Shorter College Announces Spring Arts Events

The Shorter College School of the Arts has announced its schedule of events for the spring semester. Tickets for all events, unless otherwise noted, are available through the Shorter College box office by calling (706) 233-7288 or e-mailing boxoffice@shorter.edu.

“The legacy of great art, music and theatre continues at Shorter College,” said Dr. Alan Wingard, dean of the School of the Arts. “The college has been sharing the fine arts with our community since its founding in 1873, and this spring season offers a wide variety of high quality performances.”

The Shorter College Department of Music hosts an organ studio recital at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 7, in Brookes Chapel on the Shorter College campus. Commemorating the 100 th birthday of the French organist/composer/teacher Olivier Messiaen, students will present a group performance of his seminal work, La Nativite du Seigneur (The Nativity of our Lord). Admission is free of charge.

The Shorter Opera Theatre will present Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Gondoliers at 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 11 and 12. All performances will be held at the Rome City Auditorium, 601 Broad St. This operetta satirizes British snobbery while reveling in its Italian setting of Venice. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $8 for students and senior adults.

The Shorter College Theatre presents the Shorter College Dance Concert at 8 p.m. on Jan. 14 and 15. All performances will be held in the Callaway Theatre on the Shorter College campus. The concert will be an eclectic showcase that will include new dance works in many different dance styles choreographed by students and faculty to appeal to a wide audience. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $8 for students and senior adults.

The Arnold Gallery at Shorter College will host an exhibit of works by Brad Adams from Jan. 15 to Feb. 7. The untitled exhibit begins with an artist lecture and reception at 4 p.m. on Jan. 15. The exhibit and opening reception are open to the public at no charge.

The Shorter College Department of Music hosts the William D. and Mary Ann Knight Competition Finals at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 22, in Brookes Chapel on the Shorter College campus. This seventh annual Knight Performers’ Scholarship Competition honors the outstanding contributions of longtime music faculty members William and Mary Ann Knight. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $8 for students and senior adults.

The Friends of Theatre will host a spring fundraiser for the Shorter College Theatre Department on Saturday, Jan. 26; location to be announced. The event titled Shorter Showcase begins at 7:30 p.m. The evening includes a reception while the audience members enjoy performances of favorite Broadway tunes. Tickets are $35 per person. Call Jim Ford at (706) 291-8267 for additional information and reservations.

Organist Peter DeWitt, professor of music at Shorter College, will present a faculty recital at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 28, in Shorter’s Brookes Chapel. The recital is open to the public at no charge.

Soprano Elizabeth Claxton and pianist Geoffrey Duce open Shorter College’s spring semester guest artist series with an alumni recital at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 4, in Brookes Chapel. Ms. Claxton, a 2000 graduate of the college, will return to Shorter to perform as a guest artist for the first time with Scottish pianist Mr. Duce; they will present a variety program ranging from opera to musical theatre. The concert is open to the public at no charge.

William D. Knight, retired distinguished professor of piano at Shorter College, will present a recital at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 17, in Brookes Chapel. The recital is open to the public at no charge.

The Arnold Gallery at Shorter College will host an exhibit of works by Jennifer Jenkins from Feb. 19 to March 20. The exhibit titled “Mechanisms: Not Known” begins with an artist lecture and reception at 4 p.m. on Feb. 19. The exhibit and opening reception are open to the public at no charge.

The Shorter College Theatre presents Tartuffe Feb. 19-23 at 8 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee scheduled for Feb. 24. All performances will be held in the Callaway Theatre on the Shorter College Campus. Tartuffe is one of Moliere’s funniest and most frequently performed plays. Richard Wilbur translated the text and composed the rhymed couplets for this edition. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $8 for students and senior adults.

Pianist David Oliver, associate professor of music at Shorter College, will present a faculty recital at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 25 in Brookes Chapel. The recital is open to the public at no charge.

Shorter alumnus Patrick Harvey will return to campus for an alumni recital at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 29, in Brookes Chapel. Shorter’s Linda Lister, soprano, will join the 2005 graduate for this concert featuring music by Schubert, Debussy, Turina and Heggie. Mr. Harvey is a master’s candidate at the University of Michigan. The concert is open to the public at no charge.

International concert organist Hector Olivera will participate in Shorter’s guest artist series with a recital at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, March 3, at First Baptist Church, 100 E. Fourth Ave. Mr. Olivera has spent the past 40 years touring internationally as a concert organist; he was also the organist at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. His daughter Nicole Olivera is a senior in Shorter’s music department. The concert is open to the public at no charge.

The Moscow String Quartet will continue Shorter’s guest artist series with a recital at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, March 17, in the college’s Brookes Chapel. The members of this quartet have earned a place among the most distinguished artists of today; they have been described as “an extraordinary ensemble that distinguishes itself with refined musical style.” The concert is open to the public at no charge.

The 2007-2008 guest artist series will conclude on March 31 and April 1 with a two-day residency by Donald Nally, the chorus master of the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Mr. Nally has spent the past 20 years as a chorus master and conductor. His residency at Shorter will consist of clinics, master classes and mock auditions for Shorter students.

Shorter College art majors will present a Student Honors Art Exhibition in the college’s Arnold Gallery March 31-April 4. An opening reception will be held during Celebrate Shorter Day on April 1. The exhibit and opening reception are open to the public at no charge.

The Shorter Chorus, under the direction of Matthew Hoch, will present its spring concert at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, in Brookes Chapel on the Shorter College campus. Joining the chorus will be the men’s a capella group Somethin’ Else. A traditional first-half of the concert will be balanced in the second half by arrangements from Broadway musicals. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $8 for students and senior adults.

The Shorter College Theatre presents Guys and Dolls April 18-19 at 8 p.m. with a 2 p.m. matinee scheduled for April 20. All performances will be held at the Rome City Auditorium, 601 Broad St. Guys and Dolls includes a cast of characters and favorite show tunes that have kept audiences coming back for more than 50 years. The book is by Abe Burrows and Joe Swerling with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $8 for students and senior adults.

The Shorter Chorale, under the direction of Martha Shaw, will present its spring concert at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 19, in Brookes Chapel on the Shorter College campus. The concert features choral classics of the Renaissance and other Latin sacred selections in preparation for performances in Italy in May 2008. Tickets are $12 for general admission and $8 for students and senior adults.

The Shorter Opera Theatre will present “An Afternoon of Opera Scenes” at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 20, in Callaway Theatre at Shorter College. This performance will include an array of scenes from the world’s greatest operas featuring Shorter’s aspiring opera singers. All scenes will be sung in the original languages with English supertitles. The concert is open to the public at no charge.

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