Moss Arts Center 2016-2017 Fall Guide

2016/2017 FALL EDITION

PERFORMANCES l EXHIBITIONS l EXPERIENCES

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Dear Friends, Our 2016-2017 season features a rich mix of programs you have come to expect and reflects our core priorities—diverse voices and viewpoints, fresh new works and artists, learning and engagement, and inspired global expressions. Whether you’re seeking the comfort and reverie of timeless classics, deeper encounters with history and ideas, or the thrill of new experimental forms, there is something to relish in every experience at the Moss Arts Center.

Be curious—savor the familiar and sample something new!

Ruth Waalkes Associate Provost for the Arts Executive Director, Moss Arts Center

SEASON AT A GLANCE AUGUST 17-21 ARCHITECTS OF AIR 27 PARACHUTE

SEPTEMBER 9 AN EVENING WITH EDGAR MEYER,

DOUBLE BASS 14 RAJAB SULEIMAN & KITHARA 18 BASSEM YOUSSEF, THE JOKE IS MIGHTER THAN THE SWORD 23 HAVANA CUBA ALL-STARS, CUBAN NIGHTS

OCTOBER 1 8 12 21

JAGWA MUSIC HARLEM QUARTET OPERA ROANOKE, SOUTH PACIFIC LYNN HERSHMAN LEESON, ARTIST LECTURE 28 LYNDA BARRY, WHAT IT IS

NOVEMBER 5 THE KANDINSKY TRIO WITH KURT ROSENWINKEL, GUITAR & PAUL LANGOSCH, BASS 11 CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER, DESTINATION VIENNA 17 KYLE ABRAHAM/ABRAHAM.IN.MOTION, MIXED REPERTORY

DECEMBER 3 ROANOKE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, HOLIDAY POPS 11 BIG BAND HOLIDAYS JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA WITH WYNTON MARSALIS AND SPECIAL GUEST CATHERINE RUSSELL

JANUARY 28 RAISIN’ CANE: A HARLEM RENAISSANCE ODYSSEY STARRING JASMINE GUY 31 AN EVENING WITH JUSTIN CRONIN

FEBRUARY 4 NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF UKRAINE WITH ALEXEI GRYNYUK, PIANO 10-11 CIRCUS OZ, STRAIGHT UP 18 A FAR CRY WITH ROOMFUL OF TEETH 24 TAJ EXPRESS: THE BOLLYWOOD MUSICAL REVUE

MARCH 3 TWYLA THARP, 50th ANNIVERSARY TOUR 10 DORI FREEMAN 12 ROANOKE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, MASTERWORKS: MUSICAL TRAVELOGUE 17-18 (BE)LONGING 24 KID KOALA, NUFONIA MUST FALL

APRIL 1-2 SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA BALLET, ROMEO AND JULIET 8 SECRET AGENT 23 SKIDOO 22 STUART PIMSLER DANCE & THEATER, MATINEE

MAY 5 NEW YORK GILBERT & SULLIVAN PLAYERS, H.M.S. PINAFORE

All venues are in the Moss Arts Center, except Architects of Air, which is on the Virginia Tech Drillfield; Jagwa Music, which is on Henderson Lawn; !Women Art Revolution, which is at the Lyric Theatre; and the Virginia Tech Science Festival, which is in multiple locations, including the Moss Arts Center.

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

Programs are subject to change.

A HOKIE HI EVENT:

ARCHITECTS OF AIR ARBORIA

Wednesday, August 17–Sunday, August 21, 2016, 1–7 PM VIRGINIA TECH DRILLFIELD

Luminarium designed by Alan Parkinson The monumental and interactive walk-in sculptures of Architects of Air have astounded audiences across the globe. The luminarium offers a dazzling maze of winding paths and soaring domes, where Islamic architecture, Archimedean solids, and Gothic cathedrals meld into an inspiring monument to the beauty of light and color and visitors can happily lose themselves. Built in 2015, Arboria is dedicated to the theme of trees. These combinations of cones and spheres give rise to a brightly luminous tree trunk and branches that reach overhead.

The installation awakens all the senses, creating a sense of wonder and enchantment. Visitors are transported and immersed into an amazing world of light and subtle and saturated hues for a unique sensory experience that brings visual art to a place where you wouldn’t expect it.

Visitors will hear sounds from the Ecuadorian Cloud Forest Reserve, recorded by musician and soundscape ecologist Alice Eldridge.

All children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult (maximum four children per adult). This event is wheelchair accessible.

For more information on Architects of Air, please visit www.architects-of-air.com.

Free

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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A HOKIE HI EVENT:

PARACHUTE Saturday, August 27, 2016, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE

Homegrown Virginia band Parachute took root in Charlottesville, where it honed its mix of pop/ rock, funk, and contemporary blue-eyed soul. The band has released smash singles like She is Love (#1 on iTunes) and Can’t Help (the first single from the band’s 2013 album, Overnight, which debuted at #15 on the Billboard Top 200 chart). The band’s newest album, Wide Awake, was released earlier this year.

This event is a Moss Arts Center Ambassadors’ Student Choice concert.

From left to right: Moss Arts Center Ambassadors Briley Conder, Jamie Lindsay, Emily Barritt, Logan Fry, Jamie Wiggert, and Katie Genre with President Tim Sands

$20 general admission, $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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FALL 2016 EXHIBITIONS September–December 2016 ALL GALLERIES, ALL FREE This suite of four one-person exhibitions by women artists deals inventively with the female persona, addressing various aspects of being a woman with all the strengths, vulnerabilities, and challenges entailed. Steeped in myth, allegory, and history, but rooted in telling realities, these works of art weave intriguing stories and tales imbued with fantasy—at times disarming and seductive, sometimes witty and humorous, at times incisive, sometimes scathing.

They explore alter egos, ambiguous imaginary persona, and personal and political history as a vehicle to probe and understand the female self.

SUSAN JAMISON: ENCHANTMENT September 1–October 8, 2016 RUTH C. HORTON GALLERY Drawing from a rich trove of sources ranging from Renaissance portraiture to tattoo traditions, Jamison’s egg tempera paintings incorporate personal narratives, myths, folk tales, and dreams to portray a vision of the archetypal woman as magical, innocently sensual, and strong, yet potentially vulnerable. In her paintings threads connect but also bind, needles threaten, and darkened veins envelop her maidens’ heads as if mapping their bodies and souls. Jamison’s paintings seem like parables that probe what it means to be female in both interior and exterior worlds. Jamison lives and works in Roanoke, Virginia.

Thursday, September 1, 2016, 5-7 PM OPENING RECEPTION GRAND LOBBY Thursday, September 1, 2016, 6 PM ARTIST TALK: SUSAN JAMISON RUTH C. HORTON GALLERY Susan Jamison, Good Luck Couture, 2008 Egg tempera on panel, 24 x 18 inches Collection of the Eleanor D. Wilson Museum, Hollins University Image courtesy of the artist

KENYATTA A.C. HINKLE September 8–November 28, 2016 FRANCIS T. ECK EXHIBITION CORRIDOR In a series of works on paper, wood panel, and photo transparencies, Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle explores what she describes as the “historical present,” which speaks to the residue of history and how it affects our contemproary world perspectives. Her focus is primarily on the Black female body and how perceptions of it have been distorted within the visual cultures of the past and present. With fluid and imaginative renderings in India ink and acrylic paint, she draws directly onto colonial images of West African women, interrupting colonial narratives and creating a hypermythic territory that critiques the history of racism—its impact on female identity and its consequences in the world in which we live. Hinkle lives and works in Los Angeles, California.

