Laurie Anderson was a seminal figure in the downtown New York performance scene in the late 1970s and early 1980s, her signature electric violin, technologically altered voice, trancelike exposition and moody projections of found texts and images conjuring up a dreamlike realm in which ordinary events and desires were infused with romantic longing, childlike whimsy and sinister undertones. With her androgynous appearance and enigmatic smile, the charismatic Anderson seemed to be channeling mysterious forces from some alternative world that yet – even more strangely – was completely made up of the stuff of this one.

Achieving international fame with her 1981 performance O Superman, Anderson has in the years since had a rather extraordinary career, which has crossed over into not just popular culture (although her experimental artistry, with its tunefulness, narrative punch and recognizable allusions, always had popular appeal), but even the military/industrial complex: She was the first artist-in-residence at NASA, and “Flow,” the final track on her 2010 album Homeland, was nominated for a Grammy this year.

She also is apparently accessible in other ways, donating her time to raise money for the Woodstock Day School: Anderson will bring her charmed brew of sound, words and vision to the Bearsville Theater in a benefit performance for the WDS this Saturday, April 30 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $40 for general admission, $50 for reserved seating, $100 for a Golden Circle seat with a limited-edition commemorative poster and $150 for a VIP Golden Circle ticket that includes a seat in the first three rows and a champagne meet-and-greet reception with Anderson. General admission, for the bar and lounge area only, is $35. Visit www.wdst.com to purchase a ticket.

The benefit performance will also feature the Woodstock Day School Rock Ensemble; and a band, as yet to be announced, will perform at a post-concert dance party starting at 10 p.m. Tickets to the party are $10. The concert proceeds will benefit the School’s scholarship fund. The admissions department notes that the School is currently accepting applications for ninth-grade merit scholarships for the upcoming year; contact admissions director Marie Kropp for more information at (845) 246-3744, extension 203.