Department Concerts, Lectures and Series
The Duke Department of Music is a central force in the musical
life of the Durham area. Its busy season includes events
that receive national attention, such as the world premiere
by the resident Ciompi Quartet of
new string quartets by Duke composers Stephen Jaffe and Scott
Lindroth or the first International Conference on Richard
Strauss. Other highlights include the annual Mary Duke Biddle
Distinguished Composer residencies with special lectures,
workshops, and concerts; recent visiting composers have included
Karel Husa, John Harbison, Sydney Hodkinson and Yehudi Wyner. Festivals celebrating
individual composers such as Schubert or Brahms are a regular
feature of the Department's calendar. The series of organ recitals in Duke Chapel highlights renowned organists, as well as the stunning Flentrop organ and celebrated architecture of the Chapel. The recent appointment of renowned oboist Joseph Robinson as Artist-in-Residence is yet another exciting addition to the department's rich performance life. In addition to the
many individual
concerts given each year by members of Duke's faculty,
students, and guests, the Department of Music offers several
annual concert series.
The Ciompi Quartet, Duke's resident ensemble, performs a series of four quartet programs each year on campus. The quartet appears frequently in informal concerts around the University in dormitories and various music classes.
Encounters with the Music of Our Time presents performances of noted compositions from the twentieth century, including frequent premieres, often coordinated with visits by the featured composers such as Louis Andriessen, William Bolcom, Barbara Kolb, George Perle, Morton Subotnick, Joan Tower, and Ollie Wilson.
The Duke Jazz Series presents several concerts each year featuring star performers from the United States and abroad.
The department's Lecture Series brings several noted scholars from around the globe to campus each year. Presentations cover a broad range of topics in music as well as related disciplines, providing an opportunity for continued learning and lively discussion.
Also on campus are the Duke Performances series, presenting internationally known classical soloists and touring ensembles; music/dance/theater from non-Western traditions; contemporary, cutting-edge performers in all genres; early-music (medieval, renaissance and baroque); and multidisciplinary works. The Chamber Arts Society series, also coordinated by Duke Performances, invites some of the world's best chamber music groups to perform on campus.