Wesleyan University's Center for the Arts announces highlights of 2015-2016 season
highlights of 2015-2016 season including
two world premieres, one United States premiere,
one New England premiere, and four Connecticut debuts;
box office opens Tuesday, August 25
Middletown, Conn.— Wesleyan University’s Center for the Arts announces the highlights of the 2015-2016 season, including two world premieres, one United States premiere, one New England premiere, and four Connecticut debuts, including the following events (see below for more information):
• September 11, 2015: Sixth annual "Bach to School" organ concert
• September 16, 2015 – December 13: "R. Luke Dubois—In Real Time" exhibition in Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery
• September 17, 2015 – November 7: Eiko Otake—"A Body in Places"
• September 18, 2015: Nicholas Payton Trio featuring Gerald Cannon and Herlin Riley
• September 24, 2015: "Theater After Wesleyan" panel discussion
• September 25-26, 2015: Connecticut debut of Dorrance Dance
• September 28, 2015: The Combat Paper Project
• October 7 – 11, 2015: 39th annual Navaratri Festival
• October 9, 2015: Daniel Beaty performing "Mr. Joy"
• October 10, 2015: Sri Rajesh Vaidya
• October 11, 2015: Connecticut debut of internationally acclaimed Indian dancer and choreographer Alarmél Valli
• October 17, 2015: Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill
• October 30-31, 2015: World premiere of "Shake" by Artist in Residence Iddi Saaka and Bates College Assistant Professor of Dance Rachel Boggia at Fall Faculty Dance Concert
• November 1, 2015: "This Is It!" The Complete Piano Works of Neely Bruce—Part VII featuring two world premieres
• November 13-14, 2015: Connecticut premiere of Faye Driscoll's "Thank You For Coming—Attendance"
• November 21, 2015: Brooklyn Rider performing U.S. premiere of new work by Assistant Professor of Music Paula Matthusen
• February 12-13, 2016: New England premiere of Kota Yamazaki/Fluid hug-hug's "OQ"
• April 1, 2016: Connecticut premiere of Wu Man and the Shanghai Quartet's "A Night in Ancient and New China"
Tickets for the 2015-2016 season at the Center for the Arts are currently on sale online at http://www.wesleyan.edu/boxoffice. Starting at Noon on Tuesday, August 25, 2015 tickets will also be available by phone at 860-685-3355, or in person at the Wesleyan University Box Office, located in the Usdan University Center, 45 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown. Tickets may also be purchased at the door beginning one hour prior to each ticketed performance during the season, subject to availability. The Center for the Arts accepts cash, checks written to “Wesleyan University,” and all major credit cards. Groups of ten or more may receive a discount – please call (860) 685-3355 for details. No refunds, cancellations, or exchanges. Programs, artists, and dates are subject to change without notice.
WesFlex is the Center for the Arts subscription, which offers the ultimate in flexibility. With a WesFlex subscription, you can purchase tickets to any Performing Arts Series or Outside the Box Theater Series event below for only $18 each, which is up to a 33% savings off the general public ticket prices. With only a three-show minimum, WesFlex subscriptions start at $54.* You don’t need to know the specific performances now to lock in your discounted rate! Simply call the Wesleyan University Box Office at 860-685-3355 starting Tuesday August 25 when you want to book the shows you’d like to attend. The box office is more than happy to accommodate any WesFlex seating requests or preferences whenever possible. Sample a wide array of the world-class musicians, innovative and surprising dance performances, and groundbreaking theater coming to campus this season. Offer ends Friday, October 9, 2015. *There is a $6 total handling fee.
The Inn at Middletown is the official hotel of the Center for the Arts. Patrons who show their Center for the Arts ticket stub receive 10% off their food bill at the Tavern at the Armory, located at 70 Main Street in Middletown.
Performing Arts Series
The Performing Arts Series at the Center for the Arts features a wide array of world-class musicians, cutting-edge choreography, and groundbreaking theater performances and discussions.
Nicholas Payton Trio featuring Gerald Cannon and Herlin Riley
Friday, September 18, 2015 at 8pm
Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown
$27 general public; $25 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff/alumni, non-Wesleyan students; $6 Wesleyan students
Pre-concert talk by Wesleyan Jazz Ensemble Coach Noah Baerman at 7:15pm.
