Peak Performances
Montclair State University
In Memoriam: Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin,
Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin,, composer of “Madison’s Descent – A Masque”, died in Limerick, Ireland on November 7th. Based on the story by Page Allen, “Madison’s Descent” was commissioned by PEAK Performances and first performed on The Alexander Kasser stage in May 2006 with Professor O’Suilleabhain conducting and Professor Heather Buchannan leading the MSU Chorale designed by puppeteer Michael Curry and staged by Irish choreographer David Bolger. An active proponent of Irish traditional and classical music, Micheal established and championed the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance at The University of Limerick leaving an indelible legacy that will guide generations of musicians and performers for ages to come. Irish President Michael D. Higgins leads tributes with this statement issued on Thursday morning:
"Music lovers all over the world will have heard with great sadness of the passing of Professor Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin, performer, musician, composer, academic and broadcaster. Proud of his roots in Clonmel and Murroe, and a close associate of famous musicians and musicologists such as Seán Ó Riada, Aloys Fleischmann, John Blacking and John Baily, Professor Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin was renowned as a unique pianist and composer. His music and outstanding work will forever be enjoyed by countless people, celebrating his humor, his fearless sense of exploration and his talent for harmony, joy and mobilizing the peerless power of music.”
Watch A Tribute
Marrugeku: Cut the Sky
Is it a rock concert? Modern dance? A plea for environmental action and the rights of Indigenous peoples? “Cut the Sky” by Marrugeku, Australia’s preeminent dance theater ensemble of Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists, is all three. Nick Cave, Buffalo Springfield, and Australian “post-soul” music form the soundtrack as a band of climate change refugees face another extreme weather event.
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Gandini Juggling: Smashed
American Premiere
What do you get when you toss together nine jugglers, 80 apples, and four crockery sets? “Smashed,” a tea party you’ll never forget. Nine well-dressed, perfectly respectable young people take the stage and, under the guise of a quaint afternoon tea, engage in the dark art of juggling. Their virtuosic blend of skills, precision, and theatricality will leave you breathless.
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WORKS-A-FOOT 2018
Montclair State Dance Division’s first concert of the year features choreography by the legendary Bill T. Jones. His D-Man in the Waters, set to Mendelssohn’s Octet in E Flat Major, was created in 1989 in honor of dancer Demian Acquavella, who died of AIDS. Abby Zbikowski, recipient of the 2017 Juried Bessie Award, will set a new work featuring her raw and hard-hitting style on Montclair State dance majors.
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MSU SYMPHONIC BAND AND MSU CAMPUS BAND
Join the MSU Symphonic Band, directed by Shelley Axelson, and the MSU Campus Band, directed by Theodora Sotiropoulos, for an exciting and eclectic evening of music making.
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MSU SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
The MSU Symphony Orchestra performs Ting Ho’s composition Phoenix Rising in honor of his retirement as composition professor at the Cali School; Derek Bermel’s Soul Garden for Viola and String Orchestra, with Kathryn Lockwood; and Saint-Saëns’ Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 78 (Organ).
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