Commissions

Duke Arts Presents (formerly Duke Performances) works closely with artists to develop a range of exciting new works to debut in Durham. New commissions are part of a rich history at Duke. We invite you to explore our archive of nearly 50 works that Duke Arts Presents has commissioned or developed over the past 15 years.

Chris Pattishall
Zodiac

Chris Pattishall Zodiac WORLD PREMIERE: FRI, NOV 5 & SAT, NOV 6, 2021 GRAMMY-nominated pianist Chris Pattishall, a Durham native and rising star in the New York jazz scene, has …

Stefanie Batten Bland
monuMEnts

American Ballet Theatre Studio Company & Stefanie Batten Bland monuMEnts WORLD PREMIERE: SUN, JAN 27, 2019; SUN, JAN 26, 2020; SAT, FEB 15 & SUN, FEB 16, 2020 For two …

Bijayini Satpathy
ABHIPSAA — a seeking

Bijayini Satpathy ABHIPSAA — a seeking WORLD PREMIERE: FRI, DECEMBER 10 – SATURDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2021 Hailed by The New Yorker as “a performer of exquisite grace and technique,” Bijayini …

Torry Bend + Howard L. Craft
Dreaming

Torry Bend & Howard L. Craft Dreaming WORLD PREMIERE: FRI, NOV 22 – SUN, NOV 24, 2019 Award-winning puppet artist and Associate Professor of Theater Studies at Duke, Torry Bend, …

Urban Bush Women
Walking with ‘Trane

Urban Bush Women Walking with ‘Trane DUKE PERFORMANCES PREMIERE: FRI, FEB 7 & SAT, FEB 8, 2014 In 2014, Urban Bush Women celebrated thirty years as an unstoppable force in …

Shen Wei Dance Arts
Re- (Part II & III)

Shen Wei Dance Arts Re- (Part II & III) DUKE PERFORMANCES PREMIERE: MON, JAN 12-SAT, JAN 24, 2009 During his unprecedented two-week residency at Duke in January 2009, the polymathic …

Rude Mechs
Now Now Oh Now

Rude Mechs Now Now Oh Now DUKE PERFORMANCES PREMIERE: WED, SEP 24 – SUN, SEP 27, 2014 Internationally celebrated Austin, Texas theater collective Rude Mechs have been delighting audiences with …

Lee Breuer & Mabou Mines
The Glass Menagerie

Lee Breuer & Mabou Mines The Glass Menagerie DUKE PERFORMANCES PREMIERE: SUN, FEB 27, 2011 The “most incendiary” experimental theater company of the past half-century (The New York Times), Mabou …

Alarm Will Sound
1969

Alarm Will Sound 1969 DUKE PERFORMANCES PREMIERE: FRI, FEB 13, 2009 “Nonchalantly virtuosic” and “Überhip” (New York Magazine, Entertainment Weekly), the 20-member contemporary classical powerhouse ensemble Alarm Will Sound descended …

William Tyler
Corduroy Roads

William Tyler Corduroy Roads DUKE PERFORMANCES PREMIERE: THU, NOV 20 – SUN, NOV 23, 2014 For its 2014/2015 season, Duke Performances commissioned guitar virtuoso William Tyler — who occupies the …

Nick Sanborn
Lend Me Your Voice

Nick Sanborn Lend Me Your Voice DUKE PERFORMANCES PREMIERE: FRI, NOV 1 & SAT, NOV 2, 2013 Durham is becoming a magnet for great musicians from all over, and Wisconsin …

Tift Merritt + Simone Dinnerstein
Night

Tift Merritt & Simone Dinnerstein Night DUKE PERFORMANCES PREMIERE: FRI, JAN 21 & SAT, JAN 22, 2011 In this two-night world premiere commissioned by Duke Performances, an “angelic,” NC-born country-folk …