The School of the Arts Schedule

Whether in the visual art gallery, the dance theatre, the concert hall, the recital hall, or the flexible theatre, a rich and diverse arts season awaits you. The Arts Ablaze contains the schedule for the year and comments from each of the arts department chairs. You can also download the entire ArtsAblaze. Looking for a past edition of an ArtsAblaze? Check our archives.

Any changes made from the original printing of the Arts Ablaze will be highlighted in red font below.

For further details or reservations call the appropriate department sponsoring the events or performance:

Belhaven Arts Ablaze Spring 2019

FEBRUARY 1
PRESTON CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES: AN EVENING OF DIAMONDS III—DIAMOND PIANO TRIO
SHELLIE BROWN KEMP, VIOLIN; VERONICA PARRALES, CELLO; DR. STEPHEN SACHS, PIANO
FRIDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
The Diamond Piano Trio returns for its third concert at Belhaven in three years. This year “old meets new” as two romantic era piano trios by Brahms and Mendelssohn, both in C Minor, “meet” Pulitzer Prize for Music winning composer Paul Schoenfield and his “Café Music” Piano Trio, a mix of pop, folk, jazz and classical idioms. Alumna and MSO Violinist Shellie Brown, MSO Principal Cellist Veronica Parrales, and BU/MSO Pianist Dr. Stephen W. Sachs look forward to offering you this highly enjoyable program. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.

FEBRUARY 9
GRAPHIC DESIGN DEPARTMENT STUDENT SHOW
SATURDAY, 2:00 PM, BITSY IRBY VISUAL ARTS AND DANCE CENTER, ART GALLERY
The annual Graphic Design Department student show is a collection of the best work of the year. This is a juried exhibition in which judges from many leading design studios and various advertising agencies choose the work you will see in the show. This show will include various print, packaging, web/multi-media and brand design exploration. Complimentary admission.

FEBRUARY 9
NEW MUSIC JACKSON COMPOSITION CONCERT
SATURDAY, 2:30 PM (Student Concert) & 4:30 PM (Professional Concert), CONCERT HALL
The second annual New Music Jackson Festival features two community-oriented concerts of new compositions by Jackson-area students and composers. Watch for pre-concert conversations and other events by following New Music Jackson on Facebook and by visiting newmusicjackson.org.

FEBRUARY 14–16
DANCE MINISTRY ENSEMBLE
THURSDAY—SATURDAY, 7:00 PM
BITSY IRBY VISUAL ARTS AND DANCE CENTER STUDIO THEATRE
DAN FREDERICKS PERFORMANCE DANCE STUDIO
The Dance Ministry Ensemble and DOXA present a selection of original dances created by guest artists and dance faculty aimed to encourage and inspire the spirit of all who attend. General admission $10; seniors/students $5; complimentary admission for Belhaven students, faculty, staff, and their immediate families. Doors open 30 minutes prior to each concert.

FEBRUARY 15–16, 20–23
THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH
BY THORNTON WILDER
DIRECTED BY ELISSA SARTWELL
FRIDAY—SATURDAY AND WEDNESDAY—SATURDAY, 7:30 PM
SATURDAY MATINEES, 2:00 PM
BLACKBOX THEATRE
Meet George and Maggie Antrobus of Excelsior, New Jersey, a suburban, commuter-town couple (married for 5,000 years), who bear more than a casual resemblance to that first husband and wife, Adam and Eve: the two Antrobus children, Gladys (perfect in every way, of course) and Henry (who likes to throw rocks and was formerly known as Cain); and their garrulous maid, Sabina (the eternal seductress), who takes it upon herself to break out of character and interrupt the course of the drama at every opportunity (“I don’t understand a word of this play!”). Whether he is inventing the alphabet or merely saving the world from apocalypse, George and his redoubtable family somehow manage to survive—by the skin of their teeth. General admission $10; seniors/students $5; complimentary admission for Belhaven students, faculty, staff and their immediate families. Doors open thirty minutes prior to each performance.

FEBRUARY 20–21
SENIOR DANCE RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS
WEDNESDAY—THURSDAY, 7:00 PM
BITSY IRBY VISUAL ARTS AND DANCE CENTER, ART GALLERY
Senior dance majors present an evening of scholarship, lecture demonstrations, and creative process discussions on topics from the field of dance and beyond. Complimentary admission.

