Above the stage in Old Cabell Hall is a mural of Raphael's "The School of Athens." The work depicts Plato, Aristotle and other significant philosophers from Ancient Greece, a civilization much admired in the Italian Renaissance. During both the peak of the Greek civilization and the Italian Renaissance, educated members of society placed an emphasis on the arts. In our own flourishing University community, it is easy to see why this painting would appear in one of Grounds' most central buildings. With thriving music and drama departments, students can take advantage of the University's artistic offerings.
The Music Department will deliver a wide variety of guest performances in Old Cabell Hall. Sept. 25 the Boston-based Core Ensemble will present "The Silken Phoenix," a work that combines music and drama to depict the lives of three female Asian poets. Other guest performers will come to Old Cabell as part of the Tuesday Evening Concert Series and include pianist Marc-Andre Hamdin (Oct. 4), Sharon Isbin and the Zurich Chamber Orchestra (Oct. 18) and the Rebel Baroque Ensemble (Nov. 8).
For those who enjoy discussing music as well as listening, the philosophy and music departments are co-sponsoring University of Michigan professor Kendall Walton to appear at the Kaleidoscope Center in Newcomb Hall Dec. 2.
If you'd rather support University-based groups, there are still plenty of options. The Charlottesville and University Symphony, which includes both community members and students, will perform "Symphony of Blessings" Oct. 1 and 2. They will perform their Veterans Day Tribute concert Nov. 11 and 13.
Other student music groups of various genres also will perform throughout the year. The Jazz Ensemble, which focuses on improvisation and often plays pieces written by its members, will hold performances Oct. 23 and Dec. 3. The Wind Ensemble will grace the stage in Old Cabell on the same weekends -- past selections have included pieces by Duke Ellington and Leonard Bernstein. Finally, the Early Music Ensemble, which performs music exclusively from the Baroque and Renaissance eras, will present its concert Dec. 6.
If your interest in the arts leans more towards the dramatic, the Drama Department is presenting several productions at the Culbreth Theater. U.Va. alumnus Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine's play Biro Sept. 17, explores the life of a Ugandan man living with HIV who comes to the United States. November's Fall Festival includes For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf, about the experience of female African-Americans, and Call of the Wild, based on the well-known stories of Jack London. Cloud 9, written by Caryl Churchill, will be performed at the Helms Theater and will explore sexual relationships through the ages.
As we all struggle to meet our academic goals this semester, it may be easy to forget to enjoy everything else the University has to offer. But, as the ancient Greeks knew, education relies on culture and deep thought as well as textbooks. If I've learned anything from PHIL 101, it's that we should all strive to think more like Aristotle.
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