Swarthmore College Department of Music Announces 2017-18 Season

The Department of Music and Dance at Swarthmore College announces a new performance series that will bring prominent guest artists to campus to collaborate with students in the Department of Music and Dance. The inaugural year of the "Featured Artist Series" presents performances and collaborations with Janis Siegel, David Kim, the Jasper String Quartet, and an Indian music ensemble featuring tabla player Samir Chatterjee.

Says Lecturer in Music Andrew Hauze: "For decades, Swarthmore has been bringing great musicians to campus to work with our students and share their own gifts in concert. This new program will give us the chance to develop longer-term relationships with musicians who are not only inspiring artists, but who are also dedicated and gifted teachers who love to share their work with younger musicians. I am particularly excited that each featured guest artist will be performing alongside our students, not only collaborating together, but sharing that collaboration with an audience."

This new series features each artist as performer and teacher, leading master classes, giving solo performances, and collaborating in performance with Swarthmore College student musicians and dancers. Here is an overview of the 2017-2018 program.

David Kim, violin

Concertmaster of the Philadelphia Orchestra, David Kim will perform the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Swarthmore College Orchestra directed by Andrew Hauze, perform the Bach E Major Violin Concerto with the Swarthmore College Lab Orchestra, and will lead a violin master class for Swarthmore College violin students.

Swarthmore College Orchestra Concert: Sunday, November 12, 2017 7:30 PM at Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College

David Kim Master Class: Thursday, March 8, 2018 4:30 PM at Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College

Swarthmore College Lab Orchestra Concert: Sunday, April 22, 2018 7:30 PM at Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College

Janis Siegel, vocalist

Founding member of The Manhattan Transfer, American jazz singer Janis Siegel will lead two jazz workshops for Swarthmore student musicians, perform a concert with pianist John DiMartino and Swarthmore College Jazz Ensemble Director and saxophonist Andrew Neu, and perform as soloist with the Swarthmore College Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Andrew Neu.

Janis Siegel Master Class: Tuesday, October 24, 2018 4:00 PM at Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College

Janis Siegel Master Class: Sunday, February 11, 2018 3:00 PM at Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College

Janis Siegel in Concert: Sunday, February 11, 2018 7:30 PM at Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College

The Swarthmore College Jazz Ensemble with Janis Siegel, Saturday, April 8, 2018 8 PM at Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College

The Jasper String Quartet

In addition to performing a solo concert, the award-winning Jasper String Quartet will rehearse and perform with the Swarthmore College Lab Orchestra; perform in a series of master classes and demonstrations for both Swarthmore College composition students and chamber music students; and lead sectional rehearsals with the Swarthmore College Orchestra.

Swarthmore College Lab Orchestra Concert: Saturday, December 2, 2017 8 PM, Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College

Swarthmore College Lab Orchestra Concert: Sunday, December 3, 2017 2 PM, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts

The Jasper String Quartet In Concert: Friday, March 2, 2018 8 PM, Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College

Samir Chatterjee Chhandayan Ensemble

Tabla virtuoso and Founder-Director of CHHANDAYAN, an organization dedicated to promoting and preserving Indian music and culture, Samir Chatterjee will be joined by Sanghamitra Chatterjee (vocals) and Rohan Misra (sarangi) as they perform with the Swarthmore Kathak dance class. After rehearsing with the Kathak class throughout the academic year, the trio will perform at the Student Dance Concerts in the spring and present a lecture and demonstration on their music and instruments.

Lecture and Demonstration: Friday, October 27, 2017 6 PM, Lang Concert Hall, Swarthmore College

Spring Dance Concert: Friday, May 4, 2018 4:30 PM, Lang Performing Arts Center, Swarthmore College

Spring Dance Concert: Saturday, May 5, 2018 8 PM, Lang Performing Arts Center, Swarthmore College

In addition to the above programming, the Swarthmore College Department of Music and Dance presents a solo performance by multi-Grammy Award-winner and MacArthur Fellow Chris Thile, a mandolin virtuoso, composer and vocalist. The performance will be on Saturday, September 23, 2017 at 8 PM in Lang Concert Hall.

This programming is made possible by the Gil and Mary Stott Concert Fund and the Elizabeth Pollard Fetter Fund. The Gil and Mary Stott Concert Fund was established in 1997 on the 25th anniversary of the Lang Music Building. The fund was created as an expression of deep affection for the Stotts by the late Eugene M. Lang, Class of 1938, to recognize their special artistic talents and all that they have meant to the Swarthmore community. Beginning in 2010, the Stott Concert Fund is used to underwrite the Gil and Mary Stott Chamber Music Master Class Series, bringing prominent New York, national, and International Artists to campus for one-day coaching sessions with student ensembles. The Elizabeth Pollard Fetter Fund was initially established to honor the memory of Elizabeth Pollard Fetter by underwriting the cost of lessons and coaching for an advanced-study string quartet. Its focus has been expanded to allow for the coaching of additional chamber music groups. As a Swarthmore student, Elizabeth Pollard Fetter '25, was deeply involved in college life through music, athletics, and service. The Elizabeth Pollard Fetter Fund has been endowed by her husband, the late Frank Fetter '20, and children Robert P. Fetter '53, Thomas W. Fetter '56, and Ellen Fetter Gille.

All events are free and open to the public. Reservations will be made available for An Evening with Chris Thile on September 7, 2017. Reservations are not available for other performances, but are first come, first served. Please visit http://www.swarthmore.edu/music/concerts-events for more information.