Posted on Mar 17, 2008

The Albers String Trio, with Pei-Yao Wang on piano, makes its Concert Series debut Sunday, March 30 at 3 p.m. in Memorial Chapel.

The program will include Beethoven’s String Trio in G, Op. 9, No. 1; Martinu’s String Trio, No. 2; and Brahm’s Piano Quartet No. 2 in A, Op. 26.

The Albers String Trio features sisters Laura, violin; Rebecca, viola; and Julie, cello. The trio began studying Suzuki violin with their mother, Ellie LeRoux, at the age of two. They have been captivating audiences for more than two decades from their earliest performances at the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colo. to renowned venues such as Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, National Theatre in Taipei, Severance Hall, Weill Recital Hall and Zankel Hall.

Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Wang made her official orchestral debut with the Taipei Symphony Orchestra at eight, and was the youngest pianist to receive the overall First Prize in the Taiwan National Piano Competition. She has established herself as a prominent soloist performing throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia and has collaborated, as a chamber musician, with members of the Guarneri, Orion, Chicago, Mendelssohn and Miro quartets.

This will be the fifth Series performance for Wang, a regular headliner with the International Festival of Chamber Music.

The concert is free for the Union College community, $20 for general admission and $8 for area students. For more information on the Series, or for ticket information, visit: http://www.union.edu/ConcertSeries.

Posted on Mar 14, 2008

Andrew Krauss ’08, who proposed a project that draws on his lifelong passion for making boats go fast, is among 50 college seniors who have been awarded a prestigious Watson Fellowship.

Krauss will travel to Tonga, the Cook Islands and the French Polynesia to research the development of outrigger canoes and paddles. A double major in Philosophy and Mechanical Engineering, Krauss was a member of the crew team at Union.

The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship Program offers a one-year grant to graduating college seniors “of unusual promise” to study independently outside the United States. The stipend for individual award winners is $25,000.

“The awards are long-term investments in people, not research,” said Rosemary Macedo, executive director of the Watson Fellowship Program. “We look for people likely to lead or innovate in the future and give them extraordinary independence in pursuing their interests. They must have passion, creativity and a feasible plan.”

In addition to Krauss, two other Union seniors, Robbie Flick and Andy Laccetti, were among five alternates for a fellowship. Flick’s project, “Living on the Edge: Studying the Conceptual Edges of Society,” would take him to Bhutan, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea and Tuvalu. Lacetti would travel to Argentina, Brazil, China and India for his project, “Hear the Healing: A Cross-Cultural Exploration of Music Therapy and Its Implementation in Four Countries.”

Joey Hunziker '08 was Union’s fourth Watson nominee.

“We are extraordinarily proud of all four of our nominees,” said History Professor Joyce Madancy, chair of the College’s Watson Fellowship Committee. “It’s especially thrilling to have another Watson Fellow on campus, along with two alternates.”

Past Watson winners from Union include Noah Eber-Schmid ’06, who investigated punk music and culture in Germany, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Norway and Finland; Adam Grode ’05, who studied long-necked lutes in Central Asia; and Nori Lupfer ’03, who photographed circuses in motion on several continents.

For a complete list of this year’s Watson winners, click here.

To read more about Union’s four nominees and their projects, click here.

Posted on Mar 14, 2008

The College’s busy April "yield" season is just around the corner. That means the Office of Admissions needs faculty and staff help in welcoming admitted students and families throughout the month.

Accepted Students Days are scheduled for Monday, April 7, and Monday, April 14. On April 7, 3 -4 pm., the Admissions Office also will host Union Scholars and CT Scholars Preview Programs for prospective scholars. Multicultural students are invited to campus for a special program April 12-14. 

Lilia Tiemann, coordinator of event planning for Admissions, is asking faculty to give admitted students the opportunity to visit classes on those Mondays as well as at other times throughout the month. “Students truly enjoy sitting in on classes, and in many cases it is their deciding factor," she said.

Approximately 565 students will be admitted into the Class of 2012 from a record pool of more than 5,200 applications.

To participate in hosting prospective students in class, contact Tiemann at tiemannl@union.edu before March 24.

Posted on Mar 13, 2008

Nearly a third of the 100 images selected for a new college photography show in the region belong to Union students, and four of those have won top prizes.

Tobias Leeger ’09, Steven Leung ‘10, Lauren Muske ’10 and Cam Berjoan ’10 won Juror Cash Awards in the first College Student Photographer Exhibition and competition hosted by The Photo Center in Troy, N.Y.

Their work included portraits of German citizens, garage doors in Schenectady, studies of a phone book and shrubbery in a snow-covered garden.

The awards were presented Feb. 29 at The Photo Center’s opening reception. Twenty-nine Union students had a total of 35 photographs accepted to the juried exhibit.

The 100 images on display were selected from a total of 225 entries, with 78 students from eight colleges participating.

The exhibition, expected to be an annual showcase, is designed to give students exposure to the Capital Region arts community and an opportunity to explore new ideas and techniques from their peers.

"It was great to see so many students interested in entering work, and it was equally heartening to see so many Union photo students making it to Troy on a snowy Friday night to attend the reception," said Martin Benjamin, professor of Visual Arts. "It was a nice event, and our students got to see what photography students at seven other colleges in the region are doing. Union work accounted for 35 percent of the accepted work, so we had a very strong showing and presence."

The exhibition runs through March 23. For more information, visit the Photo Center Website: http://www.photocentertroy.org/ 

Posted on Mar 13, 2008

Through March 23

Wikoff Student Gallery

The Nott Memorial

Digital Art: 7 Union Students

Works by Michael Bono ’09, Sarah Jacobson ’10, Steven Leung ’10, Rob Shirley ’09, Kathrin Burschyk ’11, Justin Blau ’08 and Emily Burgess ’10 in the fall Digital Art class taught by Assistant Professor of Visual Arts Fernando Orellana.

Through May 11

Mandeville Gallery

The Nott Memorial

Fernando Orellana – Recent Work

Professor Orellana’s 14 paintings, four sculpture pieces and one video installation explore issues of consumer culture and our relationship with war. Orellana, who has exhibited nationally and internationally, is one of a growing number of artists worldwide who are creating works of art intimately connected to mechanics and technology.