with us
2014–2015 Fall Edition
Center for the Arts Performances at a Glance SEPTEMBER 2014 1
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NOVEMBER 2014
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Friday, September 12, 2014, 7:30 PM KATHY MATTEA
Sunday, November 2, 2014, 2 PM BRENTANO STRING QUARTET
Saturday, February 21, 2015, 7:30 PM CENTRAL CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC HONOR PREP
Friday, September 19, 2014, 7:30 PM THE SENEGAL ST. JOSEPH GOSPEL CHOIR
Saturday, November 8, 2014, 7:30 PM BASETRACK
Saturday, February 28, 2015, 7:30 PM JANE MONHEIT
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 7:30 PM Friday, September 26, 2014, 7:30 PM INTERGALACTIC NEMESIS
Tuesday, November 11, 2014, 7:30 PM ROANOKE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Thursday, March 5, 2015, 7:30 PM KRONOS QUARTET
Saturday, November 15, 2014, 7:30 PM BEIJINGDANCE/LDTX
Friday, March 20, 2015, 7:30 PM Saturday, March 21, 2015, 7:30 PM HEALING WARS
Saturday, October 11, 2014, 7:30 PM Sunday, October 12, 2014, 2 PM SAMITA SINHA
Saturday, November 22, 2014, 7:30 PM CANTUS AND THEATER LATTÉ DA
Friday, October 17, 2014, 7:30 PM Saturday, October 18, 2014, 2 PM and 7:30 PM Sunday, October 19, 2014, 2 PM THE THREE FEATHERS
Saturday, December 6, 2014, 4 PM ROANOKE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Wednesday, October 22, 2014, 7:30 PM AN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS
Friday, February 13, 7:30 PM IMAGO THEATRE
Saturday, October 25, 2014, 7:30 PM AN EVENING WITH BRANFORD MARSALIS Thursday, October 30, 2014, 7:30 PM ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET
Cover Photo: Beijing Dance/LDTX, WANG Da-sheng
Friday, January 30, 2015, 7:30 PM ORQUESTA SINFÓNICA DEL ESTADO DE MÉXICO
Tuesday, February 17, 7:30 PM ROANOKE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Wednesday, March 25, 2015, 7:30PM CRASH ENSEMBLE Wednesday, April 1, 2015, 7:30 PM AN EVENING WITH GEORGE SAUNDERS Friday, April 17, 2015, 7:30 PM AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA Friday, April 24, 2015, 7:30 PM Saturday, April 25, 2015, 7:30 PM CIRQUE MECHANICS Friday, May 1, 2015, 7:30 PM AUDRA MCDONALD
What Inspires You? We are happy to offer a few thoughts to get you started and guide you through the season.
Something Deeper
Something Joyful
Hungry for something to stir your soul, and provide food for thought and conversation long after the performance ends?
Looking for something the entire family can enjoy, guaranteed to put a skip in your step and a smile in your heart?
Samita Sinha, Cipher BASETRACK Cantus and Theater Latté Da, All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 Kronos Quartet, Beyond Zero: 1914–1918 Healing Wars An Evening with George Saunders
Something Fresh
Kathy Mattea, Calling Me Home The Senegal St. Joseph Gospel Choir The Intergalactic Nemesis, Book One: Target Earth The Three Feathers Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Roanoke Symphony Orchestra Imago Theatre, Frogz Cirque Mechanics, Pedal Punk
In the mood for a bit of an adventure, and want to try something completely new and different?
Something Global
The Intergalactic Nemesis, Book One: Target Earth An Evening with David Sedaris Aspen Santa Fe Ballet Crash Ensemble Australian Chamber Orchestra Cirque Mechanics, Pedal Punk
Something Timeless Seeking personal reverie through lush music and movement, as only the classics can provide? An Evening with Branford Marsalis Brentano String Quartet Roanoke Symphony Orchestra Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México Jane Monheit, Hello Bluebird Australian Chamber Orchestra Audra McDonald, Broadway Old and New
Would you like to experience the world without leaving Blacksburg? The world comes to you in these amazing performances. The Senegal St. Joseph Gospel Choir Samita Sinha, Cipher BeijingDance/LDTX Orquesta Sinfónica del Estado de México Central Conservatory of Music Honor Prep
Something Visual Visit the Ruth C. Horton Gallery, Miles C. Horton Jr. Gallery, Sherwood Payne Quillen ’71 Reception Gallery, Francis T. Eck Exhibition Corridor, and the Cube to experience the center’s free visual arts exhibitions throughout the year.
Tickets are available online at www.artscenter.vt.edu; by phone at 540-231-5300; or at the Moss Arts Center box office, 190 Alumni Mall, Mon.-Fri., noon-6 p.m., and Sat., noon-4 p.m. Starting August 26, the box office hours are Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sat., 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
School of Performing Arts Fall Events in the Moss Arts Center Sunday, October 26, 3 PM
CHOIR SHOWCASE Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre Presented by the Department of Music Wednesday, November 5, 7:30 PM
NEW RIVER VALLEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre Presented by the Department of Music Sunday, November 9, 3 PM
SYMPHONIC WIND ENSEMBLE AND SYMPHONY BAND Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre Presented by the Department of Music Tuesday, November 18, 7:30 PM
JAZZ ENSEMBLE Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre Presented by the Department of Music Monday, December 1, 7:30 PM
DISIS CONCERT Cube Presented by the Department of Music Thursday, December 4, 7:30 PM
PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE Cube Presented by the Department of Music Thursday, December 11, 7:30 PM
STRING PROJECT Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre Presented by the Department of Music
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Thursday, August 21-Saturday, September 14, 2014 Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 10 AM-6 PM/Saturday-Sunday, 10 AM-4 PM
COLLEGIATE LEGACY: Emeritus Faculty Exhibition Celebrating the 50th Anniversary All galleries The exhibition features a wide variety of work by College of Architecture and Urban Studies emeritus faculty, all recognized artists who, over the last halfcentury, have shaped the college’s highly ranked, internationally recognized programs. Nineteen emeritus faculty artists are represented: Steve Bickley, Jeanette Bowker, Ellen Braaten, T. Truman Capone, Dean Carter, Eugene Egger, Olivio Ferrari, Robert Fields, Preston Frazer, Robert Graham, Victor Huggins, Dennis Jones, Ray Kass, Dennis Kilper, Derek Myers, Al Sarvis, Donald Sunshine, Maryann Harman Walke, and Henry Wiss.
Presented by the College of Architecture and Urban Studies Free Saturday, September 6, 2014, 2 PM
ADAM GOPNIK The Arts and Humanities as the Foundation of Scientific Inquiry Lecture Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre Adam Gopnik, author, staff writer for The New Yorker, and social commentator, will share his thoughts on why we should study arts and humanities in a society where the sciences often predominate. Gopnik is an award-winning journalist and remarkable speaker whose singular wit, eloquence, and insight on modern life and culture will connect to and engage audiences of all types across multiple disciplines.
