Galician Bagpiper Cristina Pato Headlines Arts Transcending Borders’ Spring Program

The Arts Transcending Borders (ATB) program at the College of the Holy Cross will offer a bountiful arrangement of programs and performances this spring. From unique art installations— to cultural music and dance— there is something for everybody to enjoy this semester.

The ATB spring program begins with the return of Holy Cross 2014 artist-in-residence Cristina Pato, Galician bagpiper and pianist on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. in Mary Chapel to present a new work-in-progress titled “The Camino Experience: Making the Way.” The project was inspired by the Camino de Santiago and Pato’s own Galician roots. The event will reflect on stories of local pilgrims, moments of hardship, resolve, and camaraderie to combine a timeless narrative that will take the audience on a spiritual journey along the Camino.

Since the Middle Ages, pilgrims across Europe have undertaken an arduous journey along several routes, which, like the grooves on the scallop shells carried by the pilgrims, culminate in the town of Santiago de Compostela, the site of St. James’ tomb.  Today, El Camino, or The Way of St. James, invites people from all walks of life, who often embark on the journey to mark moments of transition.

“I cannot think of a better home than Holy Cross to nurture the beginning of this new work inspired by the power of sharing and making life decisions to start your own personal journey using the way to Santiago de Compostela as a leitmotif (a dominant reoccurring theme),” says Pato.

The multi-faceted program brings together the College Choir, under the direction of David Harris, theatre department faculty and students, and the Cantor Art Gallery in an exploration of the Camino in words, images and music, from medieval chant to the tender aria “Lúa Descolorida” by renowned composer, Osvaldo Golijov, Holy Cross Loyola professor of music.

Boston-based artist Georgie Friedman will premiere her site-specific installation designed for Holy Cross with an artist’s reception on Monday, Feb. 9 at 5:30 p.m. in the Spillane Pavilion in the Integrated Science Complex. The video installation will re-contextualize natural elements in relationship to the architecture of the science complex. It will be on display the entire month of February.

Friedman is an interdisciplinary artist whose projects include large-scale video installations, single and multi-channel videos and several photographic series. She examines a wide range of phenomena including mild to severe atmospheric and oceanic conditions, along with deconstructing perceived geographic boundaries. She uses photography, video, sound, installation, engineering and the physics of light, all in order to produce a new experiences for viewers.

Friedman has been named a “Rising star” by the Boston Globe and “One of the most exciting new-media artists in the region,” by the Boston Phoenix.  Most recently, Friedman’s work was commissioned for “Art on the Marquee” a presentation from Boston Cyberarts and the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA).

Arts Transcending Borders is a new initiative at the College designed to infuse the fine and performing arts into students’ academic lives and create new opportunities throughout the curriculum and the community by transcending cultural, geographic and disciplinary boundaries.  The initiative is funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Arts Transcending Borders events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted:

Feb. 10, 5 p.m. Rehm Library Latinidad from Page to Stage: A conversation with award-winning playwright Melinda Lopez, playwright-in-residence at the Huntington Theatre, Boston, discusses her unique process of creating historical dramas that feature the inter-relationship between Cuba and the United States, as well as writing about science for the stage.

Feb. 22, 3 p.m. Brooks Concert Hall Tari Aceh! Music and Dance from Northern Sumatra, Performance & Panel Discussion will feature Saman dance. Traditionally performed by men, this dance is comprised of beautifully synchronized body percussion and is one of the best illustrations of the unique blending of Islamic and Indonesian culture.

March 12, 7:30 p.m. Brooks Concert Hall Crème 21 Music Department’s Artist-in-Residence Concert featuring cellist, Jan Müller-Szeraws, artist-in-residence at Holy Cross, performing Bach and Britten. The concert will also feature the U.S. premier of the soundtrack for “Crème 21” created by Chris Arrell, assistant professor of music. Award winning Austrian filmmaker Eve Heller will discuss and introduce “Crème 21.”

April 13, 8 p.m. Brooks Concert Hall Boston Music Viva with guests Sandeep Das (tabla), Wu Tong (sheng), Gitanjali Mathur (soprano)  will perform an around-the-world tour of music from different cultures and lands. The concert will premiere a new commissioned work by Shirish Korde, professor of music at the College; the work fuses Chinese, Indian and other cultures and instruments with three international soloists.

April 22, 5 p.m. Brooks Concert Hall Gonzalo Grau & the Plural Combo to perform as the 2015 Academic Conference opening event. Grau has established himself as a multi-instrumentalist and his varied credits include performances with many Venezuelan music projects. As music director, he leads two projects of his own, “Plural” (Latin jazz-Flamenco-Venezuelan fusion) and “La Clave Secreta” (salsa fusion) which was nominated for a 2008 Grammy in the Best Tropical Album Category.

May 1, 1 p.m. Brooks Concert Hall Brentano String Quartet to hold open rehearsal. Program includes Béla Bartók, “String Quartet No. 3,” James MacMillan, “String Quartet No. 2,” and Franz Schubert, “Death and the Maiden.”

Related Information · Galician Bagpiper Cristina Pato Named Visiting Artist-in-Residence at Holy Cross · Arts Transcending Borders