Performing Arts Series

Mexican Folklore Group “Mis Raices” will demonstrate various dance styles and cultures, and discuss their history as a strong tool for resistance and resilience. Come gather for healing, the creation of community, and learn about the significance and importance of different folklore dance styles in Mexico.

Join us for an evening pre-show reception! Enjoy snacks and drinks before the concert begins. The Museum of Art will also be open to enjoy during the reception. Employees welcome to bring a guest!

#middcommunity
Open to Middlebury faculty and staff. 

A movement primer by Michael Sakamoto

Butoh and American street dance each grew out of conditions of socio-economic crisis in the post-World War II era in Japan and the U.S. With elements inspired by both movement practices, Michael leads exercises to demonstrate a unique blend of intercultural and self-reflexive performance embodiment.

Composer/Pianist Nahre Sol draws on her various experiences exploring musical genres, artistic styles, collaborations, and YouTube production to offer this engaging lecture/demonstration on the creative process. 

Visit Special Collections for a pre-show open house featuring “forgotten sisters” from Middlebury’s collection of archives and rare books. Set the stage for the 7:30 PM performance of The Other Mozart by transporting yourself back to the 18^th century and beyond through archives that reveal the contributions of women that history left behind.

We’re thrilled to welcome back our long-time friends, the Takács Quartet—celebrating their 50th anniversary season—for their 31st Middlebury performance since 1994. The Grammy and three-time Gramophone award-winning quartet will perform the Vermont premiere of Clarice Assad’s NEXUS, of which the series is honored to be a co-commissioner. The Takács rounds out their program with luminous quartets by Haydn and Debussy. Enjoy this special Middlebury message from the Takács Quartet.

Come celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the award-winning Celtic quintet Goitse (a Gaelic word for “come here,” pronounced “Go-wit-cha”). Named Live Ireland’s “Traditional Group of the Year” and Chicago Irish American News’ “Group of the Year,” Goitse is leading the new generation of traditional Irish ensembles. Their distinctive sound lies in the quality of their original compositions, interspersed with age-old traditional tunes, making each performance unique.

This world-class baroque chamber ensemble follows up on its beloved 2024 series debut with a free concert inviting us to the baroque era, in which the trio Sonata was the most popular chamber music formation.  “A trio sonata soirée” will spotlight examples by famous composers such as Bach and Telemann, alongside some unjustly neglected Baroque masters, illustrating the immense expressive range and creativity of this repertoire.

Winners of a 2023 Avery Fisher Career Grant and the 2022 Banff International String Quartet Competition, the Isidore String Quartet was formed with a vision to revisit, rediscover, and reinvigorate the repertory. After energizing a packed Robison Hall during their Middlebury debut last season, we’re thrilled to welcome them back with the world premiere of composer/pianist Billy Childs’ Quartet No. 4, “American Mosaic,” written expressly for them.

Friction is a genre-breaking sound world brought to life in this Vermont premiere by composer and flutist Allison Loggins-Hull, in collaboration with the two-time GRAMMY-winning vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth. This debut collaboration weaves a striking tapestry of songs, composed by Loggins-Hull, delving into the intricate dance between the forces that shape us. Those forces—our influences, inheritances, relationships—like friction itself, generate both light and heat, and have the capacity to reveal our greatest strengths and most closely held flaws.