Presented by the School of Visual Arts, as part of the College of Architecture and Urban Studies 50th Anniversary Celebration; Creative Writing in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences; the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology; and the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech Free
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Thursday, September 11, 2014, 6 PM
PLAY IN THE LOBBY: Appalachian Cultures and Conservation Grand Lobby A strong community of residents, activists, environmentalists, artists, journalists, and scholars uphold and actively seek to sustain the rich cultural and environmental resources of Appalachia. In conjunction with Appalachian Studies at Virginia Tech and the Appalachian Regional and Rural Studies Center at Radford University, the Center for the Arts welcomes local and regional organizations and exhibits that are a part of this community in advance of Kathy Mattea’s My Coal Journey presentation on September 11. Learn about local and regional initiatives and experience the transformative power of Appalachian creative arts.
Free Thursday, September 11, 2014, 7 PM
KATHY MATTEA My Coal Journey Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre To celebrate our new season, Grammy Award-winning singer Kathy Mattea presents My Coal Journey, a one-hour program incorporating stories from her family history and her current advocacy for the environment, combined with a slideshow and sample songs from her critically acclaimed album, Coal. The evening traces Mattea’s motivation for beginning the recording project, her research into the musical genre’s history and elemental style, and her family’s ties to coal mining culture in Appalachia, along with a discussion of environmental and social justice issues surrounding coal mining methods in today’s world.
Free Friday, September 12, 2014, 6:30 PM
MUSIC ON THE PATIO Moss Arts Center Patio In conjunction with Appalachian Studies at Virginia Tech, the Center for the Arts welcomes local music on the patio (weather permitting) preceding Kathy Mattea’s Calling Me Home performance.
Free
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© David McClister
Friday, September 12, 2014, 7:30 PM
KATHY MATTEA Calling Me Home Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre “ The particular genius of Kathy Mattea is to call up the touchstones of hope and heartbreak that we all carry in our pockets. Even if these mountains are not yours, the fact is everybody has a home stretch, where you feel a little torn up because no matter which way you’re headed, you are going towards home and also leaving it behind. Believe me, this is the soundtrack for that journey.” –Barbara Kingsolver, May 2012 APPALACHIAN: of a wild and beautiful mountain land, a genre of distinctly American music, and for many, the deep roots of family. For Kathy Mattea, it’s an essential piece of her musical education and heritage. Calling Me Home is a collection of songs that celebrates the Appalachian culture of her native West Virginia, and expands the vocabulary of acoustic roots music that has always served as her artistic center. Mattea has gathered songs and stories of bravery, pride, and grief that further define and describe the life and times of her home place. This concert presents her new material alongside her long-standing radio hits. An impeccable song-catcher, Mattea’s 17 albums are woven through with bluegrass, gospel, and Celtic influences, and have garnered multiple CMA, ACM, and Grammy Awards.
Vocal Music, Country | Joyful Category A $75/category B $60/category C $40/students with ID and children 18 and under $10
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Sunday, September 14, 2014, 5 PM
ARTSFUSION Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre ArtsFusion programs bring together cutting-edge artists, scientists, engineers, and designers to explore topics across disciplines and with the common theme of cultivating the creative process. Two creative visionaries will discuss their experiences and stories, then come together for a moderated discussion, similar to the Iconoclasts TV series. Co-presented by the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology, and the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech. For more information, check www.icat.vt.edu.
General admission $10, students with ID and children 18 and under free
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Friday, September 19, 2014, 6 PM
PROJECT PRESENTATION, ERA SENEGAL: Education and Research in Agriculture Cube Since 2010, Virginia Tech has partnered with four American universities—Connecticut, Michigan State, Purdue, and Tuskegee—as well as Senegalese agriculture experts to strengthen Senegal’s agricultural education sector. The five-year project, managed by the Office of International Research, Education, and Development at Virginia Tech, incorporates the U.S. land-grant model in order to build human capacity in Senegalese institutions responsible for agricultural education, discovery, and outreach. The project is part of the U.S. government’s Feed the Future Initiative, an effort to address the underlying causes of hunger and under-nutrition around the world. Virginia Tech faculty leaders of ERA Senegal, with Senegalese students pursing master’s degrees in agricultural fields as part of the capacity building efforts of the project, will present their work in advance of the performance of the visiting Senegal St. Joseph Gospel Choir. Senegalese hors d’oeuvre will be served. Following, posters of Senegalese students’ research work will be displayed in the Grand Lobby.
Free, registration required Friday, September 19, 2014, 7:30 PM
THE SENEGAL ST. JOSEPH GOSPEL CHOIR Ambroise N’Diong, music director
Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre reated more than 44 years ago, The Senegal St. Joseph Gospel C Choir interprets gospel/negro spirituals, traditional African songs, and the magnificent masses that its founder Julien Jouga composed in his country’s four national languages: Ouolof, Diola, Sérère, and Portugese Creole. Their voices rise in a local polyphony representing Senegal’s language, rhythms, and music traditions. Catholic liturgy and the indigenous Muslim songs of Senegal are combined to create an extraordinary harmony between the two cultures that comprise the nation of Senegal. The choir represents the humanity and the fraternity that exists within the capital city, Dakar, and throughout the country.
World Music | Global, Joyful Category A $45/category B $35/category C $20/students with ID and children 18 and under $10
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Thursday, September 25, 2014, 6:30 PM Friday, September 26, 2014, 6:30 PM
PLAY IN THE LOBBY: Cover Art from Pulp Magazine Astounding Stories Grand Lobby Drawn from the William J. Heron Speculative Fiction Collection in Special Collections in the Carol M. Newman Library at Virginia Tech, fantastic images from select issues of the pulp magazine Astounding Stories will be on display. Featuring alien invaders, futuristic machines, and intergalactic adventures, the colorful cover art from these issues, which date from 1930 to 1935, will ignite your imagination and illuminate past visions of sci-fi worlds.
Free Thursday, September 25, 2014, 5:30 PM
OPEN EXHIBITION OF SELECTIONS FROM THE WILLIAM J. HERON SPECULATIVE FICTION COLLECTION Multi-Purpose Room and Special Collections Reading Room, Carol M. Newman Library at Virginia Tech In Special Collections in the Carol M. Newman Library at Virginia Tech, the William J. Heron Speculative Fiction Collection contains approximately 16,000 American, British, and Australian books and magazines from the 1920s to the 1980s relating to science fiction, fantasy, and horror. Among the works included are those exploring utopias and dystopias; adventures involving technological gadgetry, lost worlds, undiscovered lands, and heroes such as Doc Savage and Tarzan; ghost stories and fairy tales; and futuristic spy and espionage thrillers. Before facing-off with The Intergalactic Nemesis, be introduced to this rich collection in University Libraries. Issues from the Heron Collection will be on display in the Special Collections Reading Room, while a visual panorama of the collection will be on view in the Multi-Purpose room, also on Newman Library’s first floor. Tours of Special Collections will be available during the exhibition as time and space permit, and refreshments will be served in the Multi-Purpose Room.