FEBRUARY 22
FACULTY COMPOSITION CONCERT
DR. ANDREW SAUERWEIN
PRE-CONCERT DISCUSSION, 6:30 PM, INSTRUMENTAL REHEARSAL HALL
FRIDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
Join Dr. Sauerwein and friends for this lively adventure in new music, featuring recent works and premieres by Dr. Sauerwein as well as freshly-minted pieces by BU alumni composers. The composers will introduce their works beforehand, and look forward to hearing your responses at a reception following the concert.

FEBRUARY 25
BEST OF BELHAVEN II
MONDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
The Music Department presents the most outstanding student performances since mid-November on one concert. Musical variety and excellence are the gifts from our student performers to you. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.

MARCH 1–2
SENIOR DANCE CONCERT
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, 7:00 PM
BITSY IRBY VISUAL ARTS AND DANCE CENTER STUDIO THEATRE
DAN FREDERICKS PERFORMANCE DANCE STUDIO
Senior dance majors present an evening of original choreography and performance created at the intersection of scholarship and practice. This event is sponsored by DOXA. General admission $10; seniors/students $5; complimentary admission for Belhaven students, faculty, staff and their immediate families. Doors open thirty minutes prior to each performance.

MARCH 1
FACULTY SHOWCASE
FACULTY PIANO RECITAL
FRIDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
Enjoy an evening of music provided by several Belhaven University Music faculty members. We are excited to announce a program offering choral, instrumental, and original works. We hope you will come support the many talented and gifted professors who are responsible for the musical education of our students. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.

MARCH 2–29
SENIOR ART EXHIBITION
BITSY IRBY VISUAL ARTS AND DANCE CENTER, ART GALLERY
OPENING RECEPTION SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 2:00–4:00 PM
You are invited to attend this visual art exhibition that showcases the works of graduating art majors, as the culminating requirement of completing their degrees. Please come and celebrate with us and their families all of their hard work and talents.

MARCH 4
READING: AMY FLEURY
VISITING WRITER SERIES
MONDAY, 5:30–6:30 PM, STUDENT CENTER THEATER
Poet and fiction writer Amy Fleury will read from her works. Fleury is the author of a collection of poems, Beautiful Trouble, published by SIU Press, and the director of the M.F.A. program at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Her poems have appeared in many journals, including Prairie Schooner, 32 Poems, River Styx, and Crazyhorse. She was the 2009–10 Amy Clampitt Resident Poetry Fellow. Fleury has been a recipient of the Nadya Aisenberg Fellowship from the MacDowell Colony and a Kansas Arts Commission fellowship in poetry. Complimentary admission; open to the public.

MARCH 30
ELLIS PIANO DUO COMPETITON
SATURDAY, TBA, CONCERT HALL
The Ellis Piano Duo Competition is sponsored by the National Federation of Music Clubs (NFMC) and is open to American citizens between 18 and 38 years of age. This is a significant opportunity for American duo-pianists to gain recognition as well as coveted prizes including First Prize of $12,000, Second Prize of $4,000 the Abild American Music Award, a $1,000 for the best performance of American music, and up to two years of concert bookings through NFMC. Belhaven University is proud to once again host this prestigious competition. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 a.m.

APRIL 2
STUDENT COMPOSERS CONCERT XXI
TUESDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
The Composers Forum invites you to participate in making new music with Belhaven student composers and performers. Join in with the creative discovery and exploration of bringing freshly-fabricated musical worlds to life. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.

APRIL 4
READING: THE BEST OF BELHAVEN’S WRITERS
STUDENT WRITER SERIES
THURSDAY, 6:00–7:30 PM, STUDENT CENTER THEATER
Students currently enrolled in the BFA Program in Creative Writing at Belhaven University will read from their work. Representing many states and several countries, these students have enrolled at Belhaven because of their gift for writing and devotion to craft. Readings will include fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and scripts for screen and stage. Upon graduation, Belhaven’s Creative Writers will join a group of alumni who have published novels, topped The New York Times bestseller list, won national poetry prizes and Fulbright Scholarships, and secured positions with prestigious presses and institutions of higher education. Complimentary admission; open to the public; reception to follow.

APRIL 5
STRINGS & ORCHESTRA CONCERT
FRIDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
Come and enjoy a night showcasing brilliant string solos & chamber groups featuring our outstanding string students. The BU Symphony Orchestra concludes this program of excellence with a musical exclamation point. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.

