News

Boaz Sharon

WILSON, N.C. - Internationally renowned concert pianist, educator, and recording artist Boaz Sharon will perform Beethoven's first piano concerto as guest soloist with the Barton College / Wilson Symphony Orchestra, as members make their debut performance in the new Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell Theatre. The annual Fall Concert is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 22, at 3 p.m.

The orchestra will also perform Haydn's symphony no. 100, the "Military Symphony," so titled because of Haydn's unusual use of wind and percussion instruments. "We are so excited about presenting this concert with such a dynamic soloist in our wonderful new performing venue," shared conductor Mark N. Peterson. "The acoustics, sight lines and lighting are wonderful, and the audience is sure to be delighted with the program."

Sharon is Professor of Piano and Chair of the Piano Department at Boston University and also serves as Director of Piano Studies at the Tanglewood Festival in Lennox, Mass. The Israeli-born Sharon moved to Brussels, Belgium, at the age of 13 to study with renowned Mozart and Chopin interpreter Stefan Askenase for five years. He later continued his studies in the U.S. with William Doppmann, and with Leonard Shure at Boston University.

He served as artist-in-residence at Duke University in Durham prior to joining the University of Florida faculty in 1986. In 1996, he launched the annual Prague International Piano Master classes and has served as its artistic director since its inception. From 2002 to 2007, Sharon was a founding member and faculty member of the artist faculty for the International Certificate for Piano Artists program, affiliated with the École Normale de Musique de Paris-Alfred Cortot and held in Brussels, Paris, and at the University of Florida.

Among his many awards and recognitions, Sharon is a first-prize winner and Gold Medalist at Spain's Jaen International Piano Competition. He also is an Honorary Fellow at Prague's Charles University, one of the oldest universities in Europe. In 1998, Charles University presented him with the Jubilee Medal for outstanding contributions in the piano field upon the university's 650th anniversary celebration, and he was awarded the 2005 Distinguished International Educator Award from the University of Florida. Sharon also has served on the jury of the Firkusny International Piano Competition in Prague and at the Composers of Spain International Piano Competition in Madrid.

He maintains an active performance schedule and has performed at the Phillips Collection in Washington, D.C., at the National Recital Hall in Taipei, as part of the Steinway Celebrity Series at Britain's Kingston University, at the Gasteig Recital Hall in Munich, at the International Liszt Festival in Rio de Janeiro and at Prague's National Museum. He also has been featured with the Israeli Symphony Orchestra and has been heard on the "Steinway Hour" radio program and on National Public Radio. In 2004, Sharon presented 14 recitals and concerts with orchestras from Russia's Far East, Siberia, the Ural Mountains, European Russia, and Moscow. During that year, he also appeared at Steinway Hall in New York City. Each year since, he has returned to Moscow to participate in a piano festival at the Composers House of Creativity.

During the past two years, Sharon has performed in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Prague and has given master classes at the Seoul National University and other universities in South Korea. He also is a founding member and judge of the Liszt International Piano Competition, Moscow, and he has served on the jury of the Jaen International Piano Competition, Spain. Sharon teaches at the Boston University Tanglewood Institute, the China Conservatory in Beijing, and at the Shenyang and Guangzhou Conservatories where he is a piano faculty member.

Following the concert, the audience is cordially invited to meet the musicians at a reception, hosted by ARAMARK Higher Education, in the Bridgestone Americas Atrium of the Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell Theatre.

Admission for the fall orchestra performance will be $10 at the door or by season ticket. All students within the community will be admitted free of charge as well as faculty, staff and students of Barton College. For additional information, please contact Arlene Bishop-Giese at 252-399-6309 or email: albishopgiese@barton.edu.
END

Questions? Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email: kdaughety@barton.edu.

"Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett

WILSON, N.C. - On Thursday, Nov. 12, the new Lauren Kennedy and Alan Campbell Theatre at Barton College will open its doors for the theatre's inaugural student production, "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett.  Evening performances will be held Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 12-14, at 8 p.m. and on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 15, at 3 p.m.

"Samuel Beckett's complex and magnificent 'Waiting for Godot' is a challenging work that has been called "the greatest play of the 20th century," and is by all accounts a modern classic," shared Adam Twiss, director of Theatre of Barton.

Twiss explained that Beckett lived, worked, and wrote in France and Ireland during both world wars and he wrote "Godot" shortly after World War II.  Twiss noted that the play reflects a level of discomfort with the development of atomic warfare and the newfound ease with which man can annihilate himself.  "This play is often described as "existentialist" or "absurdist," but the playwright never desired a label, preferring to have the material speak for itself," added Twiss.

The audience is introduced to two characters who pass the time waiting on the side of a road for someone named "Godot."  As they wait, other characters enter their lives offering bits of pseudo-enlightenment, pseudo-information, or most importantly "diversions" from their routine.

"Over the years, the play has engendered limitless scholarly debate aimed at exposing a hidden meaning," continued Twiss.  "Overt political, biblical, and Freudian undertones are readily apparent; however, "Waiting for Godot" is more a comment on man himself than on those elements that comprise him."

The play has been adapted to film several times and was most recently revived on Broadway this past spring with award-winning actors Nathan Lane, Bill Irwin, and John Goodman.

"This is a wonderful play to work on in our new black box theatre, where we can modify the configuration to fit our take on the production; the work is very challenging for actors and audience alike, but we are incredibly proud to present it to you," Twiss said.

