Performing Arts Series

The 2023 Grammy-nominated British vocal ensemble VOCES8 inspires people through their music and by sharing their joy of singing. Versatility and a celebration of diverse musical expression are central to the ensemble’s performance and education ethos. Their performances are praised for their meticulous timing and tuning, impressive blend, and radiant sound. VOCES8’s Vermont debut program, entitled “20 Songs from 20 Years,” features beloved music from across the centuries and pieces by contemporary composers that the ensemble proudly calls friends.

Written and performed by Rachel Mars. Award-winning theatre maker Rachel Mars performs a gloriously rude new solo show that unearths the hot-as-hell letters that make sexts blush. Before sexts there were hand-written letters—and loads of them were properly filthy. With the help of the internet, friends, and two sexologists, Mars has unearthed missives dating back centuries.

Written and performed by Rachel Mars. Award-winning theatre maker Rachel Mars performs a gloriously rude new solo show that unearths the hot-as-hell letters that make sexts blush. Before sexts there were hand-written letters—and loads of them were properly filthy. With the help of the internet, friends, and two sexologists, Mars has unearthed missives dating back centuries.

The Middlebury Performing Arts Series proudly presents Le Consort on their North American debut tour. In a program entitled “A Journey Through Baroque Europe,” Le Consort travels through Italy, England, Germany, and France, illustrating the immense expressive range and creativity of Bach, Vivaldi, Corelli, Purcell, Rameau, and others.

 

Now in their 49th season and “the Takács Quartet remains one of the greatest chamber string ensembles we have on the world stage.” (Scherzo magazine) Finally we can present their entire Bartók string quartet cycle (over two concerts), delayed from our 100th anniversary season in 2020. This ensemble has always had a particular association with Béla Bartók, the great 20th-century Hungarian composer whose six quartets are among the pinnacles of 20th-century chamber music.

Now in their 49th season and “the Takács Quartet remains one of the greatest chamber string ensembles we have on the world stage.” (Scherzo magazine) Finally we can present their entire Bartók string quartet cycle (over two concerts), delayed from our 100th anniversary season in 2020. This ensemble has always had a particular association with Béla Bartók, the great 20th-century Hungarian composer whose six quartets are among the pinnacles of 20th-century chamber music.

This sonically-innovative harpist is revolutionizing her instrument for the digital era. Over the past 15 years, she has worked relentlessly to stretch boundaries and limitations for harpists. In 2022, she made history by becoming the first black woman to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition. That same year, she was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Her trio’s Vermont debut at Middlebury will include jazz standards and original works.

Named “one of the best string quartets before the public today” by the Washington Post, the Danish String Quartet certainly made an impression when first performing here in 2017: Our sold-out audience gave them a standing ovation before we even hit intermission, and audiences have been asking for their re-engagement ever since. Join us for a mixed program that’s worth the wait: works by Purcell, Haydn, and Shostakovich, plus the quartet’s acclaimed arrangements of Nordic folk music.

See the premiere of choreographer Christal Brown’s evening-length dance and installation, inspired by the writings of poet Remica Bingham-Risher, as well as Brown’s caregiver journey with Alzheimer’s and dementia and her explorations of legacy. The artists’ bodies become instruments that question, connect, and dismantle the tangible and intangible histories present in us all. This soulful, profound performance is a physical examination of the capacity of human life and the intricacies of the mind.

See the premiere of choreographer Christal Brown’s evening-length dance and installation, inspired by the writings of poet Remica Bingham-Risher, as well as Brown’s caregiver journey with Alzheimer’s and dementia and her explorations of legacy. The artists’ bodies become instruments that question, connect, and dismantle the tangible and intangible histories present in us all. This soulful, profound performance is a physical examination of the capacity of human life and the intricacies of the mind.