Zoellner Arts Center

About us:

We are a home: The center opened in 1997 as the home to the Lehigh University Music Department, the Department of Theatre, the Art Galleries and the Guest Artist Series, all of which share the same professional technical, marketing and administrative staff, venues and equipment.

We are versatile: The building, designed by Philadelphia architects Dagit Saylor, houses three theatres: the 1,000-seat proscenium Baker Hall, the 300-seat Diamond Theater, a 125-seat black box theatre, as well as a two-story art gallery, state-of-the-art recording studio, and several large classrooms.

We have dramatic impact: In the 2014-15 season/academic year, the center held 172 events, including 81 campus and community rentals, lectures, business meetings, convocations, conventions, and special events.  In total, the center provided service to over 55,000 people in eastern Pennsylvania, and western New Jersey.

We are renowned: Our distinguished Guest Artist Series has presented a wide array of multi-disciplinary, multi-cultural performers, including the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Pops, Itzhak Perlman, Yo-Yo Ma, Garrison Keillor, Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin, Lily Tomlin, Tony Bennett, Ani DiFranco, Momix, and David Parsons Dance.

We are a strong community partner: Some of our annual events include longstanding Bethlehem community relationships with the Ballet Guild of the Lehigh Valley, the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, and Touchstone Theater’s Young Playwrights Festival.  Campus events presented at the center have included lectures with Rev. Jesse Jackson, Janet Reno, Sally Ride, Salman Rushdie, and Benazir Bhutto.

We represent Lehigh University worldwide: The center has also created and commissioned works from professional, world-renowned artists in collaboration with our resident faculty, that are performed worldwide, carrying the name of Lehigh University wherever they are restaged.

We are arts education: We provide a welcoming environment for school children to experience live arts.  In our 19 years, we have served over 100 schools and community groups, and more than 70,000 children in the surrounding counties.