“[Nicholas] Payton’s clarion trumpet, as well as his genre-defying solos, stood at the center of the music making. [He] bent notes beyond recognition. No descriptive label or category could be affixed to [his] solos, which were as brashly original as they were technically imposing.” —Chicago Tribune
Grammy Award-winning trumpet virtuoso and multi-instrumentalist Nicholas Payton was born into a musical family in New Orleans. After touring with Elvin Jones, Mr. Payton made his major-label recording debut as a leader in 1994. Since then, Mr. Payton has consistently committed himself to developing his distinct voice and forging new musical frontiers. At Wesleyan, Mr. Payton will perform on trumpet, piano, and Fender Rhodes with his Trio featuring bassist Gerald Cannon and drummer Herlin Riley.
A Crowell Concert Series event presented by the Music Department and the Center for the Arts.
Dorrance Dance
Friday, September 25 and Saturday, September 26, 2015 at 8pm
CFA Theater, 271 Washington Terrace, Middletown
$25 general public; $23 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff/alumni, non-Wesleyan students; $6 Wesleyan students
Pre-performance talk by Wesleyan DanceLink Fellow Sonya Levine ’17 on Friday, September 25, 2015 at 7:30pm in CFA Hall.
"One of the most imaginative tap choreographers working today."—The New Yorker
After devoting 30 years to studying and performing tap dance, Michelle Dorrance founded Dorrance Dance / New York in 2011, and has become a contemporary tap sensation; pushing the tradition rhythmically, aesthetically, and conceptually. During their Connecticut debut, the company will feature excerpts from their critically acclaimed works "SOUNDspace," "ETM: The Initial Approach" featuring a living set that responds sonically to the dancers' steps, and "The Blues Project" with music by Toshi Reagon.
A Breaking Ground Dance Series event presented by the Dance Department and the Center for the Arts. Made possible by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Expeditions Program of the New England Foundation for the Arts.
Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill
Saturday, October 17, 2015 at 8pm
Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown
$22 general public; $20 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff/alumni, non-Wesleyan students; $6 Wesleyan students
Pre-concert talk by Wesleyan graduate music student Cleek Schrey MA ’16 at 7:15pm.
"The remarkable duo has honed a ravishing repertoire by distilling the melodic essence of traditional Irish tunes. Hayes and Cahill have distinguished themselves by bringing chamber music's intensity and dynamic control to folk tunes."—Seattle Times
Violinist Martin Hayes and guitarist Dennis Cahill are two of the leading artists in traditional Irish music. Their adventurous, soulful interpretations of traditional tunes are recognized the world over for their exquisite musicality and irresistible rhythm. The New York Times calls them "a Celtic complement to Steve Reich's Quartets and Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain." The two met in Chicago in the 1980s, and have been exploring and expanding the Irish tradition together ever since.
A Crowell Concert Series event presented by the Music Department and the Center for the Arts.
Faye Driscoll—"Thank You For Coming: Attendance"
Friday, November 13,2015 at 8pm
Saturday, November 14, 2015 at 2pm and 8pm
Patricelli ’92 Theater, 213 High Street, Middletown
$25 general public; $23 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff/alumni, non-Wesleyan students; $6 Wesleyan students
Pre-concert talk by Wesleyan DanceLink Fellow Djiby Sall ’16 on Friday, November 13, 2015 at 7:30pm in Memorial Chapel.
"Exhilarating, uninhibited, and adventurous." —The Brooklyn Rail
"Thank You For Coming," a series of works by choreographer/director Faye Driscoll, focus on how you experience yourself in relation to other bodies and the spaces you inhabit. During the Connecticut premiere of "Attendance," dancers pass through ever-morphing states of physical entanglement. Intimately staged in the round, Ms. Driscoll crafts a heightened reality of observation, invitation, and interdependence. The audience and performers share a dynamic, joyful ritual of action and transformation. Ms. Driscoll was Wesleyan's 2014-15 Creative Campus Fellow in Dance.
A Breaking Ground Dance Series event presented by the Dance Department and the Center for the Arts. Made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Brooklyn Rider
Saturday, November 21, 2015 at 8pm
Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown
$22 general public; $20 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff/alumni, non-Wesleyan students; $6 Wesleyan students
Pre-concert talk by Assistant Professor of Music Paula Matthusen at 7:15pm.