Free
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Š Sarah Bork Hamilton
Thursday, September 25, 2014, 7:30 PM Friday, September 26, 2014, 7:30 PM
THE INTERGALACTIC NEMESIS Book One: Target Earth Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre The year is 1933. Are you ready for the adventure? Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Molly Sloan and her intrepid research assistant Timmy Mendez team up with a mysterious librarian from Flagstaff, Ariz., named Ben Wilcott. Together, they travel from Earth into the universe to defeat a terrible threat to the very future of humanity: an invading force of sludge-monsters from outer space known as the Zygonians. The Intergalactic Nemesis is an uproarious and nostalgic look back at the glory days of radio plays, but with a twist. The show combines the tour-de-force voice work of a cast of three actors, live sound effects, a live musical score, and the visual spectacle of more than 1,250 individual, hand-drawn, full-color comic book images blown up to two stories high. This incredible production will bring out the 12-year-old in you and leave you smiling for days.
Theatre | Fresh, Joyful General admission $25, students with ID and children 18 and under $10
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Thursday, September 25, 2014, 6-8 PM
EXHIBITIONS OPENING RECEPTION EVOLVING GEOMETRIES: Line, Form, and Color Grand Lobby Free, cash bar Thursday, September 25, 2014-Thursday, November 20, 2014 Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 10 AM-6 PM/Saturday-Sunday, 10 AM-4 PM
EVOLVING GEOMETRIES: Line, Form, and Color Building on the rich tradition of geometric abstraction, three one-person exhibitions take the visual language of line, form, and color in compelling directions. In the first part of the 20th century, artists such as Wassily Kandinksky (1866-1944), Kasimir Malevich (1878-1935), and Piet Mondrian (18721944) explored a vocabulary of simple geometric forms—rectangles, triangles, squares, and line— in abstract compositions that addressed universal truths and utopian ideas. This tradition, carried forth, expanded, and transformed over the course of the 20th century, continues into the present with innovative approaches to the genre by: Patrick Wilson Hot Wings, 2013 Acrylic on canvas 72 x 67 inches Courtesy of Suzanne Vielmetter Los Angeles Projects Photo credit: Robert Wedemeyer
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PATRICK WILSON Ruth C. Horton Gallery Los Angeles artist Patrick Wilson creates luminous, sumptuously colored abstract paintings composed of richly layered geometric forms—lines, squares, and rectangles. A consummate colorist, he works with acrylic on canvas, meticulously deploying a palette of potent colors that range from muted grays and blues to intense vermilions, bright greens, yellows, and deep purples. Superimposing what seem like disarmingly simple geometric forms— on top of, beside, or inside each other—Wilson devises complex modular sequences that achieve mesmerizing visual effects.
ODILI DONALD ODITA Grand Lobby and Miles C. Horton Jr. Gallery Odili Donald Odita’s geometric abstractions masterfully mine the expressive and metaphoric power of line, color, and form in brilliantly colored canvases and site-specific wall paintings. Beginning with line and often painting directly on walls, Odita transforms simple geometric forms into elongated triangles, trapezoid-like shapes, or irregular bands of color that stream, intersect, and diverge from each other.
MANFRED MOHR Sherwood Payne Quillen ’71 Reception Gallery One of the early pioneers of the digital art genre, Manfred Mohr was one of the first artists to use computers to create works of art. As early as 1969, Mohr began using algorithms to explore new territories in the visual arts, and in 1971 was the first artist to be presented in a solo exhibition consisting entirely of computer generated drawings. He has since developed a prolific and varied oeuvre based on a rigorous exploration of the logical structure of geometric forms—cubes, hypercubes, lines, and planes, and the relationships among them. Fundamental to the algorithms Mohr creates to generate his work are the rules of geometry, logic, and mathematics.
Odili Donald Odita Feedback, 2014 acrylic on canvas 72 x 90 inches Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, NY
Manfred Mohr P1414-89, 2010 Pigment ink on canvas 48 x 48 inches Courtesy of the artist and bitforms gallery, New York
September 25, 2014, 6:30 PM
Ruth C. Horton Gallery
ARTIST TALK: Patrick Wilson Artist Patrick Wilson discusses his work in Evolving Geometries.
Free Saturday, October 11, 2014, 6:50 PM
MY TAKE TALK: Melissa Schwartz Melissa Schwartz, a doctoral student in the Alliance for Social, Political, Ethical, and Cultural Thought, in the Department of Philosophy at Virginia Tech, will present a 15-minute creative response to the Evolving Geometries exhibition.
Free
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Saturday, October 4, 2014, 10 AM-4 PM
VIRGINIA SCIENCE FESTIVAL Moss Arts Center, and other Virginia Tech locations The Virginia Science Festival is a large-scale, highly visible event that provides opportunity for engagement and exchange between children, teens, families, and local scientists. This all-day affair, which will take place on October 4 in Blacksburg and October 11 in Roanoke, features more than 100 exhibitors, providing hands-on activities, live performances, interactive demonstrations, and family-oriented science entertainment. Activities will be available across the Virginia Tech campus, including dozens of exhibits hosted at the Moss Arts Center by the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology.
Free
Saturday, October 11, 2014, 7:30 PM Sunday, October 12, 2014, 2 PM
SAMITA SINHA Cipher Cube
© Chris Kuhl
A staged music work for solo voice and electronics, Cipher is a journey through a sonic landscape. Utilizing her practice of “body-sound”—uniting voice, physical gesture, language, and space into potent articulations from raw utterance to speech to song—vocalist and composer Samita Sinha asks is it possible to create a “native” tongue, a contemporary pidgin that gathers and refracts multiple languages, worldviews, and temporalities? Sinha explores this question using the “nonsense” sounds of tarana—a genre of song in Hindustani classical vocal music invented in the 13th century that mixes Persian, Arabic, and Sanskrit syllables said to encode mystical meanings. In three parts, Cipher passes back and forth among formless expression, traditional Indian song, and southern blues, creating a contemporary soundscape that weaves together tones, moods, and languages. Following the performance on October 11, Samita Sinha, musician-collaborator Dave Sharmey, and lighting designer Chris Kuhl will share their creative process behind Cipher.
Vocal Music | Deeper, Global General admission $20, students with ID and children 18 and under $10
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Wednesday, October 15, 2014, 5:30 PM
ARTIST TALK WITH COMPOSER AND LIBRETTIST Location, to be determined, check www.artscenter.vt.edu The Three Feathers composer Lori Laitman and librettist Dana Gioia discuss their creative collaboration, and the process of creating new works for stage.
Free Friday, October 17, 2014, 7:30 PM Saturday, October 18, 2014, 2 PM and 7:30 PM Sunday, October 19, 2014, 2 PM
THE THREE FEATHERS Composed by Lori Laitman Libretto by Dana Gioia Conducted by Scott Williamson Directed by Beth Greenberg a collaboration with Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts Opera Roanoke Blacksburg Children’s Chorale
Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre The Three Feathers is a new one-act children’s opera commissioned from composer Lori Laitman by the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech, which will celebrate its world premiere at the Moss Arts Center in October. Based on a Grimm’s fairytale and brilliantly retold by librettist Dana Gioia, The Three Feathers creates a mysterious world inhabited by a king, his three princess daughters, and courtiers; and the fantastical underworld kingdom of the Frog Prince and his chorus of rats, bats, and frogs. The story will carry audiences of all ages on a journey through song and spectacle. Recommended for ages 6 years and older.
