LU News

APPLETON, WIS. – Lawrence University hosts a visit from pianist Claude Frank Saturday, March 31 through Sunday, April 1. While at Lawrence, Frank will hold a variety of events that are free and open to the public including a guest recital at 8:00 p.m. Saturday in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel, a lecture at 2:00 p.m. Sunday in Harper Hall, and a master class at 6:00 p.m. Sunday in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel.

Frank, an internationally acclaimed interpreter of the piano literature of Beethoven, has lead one of the most distinguished careers of any pianist. He frequently performs with the world’s foremost orchestras, at major festivals, and at prestigious universities since his debut with Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic in 1959. Appearing with such groups as the Guarneri Quartet, Juilliard Quartet, Cleveland Quartet, Emerson Quartet, and American Quartet, he is also a repeat soloist with the New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Boston Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra of Amsterdam, and the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra, among others. A frequent performer in New York City’s Mostly Mozart Festival during its formative years and a festival participant in virtually every season thereafter, Frank appeared in its 25th anniversary celebration at Lincoln Center in 1991.

A renowned teacher as well as performer, Frank is on the faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and is a professor at the Yale School of Music. He gives master classes at Yale University, Duke University, University of Kansas, and North Carolina School of the Arts, among others.

Frank’s recordings include RCA’s release of 32 Beethoven sonatas and his worldwide performance of cycles; the direct-to-disc recording of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 20 in D-minor, K.466; his performance of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24 in C-minor, K.491; and more. Frank has also recorded the cycle of Beethoven violin and piano sonatas with his daughter for Music Masters.

APPLETON, WIS. — Three new exhibitions are coming to Lawrence University’s Wriston Art Center in March. The exhibits open on Saturday, March 24 in the Leech, Hoffmaster, and Kohler galleries. An opening lecture and reception by Julie Anand is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Thursday, April 5 in the Wriston Auditorium. The exhibits will be on display through May 6.

Fin, Fur, and Feathers in the Permanent Collection, an exhibition selected by Lawrence junior Katherine Elchert, will be featured in the Leech Gallery. All the works exhibited in this show are from the permanent collection and feature a variety of images of plants and animals spanning a number of decades.

The Kohler Gallery features photography by Julie Anand and Damon Sauer. Much photography depends on the idea of discrete things in nature, objects and individuals defined by shapes and fixed contour. Photographers Anand and Sauer investigate the edges of individuals and relationships. The artists cut aluminum sheets into shapes derived from tracings of couples embracing and interacting. Hung on the wall, the pieces at first appear to be abstract but further study reveals hands, hair, and arms interlocking. Challenging not only the boundaries between photography and sculpture but also the boundaries of individuals and personal space the artists critique the notion of fixity of self and of objects and make subtle reference to scientific photography, phrenology, and other familiar forms of documentation.

School Days Cafeteria Plan is scheduled for exhibition in the Hoffmaster Gallery. For this exhibit, 24 artists and educators were invited to create a print depicting one of his or her most vivid experiences as a student or teacher. The resulting works range from humorous to poignant. Organized by Benjamin Rinehart, assistant professor of art at Lawrence, School Days offers a wide variety of printmaking technique styles.

Gallery hours are 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Tuesday-Friday and noon-4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The galleries are closed on Monday.

Contact: Andrea Ebeling, Public Relations Assistant, 920-832-6585 or andrea.ebeling@lawrence.edu

APPLETON, WIS. — The Lawrence Academy of Music Honors Band and Wind Ensemble premier Academy Festival March, a work composed by Lawrence Academy of Music instructor Jon Meyer, at their spring concert. The concert takes place at 7:00 p.m. Sunday, March 18 in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Tickets are $6, and go on sale Monday, March 5 at the Lawrence University Box Office or by phone at 920-832-6749.

The Honors Band, conducted by Meyer, performs Suite from Bohemia by Vaclav Nelhybel, a lovely folk tune suite by the Czech composer who was very popular in the 1960-70s, but is rarely heard today; The Little Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin and arranged by Frank Campbell-Watson, who did the standard symphonic arrangements of Gershwin; and one of the standard band transcriptions of Bach that is rarely heard today, Prelude and Fugue in G Minor, arranged by R. Moehlmann.

