Imani WindsImani Winds

The Hope College Great Performance Series will feature a unique combination of events in the cultural arts across its forthcoming 2015-16 season.

The series will open with Thodos Dance Chicago on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 17-18, at the Knickerbocker Theatre. “Breathtakingly athletic” and “powerfully beautiful” are comments about the company from audiences and press alike. For the past 22 years, Thodos Dance Chicago has performed with a captivating style in a variety of dance forms, becoming an innovative presence in contemporary dance. The performance will include the company’s acclaimed ballet, “A Light in the Dark,” based on the life of Helen Keller. “Dance that grabs you...and never lets go,” “The Chicago Tribune” has said.

Barbara Furtuna will perform with Constantinople on Thursday Oct. 29, in Dimnent Memorial Chapel.  The performance will provide a rare opportunity to see two outstanding ensembles combine their talents. The Corsican ensemble, Barbara Furtuna (“Cruel Fate”), is a polyphonic group performing a cappella, while Constantinople is inspired by early musical traditions, as well as by the Middle East.  “Like any terrific group, Barbara Furtuna is good on recording and even better live,” reviewer Bernard Gordillo has said.

Grammy-nominated guitarist Julian Lage is often categorized as a jazz musician, but his music is rooted in both traditional and contemporary styles.  On Friday, Nov. 20, Lage will bring his trio to Dimnent Memorial Chapel. As a child prodigy, he was the subject of an Academy Award-nominated documentary, “Jules at Eight.” His early promising career has never derailed, and more than 20 years after the film he is recognized as one the leading guitarists playing in a range of genres. “Julian Lage might well be the next renaissance man of jazz guitar,” “All About Jazz” has said.

Acclaimed actor Julian Sands will be performing “An Evening with Harold Pinter” on Friday, Jan. 29, at the Knickerbocker Theatre. British actor Sands is a stage veteran who has also appeared in more than 100 films, including “The Killing Fields,” “A Room With A View,” “Oceans 13” and “The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo.” On television, he has been in multiple series, including “24,” “Smallville,” “Dexter” and “Banshee.” In 2005, Sands was approached by the Nobel Prize-winning playwright and poet Harold Pinter to read a set of Pinter’s poems. Created in collaboration with Pinter, and under the direction of John Malkovich, this unique performance has received rave reviews. “When he reads Pinter’s poems... you feel the playwright’s presence,” “The New York Times” has said.

Recognized worldwide for their dynamic live performances and recordings, Bang on a Can All-Stars will be performing on Saturday, Feb. 27, in the Concert Hall of the new Jack H. Miller for Musical Arts. This six-member ensemble breaks down boundaries between classical, jazz, rock, world and experimental music. The group’s projects include a landmark recording of Brian Eno’s “Music for Airports” as well as live performances with Philip Glass, Meredith Monk and others.  “The New York Times” has described Bang on a Can All-Stars as “combining the power and punch of a rock band with the precision and clarity of a chamber ensemble.” The ensemble was named Musica America’s Ensemble of the Year in 2005 and has been heralded as “the country’s most important vehicle for contemporary music” by the “San Francisco Chronicle.”

Established as one of the most successful chamber music ensembles in the United States, Imani Winds will perform on Friday, April 8, in the Concert Hall of the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts. Since this Grammy-nominated quintet last appeared on the series in 2006, the group has collaborated regularly with artists ranging from Yo-Yo Ma to Wayne Shorter. The ensemble takes a unique path, carving out a distinct presence in the classical music world with dynamic playing and culturally poignant programming. “Their performances are nothing short of life affirming,” “Minnesota Public Radio” has said.

All performances will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Season tickets are now available, and cost $70 for regular admission, $55 for senior citizens and $140 for a family (no matter how many children). The subscriptions are such a savings that they are equivalent to seeing two shows for free. Individual tickets go on sale on Monday, Aug. 24, and are $18 for regular admission, $13 for senior citizens, and $6 for children 18 and under.

Tickets are available at the Events and Conferences Office located downtown in the Anderson-Werkman Financial Center (100 E. Eighth St.).  The office is open for ticket sales weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at 616-395-7890.

More information about the season may be obtained online.