Sunday, September 18, 2016, 6:30 PM ARTIST TALK: KENYATTA A.C. HINKLE MERRYMAN FAMILY LEARNING STUDIO Kenyatta A.C. Hinkle, Tituba Becomes the Night, 2014 India ink, graphite, and charcoal on Arches cover paper, 54.5 x 44.5 inches Private collection, courtesy of Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco, California/New York, New York

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www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

AMY CUTLER September 15–December 10, 2016

MILES C. HORTON JR. GALLERY AND SHERWOOD PAYNE QUILLEN ’71 RECEPTION GALLERY Amy Cutler’s exquisitely detailed drawings, prints, and gouache-on-paper paintings are informed by many sources, including folk art, Persian miniatures, medieval art, Japanese ukiyo-e prints, and the Brothers Grimm fairy tales. Cutler’s works weave utterly fantastical stories by women engaged in the most surreal and unlikely tasks. Immensely intriguing, these works delineate the many absurdities and challenges that often characterize women’s lives—their prescribed roles, their fears, and their dreams—while also presenting a fictional utopia of strong and self-reliant women. Cutler lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

Thursday, September 15, 2016, 5–7 PM OPENING RECEPTION SHERWOOD PAYNE QUILLEN ‘71 RECEPTION GALLERY Thursday, September 15, 2016, 6 PM ARTIST TALK: AMY CUTLER MILES C. HORTON JR. GALLERY Amy Cutler, Above the Fjord, 2010 (detail), gouache on paper, 29 x 41 ¼ inches Collection of the artist, Courtesy of Leslie Tonkonow Artworks + Projects, New York

LYNN HERSHMAN LEESON October 20–December 10, 2016 RUTH C. HORTON GALLERY Lynn Hershman Leeson is internationally recongnized as one of the first and most influential artists to use media and new technologies in her art. Her work examines the relationship between humans and technology with a focus on the construction of identity, interactivity, artificial intelligence, voyeurism, surveillance, and the relationship of the real to the virtual. A number of her works have revolved around invented female persona, alter egos, or avatars as a means to probe identity and its increasingly fluid and mercurial manifestations. Her work has recently expanded across gender lines to focus on what it means to be human in an increasingly cyber world and an era of bio- and genetic engineering. Leeson lives and works in San Francisco and New York City.

A related exhibition of Leeson’s work will take place concurrently at the Armory Gallery, 203 Draper Road, Blacksburg, from October 18–November 18, 2016.

Leeson will speak at the Moss Arts Center on Friday, October 21 (see page 36).

Leeson with art

Lynn Hershman Leeson, Roberta’s Construction Chart 1, 1975 From the series Roberta Breitmore Archival digital print and dye transfer, 35.6 x 23 inches Collection of the artist, courtesy of Bridget Donahue Gallery, New York, New York

Tuesday, October 18, 2016, 7 PM !WOMEN ART REVOLUTION, A FILM BY LYNN HERSHMAN LEESON LYRIC THEATRE

Lynn Hershman Leeson’s groundbreaking film presents interviews with visionary artists, historians, curators, and critics documenting one of the most significant art movements of the late 20th century—the recognition of female artists and the evolution of the feminist art movement.

Co-sponsored by the School of Visual Arts, the Women’s Center at Virginia Tech, The Lyric Theatre, and the Moss Arts Center Free www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Fresh

AN EVENING WITH EDGAR MEYER, DOUBLE BASS

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Meyer is equally at home in classical music, bluegrass, and jazz, and his compositions take in elements of all of those fields in a kind of seamless, engaging outpouring.

Moss Arts Center Fourth Season Opening Performance

—The Washington Post

Friday, September 9, 2016, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Music Fresh

Transcend musical boundaries—from Bach to bluegrass—during an evening performance featuring musician and composer Edgar Meyer, his acoustic bass, and his unique mix of musical selections. The program will include a Bach cello suite, a three-movement original solo work composed by Meyer, and a less formal second half announced from the stage.

Appreciated by a varied audience for his unparalleled technique combined with a gift for composition, his uniqueness in the field earned him a MacArthur Award in 2002. Meyer has received five Grammy awards for his collaborative work, including Best Folk Album in 2012 and Best Contemporary Instrumental Album in 2015. In 2000 he became the only bassist to receive the coveted Avery Fisher Prize. His list of collaborators reflects the unique niche he’s carved in the musical world. Meyer has worked with some of the world’s top musicians from a variety of genres, including Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Stuart Duncan, Chris Thile, and Mark O’Connor.

Category A $55 | Category B $40 | Category C $25 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Timeless

Global

RAJAB SULEIMAN & KITHARA

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Without nostalgia or sentimentality, [Kithara] renews the scintillating taarab in all its acoustic subtlety and enchantment.

—lesinrocks.com (France)

Wednesday, September 14, 2016, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Music, world Timeless, Global (Zanzibar)

The lush sights and sounds of Zanzibar are embodied in taarab music, which has defined the island’s aural landscape for over a century. Renowned for its mix of Arabic and western instruments, diva-worthy vocalizations, and Swahili lyrics, this venerable form is ambitiously renewed by Rajab Suleiman & Kithara.

“Zanzibar is an island where many people have come to live and trade for many centuries, so our music is a mix of African, Arab, Indian, and also European influences,” Suleiman muses. “It’s not all that different from America, in that way.”

This marks the ensemble’s debut tour to the United States, as part of Center StageSM, an exchange program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, produced by the New England Foundation for the Arts.

$25 general admission, $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Deeper Global

BASSEM YOUSSEF

THE JOKE IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD

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Youssef’s satirical takes on politics first earned him millions of hits on YouTube, then the epithet of ‘Egypt’s Jon Stewart.’

—The Guardian

Sunday, September 18, 2016, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Spoken word, comedy Deeper, Global (Egypt)

Egyptian satirist and former cardiac surgeon, Bassem Youssef created and hosted AlBernameg (The Program), a first-of-its-kind satirical news program that aired from 2011 to 2014 in the Middle East. It became the most popular television show in Egypt’s history, with an average of 30 million viewers every week. Comedian Jon Stewart and his television show The Daily Show inspired Youssef to begin his career, and the two have guest starred on each other’s programs.

AlBernameg’s humorous yet bold criticism of the region’s ruling powers was controversial.

Lawsuits were filed against the show and its host, and Youssef was issued an arrest warrant in March 2013. He turned himself in and was questioned for five hours, being subsequently released on bail. The AlBernameg team held a press conference in June 2014, and Youssef announced the termination of the show due to overwhelming pressures on both the show and the airing channel.

In 2013, Youssef was named one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World” by TIME magazine and one of Foreign Policy magazine’s list of “100 Leading Global Thinkers.” He also received the International Press Freedom Award in 2013 from the Committee to Protect Journalists. $25 general admission, $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Joyful

Global

HAVANA CUBA ALL-STARS CUBAN NIGHTS

Friday, September 23, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Music, world Joyful, Global (Cuba)

Embrace the rich culture of Cuba with the Havana Cuba All-Stars’ fresh sound and inventive songwriting. Direct from Havana and drawing inspiration from traditional Cuban Son—a genre that evolved into Salsa—the All-Stars celebrate the songs and music of the rich culture of the Cuban people for this electrifying concert.

With this debut U.S. tour of Cuba’s greatest musicians, Cuban Nights embraces the extraordinary musical legacy and traditions of the Cuban musical art form, staying true to an acoustic base. The Havana Cuba All-Stars is composed of the nation’s most prominent musicians and is devoted to promoting the entire tapestry of Cuban music, showcasing the great musical traditions of the Cuban people.

RELATED EVENTS Friday, September 23, 2016 SCHOOL-DAY PERFORMANCE: HAVANA CUBA ALL-STARS STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Since the Moss Arts Center’s opening in 2013, nearly 12,000 students, teachers, parents, and chaperones have participated in the center’s free performing and visual arts activities. The popular series continues in 2016-2017, kicking off with the Havana Cuba All-Stars.