APRIL 5–6, 12–13
SPRING DANCE CONCERT
BELHAVEN UNIVERSITY DANCE ENSEMBLE
FRIDAY—SATURDAY, 7:00 PM
BITSY IRBY VISUAL ARTS AND DANCE CENTER
DAN FREDERICKS PERFORMANCE DANCE STUDIO
The Spring Dance Concert features a 40-minute ballet based on C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as well as three modern dance works choreographed by dance faculty and guest artists. The concert is presented by the Belhaven University Dance Ensemble and members of DOXA. General admission $10; seniors/students $5; complimentary admission for Belhaven students, faculty, staff and their immediate families. Doors open thirty minutes prior to each performance.

APRIL 5–6, 10–13
THE SECRET GARDEN
MUSIC BY LUCY SIMON
LYRICS & BOOK BY MARSHA NORMAN
DIRECTED BY DR. DAVID S. SOLLISH
FRIDAY—SATURDAY and
WEDNESDAY—SATURDAY, 7:30 PM
SATURDAY MATINEES, 2:00 PM
BLACKBOX THEATRE
This enchanting classic of children’s literature is reimagined in brilliant musical style by composer Lucy Simon and Marsha Norman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright of ‘Night Mother. Orphaned in India, 11-year-old Mary Lennox returns to Yorkshire to live with her embittered, reclusive uncle Archibald and his invalid son Colin. The estate’s many wonders include a magic garden which beckons the children with haunting melodies and the “Dreamers”, spirits from Mary’s past who guide her through her new life, dramatizing The Secret Garden’s compelling tale of forgiveness and renewal. General admission $10; seniors/students $5; complimentary admission for Belhaven students, faculty, staff and their immediate families. Doors open thirty minutes prior to each performance.

APRIL 6
ALL-STATE STRINGS CONCERT
SATURDAY, 3:00 PM, CONCERT HALL
Mississippi’s best high school string students present the results of two intensive days of rehearsal and study in this closing concert. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 2:30 p.m.

APRIL 6–MAY 10
STUDENT INVITATIONAL ART EXHIBITION
BITSY IRBY VISUAL ARTS AND DANCE CENTER, ART GALLERY
OPENING RECEPTION SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 2:00–4:00 PM
This is our annual end of the year visual art exhibition that celebrates the hard work and growth of our art majors. All art majors get to submit art works to the faculty for consideration into the exhibition. It is always our largest and most popular exhibition. The works presented will cover a broad variety of media. Please join us for the opening reception, if you are able, so that you can meet the exhibiting students and faculty.

APRIL 11
INSTRUMENTAL ARTS CONCERT
THURSDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
Come and experience the new and unique timbres of the Wind Ensemble as well as various woodwind & brass ensembles as they revisit the works of traditional composers and move to the always exciting contemporary avenue and perform some of the newer music in the small ensemble repertoire. You will hear everything from Baroque to Twentieth century music; in short, IT’S GONNA BE FUN! Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.

APRIL 15
CHORAL ARTS CONCERT
MONDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
Handel’s Messiah stands as one of the most performed and most beloved works in the world of choral music. Every year, in many places near and far, in grand concert halls and small parish chapels, you will find numerous performances of the Christmas portion of Messiah. But what about the parts of Messiah after the Christmas portion? Come join the Belhaven Concert Choir and Chamber Orchestra for an evening of hidden gems from Handel’s inspired work. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.

APRIL 16
BEST OF BELHAVEN II
TUESDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
The music department presents the most outstanding student performances of last half of spring semester in one concert. Musical variety and excellence are the gifts from our student performers to you. End-of-year music awards will be given to selected students at the end of the concert. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.

APRIL 16
COMPOSERS’ ORCHESTRALREADING SESSION
TUESDAY, 5:30 PM TRUSTMARK GRAND HALL, MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF ART
MSO performs in an open forum the new orchestral compositions of chosen college and university student composers from Belhaven University, Jackson State University, and Mississippi College. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 5 p.m.

 

Belhaven Arts Ablaze Fall 2018

SEPTEMBER 1
24-HOUR THEATRE EVENT
SATURDAY, 7:30 PM, BLACKBOX THEATRE
A from-zero-to-ten-minute play is created in 24 hours! Students gather on Friday and create an original piece of theatre in a single day; from idea to script to rehearsal to performance. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.