The opera’s commission was made possible in part by a grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Theatre | Joyful General admission $15, students with ID and children 18 and under $10
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Wednesday, October 22, 2014, 7:30 PM
AN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre “ Sedaris’s droll assessment of the mundane and the eccentrics who inhabit the world’s crevices make him one of the greatest humorists writing today.” –Chicago Tribune With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of America’s preeminent humor writers, a master of satire, and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today. Sedaris is the author of Barrel Fever and Holidays on Ice, collections of personal essays, and his most recent book, Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls. His pieces appear regularly in The New Yorker and have twice been included in “The Best American Essays.” He and sister Amy Sedaris have collaborated to write plays that have been produced at La Mama, Lincoln Center, and The Drama Department in New York City. Often heard on public radio’s This American Life, Sedaris has been nominated for three Grammy Awards for Best Spoken Word and Best Comedy Album. Recommended for mature audiences, may contain adult themes and language.
Spoken Word | Fresh Category A $75/category B $60/category C $40/students with ID $10 Wednesday, October 22, 2014, 9 PM
MEET THE ARTIST: David Sedaris Grand Lobby Following An Evening with David Sedaris, join the author in the lobby during this book signing event. Sedaris’ books will be available for purchase.
© Robert Banks
Free
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Saturday, October 25, 2014, 7:30 PM
AN EVENING WITH BRANFORD MARSALIS Marsalis “Well-Tempered” Featuring The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre “ [Marsalis brings] a gracious poise and supple tone . . . and an insouciant swagger.” –The New York Times
© Palma Kolansky
Renowned Grammy Award–winning saxophonist and Tony Award nominated composer Branford Marsalis joins the highly celebrated Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia in Marsalis “Well - Tempered,” performing Baroque masterpieces by Albinoni, Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and others.
Classical Music | Timeless Category A $75/category B $60/category C $40/ students with ID and children 18 and under $10 Wednesday, October 29, 2014, 5-8 PM
TECH-OR-TREAT Cube and lobbies Attracting hundreds of kids and their families, this hauntingly memorable event features Halloween funthemed installations and exhibitions. Through the creativity of faculty and students of Virginia Tech, attendees will explore the “slightly scary” world of science, engineering, art, and design.
Presented by the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology and the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech Free
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Thursday, October 30, 2014, 7:30 PM
ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET Tom Mossbrucker, artistic director
Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre Described by the New York Times as “a breath of fresh air,” Aspen Santa Fe Ballet stands out as a model of what a small ballet company should be with its “musicality athleticism, and technique-conscious delivery.” The grace and elegance of classical ballet coupled with a repertoire full of sharp new works makes Aspen Santa Fe Ballet one of the most eclectic contemporary ballet companies in the world today. Led by Mossbrucker, former celebrated star of the Joffrey Ballet, the chamber-sized ensemble presents sophisticated gems by such choreographers as Twyla Tharp, Nicolo Fonte, Trey McIntyre, Jorma Elo, and David Parsons.
© Sharen Bradford
Dance | Fresh, Joyful Category A $55/category B $40/category C $25/ students with ID and children 18 and under $10
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© Sara Langdon
Sunday, November 2, 2014, 10 AM
MASTER CLASS WITH BRENTANO STRING QUARTET Squires Recital Salon Musicians from Brentano String Quartet will work with students from a chamber music class at Virginia Tech. Open to the public.
Free Sunday, November 2, 2014, 2 PM
BRENTANO STRING QUARTET Mark Steinberg, violin Serena Canin, violin Misha Amory, viola Nina Lee, cello
Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre “ As usual with this ensemble, the performances were full of life. . . . They seem to be listening to the same heartbeat.” –The New York Times Since its inception in 1992, the Brentano String Quartet has appeared throughout the world to popular and critical acclaim. These extraordinary musicians are also dynamic teachers. Beginning in July 2014, the Brentano Quartet will succeed the Tokyo Quartet as Artists in Residence at Yale University, departing from their 14-year residency at Princeton University. The quartet also currently serves as the collaborative ensemble for the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. This concert program will draw on the quartet’s extensive repertoire that includes Mozart’s Quartet in B flat major, K. 458; Bartók’s Quartet No. 3; and Schubert’s Quartet in D minor, Death and the Maiden.
This program is made possible in part by David and Lindsay West. Classical Music | Timeless Category A $45/category B $35/category C $20/students with ID and children 18 and under $10
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Friday, November 7, 2014, 6 PM-8:30 PM
STORIES WE CARRY with Scott Thompson, M.S., M.Div., LMHC
Cube Right or wrong, acknowledged or not, civilian or soldier, every citizen carries the moral burden of war. And yet, there are few resources for civilians and veterans to confront the moral and ethical challenges together. Stories We Carry aims to start conversations that create community. Stories We Carry is a guided conversation series that brings together veterans and civilians to openly share their stories, misperceptions, and experiences about war. Stories We Carry is not: Therapy. Counseling. Political. Judgment.
Made possible by a grant from the The New York Community Trust, Stories We Carry is a Mental Health Association of NYC Veterans Mental Health Coalition initiative. Co-sponsored by the Center for the Study of Rhetoric in Society Free; registration required
Friday, November 7, 2014, 10 AM-6 PM Saturday, November 8, 2014, 10 AM-4 PM, and 6:30 PM-7:30 PM Sunday, November 9, 2014, 10 AM-4 PM
BASETRACK PHOTO INSTALLATION AND DISPLAY Grand Lobby Stunning images by photojournalist Balazc Gardi will be displayed in the Moss Arts Center. You’re invited to experience the installation and follow BASETRACK’s progress online in the months ahead.
Free
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Saturday, November 8, 2014, 7:30 PM En Garde Productions Presents
BASETRACK Created by Edward Bilous Co-composed by Edward Bilous, Michelle Dibucci, and Greg Kalember Adapted by Jason Grote Directed by Seth Bockley Presented in association with ArKtype
Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre A multimedia performance based on the real words of modern day Marines and their families, BASETRACK uses photos and video from journalists embedded with Marines in Afghanistan, a live, contemporary score, and text adapted by Jason Grote (Mad Men, Smash) to share the stories of those stationed abroad and their families as they cope with separation and the uncertainties of war. BASETRACK was created for traditional theatre settings as well as for military bases and tents domestically and abroad. It includes an interactive lobby exhibition and website where combat veterans and their families can post photos and stories to create a virtual museum, honoring those who serve. BASETRACK focuses national attention on the issues facing our returning veterans and inspires veterans to become co-authors of history by contributing photos, videos, and personal accounts of war to the BASETRACK website and to create media-rich educational resources for schools and communities with authentic accounts of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Theatre | Deeper General admission $25, students with ID and children 18 and under $10 Saturday, November 8, 2014, 9:30 PM
POST-PERFORMANCE PANEL DISCUSSION Cube Following BASETRACK, a panel will facilitate a public forum on the myriad impacts of war. Panelists include local veterans, servicemen and women, mental health professionals, and faith leaders.