This event is for grades 7 through 12; is open to public, private, and homeschool communities; and is tailored to the Virginia Standards of Learning.

Free; reservations required. For reservations or more information on how to deepen your students’ learning through these arts programs, email rjginn@vt.edu.

Friday, September 23, 2016, 6 PM MIX #attheMAC CUBE Join your friends and make new connections during this evening event for young professionals. Mix #attheMAC includes a reception with hors d’oeuvres, one complimentary drink and a cash bar, and a ticket to the Havana Cuba All-Stars at 7:30 p.m.

Supported in part by a gift from Bill and Vickie Epstein

Presented in partnership with Up on the Roof and Blacksburg Young Professionals

Category A $55 | Category B $40 | Category C $25 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

$30 per person (price includes performance and reception)

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Fresh Global

JAGWA MUSIC Saturday, October 1, 2016, 4 PM HENDERSON LAWN Music, world Fresh, Global (Tanzania)

There’s no better way to experience Jagwa Music’s high-energy street vibe than with a dance party! Part of Virginia Tech’s Family Weekend, this free outdoor concert will have the community moving to fresh sounds. Described by critics as “hand-made techno” or “African nu-rave,” Jagwa Music embraces the Mchiriku style, which originated 20 years ago in the poor suburbs of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The sound reflects a time when cheap Casio keyboards became available and drew the attention of bands that were playing Chakacha dance music. The group loved the Casio’s lo-fi sound, hooking the instrument to vintage amps and megaphones to create a gritty, edgy, distortion-laden sound that was rechristened Mchiriku. Jagwa Music has a large following in Dar es Salaam, where their songs reflect everyday urban life.

The presentation of Jagwa Music is part of Center StageSM, a public diplomacy initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts in cooperation with the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations, with support from the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art. Center Stage Pakistan is made possible by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan. General management is provided by Lisa Booth Management, Inc. (Rain location: Street and Davis Performance Hall, Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre)

Free

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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VIRGINIA TECH WIND ENSEMBLE/ SYMPHONY BAND

UNDER WESTERN SKIES

Sunday, October 2, 2016, 3 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE

This School of Performing Arts performance features student musicians. This program is named after the composition by Kevin McKee, which evokes the flavor of the desert and western landscape. Other pieces include John Philip Sousa’s El Capitan, and H. Owen Reed’s La Fiesta Mexicana, among other selections.

$10 general | $7 students

VIRGINIA TECH SCIENCE FESTIVAL Saturday, October 8, 2016, 10 AM-3 PM CUBE AND ALL LOBBIES, AND NEWMAN LIBRARY, ALUMNI MALL, HENDERSON LAWN, AND COLLEGE AVENUE IN DOWNTOWN BLACKSBURG

The Virginia Tech Science Festival, co-presented by the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology; other partners at Virginia Tech; and the Science Museum of Western Virginia, is an expo-style, family-friendly event. Science is bigger than you think! The festival provides families hands-on experiences, interactive demonstrations, and techno entertainment that will inspire a wonder in science for all ages. Meet scientists and researchers who solve all kinds of problems.

The Week of Science leading up to the festival includes a school preview day hosted by the Science Museum of Western Virginia, a Maker Festival in the National Capital Region, and the Southwest Virginia STEM Summit.

Free

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Timeless

HARLEM QUARTET

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The Harlem Quartet is bringing a new attitude to classical music, one that is fresh, bracing, and intelligent.

Saturday, October 8, 2016, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Music, chamber Timeless

Become immersed in the energy of this young ensemble in a program that will mix classic greats with jazz, including string quartets from Beethoven and Mendelssohn and jazz standards from Dizzy Gillespie and more. Praised for its “panache” by The New York Times, the Harlem Quartet advances diversity in classical music and engages young and new audiences through the discovery and presentation of varied repertoire.

Since their debut in 2006 at Carnegie Hall, the Harlem Quartet has performed throughout the U.S. and in France, the U.K., Belgium, Panama, Canada, and South Africa. They have collaborated with violinist Itzhak Perlman, cellist Carter Brey, and clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera, as well as with jazz legends Chick Corea and Gary Burton, whom they joined for their six-month Hot House tour in 2012. In 2009 they performed for President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House and appeared Christmas morning on NBC’s Today Show.

—Cincinnati Enquirer RELATED EVENTS Friday, October 7, 2016 SCHOOL-DAY PERFORMANCE: HARLEM QUARTET STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Since the Moss Arts Center’s opening in 2013, nearly 12,000 students, teachers, parents, and chaperones have participated in the center’s free performing and visual arts activities.

This event is for children in grades 2 through 12 and is open to public, private, and homeschool communities and tailored to the Virginia Standards of Learning.

Free; reservations required. For reservations or more information on how to deepen your students’ learning through these arts programs, email Jon CatherwoodGinn at rjginn@vt.edu.

Supported in part by a gift from Intimate Voices Category A $55 | Category B $40 | Category C $25 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Joyful

OPERA ROANOKE

SOUTH PACIFIC Music by Richard Rodgers Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II Book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan Scott Williamson, artistic director and conductor J. J. Hudson, stage director featuring Corey Crider, as Emile De Becque Ariana Wyatt, as Nellie Forbush and the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra Wednesday, October 12, 2016, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Theatre, musical Joyful

The center proudly presents Opera Roanoke’s fully staged production, with orchestra, of this timeless Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway blockbuster for one night only in Blacksburg.

Known for its extraordinary score and adapted from James Michener’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Tales of the South Pacific, this classic American musical is set on an island paradise during World War II. Against this backdrop, two parallel love stories bloom and are threatened by the dangers of prejudice and war.

Supported in part by a gift from Jeanne Stosser Category A $75 | Category B $60 | Category C $40 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Deeper

LYNN HERSHMAN LEESON Friday, October 21, 2016, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Artist Lecture Deeper

This 2016 Southeastern College Art Conference (SECAC) keynote address is co-sponsored by the School of Visual Arts and the Moss Arts Center. Please see more activity on and around campus by Leeson on page 6 of this guide.

Free

VIRGINIA TECH CHOIRS Sunday, October 23, 2016, 3 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE

This School of Performing Arts performance features student artists and guest vocalist Corey Crider. A two-time semi-finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council auditions and a finalist in Houston Grand Opera’s Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers, Crider took fourth prize in the Florida Grand Opera Young Patronesses of the Opera Voice Competition. He is an alumnus of the artist diploma program at the University of Cincinnatti College-Conservatory of Music, as well as of the University of Kentucky (master of music) and Murray State University (bachelor of music).

$10 general | $7 students

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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© Lynda Barry

Deeper

LYNDABARRY WHAT IT IS

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Barry is not just a storyteller, she’s an evangelist who urges people to pick up a pen—or a brush…and look at their own lives with fresh, forgiving eyes.

Friday, October 28, 2016, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Spoken word, author (adult themes and language, not suitable for all audiences)

Expand and challenge your personal values about artistic expression with this talk by author and cartoonist Lynda Barry.

Widely credited with expanding the literary, thematic, and emotional range of American comics, Barry’s seminal comic strip, Ernie Pook’s Comeek, ran in alternative newspapers across North America for 30 years. Witty, wildly imaginative, and compassionate, Barry has authored 21 books, worked as a commentator for NPR, and had regular features in Esquire, Mother Jones, Mademoiselle, and Salon.

She currently is assistant professor in Interdisciplinary Creativity at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and prefaces her talk: “There is something common to everything we call the arts. What is it? It’s something I call ‘an image,’ something that feels alive and is contained and transported by something that is not alive—a book, or a song or a painting—anything we call an ‘art form.’ This ancient ‘it’ has been around at least as long as we have had hands, and the state of mind it brings about is not plain old ‘thinking.’

This talk is about of our innate creative ability to work with images and what the biological function of this thing we call ‘the arts’ may be. Please note: There will be swear words, party tricks, and jokes about balls.”