The Wind Ensemble’s portion of the program includes the seafaring theme Of Sailors and Whales by W. Francis-McBeth, a five-movement work based on five scenes from Herman Melville’s “Moby Dick.” Songs to be performed include “The Rakes of Mallow,” a fun Irish jig that begins fast and gets faster throughout; “Danza Final,” from the ballet suite Estancia, a very bright, lively, and energetic work that features the dance, Malambo; and Samuel Ward’s “America the Beautiful,” arranged by Carman Dragon.

The Honors Band and Wind Ensemble come together for the final piece, Academy Festival March, composed by Meyer, for the Honors Band and Wind Ensemble to perform together.

The Honors Band provides experience with advanced music for middle school band students. It is open by audition to seventh, eighth, and ninth grade band students from the Fox Valley area. The band is conducted by Meyer, who also conducts the New Horizons Band and coordinates the Academy’s residential summer Music Camp.

The Wind Ensemble is conducted by Michael J. Ross, who is also director of bands at Appleton West High School, and was recently appointed conductor of the Green Bay Symphony Youth Orchestra. The ensemble provides advanced high school band students with opportunities to become acquainted with music specifically composed and arranged for the soloistic possibilities of wind ensembles. It is open by audition to talented wind, brass, and percussion players in grades 9-12 from throughout Northeastern Wisconsin.

The Honors Band and Wind Ensemble will hold auditions for the 2007-08 season on April 29. For more information, call the Academy at 920-993-6278.

APPLETON, WIS. — The Lawrence Academy of Music String Orchestra (ASTRO) along with the Fox Valley Symphony Philharmonia Strings present their spring concert at 3:00 p.m. Sunday, March 18 in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. Tickets are $6, and will be available beginning Monday, March 5 at the Lawrence University Box Office or by phone at 920-832-6749.

This concert features a varied and appealing program for the young and old alike. Of note on the program for ASTRO is “Follow the Drinking Gourd” arranged by Carrie Lane Gruselle, the lead teacher of the Academy’s String Project. A composer and arranger of international reputation, Gruselle’s compositions have been featured in national conventions and played by honors orchestras across the nation. The Fox Valley Symphony Philharmonia Strings program includes music by Franz Joseph Haydn, Johann Sebastian Bach, Johannes Brahms, and Duke Ellington.

ASTRO, an auditioned ensemble for talented and highly motivated string players, includes 63 young musicians in grades four though eight. The ensemble is conducted by Linda Calhan, who currently teaches orchestra at Madison Middle School in Appleton, teaches strings techniques classes at the Lawrence Conservatory of Music, and has a private cello studio.

The Fox Valley Symphony Philharmonia Strings are conducted by Greg Austin, who teaches orchestra at Roosevelt Middle School, and Edison, Columbus, and Franklin elementary schools in Appleton. The Fox Valley Symphony Philharmonia Strings provide music education for children in grades seven through 10. The group offers young musicians the opportunity to perform with other top players from the Fox Cities area, such as ASTRO.

APPLETON, WIS. — The Lawrence University student organization ¡VIVA! presents “Muevelo,” an evening of Hispanic heritage and culture Saturday, March 3 from 8:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. at Harmony Cafe, 124 N. Oneida St. in downtown Appleton. The event is free and open to the public.

“Muevelo,” Spanish for “move it,” an outreach event sponsored in part by the Lawrence Spanish department, is designed to promote community interaction and raise awareness about and celebrate Hispanic culture. The event will feature a variety of Latin music, including bachata, reggaeton, merengue, cumbia and salsa. Beginning at 9 p.m., Latin dance lessons will be taught by Lawrence students. Chips and salsa also will be provided.

Families are encouraged to attend and bring their children. Student volunteers from Lawrence’s chapter of Circle K will provide entertainment and activities for the children in a safe environment separate from the adults.

“Muevelo” is a follow-up to last year’s similar “Salupiesdes” program, which drew a packed house.

