We have in our group, two members of the Pro Arte Quartet from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, players from Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Milwaukee Symphony, and players who have performed with the Atlanta Symphony, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, and the Chicago Philharmonic.
Category: Arts & Humanities
Kanye West checks out Virgil Abloh exhibit at MCA
Abloh and West go way back, to the artist/designer’s days as a grad student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where in 2002 the two met. Abloh would go on to become West’s creative director.
Andre De Shields Will Host LPTW’s Rachel Crothers Leadership Award Luncheon
In a career spanning fifty years, André De Shields has distinguished himself as an unparalleled actor, director, choreographer and educator. Mr. De Shields is an esteemed alumnus of both the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2004 Doctor of Fine Arts honoris causa) and New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study.
Plan B for State Street art: An Iowa studio creates a work where a Jill Sebastian sculpture was planned
Madison just dedicated its newest work of public art, a massive sculpture, “Both/And — Tolerance/Innovation,” which has been completed on lower State Street, adjacent to Library Mall.
The ‘Napalm Girl’ To Share Story Of Hope During Free Event Saturday
Phúc will speak from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Saturday at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Pyle Center, about her experience on the 47th anniversary of the napalm attack that her village experienced during the Vietnam War. Nick Ut, the photographer who captured an iconic war image of Phúc’s pain and desperation, will make a special appearance as well.
UW-Madison grad wins Tony for ‘Hadestown’ performance
De Shields’ Broadway credits include ‘The Wiz’ and ‘The Full Monty’. Film credits include ‘Prison’ and ‘Extreme Measures’. His television résumé includes an Emmy Award winning performance in ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’’.
UW alumnus wins his first Tony Award at age 73
De Shields has previously been nominated twice, but has never taken home an award.
UW Alumnus Andre De Shields Wins His First Tony Award at Age 73
The Baltimore native began his career at UW-Madison in 1968 when he appeared in a nude production of “Peter Pan.”
The face of the Union: Ralph Russo retires after 35 years of championing the arts
Ralph Russo once carried the late great Maya Angelou’s grocery bags around Kohl’s after she gave a lecture at the Wisconsin Union Theater. He was the one tasked with breaking the news of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake to Angela Davis, whose home was in Oakland. In 2007, he ushered French jazz star Madeleine Peyroux out of the Union Theater after her sold-out Isthmus Jazz Festival performance and watched her jaw drop as she witnessed thousands of people gyrating on the Terrace to Madisalsa.
The face of the Union
Ralph Russo once carried the late great Maya Angelou’s grocery bags around Kohl’s after she gave a lecture at the Wisconsin Union Theater. He was the one tasked with breaking the news of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake to Angela Davis, whose home was in Oakland. In 2007, he ushered French jazz star Madeleine Peyroux out of the Union Theater after her sold-out Isthmus Jazz Festival performance and watched her jaw drop as she witnessed thousands of people gyrating on the Terrace to Madisalsa.
Wisconsin is the perfect setting for murder
Christine DeSmet, faculty associate in writing for UW-Madison Continuing Studies and director of the June 17-21 Write-by-the-Lake Writer’s Workshop and Retreat, said there are likely three big reasons Wisconsin is home to so many mystery writers .One is the support writers receive from UW-Madison, UW-Extension and associations throughout the state, DeSmet said in an email. “It certainly helps to have conferences like the annual UW-Madison Writers’ Institute that brings in literary agents looking for mystery books as well as suspense and thrillers,” she said.
Never thought of science as beautiful? Check out a dozen of the coolest images from UW-Madison
It was summer on the Pacific coast and Ani Michaud, a doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, was standing at a small fish tank in the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, peering through a camera’s viewfinder.
‘It’s impossible to turn away from this job’: photographer Lynsey Addario on what drives her into danger
The most dangerous places on the planet exert an irresistible pull on Lynsey Addario.
He Takes Us to the Underworld in ‘Hadestown.’ And We’re Glad to Go.
