The UMD School of Music’s National Orchestral Institute and Festival (NOI) welcomes nearly 100 talented orchestral musicians for four weeks of dynamic music-making, June 6–29, 2013, at the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center.
Contemporary chamber music rockstars eighth blackbird performed here at the Center in March and were even kind enough to compile a playlist of some of their favorite music!
Click here to listen to it, and keep reading for their comments on some of their selections.
It was during a flamenco class at the University of Maryland that School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies professor Karen Kohn Bradley and Dr. Jose Contreras-Vidal realized they shared a common interest in movement analysis. Curious about the effects that dancing has on the brain, the duo ultimately decided to take their mutual interest to the next step and conduct experiments into what changes happen in the brain when a person dances.
Their project, which Bradley calls “Your Brain on Dance: The neural symphony of expressive movement” explores ways the body expresses personality, emotions and beliefs through movement, and the ways in which movement changes the brain. Bradley and Contreras-Vidal selected a number of skilled dancers to don an EEG brain cap. This enabled them to examine the effects that dancing has on the brain.
The livestream of A Meeting of Two Oceans: Dialogue on Sufism and Buddhism will be viewable through this link on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 between 1:45PM and 3PM EST. Please note that Microsoft Silverlight must be installed
It’s been said “Everything is designed. Few things are designed well.” But well-designed things are a joy to experience, and that’s what you’ll find at the 2013 MFA Design Exhibition, which can be enjoyed in two different locations this year.
Sidney Chen is a member of Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble, and will perform in her newest music-theatre work On Behalf of Nature here at the Center on May 4. He is a founding member of The M6, a vocal sextet dedicated to Monk's music, and also works as the Artistic Administrator for Kronos Quartet.
Sidney also took the time to compile a playlist of some of his favorite music. Click here to listen to it, and keep reading for his commentary on his selections.
The press has called her “the elegant American soprano Linda Mabbs, acclaimed for the excellence and versatility of her performances”. Ms. Mabbs has performed with some of the world’s leading orchestras, collaborated with esteemed conductors and presented recitals in some of the finest venues throughout the world. But when she is in her role as professor of voice for the UMD School of Music, her attention is completely on her students and preparing them for their own careers.
Jack Kay has been called a visionary for a number of reasons. He led the successful real estate management firm, Kay Management and developed thousands of homes in suburban Maryland communities like Kemp Mill Village after World War II. But perhaps his greatest pioneering work was done as a philanthropist, particularly in the performing arts.
This post is by Kate Gibson, one of our Production Coordinators.
This was my first trip to the USITT conference, and I spent a good deal wishing I had even known about it as a student. I attended this conference coming from the perspective of someone who manages theatre. This could mean a variety of things: stage management, production management, theatre management. And, there is a definitive “Management” track that is a part of the conference. Much else is geared towards the actual technical aspects of the theatre and the educational perspective. So, while my colleagues were mingling with various vendors, former colleagues, and classmates, I spent a great deal of time getting back to my roots.
How do you get to the Kennedy Center Stage? Practice, practice, practice. And it helps to be one of the lucky students who work with UMD School of Theatre, Dance, and Performance Studies professor Scot Reese.
