The membership campaign for the 21st season of the Banners Cultural Series at McNeese State University is currently under way and people still have time to get their tickets for this season’s 20 events.

Events in this year’s series include:

O’Connor String Quartet – 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23, F.G. Bulber Auditorium, McNeese campus. Grammy Award-winning violinist/composer/fiddler Mark O’Connor is widely recognized as one of the most gifted contemporary composers in America.

Maceo Parker – 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 1, Rosa Hart Theatre, Lake Charles Civic Center. Maceo Parker simultaneously represents and connects the history of soul and funk music in one golden thread.

Richard Bausch – 7 p.m. Saturday, March 2. Richard Bausch is the author of 11 novels and eight collections of stories. An acknowledged master of the short story, Bausch’s work has appeared in many magazines and has been widely anthologized.

Koresh Dance Company – 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 9, Rosa Hart Theatre, Lake Charles Civic Center. Founded in 1991 by Israeli-born choreographer and artistic director Ronen Koresh, this troupe presents its audiences with an exciting and emotional blend of ballet, modern dance and jazz molded into a style of choreography that is both eloquent and explosive.

Christopher O’Riley – 7:30 p.m. Saturday, March 16, F.G. Bulber Auditorium, McNeese campus, performance with the McNeese Wind Symphony. As host of the popular NPR music program, “From the Top,” Christopher O’Riley is well known for his eloquent and compelling musings on music and popular culture.

Juan Jose Valdes – 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 19, F.G. Bulber Auditorium, McNeese campus. Valdes is the official geographer of the National Geographic Society. During his lecture, he will share his experiences from his recent trip to Cuba.

McLeod Lecture Series – 7 p.m. Thursday, March 21, Ralph Squires Recital Hall, McNeese campus. The 10th annual McLeod Lecture Series examines how partisan politics have impacted state legislators and government at all levels.

26th Annual McNeese National Works on Paper Exhibition – March 21-May 9, Grand Gallery, Shearman Fine Arts Annex. Opening Reception, 6-8 p.m., March 21.

Spencers: Theatre of Illusion – 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 22, Rosa Hart Theatre, Lake Charles Civic Center. By combining original theatrical elements with cutting-edge illusions, audience interaction, dramatic lighting, special effects, beautiful scenery, music, movement and stage magic, the Spencers have propelled the age-old art of magic into the present.

Jeremy Davis & the Fabulous Equinox Orchestra – 7 p.m. Sunday, April 7, Burton Coliseum. Don’t expect a concert or a jazz recital, but a one-of-a kind, high-energy stage show featuring some of the best entertainers and musicians the industry has to offer.

Andy Narell – 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 12, F.G. Bulber Auditorium, McNeese campus. Over the course of 11 solo albums and two more as co-leader of the Caribbean Jazz Project, Andy Narell has pioneered the role of the steel pan in contemporary music.

Roy Kesey – Saturday, April 13, 7 p.m. Roy Kesey’s latest book is the novel, “Pacazo,” winner of Word Riot’s 2012 Paula Anderson Book Award. He has won two Pushcart Prize Special Mentions, the Jeffrey E. Smith Editors’ Prize in Fiction and a 2010 prose fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Dali Quartet – 7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 14, F.G. Bulber Auditorium, McNeese campus. The Dali Quartet is today’s freshest voice in classical and Latin-American music. Anchored in both Venezuela’s El Sistema and in American classical conservatory traditions, this exciting young quartet combines the best of both worlds.

Einstein’s Jewish Science: Steve Gimbel – 7 p.m. Thursday, April 18, F.G. Bulber Auditorium, McNeese campus. The Nazis referred to the theory of relativity as “Jewish science” to denigrate it. While their reasoning for this label was flawed, we do see the influences of religion and politics in the theories of space and motion that came before that of Einstein. 

Pokey LaFarge – 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 20, F.G. Bulber Auditorium, McNeese campus.Of the many roots musicians traveling the world and spreading the early American music tradition, Pokey LaFarge is next in line to make a significant impact on music enthusiasts everywhere.

“Perilous Journeys” with Karin Muller – 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 23, F.G. Bulber Auditorium, McNeese campus. Karin Muller is an expert lecturer for the National Geographic Society and Smithsonian. “Perilous Journeys” is a behind-the-scenes look at living (as a woman, alone) in war zones, communist countries and a dozen other cultures.

Ruthie Foster – 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27, F.G. Bulber Auditorium, McNeese campus. In addition to leading her own band and touring with it around the world, Foster has also collaborated on stage and recordings with a diverse list of artists including Warren Haynes, Big Head Todd, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Bibb and Paul Thorn.

Lynn Trefzger – 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 3, Rosa Hart Theatre, Lake Charles Civic Center. Lynn Trefzger is a ventriloquist/comedienne with a trunk full of zany characters that have accompanied her to stages throughout the country.

McNeese Jazz Festival featuring Wycliffe Gordon – 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, F.G. Bulber Auditorium, McNeese campus. One of the world’s leading trombonists and most prolific composers, Wycliffe Gordon is a true gem among jazz musicians. Handpicked right out of college to join the original Wynton Marsalis Septet, Wycliffe has been making a name for himself ever since.

A Banners Pass Holder membership, which includes two tickets to all performances and invitations to special receptions, is available for $150. Friend memberships, which include four tickets to all events, are $300. Patron memberships, which include six tickets, are $500, while Patron Plus memberships, which include eight tickets, are $1,000. All membership levels include reserved seating areas. Tickets to individual performances will be available at the door at $20 for adults, $5 for students and free to McNeese and Sowela students with IDs. Lectures are free to the public.

People can join by calling the Banners office at 337-475-5123 or visiting the Banners website at www.banners.org

Spencers: Theater of Illusion will be at 7:30 p.m.