Mosaic Concert Series unites artists around timely issues
Written by Hermon Minda (COM’22)
In celebration of Women’s History Month, Boston University College of Fine Arts will host a collaboration with various departments throughout the University to present the second installment of the Mosaic Concert Series. The event will feature female performers from across CFA and works by female artists, including faculty from within the BU community.
The College of Fine Arts put on the first installment of the series on February 6, 2020, honoring Black History Month. The concert featured remarks by leaders from across BU and performances by black students and faculty performing works by black historical figures. The last event of the series will take place on April 2 and highlights Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.
Tanya Gabrielian, Assistant Professor of Piano, who brought the idea for the series to CFA’s Outreach Committee, will curate the final installment of the series. Professor Gabrielian shared some thoughts on the genesis of the program and how she hopes to see it grow as a supportive and inspiring space for the BU community.
Where did the idea for the series come from?
Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and Armenian Genocide Awareness Month all pertain to very specific experiences but also has elements that everyone has experienced. Music and art are very encompassing ways to bring us together and to show again what we have in common, not the lines that separate us from each other.
Could you talk a little bit about the decision to collaborate with other departments?
The microcosm of combining various departments with various specialties reflects the greater goal at heart: to work together, to show how much we have in common, and to find solutions together in beautiful ways.
What is the impact you hope this series will have on the BU community?
I hope that this series will be a refuge for the BU community – a way to meet each other, enjoy each other’s company, and to come together for a fun event. It is a way to provide a safe place to explore the values that make us human and to address personal matters that we can all relate to, creating a community for us to cherish and a starting point for us to continue to grow as individuals.
Women’s History Month Concert
Thursday, March 5, 2020
12:30 – 1:30 pm
CFA Concert Hall • 855 Commonwealth Avenue
Program will feature works by BU College of Fine Arts School of Visual Arts women faculty and students, including Deborah Cornell and Dana Clancy.
Opening Remarks & Poetry Reading
Dr. Carrie Preston, Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies
Sea-Changes – Ketty Nez
- a little bird
- ship of sadness
- old age is a shoddy coat
- shaking leaves
- from Istanbul I sailed
- I was gold, but now am dust
Hyun-ji Kwon, cello
Ketty Nez, piano
Allison Voth – narrator
Carrie Preston – narrator
In Sleep the World is Yours – Lori Laitman
Text – Selma Meerbaum-Eisinger
i. Lullaby
ii. Yes
iii. Tragedy
Julianne Wolfe – soprano
Haley Russell – clarinet
Regan Siglin – piano
Play excerpt: Interview Act II, Sc. 2 from Top Girls – Caryl Churchill
Jenna Giordana – Win
Amy Stapenhorst – Louise
Projected Art Work – Dana Clancy
Chinaman! Laundryman! – Ruth Crawford-Seeger
Wee Kiat Chia, counter Tenor
Projected Art Work – Deborah Cornell
Quartet for Four Violins – Grazyna Bacewicz
Allegretto
Andante tranquillo
Molto Allegro
Sarah Elert, violin 1
Bennett Astrove, violin 2
Kavita Shankar, violin 3
Jessica Tovey violin 4
Find more information about the Mosaic Concert Series at bu.edu/cfa/mosaic. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity.