You are here: American University College of Arts & Sciences News Spring Arts Season Kicks Off at AU

Contact Us

Battelle-Tompkins, Room 200 on a map

CAS Dean's Office 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016-8012 United States

Back to top

Arts

Spring Arts Season Kicks Off at AU

By  | 

A painting by Julie Wolfe.
Julie Wolfe, External Boundaries 1, 2016. Courtesy of HEMPHILL Fine Art.

Welcome to the 2017 spring arts season at American University! Our calendar below is filled with concerts, dance performances, new interpretations of classic plays, exciting art exhibitions, and talks by nationally known scholars and artists.

Spring Calendar

Movement Speaks: Conversations About Dance

Featuring Guest Artist Michel Kouakou

Saturday, January 28, 5:30 p.m.
Katzen Arts Center, Room 152

As the culmination of a week-long residency with the AU Dance Program, guest artist Michel Kouakou discusses the choreographic process and gives a sneak peek of the new performance collaboration with the American University Dance Company (AU/DC). The AU/DC will perform this new choreography as part of its April dance concert, Dance Works. Free and open to the public.

Art History and Museums Lecture

Never the Same Day Twice: Art History and Curatorial Practice

Wednesday, February 8, 4–6 p.m.
Abramson Family Recital Hall

Virginia Treanor, associate curator for the National Museum of Women in the Arts, will talk about her adventures as a curator and how she has learned to balance exhibition planning with unexpected challenges and opportunities. Reception to follow. Free and open to the public.

Katzen Sound Bites

Thursdays, 12:35–12:55 p.m.
February 9, February 23, March 9, April 6, April 20
Katzen Rotunda, Katzen Arts Center

Join AU student and faculty performers for live midday mini-concerts. Free and open to the public.

AU Chamber Singers: An Early Music Program

Saturday, February 11, 7 p.m.
Sunday, February 12, 3 p.m.
Kay Spiritual Life Center
Daniel Abraham, director

The American University Chamber Singers perform Baroque works, including a rare hearing of a large-scale Zelenka mass, one of Bach's beloved vocal motets, and a juxtaposition of the beautiful Salve Regina by Caldara with Pärt's modern masterpiece on the same text. This program is a preview of their international concert tour to Poland in May. Tickets: $5–10

Dracula

Thursday-Friday, February 16–17, 8 p.m.
Saturday, February 18, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Greenberg Theatre
4200 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20016
Directed by Carl Menninger

Adapted by William McNulty, this performance is an action-packed, blood-soaked retelling of Bram Stoker's classic tale of horror. Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. (playscripts.com) Adult content and some mild adult language. Tickets: $10–15

Arts Management Spring Colloquium

Friday, February 17, 3 p.m.
Abramson Family Recital Hall

Leading practitioners and theorists address critical issues affecting today's cultural community. Free and open to the public.

AU Symphony Orchestra: Concerto and Aria Competition

Saturday, February 18, 7 p.m.
Sunday, February 19, 3 p.m.
Abramson Family Recital Hall
Matthew Brown, director

The AU Symphony Orchestra hosts the annual competition, open to all AU undergraduate students. Held in two rounds, the winner will perform as soloist with the AU Symphony Orchestra in a public concert. Free and open to the public.

Allegro

Thursday-Friday, February 23–24, 8 p.m.
Saturday, February 25, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Katzen Arts Center, Studio Theatre
Directed by Karl Kippola

A small-town doctor tries to follow in his father's footsteps—but is tempted by fortune, fame, and the big city. Rodgers and Hammerstein's most innovative and contemporary musical explores the challenges facing an ordinary person in a chaotic modern world.
Tickets: $10–15

Artist Talk: Sam Moyer

Monday, February 27, 6 p.m.
Katzen Arts Center, Room 201

Sam Moyer introduces students and the public to her work, which fuses the languages of painting, sculpture, and photography. Moyer's work is featured in the exhibition New Ruins at the American University Museum, on view January 28–March 12. Free and open to the public.

AU Symphony Orchestra: March Medley

Saturday, March 4, 8 p.m.
Sunday, March 5, 3 p.m.
Abramson Family Recital Hall
Matthew Brown, conductor

The American University Symphony Orchestra spring concert opens with Rossini's Barber of Seville Overture. The program continues with Smetana's Moldau, Painted Music by AU faculty composer Jerzy Sapieyevski, and ends with Edvard Grieg's lively and memorable Symphonic Dances. Tickets: $5–10

Artist Talk: Valerie Hegarty

Thursday, March 9, 6 p.m.
Katzen Arts Center, Room 201

Valerie Hegarty introduces students and the public to her interdisciplinary practice, which includes painting, sculpture, and installations that address themes of memory, place, and history. Free and open to the public.

Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium

Sunday, March 19, Day-long event
Katzen Arts Center

Now in its tenth year, the Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium (EALS) is a day-long event kicking off Arts Advocacy Day. This year's theme is Focus Forward, a call to action to use our collective strength to not only envision the future of the arts, but to make this future possible. The symposium will be a day of conversation, reflection, education, and networking. Registration is required. ealsatau.org

Master Class with Zoe Scofield

Saturday, March 25, 11 a.m.
Katzen Arts Center, Room 152

Learn contemporary dance practices with guest artist Zoe Scofield. Prior dance experience recommended. Free for the AU Community.