—San Francisco Chronicle

RELATED EVENTS Friday, October 28, 2016, 10 AM QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION: LYNDA BARRY CUBE For true Lynda Barry fans! Join a dialogue with visiting author Lynda Barry, making familiarity with her work necessary, about her approach to writing and cartooning.

Presented in collaboration with the Virginia Tech Department of English Visiting Writers Series Free; admission first-come, first-served, but to guarantee your seat, register through the box office Friday, October 28, 2016, following the performance MEET THE ARTIST: LYNDA BARRY GRAND LOBBY Following the performance, join the author for this book-signing event. Lynda Barry’s books will be available for purchase.

Free

Presented in partnership with the Department of English Visiting Writer Series

$25 general admission, $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Timeless

NEW RIVER VALLEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Wednesday, November 2, 2016, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE

This School of Performing Arts performance features student and community artists. The New River Valley Symphony Orchestra kicks off its season with Haydn’s Concerto for Two Horns; Bizet’s Carmen Suite No. 1; and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol. Wallace Easter and Abigail Pack are the featured horn soloists.

$10 general | $7 students

THE KANDINSKY TRIO with KURT ROSENWINKEL, guitar PAUL LANGOSCH, bass Saturday, November 5, 2016, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Music, classical/jazz Timeless

Now in its 29th season, the Kandinsky Trio is celebrating one of the longest and most successful artist residencies in the United States, with more than 1,000 concerts performed in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. The trio—Elizabeth Bachelder, piano; Benedict Goodfriend, violin; and Alan Weinstein, cello—will perform Beethoven’s Trio, op. 1, no. 3, and jazz greats Kurt Rosenwinkel and Paul Langosch will play a set and join the trio for John D’earth’s Natural Bridge, composed for piano trio, jazz guitar, and bass. Composer and jazz trumpeter D’earth wrote Natural Bridge for the Kandinsky Trio in 2001, creating a beautiful new sonic experience mixing classical and jazz idioms.

Category A $45 | Category B $35 | Category C $20 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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VIRGINIA TECH JAZZ ENSEMBLE with KURT ROSENWINKEL, guitar PAUL LANGOSCH, bass ALBERMARLE HIGH SCHOOL Jazz Ensemble Friday, November 4, 2016, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE

This School of Performing Arts performance features student and community artists. Guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel is one of the world’s preeminent jazz guitarists. Listen as Rosenwinkel and bassist Paul Langosch join the Virginia Tech Jazz Ensemble for an evening of outstanding big band jazz. The program will also feature the Albermarle High School Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Greg Thomas.

$10 general | $7 students

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Timeless

CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER DESTINATION VIENNA

with Sean Lee and Alexander Sitkovetsky (violin); Matthew Lipman and Richard O’Neill (viola); and David Finckel and Keith Robinson (cello)

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Superb playing...a gorgeous outpouring of lyricism.

Friday, November 11, 2016, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Music, classical Timeless

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center draws more people to chamber music than any other organization of its kind through its performance, education, and recording and broadcast activities. Listeners ranging from connoisseurs to chamber music newcomers of all ages enjoy diverse repertoire from over three centuries and numerous premieres by living composers.

“

—The New York Times RELATED EVENTS Saturday, November 12, 2016, 10 AM MASTER CLASS: CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LINCOLN CENTER STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Musicians from the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will coach students from a chamber music class at Virginia Tech. Observation is open to the public.

Free; admission first-come, first-served, but to guarantee your seat, register through the box office

Their debut concert in Blacksburg will include Mozart’s Quintet for Strings in C minor, K. 406; Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night) for String Sextet, op.

4; and Brahms’ Sextet for Strings in B Major, op. 18. The orchestra’s annual activities include a full season of concerts and events; national and international tours; nationally televised broadcasts on Live from Lincoln Center, a radio show broadcast internationally; and regular appearances on American Public Media’s Performance Today.

Supported in part by a gift from David and Lindsay West Category A $55 | Category B $40 | Category C $25 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Deeper

KYLE ABRAHAM/ ABRAHAM.IN.MOTION MIXED REPERTORY

“

“

…elastic and electric, luxuriantly rippling, poetically arranged with moments of perfect stillness that arrive amid splashes of expression.

Thursday, November 17, 2016, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Dance, contemporary Deeper

Witness a transformation of movement as it’s manipulated and molded into something fresh and unique. Abraham.

In.Motion brings dancers from various disciplines and diverse personal backgrounds together to blend the human experience of physical, emotional, and psychological encounters, creating a conversation of movement. This performance reflects choreographer Kyle Abraham’s diverse training in classical music, visual art, and a multitude of dance forms from ballet to hip-hop to give range and depth to his sleek, evocative work.

Mixed Repertory is a program composed of three works, demonstrating the historical range and emotional power rooted in the diasporic journeys of jazz music within American life. This program includes The Quiet Dance (2011), a quintet set to Bill Evans’ sentimental rendition of the Bernstein classic, Some Other Time; The Gettin’ (2014), featuring music by Grammy Award-winning jazz artist Robert Glasper and his trio, who re-imagine Max Roach’s We Insist! Freedom Now Suite; and Absent Matter (2015), a new quartet created in collaboration with Kris Bowers, Otis Brown III, and filmmaker Naima Ramos Chapman.

—Dance Magazine

RELATED EVENTS Saturday, September 10, 2016 AUDITION: KYLE ABRAHAM/ ABRAHAM.IN.MOTION In the 2016-2017 season, the Moss Arts Center will host unique opportunities for community members to perform pieces created by visiting artists. MacArthur Fellow and Doris Duke Artist Award recipient Kyle Abraham, artistic director of Abraham.In.Motion, will work directly with a core group of select local dancers to learn and ultimately perform one of the choreographer’s original pieces during the Radford University Department of Dance’s spring concert. The audition is open to the public. For more information, email Jon Catherwood-Ginn at rjginn@vt.edu.

Thursday, November 17, 2016, immediately after performance A CONVERSATION WITH: KYLE ABRAHAM/ABRAHAM. IN.MOTION CUBE Join members of ABRAHAM. IN.MOTION for a question and answer session.

Free

Presented in partnership with the Radford University Department of Dance Category A $55 | Category B $40 | Category C $25 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

34

Joyful

ROANOKE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA HOLIDAY POPS

David Stewart Wiley, music director and conductor Saturday, December 3, 2016, 4 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Music, holiday Joyful

The Roanoke Symphony returns with everyone’s annual favorite, the Holiday Pops program.

Gather your friends and family, and celebrate the season with a merry musical program for audiences of all ages.

Presented in partnership with the NRV Friends of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra Category A $75 | Category B $60 | Category C $40 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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VIRGINIA TECH WIND ENSEMBLE/ SYMPHONY BAND

PRESENTED IN TECHNICOLOR

Sunday, December 4, 2016, 3 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE

This School of Performing Arts performance features student musicians. Highlights of the program include Overture to Candide (Bernstein/Grundman); Rondino in E-Flat Major, WoO 25 (Beethoven); Lincolnshire Posy (Granger); and faculty member Jim Sochinski’s Virginia Tech Rhapsody. $10 general | $7 students

VIRGINIA TECH DISIS Monday, December 5, 2016, 7:30 PM CUBE

This School of Performing Arts contemporary music performance features student and faculty musicians. Carla Scaletti, an American harpist, composer, music technologist, and inventor of the Kyma Sound Design Environment, and Christopher Hopkins, composer, performer, and researcher at Iowa State University, join DISIS as special guests.

Free

VIRGINIA TECH STRING PROJECT Thursday, December 8, 2016, 7 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE

This School of Performing Arts performance features faculty and local youth artists. The Virginia Tech String Project is a non-profit instructional program dedicated to offering affordable string instrument instruction to elementary students while training future string music educators.

