Music Department

The Vassar College Music Library presents a display highlighting Modfest music activities and musicians, curated by Sarah Canino, music librarian. Open daily.

Vassar Jazz Combos.  The student ensembles present a colorful variety of jazz styles. James Osborn, director of the jazz groups.

Villard Room, Main Building

Patrick Litterst ’07, outstanding percussionist while at Vassar, is now in software development, particularly with Notion 4, a music notation and score playback application of recent acclaim.  He will give a workshop about his work, which includes continuing his performing career. Co-sponsored by the Career Development Office.

Following the presentation, there will be a lunch with an opportunity to speak with the Patrick in room 303 of Skinner Hall.

Thekla Hall

Music by Vassar composers Jonathan Chenette, Susan Botti and Richard Wilson on texts by Lewis Carroll, Edward Lear, James Norman Hall, Joe Orton (somewhat), and Edward Hirsch, who will read as part of the program.

Note: In the event of inclement weather, the concert will be rescheduled for Sunday, February 8 at 3:00pm.

Violist Ralph Farris and percussionist Frank Cassara, adjunct artist in music, in a program of works for this unusual combination.  Among the composers are Farris and Cassara themselves as well as Janice Giteck, Kenji Bunch, Linda Bouchard, and Randy Woolf.

In celebration of the 150th anniversary of first publication of Alice in Wonderland, this talk examines the sound worlds created by Lewis Carroll in his book and the various ways in which filmmakers have sought to present this classic tale through film score and sound design. Presented by Justin Patch, adjunct assistant professor in music.

Music Library Listening Classroom

Cappella Festiva Treble Choir, Vassar College Choir and Vassar College Women's Chorus.  Christine Howlett, conductor. "ChoralFest" will begin with the young voices of the Cappella Festiva Treble Choir, celebrating the 150th anniversary of Alice in Wonderland with performances of Beautiful Soup by Tom Benjamin, Will you walk a little faster? by John Carter and Jabberwocky by David Brunner.  The Vassar College Choir and Women’s Chorus will perform music of composers including Thomas Juneau, Tarik O'Regan, Timothy Takach, Maxim Vladimiroff, and others.

Timothy Takach discusses his career as a singer, composer, and publisher, and the importance of being a “self-starter” to maintain a career in the arts.  Co-sponsored by the Career Development Office.

Music Library Listening Classroom

A sampling of the Great American Songbook: Gershwin, Kern, Porter, Berlin, Rodgers, Sondheim, and others. Featuring students from the Vassar College Music Department. At the piano will be music department accompanist David Alpher, with direction by cabaret singer Jennie Litt.

Rose Parlor, Main Building

Conducted by Julia Boscov-Ellen ’15 and Sam Plotkin ’15. Composers Timothy Takach and Jesse Greenberg ’13 coach the student-run contemporary groups in the preparation of their works. Following the rehearsal, there will be a lunch with an opportunity to speak with the composers in room 303 of Skinner Hall.

The Vassar College Orchestra performs works by Pete Hope and Osvaldo Lacerda; Vassar Madrigals, prepared by Drew Minter, performs works by Irving Fine and William Schuman; and the Mahagonny Ensembles perform a work by composers Timothy Takach and a première by alumnus Jesse Greenberg ’13. Eduardo Navega, Julia Boscov-Ellen ’15 and Sam Plotkin ’15, conductors.

Dance choreographed by Bella Kosmacher ’14, chamber music and readings of original prose and poetry by students from the classes of Eduardo Navega, lecturer in music and director of the program in chamber music, Jean Kane, associate professor of English and Michael Joyce, professor of English. A display organized by Zoe Lemelson ’17, Sam Schwamm ’16 and Daniel Bialer ’15 will present work by students from Phocus, Vassar College’s photography club. There will be a reception with food, jazz by Matt Mendoza ’15 and time to view the exhibit.

