Texas Tech has announced the 19th season of the Presidential Lecture & Performance Series, which launches this fall.
The series is hosted by the Office of the President and brings world-renowned performers and artists to the Lubbock area each year.
“The Presidential Lecture & Performance Series continues to bring world-class talent to Texas Tech and the Lubbock community,” said Texas Tech President Lawrence Schovanec. “I look forward to this season’s performances and the opportunity they provide for our students, campus and community to come together.”
The series was created in 2006 by former Texas Tech President Jon Whitmore to enhance the intellectual and cultural landscape of not only Texas Tech but also the surrounding community.
“We’re diving into an incredibly exciting season with a variety of events that I trust will offer engaging entertainment for everyone,” said Dóri Bosnyák, lead administrator of the series.
The season will kick off with National Geographic explorer and photographer Joel Sartore, who is on a 25-year mission to photograph all species in human care through the Photo Ark project. The season continues with Bria Skonberg’s Lubbock debut. Skonberg is an up-and-coming Canadian Juno Award-winning jazz trumpeter and singer-songwriter.
The spring opens with the captivating soul-pop-blues songstress Morgan James. Following that, this year’s annual Lubbock Lights festival will celebrate Lubbock’s own Christopher “Stubb” Stubblefield through an evening of storytelling called “Barbecue Beyond the Grave,” which will include panhandle artists Terry Allen, Lloyd Maines, Paul Milosevich, Andy Wilkinson and more.
All events will take place at Texas Tech’s Allen Theatre. Tickets are now on sale on the series’ website. Students with a valid Texas Tech ID are admitted free.
This year’s events are:
National Geographic Explorer Joel Sartore: Building the Photo Ark
Joel Sartore is an award-winning photographer, speaker, author, conservationist and the 2018 National Geographic Explorer of the Year. He is a regular contributor to National Geographic Magazine. Sartore specializes in documenting endangered species and landscapes around the world. He is the founder of the Photo Ark, a 25-year documentary project to save species and habitat.
Bria Skonberg
Skonberg has been a featured artist on hundreds of stages globally including New Orleans Jazz & Heritage, Kobe, Monterey, Breda, Newport and Montreal Jazz Festivals.
Described as “one of the most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation” (Wall Street Journal) and the “shining hope of hot jazz” (The New York Times), Bria has been at the forefront of a revival of classic American music.
Morgan James
Morgan James is a Juilliard-trained singer, songwriter, actress and recording artist. James is on tour supporting her fifth studio album, “Nobody’s Fool.” With viral sensation Postmodern Jukebox and with her own YouTube channel, Morgan’s music videos have accumulated more than 285 million views (and climbing). “A phenomenal talent whose feel for classic soul music is bone deep…This woman is on fire.” (The New York Times)
Barbecue Beyond the Grave: Lubbock Lights Celebrates Christopher “Stubb” Stubblefield
In Lubbock, one of the most fabled locations within music circles was Stubb’s Bar-B-Q. This iconic venue on 108 E. Broadway was known to have hosted musicians traveling through Lubbock and was particularly known for its Sunday Night Jams hosting musicians such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Joe Ely, Jesse “Guitar” Taylor and more. Stubb’s was packed to the brim on Sundays as the brightest Lubbock Lights shined. Helping transform the Lubbock community at a time when integration was not standard, Stubblefield was inducted into the West Texas Walk of Fame in 1996.
This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Texas Tech announces lineup for 19th Presidential Lecture & Performance Series
Reporting by Special for the Avalanche-Journal / Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
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