Free

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Joyful

BIG BAND HOLIDAYS JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA WITH WYNTON MARSALIS AND SPECIAL GUEST CATHERINE RUSSELL

“

The finest big band in the world today.

“

— The Daily Telegraph, United Kingdom

Sunday, December 11, 2016, 3 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Music, jazz Joyful

Celebrate the most wonderful time of the year big band style with soulful performances of holiday favorites by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. The orchestra will perform brand new arrangements of songs both sacred and secular, from Billie Holiday’s I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm to favorites like Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, along with classic selections heard on Blue Engine Records’ Big Band Holidays album.

This holiday performance features special guest vocalist Catherine Russell, who will personally choose some of her favorite holiday tunes. The latest generation in a family of jazz royalty, Russell possesses a transcendent voice and uplifting spirit.

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, featuring 15 of jazz music’s leading soloists, has performed with some of the world’s leading orchestras. The ensemble is led by music director Wynton Marsalis, who has recorded more than 70 jazz and classical albums, earning him nine Grammy Awards. In 1983, he became the first and only artist to win both classical and jazz Grammys in the same year.

Category A $75 | Category B $60 | Category C $40 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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SPRING 2017 EXHIBITIONS

ARTISTS AND ARCHITECTURE: PROJECTION/CONVERGENCE/INTERSECTION January 19–April 9, 2017 ALL GALLERIES, ALL FREE Visually arresting and conceptually layered, this exhibition features large-scale artworks by a group of artists who engage architecture in their work, while addressing underlying issues of history, memory, and place.

Spanning the practices of photography, painting, and installation art, a selection of exemplary works by some of today’s most nationally and internationally acclaimed artists and exceptionally talented artists on the rise will envelop the Moss Arts Center galleries.

Some of the art delves into history, bringing into sharp focus architectural splendors of the past. In other more surreal works, architectural environments converge into divergent cultural contexts. Still other works in the exhibition filter architectural elements through wildly imaginative reconfigurations of the built environment. One project, an expansive site-specific wall installation based on architecture and the community of Blacksburg, will careen through the Francis T. Eck Exhibition Corridor. Large in scale and visually seductive, these works take the intersection of architecture and life as a platform to explore, heighten awareness of, and ponder the impact of architecture and the built environment on the human experience.

Dionisio González, New Halong 1, 2013 C-print, diasec, mounted on dibond and aluminum, 59 x 118 inches Courtesy of the artist and Galerie Richard, Paris, France, and New York, New York

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS James Casebere (American; lives and works in New York, New York) Dionizio González (Spanish; lives and works in Seville, Spain) Candida Höfer (German; lives and works in Cologne, Germany) Matthew Kolodziej (American; lives in Akron, Ohio) Jean Francois Rauzier (French; lives and works in Paris, France) Jennifer Williams (American; lives and works in Brooklyn, New York)

Thursday, January 26, 2017, 5-7 PM RECEPTION GRAND LOBBY

41

Thursday, January 26, 2017, 6 PM ARTIST TALK: JENNIFER WILLIAMS LOCATION TBD

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

Susan Danko, Forest Pattern, 2014 Acrylic on canvas, 36 x 48 inches Courtesy of the artist and Bonfoey Gallery, Cleveland, Ohio

SUSAN DANKO April 13–June 11, 2017 RUTH C. HORTON GALLERY

The natural landscape—its beauty and vulnerability—is the source of inspiration for Susan Danko’s evocative acrylic on canvas paintings. Rendered with fluid swaths of rich, often bold color, her paintings depict dreamy, almost unreal scenes of the forest floor, ponds, thickets, or evenings in the woods after a hard rain.

Arising in the artist’s mind from real and imagined environmental scenarios, these are beautiful landscapes.

Nonetheless, contours of plants and stenciled lines of trees or branches seem to float across the paintings’ surfaces, and neon colors that suggest toxic threat punctuate what were once perhaps idyllic scenes. For the artist these works convey a new reality: a world where invasive species, extreme weather, and pollution are steadily becoming the new normal, a world of nature caught in a state of flux between destruction and renewal.

Thursday, April 13, 2017, 5-7 PM OPENING RECEPTION GRAND LOBBY

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

Thursday, April 13, 2017, 6 PM ARTIST TALK: SUSAN DANKO RUTH C. HORTON GALLERY

42

Deeper

RAISIN’ CANE: A HARLEM RENAISSANCE ODYSSEY Starring Jasmine Guy with The Avery Sharpe Trio Written and conceived by Harry Clark with adaptation by Jasmine Guy Original musical score by Avery Sharpe

“

My longtime friend and colleague, the great jazz musician Avery Sharpe, wrote all the original music for the show and introduced me to the piece. I quickly fell in love with the show’s ability to provide a look into this vibrant period for AfricanAmerican artists, most of whom could be found in Harlem in the 1920s.

“

—Jasmine Guy, star of Raisin’ Cane

Saturday, January 28, 2017, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Theatre, musical Deeper

Step into the world of the Harlem Renaissance through words, music, and imagery with Raisin’ Cane, a production inspired by the classic 1923 Jean Toomer novel, Cane. In 1918, as the first great World War ended and thousands of African-American soldiers returned home, artistic expression was exploding, and the words and thoughts of Toomer, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, W.E.B. Du Bois, and others became the voice of a new generation. These voices are woven into an experience that spans this era and provides a window on a critical point in history.

Raisin’ Cane features award-winning actress, singer, and dancer Jasmine Guy and the acclaimed Avery Sharpe Trio.

Guy was the star of the television show A Different World and has appeared in Broadway and national productions, including Spike Lee’s School Daze, as well as in Harlem Nights. Avery Sharpe is one of the greatest jazz bassists of his generation and has toured with the world’s top jazz musicians. Sharpe is joined onstage by the renowned percussionist Kevin Sharpe and acclaimed jazz violinist Diane Monroe.

Category A $45 | Category B $35 | Category C $20 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

RELATED EVENTS

Friday, January 27, 2017 SCHOOL-DAY PERFORMANCE: RAISIN’ CANE: A HARLEM RENAISSANCE ODYSSEY STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Jasmine Guy and The Avery Sharpe Trio will present a 45-minute version of the full production Raisin’ Cane to area students in grades 5 through 12.

It will be followed by a 15-minute Q&A. Teachers can download supplemental materials to share with student prior to the performance from w w w. b a y l i n a r t i s t s . c o m / a r t i s t / raisin_cane/residency/.

Free; reservations required. For reservations or more information on how to deepen your students’ learning through these arts programs, email rjginn@vt.edu.

Friday, January 27, 2017 IN-SCHOOL WORKSHOP WITH THE AVERY SHARPE TRIO During their visit to Blacksburg, members of the Avery Sharpe Trio will be available to offer an in-school jazz workshop. Free for particiapting schools. To learn more or to reserve this workshop in your school, please email rjginn@vt.edu.

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Deeper

AN EVENING WITH JUSTIN CRONIN, AUTHOR Tuesday, January 31, 2017, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Spoken Word Deeper

Justin Cronin is the New York Times bestselling author of The Passage, The Twelve, and newly released The City of Mirrors, as well as Mary and O’Neil (which won the PEN/Hemingway Award and the Stephen Crane Prize), and The Summer Guest. His talk is part of a multi-day “Viral Imaginations” residency sponsored by the Department of English, the MFA program in Creative Writing, and the Edward S. Diggs Professorship in the Humanities.

FREE

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Timeless

NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA OF UKRAINE Theodore Kuchar, conductor laureate with Alexei Grynyuk, piano Saturday, February 4, 2017, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Music, classical Timeless, Global (Ukraine)

Experience the beautiful sounds of Dvorák, Prokofiev, and Shostakovich, performed by one ˇ of the most prominent symphony orchestras in Eastern Europe. Formed in 1918, the National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine has released more than 100 sound recordings, which include both Ukrainian and international repertoires.

