Arts Briefs

Fall Arts Celebrates Poetry

As part of the annual Fall Arts Celebration, GVSU presents “An evening of poetry and conversation with Amiee Nezhukumatathil and Kwame Dawes,” on Oct. 15.

Nezhukumatathil is the author of three books of poetry, “Lucky Fish,” “At the Drive-In Volcano,” and “Miracle Fruit.” “Lucky Fish” won the Hoffer Grand Prize for prose and independent books, the gold medal in poetry for the Independent Publishers Book Awards and was featured in the New York Times and on the PBS NewsHour Art Beat. Nezhukumatathil is an associate professor at the State University of New York at Fredonia.

Dawes was born in Ghana but has spent most of his life in Jamaica. He is a fiction and nonfiction writer, poet and playwright. Dawes is the author of “Bob Marley: Lyrical Genius,” which remains the most authoritative study of the lyrics of Bob Marley. Dawes is also the author of 16 collections of poetry and is shortlisted for the PEN Open Book Award. He is currently a chancellor’s professor of English, a faculty member of Cave Canem and a teacher in the Pacific MFA program in Oregon.

The two will be doing a reading followed by a reception and book signing on tonight at 7 p.m. on the second floor of the Eberhard Center on GVSU’s Pew Campus.

Symphonic Wind Ensemble

On Oct. 15, there will be a symphonic wind ensemble in the Louis Armstrong Theatre in the Performing Arts Center. The ensemble wil be conducted by GVSU professor Kevin Tutt. The performance is open to the public and will take place at 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.gvsu.edu/music.

Symphony Orchestra

On Oct. 16, the GVSU Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Henry Duitman, will perform in the Louis Armstrong Theatre at 7:30 p.m. In the orchestra’s first concert of the season, they will perform “Hungarian Dance No. 6” by Brahms and “Symphony No. 88” by Haydn. After a short break, they will finish the show with Halloween-themed music by performing “Night on the Bald Mountain” by Mussorgsky, “In the Hall of the Mountain King” by Grieg and “Mars” by Holst.

String Leadership Day and Concert

For the sixth year in a row, GVSU’s String Leadership Day will bring 60 high school string players to combine with the GVSU Symphony Orchestra for a day of rehearsal. This years’ guest conductor is Raphael Jimenez, orchestra director at Oberlin Conservatory. Jimenez will conduct the 100-member festival orchestra, which will perform works in Nielsen and Rodrigo. The GVSU String Faculty and Trio will be teaching and performing during the day, and in the evening, Henry Duitman will conduct the GVSU Symphony Orchestra.