“We weren’t quite sure what to expect when we held our event last year, but we had such an outstanding response from campus and the community that it movitated us to try it again this year,” said ¡VIVA! secretary Marissa Vallette. “We certainly hope to repeat that success this year with Muevelo. It’s an opportunity for Lawrence students and members of the broader Fox Cities communities to interact with each other in a fun and entertaining atmosphere.”

¡VIVA! is a student organization dedicated to promoting cultural discourse and Hispanic awareness within the Lawrence campus and the greater community through programming, special events, speakers, field trips and community service projects.

APPLETON, WIS. — Philosopher, moralist and gay rights advocate John Corvino explores the ways sexual orientation fits into the broader discussion of diversity in an address at Lawrence University.

Corvino, an assistant professor of philosophy at Wayne State University, presents “Homosexuality, Morality and Diversity” Tuesday, Feb. 27 at 8 p.m. in Riverview Lounge of the Lawrence Memorial Union. The event is free and open to the public.

The presentation will focus on ways of fostering respect for diverse social relationships while also respecting an individual’s moral and religious convictions. Corvino also will examine the prospects and pitfalls of analogies between sexual orientation and race, religion and other diversity issues.

A specialist in ethical theory and applied ethics, Corvino has been speaking and writing on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) issues for more than a decade. He wrote the introduction for, and served as editor of, the 1997 book “Same Sex: Debating the Ethics, Science and Culture of Homosexuality.”

He has written for a variety of regional and national print publications and is the author of more than a dozen articles published in various scholarly anthologies, among them “Do We Need Minority Rights?,” “Ethics in Practice” and “The Philosophy of Sex.”

In 2004, the Detroit City Council recognized Corvino for his work on behalf of GLBT rights with its Spirit of Detroit Award.

Corvino has taught in the philosophy department at Wayne State since 1998. He earned a bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University and holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Texas.

His appearance is co-sponsored by SOUP (Student Organization for University Programming) and the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity Center.

APPLETON, WIS. — Developmental psychologist Colleen Conley returns to her alma mater to discuss her recent research on the factors that contribute to the different rates of depression in adolescent males and females in a Lawrence University Science Hall Colloquium.

Conley, assistant professor of psychology at Knox College and a 1997 Lawrence graduate, presents “The Emerging Sex Difference in Adolescent Depression: Interacting Contributions of Puberty and Peer Stress” Monday, Feb. 26 at 3:15 p.m. in Science Hall Room 102. The event is free and open to the public.

Females, both in adolescence and as adults, tend to experience higher incidences of depression. Conley will examine when those different rates between boys and girls first begin to emerge. She also will discuss the factors that trigger that response, such as the quality of, and stress levels within, peer relationships.

A member of the Knox faculty since 2005, Conley’s research focuses on the characteristics, contexts and mechanisms that place adolescent girls and young women at elevated risk for internalizing problems, including depression, anxiety, self-injurious behavior, body image and eating disorders.

After earning a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in psychology and Spanish from Lawrence, Conley earned a master’s and a doctorate degree in psychology from the University of Illinois.

APPLETON, WIS. — Composer Christopher Burns has been invited to do a composer-in-residence program at Lawrence University Sunday, February 25 through Tuesday, February 27. Burns, an assistant professor of composition and technology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, gives several free and open to the public concerts during his time at Lawrence.

New Music at Lawrence takes place at 8:00 p.m. Sunday in Harper Hall. This concert features music by Burns, Feyertag, Fitkin, Karner, and more. On Monday, an open rehearsal with the Improvisation Group at Lawrence University (IGLU) and Burns takes place at 1:45 p.m. in the jazz room, located in room 46 of the Music-Drama Center. At 8:00 p.m. Monday evening, Burns presents “Drones and Monsters,” an electronic music concert featuring Burns’ compositions, in the Wriston Auditorium. Finally, on Tuesday Burns presents a composition seminar at 2:30 p.m. in room 142 of the Music-Drama Center.

