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For nearly two decades, Ģ������Ƶ’s Woodbine Productions series has quietly brought remarkable artists to Brookings — performances more often found in major metropolitan centers than on the prairie. The 2026-27 season may be one of its most extraordinary yet.

Ģ������Ƶ’s School of Performing Arts presents Anna DeGraff, lecturer of music, in a faculty recital at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31, in Founders Recital Hall at the Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center.

The experiences that shape students at Ģ������Ƶ don't always end when they leave campus. Some become lasting connections to the university and to the people who shared those experiences with them.

The South Dakota Art Museum invites the community to gather for evenings of live music, family-friendly activities and summer fun during the Anderson Plaza Summer Performance Series. The free outdoor concert series takes place Tuesday evenings in July on Anderson Plaza, located behind the museum on the Ģ������Ƶ campus.

For more than a decade, Andrew Robinette has helped shape the voices of Ģ������Ƶ students. Beginning this fall, he will lead the next chapter of the university's choral program.

Long after the final applause, the feeling of being welcomed and cared for is often what audiences remember most. At Ģ������Ƶ's Oscar Larson Performing Arts Center, Anna Stemsrud has built her career around creating those exceptional experiences — and her efforts are now being recognized on an international stage.

The South Dakota Art Museum at Ģ������Ƶ invites the public to the closing reception and panel discussion for “Porter Williams: Evolution of Black America,” an exhibition celebrating the work and legacy of the late South Dakota artist and civil rights activist.

“Thrill Me,” a fall production by the theatre and dance department at Ģ������Ƶ, lived up to its name for all involved. The American College Theatre Festival honored it with four national awards and nine national commendations. The cast of “Thrill Me” was honored with the Distinguished Performance Ensemble award. Actor Jacob Stevens was honored with the Distinguished Performance in a Play award. Jamison Gross won the award for Distinguished Musical Direction. Professor W. James Wood was honored for Distinguished Direction in a Play or Musical. The awards are based on how the students performed at a regional conference of the American College Theatre Festival in Rochester, Minnesota, Jan. 20.

The Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band will join the Chicago Thanksgiving Day Parade in fall 2026. More than 300 Jackrabbits will travel to the Windy City.

When Laura Diddle arrived at Ģ������Ƶ in 2003, she stepped into a role that would allow her to bring together her talents in teaching, conducting and mentorship. Over the next two decades, that role would grow into something greater, shaping not only a choral program, but generations of SDSU students and the musical life of the region.