Willis Delony, one of the nation’s foremost classical/jazz crossover artists, will perform Friday, March 13, at St. Bonaventure University’s Quick Center for the Arts. Delony’s performance will feature collaborations with regionally acclaimed jazz artists for an evening of evocative and genre-blending music.

Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for senior citizens and SBU employees, and $5 for students. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling the Quick Center Box Office at (716) 375-2494.

Delony’s artistry bridges classical discipline and jazz spontaneity in a uniquely expressive style that has earned him national acclaim throughout a performing career spanning more than four decades. He is widely known for his innovative explorations of the intersections between classical and jazz idioms, showcased in an extensive series of solo piano recordings on the Centaur label.

A distinguished educator as well as performer, Delony holds the rank of Boyd Professor of Piano and Jazz Studies at Louisiana State University’s School of Music, where he has taught since 2000.

His work as a piano soloist, chamber musician, and jazz performer has taken him across the United States and internationally, including concerts in Europe, Latin America, Canada, the former Soviet Union, and China. Delony’s orchestral arrangements and compositions have been commissioned and performed throughout North America, and he regularly collaborates with leading contemporary composers.

In recognition of his contributions to music and education, Delony received LSU’s Distinguished Faculty Award, was named Southeastern Conference Professor of the Year, and was inducted into the Steinway & Sons Teachers Hall of Fame in 2025.

Joining Delony for the second half of the program will be renowned jazz musicians Rich Thompson (drums) and Jeff Campbell (bass). Both have served on the faculty at Rochester’s acclaimed Eastman School of Music for nearly 30 years.

In addition to the March 13 performance, Delony will engage with students and the wider community through a series of masterclasses and special performances:

• March 12 – High School Masterclass, 10 a.m., Quick Center; Rathskeller performance, 8 p.m. 
• March 13 – SBU Masterclass, Quick Center, 12:30 p.m.

The 2025-2026 Performing Arts Series is made possible through the generous support of Friends of Good Music and the Southern Tier Symphony.

Galleries in the Quick Center will be open one hour before the performance and during intermission.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure is a community committed to transforming the lives of its students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a commitment to academic excellence and lifelong civic engagement. Out of 167 regional universities in the North, St. Bonaventure was ranked #8 for value and #19 overall by U.S. News and World Report (2025).