Posted on Nov 6, 2009

Posted on Nov 6, 2009

Emanuel Ax is a pianist renowned for his poetic temperament, unsurpassed virtuosity and exceptionally diverse performing capacity. On Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 8 p.m., he will give his fifth Chamber Concert Series performance.

During the show, Ax will present Chopin’s Polonaise-Fantasy, Op. 61, Mazurkas, Op. 41 and 56, and Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise, Op. 22. He will also play portions of Schumann’s Fantasiestucke and Fantasy.

Born in Lvov, Poland, Ax captured public attention when he won the first Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition in 1974. A year later, he went on to win the Michaels Award of Young Concert Artists, and four years after that, he clinched the coveted Avery Fisher Prize.

Ax, who studied at The Julliard School, has also been honored for his recorded releases. The second and third volumes in his cycle of Haydn’s piano sonatas received Grammy awards, as did his series of recordings with cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Ax’s special projects for the current season include performances with pianist Yefim Bronfman and a solo recital tour in North America and Europe. He will also return to several orchestras, including the Cleveland Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the San Francisco Symphony, and the Toronto Symphony.

During his 2004-2005 season, Ax contributed to a BBC documentary commemorating the Holocaust. It aired on the 60^th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, and was awarded an International Emmy.

The musician, who lives in New York City with his wife, the pianist Yoko Nozaki, and their two children, is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

General admission tickets cost $25, though area students may attend for $10. The show is free to members of the Union community.

For more information, call (518) 388-6080. For a complete Series schedule, click here.

Posted on Nov 5, 2009

John E. Kelly III ’76, senior vice president and director of research at IBM, is this year’s recipient of the Robert N. Noyce Award, the semiconductor industry`s highest honor, it was announced today.

The award is presented annually by the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) to recognize outstanding contributions to the microelectronics industry.

“Innovation is the lifeblood of the semiconductor industry,” said John Daane, president, chairman and chief executive officer of Altera Corporation and chairman of the SIA. “John Kelly has played a very important role in driving innovation in microelectronics. Recognizing that most basic research is carried out at our universities, he has also made important contributions to training the scientists and engineers of the future.”

Kelly joined IBM in 1980. He received a bachelor’s degree in physics from Union in 1976, a master’s in physics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1978 and his doctorate in materials engineering from RPI in 1980. He also received an honorary Doctor of Science Degree from Union Graduate College.

An avid supporter of Union, he has been a member of the College’s Board of Trustees since 2003.

In 2006, the College dedicated the John E. Kelly III ’76 Digital Arts Lab. Kelly had earmarked part of his contribution to the College’s $250 million “You are Union” campaign for support of the digital arts program, an interdisciplinary endeavor between the departments of Visual Arts and Computer Science.

Posted on Nov 4, 2009

President Stephen C. Ainlay left Feigenbaum Hall and took to the classroom on Tuesday to lecture on a topic that first drew him into the field of sociology.

“Religion is something I became fascinated with as a way to explain how people live in the world,” he told a group of 60 students from combined introductory sociology classes of professors David Cotter, Melinda Goldner and Linda Relyea.

A sociologist by training, Ainlay has lectured and written extensively on topics including aging, entrepreneurship, blindness and religion, in particular in the Mennonite community.

Urging students to imagine themselves in the role of stranger and make objective observations, he said, “There isn’t a place in the world that has been occupied by humans where you don’t find the influence of religion.”

He cited a number of examples – including the Parthenon in Athens, the Blue Mosque in Istanbul and the white clapboard churches at the center of many New England villages – to illustrate the centrality of religion.

“When you go into any community, you will see a suggestion that religion is important,” he said.

Even at Union, one of the oldest non-denominational colleges in the country, Memorial Chapel was the site of mandatory chapel as recently as the 1960s.

Posted on Nov 4, 2009

Get ready for a farce.

The Department of Theater and Dance will present “Servant of Two Masters” Wednesday, Nov. 11 through Saturday, Nov. 14 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m. in Yulman Theater.

