Violinist Andrés Cárdenes and pianist Ian Hobson will open the 33rd season of Lee University’s Presidential Concert Series with a performance on Tuesday, Sept. 30, at 7:30 p.m. in Squires Recital Hall, located in the Humanities Center. 
 
The performance will feature Schumann’s “Violin Sonata No. 1” and César Franck’s “Violin Sonata,” performed by Hobson and Cárdenes, and Beethoven’s “Violin Sonata No. 5, ‘Spring,’” performed by Cárdenes and Dr. Vanessa Wei, the series’ new artistic director and an assistant professor of piano at Lee. 
 
“From Schumann’s intimate first sonata to Franck’s passionate work, this program offers a rich journey through some of the most expressive music for violin and piano,” said Wei. “It’s a true pleasure to share the stage with such inspiring musicians, performing Beethoven’s Spring Sonata and bringing this music to the Lee University community as the series’ new artistic director.” 
 
Recognized worldwide as a musical phenomenon, Grammy-nominated Cárdenes has one of classical music’s most versatile careers. Cuban-born Cárdenes has received international acclaim from critics and audiences for his compelling solo violin, conducting, viola, chamber music, concertmaster, and recorded performances. Since capturing the second prize in the 1982 Tchaikovsky International Violin Competition in Moscow, Cárdenes has appeared as a soloist with over 100 orchestras on four continents.  
 
Winner of the 1981 Leeds Piano Competition, Hobson is celebrated worldwide for his masterful performances of the Romantic repertoire, his deep exploration of lesser-known piano works, and his assured conducting from both the piano and the podium. He is also a dedicated scholar and educator who has pioneered renewed interest in composers Johann Hummel and Ignaz Moscheles, and an advocate of works written expressly for him by contemporary composers including John Gardner, Benjamin Lees, David Liptak, Alan Ridout, and Roberto Sierra. 
  
The season will continue with the return of the Glenn Miller Orchestra on Thursday, Oct. 30, for a performance in Pangle Hall. Acclaimed by the New York Times as having “a popularity so universal and lasting,” the Glenn Miller Orchestra is the most sought-after “big band” in the world. The current edition of the Glenn Miller Orchestra travels with a full complement of musicians, playing to sold-out crowds around the world each year.  
  
On Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, the Manhattan Chamber Players will perform in Pangle Hall. Six members of their string quartet, joined by a flutist and oboist, will perform Mozart’s “Oboe Quartet” and Beethoven’s “Serenade for Flute, Violin, and Viola.” The group is a chamber music collective of New York-based musicians who share the common aim of performing the greatest works in the chamber repertoire at the highest level.  
  
Chris Brubeck’s Triple Play will return for a performance on Thursday, March 26, 2026, in the Dixon Center. Triple Play features Brubeck on electric bass, bass trombone, piano, and vocals; Peter “Madcat” Ruth on harmonica, guitar, jaw harp, percussion, and vocals; and Joel Brown on folk and classical guitar, as well as vocals. Collectively they seek to bring joy, virtuosity, and American spirit to the folk, blues, jazz and classical music they perform.  
  
The season will close with a String Celebration on Monday, April 13, 2026, in Pangle Hall. The performance will feature violinists Benjamin Beilman, Erin Keefe, Alexi Kenney, and Arnaud Sussmann; violists Misha Amory and Nicholas Cords; and cellists Nina Lee and Edward Arron, who will combine to perform Strauss’s “Sextet from Capriccio,” the Glazunov String Quintet, and Mendelssohn’s Octet.  
  
All performances will take place at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for performances are $15 for adults and $5 for students, seniors, and children. Tickets are available for purchase at the Lee University Box Office in the Dixon Center or by contacting (423) 614-8343, one week before each event, between 3-6 p.m. Tickets are also available at eventbrite.com/cc/lee-university-presidential-concert-series-4606553.   
 
Designated parking will be available all season, with assistance available if needed. Details will be announced in the days leading up to each concert in the series.  
  
For more information on the Presidential Concert Series, visit leeuniversity.edu/academics/music/pcs/ or call the School of Music at (423) 614-8240.