Sounding the Visionary

The award-winning opera Computing Venus (2024) provides a fascinating glimpse into the life of astronomer Maria Mitchell (1818–1889), a groundbreaking historical figure who paved the way for women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) in America.

Two years later, she became one of the first women to work for the federal government as an astronomer, when she was hired to calculate the positions of Venus in the heavens for the U.S. Nautical Almanac Office. From 1865 on, Mitchell focused on cultivating the next generation of women astronomers as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. By the 1870s, however, Mitchell saw a growing backlash against women in science. Focusing on Mitchell’s struggles against shifting public opinion, Computing Venus highlights one woman’s efforts to ensure a lasting scientific legacy, even as movements outside her classroom threatened to close the world of science to women forever.

Opera by Timothy C. Takach, composer, and Caitlin Vincent, librettist

Eden Bartholomew ’23, soprano; Marc Molomot, tenor; Michael Hofmann ’13, baritone; Beatrice Postley, soprano

Directed by Christopher Grabowski and Drew Minter; Christine Howlett, conductor.

This is open to the public, but reservations are required. To get free tickets, order tickets online or contact the box office for more information at boxoffice@vassar.edu.

The Loeb welcomes poet and artist Cecilia Vicuña, who has been honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Venice Biennale and has had solo exhibitions at the Tate Modern, the Guggenheim, and others. Her visionary work blurs boundaries between text, sound, and art, while addressing urgent topics like human rights and ecological destruction. Vicuña has lived in exile from her native Chile since the country’s military coup in the early 1970s. 

Her short film, ¿Qué es para usted la poesía? / What is Poetry to You?, is a highlight of the Loeb’s current exhibition, Chronostasia: Select Acquisitions 2020–2025, which closes February 1. 

Cecilia Vicuña (Chilean, b. 1948),¿Qué es para usted la poesía? / What is Poetry to You? (still), 1980, 16mm film transferred to high-definition video, color, sound; 24:03 min. Purchase, gift of Mrs. Frederick Ferris Thompson, by exchange, 2023.30. © Cecilia Vicuña, Courtesy Lehmann Maupin

Music department students perform for internationally renowned soprano Amy Burton and composer and pianist John Musto in a master class, featuring Musto’s musical works.

Rescoring Richter originated in 2013, as a parallel project to Dave Davidson’s feature biodoc, Hans Richter: Everything Turns, Everything Revolves. Rescoring Richter pairs contemporary sound artists with Richter’s avant-garde films of the 1920s. Inspired by Richter’s Dada imagery and montage, they “rescore” nine of his films on instruments ranging from hubcaps found on the street to the Baschet Brothers’ sound sculptures at Yale University. These reimagined Richter films are accompanied by short documentaries showing the process the artists followed to create their new scores. This presentation includes a selection of rescores and process documentations, as well two new live performances accompanying Hans Richter’s revolutionary cinematic images.

Vassar faculty and guests present an evening of new compositions, featuring the music of Richard Wilson, cofounder of MODfest, who is acclaimed for his boldly expressive orchestral and chamber works. We are delighted to welcome our newest faculty members, Alan Hankers and Celeste Oram. Hankers explores rich textures and complex rhythms influenced by electronic music and digital processing in a premiere for string quartet. Oram creates inventive, interdisciplinary works that weave together music, language, and cultural histories.

Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre performs works created by faculty, students, and guest choreographers, selected from the current repertory. This is a free but ticketed event; reservations for general seating are required and are available online. For additional information, please email dance@vassar.edu.

Alan Hankers, Assistant Professor; Celeste Oram, Adjunct Assistant Professor; Department of Music students.

Celebrate the creativity and stylistic breadth of Vassar’s emerging composers. This interactive event offers audiences a unique opportunity to engage directly with the compositional process, from first sparks to finished scores, featuring live performances and open discussion in a collaborative workshop. Attendees will hear original student compositions performed by professional musicians and be invited to participate in conversations about inspiration, process, and artistic motivation. The symposium fosters an open exchange between composers, performers, and listeners, highlighting the visionary potential of the next generation of musical voices.

MODfest takes to the airwaves as WVKR spotlights original radio art by Vassar’s electronic music students. This special broadcast showcases the craft and sonic imagination of Vassar’s emerging artists, using radio as a creative medium to redraw the boundaries between music, language, soundscape, and social engagement. This collaboration also celebrates WVKR’s central role in campus life as a student-run radio station connecting Vassar to the wider Poughkeepsie community. Listen live in-person at Thekla Hall, or tune in from anywhere on WVKR 91.3FM, or wvkr.org.

Light refreshments will be served.

Campus comes to life in a new guise with sound installations created by Vassar’s electronic music students. With each work tailor-made to a specific campus location, these innovative student projects challenge us to experience our surroundings differently and consider the role of listening in everyday life.