The play, by Carlo Goldoni, is directed by William Finlay as a cross between traditional Italian commedia and postmodern vaudeville, pitting a madcap servant against masters, mistresses, lovers, lawyers – and 27 plates of meatballs.

"This production is unique because there is a rugged, relaxed composition to the set, costumes and acting,” said Bart Tomaszewski ’10, who plays the lead role, Truffaldino. “The story is fun. Trying to keep two masters is especially hard since they are staying at the same inn and are looking for each other. There are many complicated situations I find myself in, and I have to lie my way out of them.”

He also noted how intriguing Professor Charles Steckler’s set design is, with its exaggerated buildings that offer different perspectives. “The farther down the stage, the smaller the set pieces. This makes people seem taller than they really are,” Tomaszewski said.

Finlay attributes part of the fun – and the challenge – to the fact that “they are mixing periods and recycling other shows into this show. The students have to get adjusted to the fact that they are in mask and are doing a farce, which is very demanding physically.”

“When the audience enters the theater, they will be able to tell the play is light and comedic right from the start,” said Amy Wiener ’12. “My character, Clarice, is definitely an enjoyable part. There is nothing better than playing a silly and obnoxious girl fighting for her happiness. She’s ‘dizzy with love,’ and as they say, love makes you do stupid things.”  

Of Truffaldino, she said, “He’s just amusing to watch. We never know what he will do or say just to get food in his darling stomach.”

Other students with lead roles are Althea Schepperly ’12 as Beatrice, Anne Woodward ’11 as Doctore Lombardi, Kamara Simpson '10 as Pantalone and Monica Niedermeyer ’10 as Smeraldina.

Alecia Pickett ’11 is stage manager, and Shannon Vandawalker ’12 is in charge of mask design and construction.

Technical director and production manager is Visiting Assistant Professor Steven Michalek. Costume designer is Professor Lloyd Waiwaiole. Senior Artist-in-Residence Patricia Culbert is vocal coach. In addition to directing, Finlay is the show’s sound designer.

Tickets are available for purchase at the Yulman Theater Box Office; 388-6545.

Posted on Nov 3, 2009

Mix an international culinary star with a group of talented college chefs, throw them together in the cramped kitchen of Upperclass Dining Hall and what do you get?

A magical Mexican menu created to feed the appetites of students, staff and faculty.

On Monday, Nov. 9, acclaimed chef Roberto Santibanez will share his culinary skills with Union’s dining staff and chefs from other area schools, including Marist College and SUNY New Paltz. The chefs will prepare an authentic Mexican meal featuring ancient Aztec tortilla soup, Conchinita Pibil and Guajillo marinated chicken breast, which will be served for lunch in Upperclass. At 6:30 p.m. in Old Chapel, Santibanez will lecture on Mexican cuisine and lead the chefs in a cooking demonstration for the campus community.

During his two-day stay, Santibanez will also talk with students and staff and sign copies of his books.

The visit by Santibanez, the former culinary director of Rosa Mexicano restaurants, comes at a time when the College has been using his “Mex to the Max” recipes since the start of the school year.

Santibanez and fellow chef Mai Pham recently partnered with Sodexo, a leading food service company used by Union, to share their recipes with about 600 schools to “help satisfy a growing culinary literacy among college students who have traveled to or lived in different countries or read about world cuisines and insist on authentic flavors.”

“We are very fortunate to have someone like Roberto Santibanez visit our campus,” said Dan Detora, Union’s director of Dining Services. “We’ve had great success using his recipes and have received wonderful feedback. This is a great opportunity for the campus to enjoy truly authentic Mexican cuisine.”

The menu:

Soup: Ancient Aztec Tortilla Soup

Deli: Mexican Club Sandwich

Panini: Very Veggie Quesadilla

Demo: Conchinita Pibil

Hot: Guajillo Marinated Chicken Breast

        Salsa Vera Cruz Filet

        Frioles Negro

        Vegetarian Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Dessert: Authentic Mexican Fruit Cake