12/01/25 07:30 PM - 12/01/25 09:30 PM

WP piano students, faculty, alumni and special guests continue to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Maurice Ravel, with Part II of the French Composer's complete piano music! Featuring works for piano duo, including Ma mère l'Oye, La Valse, and the rarely heard Frontispice. Solo works include Valse nobles et sentimentales, Gaspard de la nuit, and more!

Location: Shea 101 Recital Hall

12/04/25 07:30 PM - 12/04/25 09:30 PM

WP’s 2025-2026 Composer-in-Residence, Omar Thomas, is an award-winning American composer and educator known for his vibrant, socially conscious works that blend classical, jazz, and Black musical traditions.  In this concert, Dr. Thomas’s music is featured by the WP Wind Ensemble, with guests from the Bergenfield High School Honors Wind Ensemble and in collaboration with musicians from the Paterson Music Project and the WP Music Mentors program.

Tickets:
$20 suggested donation for adults
$15 suggested donation for seniors, children, and non-WP students.

Location: Shea Auditorium

12/06/25 08:00 PM - 12/06/25 10:00 PM

Judy Collins has long inspired audiences with sublime vocals, boldly vulnerable songwriting, personal life triumphs, and a firm commitment to social activism. In the 1960s, she evoked both the idealism and steely determination of a generation united against social and environmental injustices. Five decades later, her luminescent presence shines brightly as new generations bask in the glow of her iconic 55-album body of work, and heed inspiration from her spiritual discipline to thrive in the music industry for half a century.

The award-winning singer-songwriter is esteemed for her imaginative interpretations of traditional and contemporary folk standards and her own poetically poignant original compositions. Her stunning rendition of Joni Mitchell's “Both Sides Now” from her landmark 1967 album, Wildflowers, has been entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Judy’s dreamy and sweetly intimate version of “Send in the Clowns,” a ballad written by Stephen Sondheim for the Broadway musical A Little Night Music, won "Song of the Year” at the 1975 Grammy Awards. She’s garnered several top-ten hits gold- and platinum-selling albums. Recently, contemporary, and classic artists such as Rufus Wainwright, Shawn Colvin, Dolly Parton, Joan Baez, and Leonard Cohen honored her legacy with the album Born to the Breed: A Tribute to Judy Collins.

The cultural treasure’s 55th album, Spellbound, was released in February 2022, finds Judy enjoying an artistic renaissance. The 13-song album is a special entry in her oeuvre. It marks the first time ever she wrote all the songs on one of her albums. Spellbound was nominated in the Best Folk Album category at the 65^th Recording Academy Grammy Awards in 2023.

Tickets: 
Gold Circle $72
Rear Orchestra $68
Front Loge $63
Rear Loge/Obstructed/Accessible $53

Discounts:
10% off for senior citizens and William Paterson employees and students. 15% off for groups of ten or more.

Location: Shea Center for Performing Arts

12/17/25 07:00 PM - 12/17/25 09:00 PM

Location: Shea Center for Performing Arts

02/15/26 03:00 PM - 02/15/26 05:00 PM

Sponsored by Heart of Jazz Foundation

Pianist-composer Orrin Evans is a Trenton native, and a veteran of the Philadelphia and worldwide jazz scenes. He leads his own small groups, as well as the powerful Captain Black Big Band. His most recent recording, Magic of Now, is his 20^th, featuring such well-known players as Bill Stewart and Vicente Archer along with young saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins. His previous albums were on Smoke Sessions and Imani Records (his imprint), garnering several Grammy nominations. Evans, who topped the DownBeat “Rising Star” poll in 2018, was a member of the Mingus Big Band for a year and was formerly the pianist in the Bad Plus trio. He is a committed educator and is a board member for the Heart of Jazz Foundation, which is sponsoring this exciting performance.

Tickets:
$25 – Public
$22 - Senior/WP Community
$15 – Non-WP Student
Free for WP Students with show of ID

All prices include fees

Location: Shea Center for Perfroming Arts

02/21/26 08:00 PM - 02/21/26 10:00 PM

One of Rock & Roll’s founding vocal groups The Drifters have provided a half century of classic American music, including solid gold hits: Up on the Roof.  Under the Boardwalk.  This Magic Moment. There Goes My Baby.  Dance with Me.  Spanish Harlem.  Stand by Me.  The list of hits goes on and on.

From their inception in the early 1950's and up until recently, THE DRIFTERS are considered the second most successful recording artist of all time, according to Billboard Magazine. They enjoyed twenty years straight in the music business with uninterrupted hits. 

Through an historical journey, which included no less than 5 legendary lead singers, including Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Clyde McPhatter and Ben E. King the group's ongoing story has covered the entire spectrum of Rock & Roll.  They were the first musical group to include string instruments into Rhythm & Blues music with their hauntingly beautiful song, "There Goes My Baby".  They were the first musical group to sell 2 million records with their pop classic, "Up On The Roof".  They were the first African American vocal group to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.  Along with fellow inductees the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Bob Dylan and the Supremes, the Drifters were in the first class of Rock & Roll legends to be initiated into the Hall of Fame.  Their classic tune "Under The Boardwalk" is the most played R & B record of all time. 20 other million sellers followed.                            

Their songs have been penned by such historic songwriters as Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, Carol King, Jerry Goffen and Phil Spector.  They have played at the White House on 3 different occasions, give a benefit concert in Berlin the day the wall fell, performed for the Pope, the Queen of England, Nelson Mandella and toured the world for the USO in 3 different war zones from Korea to Iraq.  And behind it all was George Treadwell and his family, guiding the career of this historic group.

Tickets:
Gold Circle: $63
Rear Orchestra: $58
Front Loge: $48
Rear Loge / Obstructed / Accessible: $43

Discounts:
Senior citizens and William Paterson employees and students are eligible for 10% discount. Groups of ten or more can get 15% off

Location: Shea Center for Performing Arts