American Spiritual Ensemble (Photo courtesy of Minnesota Public Radio by Nate Ryan)

One of the region’s best venues for music, theater, dance and sports is UNC Charlotte. Once the winter semester starts in January, you’ll find many great performances on the stage and basketball court. Know anyone who might like a Christmas gift of tickets to a game, concert or show?

Concerts

• Faculty and Friends concert with violist Kirsten Swanson – 7:30 pm Jan. 22 in Rowe Recital hall – Adjunct viola professor Kirsten Swanson has played with numerous orchestras and co-founded the Atticus String Quartet. Tickets and details
• American Spiritual Ensemble – 7:30 pm Jan. 28 in Robinson Hall – Comprised of professional concert and opera singers from across the country, including UNC Charlotte voice professor Carl DuPont, the American Spiritual Ensemble travels the world to perform the rich repertoire of African-American Spirituals. Listen to a concert recorded in 2014 by Minnesota Public Radio. Tickets and details

Theater

• “The Long Christmas Ride Home” – Feb. 21-25 in the Black Box Theater at Robinson Hall. Past, present and future collide on a snowy Christmas Eve for a troubled family in this humorous yet beautifully haunting play by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel. Tickets and details
• “The Wiz” – April 19-23 in Belk Theater at Robinson Hall – Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Score, The Wiz is a classic of the American musical theatre. Tickets and details

49er men’s and women’s basketball

Conference USA action starts in early January in Halton Arena for the men’s and women’s basketball teams.

The women go first, taking on Southern Miss on Jan. 4.

The men play their first home game on Jan. 11 vs. Marshall.

Keep up on all the action and get game tickets at charlotte49ers.com