The orchestra will be joined by Kiev-born pianist Alexei Grynyuk, who attracted wide attention at the age of 13 when he won the first prize at the Sergei Diaghilev All-Soviet-Union piano competition in Moscow. He went on to achieve numerous awards at international piano competitions, including first prizes at the Vladimir Horowitz International Piano Competition in Kiev and the Shanghai International Piano Competition in China. This program will feature Dvorák’s Carnival Overture, op. 92; Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto no. 3 in C Major, op. 26; and ˇ Shostakovich’s Symphony no. 5, op. 47.

Category A $55 | Category B $40 | Category C $25 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

48

Fresh Global

CIRCUS OZ STRAIGHT UP

“ “

A little naughty, a little nice, a little death-defying…. Who knew the circus could be like this?

—The New York Times

Friday, February 10, 2017, 7:30 PM Saturday, February 11, 2017, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Theatre, circus Fresh, Global (Australia)

A circus experience like you’ve never seen, expect two hours of breathtaking agility, death-defying stunts, awe-inspiring acrobatic performances, irreverent comedy, and a spectacular live band with Circus Oz. Credited with revitalizing a traditional art form in a uniquely Australian way, Circus Oz is a rock ‘n’ roll, animal-free circus that has influenced the development of circus arts around the world.

Dynamic acrobatics, cheeky humor, and live original music showcase the world-famous Circus Oz caravan of graceful men, strong women, innovative jugglers, lyrical unicyclists, hilarious trapeze artists, musical acrobats, and acrobatic musicians. From New York to Hong Kong, Circus Oz has taken its self-crafted performances of wit, grace, and spectacle to 26 countries across five continents, to critical acclaim. Australia’s National Circus invites you to a show that irreverently breaks through the “fourth wall,” captivating and engaging audiences of all ages.

Recommended for ages 5 and older Category A $55 | Category B $40 | Category C $25 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Fresh

A FAR CRY WITH ROOMFUL OF TEETH

“

“

The orchestra [A Far Cry] brims with personality or, better, personalities, many and varied.

—The New York Times

Saturday, February 18, 2017, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Music, contemporary Fresh

Prepare for a one-of-a-kind concert experience when two energetic ensembles join forces to bring to life original pieces from two young composers, including a Pulitzer Prize winner. A Far Cry is a self-conducted orchestra that stands at the forefront of an exciting new generation in classical music. Roomful of Teeth is a Grammy Award-winning vocal project dedicated to mining the expressive potential of the human voice and forging new repertoire without borders.

This sonic patchwork created by A Far Cry with Roomful of Teeth is an ever-changing and fleeting burst of colors, timbres, and visions. The program opens with the lush writing of 2013 Pulitzer Prize-winner and Teeth member Caroline Shaw, with an original commission for both ensembles, and is anchored by two energetic and captivating works by Ted Hearne. Spanning and connecting these two Gen X composers is a startlingly beautiful and vivid set of character pieces by Prokofiev.

Category A $45 | Category B $35 | Category C $20 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Joyful

Global

TAJ EXPRESS: THE BOLLYWOOD MUSICAL REVUE Shruti Merchant, director and producer Vaibhavi Merchant, director of choreography Salim & Sulaiman, music directors

“

“

A rainbow of colors, costumes and gestures that thrills the viewer and makes him want to go exploring these exotic lands.

Friday, February 24, 2017, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Theatre, musical Joyful, Global (India)

Lose yourself in the extravaganza and romance of Bollywood in this new production direct from Mumbai. Taj Express is a turbo-charged fusion of east and west, classical dance steps and new moves, traditional silks and turbans with leather and Lycra, and pulsating modern music played on the finest Indian classical instruments. At its heart is the fairytale journey of Varsha, a hard-working journalist living in Europe, as she travels to her homeland to discover “The Greatest Indian Love Story Ever Told.” Taj Express explodes with the sounds of India and Bollywood, capturing the vibrant, expressive spirit of the world of Bollywood movies that have been entertaining billions of people for generations.

—Le Temps, Swiss daily newspaper RELATED EVENTS Friday, February 24, 2017, 6 PM MIX #attheMAC: CUBE Join your friends and make new connections during this evening event for young professionals. Mix #attheMAC includes a reception with hors d’oeuvres, one complimentary drink and a cash bar, and a ticket to Taj Express: A Bollywood Musical Revue at 7:30 p.m.

Presented in partnership with Up on the Roof and Blacksburg Young Professionals $45 per person (price includes performance and reception)

Category A $75 | Category B $60 | Category C $40 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Timeless

TWYLA THARP

50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

“

“

These are unmistakably the work of a master. There is so much in them: so much variety, so much life.

—The New York Times

Friday, March 3, 2017, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Dance, contemporary Timeless

Deepen and expand your imagination in this celebration of dance icon Twyla Tharp’s 50 years of dance, which features new work that premiered in 2015. In each piece, Tharp shows how her decades of experience—creating more than 161 dances for Hollywood films, television, the Broadway stage, ballets, and modern dance—makes her one of the century’s most treasured artists. The double bill begins with a vibrant introductory Fanfare, followed by Preludes and Fugues, which is set to Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier and radiates with Tharp’s generous spirit and humanity. The wild and raucous humor that Tharp finds in the jazz of Henry Butler and Steve Bernstein runs rampant through Yowzie, the second dance.

Tharp has received one Tony Award, two Emmy Awards, 19 honorary doctorates, the Vietnam Veterans of America President’s Award, the 2004 National Medal of the Arts, the 2008 Jerome Robbins Prize, and a 2008 Kennedy Center Honor. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Supported in part by a gift from Constance Cedras This engagement of Twyla Tharp is made possible through the ArtsCONNECT program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Category A $55 | Category B $40 | Category C $25 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Fresh

DORI FREEMAN Friday, March 10, 2017, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Music, traditional Fresh

Inspiration and style often come from our sense of place—especially places we call home. Dori Freeman is a 24-year-old singer and songwriter from the southwestern hills of Virginia. While her style subscribes to no one genre, the influence of her Appalachian upbringing lies at the core of her music. Freeman’s style was shaped by American Roots music: bluegrass, rhythm and blues, and old country. Freeman learned to play guitar at 15 and began writing her own material a few years later. The center presents Freeman in conjunction with the 40th Annual Appalachian Studies Conference, Extreme Appalachia, being held at Virginia Tech March 9-12, 2017.

Presented in cooperation with the Appalachian Studies Program, Department of Religion and Culture $25 general admission, $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Timeless

ROANOKE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA MASTERWORKS: MUSICAL TRAVELOGUE

David Stewart Wiley, music director and conductor Sunday, March 12, 2017, 3 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Music, classical Timeless

The RSO returns to Blacksburg with a rich masterworks program that traverses musical landscapes near and far. The evening’s first half will feature a new work from Jerome Margolis, Franklin County, juxtaposed with Aaron Copland’s Billy the Kid Suite. The second half of the program will take us across the Atlantic Ocean with Bedrich ˇ Smetana’s The Moldau and Maurice Ravel’s beloved Bolero.

Supported in part by a gift from the Merryman Family Category A $55 | Category B $40 | Category C $25 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Photo by Brennen Smith

Deeper

(BE)LONGING Byron Au Yong, composer Aaron Jafferis, librettist

Charlotte Brathwaite, director FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2017, 7:30 PM SATURDAY, MARCH 18, 2017, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Music, hip-hop theatre Deeper

The award-winning creative team of Byron Au Yong and Aaron Jafferis premiere their newest work, a staged oratorio (featuring locally cast chorus, beatboxers, and hip-hop artists) about belonging, isolation, healing, and community.

The audience will be seated onstage with the performers to create an unusual and intimate performance experience that is both profound and playful, questioning and caring.