SEPTEMBER 8–29
SENIOR ART EXHIBITION
BITSY IRBY VISUAL ARTS AND DANCE CENTER, ART GALLERY
OPENING RECEPTION SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2:00–4:00 PM
You are invited to attend this visual art exhibition that showcases the works of graduating art majors as the culminating requirement of completing their degrees. Please come and celebrate all of their hard work and talents with us and their families.

SEPTEMBER 15
PRESTON CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES:
AN EVENING OF DIAMONDS I
VIOLIN DUO JOCELYN ZHU/MARIELLA HAUBS
SATURDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
Belhaven alumna and Juilliard graduate Jocelyn Zhu joins with fellow Juilliard graduate Mariella Haubs to perform music by artists who faced adversity in their lives and communities. Music by Leclair, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and John Williams as well as African-American spirituals will be presented. Come hear fabulous music and the sharing of human stories as our artists strive to replace xenophobia with compassion. Jocelyn is a former student of Belhaven’s music professor Song Xie. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.

SEPTEMBER 22
COMMUNITY DANCE CONCERT
SATURDAY, 7:00 PM, CONCERT HALL
Members of Belhaven University dance faculty, students, DOXA, and alumni join together with other local dance artists to offer an inspiring and lively evening of dance. General admission $10; seniors/students $5; complimentary admission for Belhaven students, faculty, staff, and their immediate families. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

SEPTEMBER 26–29
THESE SHINING LIVES
BY MELANIE MARNICH
DIRECTED BY ELISSA SARTWELL
WEDNESDAY—SATURDAY, 7:30 PM
SATURDAY MATINEE, 2:00 PM
BLACKBOX THEATRE
These Shining Lives chronicles the strength and determination of women considered
expendable in their day, exploring their true story and its continued resonance. Catherine and her friends are dying, it’s true; but theirs is a story of survival in its most transcendent sense, as they refuse to allow the company that stole their health to kill their spirits or endanger the lives of those who come after them. General admission $10; seniors/students $5; complimentary admission for Belhaven students, faculty, staff and their immediate families. Doors open thirty minutes prior to each performance.

OCTOBER 13—DECEMBER 11
SENIOR ART EXHIBITION
BITSY IRBY VISUAL ARTS AND DANCE CENTER, ART GALLERY
OPENING RECEPTION SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2:00–4:00 PM
You are invited to attend this visual art exhibition that showcases the works of graduating art majors as the culminating requirement of completing their degrees. Please come and celebrate all of their hard work and talents with us and their families.

OCTOBER 15
READING: MICHAEL KARDOS
VISITING WRITER SERIES
MONDAY, 5:30–6:30 PM, STUDENT CENTER THEATER
Fiction writer Michael Kardos will read from his works. Kardos is the author of the novels Bluff, Before He Finds Her, and The Three-Day Affair, an Esquire best book of 2012; as well as the story collection One Last Good Time, which won the Mississippi Institute of Arts & Letters Award for fiction; and the textbook The Art and Craft of Fiction: A Writer’s Guide. His short stories have appeared in The Southern Review, Crazyhorse, Harvard Review, and many other magazines and anthologies and have won a Pushcart Prize. Michael grew up on the Jersey Shore, received a degree in music from Princeton University, and played the drums professionally for a number of years. He has an M.F.A. in fiction from The Ohio State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Missouri. He lives in Starkville, Mississippi, where he is Associate Professor of English and co-director of the creative writing program at Mississippi State University. Complimentary admission. Open to the public.

OCTOBER 24–27
EZEKIEL
A DEVISED WORK DIRECTED BY JOSEPH FROST
MUSICAL COMPOSITION LED BY DR. ANDREW SAUERWEIN
WEDNESDAY—SATURDAY, 7:30 PM
SATURDAY MATINEE, 2:00 PM
BARBER AUDITORIUM
Ezekiel is a devised collaboration of original theatre and music composition that explores and manifests the prophetic visions of the Old Testament prophet through sound, movement, staging, design, and text. General admission $10; seniors/students $5; complimentary admission for Belhaven students, faculty, staff and their immediate families. Doors open thirty minutes prior to each performance.

