Visiting Artists Share Time with DSA Students

Friday, January 26, 2001

A collaboration between Duke University and the Durham School of the Arts that brings professional performances to middle- and high-school students will debut its spring season Friday, Jan. 26, with an afternoon performance by the Canadian Brass. "It is really a wonderful opportunity for young people to see real art," said Lee Vrana, a curriculum specialist at Durham School of the Arts who has helped oversee the program since its inception six years ago. "Art is for everyone. I think that sometimes we forget that and think art is just for adults." "We try to figure out which artists would provide an interesting experience for the students at the School of the Arts," she said. "Many groups are very eager to connect with young people. They understand that is where the future audiences for performing arts are going to come from." "I think the series is a great idea," said Jonathan Bagg, an associate professor of the practice of music at Duke and a violist with The Ciompi Quartet, a classical group sponsored by the university. "It exposes the students to the whole spectrum of performing arts and helps them develop a sophisticated notion of what it means to go to a concert." Members from Bagg's quartet are scheduled to play at the Durham School of the Arts on Feb. 20 with members of the Israel Camerata Jerusalem. "We're going to reach a lot of people who probably wouldn't come to our regular concert," Bagg said. "And we know that if people can only hear classical music performed in the right way, they're going to like it." The series is a part of the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership Initiative, an effort begun in 1996 by the university to work more closely with 12 nearby neighborhoods and their seven public schools. Duke's Office of Community Affairs provides about two-thirds of the annual $10,000 budget; the Institute of the Arts funds the remainder. The complete DSA Artists Series spring schedule in Weaver Auditorium is:

Jan. 26: The Canadian Brass, 1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Feb. 20: The Ciompi Quartet with The Israel Camerata Jerusalem, 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
March 12: Irish Music Ensemble, 1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.
April 26: Carlota Santana Spanish Dance Company, 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.