Calendar of Events
Box Office
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March 2, Saturday
Tuesday, After Christmas
3:00 and 8:00 PM, Dana Auditorium
After beginning an affair with his daughter’s dentist, a middle-aged man must choose between breaking his family apart or abandoning his new love—by Christmas. This domestic drama reinvents a common premise to offer “a remarkable, pitch-perfect work, as convincing and affecting a portrayal of the subtleties of modern life and marriage as you’ll find on the screen”—Los Angeles Times. In Romanian with English subtitles. Sponsored by the Hirschfield International Film Series and Russian and East European Studies Program. Free
March 2, Saturday
Deborah Lifton, soprano
Charis Dimaras, piano
8:00 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
My Improvising Ears: Inspired by the title of Middlebury College composition faculty member Su Lian Tan’s namesake song cycle, this concert explores the many ways that composers routinely react to and reshape music, sounds, and language around them. From Franz Liszt’s pianistic paraphrase of the famous quartet from Act IV of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Rigoletto,to Alberto Ginastera’s artful renditions of popular Argentinian musical idioms in his Cinco canciones populares argentinas, to three of Libby Larsen’s musical settings of last letters of the wives of Henry the VIII, this program traces the transfiguring power and influence that composers constantly bring into human life and aesthetics. Sponsored by the Department of Music. Free
March 3, Sunday
Cynthia Huard, piano
3:00 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
Affiliate artist Cynthia Huard performs a program of works by Schumann and Bach. Sponsored by the Department of Music. Free
March 5, Tuesday
Digging Deep: Edward Burtynsky’s Vermont Quarry Photographs
4:30 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 125
Charles A. Dana Professor of Art and Architecture Kirsten Hoving discusses the art history, the technological record, and the artist’s personal connection to his subject in her comprehensive overview of the images on view in the museum exhibition Nature Transformed: Edward Burtynsky’s Vermont Quarry Photographs in Context. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Museum of Art and Department of History of Art and Architecture. Free.
Pictured: Edward Burtynsky, Danby Marble Quarry #2, Underground Quarry, Danby, Vermont, 1995, digital chromogenic color print. Courtesy of the artist
March 6, Wednesday
Cameron Visiting Artist: John Umphlett
4:30 PM, Johnson Memorial Building, Pit Space
Visiting artist John Umphlett will present his work in a slide lecture. Students in Sanford Mirling's ART 1025 Sculpture Material Lab will present a performance of work created this past Winter Term while working in the studio with Umphlett. Sponsored by the Program in Studio Art. Free
Pictured: John Umphlett, Thirty Eight Special, mixed media
March 7, Thursday
Richter, Tübke, and the Auschwitz Trials: The Nazi Perpetrator Seen from Both Sides of the Iron Curtain
Lecture by Paul B. Jaskot
4:30 PM, McCardell Bicentennial Hall, Room 104
Public lecture by Paul B. Jaskot of DePaul University, and Visiting Autrey Professor at the Rice Humanities Research Center, Spring Semester 2013. Gerhard Richter, one of the foremost German artists of the late 20th century, produced a few explicit depictions of the Nazi past in his early black and white paintings from the early 1960s. This presentation argues that the Nazi past was more omnipresent in Richter’s work and in art coming from both sides of the Berlin Wall than art historians have supposed. Richter’s interests resonate with public debates about the definition of perpetrators and their status within government institutions, calling for a more precise political history of the period to help us understand its artistic culture. The interpenetration of art and the reception of National Socialist perpetrators particularly deepens our understanding of postwar German culture and rejects the reigning philosophical concept of its collective historical repression. Sponsored by the Department of Geography; Program in Jewish Studies-Aquinnah Fund; German Department-Max Kade Fund; and the Department of History of Art and Architecture. Free
Image: Gerhard Richter, Christa and Wolfi, 1965
March 7, Thursday
Cinderella Symposium
4:30 PM, Wright Memorial Theatre
Fairy tales travel far and wide, and narrators reinvent them each time. The symposium will discuss the history and the rewritings of one such tale--that of Cinderella--highlighting its role in our past, our imagination, and our future. Sponsored by Comparative Literature Program, Theatre Program, and Office of the Director of the Arts. Free
March 8, Friday
Off the Wall: Informal Discussions about Art
12:15 PM, Middlebury College Museum of Art
“Louis Kahn on the Acropolis.” Director of the Arts, Professor of History of Art and Architecture, and Associate Curator of Ancient Art Pieter Broucke discusses the museum’s recently acquired pastel drawing of the Propylaea by Kahn as evidence of the transformative effect of the architect’s 1951 visit to Athens. Enjoy further conversation over a light lunch in the lobby following the talk. Sponsored by the Department of History of Art and Architecture, Middlebury College Museum of Art, and Committee on the Arts. Lunch is provided. Free to College ID cardholders; community donations welcomed.