"The dazzling versatility that Brooklyn Rider exhibits is one of the wonders of contemporary music." —Los Angeles Times
Hailed as "the future of chamber music" (Strings), the string quartet Brooklyn Rider features Nicholas Cords on viola, violinist Johnny Gandelsman, and brothers Colin Jacobsen on violin and Eric Jacobsen on cello. At Wesleyan, the group will perform Franz Schubert's String Quartet No. 13 in a minor, the United States premiere of the work "on the attraction for felicitous amplitude" for string quartet and electronics by Assistant Professor of Music Paula Matthusen, and selections from their album "The Brooklyn Rider Almanac," which features commissions by Bill Frisell, Vijay Iyer, Glenn Kotche, and others.
A Crowell Concert Series event presented by the Music Department and the Center for the Arts.
Kota Yamazaki/Fluid hug-hug: "OQ"
Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13, 2016 at 8pm
CFA Theater, 271 Washington Terrace, Middletown
$25 general admission; $23 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff/alumni, non-Wesleyan students; $6 Wesleyan students
Pre-performance talk by Wesleyan DanceLink Fellow Lakisha Gonsalves '16 on Friday, February 12, 2016 at 7:30pm in CFA Hall.
"Kota Yamazaki's ability to represent and distinguish a new world is cutting-edge performance." —Dance Magazine
The company Fluid hug-hug was founded when dancer and choreographer Kota Yamazaki moved to New York in 2002. At Wesleyan, his company will perform the New England premiere of "OQ" (2015), a stunning work performed by a "stellar cast" (The New York Times) inspired by Japanese renga—a collaboratively-written form of linked poetry. Named after the phonetic sound for the Japanese word "palace," five performers search for ways to communicate with one another playfully and freely on a mirage-like stage set, created by the international architect collective SO-IL.
A Breaking Ground Dance Series event presented by the Dance Department and the Center for the Arts. Made possible by grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts. Co-sponsored by the College of East Asian Studies.
Wu Man and the Shanghai Quartet: "A Night in Ancient and New China"
Friday, April 1, 2016 at 8pm
Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown
$22 general admission; $20 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff/alumni, non-Wesleyan students; $6 Wesleyan students
Pre-concert talk by Associate Professor of Music and East Asian Studies Su Zheng at 7:15pm.
"Wu Man is one of the rare musicians who has changed the history of the instrument she plays."—Boston Globe
The Shanghai Quartet—violinists Weigang Li and Yi-Wen Jiang, violist Honggang Li, and cellist Nicholas Tzavaras—returns to Wesleyan for their Connecticut debut with pipa virtuosa Wu Man to perform “A Night in Ancient and New China,” featuring a solo by Wu Man on pipa (Chinese lute); Luwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet No.11, Op. 95; traditional folk songs; and the Connecticut premiere of a new quintet by eminent Chinese film composer Zhao Jiping ("Raise the Red Lantern," "To Live," and "Farewell My Concubine") in collaboration with his son Zhao Lin.
A Crowell Concert Series event presented by the Music Department and the Center for the Arts. Co-sponsored by the College of East Asian Studies.
Outside the Box Theater Series
The Outside the Box Theater Series, presented by the Theater Department and the Center for the Arts, features groundbreaking theater performances and discussions.
Theater After Wesleyan
Thursday, September 24, 2015 at 5:30pm
CFA Hall, 287 Washington Terrace, Middletown
FREE!