Free
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Tuesday, November 11, 2014, 7:30 PM
ROANOAKE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Akemi Takayama, violin Jeff Midkiff, mandolin David Stewart Wiley, conductor
Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra brings a beautiful masterworks program to Blacksburg. The evening’s concert will feature a new Double Concerto for Violin and Mandolin by composer and Virginia Tech alumnus Jeff Midkiff; Dvořák’s In Nature’s Realm, op. 91; and Beethoven’s magnificent Symphony no. 6 in F, op. 68, the Pastoral Symphony.
This program is supported in part by a touring grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
Classical Music | Timeless Category A $55/category B $40/category C $25/students with ID and children 18 and under $10
Akemi Takayama
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Jeff Midkiff
David Stewart Wiley
Saturday, November 15, 2014, 6:45 PM
15-50 DANCE GROUP Cube The 15-50 Dance Group is a group of Blacksburg Chinese women, ages 15 to 50. Members are all students, Virginia Tech employees, or spouses of employees. Many of the members are also teachers or parents of at the Blacksburg Chinese School. They all have certain things in common: they love life, their families, and their friends, and they are deeply committed to the community. During this performance and demonstration, members of the 15-50 Dance Group will share a variety of different Chinese ethnic dances, including Han, Mengu, Dai, Zang, and Weiwuer pieces.
Free Saturday, November 15, 2014, 7:30 PM
BEIJINGDANCE/ LDTX Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre Willy Tsao, artistic director
Š WANG Da-sheng
The birth of BeijingDance/LDTX (Lei Dong Tian Xia, literally translated as Thunder Rumbles Under Heaven) in September of 2005 caught widespread international attention, and captured the imagination of artists in China. Born in a time of rapid cultural change, they became China’s first professional dance company founded independently from the government. Created by veteran choreographers and a new generation of dancers in China, BeijingDance/LDTX is a catalyst for the modern and contemporary dance movement there. The company boasts an ensemble of technically exquisite dancers and a diverse repertoire, and has traveled extensively throughout Mainland China, Hong Kong, Europe, and North America. Through performance, educational programs, and outreach activities, BeijingDance/LDTX serves as an important voice in the evolution of modern Chinese thought and society. Following the performance by BeijingDance/LDTX, interact with Artistic Director Willy Tsao when he speaks and answers questions on the development of contemporary dance in China. Moderated by Helen Schneider, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of History at Virginia Tech
Dance | Global General admission $25, students with ID and children 18 and under $10
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Thursday, November 20, 2014, 6-9 PM
TEDxVIRGINIATECH Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre
© Curtis Johnson
TEDxVirginiaTech showcases speakers from around the university and community, who give their “talk of a lifetime” on this year’s theme, Illuminate. The audience members are minds-on as they hear the many ideas worth spreading, and they will also experience hands-on research at the TEDxLab. Presented by the Center for Instructional Development and Educational Research (CIDER), University Relations, and the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology
Saturday, November 22, 2014, 7:30 PM
CANTUS AND THEATER LATTÉ DA All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre The Western Front, Christmas Eve, 1914: out of the violence of the Great War’s trenches comes a silence, then a song as a young German soldier steps into no man’s land singing Stille Nacht. Thus begins an extraordinary night of camaraderie, music, and peace. Renowned vocal ensemble Cantus, and Theater Latté Da, present All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 by Peter Rothstein, with musical arrangements by Erick Lichte and Timothy C. Takach. Through new arrangements of European carols and war-songs for a capella voices, All Is Calm recalls the remarkable World War I truce between Allied Forces and German soldiers in no man’s land on Christmas, 1914.
Vocal Music | Deeper Category A $45/category B $35/category C $20/students with ID and children 18 and under $10
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Thursday, December 4, 2014, 6-8 PM
EXHIBITIONS OPENING RECEPTION SAM KRISCH: Elements, BETSY BANNAN, AND YOUNG ARTISTS Grand Lobby Free, cash bar Sam Krisch Death Valley II, 2014 Archival pigment print 20 x 60 inches
Tuesday, December 4, 2014-Sunday, February 1, 2015 Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 10 AM-6 PM/Saturday-Sunday, 10 AM-4 PM
SAM KRISCH: Elements Ruth C. Horton Gallery The sheer power and splendor of nature in far-away places is the subject of Sam Krisch’s photographic practice. Over the last five years, Krisch has journeyed to remote locations ranging from the Mohave Desert to Antarctica to capture stunning images of ice formations, the raw force of turbulent waters, and empty expanses of desert landscapes. This exhibition presents a selection of the artist’s digital photographs created between 2013 and 2014, in which his approach to composition verges on the abstract, taking the work beyond documentation into a world of pristine, yet daunting, beauty. These are gorgeous, even idyllic landscapes, tinged nonetheless with the terrifying knowledge that these worlds are slipping away in an irreversible trajectory caused by human forces. Krisch lives and works in Roanoke. He is the adjunct curator of photography at the Taubman Museum of Art and curator of the Taubman’s upcoming exhibition, Paul and John Paul Caponigro: Generations. See also January 30 artist talk, with Sam Krisch.
Free
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Betsy Bannan In the artist’s studio The Big Country, work in progress
Tuesday, December 4, 2014-Sunday, February 1, 2015 Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 8 AM-6 PM/Saturday-Sunday, 8 AM-4 PM
BETSY BANNAN Francis T. Eck Exhibition Corridor This exhibition features excerpts from Betsy Bannan’s multi-panel painting installation, Fly Over (2013) and a new work, The Big Country (2014). Based on aerial views of the earth from planes or satellites, these works are painted on multiple panels and configured into segments up to 30 feet long. They represent the stunning visual experience of seeing the earth from above and the artist’s fascination with the changes humans have imposed on the earth, both beautiful and disturbing. Bannan lives in Roanoke. She is an instructor of painting and drawing in the School of Visual Arts at Virginia Tech.
Free Thursday, December 4, 2014-Sunday, February 1, 2015 Hours: Tuesday-Friday, 10 AM-6 PM/Saturday-Sunday, 10 AM-4 PM
YOUNG ARTISTS Sherwood Payne Quillen ’71 Reception Gallery and Miles C. Horton Jr. Gallery Young Artists is a celebration of the vision and imaginative expression of young artists and their teachers in this region. In this year’s vibrant and refreshing showcase of regional young talent, art students from Roanoke’s Community High School will be featured.
Free
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Š Amanda Loman
Saturday, December 6, 2014, 4 PM
ROANOKE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Holiday Pops Concert David Stewart Wiley, conductor featuring Ariana Wyatt, soprano
Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre The Roanoke Symphony Orchestra returns for another joyous celebration of the season. One of the RSO’s most popular concert programs, the evening will include beloved holiday carols, sacred classics, and an audience sing-along.