OCTOBER 26
PRESTON CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES:
AN EVENING OF DIAMONDS II
BU PIANO TRIO
FRIDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
Belhaven’s Piano Trio comprised of clarinetist Kenneth Graves, cellist Nancy Bateman, and pianist Dr. Stephen Sachs presents a delightful evening of intimate chamber music. Romanticism is on display, as the program begins with selections from Eight Songs by German composer Max Bruch. Sharp contrasts are provided by American composer Robert Muczynski in his Fantasy Trio. The evening comes to a peaceful close with the performance of a nocturne, Liszt’s famous Consolation No. 3 transcribed for Piano Trio by Alexis Descharmes. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.

NOVEMBER 2–3, 7–10
WHITE CHRISTMAS
MUSIC & LYRICS BY IRVING BERLIN
BOOK BY DAVID IVES & PAUL BLAKE
DIRECTED BY DR. DAVID S. SOLLISH
MUSICAL DIRECTION BY CHRISTOPHER PHILLIPS
CHOREOGRAPHY BY LAURA MORTON
FRIDAY—SATURDAY and WEDNESDAY—SATURDAY, 7:30 PM
SATURDAY MATINEES, 2:00 PM
BLACKBOX THEATRE
Based on the beloved, timeless film, this heartwarming musical adaptation features seventeen Irving Berlin songs. Veterans Bob Wallace and Phil Davis have a successful song-and-dance act after World War II. With romance in mind, the two follow a duo of beautiful singing sisters en route to their Christmas show at a Vermont lodge, which just happens to be owned by Bob and Phil’s former Army commander. The dazzling score features well known standards including Blue Skies, I Love a Piano, How Deep is the Ocean and the perennial favorite, White Christmas. General admission $10; seniors/students $5; complimentary admission for Belhaven students, faculty, staff and their immediate families. Doors open thirty minutes prior to each performance.

NOVEMBER 9
SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT
FRIDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
The Belhaven University Symphony Orchestra will present one of the most beautiful and delightful masterworks in the symphonic repertoire: C Major Symphony by French composer Georges Bizet. You will also hear a work by Belhaven’s own Dr. Andrew Sauerwein and the famous Polonaise from Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky. Please come enjoy a night of high quality and profoundly moving performance! Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.

NOVEMBER 9–10, 16–17
FALL DANCE CONCERT
FRIDAY—SATURDAY, 7:00 PM
BITSY IRBY VISUAL ARTS AND DANCE CENTER
DAN FREDERICKS PERFORMANCE DANCE STUDIO
Belhaven University Dance Ensemble and members of DOXA present a showcase of choreography by dance faculty and guest artists. Styles include classical and contemporary ballet and modern dance. These concerts also feature original choreography by M.F.A. candidates, Emma Salinas (November 9–10) and Maria McCain (November 16–17) as part of their graduate thesis projects. General admission $10; seniors/students $5; complimentary admission for Belhaven students, faculty, staff and their immediate families. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

NOVEMBER 13
INSTRUMENTAL AND CHORAL ARTS CONCERT
TUESDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
“Feeling that groovy beat!” This concert will present a smorgasbord of musical talent. From small to large “stomp your feet” jazz selections to traditional and contemporary choral selections that will touch your soul, there will be something in this program for every age group. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.

NOVEMBER 19
BEST OF BELHAVEN I
MONDAY, 7:30 PM, CONCERT HALL
The music department presents the most outstanding student performances of the semester in one concert. Musical variety and excellence are the gifts from our student performers to you. Complimentary admission. Doors open at 7 p.m.

NOVEMBER 28–29
DOXA DANCE CONCERT
WEDNESDAY—THURSDAY, 7:00 PM
BITSY IRBY VISUAL ARTS AND DANCE CENTER
DAN FREDERICKS PERFORMANCE DANCE STUDIO
This event is produced by members of DOXA and highlights student choreography and performance. General admission $10; seniors/students $5; complimentary admission for Belhaven students, faculty, staff, and their immediate families. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

NOVEMBER 30—DECEMBER 1
THE 86th ANNUAL SINGING CHRISTMAS TREE
FRIDAY—SATURDAY, 7:30 PM, BELHAVEN BOWL STADIUM
Voices! Carols! Lights! The Belhaven University Singing Christmas Tree is the oldest continuous outdoor singing Christmas tree tradition in North America. Mr. Christopher Phillips conducts the tree made up of Belhaven Choral Arts singers along with additional students, faculty, and staff. These voices join forces to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas! Complimentary admission.