News and Events
Music Department concerts range from tango to organ recitals in October 2008
The October performances will feature the acclaimed Tami Tango Trio; an open master class with Mary-Ann Hart, mezzo-soprano; the Vassar College Orchestra, conducted by Eduardo Navega; and an organ recital by Diane Meredith Belcher. Free and open to the public, the series will continue with concerts and recitals through December, closing with the annual “A Service of Lessons and Carols.”
Unless otherwise noted, the concerts will take place in the Skinner Hall of Music at Vassar College. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis.
Friday, October 3, at 8:00 pm The music and dance of Argentina will sweep through the Martel Recital Hall at Skinner Hall with the entrance on stage of the Tami Tango Trio. The acclaimed group is directed by Eduardo Tami who will lead the performance with works by Piazzolla, Herrero, Rodriguez, and others.
Saturday, October 4, at 8:00 pm
Special Jazz Event: Ahmad Jamal
A Dickinson-Kayden Event
Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
NOTE: Seating will be by ticket only; free tickets will be available for pick up at the College Information Center (845-437-4636) in the College Center North Atrium beginning September 22 at 9 am. Ticket holders must be seated by 7:45 pm for the performance; unoccupied seats will be opened for non-ticket holders at 7:45 pm. Doors will open on October 4 at 7:15 pm.
Saturday, October 11, at 12:00 pm
Mezzo-soprano Mary Ann Hart, professor of music at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music and chair of the Department of Voice, will give a special guest recital and vocal master class, featuring selected Vassar students. Hart has won numerous song competitions, including the Carnegie Hall International American Music Competition, Concert Artists Guild, and NATS Artist Awards; she also received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Hart has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Minnesota Orchestra, and American Composers Orchestra, among others, and has recorded for Chandos, Albany, Eterna, Arabesque, Telefunken-Decca, and Musical Heritage.
Saturday, October 11, at 8:00 pm
The Vassar College Orchestra, a full symphony orchestra of about 60 students conducted by Eduardo Navega, will perform Antonin Dvorak’s Notturno for Strings, Op. 40; Otto Nicolai’s overture to “The Merry Wives of Windsor”; Pablo de Sarasate’s Zigeunerweisen Op. 20, featuring soloist, Sebastian Weinberg ’09, violin; and Edvard Grieg’s “Norwegian Dances,” Op. 35. The orchestra performs master works of the symphonic repertoire, which covers a wide spectrum of genres and is selected with focus on the technical and musical development of our students. Participation is open to all students by audition regardless of their chosen majors.
Sunday, October 12, at 3:00 pm
Chapel, Vassar College
Organist Diane Meredith Belcher will perform the music of Bach, Schumann, Franck, and Messiaen, in the Fourth Donald M. Pearson Memorial Organ Recital. Belcher brings to the music world performances of rare artistry; her stirringly expressive, dazzlingly clear, and astoundingly virtuosic playing have thrilled audiences throughout the United States, Europe, and Canada since her solo debut at age fifteen. Her many recital credits include Grace Cathedral, San Francisco; the opening concert of The Wanamaker Organ's 100th anniversary, Philadelphia; Saint Thomas Church, New York; The Oregon Bach Festival; Woolsey Hall, Yale University, among others. In 2006 she performed solo recitals at all three of the major new American concert halls with pipe organs: Disney Hall, Los Angeles; Verizon Hall, Philadelphia; and Benaroya Hall, Seattle, as well as the 50th anniversary convention of the Organ Historical Society, and the national convention of the Royal Canadian College of Organists. Among Belcher’s recordings is the premiere CD of the stunning Glatter- Gotz/ Rosales organ in Claremont, California, which won The Absolute Sound's Golden Ear Award, as well as fervent reviews from publications such as Germany's Orgel International, which proclaimed, "Gigantic! Diane Meredith Belcher's playing is exemplary in every respect." Her performances and interviews appear often on radio and television interviews and shows, such as American Public Radio Media's PIPEDREAMS, and she is often featured in newpapers and music magazines, including a recent article in the English journal Choir and Organ. She is the organist for WHYY TV's broadcast/podcast of the spectacular new Fred J. Cooper Memorial organ, built by the Dobson organ company, at the Kimmel Center's Verizon Hall in Philadelphia.
