VSU Presents Count Basie Orchestra Live in Concert March 3

The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra performs live in concert at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, in Valdosta State University’s Whitehead Auditorium. Tickets are on sale now. Dr. Isrea Butler, head of VSU’s Department of Music and noted trombonist, joined the Count Basie Orchestra in November and will perform lead trombone during the concert.

VALDOSTA — The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra performs live in concert at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, in Valdosta State University’s Whitehead Auditorium. Tickets are on sale now.

Proceeds from this special event support VSU’s Music Scholarship Alliance and Golden Circle Scholarship and Support Fund — and help the university recruit and retain top quality music, theatre, and dance students.

“This event is the primary fundraiser for music, theatre, and dance scholarships this year,” said A. Blake Pearce, dean of the College of Arts at VSU. “We were afforded the opportunity to bring this group to VSU and have worked hard to make the event possible. It will be an outstanding show, and anyone who has not seen a big band like this before will be thrilled. It is an opportunity to celebrate a truly unique, truly American art form.”

Founded in 1935, The Count Basie Orchestra continues to perform sold-out concerts around the world. The group has won multiple Grammy Awards, performed for royalty, appeared in movies and television shows, and become an American institution that personifies the grandeur and excellence of Jazz. The group was most recently named a 2022 Grammy Award nominee for Best Large Jazz Ensemble.

Dr. Isrea Butler, head of VSU’s Department of Music and noted trombonist, joined the Count Basie Orchestra in November and will perform lead trombone during the concert. He said the group “has been wowing audiences all over the world” for more than eight decades.

“Hearing the band is always a life-changing experience,” he added. 

Tickets are $30 per person at www.ticketreturn.com. Corporate sponsorships are available and include an opportunity to dine with the Count Basie Orchestra.

Whitehead Auditorium is located on the first floor of VSU’s Fine Arts Building at the intersection of Brookwood Drive and Oak Street.

Please call (229) 333-2150 for more information.