CONTACT: Gita Brown, 401-456-8465, gbrown@ric.edu
Laura Hart, 401-456-8977, lhart@ric.edu
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – The month of April ushers in RIC’s Spring Celebration of the Arts, with professional as well as student performances and exhibitions each week.
On Thursday, March 31, and Friday, April 1, the RIC Dance Company will host an “Evening of Theatricality and Dance,” featuring professional New York-based dancer and RIC alum Alberto Denis and members of the Rhode Island-based Bill Evans Dance Company – RIC Dean of Education Don Halquist and founder Bill Evans. Performance time is 7:30 p.m. in the Forman Theatre. (Admission $15.)
The Chazan Family Gallery in ALEX AND ANI Hall will present the paintings of Andrée Luduc from March 31 through April 22. Luduc’s work explores the relationship between man and the natural world by depicting the tension between knowing and not knowing precisely what one is seeing in nature.
An evening of classical music by the Muir String Quartet, with guest artist Edwin Barker on bass, will be offered on Monday, April 4, sponsored by the Performing Arts Series. The concert will feature Beethoven’s String Trio in C Minor, Op. 9, No. 3; Berg’s String Quartet, Op. 3; and Dvořák’s String Quintet No. 2 in G Major, Op. 77. Concert time is 7:30 p.m. in Sapinsley Hall. (Admission $35.)
Cultural exploration and personal identity in art and life is the focal point of “Chronicles,” a sculptural art exhibit by Juan Ormaza on view at Bannister Gallery from April 7-29, with an opening reception on Thursday, April 7, at 5 p.m. (Admission free.)
On Sunday, April 10, the RIC Chamber Orchestra and Small Ensembles will feature guest violinists AlexisMarie Nelson and Daniel Dumont. Conductor John Sumerlin will lead the orchestra and ensemble in a performance of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto, No. 6, in B-Flat Major. Concert time is 7:30 p.m. in the Forman Theatre. (Admission free.)
The RIC Jazz Combos Concert, led by internationally recognized jazz artist and RIC adjunct professor Greg Abate, will highlight RIC student jazz musicians on Wednesday, April 13, at 7 p.m. in the Forman Theatre. (Admission free.)
From April 14-17 RIC Mainstage Theatre will mount the musical “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.” Directed by RIC Professor of Musical Theatre William Wilson and choreographed by RIC Director of Dance Angelica Vessella, the show will be performed at 7:30 p.m. (April 14-16) and 2 p.m. (April 16 and 17) in Roberts Hall Auditorium. (Admission $20.)
“Spring Mix,” a Wednesday Masterworks Concert, is slated for April 20. Led by internationally renowned composer/pianist and RIC artist-in-residence Judith Lynn Stillman, this concert will feature RIC music faculty and friends. Concert time is 1 p.m. in Sapinsley Hall, with tickets at the door. (Suggested donation $10.)
On Thursday, April 21, prepare for a whirlwind of energy when the Performing Arts Series presents Decadancetheatre. This Brooklyn-based, all-female hip-hop group boasts an international roster of dancers from the United States, France, Germany, Norway, Nigeria and Japan. Show time is 7:30 p.m. in Roberts Hall Auditorium. (Admission $35.)
On the RIC Wind Ensemble’s program is Percy Grainger’s “Lincolnshire Posies,” one of the great staples of wind bands, which the composer referred to as his “bunch of musical wildflowers.” Led by RIC Professor of Music Robert Franzblau, this concert takes place on Friday, April 22, at 8 p.m. in Sapinsley Hall. (Admission $10.)
A joint concert between the RIC Symphony Orchestra and the RIC Opera Workshop will be held on Tuesday, April 26, at 8 p.m. in Sapinsley Hall. The orchestra is conducted by Professor of Music Alexey Shabalin and the Opera Workshop is codirected by Rene de la Garza and Susan Rodgers. Puccini’s “Gianni Schicci” is among the pieces slated for performance. (Admission $10.)
Spring also heralds culminating shows by RIC students. Graduate student Julie York will display her advanced art in the “Media Studies Graduate Thesis Exhibition,” which runs from April 28 through May 27 at The Chazan Family Gallery.
And the culmination of a yearlong exploration of choreography and teacher-mentored rehearsals by RIC student choreographers will be showcased in the “Student Choreography Concert,” which runs April 28 and 29 at 7:30 p.m. in the Forman Theatre. (Admission $15.)
On Friday, April 29, the RIC Chorus, Chamber Singers and Women’s Chorus will present their “Bon Voyage Choral Concert,” conducted by RIC Professor of Music Teresa Coffman. Proceeds from the concert will help support the chorus’ upcoming tour in Italy. Concert time is 8 p.m. in Sapinsley Hall. (Admission $10.)
For ticket information, go to www.ric.edu/pfa or call the RIC Box Office at (401) 456-8144.
Established in 1854, Rhode Island College serves approximately 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students through its five schools: the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, the Feinstein School of Education and Human Development, the School of Social Work, the School of Management and the School of Nursing. For more information, visit www.ric.edu.
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Photos:
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“Boy 3” by Juan Ormaza.jpg
