Season Review: 2018-2019

2018-2019 Trust artists

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe says, “A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul.”

Just imagine a world in which everyone lived in this manner! Here at the Trust, we may not be able to help you check off these three endeavors daily, but we will certainly do our best to present you with the opportunity on a monthly basis! Between the concerts that we host, the Square Halo Gallery downstairs and the poetic nature with which our dance, talks and concerts are accomplished, we aim to encourage Lancastrians to become as well-rounded as possible!

We recently wrapped up our fifth anniversary season at the Trust, and what a year it was! Journey with me as I reflect upon this year’s highlights…..

We kicked off our season with the Donald Sinta Quartet – a saxophone quartet based out of Michigan. The saxophone, most commonly enjoyed in Jazz performances, is uniquely and beautifully experienced when performed as a one-instrument ensemble. The sound of this unique timbre multiplied is haunting and enticing!

In the fall, we launched a partnership with Reverie Actor’s Company by co-producing the hilarious comedy called the “Man Who Came to Dinner” with nine sold out shows in our Black Box Theatre. We are so excited to be partnering with them and look forward to many wonderful future shows!

Christmas brought a world-class favorite to our stage- the renowned King’s Singers from England! What a joy they were, both as lovely people and as fabulous performers and artists. Their tight harmonies brought breathless wonder to many as we hung on every note and song that was sung. They ended the concert with amazing Christmas classics – truly a wonderful experience. We ended 2018 with a two-person version of the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe brought to you during Saturday mornings for young and old alike! Plan to come to this show every year as we hope to make it an annual tradition! What a delightful invitation to become young again.

Launching into the New Year with gusto brought Daniel Hsu back to our stage. A Cliburn winner, he delighted audiences with his nimble fingers and thoroughly entertained every audience member! Sailing into Valentine’s Day weekend brought the return of another Trust favorite- New York Polyphony. We sure do love a capella music paired with Great Hall acoustics!

Spring brought a staged reading in our Boardroom – the first time we’ve presented a show in that space. Freud’s Last Session presented ample opportunity to ponder on some of the deeper questions in life and consider them in the context of a conversation between Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis. The RowHouse, our forum partner, hosted a nationally acclaimed doctor, Marty Makary to present in April. He gave us all hope for the current state of healthcare. A true treat, Dr. Makary shared some of the exciting, lesser-known events that are taking place in the medical world, the progress and the movement toward improvement that we should all be relieved to witness in the coming days!

Our season culminated with a Lancaster favorite taking the stage once more – Christopher Shih & Friends brought a glorious performance once again.

As we look forward to our upcoming year, our goal was to bring back at least one artist from each of the first four seasons as we sprinkled in new sounds and experiences. We exceeded this goal with the addition of a partnering theater company and some other well-known and beloved artists such as the King’s Singers.

What to expect for next season…?

We are working furiously behind the scenes to be sure we have lined up an amazing, thought-provoking, and soul-enriching season to present to you, our beloved guests, in this breathtaking space that we call the Trust Performing Arts Center. So to both our faithful followers, and our new guests that we hope to continue to bring along on this journey, as always, it is our joy to do what we can to uphold the mission of enriching our community through inspiring, challenging, and redemptive experiences.