A round of applause for Duke Performances
Issue date: 10/25/07 Section: Editorial
Last update: 10/25/07 at 7:29 AM EST
Last update: 10/25/07 at 7:29 AM EST
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When Kathy Silbiger, the woman who built Duke's fledgling arts presentation apparatus into a real power, retired after more than 20 years last December, fans of the arts knew things would be changing in the Gothic Wonderland's arts landscape.
And what changes they've been. It's no knock to Silbiger to say that Duke Performances has outdone itself so far this year.
The most obvious example is the "Following Monk" series, a six-week extravaganza celebrating Thelonious Monk, the jazz legend who was born in nearby Rocky Mount, N.C., 90 years ago this month. The series breaks the individual-concert model used in the past and creatively ties Duke to the state of North Carolina (a spring series on soul does the same by highlighting the many soul musicians from the area).
The festival-which wraps up with events Thursday through Sunday-has brought in many of the biggest names in current jazz, from aging legends who played with Monk to young lions. Several of the concerts are world premieres of major works, some commissioned by the University.
Duke Performances also did well in commissioning a number of different-size concerts in a variety of concert halls, from intimate rooms to the massive Page Auditorium. And the music had something for all tastes, from the kings of Latin jazz to a gutbucket New Orleans keyboardist.
But there was more to it than just the concerts. The theater studies program chipped in with an original program, "Misterioso." Leading national dance troupes performed jazz- and Monk-related shows. Scholars in jazz studies are delivering speeches on Monk to packed lecture halls. Artists have given master classes on their art forms. And many of the programs have centrally featured an archive housed at Duke's Center for Documentary Studies.
The University's strategic plan, "Making A Difference," calls for Duke to step up its efforts in the arts. "Following Monk" provides an ideal template for how this can work. By booking top-flight musical acts, involving academic departments from across the spectrum and bringing students in, Duke Performances has created a tangible buzz on campus.
And what changes they've been. It's no knock to Silbiger to say that Duke Performances has outdone itself so far this year.
The most obvious example is the "Following Monk" series, a six-week extravaganza celebrating Thelonious Monk, the jazz legend who was born in nearby Rocky Mount, N.C., 90 years ago this month. The series breaks the individual-concert model used in the past and creatively ties Duke to the state of North Carolina (a spring series on soul does the same by highlighting the many soul musicians from the area).
The festival-which wraps up with events Thursday through Sunday-has brought in many of the biggest names in current jazz, from aging legends who played with Monk to young lions. Several of the concerts are world premieres of major works, some commissioned by the University.
Duke Performances also did well in commissioning a number of different-size concerts in a variety of concert halls, from intimate rooms to the massive Page Auditorium. And the music had something for all tastes, from the kings of Latin jazz to a gutbucket New Orleans keyboardist.
But there was more to it than just the concerts. The theater studies program chipped in with an original program, "Misterioso." Leading national dance troupes performed jazz- and Monk-related shows. Scholars in jazz studies are delivering speeches on Monk to packed lecture halls. Artists have given master classes on their art forms. And many of the programs have centrally featured an archive housed at Duke's Center for Documentary Studies.
The University's strategic plan, "Making A Difference," calls for Duke to step up its efforts in the arts. "Following Monk" provides an ideal template for how this can work. By booking top-flight musical acts, involving academic departments from across the spectrum and bringing students in, Duke Performances has created a tangible buzz on campus.
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