Fever is Sunday, June 6, at 3 p.m. A pre-concert talk is at 2:30 p.m. for all performances. Chamber Music Rochester tickets.
Nazareth’s Weekend of the Arts
Celebrate the arts at Nazareth University with an exciting array of artistic presentations on Friday, Oct. 16, through Sunday, Oct. 18! The weekend begins with headliner Giancarlo Esposito on Oct. 16, the Theatre & Dance New Student Spotlight on Oct. 17, Concerts at Beston Hall with Vanessa Collier on Oct. 17, and Chamber Music Rochester’s The Marvelous Mr. Mendelssohn on Oct. 18. There are art gallery exhibits: Fault Lines by Jude Lewis and Stefan Zoller and Quiet Gestures by Tong Zhang. The growing list of events is at go.naz.edu/WOTA.
SCHOOL OF MUSIC | Fall 2026
Free and open to the public unless noted
fivebyfive: Nazareth School of Music Artists in Residence | Ensemble Concert
Friday, Oct. 2 | 7:30 p.m.
Wilmot Recital Hall
Faculty Recital Series | The Grand Leipzig Audition: Who Got the Job?
Sunday, Oct. 4 | 3 p.m.
Wilmot Recital Hall
Wind Symphony Concert
Tuesday, Oct. 6 | 7:30 p.m.
Beston Hall
Symphony Orchestra Concert
Thursday, Oct. 15 | 7:30 p.m.
Beston Hall
Faculty Recital Series
Keyboard Epigraphes: Musical Poetry in Motion
Sunday, Nov. 1 | 3 p.m.
Symphony Orchestra Concert
Thursday, Nov. 5 | 7:30 p.m.
Beston Hall
Night Flyers Concert
Wednesday, Nov. 11 | 7:30 p.m.
Beston Hall
Chamber Singers Concert
Thursday, Nov. 12 | 7:30 p.m.
Linehan Chapel (Golisano Academic Center)
Treble Choir Concert
Sunday, Nov. 15 | 3 p.m.
Linehan Chapel (Golisano Academic Center)
Chorale Concert
Monday, Nov. 16 | 7:30 p.m.
Linehan Chapel (Golisano Academic Center)
Wind Symphony, Brass Choir and Saxophone Ensemble Concert
Tuesday, Nov. 17 | 7:30 p.m.
Beston Hall
Percussion Ensemble
Friday, Nov. 20 | 7:30 p.m.
Beston Hall
Composition Studio Recital I
Saturday, Nov. 21 | 3 p.m.
Beston Hall
Composition Studio Recital II
Saturday, Nov. 22 | 3 p.m.
Beston Hall
Jazz Ensemble Concert
Monday, Nov. 23 | 7:30 p.m.
Beston Hall
Rose Marie and John Beston Annual Holiday Gala
Sunday, Dec. 6 | 3 p.m.
Beston Hall | Tickets: RESERVED $10-$20 available at boxoffice.naz.edu
SCHOOL OF MUSIC | Spring 2027
Free and open to the public unless noted
Faculty Recital Series
Contrasts
Sunday, Jan. 31 | 3 p.m.
Wind Symphony and Music Educators Concert
Friday, Feb. 12 | 7:30 p.m.
Beston Hall
Honor Band and Wilmot Wind Quintet Concert
Saturday, Feb. 13 | 2:30 p.m.
Beston Hall
Symphony Orchestra Concert
Thursday, Feb 25 | 7:30 p.m.
Beston Hall
Chamber Singers | Treble Choir Combined Concert
Friday, March 5 | 7:30 p.m.
Linehan Chapel
Women in Music Festival
Sunday, March 7 | 3 p.m.
Beston Hall
Faculty Recital Series | Entangled Strings
Sunday March 28 | 3 p.m.
Wilmot Recital Hall
Faculty Recital Series | American Voices and Beyond
Sunday, April 4 | 3 p.m.
Wilmot Recital Hall
Nazareth Opera Workshop
Friday, April 9 | 7 p.m.
Saturday, April 10 | 2 p.m.
Beston Hall
Kasi Krenzer Marshall, director
Jazz Ensemble Concert
Thursday, April 15 | 7:30 p.m.
Beston Hall
Chamber Singers | Treble Choir Combined Concert
Saturday, April 17 | 4 p.m.
Linehan Chapel
Symphony Orchestra Concert
Sunday, April 18 | 3 p.m.
Linehan Chapel (Golisano Academic Center)
Chorale Concert
Monday, April 19 | 7:30 p.m.
Beston Hall
Wind Symphony, Brass and Saxophone ensembles
Tuesday, April 20 | 7:30 p.m.
Beston Hall
Night Flyers Concert
Wednesday, April 21 | 7:30 p.m.
Beston Hall
Percussion Ensemble
Friday, April 23 | 7:30 p.m.
Beston Hall
Composition Studio Recital I
Saturday, April 24 | 3 p.m.
Beston Hall
Composition Studio Recital II
Sunday, April 25 | 3 p.m.