Presented in partnership with the NRV Friends of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra
Holiday Music | Joyful Category A $55/category B $40/category C $25/students with ID and children 18 and under $10 Friday, January 30, 2015, 6:30 PM
ARTIST TALK: Sam Krisch Ruth C. Horton Gallery Photographer Sam Krisch discusses his work in the exhibition Elements.
Free
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Friday, January 30, 2015, 7:30 PM
ORQUESTA SINFÓNICA DEL ESTADO DE MÉXICO (NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF MÉXICO) Alfonso Moreno, guitar Enrique Bátiz, music director and chief conductor
Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre The National Symphony Orchestra of Mexico was established in 1971 to promote music as a means of union and identification among Mexicans. Based in the city of Toluca, the orchestra reaches all corners of the republic and has toured the world. Their repertoire and extensive discography span classical masterworks, rich music from Spain, and newly commissioned works by Mexican composers. This concert program will focus on the lush music of composers Manuel de Falla, Jerónimo Giménez, Joaquín Rodrigo, and Joaquín Turina, and will feature guitar soloist Alfonso Moreno.
Classical Music | Global, Timeless Category A $45/category B $35/category C $20/students with ID and children 18 and under $10 Friday, February 13, 7:30 PM
IMAGO THEATRE FROGZ Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre Imago creators Carol Triffle and Jerry Mouawad are alchemists, magicians, theatrical animators, and physical comedians. Defying classification, they populate the stage with comedic amphibians, acrobatic larvae, circus boulders, and metamorphosing humans in works that tantalize the senses, the intellect, and the passions. FROGZ put Imago on the international map, and the simplicity and the charm of FROGZ catapulted the production to two Broadway runs at the acclaimed New Victory Theatre in 2000 and 2002. Variety called it “Felliniesque mayhem.” The New York Times raved, “… a mastery of mime, dance, and acrobatics.” Recommended for ages 3 and older.
Theatre | Joyful General admission $25, students with ID and children 18 and under $10
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Tuesday, February 17, 7:30 PM
ROANOKE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Tanya Gabrielian, piano David Stewart Wiley, conductor
Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre The spring masterworks concert by the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra features music by Mozart and Vaughn Williams, as well as Tchaikovsky’s romantic Piano Concerto no. 1, in B-flat Minor, op. 23. Guest soloist Tanya Gabrielian has performed around the world and rose to international acclaim with first prizes in the Scottish International Piano Competition and the Aram Khachaturyan International Piano Competition.
This program is supported in part by a touring grant from the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
Classical Music | Timeless Category A $55/category B $40/category C $25/students with ID and children 18 and under $10 Saturday, February 21, 2015, 7:30 PM
CENTRAL CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC HONOR PREP From Beijing, China
Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre Considered the very best music conservatory in China, the Central Conservatory of Music (CCOM) in Beijing trains young musicians from the earliest ages through college level. Their graduates perform as celebrated soloists and chamber musicians, as well as in orchestras around the world. This extraordinary young ensemble of musicians ages 14 to 17 come to the CCOM in Beijing to study from across China, and will perform in Blacksburg as part of a special United States tour. They will present a rich concert of Western classical music that highlights their skill and youthful energy.
Classical Music | Global, Timeless General admission $15, students with ID and children 18 and under $10
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© Timothy Saccenti
Saturday, February 28, 2015, 7:30 PM
JANE MONHEIT Hello Bluebird, Celebrating the Jazz of Judy Garland Jane Monheit, vocals Michael Kanan, piano Neal Miner, bass Rick Montalbano, drums
Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre “ I want to get away from the drama, and celebrate what we all loved about Judy . . . the immense joy she brought through song, and her innate understanding of jazz. She did so much more than break hearts, she put them together again, and that’s what we’re going to be about with this show.” –Jane Monheit An extraordinarily gifted jazz vocalist whose sincere and romantic interpretations of exceptional songs have made her a favorite in both the jazz and cabaret worlds, Jane Monheit has garnered numerous accolades in the past decade. Her first album, Never Never Land, was voted top debut recording by the Jazz Journalist’s Association and stayed on the Billboard jazz chart for over a year; subsequent albums yielded two Grammy nominations. In addition to her own recordings, Monheit has worked alongside the likes of Terence Blanchard, Tom Harrell, and Ivan Lins.
Jazz, Vocal Music | Timeless Category A $75/category B $60/category C $40/students with ID and children 18 and under $10
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© Lenny Gonzalez
Thursday, March 5, 2015, 7:30 PM
KRONOS QUARTET David Harrington, violin John Sherba, violin Hank Dutt, viola Sunny Yang, cello
Beyond Zero: 1914-1918 A new work for quartet with film Aleksandra Vrebalov, composer Bill Morrison, filmmaker
Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre This moving concert from the pioneering Kronos Quartet reflects on the “war to end all wars,” which launched in 1914 and set the course for a century of war. The program begins with Prelude to a Black Hole, a suite of music including composers such as Stravinsky, Ravel, and Ives, to traditional, world, and blues artists of the times. The second portion of the evening is Beyond Zero: 1914–1918, which combines music by Serbian composer Aleksandra Vrebalov and imagery from filmmaker Bill Morrison, known for his work with rare archival material. Beyond Zero incorporates rare World War I footage from the Library of Congress, set to Vrebalov’s powerful score for string quartet. One of the most celebrated and influential groups of our time, Kronos has performed thousands of concerts worldwide, released more than 45 recordings, collaborated with many of the world’s most eclectic composers and performers, and commissioned more than 650 works and arrangements for string quartet.
Contemporary Music, Film | Deeper Category A $55/category B $40/category C $25/students with ID and children 18 and under $10
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Friday, March 20, 2015, 7:30 PM Saturday, March 21, 2015, 7:30 PM
HEALING WARS Created and directed by Liz Lerman
Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre
Š Teresa Wood
The 150th anniversary of our Civil War offers a potent context for issues that continue to impact our lives. A pioneer in the world of contemporary dance, Lerman’s newest theatrical dance piece explores the experiences of the healers tasked with treating the physical and psychic wounds of battle. Healing Wars is about bodies: what they bear, what they cannot bear, how we hide them when they die, how we patch them up while they live. Healing Wars inquires into the matters of healing in wartime, innovation during stress, and the question of how individuals and societies absorb the pain of war. Developed in residencies across the country, Healing Wars includes video imagery from Gettysburg, Antietam, Harpers Ferry, and in the fMRI labs of the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute in Roanoke. The professional ensemble features former Marine Joshua Bleill, who lost both his legs above the knee in an IED attack in Iraq in 2006. After 34 years as founding artistic director of Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Lerman presents her singular aesthetic to audiences in this haunting work about how we experience and recover from war.