The "Waiting for Godot" company, directed by Twiss, includes student and local talent: Wesley Pridgen, Chris Wallen, Jess Jones, Fletcher Duke, and Jorge Santos.  Chris Bernier, technical director of theatre, will oversee the lighting and scenic design.  Costume design is by Dr. Sharon Montano, and sound design is by Matt Smith. Whitley Stanley is the stage manager, and Jensen Davis is the assistant stage manager.  Poster art for the production was created by the graphic design class under the direction of Susan Fecho.

Purchase individual show tickets online at www.barton.edu/theatre, or call the box office toll-free at (866) 811- 4111. The hours of operation are 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. E.S.T. Monday - Friday and 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Please note that NO service fees are charged for either online or phone ticket purchases.

General admission is $8 for adults and $5 for students.  Barton College students, faculty and staff are admitted free with proper ID. Group rates are also available for parties of six or more; contact Adam Twiss at ajtwiss@barton.edu or 252-399-6484 to make arrangements.

END

Questions?  Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email: kdaughety@barton.edu.

Evensong - Franklin County, North Carolina

WILSON, N.C. — Barton Art Galleries will host the work of acclaimed painter J. Chris Wilson in an exhibition titled "From Murphy to Manteo-An Artist's Scenic Journey." Although a native of Georgia, Wilson has resided in North Carolina since the early 1970s and brings to the audience a serene visage of natural wonder found in the state.

"From Murphy to Manteo-An Artist's Scenic Journey" will be on display from November 8 to December 9. The opening reception is Sunday, Nov. 8, from 2 - 4 p.m. This event is open to the public free of charge, and the community is invited to attend. J. Chris Wilson will present a lecture on his work immediately following the opening reception. The lecture is open only to members of the Barton Friends of Visual Arts. For membership please call 252-399-6357, or join the Friends of Visual Arts at the event.  The exhibition will run until December 9.

In his paintings, Wilson presents an intimate detailed view of the splendor of the North Carolina landscape. Such an endeavor has often been the subject of photographs and etchings, but never before has there been as diverse a look at the natural environment undertaken in oil. The breadth of images in the series reflects an intense devotion to the state and the ideology of being from North Carolina. "I suppose, in retrospect, this entire journey began when I started to see myself as no longer a South Georgian and began feeling that I was now a tried-and-true North Carolinian," said Wilson.

The paintings in this series did not materialize overnight, but have been developing for over a decade. Wilson's intention is to produce 100 scenic views of North Carolina stretching across the state following US-64, literally from Murphy to Manteo. "My objective," said Wilson, "was to seek what I considered to be the most visually impressive and interesting natural scenery whether that scenery was created totally by natural forces or by the hand of man."

Wilson's paintings began to take shape after returning from Japan, where he taught at a sister institution to Barton College. Having been previously exposed to Japanese wood block printing, Wilson found inspiration in the work of Ando Hiroshige, who produced serial prints focusing on scenic views along important rivers in the country. Returning to America, Wilson felt driven to produce his own series of works eliciting his home environment.

Rivers have had a long-standing history for serving as transportation routes. Wilson contemplated this notion and considered painting scenic views along the Tar River, which runs past his Edgecombe County home. Deciding there was not enough visual variety along the Tar, however, Wilson looked to a different artery of transport for his inspiration: US Highway 64.

The exhibit displays both studies for the monumental series as well as completed paintings. The latter of these are tremendous in scale, completely covering some of the galley walls. These large canvasses draw the viewer in filling their visual field creating the sense that one is actually there, standing in nature.

"Wilson has captured the essence of land," said Gerard Lange, director of exhibitions at the Barton Art Galleries. "From rolling hills, to rushing water, to pensive mist-filled fields, one can become lost in the scenes as a Romantic poet might in their own introspections."

In the paintings, Wilson has highlighted the grandeur of the land and also captured the emotion of bearing witness to the land. The result is a quite personal yet telling portrayal of North Carolina. It is Wilson's hope that the viewers of his works will walk away with a heightened awareness of their state. "Perhaps these works may contribute to a new sense of appreciation for the essential good of the North Carolina landscape," he said.

Gallery hours are Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with the exception of holidays.  For additional information, please contact Gerard Lange, director of exhibitions, at 252-399-6475 or email: glange@barton.edu.

END

Questions?  Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or email: kdaughety@barton.edu.

WILSON, N.C. - Barton College's Campus Compassion student program will present the documentary "Pray the Devil Back to Hell" on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 7 p.m. in Howard Chapel.  This event is open to the public at no charge, and the community is invited to attend.

"This documentary chronicles the remarkable story of the courageous Christian and Muslim Liberian women who come together to end a bloody civil war and bring peace to their country," shared the Reverend Hollie Woodruff, chaplain of Barton College and advisor of the Campus Compassion program.

Barton College purchased the rights to share this film with area church congregations as the College's Campus Compassion program partners with Wilson United in Service to bring awareness and to raise funds for an upcoming April 2010 medical mission to Liberia. This medical mission will be in partnership with the West African Children's Lifeline and Project Helping Hands.

"Bringing this film to campus was the choice of our students, who are participating in this inaugural Campus Compassion program to learn more about how they can individually reach out in service to others in need across the world," said Rev. Woodruff.  "This documentary screening is free to the public, but we are hopeful that those attending will also choose to support this medical mission through donations made at the event."

Among the awards and recognitions received for this film, are "Best Documentary" awards presented at the Tribeca Film Festival and the Heartland Film Festival.   It also had the honor of being the first film shown at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2009.

For additional information or to reserve a film-screening opportunity for your church congregation, please contact the Reverend Hollie Woodruff at 252-399-6368 or email: hewoodruff@barton.edu.

END

Questions? Please contact Kathy Daughety, director of public relations, at 252-399-6529 or kdaughety@barton.edu.