Pictured: Louis Kahn (American, born Russia, 1901–1974), Propylaea, Acropolis, Athens Greece, 1951, pastel on paper, 11 1/2 x 9 1/2 inches. Collection of Middlebury College Museum of Art, purchase with funds provided by the Walter Cerf Art Acquisition Fund, 2011.020
March 8, Friday
Theatre Auditions for Middlebury College Students
6:30-9:00 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 232
Middlebury College students are invited to audition for the two fall 2013 faculty-directed theatre productions. Vinegar Tom by Caryl Churchill is a play about witchcraft, then and now, to be directed by Cheryl Faraone. Pentecost by David Edgar is a play about art and nationality, to be directed by Richard Romagnoli with Alex Draper '88. Read details about how to sign up and prepare>>
March 8, Friday
Pre-concert Talk for PASS Members
7:00 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 221
Members of the Performing Arts Series Society (PASS) are invited to a pre-concert talk about the music being performed by the Escher String Quartet, given by Professor Greg Vitercik of the Department of Music. Enjoy a backstage peek into the pre-concert experience, and early entry into the Concert Hall for the free concert. A members-only event. Free
March 8, Friday
Escher String Quartet
Adam Barnett-Hart, violin
Aaron Boyd, violin
Pierre Lapointe, viola
Dane Johansen, cello
8:00 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
Currently one of the BBC’s prestigious New Generation Artists, the Escher String Quartet has received acclaim for its individual sound, unparalleled artistry, and unique cohesiveness. “Put simply, this group has all the qualities necessary to be the next Emerson or Juilliard Quartet . . . rare musical insight and a profound level of cohesion”—Denver Post. The concert program includes Beethoven's second "Razumovsky" quartet, Britten’s Quartet No. 3, and Mendelssohn’s op. 44/1. This free Performing Arts Series concert is made possible with generous support from the Institute for Clinical Science and Art, in memory of F. William Sunderman Jr. and Carolyn Reynolds Sunderman. Free; no tickets required.
Photo Laura Rose
March 9, Saturday
Nostalgia for the Light
3:00 and 8:00 PM, Dana Auditorium
The stark, stunning landscape of the Atacama Desert serves as the convergence point for celestial glory, archaeological investigations, and buried memories of political violence. In this meditation on the past overlapping with the present, Chilean filmmaker Pedro Guzman sculpts a “rare documentary that’s as thrilling as art as it is as reportage, a marvelously shaped thesis that’s both disquieting and humbling”—Slant Magazine. In Spanish with English subtitles. Sponsored by the Hirschfield International Film Series. Free
March 9, Saturday
TEDxMiddlebury: The Road Not Taken
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TED has created a program called TEDx: a series of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. TEDTalks video and live speakers will combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events, including this one, are self-organized. TEDxMiddlebury is organized by Middlebury College students.
March 12, Tuesday
Master Class with INSPIRIT Dance Company
9:30 AM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre
Beginning and Intermediate technique class. Space is limited. Contact the dance program to pre-register: dance@middlebury.edu, http://go/middlebury.edu/dance, 802.443.5245. See associated events throughout the week. Free
Photo Robert Mayer
March 13, Wednesday
Master Class with INSPIRIT
2:50 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre
Intermediate and advanced level technique class. Space is limited. Contact the dance program to pre-register: dance@middlebury.edu, http://go/middlebury.edu/dance, 802.443.5245. See associated events throughout the week. Free
Photo Robert Mayer
March 13, Wednesday
Lecture/Demonstration: The Opulence of Integrity
4:30 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre
Learn more about The Opulence of Integrity and the creative process from choreographer Christal Brown. Reception to follow; Professor of Film and Media Culture Leger Grindon will sign copies of his book Knockout: The Boxer and Boxing in American Cinema. See associated events throughout the week. Sponsored by the Performing Arts Series, Dance Program, and Committee on the Arts. Residency activities are made possible by the Rothrock Family Fund for Experiential Learning in the Performing Arts. Free
Pictured: INSPIRIT Dance Company, photo Robert Mayer
March 14, Thursday
Artist Talk: Edward Burtynsky
4:30 PM, Dana Auditorium
Burtynsky’s photographs are internationally acclaimed for their haunting verisimilitude and the artists’s self-described focus on “nature transformed through industry.” Tremendous in both scale and ambition, their global reach includes recycling yards, quarries, factories, and refineries. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Museum of Art, Department of History of Art and Architecture, Academic Enrichment Fund, Franklin Environmental Center at Hillcrest, and Program in Environmental Studies. Free
Pictured: Edward Burtynsky (Canadian, born 1955), Rock of Ages #4, Abandoned Section, Adam-Pirie Quarry, Barre, Vermont, 1991, digital chromogenic color print. Photograph courtesy Howard Greenberg & Bryce Wolkowitz, New York/Nicholas Metivier, Toronto
March 14-16, Thursday-Saturday
17 ½
8:00 PM each evening, plus 10:30 PM on Friday only; Hepburn Zoo
