August 20, 2025
Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band will make you love jazz
Young musicians bring the energy in Penn State debut Sept. 10 at Eisenhower Auditorium
Three-time Grammy Award-winning drummer Ulysses Owens Jr. will lead a high-energy big band featuring the top emerging artists in jazz at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, in Eisenhower Auditorium.
Credit: Photo providedUNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025)—High-octane big band jazz returns to Happy Valley with the Penn State debut of the Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band. The three-time Grammy Award-winning drummer and his ensemble will perform at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 10, in Eisenhower Auditorium.
Tickets are $52 for an adult, $14 for a University Park student, and $19 for a person 18 and younger and are available for purchase online. Tickets are also available by calling 814-863-0255 or in person, weekdays 10 a.m.–4 p.m., at Eisenhower Auditorium.
Avoid the $4-per-ticket online service fee by calling 814-863-0255; or buying in person from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays at Eisenhower Auditorium.
Visit Big Band online for more information.
For fans of hard-bop jams, drum solos and the historic jazz essence
The Ulysses Owens Jr. Big Band is known for its dynamic, energetic and improvisational sets, and for its fresh arrangements of songs by Terence Blanchard, John Coltrane, Marvin Gaye and Nirvana.
Owens started on drums at age 3 and later went to The Juilliard School on a full scholarship. Today he advocates for a role in education for the arts. He also is the co-founder and artistic director of Don’t Miss a Beat, a charity whose mission is blend the performing and visual arts with education and achievement to inspire young people.
“We need new generations of listeners, but also people who have not listened to this art form before,” Owens said in a 2022 interview with DownBeat. “One of the things I love about this is that I found people buying this big band record who had never bought a jazz record before, let alone a big band record.”
ACCESSIBILITY
Visit Discounts for information on available ticket-discount programs, including the Arts Engagement Family Program, a free ticket program for Penn State students, and a ticket discount for Penn State employees.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Support provided by
Robert and Sonia Hufnagel Endowment
Support for accessibility services provided by
Sidney and Helen S. Friedman Endowment
Support for the Arts Engagement Family Program provided by
William E. McTurk Endowment for Program Support
A grant from the University Park Fee Board makes student prices possible.
FIND US
The Center for the Performing Arts at Penn State aspires to create connected, sustainable, and equitable communities, where everyone experiences joy, belonging and creativity.
For more information about the season, visit the Center for the Performing Arts online, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.