UT Live

About Us

Dixie State College Celebrity Concert Series (CCS) was formally organized in 1958 with Dr. Ron Garner as manager. Seven professional and non-professional concerts were presented that year. Prior to 1958, irregular presenting periods were extended to the community as is evidenced in a recently discovered season pass dated 1922. That season five concerts were offered at a cost of two-dollars for the year.



Robert Dalton managed and nurtured the series from 1965 to 1995. The manager from 1995 to 2014 was Gail Bunker, who continued to build the legacy and prestige of the concert series. Gail also introduced a variety of special programs throughout the years including the Special Artist Series - a recital concert program consisting of five to six events. Mary Stephenson directed the series from 2014 until 2015, then Steve Lemmon took over as Marketing and Programming Coordinator for both the CCS and the O.C. Tanner Summer Concert Series.

Today the concert series is curated by Ginger Nelson, Director of Arts Programming with Karin Edwards as the Arts Programming Coordinator. Since its foundation in 1958 with primarily classical programs, the Celebrity Concert Series has grown in variety to include dance, theater, and cirque and music genres from folk, pop, and jazz. The concert series, now under the umbrella of Dixie State University Cultural Arts, continues to enhance our local community through our commitment to bringing world-class performing arts to Southern Utah.