Developed through multi-year research and creative residencies in Blacksburg and other locations across the United States impacted by traumatic events, the public performances, classes, and related engagements during spring semester 2017 will complement (Be)longing in a community-wide reflection on violence, school shootings, and deeper ways to connect and build communities of support.

RELATED EVENTS Saturday, September 10, 2016 AUDITION: (BE)LONGING In the 2016-2017 season, the Moss Arts Center hosts a unique opportunity for community members to perform in the premiere of this new work. Composer Byron Au Yong, librettist Aaron Jafferis, and director Charlotte Brathwaite will cast local singers, beatboxers, rappers, and actors for their original piece, to be performed on the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre stage March 17 and 18, 2017. The audition is open to the public.

For more information, email Jon Catherwood-Ginn at rjginn@vt.edu.

$25 general admission, $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Fresh

KID KOALA

NUFONIA MUST FALL

featuring Kid Koala, composer and principal lead artist Afiara Quartet K. K. Barrett, director

“

Part of the enjoyment is glancing from the screen to the dimly lighted stage, seeing the puppeteers move from backdrop to backdrop and watching the ingenuity of the perspective and the minuscule gestures that translate into big-screen drama.

“

—The New York Times

Friday, March 24, 2017, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Theatre, puppetry, music, film Fresh

Witness a multi-disciplinary theatrical adaptation unfold before your eyes, complete with real-time film and live scoring. Globetrotting scratch DJ, music producer, and award-winning graphic novelist Kid Koala presents this magical adaptation of his graphic novel and soundtrack, Nufonia Must Fall. The charming story centers around a headphones-sporting robot on the verge of obsolescence, who through the course of the story falls in love. Directed

by K. K. Barrett, recently Oscar-nominated for Her, this adaptation comes to life via real-time filming of more than a dozen miniature stages and a cast of puppets, while Kid Koala and the Afiara Quartet provide the original live score on piano, strings, and turntables.

Kid Koala has collaborated with Gorillaz, Deltron 3030, and The Slew and has toured with the likes of Radiohead, the Beastie Boys, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and most recently Arcade Fire. He has contributed to film scores for Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Looper, and The Great Gatsby, as well as numerous TV networks.

This engagement of Kid Koala is made possible through the ArtsCONNECT program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

RELATED EVENTS

Friday, March 24, 2017, 6 PM MIX #attheMAC CUBE Join your friends and make new connections during this evening event for young professionals. Mix #attheMAC includes a reception with hors d’oeuvres, one complimentary drink and a cash bar, and a ticket to Kid Koala at 7:30 p.m.

Presented in partnership with Up on the Roof and Blacksburg Young Professionals $30 per person (price includes performance and reception) Friday, March 24, 2017 SCHOOL-DAY PERFORMANCE: KID KOALA STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE This school-day performance is open to area students in grades 3 through 12. Prior to the show, schoolchildren will play “visual bingo” using characters from Nufonia Must Fall with Kid Koala and win prizes!

This event is open to public, private, and homeschool communities and tailored to the Virginia Standards of Learning Free; reservations required. For reservations or more information on how to deepen your students’ learning through these arts programs, email rjginn@vt.edu.

Category A $55 | Category B $40 | Category C $25 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Timeless

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA BALLET ROMEO AND JULIET

Pedro Szalay, artistic director SATURDAY, APRIL 1, 2017, 7:30 PM SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017, 3 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Dance, ballet Timeless

Based on the William Shakespeare classic, with a mesmerizing score by Sergei Prokofiev and original choreography by Pedro Szalay, this three-act ballet brings to life the feud between the Houses of Capulet and Montague and the passionate story of two young people who fight, linger, and love until the end. Southwest Virginia Ballet’s production includes a set designed by internationally renowned Mina Albergo and Armando Zullo, costumes by A. Christina Giannini, lighting by Dirk Kuyk, and a cast of more than 60 dancers.

Co-presented with the Southwest Virginia Ballet Category A $45 | Category B $35 | Category C $20 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Joyful

SECRET AGENT 23 SKIDOO

“

Nobody is making better ‘Kid-Hop’ than Secret Agent 23 Skidoo.

“

—NPR’s All Things Considered

Saturday, April 8, 2017, 3 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Music, hip-hop Joyful

What happens when you mix equal parts Dr. Seuss and Dr. Dre? A cornucopia of creativity from Secret Agent 23 Skidoo, a North Carolina musician who mixes a wide spectrum of genres into multi-instrumental, musically sophisticated, lyrically intelligent house party classics. Secret Agent 23 Skidoo is a stand-out star in the family music scene, combining the excitement of hip-hop with the magical world of childhood. Mixing sophisticated instrumental funk and positive, witty wordplay, he has earned a loyal national following.

Skidoo’s Grammy-nominated album, The Perfect Quirk, is classic hip-hop spiced with Motown, reggae, club thump, blues, and the occasional pirate shanty. His much anticipated follow up, Infinity Plus One, takes flight soon with songs that will take kids into outer space and deep into their imaginations. Secret Agent 23 Skidoo creates unique and heartwarming party music that has garnered national awards, seven number one hits on SiriusXM Global Radio, and praise from TIME, NPR, USA Today, and many others.

Recommended for ages 3 and older

$20 general admission, $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

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Deeper

STUART PIMSLER DANCE & THEATER MATINEE

“

So effectively do the performers pull us into the emotional world they create.

SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 2017, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE

“

—The Village Voice

Dance, contemporary Deeper

Be transported to a time of grainy, romantic films, where celluloid characters pass through layered interactions in pursuit of love and connection, with Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater (SPDT). The company’s newest work, Matinee, features a spirited young woman on a train, a man at a threadbare bar, a disillusioned housewife with a penchant for old films—these and other characters move in and out of films as realities become blurred and the nature of relationships is explored.

Matinee’s cinematic world of movement-theatre imagery journeys into the delicate divide between fantasy and reality. An internationally recognized company founded in 1978 by Stuart Pimsler and co-directed with Suzanne Costello since 1984, SPDT has performed across the U.S. and in Canada, Europe, Israel, Taiwan, Russia, Bermuda, China, and Mexico.

Category A $45 | Category B $35 | Category C $20 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

70

Joyful

NEW YORK GILBERT & SULLIVAN PLAYERS H.M.S. PINAFORE

“

Pinafore will sweep you away.

“

—The New York Post

FRIDAY, MAY 5, 2017, 7:30 PM STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE Theatre, musical Joyful

Ride a wave of music and laughter as a romantic cast of characters sings and dances their way across the deck of the fanciful British naval vessel with the improbable name. H.M.S. Pinafore, or The Lass That Loved A Sailor, was first performed at London’s Opera Comique on May 25, 1878, and has remained popular on both sides of the Atlantic ever since. The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players’ production features an elaborate setting of a ship’s deck, based on drawings

by Gilbert himself, and beautiful Belle Epoch costumes. Get ready for an evening filled with the lush sounds of voices and a full orchestra in the pit, lively action and choreography, and broad comedy true to Gilbert & Sullivan tradition.

Category A $75 | Category B $60 | Category C $40 $10 students with ID and youth 18 and under 20%–30% subscription discounts available

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

72

CHOOSE YOUR EXPERIENCE JOYFUL

DEEPER

Get swept away by these lively performances that are enjoyable for audiences of all ages. Bring your friends and family and your sense of wonder, and be prepared to be entertained.

Nourish your craving for thought, reflection, and deeper understanding with these performances that will challenge your emotions, intellect, boundaries, and perspectives.