Four Wesleyan Theater Department alumni talk about their work and careers in theater after Wesleyan:
Roberta Pereira ’03 is the Producing Director of The Playwrights Realm, an off-Broadway theater company that develops and produces new plays by early-career playwrights. Before joining The Realm, she worked with Bisno Productions on shows such as A Red Orchid Theater's off-Broadway premiere of "The Opponent;" the Tony Award-nominated play "Mothers and Sons" by Terrence McNally, starring Tyne Daly; the revival of the beloved musical "Annie;" the Olivier Award-winning revival of Stephen Sondheim's "Merrily We Roll Along" in the West End; the Broadway premiere of "Grace," starring Paul Rudd, Michael Shannon, and Ed Asner; and the Tony Award-winning smash hit "War Horse" (Broadway, Toronto, and U.S. tour). Previously, Ms. Pereira was an Associate Producer at Anne Bogart’s SITI Company, Executive Producer of Yale Summer Cabaret in New Haven, and she produced all the auxiliary events for the 2006 Dublin International Theatre Festival. In 2011, Ms. Pereira co-founded Dress Circle Publishing, a boutique publisher specializing in books about Broadway and by Broadway authors. Bestselling titles include Ruby Preston’s "Broadway Trilogy," Jennifer Ashley Tepper’s "The Untold Stories of Broadway," and Seth Rudetsky's "Broadway Diaries." A graduate of the Yale School of Drama's Theater Management program, Ms. Pereira is originally from Brazil, and currently lives in New York City. Michael Rau ’05, Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Wolf 359, is a director specializing in new plays, re-imagined classics, and operas. He has been working internationally in Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, and Greece; and has created work in New York City at Performance Space S122, The Culture Project, HERE Arts Center, Ars Nova, The Bushwick Starr, and Dixon Place. MJ Kaufman ’08 is a playwright whose work has been developed and produced by Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Huntington Theatre, New York Theater Workshop, Clubbed Thumb, New Georges, New Harmony Project, Aurora Theater, Crowded Fire, Fresh Ink Theatre, and the Yale School of Drama; and performed in Russian in Moscow. Emmie Finckel ’14, a New York-based scenic and properties designer, is currently the Communications Associate at David Korins Design, and has collaborated with Woodshed Collective, The Assembly, and Trusty Sidekick theater companies.
An Outside the Box Theater Series event presented by the Theater Department and the Center for the Arts.
Daniel Beaty performing "Mr. Joy"
Friday, October 9, 2015 at 8pm
CFA Theater, 271 Washington Terrace, Middletown
$19 general public; $17 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff/alumni, non-Wesleyan students; $6 Wesleyan students
"Showcasing Beaty's signature blend of comedy, poetry, music and multi-character transformation, 'Mr. Joy' is a hilarious and heart-warming exploration."
--BroadwayWorld.com
What happened to Mr. Joy? In this tour de force solo show by award-winning actor, singer, writer, and composer Daniel Beaty, a Harlem community is disrupted when the Chinese immigrant's shoe repair shop, a neighborhood pillar for decades, does not open its doors. Nine customers, ranging from eleven-year-old Clarissa, a budding shoe designer, to Bessie, a "gangsta granny," reflect on the shop owner's impact in this moving exploration of one community's efforts to heal in order to dream again.
An Outside the Box Theater Series event presented by the Theater Department and the Center for the Arts. Co-sponsored by the Center for African American Studies and the Office of Equity and Inclusion.
39th annual Navaratri Festival
Navaratri, one of India’s major festival celebrations, is a time to see family and friends, enjoy music and dance, and seek blessings for new endeavors. Wesleyan’s 39th annual Navaratri Festival (Wednesday, October 7 through Sunday, October 11, 2015) celebrates traditional Indian music and dance. Presented by the Center for the Arts and the Music Department, with leadership support from the Madhu Reddy Endowed Fund for Indian Music and Dance at Wesleyan University, and additional support from the Jon B. Higgins Memorial Fund.
Subscribe and save! Navaratri Festival subscriptions include all three ticketed performances below, and are available for $36! Offer ends Friday, October 9, 2015.
Music Department Colloquium
Hari Krishnan and B. Balasubrahmaniyan—"Eroticism, Metaphor, and Music in South Indian Court Dance"
Wednesday, October 7, 2015 at 4:15pm
CFA Hall, 287 Washington Terrace, Middletown
FREE!
In this interactive presentation, Assistant Professor of Dance Hari Krishnan and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music B. Balasubrahmaniyan present and analyze pieces from the late nineteenth and early twentieth century courtesan dance repertoire of South India. At the core of these pieces is a poetic display of eroticism and interpersonal human relationships. They will discuss the aesthetic and social histories of these pieces, and their relationship to Karnatak music and Bharatanatyam dance. This talk will be followed by a performance in which they demonstrate how the techniques of dance and music aid the performer to create commentary on the text of the compositions through the evocation of metaphor and variation. The performance will be accompanied by Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music David Nelson on mridangam, and Fugan Dineen MA ’05, Ph.D.’15 on nattuvangam.
Henna and Chaat
Thursday, October 8, 2015 at 7pm
Olin Library Lobby, 252 Church Street, Middletown
FREE!
Experience South Asian culture through henna art and sampling of chaat (savory snacks), hosted by Shakti, Wesleyan's South Asian Students' Association.
