NEPM Book Club: The Emperor of Gladness
Thursday, April 30 at 7 p.m. on Zoom
Author Ocean Vuong will be joining us at the next NEPM Book Club virtual meet-up to talk about his second novel, The Emperor of Gladness. It tells the story of 19-year-old Hai who, on a late summer evening in a post-industrial Connecticut town, stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia, who convinces him to take another path. Bereft and out of options, he quickly becomes her caretaker.
Corey Harris
Bombyx, Florence
Friday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.
Corey Harris is a guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and band leader who has carved out his own niche in blues. He began his career as a New Orleans street singer. In his early twenties he lived in Cameroon, West Africa for a year. In 2007, he was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship — commonly referred to as a “genius award.” Insurrection Blues, Harris’ 20th album, is full of topical relevance, yet steeped in tradition and informed by his musical explorations over the decades. Recorded in Italy under shutdown conditions, the album returns to the solo acoustic format that’s been his base since his early days as a street singer.
Smith College Orchestra Spring Concert
Sweeney Concert Hall, Smith College
Friday, Feb. 27 at 7:30 p.m.
The Smith College Orchestra presents a preview concert of its forthcoming performance at the College Orchestra Directors Association (CODA) national conference at the University of Rhode Island. Conducted by Jonathan Hirsh, the program features 2026 Concerto Competition winner Olivia Hwang ‘28 performing the first movement of Piano Concerto in A minor, op. 54 by Robert Schumann. Also works by Brahms, Valerie Coleman and Gabriela Ortiz.
Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra: Tr-ans-for-mat-ions
Abbey Memorial Chapel, Mount Holyoke College
Friday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m.
The Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra, welcomes lyric baritone Lucas Bouk, for a program of transformations, including Peteris' Vasks haunting Symphony No.1 focusing on global change and Bedrich Smetana’s iconic tone poem depicting the Vltava or the Moldau river as it flows through the Czech Republic. Lucas Bouk made his Lincoln Center debut with New York City Opera in the World Premiere of Ian Bell and Mark Campbell’s Stonewall in 2019. Lucas is a regular collaborator with the composer-librettist team Felix Jarrar and Bea Goodwin. In 2018, the duo created the mezzo-soprano role of Tristan Tzara in Tabula Rasa to celebrate Lucas’ coming out as a transgender man.
Paul Taylor Dance Company
Tillis Performance Hall, UMass
Friday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m.
The Paul Taylor Dance Company has been a presence in Fine Arts Center seasons since 1978. One of the most revered and dynamic ensembles in modern dance, the company has been innovating and transforming dance since 1954. For this performance, the company will bring us a classic work by its founder, Speaking in Tongues (1988), along with How Love Sounds, a 2025 commission by Hope Boykin, whose celebrated career as a dancer includes twenty years with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Norman Rockwell: The Human Touch
Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge
On view Saturday, Feb. 28 – Monday, May 25
Beneath their familiar narratives, Rockwell’s illustrations are grounded in empathy. His art established a shared sense of national identity that was embraced by audiences who shared his vision and recognized their own aspirations in the stories he chose to tell. At the same time, his work acknowledges life’s many contradictions. The artworks in this exhibition highlight Rockwell’s enduring commitment to portraying people not as heroes or villains, but as individuals rich with emotion and inner life.
Policy Playhouse Playwriting & Film Festival
Smith College’s Julia Child Campus Center, Smith College
Saturday, Feb. 28 from 2 – 5 p.m.
Founded by Mary Clare Michael, The Policy Playhouse is a nonprofit arts organization dedicated to connecting policymakers and constituents through the power of storytelling and performance. The festival will bring together 22 artists, community members, and local civic leaders to explore pressing policy issues through short plays, films, and a live public forum. The event will conclude with a community reception and artist awards.
Young@Heart: Hope & Glory
A Tribute to Evelyn Harris
Hope Center for the Arts, Springfield
Saturday, Feb. 28 at 4 p.m.
The Young@Heart Chorus returns to Springfield for a special tribute to the life and legacy of Evelyn Harris, whose artistry and activism left an indelible mark on our region, the nation, and the world. The program will feature special guest appearances by Sweet Honey in the Rock and Yasmeen Betty Williams. Students and faculty of the HOPE Center will perform alongside Young@Heart, embodying the Center’s mission to foster creativity, mentorship, and shared purpose through the arts.
Mtali Banda
De La Luz, Holyoke
Saturday, Feb. 28 at 7 p.m.
A native of Amherst, Mtali Banda is the son of a Malawian refugee father and an African American mother. His work uses performance and autoethnography to explore Black history in the global African diaspora. His use of musical composition and personal narrative help to bridge Black experiences throughout the diaspora, with an emphasis on Malawian history.
Cochemea
MASS MoCA, North Adams
Saturday, Feb. 28 at 8 p.m.
This performance is part of MASS MoCA’s series highlighting some of the best and brightest in contemporary jazz. For over 25 years, multi-instrumentalist and composer Cochemea has built a distinct career as a soloist, section player, and composer/arranger, collaborating with artists across genres — from his long tenure with Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings to work with Kevin Morby, Run The Jewels, Jon Batiste, Amy Winehouse, The Roots, Archie Shepp, Mark Ronson, and Quincy Jones, among others.
Ms. Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton
Iron Horse, Northampton
Sunday, March 1 at 7 p.m.