The Gorenman Russian Project

Saturday, March 25, 8 p.m.
Abramson Family Recital Hall

Internationally acclaimed concert pianist Yuliya Gorenman performs masterpieces of Russian composers. Tickets $10–25

Movement Speaks: Conversations About Dance

Featuring Guest Artist Zoe Scofield

Saturday, March 25, 8 p.m.
Katzen Arts Center, Room 152

As the culmination of a week-long residency with the American University Dance Program, guest artist Zoe Scofield discusses the choreographic process and gives a sneak peek of the new performance collaboration with the American University Dance Company (AU/DC). The AU/DC will perform this new choreography as part of their April dance concert, Dance Works. Free and open to the public.

Art History Distinguished Scholars Lecture

Foregrounding the Background: Dutch and Flemish Images of Household Servants

Wednesday, March 29, 4–6 p.m.
Abramson Family Recital Hall

Diane Wolfthal, the David and Caroline Minter Chair in the Humanities and a professor of art history at Rice University, presents a lecture on images of servants in Netherlandish art, challenging previous interpretations of such images to better understand the rich and complex web of attitudes towards servitude that existed in the past. Reception to follow. Free and open to the public.

Argonautika

Thursday-Friday, March 30–31, 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 1, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Greenberg Theatre
Directed by Isaiah Wooden

This imaginative adaptation of The Voyage of Jason and the Argonauts follows Jason and his spunky band of Argonauts as they endeavor to retrieve the coveted Golden Fleece. Bursting with humor and fantastical creatures, playwright Mary Zimmerman refashions the enduring tale into a timely theatrical event that explores the complexities of the human condition and the resilience of the human spirit. Gaius Valerius Flaccus translated by David R. Slavitt. Apollonius Rhodius translated by Peter Green. Tickets: $10–15

AU Design Show

Monday, April 3–Thursday, April 13
Reception: Tuesday, April 4, 5 p.m.
Katzen Arts Center, Rotunda Gallery

An exhibition of selected student design work from the next generation of leaders in graphic design. Free and open to the public.

AU Chamber Singers: International A Cappella

Saturday, April 8, 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 9, 3 p.m.
Abramson Family Recital Hall
Daniel Abraham, director

The American University Chamber Singers present a mixed program spanning Renaissance European and Polish works; intense contemporary American, Polish, and central European choral literature; and uplifting American spirituals, traditional, and gospel arrangements. This program is a preview of their international concert tour to Poland in May. Tickets: $5–10

The Living Composer's Series: The Music of Amy Williams

Friday, April 21, 8 p.m.
Abramson Family Recital Hall
Noah Getz, director

The American University Workshop jazz ensemble concert focuses on one of Amy Williams' newest large ensemble works and several chamber works. Williams writes with a modern aesthetic that borrows from a variety of musical styles in a uniquely American way. Her music is informed by her work as an active contemporary pianist. Tickets: $5–10

Dance Works

Friday-Saturday, April 21–22, 8 p.m.
Greenberg Theatre
Artistic direction by Britta Joy Peterson

The American University Dance Company presents the annual Spring Dance Concert, featuring choreography by AU students, faculty Britta Joy Peterson and Erin Foreman-Murray, and guest artists Zoe Scofield and Michel Kouakou. This main stage production presents fresh and seasoned perspectives on concert dance performed by AU dance students. Participate in a post-performance discussion with the choreographers on Friday, April 21. Tickets: $10–15

Jazz: Concert and Conversations

Saturday, April 22
Panel Discussion: 6 p.m.
American University Museum

Join jazz musicians and scholars for a panel discussion on education, performance, and business education moderated by Joshua Bayer, director of the American University Jazz Orchestra. Panelists include Rusty Hassan, longtime jazz host at Washington, DC, community radio station WPFW 89.3 FM. Reception to follow. Free and open to the public. RSVP required.

Jazz Concert: 8 p.m.
Abramson Family Recital Hall
Joshua Bayer, director
The American University Jazz Orchestra and professional jazz musicians perform a variety of works for the orchestra's annual spring concert. Tickets: $5–10

AU Symphonic Band: Frenzy and Calm

Sunday, April 23, 3 p.m.

Abramson Family Recital Hall
Ben Sonderman, director

The American University Symphonic Band proudly presents its spring program. This production features popular classics and new favorites of the repertory.

Theatre/Musical Theatre Senior Capstone

Thursday, April 27, 8 p.m.

Friday, April 28, 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 29, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Katzen Arts Center, Studio Theatre
Artistic direction by Randy Baker

Graduating theatre and musical theatre students present original dramatic work and songs. Production contains mature themes. Tickets: $10–15

AU Chorus and AUSO: Lux in Tenebris (Light in the Darkness)

Friday, April 28, 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 29, 8 p.m.
Abramson Family Recital Hall
Matthew Brown and Casey Cook, conductors

The American University Symphony Orchestra and AU Chorus present a concert celebrating the 20th anniversary of Morten Lauridsen's Lux Aeterna. The performance also includes a newly written work by AU faculty composer Sean Doyle, as well as Brahms' epic Symphony no. 1 in C. Tickets: $5–10

For More Information

For more information or event updates, visit AU Arts. To reserve seats, visit american.tix.com or call 202-885-2787.