Check out the dynamic arts performances and events that Holy Cross has lined up.
For directions to Holy Cross and arts venues on campus, please visit our Maps, Directions and Transporation site.
Fall 2018 Arts Events
All events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.
- View the fall 2019 arts brochure (PDF) » (Please note that this was created in August. For a complete and accurate listing of arts events, please see below.)
- See our Events Calendar for a complete listing of events taking place at Holy Cross »
Aug. 29-Oct. 12 │ 10 a.m.-5 p.m. M-F; Noon-5 p.m. Sat.
Cantor Art Gallery
“Summa”
Visual Arts Faculty 2018
The longstanding tradition of faculty exhibitions at the Cantor Art Gallery gives students, the wider campus community, and the public the opportunity to see first-hand what these artist-educators have been up to creatively in their own studio practices. The visual arts faculty are an accomplished group of professionals who are active practitioners of disciplines ranging from digital media, photography, drawing, painting, and sculpture, to printmaking and artists’ books. Summa is a collection and celebration of recent works by Michael Beatty, Rachelle Beaudoin, John Carney, Matthew Gamber, Victor Pacheco, Cristi Rinklin, Susan Schmidt, and Leslie Schomp.
Sponsored by the Cantor Art Gallery
Sept. 4 │ 12:30 p.m.
Brooks Concert Hall
First Tuesday Lunch Concert
The First Tuesday Lunch Concert Series presents short, enjoyable concerts featuring the music department’s artists-in-residence with various guest artists and students.
Sponsored by the Department of Music
Sept. 5 │ 5-7 p.m.
Cantor Art Gallery
Opening Reception: “Summa”
Visual Arts Faculty 2018
Sponsored by the Cantor Art Gallery
Sept. 7 │ 12:30 p.m.
Cantor Art Gallery
Music in the Gallery Concert Series
Enjoy musical interludes, lasting 15 to 30 minutes, by Holy Cross students and faculty from the music department on Friday afternoons (look ahead for additional dates) with occasional guest artists — the perfect respite at the end of a busy week.
Sponsored by the Cantor Art Gallery and the Department of Music
Sept. 9 │ 3 p.m.
St. Joseph Memorial Chapel
Holy Cross Chapel Artists Series
Arvid Gast, organ
Professor of Organ: Hochschule für Music, Lübek, Germany
Sponsored by the Department of Music
Sept. 14 │ 12:30 p.m.
Cantor Art Gallery
Music in the Gallery Concert Series
Sponsored by the Cantor Art Gallery and the Department of Music
Sept. 20 │ 7:30 p.m.
Seelos Theater
An Evening with Silkroad, featuring “Home Within”
This evening marks the start of the second year of Silkroad’s residency at the College, a three-year exploration of curiosity, difference, and the arts. At the center of this presentation is “Home Within,” an audio-visual performance originally conceived by Silkroad artists Kinan Azmeh and Kevork Mourad. Kinan, a composer and clarinetist from Damascus, Syria, and Kevork, a visual artist born in Kamechli, Syria, create an impressionistic reflection on the Syrian revolution and its aftermath. Rather than follow a narrative, the artists document specific moments in Syria’s recent history, using the counterpoint between image and sound to establish and abstract, emotional accounting of home in a time of conflict.
Ticket Box Office: 508-793-3835 or visit holycross.edu/atb/visit
Sponsored by Arts Transcending Borders
Sept. 21 │ 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Various Campus Locations
Celebrate! Festival of the Arts at Holy Cross
In its second year, Festival of the Arts invites area high school students to experience the vibrant arts on campus through workshops and participatory activities, culminating in an unforgettable experience with members of the Silkroad Ensemble in residence at the College.
For information, call 508-793-3835
Sponsored by Arts Transcending Borders, the Cantor Art Gallery, Creative Writing, and the Departments of Music, Theatre and Dance, and Visual Arts
Sept. 25 │ 7:30 p.m.
Rehm Library
The Working Writers Series presents: Rachel Kadish & Jessica Shattuck
Rachel Kadish is the author of the novels “The Weight of Ink, From a Sealed Room” and “Tolstoy Lied: a Love Story,” as well as the novella “I Was Here.” Her work has been read on National Public Radio and has appeared in The New York Times, The Paris Review, The Iowa Review, Salon, Tin House, and in the Pushcart Prize Anthology. She has been the Koret Writer-in-Residence at Stanford University and a fiction fellow of the National Endowment for the Arts and has won the John Gardner Fiction Award.