Havana Cuba All-Stars, Cuban Nights

Bassem Youssef, The Joke Is Mightier Than the Sword

Opera Roanoke, South Pacific

Lynn Hershman Leeson

Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, Holiday Pops

Lynda Barry, What It Is

Big Band Holidays, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and special guest Catherine Russell

Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion, Mixed Repertory

Taj Express: The Bollywood Musical Revue

Raisin’ Cane: A Harlem Renaissance Odyssey starring Jasmine Guy

Secret Agent 23 Skidoo

(Be)longing

New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players, H.M.S. Pinafore

Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater, Matinee

TIMELESS

GLOBAL

Time-honored classics are always in style. The eternal and influential sights and sounds of these performances speak to all of us and transcend space and time.

Experience expressions from across the globe with a collection of performances that bring the unique energy and diverse contexts from cultures around the world to Blacksburg.

Rajab Suleiman & Kithara Harlem Quartet The Kandinsky Trio with Kurt Rosenwinkel and Paul Langosch Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Destination Vienna National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine with Alexei Grynyuk, piano Twyla Tharp, 50 Anniversary Tour th

Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, Masterworks: Musical Travelogue Southwest Virginia Ballet, Romeo and Juliet

FRESH

Rajab Suleiman & Kithara Bassem Youssef, The Joke Is Mightier Than the Sword Havana Cuba All-Stars, Cuban Nights Jagwa Music National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine with Alexei Grynyuk, piano Circus Oz, Straight Up Taj Express: The Bollywood Musical Review

VISUAL Visit our galleries to experience the Moss Arts Center’s free visual arts exhibitions throughout the year.

Satisfy your need for something new and different with this selection of performances. Discover cutting-edge perspectives and examine energizing ideas through a range of lenses.

An Evening with Edgar Meyer, double bass Jagwa Music Circus Oz, Straight Up A Far Cry with Roomful of Teeth Dori Freeman Kid Koala, Nufonia Must Fall

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

Programs are subject to change.

GENERALINFORMATION BOX OFFICE HOURS

PARKING

The box office in the Moss Arts Center is open for in-person and phone ticket sales at 540-231-5300 on Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; and an hour and a half before performances.

Tickets may also be purchased anytime online at www.artscenter.vt.edu.

Parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street. Event parking for visitors is $5 and may be purchased when entering the garage (cash only, free for Virginia Tech faculty and staff possessing a valid Virginia Tech parking permit). Visitors can park in the Virginia Tech faculty/staff street parking spaces and lots after 5:00 p.m. on weekdays and at any time on weekends. A limited number of accessible parking spaces are available in front of the Moss Arts Center at both the Alumni Mall and Turner Street entrances.

INDIVIDUAL TICKET SALES Individual tickets for all 2016-2017 season performances are available for purchase beginning August 9, 2016.

GROUP TICKET SALES

ACCESSIBILITY

Groups of 10 or more can receive a 10 percent discount; for more information, contact the box office at 540-231-5300.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Kacy McAllister at 540-231-5300 or email kacy@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.

CONCESSIONS

INCLEMENT WEATHER

Beverages and snacks will be available for purchase before performances and during intermissions at most performances. Food and drink are not permitted inside the Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre.

Moss Arts Center performances and events will be canceled for inclement weather only 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 box office at 540-231-5300 for timely information about closures. Programs are subject to change.

SUPPORT Every gift to the Moss Arts Center helps us raise the curtain on exciting new experiences in visual and performing arts and supports learning opportunities that encourage creativity, exploration, and expression. Visit bit.ly/15afaimg to support the center with a gift of any amount through our secure, online giving page. For information about ways to support the Moss Arts Center, contact Lois Badey at givetoarts@vt.edu or 540-231-0608.

/artscenteratvt

@artscenteratvt use #attheMAC

GALLERY HOURS Galleries are regularly open TuesdayFriday, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; and an hour and a half before performances. Check the Moss Arts Center website at www.artscenter.vt.edu for exceptions and holiday closings.

@artscenteratvt use #attheMAC

540-231-5300 | www.artscenter.vt.edu

SEATINGCHART

STREET AND DAVIS PERFORMANCE HALL, ANNE AND ELLEN FIFE THEATRE 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.

AA29

AA1 10

BB29

BB1

CC30

CC1

DD26 A28

A1

10

B29

B1

15

C30

BX 108102

D1

E2

G14

F2

H14

EVEN

G2 H2

J12

J2

K12

S24

K2

L10

T22

M6

L2 M2

U18 V8

E116 F115 G116

G101

H115

H101

J116

J101

K115

L101 M101

N114 S2 T2 U2 V2

R2

P112

U128 V129

V124

J11

H1 J1

K11

K1

L9

L1 M1 M5

T21

ODD

U101 V101

B1

B49

C1 D1

D49

S1

T101

111

A1

C48

R1 R101 S101

BX 205201 A48

U17

P101

108

BX 206202

R25

S23

N101

R122 S125 T125

H13

G1

K101

L116 M115

G13

F1

F101

BX 107101

F13

E1

E101

BX 207213

BX 214208

E13

108

BX 221215

EVEN

15

F14

R26

BX 222216

C1

D26

E14

BX 229223

BX 230224

DD1

T1 U1

V7

E48

25

V1

V106

111

25

ORCHESTRA

MEZZANINE

BX 326332

ORCHESTRA

BX 331325 BX 323317

BX 318324

EVEN

MEZZANINE ODD

BX 315309

BX 310316

BX 307301

BX 302308 A52

A1

B1

B51

C1

C50

D1

D49 E48

F1

26

BALCONY

BALCONY

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

E1

26

F45

E1

ODD

DIRECTIONS FROM 1-81

(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 1-77

(NORTHBOUND) Take exit 32 onto 1-81 North. Continue for about 29 miles, then follow the directions above for 1-81 northbound.

FROM 1-77 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 45 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.

540-231-5300 | www.artscenter.vt.edu

GIVING Your gift to the Moss Arts Center will help us expand cultural awareness, deepen understanding, and change the way people experience the world. With your support, we can continue to present artists from around the globe and from close to home in programs that promote diverse voices, support fresh new expressions, foster learning for all ages, and spark meaningful global connections.

LEADERSHIP PATRONS AND FRIENDS

SUSTAINING PATRONS AND FRIENDS

CONTRIBUTING PATRONS AND FRIENDS

$5,000+

$1,000-$4,999

UP TO $999

Recognition in Moss Arts Center performance programs

Recognition in Moss Arts Center performance programs

Recognition in Moss Arts Center performance programs

Access to season preview and advance ticket sales Special invitations to pre- and post-event activities, exhibition previews, and Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology programs Recognition in Virginia Tech’s 1872 Society*

Access to season preview and advance ticket sales

Special invitations to pre- and post-event activities, exhibition previews, and Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology programs

Dinner with Moss Arts Center Executive Director Personal behind-the-scenes tour of the Moss Arts Center** Invitations to artist meet-and-greets, as available Recognition at Moss Arts Center performance or exhibition (varies)***

* The 1872 Society recognizes gifts for current use or operational support at the following levels. The Grove Circle, the highest 1872 Society level, recognizes supporters who provide annual gifts of $25,000 or more. Burruss Hall Circle honors those who make annual gifts of $10,000 to $24,999. Drillfield Circle recognizes members who provide annual gifts of $5,000 to $9,999. ** Dates for personal and group tours of the Moss Arts Center are subject to availability. Personal group tours are for up to 10 people at maximum. *** Recognition at performances and exhibitions varies and is commensurate with giving levels. For more information, please contact Lois Badey at givetoarts@vt.edu or 540-231-0608.

For information about ways to support the Moss Arts Center, please contact Lois Badey at givetoarts@vt.edu or 540-231-0608.

www.artscenter.vt.edu | 540-231-5300

MOSS ARTS CENTER (0916) 190 Alumni Mall, Virginia Tech Blacksburg, VA 24061

PRESORTED FIRST CLASS U.S. POSTAGE PAID BLACKSBURG, VA 24060 PERMIT NO. 28