You could romanticize it as a balcony, but really it’s an ornate fire escape, painted creamy beige and stretched across the facade of the Walter Kerr Theater. And if you’d glanced up from West 48th Street early one evening this month, you’d have spied a tableau of considerable glamour and grace: André De Shields, in citrus-striped coat and zebra-striped shoes, posing for the camera with the animate aplomb of a model who just happens to be a dancer.
Wisc-opera
Noted: A big assist came from Janet Gilmore, UW-Madison professor of landscape architecture and folklore studies. Gilmore will facilitate audience discussions after performances on May 24, 30 and June 1.
Wisconsin Historical Society museum seeks to ‘wow’
The facility will offer new opportunities to showcase a film collection held in partnership with the Wisconsin Center for Film and Theater Research at the University of Wisconsin that’s one of the largest Hollywood archives in the world.
A good American son: The Red Scare destroyed innocent lives. Author David Maraniss uncovers his own family’s story.
Noted: Out of West High, where he met Linda — they’ll celebrate 50 years of marriage in August, the same month David turns 70 — Maraniss attended UW-Madison but did not graduate. He wasn’t much of a student, preferring chess games at the Union to class.
Mike Leckrone describes final year at UW-Madison as ‘breathtaking’
UW-Madison’s legendary band director is about to take his final bow.After 50 years, Mike Leckrone is preparing for one last commencement. He told WKOW his final year at UW-Madison has been “breathtaking.”
Back Porch Serenade: Music, Memory And The Shoah
Almost a year ago, a viral photograph of high school students mugging for the camera with a Nazi salute after a prom in Baraboo caused a worldwide scandal. Since then, some prominent Madisonians have joined with residents of the Sauk County town in public education efforts about the grim realities of fascism and the legacy of the Holocaust. Among these is Teryl Dobbs, associate professor and chair of music education at the University of Wisconsin, Madison School of Music. Having long studied the music of Eastern European Jews under Nazi occupation, Professor Dobbs will share her research with the public at the Baraboo First United Methodist Church on Thursday, May 2nd at 6:30 pm.
Six artists considered for new public art at Pinney Library
Noted: Finalists for the interior piece include Maria Amalia Wood, a Honduran-born textile artist and recent master of fine arts graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Human Ecology.
Ashley Lusietto tangoes with “She Herself” in large-scale paintings
Noted: The UW-Madison MFA candidate’s current show runs through July 26 at the Central Library.
Baraboo church hosts music from the Holocaust program for Remembrance Day
Noted: Teryl Dobbs, a University of Wisconsin-Madison music professor, will present the free community event “Music, Remembrance, and Repairing Our World: Lessons on Yom Ha’Shoah” on Thursday at First United Methodist Church. Through her work, she has interviewed Holocaust survivors and studied testimony and oral history, with a focus on how they made music while undergoing hardship and oppression.
When a haircut becomes performance art
Noted: Abdu’allah, who is 49, has lived in the United States since 2014, where he is a professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, but visits his home town regularly.
Broadway Star André De Shields on ‘Hadestown,’ Tony Awards, Racism, Sexuality, and Fulfilling His Parents’ Dreams
Noted: De Shields said he was “the only hippie” from his family. “I grew up during the summers of love in ’64 and ’65. I’m the one who went to college [the University of Wisconsin-Madison]. I’m the one who brought white friends back to the ’hood. People said, ‘Is André crazy? But I’m the one who made it beyond 25, because growing up in Baltimore you had to check yourself, ’cause 25 is old age.
Passing the baton: New UW marching band director named
It’s a passing of the baton over at the University of Wisconsin Madison. The school has named a new marching band director for the first time in five decades.
New director chosen to lead UW Marching Band
Corey Pompey has been selected for the role of UW Marching Band director starting this summer.
UW hires Corey Pompey to replace Michael Leckrone as band director
The University of Wisconsin has chosen a new leader of its famous marching band.
Corey Pompey, director of athletic bands and associate director of bands at the University of Nevada, Reno, starts in July.