Jessica Shattuck’s novel “The Women in the Castle” was a New York Times Bestseller, Amazon Editor’s Choice, and the winner of the 2017 New England Book Award. She is also the author of the novels “Perfect Life” and “The Hazards of Good Breeding.” Her fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, Glamour, and Open City; her nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times, Mother Jones, Salon, and The Boston Globe.
Sponsored by Creative Writing
Sept. 28 │ 12:30 p.m.
Cantor Art Gallery
Music in the Gallery Concert Series
Sponsored by the Cantor Art Gallery and the Department of Music
Oct. 2 │ 12:30 p.m.
Brooks Concert Hall
First Tuesday Lunch Concert
Sponsored by the Department of Music
Oct. 5 │ 12:30 p.m.
Cantor Art Gallery
Music in the Gallery Concert Series
Sponsored by the Cantor Art Gallery and the Department of Music
Oct. 16 │ 7:30 p.m.
Brooks Concert Hall
Mike Monaghan & Friends
Be sure to come and enjoy an entertaining evening of jazz improvisation by Holy Cross faculty member Michael Monaghan and special friends.
Sponsored by the Department of Music
Oct. 17-18 │ 7:30 p.m.
The Pit, O’Kane Hall
Black Inscription
Rabbit Rabbit Radio
A free diver descends into the depths of the ocean, never to resurface. As her terrestrial ties dissolve, she embarks upon and Odyssean journey. Transported by the sea’s currents, she encounters a mystifying underworld with billions of bioluminescent creatures, endlessly inventive structures of coral, gyres of human detritus, and abandoned nets still fishing for no one — sights both awe-inspiring and devastating. “Black Inscription” is a multimedia contemporary song cycle written by a team of veteran creators, drawing on the most powerful aspects of rock, classical, and pop music. Through music, sound and imagery, “Black Inscription” plunges us into our oceans and fills us with wonder, outrage and hope.
Ticket Box Office: 508-793-3835 or visit holycross.edu/atb/visit
Sponsored by Arts Transcending Borders
Oct. 18 │ 7:30 p.m.
Rehm Library
The Working Writers Series presents: Alex Lemmon
Alex Lemmon is a poet and the author of two works of nonfiction: “Happy,” selected by Kirkus as one of the best memoirs of 2010, and “Feverland: A Memoir in Shards.” His collections of poems include “The Wish Book,” “Fancy Beasts,” “Hallelujah Blackout,” and “Mosquito;” a fifth, “Or Beauty,” is forthcoming. His writing has appeared in Esquire, River Teeth, Best American Poetry, AGNI, Bomb, Pleiades, and many other magazines and journals. He has received a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in Poetry, a Jerome Foundation Fellowship, and Minnesota State Arts Board Grant, as well as the Paterson Award for Literary Excellence. He is an associate professor of English at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth.
Sponsored by Creative Writing
Oct. 23 │ 7:30 p.m.
Brooks Concert Hall
Artists-in-Residence Concert
Masterpieces of the chamber music repertoire will be performed by the music department’s artists-in-residence, joined by various guest artists and students.
Sponsored by the Department of Music
Oct. 25 │ 7:30 p.m.
Rehm Library
The Working Writers Series presents: Chen Chen
Chen Chen is the author of “When I Grow Up I Want to Be a List of Further Possibilities,” which won the A. Poulin, Jr. Poetry Prize, the GLCA New Writers Award, and was longlisted for the 2017 National Book Award for Poetry. The collection has also been named a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award. He is the winner of the Thom Gunn Award for poetry. His work has appeared in many publications, including Poetry, Tin House, Poem-a-Day, “The Best American Poetry,” and “The Best American Nonrequired Reading.” He is the 2018-2020 Jacob Ziskind Poet-in-Residence at Brandeis University.
Sponsored by Creative Writing
Oct. 26 │ 7:30 p.m.
St. Joseph Memorial Chapel
Holy Cross College Choir Family Weekend Concert
Come join the College Choir for their annual Family Weekend concert! This performance will explore the idea of unity — how voices come together to create a thrilling piece of music, how people come together for a goal, and what common threads of human experience we all share. Our concert will present music from many countries, time periods and styles, from classical European musical gems to African-American masterpieces and cutting-edge contemporary choral works. You may even hear a familiar song or two off the radio! The featured ensembles will be the College Choir, which is open to any interested singer on campus, and the Chamber Singers, a select auditioned group of 16 voices. We hope you can join us for a celebration in sound!
