Martha Redbone, a compelling voice in American Roots music, will perform for audiences of all ages during her visit to Reno Thursday, Feb. 27. Redbone’s featured performance will take place starting at 7:30 p.m. in Nightingale Concert Hall at the University of Nevada, Reno as part of the 59th season of the School of the Arts’ Performing Arts Series. 

Redbone and her six-piece band will perform “Bone Hill: The Concert,” a dramatic musical by Redbone and long-time collaborator Aaron Whitby, which exposes a never before told important piece of American history. 

Inspired by her ancestors, “Bone Hill: The Concert” tells of a woman’s epic return to her homeland, where her family has dwelled and struggled for centuries in the hills of coal-mining Appalachia. The contemporary Cherokee/Shawnee and African American family is permanently bonded to their culture, identity and the mountain despite its violent past and the ever-changing laws of the land that attempt to extinguish them. Redbone and a cast of jazz and blues singers inspire the audience as new revelations are unveiled. 

While in northern Nevada, Redbone will share her passion for cultural preservation and mentorship through music by performing for students at Natchez Elementary School in Wadsworth, Nevada. Redbone will present a trio performance for the students with a focus on her cultural upbringing and the influence it has had on her art. 

“A vital component of the Performing Arts Series is sharing these extraordinary artists with our community and those with limited access to the arts,” Shoshana Zeldner, program manager, with the School of the Arts, Special Events, said. 

During her visit, the School of the Arts will also host a field trip with Redbone and Whitby for more than 400  middle school students in Nightingale Concert Hall. The field trip will give students insight into Redbone and Whitby’s creative process while providing them with a unique opportunity to experience an intimate performance by world-class musicians.

Field trip attendees include students from the K-12 school in Gerlach, Nevada. 

 “We often do not have the chance to experience live music in our small town; getting up close with Martha Redbone and her work is a unique opportunity,” Stacey Black, assistant principal and teacher at Gerlach schools, said. “We can’t wait for the concert.” 

Martha Redbone’s public performance and associated events are part of the University’s School of the Arts 2019-2020 Performing Arts Series season, which includes five performances by distinguished contemporary artists. The Series will conclude March 12 with the Austin, Texas, based bluegrass group, Steel Betty. 

To purchase tickets for the Performing Arts Series, call Lawlor Events Center Ticket Office at 775-784-4444, or go online (convenience fees apply for online and phone purchases), or purchase in person at either Lawlor Events Center Ticket Office (open 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday-Friday at 1550 N. Virginia St., Reno, lower level) or at the Church Fine Arts Box Office beginning one hour before performances. Orders received less than 10 business days before the date of the performance will be held at the Church Fine Arts Box Office for pick up. 

In addition to the Performing Arts Series, the School of the Arts also presents the Reno Jazz Festival and Lake Tahoe Music Camp as well as world-class visual art exhibitions, musical performances, theatre productions, dance concerts and public arts events presented by the departments of Art, Music and Theatre and Dance. The School’s degree programs provide a strong foundation in a range of artistic disciplines, enabling students to contribute as artists, educators and scholars at the local level and beyond. Finally, the School, as well as the College of Liberal Arts, encourage broad campus and community participation in the arts through its numerous performances, lectures, exhibitions, core courses and outreach activities that explore diverse cultures and encourage lifelong learning.

 The 2019-20 Performing Arts Series is funded in part by the Nevada Arts Council, a state agency; the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; the City of Reno; WESTAF (the Western States Arts Federation); the Western Arts Alliance Advancing Indigenous Performance Touring Fund and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation; IGT; the Associated Students of the University of Nevada, and the Graduate Student Association. In-kind support is provided by Circus Circus Hotel Casino, THE ROW – Reno, The Jesse Hotel & Bar, and CLM Design, Advertising, Interactive.

Find more information about School of the Arts online or call 775-784-4278 or email arts@unr.edu. Event information, news and photos also are available by following the School of the Arts’ Instagram and Twitter handles @NVArts365 and School of the Arts’ Facebook pages.