Villard Room, Main Building

Chamber music and readings of original prose and poetry by Vassar students from the classes of Eduardo Navega, lecturer in music and director of the program in chamber music, and Jean Kane and Michael Joyce, professors of English.

The Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center

Paul Bellino, trombone, with James Fitzwilliam, piano. Works by Galliard, Larsson, Bernstein, and Mahler.

The dynamic chamber group, an Affiliate Ensemble of Carnegie Hall, completes its three-day residency at Vassar with a concert featuring works by Mozart, Brahms, Britten, Hersant, and the world premiere of “Distractions,” a sextet written for Decoda by Richard Wilson.

The Brian Mann Trio. Brian Mann, associate professor of music, piano; with Sean Smith, double bass, and Craig Wuepper, drums. 

Lydia Ciaputa, soprano. Assisted by David Alpher, piano. Featuring works by Handel, Faure, Rachmaninoff, Mozart, Schubert, Fields, Barber, and Bernstein.

Patrick Brady, tenor. Assisted by Richard Mogavero, piano. Music of Handel, Bach, Beethoven, Sondheim, and more. 

Thomas Sauer, piano. Works by Mozart, George Walker, Thomas Adès, and Chopin.

Julia Boscov-Ellen, conducting and composition. Featuring choral music by Hildegard von Bingen, Mozart, Takach, Lauridsen and more, as well as original works by Boscov-Ellen for instrumental ensembles. Assisted by members of the Vassar College Choir, Women’s Chorus, Mahagonny Choir and others. 

Eduardo Navega, conductor. Featuring winners of the Vassar College Concerto Competition: Carlin Purcell ’17, piano, and Shereen Sodder ’17, marimba. Works by Mozart, Mendelssohn, Schubert, and Rosauro.

James Osborn, conductor.

*POSTPONED Rescheduled date TBD*

Blanca Uribe, professor emerita, and Richard Wilson present music for two pianos by Schumann, Stravinsky, Infante, Rimsky-Korsakov and Britten marking the 40^th anniversary of their first two-piano program at Vassar.

Jack Cazet, guitar. Featuring solo works for guitar by Sor, Brouwer, Giuliani, Bogdanović, and others.

Evi Lowman and Ilse Heine, violins, Megan Lewis, viola, and Zachary Lucero, cello. Assisted by Jane Cardona ’15, piano. Chamber works by Beethoven, Ester Mägi, and Schumann.

Christine Howlett, conductor.

View the chior program here.

Matthew Mendoza, piano, and Sam Fritschel, guitar. Assisted by Max Goldstein ’15, bass, Sam Judkis ’14, drums, and Chris Rosenberg’15, saxophone. A night of contemporary jazz solo, duo, and combo performances featuring works by Kurt Rosenwinkel, Robert Glasper, Wayne Shorter, Thelonious Monk, Sam Fritschel, and Matthew Mendoza.

Ella Middleton, soprano. Assisted by Richard Mogavero, piano, and Madison Hayes ’15, mezzo-soprano. Music of Handel, Schubert, Mozart, Fauré, Gluck, and Verdi.

Drew Minter, conductor.

View the program here.

Jacob Damsky, baritone, and Frank Hoffman, piano. Assisted by David Alpher, piano. Works by Vaughan Williams, Wolf, Duparc, Chopin, Mozart, Tchaikovsky and others. 

Zoe Adams, mezzo-soprano, and Alexandra Prow, mezzo-soprano. Assisted by Richard Mogavero, piano. Works by Debussy, Berlioz, Mozart, Monteverdi, Mahler, and Rorem.

Christine Howlett, conductor.

View the webcast of the concert here.

James Osborn, director.

View the webcast of the concert here.

View the program here.

Regina Krawiec, soprano. Assisted by David Alpher, piano. Works by Britten, Purcell, Tosti, Rossini, Schumann, Berlioz and others.

James Osborn, conductor.

View the webcast of the concert here.

View the program here.

Eduardo Navega, conductor.

View the webcast of the concert here.

View the chior program here.