Wilmot Recital Hall
For more information, SOM concerts and events
THEATRE AND DANCE | Fall 2026
Free and open to the public unless noted
Nazareth Alumni Dance Showcase
Saturday, Sept. 19 | 8 p.m.
Linehan Chapel
Our Town
Oct. 8-9 | 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 10 | 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Arts Center Callahan Theater | Tickets are on sale now: boxoffice.naz.edu
New Student Spotlight
Saturday, Oct. 17 | 2 p.m.
Callahan Theater
Urinetown
Nov. 19-20 | 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 21 | 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Callahan Theater | Tickets are on sale now: boxoffice.naz.edu
Choreographer's Showcase
Friday, Dec. 11
Callahan Theater
THEATRE AND DANCE | Spring 2027
Free and open to the public unless noted
MAD WEEKEND (Movement and Dance)
Zehnder Dance Company
Friday, Jan. 22 | 7:30 p.m. | Tickets on sale TBA
MAD Weekend (Movement and Dance)
Artist Showcase
Sunday, Jan. 24 | 4 p.m.
Callahan Theater | Tickets on sale TBA
You on the Moors Now
Feb. 18-19 | 7:30 p.m.
Feb. 20 | 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Callahan Theater | Tickets on sale now: boxoffice.naz.edu
Damn Yankees
April 1-2 | 7:30 p.m.
April 3 | 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Callahan Theater | Tickets on sale now: boxoffice.naz.edu
Spring Dance Concert
April 23-24 | 7:30 p.m.
Callahan Theater | Tickets on sale now: boxoffice.naz.edu
For more information: naz.edu/theatreproduction
ART & DESIGN | Fall 2026
Free and open to the public unless noted
2026 Faculty Art Show
Aug. 27-Sept. 27
Arts Center Gallery
Reception: Sept. 18 | 5-7 p.m.
Arts Center Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, noon-5 p.m., Friday-Saturday, noon-8 p.m., and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Closed Monday.
Fear and Fable: Work by Kelly Hanning, Madeline Corsaro, Maiya Kettlehone, and Talia Ryan
Aug. 27-Sept. 27
Colacino Gallery
Reception: Sept. 18 | 5-7 p.m.
Colacino Gallery hours: Wednesday-Sunday noon-5 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
Fault Lines: Jude Lewis and Stefan Zoller
Oct. 9-Nov. 22
Arts Center Gallery
Reception: Oct. 9 | 5-7 p.m.
Arts Center Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, noon-5 p.m., Friday-Saturday, noon-8 p.m., and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Closed Monday.
Quiet Gestures by Tong Zhang
Oct. 9-Nov. 22
Colacino Gallery
Reception: Oct. 9, 5-7 p.m.
Colacino Gallery hours: Wednesday-Sunday noon-5 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
ART & DESIGN | Spring 2027
Free and open to the public unless noted
Shared Spaces
Jan. 29-March 7
Arts Center Gallery
Reception: Jan. 29 | 5-7 p.m.
Arts Center Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, noon-5 p.m., Friday-Saturday, noon-8 p.m., and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Closed Monday.
Reflections by Shelly Kuzniarek
Jan. 29-March 7
Colacino Gallery
Reception: Jan. 29 | 5-7 p.m.
Colacino Gallery hours: Wednesday-Sunday noon-5 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
2027 Student Art Show
April 2-April 22
Arts Center Gallery
Reception: April 16 | 5-7 p.m.
Arts Center Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, noon-5 p.m., Friday-Saturday, noon-8 p.m., and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Closed Monday.
Art Education Graduate Show
April 2-April 22
Colacino Gallery
Reception: April 16 | 5-7 p.m.
Colacino Gallery hours: Wednesday-Sunday noon-5 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday.
2027 BFA Thesis Show
April 30-May 7
Arts Center Gallery
Reception: April 30 | 5-7 p.m.
Arts Center Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, noon-5 p.m., Friday-Saturday, noon-8 p.m., and Sunday, noon-5 p.m. Closed Monday.
For more information: naz.edu/galleries
Contact
Julie Long | Chief PR Officer | jlong2@naz.edu | (585) 389-2456 | (585) 781-8186 (cell)
Nazareth University is an inclusive community of inspired learners, educators, and changemakers who for 100 years have been driven by a bold commitment to action, empathy, equity, and leading innovation for the common good. Impact experiences are at the heart of a Nazareth education, preparing each student to discover within themselves the potential to cultivate positive change in their life's work, in any career field, and in a world that is constantly evolving and infinitely interconnected.
Our broad academic offerings present a range of study options typical of larger universities, yet achieved in our supportive campus culture. Nearly 2,100 undergrad and 600 graduate students enroll in degree and certificate programs and engage in collaborative, transformative learning experiences, preparing for the professions and society of today and tomorrow. In a learning community that purposefully integrates liberal arts and professional programs, Nazareth University graduates are able to launch a lifetime of impactful leadership in communities and workplaces near and far.
Giancarlo Esposito kicks off the Nazareth Arts Center Headliner Series on Oct. 16 as part of its full 2026-27 season. He is also part of Nazareth's Weekend of the Arts Oct. 16-18.