Two University of Montana School of Music students and one Missoula Hellgate High School student recently won the Northwest Division of the Music Teachers National Association's Young Artist String Chamber Music Competition. The trio now advances to San Antonio as one of the six national finalists on April 2. The Missoula Piano Trio, which comprises UM graduate student Adam Sears of Missoula on the piano, UM senior Sarah Harmsworth of Bonner on the violin and Hellgate High School student David Harmsworth, Sarah's brother, on the cello. Their performance edged out well-qualified ensembles from Washington and Oregon for the win.

Before the national finals they will perform their competition repertoire for Missoula audiences in UM's Music Recital Hall. The program will include Dmitri Shostakovich's "Piano Trio in C minor, Op. 8" and Ludwig van Beethoven's "Piano Trio in D Major, Op. 70, No. 1." The trio will perform:

Nina G, who bills herself as "The West Coast's Only Female Stuttering Comedian," will perform her one-woman show,  "Going Beyond Inspirational," at 7:00 PM on Monday, March 21, in the University Center Theater. Nina G is a comedian, social activist, and author. Her performance is free and open to the public.  It may contain mature content not suitable for some audiences.

Click here for more details.

The UM School of Theatre & Dance celebrates an evening of sophisticated and cutting-edge original choreography in its production of Dance in Concert . New works conceived by guest artists, students, and faculty from the nationally and internationally renowned UM Dance Program will share UM's beautiful Montana Theatre' s stage . Join us in experiencing these seven inspiring new dance works with styles including contemporary modern dance, hip-hop, dance theatre, and multimedia dance fusion .

Click here for more information or to purchase tickets to this exciting event.

The Moradokmai Theatre Community and Homeschool from Patumthani, Thailand, will present Wessandon: the lost track nirvana in the Masquer Theatre of the Performing Arts and Radio/Television Center on campus Tuesday, March 22, at 7:30 PM.  This is Moradokmai's third US tour that has included a stop at the School of Theatre & Dance.  Admission is free, but donations are welcome to support the Moradokmai Theatre Community and Homeschool. 

 

The performance is a musical play with contemporary live Thai music and dance. It is directed by "Kruchang" Janaprakal Chandruang, the well-known Thai dramatist and actor who founded the Moradokmai Theatre Community and Homeschool. Kruchang completed his MA degree at the University of Montana School of Theatre & Dance in 1979 before returning to Thailand to commence his outstanding career in performing and teaching.

Join international dance instructor, Sharmila Ganguly Bhartari, for an introduction to Odissi, the mother of all the classical dances of India, on Saturday, March 26 at the Downtown Dance Collective, 121 W Main Street.

Two one-hour dance classes will begin at 1:00 PM and 2:00 PM.  Dances taught will vary in the two classes, so you are welcome to sign up for both classes. Each class is $10.   Enjoy learning   Odissi Dance - The Divine Art, and help the Missoula International Friendship Program (MIFP).

 

Please contact Chris by email  if you would like to purchase a ticket.

Roald Hoffmann, winner of the 1981 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, will give a seminar and lecture on Monday, March 21 at the University of Montana. The seminar, "Two New Games for Carbon," will be held from 3:10 - 4:30 PM in the Gallagher Business Building, Room 123; followed by his lecture, "The Commonalities and Differences Between the Arts and Sciences," in the Dennison Theatre at 8:00 PM. Both are free and open to the public.

Visit the website for more information about the President's Lecture Series.

The Mansfield Center at the University of Montana presents "Exploring Climate Change and Culture in the Vietnam Delta," a lecture by Nicky Phear,  program coordinator, UM Climate Change Studies Program; and Dan Spencer, associate professor, UM Environmental Studies Program. The lecture takes place on Wednesday, March 23, from 12:10 - 1:00 PM in the Mansfield Center Conference Room. The lecture is free and open to the public.

The spring 2016 Brown Bag Lecture Series reflect the center's mission to promote an understanding of Asia, public affairs and ethics. Topics of this semester's lectures include wildlife conservation in Southeast Asia, renewable energy and human health, and the connections between language and culture.

Chairman Chu is visiting Montana as part of the NEA's 50th Anniversary Celebration. We'll hear an update on NEA initiatives and programs, and there will be opportunity for Q&A. Please plan to join us on March 30 at Missoula Children's Theatre from 12:30 - 1:30 PM. Admission is free, but seating is limited. Please RSVP here.

Poet Mary Szybist will read from her work at 7:00 PM, Friday, March 25, in the Turner Hall Dell Brown Room at the University of Montana. The event is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by UM's Creative Writing Program and the President's Writers-in-Residence Series.

 

Szybist is most recently the author of "Incarnadine," winner of the 2013 National Book Award for Poetry. She also is the recipient of fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Rockefeller Foundation's Bellagio Center, and the Witter Bynner Foundation in conjunction with the Library of Congress. Her first book, "Granted," was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and winner of the Great Lakes Colleges Association's New Writers Award. She lives in Portland, Oregon, where she teaches at Lewis & Clark College.

 

SPARK! Arts Ignite Learning, Missoula's chapter of the Kennedy Center's Any Given Child initiative, is seeking a Director to lead the initiative. SPARK! is a community wide partnership working to expand arts programming in Missoula County Public Schools. We facilitate and foster connections between district schools, local arts organizations, and teaching artists helping to ensure access to the arts for all MCPS students.

For more information and the application, click here to visit SPARK!'s website.

The  Montana Book Festival is now receiving submissions for this year's festival in Missoula, September 21 - 25.  Visit their website to apply to the festival.

The Montana Book Festival is a celebration of literary arts held each fall in downtown Missoula that seeks to provide a dynamic, evolving forum for literary engagement, as well as to foster literary community and enthusiasm for the written word by among readers of all ages.

Applications are due April 1 for the art show at River City Roots Festival in Missoula, which will take place August 26 - 27.  The art show hours are 11 AM - 7 PM both days and daily set up time is at 8 AM. The booth fee is $150 for both days; $175 for a double booth and/or a booth needing power. The artists must commit to being present both days. Please click here to view the application and submit online.

Roots Fest is a showcase of high-end visual arts. More than 30 artists from the Pacific Northwest participate in the Juried Show featuring painting, photography, pottery, sculpture, jewelry, textile arts and wood; all front and center on Main Street both days of the festival. This component of Roots Fest creates an all around experience for those who appreciate fine art both visually and musically.

During March and April the Weaver Room gallery will house works by MSU Graduate Students. This mixed media group show will feature several student artists with work ranging from ceramics, painting and lithography. The show opened March 11 and will run through April 22. A closing reception will be held, date TBD. 

The spring and summer education schedule is out and registration is open.