‘Fiddlefest’ at Saint James Place
Great Barrington — “Fiddlefest,” a showcase for the Curtis Institute of Music’s violin students designed by internationally acclaimed violinist Ida Kavafian, will be presented at Saint James Place on Friday, April 14, at 7 p.m.
“Fiddlefest” showcases classic works as well as showpieces and features a broad range of styles from the Baroque master Telemann to the modern icons Toru Takemitsu and Luciano Berio. Also included is the folk charm of Bartok, the zest of Prokofiev, and a set of variations by Dancla on the well known and loved “Twinkle, Twinkle.”
Kavafian is an artist-member of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and former violinist of the Beaux Arts Trio. Born in Istanbul of Armenian parentage, she is a graduate of the Juilliard School.
Tickets are $15–$30. For tickets and more information, see the Berkshire Edge calendar or call the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center box office at (413) 528-0100.
–E.E.
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Dr. Priyamvada Natarajan to present ‘Mapping the Heavens
Salisbury, Conn. — On Thursday, April 13, at 6 p.m., the Scoville Memorial Library will present astrophysicist Dr. Priyamvada Natarajan, who will discuss her book, “Mapping the Heavens.”
Natarajan is a theoretical astrophysicist and faculty member at Yale University whose research is focused on dark matter and black holes. The recipient of many honors and awards, she is deeply interested in the public understanding of science. Her first book, “Mapping the Heavens,” was published last year by Yale University Press and was selected by Forbes magazine as one of the 10 best science books of the year.
For more information, contact the library at (860) 435-2838 or scovlibn@biblio.org.
–E.E.
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Jay Pasachoff to deliver Williams’ Sigma Xi lectures
Williamstown — Jay Pasachoff, Field memorial professor of astronomy and director of the Hopkins Observatory at Williams College, will deliver the spring 2017 Williams College Sigma Xi lectures on Thursday, April 13, and Friday, April 14, at 4:15 p.m. in the Wege Auditorium in the Thompson Science Center. The lectures are free and open to the public.
On Thursday, April 13, Pasachoff will deliver “Our Sun: From the Ground and From Space,” an illustrated lecture that will be a general orientation to studies of the sun including observations of solar phenomena such as sunspots, the solar-activity cycle and the sun’s outer layers. In the lecture, Pasachoff will discuss observations from ground-based observatories and from solar spacecraft, including the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory, the Solar Dynamics Observatory and the Solar Ultraviolet Imager recently launched on GOES-16, an American weather satellite.
The lecture on Friday, April 14, will focus on the Great American Eclipse, set to take place on Monday, Aug. 21, and will concentrate on what has been learned from solar eclipse expeditions to observe the solar corona. Pasachoff will concentrate on the most recent expeditions and will discuss plans and projects for the solar eclipse. He will describe plans for the eight undergraduates who will participate in an expedition to Salem, Oregon. He will also describe outreach efforts for reaching students and the public, including his participation in a NOVA special.
President of Williams College’s Sigma Xi chapter, Pasachoff has been a national Sigma Xi lecturer. He is chair of the International Astronomical Union’s Working Group on Solar Eclipses and is on the American Astronomical Society‘s Solar Eclipse 2017 Task Force. He received the 2017 Richtmyer Memorial Lecture Award from the American Association of Physics Teachers and had earlier received the American Astronomical Society’s Education Prize. His research at the 2017 total solar eclipse is being supported by grants from the Solar Terrestrial program of the National Science Foundation’s Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences and by the National Geographic Society’s Committee for Research and Exploration.
For building locations on the Williams campus, consult the online map or call the Office of Communications at (413) 597-4277.
–E.E.
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‘Mystical Myanmar’ photography show
Lenox — The Scott Barrow photography gallery, 17 Housatonic St., will present the photography show “Mystical Myanmar” Saturday, April 15, through Thursday, June 15. An opening reception will take place on Saturday, April 15, from 5 to 7 p.m.
In December 2016, Barrow spent two weeks in search of the Buddha in Myanmar. He shot from sunrise to sunset every day, capturing golden pagodas, teaming markets, leg-rowing fishermen, friendly faces and lots of monks. It was his first visit to Southeast Asia and provided a mid-winter creative jolt that has fueled content for his gallery, books and lectures.
For more information, contact the gallery at (413) 637-2299 or scott@scottbarrow.com.
–E.E.