Ms. Lisa Fischer spent much of her career as an elite backup singer for artists such as Luther Vandross, the Rolling Stones, Sting, Tina Turner or Nine Inch Nails. But when her story was featured in the 2013 documentary “20 Feet From Stardom,” Fischer experienced a course-changing epiphany. “The film gave me a chance to take stock and realize I could start defining my own path.” Seizing the moment, Fischer partnered with string wizard and arranger JC Maillard’s Grand Baton, a group capable of following her in just about any musical direction.
UMass Symphony Orchestra Concerto Winners 2026
Tillis Performance Hall
Monday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m.
UMass Director of Orchestral Studies Gonzalo Alexander Hidalgo Ardila will conduct a program featuring three winners from the UMass 2025-26 concerto competition. Steven Hu will play the third movement from Elgar’s Cello Concerto; Rishi Ramsingh will plat the first movement of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2; Jonathan Maginnis will play Debussy’s Rhapsody for Clarinet.
Powerful Pairings—A Conversation with Claudia Friddell and Kip Wilson
Kittredge Center, Holyoke Community College
Wednesday, March 4 at 6:30 p.m.
The Massachusetts Center for the Book presents an engaging, behind-the-scenes conversation with acclaimed YA and middle grade authors Claudia Friddell and Kip Wilson. They’ll explore their latest books, show how they research and build new stories, and share how their experiences as educators continue to shape their work. It promises to be a lively evening of history, creativity, and inspiration.
Madison Curbelo
The Drake, Amherst
Thursday, March 5 at 8 p.m.
Madison Curbelo is a singer songwriter with Latin roots based in Massachusetts. Her warm vocals and storytelling earned her a spot in the Top 9 of Season 25 of The Voice, Madison currently tours across the U.S. with her band, connecting with audiences in venues ranging from intimate rooms to large outdoor stages. Influenced by Olivia Dean, Stevie Nicks, Bruno Mars, and Paul Simon, Madison writes songs that feel like scenes in motion, drawing listeners into her world through clear, intentional lyrics.
A City in Flux: Reflecting on Venice
Smith College Museum of Arts
On View through Sunday March 22
This installation celebrates the enduring but ever-changing allure of Venice in art. Curated by undergraduate students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, it draws from the Five Colleges’ vast collections of historic and contemporary drawings, photographs, prints, and paintings. Other exhibits to check out: “Don’t Mind if I Do,” a collaborative experiment demonstrating how temporary changes in power structures create pathways of access; “Crafting Worlds: Japanese Decorative Arts from the 18th through 21st Centuries; and more.
COMING SOON
Easthampton Theater Company: Enchanted April
Williston Theater, Easthampton
Saturday, March 14 – Sunday, March 22
In this his heartwarming and witty play based on the beloved novel by Elizabeth von Arnim, four very different women rediscover laughter, hope and their own voices during an impulsive seaside getaway. Directed by Gilana Chelimsky, this production is packed with regional talent on and behind the stage.
Valley Classical: “A Far Cry” Chamber Orchestra
Sweeney Hall, Smith College
Saturday, March 21 at 3 p.m.
A Far Cry is known for its innovative and compelling programs, stellar communication, and a democratic process that is the group’s north star. The March 21 program includess “SAY,” Shelley Washington’s searing response to being of mixed race in contemporary America; Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring in its original chamber scoring; and an 1811 string sextet arrangement of Beethoven’s 6th symphony, “Pastoral,” re-expanded for the full string orchestra.
Hayato Sumino
Bowker Auditorium, UMass
Thursday, March 26 at 7:30 p.m.
Hayato Sumino is a preternaturally talented risk taker who brings both charm and humor to his work. He grew up in Tokyo, started playing piano at age three. At twenty-three, he won the Grand Prix at the PTNA Piano Competition. At twenty-four, he won third prize at the Lyon International Piano Competition. And at twenty-six, he was semi-finalist in the International Chopin Piano Competition, drawing a record 45,000 online viewers with his second-round performance.
Back Porch Festival
Northampton
Friday, March 27 – Sunday March 29
The Back Porch Festival is returning for its 12th year. The “Ramble Pass” gets you access to 50+ artists performing in venues all over downtown Northampton over three days. And, every night there’s a ticketed show at the Academy of Music: Bertha: Grateful Drag on Friday, the Bluegrass Spectacular on Saturday, and I’m with Her on Sunday.
Yagódy
Bombyx, Florence
Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m.
The Ukrainian band Yagódy was founded in 2016 in Lviv to revive and reinterpret folk songs. In 2020 they released their debut album along with a music video for the song "Kalyna-Malyna." The ensemble consists of three vocalists, an accordionist, a bass guitarist, a drummer, and a cimbalist.
NEPM's Smart & Funny People: An Evening with Fran Lebowitz
Academy of Music, Northampton
Saturday, April 18, at 8 p.m.
NEPM is rolling out a new event series called “NEPM's Smart & Funny People.” In a cultural landscape filled with endless pundits and talking heads, Fran Lebowitz stands out as one of our most insightful social commentators. Lebowitz's essays and interviews offer her acerbic views on current events and the media — as well as pet peeves including tourists, baggage-claim areas, after-shave lotion, adults who roller skate, children who speak French, or anyone who is unduly tan. Now, she's one of NEPM's Smart & Funny People.