Sponsored by the Department of Music
Oct. 26 │ 9:30 p.m.
Crossroads
Holy Cross Jazz Ensemble Family Weekend Concert
Relax and enjoy a small jazz concert during Family Weekend.
Sponsored by the Department of Music
Oct. 27 │ 2 p.m.
Brooks Concert Hall
Family Weekend Music Department Concert
This warm and exciting event will feature a selection of the music department’s ensembles as well as musical offerings by the Brooks Scholars and other students of the music department.
Sponsored by the Department of Music
Oct. 29 │ Noon
Brooks Concert Hall
Lunchtime Concert with Kurbasy
From Lviv, Ukraine, Kurbasy brings a rich trove of calendar song cycles, lullabies, and legends tracing contemporary connections to an archaic past. Conceived and directed by the band’s three actress-singers, Kurbasy’s performances vibrate in tight vocal harmonies, resonant lyrics and culturally unique instruments.
Sponsored by Arts Transcending Borders
Oct. 30 │ 7:30 p.m.
Brooks Concert Hall
Chamber Music: Mozart & Beethoven
Holy Cross Chamber players featuring Carol Lieberman, violin; Marcus Thompson, viola; Jan Müller-Szeraws, cello; Randall Hodgkinson, piano
An exciting program featuring the beloved Piano Quartet in E-flat Major K.493 by Mozart and Beethoven’s “Archkuke” Piano Trio opus 97.
Sponsored by the Department of Music
Oct. 30-Dec. 15 │ 10 a.m.-5 p.m. M-F; Noon-5 p.m. Sat.
Cantor Art Gallery
The Newar Craftsmen of Kathmandu Valley
Objects of Devotion from Nepal
James A. Giambrone, an independent scholar and longtime resident of Kathmandu, has studied the repousse metal work, lost wax castings, and wood carvings created by the Newar craftsmen of that region for many years. As contemporary artisans using traditional techniques that have been in existence for thousands of years, the Newar make objects of both Hindu and Buddhist devotion. This exhibit, curated by Giambrone, illustrates the step-by-step process that results in the creation of sculptural metal masterpieces.
Sponsored by the Cantor Art Gallery
Nov. 1 │ 4:30 p.m.
Rehm Library
Opening Remarks: “The Newar Craftsmen of Kathmandu Valley”
Opening reception to follow in Cantor Art Gallery from 5-7 p.m.
Sponsored by the Cantor Art Gallery
Nov. 1 │ 7:30 p.m.
Brooks Concert Hall
Music of François Couperin
Mark Kroll, harpsichord
This concert is given in celebration of the 350th anniversary of the birth of François Couperin, who enjoyed such an esteemed reputation that he was called Le Grand in his own lifetime. This program, performed by Mark Kroll, the world’s leading interpreter of Couperin’s music, features two of his suites, each containing expressive pieces that can be funny, colorful or of great sentimental beauty.
Sponsored by the Department of Music
Nov. 1-3 & 8-10 │ 7:30 p.m.
Fenwick Theatre, O’Kane Hall
“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”
Fifteen-year-old Christopher has an extraordinary brain: He is exceptional at mathematics but ill-equipped to interpret everyday life. When his neighbor’s dog is killed, Christopher finds himself under suspicion. Determined to solve the mystery, he carefully records each fact of the crime, but his detective work takes him on a thrilling journey that upturns his world. Directed by Scott Malia.
Ticket Box Office: 508-793-2496
Sponsored by the Department of Theatre and Dance
Nov. 2 │ 12:30 p.m.
Cantor Art Gallery
Music in the Gallery Concert Series
Sponsored by the Cantor Art Gallery and the Department of Music
Nov. 4 │ 3 p.m.
St. Joseph Memorial Chapel
Holy Cross Chapel Artists Series
Vincent Grappy, organ
Organist at Cathedral of Blois, France
Sponsored by the Department of Music
Nov. 5 │ 4 p.m.
Millard Sculpture Studio
Metalworking Technique Demonstration
In connection to “The Newar Craftsmen of Kathmandu Valley,” on view at the Cantor Art Gallery through Dec. 15.
Sponsored by the Cantor Art Gallery
Nov. 6 │ 12:30 p.m.
Brooks Concert Hall
First Tuesday Lunch Concert
Sponsored by the Department of Music
Nov. 7 │ 7:30 p.m.
St. Joseph Memorial Chapel
Holy Cross Orchestra
Come join the Holy Cross Orchestra and its interim conductor and artist-in-residence Adam Golka for an exciting program of symphonic repertoire in the inspiring setting of St. Joseph Memorial Chapel.