For additional information and details on all Vassar College Department of Music concerts, please call (845) 437-7294 or visit the website http://music.vassar.edu/concerts. The Skinner Hall of Music at Vassar College is air-conditioned and wheelchair-accessible. People with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact the Office of Campus Activities at (845) 437-5370. Free parking is available at Skinner Hall, and the campus’s adjoining south parking lot. Directions to the Vassar Campus in the Town of Poughkeepsie are available at www.vassar.edu/directions .
Vassar College is a highly selective, coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college founded in 1861.
The fall concert series at Vassar continues through Sunday, December 7, a complete concert schedule appears below. Please note that all programs are subject to change.
Concert Schedule:
Friday, October 3, at 8:00 pm
The Tami Tango Trio: Music and Dances of Argentina
Eduardo Tami, director
Music of Piazzolla, Herrero, Rodriguez, and others
Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Saturday, October 4, at 8:00 pm
Special Jazz Event: Ahmad Jamal
A Dickinson-Kayden Event
Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
NOTE: Seating will be by ticket only; free tickets will be available for pick up at the College Information Center (845-437-4636) in the College Center North Atrium beginning September 22 at 9 am. Ticket holders must be seated by 7:45 pm for the performance; unoccupied seats will be opened for non-ticket holders at 7:45 pm. Doors will
open on October 4 at 7:15 pm.
Saturday, October 11, at 12:00 pm
Special Guest Recital and Vocal Masterclass
Mary Ann Hart, mezzo-soprano
Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Saturday, October 11, at 8:00 pm
Vassar College Orchestra
Eduardo Navega, conductor
Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Sunday, October 12, at 3:00 pm
The Fourth Donald M. Pearson Memorial Organ Recital
Diane Meredith Belcher, organ
Music of Bach, Schumann, Franck, and Messiaen
Chapel, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Saturday, November 1, at 8:00 pm
Colorado String Quartet
Music of Beethoven, Ginastera, and Brahms
Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Sunday, November 2, at 11:00 am
Master Class with members of the Colorado Quartet
Featuring students of the Music Department
Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Sunday, November 2, at 3:00 pm
Vassar Camarata
Mary E. Alexander '09 and Emily Bookwalter ’10, conductors
Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Saturday, November 8, at 1:30 pm
Senior Recital: Bradley Klein, piano
Music of Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, and Scriabin
Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Saturday, November 8, at 8:00 pm
Vassar College Women's Choir
Christine Howlett, conductor
Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest by Conrad Susa, featuring members of the music faculty: Frank Cassara, marimba; Terry Champlin, guitar; and Bridget Kibbey, harp.
Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Sunday, November 9, at 3:00 pm
Vassar Mahagonny Ensemble
Mark Van Hare '10 and Ashley Alter '10, conductors
Music of Ives ad Weill
Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Saturday, November 15, at 12:00 pm
Master Class with members of the ensemble REBEL
Featuring students of the Music Department
Chapel, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Saturday, November 15, at 8:00 pm
Vassar College Choir
Christine Howlett, conductor
Fauré’s Requiem, Op. 48, with music by Poulenc, Debussy, and Lauridsen. With guest ensemble, The Botticelli Chamber Orchestra
Chapel, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Sunday, November 16, at 3:00 pm
Vassar College and Community Wind Ensemble
James Osborn, conductor
Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Saturday, November 22, at 4:00 pm
Senior Recital: Nicholas Herbert, tenor
Assisted by Gregg Michalak, piano
Music of Mozart, Schubert, Tchaikovsky, and Shostakovich
Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Saturday, November 22, at 8:00 pm
Vassar College Orchestra
Eduardo Navega, conductor
Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Sunday, November 23, at 3:00 pm
Vassar College Madrigal Singers
Drew Minter, director
The Berlin Mass by Arvo Pärt, with other works by Pärt, Britten, and Josquin des Près. With Gail Archer and Darren Motise, organists.
Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Thursday, December 4, at 5:00 pm
Vassar College Music Colloquium
“Notions of Time in the Music of Elliott Carter”
Misha Donat, lecturer
Thekla Hall
Friday, December 5, at 8:00 pm
Vassar Jazz Ensemble
James Osborn, conductor
Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Saturday, December 6, at 4:00 pm
Senior Recital: Arielle Guterman, soprano, and Sasha Steinberg, baritone
Assisted by Richard Mogavero, piano
Skinner Hall of Music, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Sunday, December 7, at 7:00 pm
A Service of Lessons and Carols
Vassar College Choir, Women’s Chorus, Madrigal Singers, and Capella Festiva Chamber and Treble Choir
Christine Howlett, Drew Minter, Susan Bialek, conductors
Chapel, Vassar College
845-437-7294 or music.vassar.edu/concerts
Posted by College Relations Wednesday, December 31, 1969
About the Arts
Powerhouse Theater
The Powerhouse Theater is a collaboration between New York Stage and Film and Vassar College. It is dedicated to both emerging and established artists in the development and production of new works for theater and film. During an intense eight-week summer residency on the Vassar campus, up to twenty different projects are publicly presented, typically engaging more than 200 professional artists and theater students. Plays, musicals, and screenplays are presented in a variety of forms: readings, workshops, and fully staged productions. Since the first Powerhouse Theater season in 1985, New York Stage and Film and Vassar have served more than 2,000 artists and over 175,000 audience members through the development and production of artistically exceptional and affordably priced performances.
Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center
Located just inside Vassar's Main Gate, the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center houses the college's permanent collection, over 18,000 works, including paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints, photographs, and glass and ceramic wares, charting the history of art from antiquity to the present. The Permanent Collection Galleries feature 350 works, ranging from the sculpted Head of Viceroy Merymose from His Outer Sarcophagus (Egyptian, c 1375 BCE) in the Antiquities Gallery to Marsden Hartley's oil on canvas Indian Composition (1914-15) in the Twentieth Century Gallery. For information on current and upcoming special exhibitions, self-guided and curriculum-based tours, and group visits, please visit the website. The art center is open to the public, and admission is free.
James W. Palmer Gallery
Located in the College Center in Main Building, the James W. Palmer III '90 Gallery presents eight shows annually, including exhibitions by renowned artists and photographers, studio art faculty and students, and local arts organizations. Recent highlights included Andrea Baldeck’s black-and-white photo exhibit, Touching the Mekong: A Southeast Asian Sojourn, organized by the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology; the Vassar Haiti Project’s annual exhibition and auction of imported arts and handcrafts; and Design Inside, showcasing the work of Vassar’s College Relations design team. All exhibitions are free and open to the public. For information on upcoming exhibitions, visit the website or call (845) 437-5370.
Music Department
Located in the Belle Skinner Hall of Music, the Martel Recital Hall is wonderfully suited, both acoustically and aesthetically, to music performance. With seating for 500, the Martel is home to the Vassar College Orchestra, Choir, Women's Chorus, Madrigal Singers, and numerous chamber groups and ensembles. The Martel concert schedule routinely includes distinguished guest artists, faculty recitals, senior recitals, and special musical events, such as last year's series of organ recitals celebrating the installation and dedication of the college's superb pipe organ, designed by masterbuilder Paul Fritts. For information on upcoming concerts and events (which are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted), please visit the website.
Dance Department
The Department of Dance sponsors several public performances each year. Among those, the Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre (VRDT) has a series of Works in Progress showings in the fall, a winter Modfest performance in conjunction with the The Department of Music, winter galas at the 1869 Bardavon Opera House, and two All Parents Weekend performances in the spring. The department's Master Class program annually invites at least one ballet and one modern expert to campus in addition to two people in other areas of dance. Public performances and lectures are often associated with these renowned visitors. Guest artists in the past have included: Irina Kolpokova, Arthur Mitchell, Helene Alexopoulos, Gregory Hines, Anna Kisselgoff, Donald Byrd, Edward Villella, Ronald K. Brown, Irene Dowd, Allegra Kent, Gelsey Kirkland, Pilobolus w/Adam Battlestein, Suzanne Farrell, Mummenschantz, Eldar Aliev, Deborah Jowitt, Bill T. Jones, Pascal Rioult, Clinton Luckett of ABT, Bill Irwin, and Donald McKayle. Many of the department's dance performances are in the Frances Daly Fergusson Dance Theater, located in Kenyon Hall.