UW-Madison Names Corey Pompey as New Marching Band Director
“Corey Pompey is the clear choice,” said Susan Cook, director of the School of Music, in UW-Madison’s announcement. “He has a deep musicianship along with an enthusiasm and energy on the podium that was infectious; he really connected with the students.”
UW-Madison announces new band director
After 50 years of marching to the same beat, UW-Madison announced they have selected a new band director to replace Wisconsin legend Mike Leckrone.
Corey Pompey named new band director by UW School of Music
UW selects new leader after 50 years under Michael Leckrone’s leadership.
Sam Cook column: Wandering the countryside in John Muir’s homeland
Noted: Muir, a native of Scotland and our trail’s namesake, didn’t spend a lot of his youth roaming this idyllic countryside. His father was demanding and strict, working his children long hours, six days a week. The family emigrated from Scotland to Wisconsin in 1849 when Muir was 11. Studying at the University of Wisconsin unleashed his passion for the natural world and conservation. A champion of protecting wild places, he eventually would become known as the “Father of the National Parks.”
Yiddish Collection At UW-Madison Named A National Treasure
Along with Neil Diamond’s 1969 “Sweet Caroline” and a speech from Robert F. Kennedy, the earliest known recordings of Yiddish music are now officially considered national treasures.
Claiming ‘Sanctuary’ in a Medieval Church Could Save Your Life—But Lead to Exile
Roman Catholic leaders believed a consecrated church was “protected space,” says Karl Shoemaker, a professor of history and law at the University of Wisconsin and author of Sanctuary and Crime in the Middle Ages, 400-1500. “It would be inappropriate in the extreme to carry weapons into the church or to arrest someone or to exercise force within the church.”
Cartoons, “Catch-22” and hand turkeys
“What if this is what a line looks like when it’s giving you an idea?” she wondered. That may certainly be the case as people easily develop theories, often through haphazard scribbles on any available surface. She recounted students writing on both sides of the glass at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she teaches.
Fewer than 2% of British children’s authors are people of colour
The UK only began to track diversity in children’s books last year. In the US, where the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has tracked diversity statistics for years, campaigners recently pointed to a “seismic shift” in representation, with the number of children’s books featuring African-American characters more than doubling over the last 10 years, and the number featuring Asians more than tripling.
UW-Madison’s Yiddish Music Cylinders Added To National Recording Registry
UW-Madison’s music library is home to wax cylinders holding the oldest known recordings of Yiddish songs, made between 1901-1905. We talk to a librarian about the music, which is now part of the National Recording Registry.
Q&A: First Wave fellow Natasha Oladokun teaches love poems as an act of political protest
Natasha Oladokun is a poet, but she didn’t grow up reading much poetry. She wasn’t really aware contemporary poets existed or that poetry was a legitimate academic pursuit.
‘On, Wisconsin’: Mike Leckrone gives grand finale
Mike Leckrone said goodbye Saturday night, after 50 years as director of the University of Wisconsin Marching Band and 45 years of spring concerts.
Spring concerts will not be UW Band Director Mike Leckrone’s final run
According to a spokesperson for UW-Madison, Leckrone will also take part in the annual free concert and reception April 28 at 2 p.m. on campus. Leckrone will also take part in the commencement ceremonies on May 10 and 11.
Big conversations in a small town in ‘Twilight Bowl’
“It’s an amazing thing — this idea of commissioning playwrights to create work” for this age group, said Jessica Fisch, who teaches acting at the University of Illinois-Chicago and is directing “Twilight Bowl” for UW-Madison’s Department of Theatre and Drama.
UW-Madison band director Mike Leckrone conducts his last concerts this week; here are 5 ways he’s being celebrated
University of Wisconsin Band Director Mike Leckrone has become a Madison icon. Leckrone, 82, took over the band in 1969, when it was what he called “a sleeping giant.”
“Bigger and Better” Line Breaks Festival Brings New, Unique Acts to Stage
The Office of Multicultural Arts Initiatives (OMAI) hosted the 13th Annual Line Breaks Festival last week featuring performances, lectures, and discussions by First Wave student scholars, alumni and invited professional artists.