Sponsored by the Department of Music
Nov. 8 │ 7 p.m.
Rehm Library
A Recitation from Memory of Eliot's “Four Quartets”
This is a rare opportunity to hear the entirety of Eliot's poetic masterpiece, spoken live by actor and poet John Farrell, artistic director and co-founder of Figures of Speech Theatre. In 2011, with special permission from the Eliot Estate, Farrell premiered a one-man recitation of Eliot's complex, deeply moving meditation on time, memory, and the human spirit. He has since toured his performance of “Four Quartets” throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Sponsored by Arts Transcending Borders, the Department of English, the Catholic Studies Program, and the Worcester County Poetry Association
Nov. 9 │ 12:30 p.m.
Cantor Art Gallery
Music in the Gallery Concert Series
Sponsored by the Cantor Art Gallery and the Department of Music
Nov. 15-16 │ 7:30 p.m.
Fenwick Theatre, O’Kane Hall
“the little match girl passion”
In a brilliant theatrical adaptation with haunting shadow projections, masked dance, and puppetry, Maine-based Figures of Speech Theatre brings contemporary composer David Lang’s “little match girl passion” to the stage in collaboration with the Holy Cross Chamber Singers. Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in Music, Lang’s exquisite score recasts the H.C. Andersen classic about the suffering and death of a child in the tradition of Bach’s Passion music, elevating her sorrow to a higher plane.
Ticket Box Office: 508-793-3835 or visit holycross.edu/atb/visit
Sponsored by Arts Transcending Borders
Nov. 16 │ 12:30 p.m.
Cantor Art Gallery
Music in the Gallery Concert Series
Sponsored by the Cantor Art Gallery and the Department of Music
Nov. 29 │ 7:30 p.m.
Brooks Concert Hall
Holy Cross Jazz Ensemble Winter Concert
The Holy Cross Jazz Ensemble Winter concert will include jazz classics from the music of Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, and others. It will also feature modern works by contemporary composers. The Brooks Jazz Combo and special guest artists will also perform.
Sponsored by the Department of Music
Nov. 29-Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m.; Dec. 1-2 at 2 p.m.
Fenwick Theatre, O’Kane Hall
“The Effect”
Connie and Tristan are falling head-over-heels in love — or is that just a side effect? As volunteers in a clinical trial for a new super-antidepressant, they can’t really be sure. As their sudden romance heats up, they’re left wondering if they can believe their own feelings, and their doctors are forced to consider the ethical consequences of their work. An Alternate College Theatre production directed by Alexis Rappaport ’19.
Ticket Box Office: 508-793-3536
Sponsored by the Department of Theatre and Dance
Nov. 30 │ 4 p.m.
Brooks Concert Hall
Student Chamber Music Recital
This concert features the Student Ensembles of the Chamber Music Program.
Sponsored by the Department of Music
Dec. 4 │ 12:30 p.m. & 4 p.m.
Brooks Concert Hall
End of the Semester Student Recitals
Come listen to our students who have taken private instrumental and vocal lessons during the semester.
Sponsored by the Department of Music
Dec. 6 │ 7:30 p.m.
St. Joseph Memorial Chapel
Advent Festival of Lessons & Carols
Holy Cross College Choir and Orchestra
Join us for one of Holy Cross’s most beloved traditions, the annual Lessons & Carols in the beautiful St. Joseph Memorial Chapel. Both the College Choir and the Chamber Singers will sing Christmas music both familiar and brand-new. Enter into the Christmas spirit with this beautiful meditation on the story of Christ’s birth. This service will be live-streamed from the College’s YouTube channel.
Sponsored by the Department of Music
Dec. 7 │ 7:30 p.m.
Brooks Concert Hall
Gamelan Gita Sari Concert
I Nyoman Catra, one of Bali’s most renowned master artists of traditional dance/theatre, directs our Balinese dance and Gamelan students in collaboration with guest artists from Indonesia. Always a highlight of our season, the Balinese dance concert provides an opportunity for the community to experience the awe and wonder of the sacred art of Bali.
Sponsored by the Department of Theatre and Dance and the Department of Music
Dec. 9 │ Noon
The Pit, O’Kane Hall
One-Act Festival
Student directors are given the opportunity to showcase their work in a round-robin presentation of a series of fully-produced short plays featuring student actors. The One-Act Festival highlights the talents of up-and-coming young artists on campus.
Sponsored by the Department of Theatre and Dance