Dance | Deeper General admission $35, students with ID and children 18 and under $10
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© Ros Kavanagh
Wednesday, March 25, 2015, 7:30 PM
CRASH ENSEMBLE Donnacha Dennehy, artistic director
Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre “Crash Ensemble, an Irish new-music collective with international cachet and considerable chops.” –The Washington Post Crash Ensemble is Ireland’s foremost contemporary music ensemble, world-class musicians who play the most adventurous, groundbreaking new music of today. Founded in 1997 by composer and artistic director Donnacha Dennehy, the Ensemble has recordings on NMC, Cantaloupe, and Nonesuch labels. The ensemble has worked with well-known artists from diverse musical backgrounds. Committed to broadening the repertoire available to audiences, Crash commissions, produces, and performs new or recent works by internationally acclaimed composers and up-and-coming composing talents and collaborates with culturally relevant artists. Crash performs regularly throughout Ireland and has appeared in the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, and Canada.
Contemporary Music | Fresh Category A $45/category B $35/category C $20/students with ID and children 18 and under $10
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Wednesday, April 1, 2015, 7:30 PM
AN EVENING WITH GEORGE SAUNDERS Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre “ You’ll find the work of George Saunders frequently described as ‘funny,’ but that’s like calling a nuclear detonation warm— it’s true, abundantly so, but it fails to accurately convey the forces unleashed. . . . ” – San Francisco Chronicle Saunders is the author of four collections of short stories: the bestselling Pastoralia; CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award; In Persuasion Nation, one of three finalists for the 2006 STORY Prize for best short story collection of the year; and Tenth of December. Pastoralia, CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, and Tenth of December were all New York Times Notable Books. Tenth of December was nominated for the 2013 National Book Award in Fiction. Saunders is also the author of the novellalength illustrated fable, The Brief and Frightening Reign of Phil, and the New York Times bestselling children’s book The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip, illustrated by Lane Smith. Recommended for mature audiences
© Caitlin Saunders
Spoken Word | Deeper Presented in collaboration with the Virginia Tech Department of English General admission $25, students with ID $10 Wednesday, April 1, 2015, 9:30 PM
MEET THE ARTIST: George Saunders Grand Lobby Following “An Evening with George Saunders,” join the author in the lobby during this book signing event. Saunders’ books will be available for purchase.
Free
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RESCHEDULED Thursday, April 2, 2015, 7:30 PM
JOSHUA BELL Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre
Friday, April 17, 2015, 7:30 PM
This performance was rescheduled due to inclement weather last February. We will honor your original tickets dated February 14, 2014. If you are not able to attend on this new date or simply prefer to have your tickets refunded, please call 540 231-5300 by Monday, February 2. A limited number of tickets for this rescheduled concert will be available for purchase beginning on Monday, March 2, 2015.
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
Classical Music | Timeless
Richard Tognetti, artistic director Martin Fröst, clarinet
Category A $75/category B $65/ category C $45/students with ID and children 18 and under $10
Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre “ The energy and vibe of a rock band with the ability of a crack classical chamber group.” – The Washington Post
Renowned for inspired programming and the rapturous response of audiences and critics, the Australian Chamber Orchestra embodies the vibrant, adventurous, youthful, and inquiring spirit of Australia. Artistic director and lead violin Richard Tognetti has led the ACO as a flexible and versatile “ensemble of soloists” on modern and period instruments, as a small chamber group, a small symphony orchestra, and as an electro-acoustic collective. Equally dynamic clarinetist Martin Fröst is a sought-after chamber musician, soloist, and conductor. Their program will include diverse repertoire from Mozart, Haydn, and a new work commissioned by the ACO from Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood, a frequent ACO collaborator.
Classical Music | Timeless, Fresh Category A $55/category B $40/category C $25/students with ID and children 18 and under $10
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Friday, April 24, 2015, 7:30 PM Saturday, April 25, 2015, 7:30 PM
CIRQUE MECHANICS Pedal Punk Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre Pedal Punk is a steam punk experience that will charm you with its story and thrill you with its daring; a rowdy circus where the mischief is on wheels. Creator Chris Lashua’s road to the circus began with his daredevil skills as a BMX rider. In this show, Lashua applies his mechanical wizardry to all things pedal-powered. At the heart of the fun is the pedal-driven “Gantry Bike,” a modern-day industrial circus caravan that moves around the stage with a dynamic and quirky ensemble of equilibrists, funambulists, and acrobats. You’ll encounter unicycles that fly, wheel acrobats that hover, cyclists that whirl, pole climbers that soar, and trapeze artists that float. Inspired by the steam punk culture, where a post-apocalyptic world of machines is powered by steam, Pedal Punk’s “steam” power comes from the acrobatic strength of the artists. Cirque Mechanics brings modern storytelling technique to the circus, while staying true to its industrialist aesthetic and its gift for amazing audiences of all ages.
Theatre, Dance | Joyful, Fresh
© JerryMetellus
Category A $55/category B $40/category C $25/students with ID and children 18 and under $10
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Š Autumn de Wilde
Friday, May 1, 2015, 7:30 PM
AUDRA McDONALD Broadway Old and New Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre Earning her record-setting sixth Tony Award for her performance as Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill in spring 2014, Audra McDonald is unparalleled in the breadth and versatility of her artistry as both singer and actress. A luminous soprano with an incomparable gift for dramatic truth telling, she is equally at home on Broadway and opera stages as she is in roles for film and television. A two-time Grammy Award-winner, she maintains a major career as a concert and recording artist, regularly appearing on the great stages of the world and with leading international orchestras. This enchanting, intimate evening with McDonald and her trio will include Broadway favorites spanning the decades.