B. Balasubrahmaniyan: Vocal Music of South India
Friday, October 9, 2015 at 8pm
Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Avenue
$12 general public; $10 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff/alumni, non-Wesleyan students; $6 Wesleyan students
Vocalist and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music B. Balasubrahmaniyan is joined by Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music David Nelson on mridangam and violinist K.V.S. Vinay.
Film Screening—"Lasya Kavya: The World of Alarmél Valli"
Saturday, October 10, 2015 at 2pm
CFA Hall, 287 Washington Terrace, Middletown
FREE!
"Lasya Kavya: The World of Alarmél Valli," a film by award-winning director Sankalp Meshram, explores some of the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual contexts within which the internationally acclaimed dancer and choreographer performs. A diverse range of performance, rehearsal, choreography, and teaching sequences are interwoven with interviews and archival footage of Ms. Valli with her dance and music gurus, offering glimpses into core ideas and facets of her work. The film won the 2012 Indian National Award for “Best Film on Art and Culture.” Filmmaker and editor Sankalp Meshram has worked on many award-winning films in India. He wrote and directed "Chhutkan Ki Mahabharat," which won the National Award for Best Film in 2005. Mr. Meshram is currently the Academic Director of Digital Academy, The Film School, Mumbai. The film screening will be followed by a conversation between Alarmél Valli and Associate Professor of Dance Hari Krishnan.
Sri Rajesh Vaidya
Saturday, October 10, 2015 at 4pm
Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown
$18 general public; $15 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff/alumni, non-Wesleyan students; $6 Wesleyan students
Sri Rajhesh Vaidya's veena (plucked string instrument) playing will be accompanied by N. Mohanaraman and R. SriGanesh on mridangam, D. Chandrajit on tabla, and Saihari on gatam. Co-sponsored by Raga Club of Connecticut.
Bhojanam (Feast)
Saturday, October 10, 2015 at 6:30pm
Daniel Family Commons, Usdan University Center, 45 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown
$15
Treat yourself to vegetarian Indian delicacies at the Bhojanam (Feast) following the 4pm concert by Sri Rajesh Vaidya. Sponsored by Haveli India Restaurant.
Saraswati Puja (Hindu Ceremony)
Sunday, October 11, 2015 at 4pm
World Music Hall, 40 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown
FREE!
This religious service, led by A. V. Srinivasan, marks the most auspicious day of the year for beginning new endeavors. The audience may participate and bring instruments, manuscripts and other items for blessing.
Alarmél Valli
Sunday, October 11, 2015 at 3pm
Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown
$18 general public; $15 senior citizens, Wesleyan faculty/staff/alumni, non-Wesleyan students; $6 Wesleyan students
“In Valli, music and dance meet in such a state of harmony that we are confronted with the sublime. Her dance speaks to the soul and requires no analysis.”
—Midday (Bombay)
Internationally acclaimed Indian dancer and choreographer Alarmél Valli turns the traditional Bharatanatyam style into subtle, deeply internalized, personal dance poetry in her Connecticut debut. Having trained since the age of six, over three decades she has become the foremost exponent of the Pandanallur style; and her work has been described as “blurring the boundaries between tradition and the individual talent, inheritance and invention,” exploring the infinite spaces within the tradition.
Special Events
Eiko Otake: "A Body In Places"
Thursday, September 17, 2015 at 7pm
Russell Library, 123 Broad Street, Middletown
General admission; first-come, first-served; FREE!
Sunday, October 4, 2015 at 3pm, 4pm, and 5pm
Monday, October 5, 2015 at 7pm, 8pm, and 9pm
Davison Art Center, Alsop House 301 High Street, Middletown
Limited seating, call 860-685-3355 for reservations; FREE!
Friday, November 6, 2015 at 8pm
Saturday, November 7, 2015 at 4pm
Van Vleck Observatory, 96 Foss Hill Drive, Middletown
General admission; first-come, first-served; FREE!
Dancer/choreographer Eiko Otake, Visiting Artist in Dance and East Asian Studies, presents a series of intimate performances as part of her solo project "A Body in Places," including a commission in honor of the Van Vleck Observatory's 100th-anniversary celebration. In this dance of solitude and fragility, Eiko will explore the characteristics of each specific place and exchange an intimate gaze with each viewer. Audience members are welcome to stay and speak with the artist. Made possible by a grant from the National Dance Project of the New England Foundation for the Arts, and co-sponsored by the Van Vleck Observatory's 100th Anniversary Committee.