Baraboo church to hold music program on Holocaust Remembrance Day
The program will be presented by Dr. Teryl Dobbs, a music professor and chair of music education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and researcher affiliated with the Mosse/Weinstein Center for Jewish Studies.
UW Varsity Band’s spring concert is director Mike Leckrone’s final curtain
In March 1975, just five years into his career, Leckrone, then 37, decided an end-of-the-year gathering for his Marching and Varsity bands would be nice.
PHOTOS: ‘The Black Aesthetic’ exhibit on display all summer at UW–Madison
A photo slideshow.
Babcock Hall releases new ice cream flavor in honor of Mike Leckrone
Babcock Hall’s newest flavor is called March on Leckrone. The flavor is a vanilla cranberry swirl ice cream with white chocolate flakes.
Mike Leckrone to take his final bow at ‘Moments of Happiness’ Varsity Band Concert
University of Wisconsin Director of Bands Mike Leckrone has said over the years, he would know when it was time to retire.Now that the moment is almost here, Leckrone has mixed feelings.
UW Band seamstress from Beaver Dam sews final costume
Levenhagen is the band’s talented seamstress — the woman behind Leckrone’s elaborate costumes for the past 27 years — and she was still busy hand-crafting this year’s suit the day before the first of three shows.
Spring arts preview: Our arts contributors each share one don’t-miss event this season
Noted: Includes several UW events.
The rest of the story: HBO documentary sheds more light on Gillian Laub’s “Southern Rites”
n 2002, photographer and UW-Madison alum Gillian Laub was sent by Spin magazine to Mount Vernon, Georgia, to chronicle one of America’s last racially segregated proms. At the time, she didn’t realize she’d be dedicating a decade to the project.
UW’s Humorology eyes record-setting fundraising total
For 71 years each April, students in the campus Greek community have staged the competitive, juried musical variety numbers. The cast members from the fraternities and sororities also compete to raise the most money for a local non-profit.
UW-Madison art professor who taught thousands of students dies at 75
Retired UW-Madison art professor Truman Lowe (Wakajah), whose internationally acclaimed sculptures reflected his Ho-Chunk heritage, died in his Madison home March 30. He was 75.
UW Band director preps for final Varsity Band Concert this week
His 45th and final spring Varsity Band Concert starts Thursday. The last show is Saturday at the Kohl Center. The performances sold out earlier this year.
Mike Leckrone goes over the top and out
Varsity Band Concert is Leckrone’s last big show.
Southern Door Students at Great World Texts Student Conference
On April 8, these students – including some from Southern Door High School – will discuss A Small Place at the 15th annual Great World Texts Student Conference at UW-Madison. They’ll also share their work with each other and members of the university, and they’ll meet and hear from the author herself.
13th Annual Line Breaks Festival Starts Today
Line Breaks utilizes the power of the arts to open and channel voices on various themes.
OMAI’s 2019 Annual Line Break Festival: Everything you need to know
The festival showcases various interdisciplinary works and performances from current and former First Wave scholars, community and campus partners.
Marvel at the scientific beauty of glassblowing at the Madison Children’s Museum
The term “scientific glassblowing” sounds almost aggressively unartistic; step aside marble-makers, this is glassware for science. But Tracy Drier, the scientific glassblower at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, considers it “industrial art.”
Dangerous Illusions – Read This, Save Time
Bio: Karen L. Garst, PhD, is the editor of Women Beyond Belief: Discovering Life without Religion and Women v. Religion: The Case Against Faith… and for Freedom. She has a blog at www.faithlessfeminist.com and is on YouTube as the Faithless Feminist. Dr. Garst received a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She served as the Executive Director of the Oregon State Bar prior to retiring in 2008.
UW grad Phil Johnston talks Ozu and ‘Wreck-It Ralph’ at Wisconsin Film Festival
UW-Madison graduate Phil Johnston will be back in town at the 2019 Wisconsin Film Festival Friday to present two films, his own Disney animated hit “Ralph Breaks the Internet” and the classic Yasurijo Ozu film “Good Morning.”