October 9, Saturday
Till Fellner, piano
8:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts,
Concert Hall
With his scrupulous musicianship, purity of style, and sparkling keyboard command, Austrian pianist Till Fellner is in demand at all the major music venues. The Washington Post proclaims that this student of Alfred Brendel "plays Beethoven sonatas like a poet." Fellner's Vermont premiere opens the 91st season of the Performing Arts Series with three masterpieces constituting a perfect distillation of Beethoven's famous "third period": Piano Sonatas no. 30 in E, op. 109; no. 31 in A-flat, op. 110; and no. 32 in C Minor, op. 111. Reserved Seating. Tickets: $24/18/6.
October 12, Tuesday
Paul Lewis, piano
7:30 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts,
Concert Hall
A volcano grounded pianist Paul Lewis in Europe last spring, preventing him from performing in Middlebury. But he has graciously cleared time in his busy schedule to return and play the repertoire programmed for that recital, including Mozart's Adagio in B Minor, the great Fantasie in C by Schumann, Vallée d'Obermann by Liszt, and Beethoven's Waldstein Sonata. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series. See associated events on February 15 and May 1.
October 29, Friday
Sophie Shao and Friends
8:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts,
Concert Hall
Cellist Sophie Shao and her friends have become perennial favorites of Middlebury audiences, thanks to Shao's ability to assemble impromptu chamber ensembles of tremendous virtuosic talent. This first of two recitals (the second is March 4) features music by Ravel and piano quintets by Elgar and Schumann. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series.
October 29-30, Friday-Saturday
Tamar Rogoff Performance Projects:
Diagnosis of a Faun
8:00 P.M. each evening,
Mahaney Center for the Arts, Dance Theatre
Drawing inspiration from Nijinsky's Afternoon of a Faun and dancer Gregg Mozgala's first-hand experience with cerebral palsy, choreographer Tamar Rogoff creates a creature that simultaneously inhabits two worlds. As Rogoff's faun moves through the seemingly disparate spheres of the operating room and the forest in the company of dancers and doctors, the curse of separation between medicine and art is lifted. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series, the Dance Program, VSA Vermont, the Academic Outreach Endowment, the Program in Neuroscience, the Americans with Disabilities Act Office, and the Department of Biology. Visit our event page for additional residency information.
Please note: ASL interpretation will be provided for the Saturday evening performance.
November 11, Thursday
Jupiter String Quartet
12:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts,
Concert Hall
The Avery Fisher Career Grant-winning Jupiter String Quartet was recently named "one of the strongest young string quartets in the country" by the New York Sun. The Boston Globe has noted "their tone quality is pleasing, their style polished, their equilibrium secure, and their intonation superb." The quartet's lunchtime concert includes Beethoven's op. 18, no. 4; and Schumann's op. 41, no. 3. This free Performing Arts Series concert is made possible with generous support from the Institute for Clinical Science and Art, in memory of Carolyn Reynolds Sunderman. See associated event November 12.
November 12, FridayDiana Fanning, piano
Jupiter String Quartet
Dieuwke Davydov, cello
8:00 P.M., Mead Memorial Chapel
Beloved pianist Diana Fanning celebrates 40 years of performing professionally with a special program including Chopin's Nocturne no. 1, Carnaval by Schumann, and the Dvořák Quintet for Piano and Strings, performed with the Jupiter String Quartet. Cellist Dieuwke Davydov makes a special appearance to perform Glazunov's Chant du Menestrel with Fanning. This free Performing Arts Series concert is made possible with generous support from the Institute for Clinical Science and Art, in memory of Carolyn Reynolds Sunderman. See associated event November 11.
November 30, Tuesday
Christianne Stotijn, mezzo-soprano
Joseph Breinl, piano
7:30 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts,
Concert Hall
"Among young mezzo-sopranos, Christianne Stotijn is in a class apart; she stamps every note and word with character, and delivers her songs with a lyrical glow that considerably advance Grieg s global warming"-Times, London. Stotijn and Breinl return to Middlebury with a program entitled "Dream Works," featuring songs by Grieg, Brahms, Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Mussorgsky and Rachmaninov. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series.
Nareh Arghamanyan, piano
8:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts,
Concert Hall
According to La Scena Musicale, Armenian pianist Nareh Arghamanyan "meets the daunting demands . . . with a combination of technical bravura, singing tone, and poetic expression." The former Gilmore Rising Star plays a program of Rameau, Brahms, Rachmaninoff, and Liszt. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series.