The Combat Paper Project
Monday, September 28, 2015 at 4:15pm
Usdan University Center, Room 108, 45 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown
FREE!
Iraq war veteran and co-founder of the Combat Paper Project Drew Cameron will discuss the history of his collaborative project, which uses traditional hand papermaking techniques to transform military uniforms into paper, prints, books, and art; and how the work generates conversation about collective responsibilities and a shared understanding of war. This talk is the culmination of a two-day residency with Wesleyan's Posse Veterans, other Wesleyan students, and community members. For more information on the location of the workshops and open drop-in hours on Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27, 2015 please contact libfriends@wesleyan.edu. Co-sponsored by Wesleyan's Office of Equity and Inclusion, Friends of the Wesleyan Library, and the Center for the Arts.
Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery
"R. Luke Dubois: In Real Time" Exhibition
Guest Curator: Lauren Rosati
Wednesday, September 16 through Sunday, December 13, 2015
Gallery Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, Noon to 5pm
Artist Talk by R. Luke DuBois: Wednesday, September 16, 2015 at 4:30pm in CFA Hall, 287 Washington Terrace, Middletown
Opening Reception: Wednesday, September 16, 2015 from 5:30pm to 6:30pm in Ezra and Cecile Zilkha Gallery, 283 Washington Terrace, Middletown
Closed: Wednesday, November 25 through Monday, November 30, 2015
FREE!
Genre-defying composer, artist, and performer R. Luke DuBois utilizes data to create maps, scores, and videos that explore subjects including the Iraq War and the census; and that raise questions of artistic agency, privacy, and fair use. Organized as a database of his projects and concerns, the exhibition “R. Luke DuBois: In Real Time” is the first major gallery presentation of his work, and will include recent and commissioned pieces that take as their basis real-time data flows, topical statistics, and contemporary media footage. Co-sponsored by Wesleyan's Department of Art and Art History, Department of Government, Digital and Computational Knowledge Initiative, Information Technology Services, the Office of Academic Affairs, and the Quantitative Analysis Center.
Music Department
Sixth annual “Bach to School” organ concert
Friday, September 11, 2015 at 8:30pm
Memorial Chapel, 221 High Street, Middletown
FREE!
Artist in Residence and University Organist Ronald Ebrecht's sixth annual opening of the Wesleyan concert calendar will feature a lively recital of works by Johann Sebastian Bach, César Franck, Charles-Marie Widor, and John Spencer Camp Professor of Music Neely Bruce. The concert will be preceded by a dinner with the artist co-sponsored by the American Guild of Organists. Tickets for the dinner are $15. For more information about the dinner, please contact waterbury.chapter.ago@gmail.com.
"This Is It!" The Complete Piano Works of Neely Bruce: Part VII
Sunday, November 1, 2015 at 3pm
Crowell Concert Hall, 50 Wyllys Avenue, Middletown
FREE!
John Spencer Camp Professor of Music Neely Bruce presents the seventh in a series of CD-length recitals of his piano music, featuring his Fourth Piano Sonata; the world premiere of "Memories of Phoolan;" and "Piano Rock Album," the composer's tribute to popular piano styles (rock, pop, cocktail piano, and ragtime) and the pianists who have mastered them (including Richard Manuel and Jerry Lee Lewis). And special guest guitarist Thomas Schuttenhelm will perform the world premiere of Mr. Bruce's "The Sacred Guitar"—seven improvisations on selected tunes from "The Sacred Harp."
Dance Department Events
Fall Faculty Dance Concert: "Shake"
Friday, October 30 & Saturday October 31 at 8pm
Patricelli ’92 Theater, 213 High Street, Middletown
$6 Wesleyan students; $8 all others
"Shake" is a work born out of a seven-year friendship in dance. In the world premiere of their first co-choreographed work, Wesleyan Artist in Residence Iddi Saaka and Bates College Assistant Professor of Dance Rachel Boggia started working from their shared love of vibratory movement, smooth breath, and cheesy humor. Influences from West African traditional and contemporary dance, American postmodern dance, fake tap dance, bad jokes, and life experiences glimmer under the surface of this rambunctious and tender duet. Like their bodies, the work contains their stories, but explains nothing.