Vocal Music | Timeless Category A $75/category B $60/category C $40/students with ID and children 18 and under $10
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Center for the Arts Performances SEPTEMBER 2014 Fri., Sept. 12
KATHY MATTEA, Calling Me Home Vocal Music, Country
7:30 PM
Fri., Sept. 19
THE SENEGAL ST. JOSEPH GOSPEL CHOIR World Music
7:30 PM
Thurs., Sept. 25
THE INTERGALACTIC NEMESIS, Book One: Target Earth Theatre
7:30 PM
Fri., Sept. 26
THE INTERGALACTIC NEMESIS, Book One: Target Earth Theatre
7:30 PM
Sat., Oct. 11
SAMITA SINHA, Cipher Vocal Music
7:30 PM
Sun., Oct. 12 Fri., Oct. 17
SAMITA SINHA, Cipher Vocal Music THE THREE FEATHERS Theatre
2 PM
OCTOBER 2014
7:30 PM
Sat., Oct. 18 THE THREE FEATHERS Theatre
2 PM & 7:30 PM
Sun., Oct. 19
THE THREE FEATHERS Theatre
2 PM
Wed., Oct. 22
AN EVENING WITH DAVID SEDARIS Spoken Word
Sat., Oct. 25 AN EVENING WITH BRANFORD MARSALIS Classical Music Thurs., Oct. 30
ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET Dance
7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM
NOVEMBER 2014
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Sun., Nov. 2
BRENTANO STRING QUARTET Classical Music
2 PM
Sat., Nov. 8
BASETRACK Theatre
7:30 PM
Tues., Nov. 11
ROANOKE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Classical Music
7:30 PM
Sat., Nov. 15
BEIJINGDANCE/LDTX Dance
7:30 PM
Sat., Nov. 22
CANTUS AND THEATER LATTÉ DA, All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 Vocal Music
7:30 PM
DECEMBER 2014 Sat., Dec. 6
ROANOKE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, Holiday Pops Concert Holiday Music
4 PM
JANUARY 2015 Fri., Jan. 30
ORQUESTA SINFÓNICA DEL ESTADO DE MÉXICO 7:30 PM (NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF MEXICO) Classical Music
FEBRUARY 2015 Fri., Feb. 13
IMAGO THEATRE, FROGZ Theatre
7:30 PM
Tues., Feb. 17
ROANOKE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Classical Music
7:30 PM
Sat., Feb. 21
CENTRAL CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC HONOR PREP Classical Music
7:30 PM
Sat., Feb. 28
JANE MONHEIT, Hello Bluebird Jazz, Vocal Music
7:30 PM
Thurs., March 5
KRONOS QUARTET, Beyond Zero: 1914–1918 Contemporary Music, Film
7:30 PM
Fri., March 20
HEALING WARS Dance
7:30 PM
Sat., March 21
HEALING WARS Dance
7:30 PM
Wed., March 25
CRASH ENSEMBLE Contemporary Music
7:30 PM
Wed., April 1
AN EVENING WITH GEORGE SAUNDERS Spoken Word
7:30 PM
Thurs., April 2
JOSHUA BELL Classical Music
7:30 PM
Fri., April 17
AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA Classical Music
7:30 PM
Fri., April 24
CIRQUE MECHANICS, Pedal Punk Theatre, Dance
7:30 PM
Sat., April 25
CIRQUE MECHANICS, Pedal Punk Theatre, Dance
7:30 PM
AUDRA MCDONALD, Broadway Old and New Vocal Music
7:30 PM
MARCH 2015
APRIL 2015
MAY 2015 Fri., May 1
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Box Office: 540-231-5300 Administration: 540-231-ARTS
www.artscenter.vt.edu MOSS ARTS CENTER Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech (0916) 190 Alumni Mall, Blacksburg, VA 24061
Directions From I-81 (northbound and southbound): Take exit 118B onto 460 West towards Virginia Tech. Continue for 8.5 miles to the Prices Fork Road exit for “Downtown.” The exit ramp will veer right. Continue on Prices Fork Road for 1.2 miles and take a right onto Turner Street. This street leads you to the parking deck and the center. Parking will be on your left at North End Parking Garage. The Moss Arts Center will be ahead on the right.
From I-77 (northbound): Take exit 32 onto I-81 North. Continue for about 29 miles, then follow the directions above for I-81 northbound.
From Interstate 77/West Virginia Turnpike (southbound)/460 West (eastbound): In West Virginia, take Exit 9, “U.S. 460-Princeton/Pearisburg, VA.” Turn left at the stoplight at the end of the ramp onto U.S. 460 East. Continue on U.S. 460 East for about 44.9 miles (11.6 in W.Va., 33.3 in Virginia). Travel east for approximately 47 miles, then take the Prices Fork Road exit. At the top of the exit ramp, take a left. Continue on Prices Fork Road for 1.2 miles and take a right onto Turner Street. This street leads you to the parking deck and the center. Parking will be on your left at North End Parking Garage. The Moss Arts Center will be ahead on the right.
DOWNTOWN BLACKSBURG
PARKING
WEST VIRGINIA
WEST VIRGINIA
MOSS ARTS CENTER
PARKING
MOSS ARTS CENTER VIRGINIA TECH CAMPUS
VIRGINIA TECH CAMPUS ROANOKE
ROANOKE
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DOWNTOWN BLACKSBURG
Seating Chart Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre
Š Michael Kiernan
These seating charts show the three levels and ticket pricing structure for our performances. Please contact the Moss Arts Center box office at 540-231-5300 with any questions.
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General Information Box office hours and ticket delivery Tickets may be purchased in person at the box office in the Moss Arts Center, by phone at 540231-5300, or online at www.artscenter.vt.edu. The box office hours for in person and phone sales are noon-6:00 p.m. on Monday-Friday, noon-4:00 p.m. on Saturday, and closed on Sunday. Starting Tuesday, August 26, the box office hours for in person and phone sales will be 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. on Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on Saturday, and closed on Sunday.
Individual ticket sales Until August 11, 2014, only subscription tickets are available for purchase for the 2014–2015 performances. Beginning August 11, 2014, individual tickets for all 2014–2015 season performances will be available for purchase.
Parking Parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street. Virginia Tech faculty and staff possessing a valid Virginia Tech parking permit can enter and exit the garage free of charge. Event parking for visitors is $5, cash only. Event parking passes may be purchased when entering the garage. Limited street parking is also available. Street parking is free on nights and weekends.
Group ticket sales For groups of 10 or more, please contact the Moss Arts Center box office at 540-231-5300.
Concessions Beverages and snacks will be available for purchase before performances and during intermissions. Food and drinks are not permitted inside the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre.
Late seating Center for the Arts performances in the Moss Arts Center will begin promptly at the scheduled time. Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the performance. Late seating will take place at the first appropriate moment in the program, at the artists’ and house management’s discretion. Latecomers may be seated in the back.
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What to know before you go We will email ticket holders in advance of the performances with general information, special restaurant and lodging information, and engagement opportunities specific to each performance.
ADA special assistance The Moss Arts Center facilities are accessible to all of our patrons. Patrons with disabilities and their companions will be accommodated through wheelchair seating, parking, and other special requests throughout the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre in all levels and pricing categories. Assisted listening devices are available. Service animals of all kinds are permitted. Sign interpretations and large-print programs are available with advance notification.
Closures for holidays The Moss Arts Center may close for major holidays and breaks according to the university schedule. Please visit our website or call the Moss Arts Center box office at 540-231-5300 for more information.
Lodging and restaurants The Moss Arts Center is located in the heart of downtown Blacksburg. The box office staff can recommend nearby lodging and restaurants to help you plan your visit. Please call 540-231-5300 or visit www.artscenter.vt.edu for more information and special offers.
Inclement weather Center for the Arts performances and special events will only be canceled for inclement weather in extreme cases. If a performance must be canceled due to inclement weather, we will send an email to all ticket holders and call patrons for whom we have no email address. Please check our website and call the Moss Arts Center box office at 540-231-5300 for timely information about closures due to inclement weather.
Support For information about ways to support the Center for the Arts, please contact Lois Badey at labadey@vt.edu or 540-231-0608. Programs are subject to change.
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Center for the Arts (0916)
540-231-0616.
Arts Center. For more information, call
Davis Performance Hall of the Moss
and Ellen Fife Theatre in the Street and
opportunity to name a seat in the Anne
yo u r $ 2,0 00 gi f t gi ve s yo u the
For a limited time,
to play a starring role
You don’t have to be onstage
190 Alumni Mall, Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA 24061
MOSS ARTS CENTER
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PRESORTED FIRST CLASS U.S. POSTAGE PAID BLACKSBURG, VA 24060 PERMIT NO. 28