Jeanette Colby, the University’s calendar editor, offers a selection of events and activities to do this weekend. Browse, discover, and share upcoming events on the University Events Calendar by logging in with your University NetID. The calendar features a variety of events at all campuses, including the River Campus, Eastman School of Music, Memorial Art Gallery, and Medical Center.
#1: See Mozart opera ‘Don Giovanni’
The Eastman Opera Theater presents “Don Giovanni,” from April 4 through 7. Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte, the dramatic opera— based on the legend of Don Juan—is one of the top performed operas worldwide. The story follows a young, arrogant, and promiscuous nobleman who abuses and outrages everyone he encounters. The performance is sung in Italian with English supertitles. Get there an hour before the Saturday and Sunday performances for a pre-performance lecture in the Ray Wright Room (120) at the Eastman School of Music. Performances begin at 7:30 p.m. at Kodak Hall at the Eastman Theater on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday; with a 2 p.m. performance on Sunday. Tickets start at $25 and can be purchased online. Discounts available with a valid University ID.
#2: Hear the music of Polish composers
The Skalny Center for Polish and Central European Studies will presents “An Evening of Polish Music” on Friday, April 5. Pianist Ania Vu ’17E and soprano Paulina Swierczek will perform the music of Chopin, Szymanowski, Bacewicz, Vu, Lutoslawski, and Moniuszko. Vu is currently pursuing her PhD in composition at the University of Pennsylvania and has performed throughout the United States and in Vietnam, Poland, and South Africa. Swierczek, praised by the Boston Globe for “a rich voice that could in a blink from speaking to soaring,” made her international operatic debut at the Teatro Diana in Mexico. She is a 2017 fellow of the Tanglewood Music Center where she performed Berg’s “Sieben Fruhe Lieder” with the TMC Orchestra. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Interfaith Chapel on the University’s River Campus. The concert is free and open to the public.
#3: Get a seat for an a cappella celebration
Vocal Point is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a spring show on Saturday, April 6. The all-female a cappella group has recorded more than 10 albums since its inception, and they are currently working on a new album to be released in the fall. In 2017, their recording, “Levels” was selected by the Women’s A Cappella Association and included in the organization’s compilation album. They’ve competed in Varsity Vocals International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella and won first runner-up in the quarterfinals. The celebration will feature a performance of top hits and all–time classics, tributes to graduating seniors, and special guest alumni performances. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $7 for students and will be available at the Common Market in Wilson Commons, online, or at the door.
#4: Take part in the Rochester River Run
The Rochester River Run/Walk 5K is scheduled for Sunday, April 7, at Genesee Valley Park. The event, which is organized by Strong Memorial Hospital’s transplant team, Friends of Strong, and the Finger Lakes Donor Recovery Network, will raise money for organ transplant donors, recipients, and their families. The River Run takes place along a scenic, park-lined portion of the Genesee River and is certified by USA Track & Field. The race begins at 10 a.m., with onsite registration from 8 until 9:30 a.m. Awards will be given to the top overall runners and the top runners in each of the six age groups. Participants can register for $30 online by Thursday, April 4, at midnight, or $35 on the day of the event. Children under 10 are free.
#5: Check out video installation and get brunch
Visit the Memorial Art Gallery on Saturday or Sunday, April 6–7, and see “Lessons of the Hour—Frederick Douglass.” The ten-screen video installation by artist Isaac Julien is inspired by episodes in the life of the visionary abolitionist Frederick Douglass and the issues of social justice that shaped his life’s work. Learn more about artists and history of the art in the museum’s collection with a docent-led tour at 1 p.m., Sunday. The museum’s restaurant Brown Hound Downtown will offer brunch on both days, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Reservations for brunch are requested. Enjoy live music by Warren Paul from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., in the restaurant, on Sunday. Admission to the museum is free for University faculty, staff, and students with ID. http://mag.rochester.edu.