“We’re all explicable. What we’re not is extricable.” This evening of scenes, drawn from contemporary plays, will explore perceptions of power, gender, love, and regeneration. Senior acting thesis of Sumire Doi '13 and Rachel Goodgal '13. Sponsored by the Theatre Program. Tickets: $4; on sale February 25. Buy tickets online>>
March 15, Friday
Middlebury College Orchestra
Andrew Massey, conductor
8:00 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
The MCO’s spring concert features the winner of the 2013 Alan and Joyce Beucher Concerto Competition, saxophonist Bruce Jia '16, and a new work composed by Pete Fitton ’13. Sponsored by the Department of Music. Free
March 15–16, Friday–Saturday
The Opulence of Integrity
INSPIRIT Dance Company
8:00 PM each evening, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre
The life and legend of Muhammad Ali has inspired a new work by choreographer and Middlebury College dance faculty member Christal Brown. In this world-premiere, her company INSPIRIT performs a suite of dances that incorporate elements of boxing, hip-hop, martial arts, and modern dance, with a sound score by Farai Malianga. A post-performance talk with the artists follows each show. See associated events throughout the week. Sponsored by the Performing Arts Series, Dance Program, and Committee on the Arts. Tickets: $20/15/6. Go to the Box Office>>
Pictured: INSPIRIT Dance Company, photo Robert Mayer
March 16, Saturday
Little Birds
Discussion with coproducer Stefan Nowicki ’02
3:00 and 8:00 PM, Dana Auditorium
An official Sundance Selection, Little Birds centers on the relationship between two 15-year-old girls, Lily and Allison, who leave their sheltered town and run away to Los Angeles in pursuit of a gang of skateboarders. While Lily craves escape, Allison longs for security. The dangers of their flight put their friendship to the test. U.S. film; sponsored by the Hirschfield International Film Series. Free
March 16, Saturday
An Evening of Songs and Arias
8:00 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
A select group of students from the Department of Music present a variety of songs, duets, and arias, ranging from the baroque era to the present. Free
Pictured: Jack Desbois '15, photo Brett Simison
March 17, Sunday
François Clemmons and Friends:
St. Patrick’s Day Concert
4:00 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Concert Hall
Wear something green and come prepared to sing along to this annual concert of lovely Irish tunes. Clemmons is joined on stage by a parade of guest artists sure to lift your spirits, including Margie Bekoff, Tim Cummings, Jeremiah McLane, Pete Sutherland, and Dick Forman. Free
March 18, Monday
Lecture/Demonstration with Katie Martin
4:30 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre
A lecture/demonstration by Katie Martin: "Embodiment, Agency, and Collective Individualism: Structuring Principles in Dancemaking and the Moment of Performance." Martin is a dance artist and Jacob K. Javits Fellow in Dance, who works within the spheres of choreography, performance, education, and movement research. She received her BA with a concentration in Dance at Bennington College and holds an Interdisciplinary Yoga Teacher Certification from the Nosara Yoga Institute. She teaches dance and yoga widely and has been a guest artist at Bennington College, Williams College, Southern Vermont College, the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, and The Neurosciences Institute, among others. She continues to work with Susan Sgorbati’s Emergent Improvisation Project, a platform for research, teaching, and performance that investigates time-based art within the framework of natural, complex systems. Sponsored by the Dance Program. Free
Photo Jim Coleman
March 19, Tuesday
Italian Stoneworkers in Vermont, 1880–1915
4:30 PM, Mahaney Center for the Arts, Room 125
Visiting Professor of Italian Ilaria Brancoli Busdraghi discusses the development of the state’s granite and marble industries and the community of workers who performed the heavy lifting. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Museum of Art in conjunction with the exhibition Nature Transformed: Edward Burtynsky’s Vermont Quarry Photographs in Context. Free
Pictured: Photographer unknown, Granite quarry and workers, Consolidated Granite Co., Eagan Quarry, Barre, Vermont, date unknown
March 19, Tuesday
Jocelyn Lee: "Then and Now: 20 Years in Photographs"
4:30 PM, Johnson Memorial Building, Room 304
Artist talk, sponsored by the Program in Studio Art and the Johnson Family Arts Enrichment Fund. Free
Pictured: Jocelyn Lee, Kara 1998 and 2005
March 21, Thursday
Nathan Laube, organ
7:30 PM, Mead Memorial Chapel
Considering Johann Sebastian Bach’s reputation as an organist and composer for organ, it seems only fitting to host an organ recital on his birthday. Nathan Laube has quickly joined the organ world’s elite performers as a star among young classical musicians. His brilliant playing, creative programming, and gracious demeanor have thrilled audiences (including our own) and have earned high praise from critics and peers alike. Laube performs works by Bach, Mendelssohn, Widor, and more. Pre-concert lecture by Laube at 6:45 PM. Sponsored by the Performing Arts Series. Tickets: $20/15/6* Bring-a-Friend Promotion: Buy one ticket, get a second free! The perfect way to introduce a friend to the beautiful music of the Performing Arts Series. Go to the Box Office>>
Read the press release>>