February 15, Tuesday
Paul Lewis, piano
7:30 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts,
Concert Hall
Widely celebrated for his considered and profound interpretations of the classical repertoire, Paul Lewis is recognized internationally as one of today's most distinctive and poetic pianists. This concert commences a two-year cycle of Schubert works and features Schubert's Sonata no.15 in C, Drei Klavierstücke, and Sonata no.17 in D. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series. See associated events on October 12 and May 1.
February 27, Sunday
Nathan Laube, organ
3:00 P.M., Mead Memorial Chapel
Curtis Institute of Music graduate Nathan Laube is a rising star among young classical musicians and has quickly become a popular artist on the organ recital circuit. His brilliant playing, audience-friendly programs, and gracious demeanor have thrilled audiences and presenters across the United States and in Europe. This recital celebrates the 40th anniversary of the installation of Mead Chapel's Gress-Miles organ. Professor emeritus of music and College organist Emory Fanning leads a behind-the-scenes organ tour preceding the concert, at 2:15 p.m. Presented by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series.
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March 4, Friday
Sophie Shao and Friends
8:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts,
Concert Hall
Cellist Shao and friends return to Middlebury with a vivid piano trio program featuring works by Schubert, Ravel, and Brahms. "The players maintained a seamless cohesion and a warm, lean tone. This was all the more admirable because they're not a regular ensemble, just colleagues and friends"-Times Union. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series. See associated event October 29.
March 12, Saturday
Abbey Theatre, Ireland: TERMINUS
8:00 P.M., Wright Memorial Theatre
A young woman looking for love, a mother seeking atonement, and a serial killer who has sold his soul to the devil are ripped from their daily lives and thrown into a fantastical world. Playwright and director Mark O'Rowe weaves their interlocking, rhyming monologues into a truly original, gripping drama presented by Ireland's national theatre. Terminus has recently enjoyed hugely successful runs at New York's Public Theater and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. "Hilarious, startling, surprisingly touching and enormously satisfying ... a thrill ride"-Irish Times. For mature audiences. A discussion regarding the work immediately follows the performance. The U.S. tour of TERMINUS is supported by Culture Ireland and the Abbey Theatre is supported by the Arts Council of Ireland/An Chomhairle Éalaoín. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series and the Department of Theatre and Dance.
March 18-19, Friday-Saturday
Big Action Performance Ensemble
8:00 P.M. each evening,
Town Hall Theater
In reaction to dance competition reality shows that evaluate who is qualified to dance, Big APE presents Everyone Can Dance, a community-based performance project that celebrates the contagious allure of movement and the dynamic capabilities of the human body. The project includes a statewide tour and a four-week residency with Middlebury College students and local community participants. Visit go.middlebury.edu/dance for additional information. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series, Town Hall Theater, the Dance Program, and the Committee on the Arts.
March 24, Thursday
Belcea Quartet
7:30 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts,
Concert Hall
The Belcea Quartet has gained an enviable reputation as one of the leading quartets of the new generation. It continues to take the British and international chamber-music circuit by storm, consistently receiving critical acclaim for its performances. In this third performance at Middlebury, the quartet will play Beethoven's op. 132, and Schubert's G Major Quartet. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series.
April 13, Wednesday
Dubravka Tomsic, piano
7:30 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts,
Concert Hall
Celebrated Slovenian pianist Dubravka Tomsic enjoys "something of a cult status among pianophiles" (Gramophone), with performances that convey "heroic power and Olympian vision" (Los Angeles Times), as well as "splendor, drama, passion, poetry, and subtlety" (Boston Globe). The only protégé of legendary pianist Arthur Rubinstein, Tomsic performs a program that includes works by Beethoven and Chopin. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series.
May 1, Sunday
Paul Lewis, piano
3:00 P.M., Mahaney Center for the Arts,
Concert Hall
Pianist Paul Lewis, Gramophone's Instrumentalist of the Year 2008, is a regular guest at Middlebury, as well as at the world's most prestigious venues and festivals. This second installment in Lewis's Schubert project features Schubert's 12 Waltzes, Four Impromptus, Hungarian Melody in B Minor, and Sonata no.18 in G Major. Sponsored by the Middlebury College Performing Arts Series. See associated events on October 12 and February 15.