Belmont's 2026–27 Performance Season Celebrates 75 Years of Legacy

Belmont University's College of Music & Performing Arts will open its 2026–27 performance season under the theme "Legacy," celebrating 75 years since the founding of the School of Music. The season brings together returning traditions, new commissions and high-profile guest artists across the College.

"Music has been taught, created and performed in this place since the early 1900s. Seventy-five years ago, faculty and students from Belmont College believed music had the power to transform: to form character, build community and carry meaning across generations. This season, 'Legacy,' is our chance to look back at everything that founding belief has grown into, while looking forward to the students who will carry it next,” said CMPA Dean Stephen Eaves. “Every performance this year is a thread connecting the musicians who came before us to the ones just beginning and a reminder that legacy isn't something we inherit passively. It's something we perform, night after night, together. It shapes and inspires our future."

Four standout performances this season include: 

Chester Thompson joins Belmont's Commercial ensembles — Feb. 9, 2027  

Legendary drummer Chester Thompson, known for his work with Genesis, Phil Collins and Frank Zappa, will perform alongside Belmont's Rock and Commercial Guitar Ensembles in a concert bridging decades of iconic rock and jazz-fusion sound. 

“Corner of the Sky: The Songs of Stephen Schwartz” — Feb. 26–28, 2027  

A new revue celebrates five decades of Stephen Schwartz's music, drawing from “Pippin,” “Wicked,” “Godspell” and more to trace how one songwriter's catalog has shaped musical theatre across generations. 

“The Importance of Being Earnest” — Feb. 18–21 and 25–28, 2027  

Belmont's Department of Theatre & Dance again partners with the Nashville Shakespeare Festival on a co-production of Oscar Wilde's classic comedy of mistaken identity, blending Belmont student artists with a professional Nashville theatre company. 

“Fanny Crosby: This Is My Story” — April 16–18 and 22–24, 2027   

Recipient of a Creative Arts Collective grant, “Fanny Crosby: This Is My Story” is a world premiere musical drama by Belmont faculty member Shawn Knight, with plans underway for future publication and productions beyond Belmont's campus. The production explores the life of Fanny Crosby, the prolific 19th-century hymn writer who, blind from six weeks old, went on to write the lyrics to more than 8,000 hymns and become the first woman to address the U.S. Senate. Learn more at fannycrosbystory.com.

Also opening the season is “Living Pages: The Art of Musical Storytelling” (Sept. 28, 2026), featuring Rimsky-Korsakov's “Scheherazade” and Jocelyn Hagen's “The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci,” a fully immersive concert exploring how music paints imagery.

Throughout the season, performances will reflect the college's 75-year history while highlighting the next generation of artists and creators. 

Fisher Center for the Performing Arts 

The Fisher Center for the Performing Arts hosts a season of large-scale concerts, from returning traditions to milestone guest performances. 

• Living Pages: The Art of Musical Storytelling — Sept. 28, 2026 

• Christmas at Belmont — Nov. 20–21, 2026 

• The Music of Frank Zappa, Genesis & Phil Collins featuring Chester Thompson — Feb. 9, 2027 

• Corner of the Sky: The Songs of Stephen Schwartz — Feb. 26–28, 2027 

• Sounds of Belmont: The 37th Annual President's Concert & Reception — April 24, 2027 
  
  

Troutt Theater & Black Box Theater 

Belmont's Department of Theatre & Dance takes the stage across two venues, presenting a season that spans Shakespeare, new work and dance. 

• Much Ado About Nothing — Sept. 29–Oct. 4, 2026, Troutt Theater 

• Lost Girl — Nov. 13–15 and 19–21, 2026, Black Box Theater 

• The Importance of Being Earnest (co-production with Nashville Shakespeare Festival) — Feb. 18–21 and 25–28, 2027, Troutt Theater 

• Fanny Crosby: This Is My Story (world premiere) — April 16–18 and 22–24, 2027, Black Box Theater 

• Mixed Bill XXIII — April 16–18, 2027, Troutt Theater, featuring work in partnership with Nashville's di Mossa dance company 
  
  

The season also includes dozens of student, faculty and ensemble performances throughout the year, including a fall orchestra showcase and a spring commercial showcase featuring the Rock Ensemble and vocal ensembles, along with faculty concerts and recitals. The 37th Annual Sounds of Belmont President's Concert will expand this spring in honor of the 75th anniversary, with more details to come.