February 2010

2009-2010 Events

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For a full calendar of College events, please click here.

February 12, Friday (through June 6)
American Paintings and Prints from Shelburne Museum
Middlebury College Museum of Art, Christian A. Johnson Memorial Gallery
These 30 works represent the wide-ranging interests of American artists working in urban and rural areas before 1900. The exhibit, which celebrates the American landscape and its inhabitants, as well as artist travels, includes works by Thomas Cole, Edward Hicks, Fitz Hugh Lane, Martin Johnson Heade, and George Durrie, among many others. Free

Pictured: Martin Johnson Heade, Orchid and Hummingbird, 1875–85, oil on canvas, 18 1/4 x 10 1/4 inches. Collection of Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vermont, 27.1.5-20

February 13, Saturday
Wendy and Lucy
3:00 and 8:00 P.M., Dana Auditorium
Wendy (Michelle Williams), a young woman bound for Alaska with hopes for a lucrative fishing industry job, finds herself stranded in a dreary Oregon town when her car breaks down. Her bad luck continues as her dog, Lucy, her only companion, goes missing, and she faces an increasingly dire financial situation. Directed by Kelley Reichardt. Toronto Film Critics Association Award, Best Feature and Best Female Performance. Sponsored by the Hirschfield International Film Series. (USA, 2008, 80 minutes) Free

February 13, Saturday
Sophie Shao & Friends
8:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
Middlebury audiences can attest to cellist Sophie Shao’s ability to assemble impromptu chamber ensembles of tremendous young talent—equal to her own—if last year’s rave reviews and standing ovations are an indication. This season’s concert features the much-loved piano quartet by Robert Schumann, as well as piano quartets by Mendelssohn and Fauré. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series. Reserved Seating. Tickets: $24/18/6

February 18, Thursday
The Idyll, the Ideal, and the Real: The Rediscovery of Greek Architecture and Its Consequences in the 18th and 19th Centuries
4:30 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 221
In this lecture, Frank Salmon, professor of the history of art, Cambridge University, England, discusses what lay behind the “rediscovery” of ancient Greece during the Enlightenment and considers its effects, especially the “Greek Revival” in architecture that occurred on both sides of the Atlantic in the ensuing centuries. Cosponsored by the Department of History of Art and Architecture, the Rohatyn Center for International Affairs, the Department of Classics, Ross Commons, and the Middlebury College Museum of Art. Free

February 20, Saturday
The Class
3:00 and 8:00 P.M., Dana Auditorium
Francois (Francois Marin) and the other teachers at a tough, inner-city high school try to remain upbeat while coping with unruly and disinterested students. Director Laurent Cantet, the acclaimed writer and director of Human Resources (1999), presents the classroom in a direct style that frequently lets events play out in real time. “One of the screen’s most rewarding explorations of the teacher/student relationship in any language”—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune. Palm D’Or award, Cannes Film Festival. In French with English subtitles. Sponsored by the Department of French. (France, 2008, 128 minutes) Free

February 27, Saturday
Gomorrah
3:00 and 8:00 P.M., Dana Auditorium
Based on the bestselling book by journalist Roberto Saviano, this film offers a look at modern Naples and the Camorra crime syndicate that runs the city. Five interwoven stories show the extent to which the Camorra has infiltrated everyday life in Italy and has become a substantial force in the European economy. “A frightening portrait of corruption, cynicism, intimidation, greed and violence”—Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer. Directed by Mateo Garrone. Grand Prize winner, Cannes Film Festival; European Film Awards for Best Film, Best Screenwriting, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Cinematography. In Italian, Mandarin, and French with English subtitles. Sponsored by the Hirschfield International Film Series. (Italy, 2008, 137 minutes) Free

February 27, Saturday
Voices
Philip Hamilton ’82
8:00 P.M., McCullough Social Space
Inspired by the power of the voice, Philip Hamilton ’82 creates an original a cappella performance that fuses global rhythms and influences. Voices combines unique, international vocal tones and techniques—such as Tuvan throat singing, Balinese monkey-chanting, and hip-hop’s beat-boxing—with the rich sounds of diverse a cappella singing styles, including doo-wop, Bulgarian choirs, barbershop quartets, South African miners’ songs, and Gregorian chants. An international cast of singers delivers this keynote event for the 2010 Vermont A Cappella Summit. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series and the Vermont A Cappella Summit. Funded in part by the Expeditions program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from the six New England state arts agencies, and the Argosy Foundation Contemporary Music Fund. Visit http://www.middlebury.edu/arts/performing for details on residency activities. Tickets: $24/18/6

February 28, Sunday
Natasha Koval Paden, piano
4:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
Music Department Affiliate Artist Natasha Kovel-Paden performs an all-Chopin program in honor of his 200th birthday. Well known to Vermont audiences, Koval-Paden brings considerable performing experience to the concert stage. Raised in the Ukraine, she studied under the tutelage of Vladimir Horowitz's sister, at the Eastman School of Music, and at Juilliard. Since then her career has spanned several continents and included programs with a number of distinguished orchestras and chamber groups. Ms. Koval-Paden has performed extensively with the Soviet Émigré Orchestra, now the Tchaikovsky Chamber Orchestra, under the directorship of Lazar Gosman. Free

go to March events