Burns, a composer of chamber and electroacoustic music, teaches composition and technology at UW-Milwaukee. Previously, he served as the technical director of the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics at Stanford University. Burns is also an active concert producer. He co-founded and produced the strictly Ballroom series at Stanford, presenting 37 programs of contemporary music from 2000-04. He is currently a co-director of the San Francisco-based sfSoundSeries, which presents new chamber music, improvisation, music theatre, and electroacoustic music.

For more information on any of these events, please call 920-832-6612.

APPLETON, WIS. — Lawrence University will play host to two choir events this weekend, Friday, February 23 and Saturday, February 24.

The Lawrence University choirs present “A Century Apart” at 8:00 p.m. Friday, February 23 in the Lawrence Memorial Chapel. This concert is free and open to the public.

The concert features music that discusses the same topic some centuries apart, such as the sun and its rebirth, praising God with instruments, love lost and hoped for, and more. The concert includes selections sung by the Viking Chorale, Cantala, and the Concert Choir under the direction of Richard Bjella and Phillip A. Swan. The program includes “Exultate justi in Domino” by Viadana, “Amor” (“Lamento della ninfa”) by Monteverdi, “Sing a New Song to the Lord” by Paul Basler, “When David Heard” by Norman Dinerstein, “Effortlessly Love Flows” by Aaron Jay Kernis, “Hymne du Soleil” (“Hymn to the Sun”) by Lili Boulanger, and more.

In addition to the Friday night concert, the Viking Choral Festival will be held on Friday and Saturday, culminating in a free concert Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church Sanctuary, 325 E. Franklin St., Appleton.

Five high school choirs have been selected to participate in the Viking Choral Festival based on their excellence and reputation as outstanding choir programs throughout Wisconsin. The choirs selected to participate in this year’s Festival include Fond du Lac High School Concert Choir conducted by Cory Schneider; Middleton High School Concert Choir conducted by Thomas Mielke; Oshkosh West High School Chorale conducted by Herb Berendsen; Manitowoc Lincoln Chamber Choir conducted by David Bowman; and Hartford Union High School Concert Choir conducted by Stephanie Klockow. The choirs will participate in clinics and workshops throughout Friday and Saturday.

The concert Saturday afternoon includes works by Brahms, Stroope, Martini, Tchaikovsky, Handel, and more. All five schools will perform in the Viking Festival Choir and perform the finale under the direction of Paul Nesheim, assistant professor and director of choral activities at Minnesota State University-Moorhead. Nesheim is a frequent clinician and guest conductor for high school festival and honor clinics, including the 2004-05 Minnesota All-Men’s Choir.

APPLETON, WIS. — Michael Beaderstadt and Asher Perlman earned invitations to the 2008 Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship Competition following exceptional performances in Lawrence University’s recent production of Jeffrey Hatcher’s social satire “Smash.” The Ryan scholarship competition is part of the annual American College Theatre Festival.

Beaderstadt, a senior from McHenry, Ill., and Perlman, a junior from Madison, will be among more than 300 student actors vying for a $500 scholarship next January at the five-state regional competition in Milwaukee co-hosted by Marquette University and Cardinal Stritch College.

Winners at next year’s eight regional competitions will advance to the ACTF’s national auditions at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in April, 2008.

In Lawrence’s four-show production of the high-style British comedy staged Feb. 15-18, Beaderstadt portrayed Chichester Erskine, a romantic poet with less-than-polished social skills. Perlman played the leading role of Sidney Trefusis, a millionaire who, shortly after taking his wedding vows, embarks on a quest to bring a socialist revolution to England.

Kathy Privatt, associate professor of theatre arts, directed the production.

“Smash” stage manager Brianna Stapleton, a sophomore from Pardeeville, also earned ACTF recognition. She was nominated to serve as stage manager of the 10 minute play festival at next January’s regional competition. Winners for the stage managing competition will be announced in December.

The ACTF was founded in 1969 to recognize and celebrate the finest and most exciting work produced in college theatre programs and provide opportunities for participants to develop their theatre skills. Conducted since 1972, the Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship was established in the will of the late actress, best known for her role as the lovable and feisty ‘Granny Clampett’ on the TV hit show “The Beverly Hillbillies.”