The innovative, avant garde choreography of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company comes to the stage of the Dolan Performance Hall in Annunciation Center at the College of Saint Elizabeth with the appearance of two of its lead dancers, Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Riener. The performance takes place Saturday, April 16 at 7 p.m., and is free and open to the public. Annunciation Center is a barrier-free facility and fully ADA compliant. Individuals needing special accommodations should call 973-290-4378 or email, events@cse.edu. CSE is located at 2 Convent Road, Morristown, N.J. Entitled The Phrase in Motion, the performance is part of a four-pronged project highlighting art, music, dance and poetry under the umbrella term The Phrase in Art, produced and presented by the CSE Culture and Humanities Area and CSE Presents. The art exhibition, Visual Phrasing, is currently on display in the Therese A. Maloney Art Gallery, Annunciation Center, through April 17. This project is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Art Works. The NEA is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education. Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at www.cse.edu.

College of Saint Elizabeth Hosts Open House for Women's College, Sunday, April 10, 2011

The College of Saint Elizabeth opens its doors to prospective students to its Women’s College, Sunday, April 10, 2011. The Open House and Campus Tour begins at 1 p.m. CSE is located at 2 Convent Road, Morristown, N.J, on 200 beautifully landscaped acres. To make reservations for the Open House, call 1-800-210-7900. Students can choose from 25 courses of study, taught in a small class setting. Out of the classroom, there is always something to do on campus. CSE has a variety of clubs that fit the interests of any student and a wide variety of activities from sports to art openings. There are also plenty of volunteer opportunities that help support the College’s commitment to social justice and developing women as leaders. Beyond the campus, CSE is surrounded by a vibrant community filled with sports and cultural venues as well as great shops and restaurants. The train to Manhattan is right in front of the College’s main gates, ready to take riders to one of the world’s most exciting cities in approximately one hour. Established by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth in 1899, CSE is one of the oldest colleges for women in the United States and one of the first to grant degrees to women. On Saturday, April 10, CSE invites a new generation of young women to become part of the tradition of accomplished leaders produced by this 112-year-old institution. Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at www.cse.edu.

Classical Guitarist Virginia Luque Performs at the College of Saint Elizabeth, March 31, 2011

Classical guitarist Virginia Luque performs in concert in Dolan Performance Hall, Annunciation Center, on the campus of the College of Saint Elizabeth, 2 Convent Road, Morristown, N.J., Thursday, March 31, 2011, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10 for the general public and $5 for senior citizens and students with a valid identification and can be obtained by calling 973-290-4378 or by emailing events@cse.edu.

Luque plays classical and flamenco music in a Spanish romantic style. She has recently recorded Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez with the London Symphony Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios. She has been awarded First Prize at several international competitions, including the "Manuel de Falla" Competition for Classical Guitar in Granada, Spain, and has received the Lincoln Center Scholarship, among other awards.Her concerto performances have included the Concierto de Aranjuez with the New York Virtuosi Orchestra, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, the NorthWest Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, Riverside Symphony, the Seoul Symphony Orchestra, the Izmir Symphony Orchestra, and Antalya Symphony Orchestra. She also premiered her own concerto with the Alexandria Symphony.She has performed in Carnegie Hall, Town Hall, The Metropolitan Opera House, The Frick Collection in New York City, and other concert halls throughout the United States. She was also invited by Christopher Parkening to do a special guest recital at the Christopher Parkening International Master Class at Montana State University.

A native of Algeciras (Cadiz), Spain, Luque began playing the guitar when she was four, started formal training when she was six, and gave her first concert at the age of seven. After hearing her playing, the legendary Spanish guitarist Andres Segovia invited her to study privately with him. She received her master's degree in Spain and at Segovia's suggestion came to America, where she also received a master's degree at the Juilliard School in New York City.

Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at www.cse.edu.

Internationally Renowned Poet, Essayist, and Memoirist, Mark Doty Visits College of Saint Elizabeth as Part of Visual Phrasing Program, March 28, 2011

Award-winning poet, essayist, and memoirist Mark Doty will give a reading, hold a Q&A session, and sign his books, on Monday, March 28, 2011, at 7 p.m. in the Octagon, located in the Mahoney Library, on the campus of the College of Saint Elizabeth, 2 Convent Road, Morristown, N.J., at 7 p.m. At 3:15 p.m., also in the Octagon, Doty will present a master class on The Phrase in Poetry.

Both events are free and open to the public. For more information, call Lynne McEniry, 973-290-4413.

Doty is the only American poet to receive the T.S. Eliot Prize. He is also the recipient of the National Book Critics Award and is recognized as one of the most accomplished poets in America with his syntactically complex and aesthetically profound free verse poems. His writing translates the art of visual appearance into words. Doty s most recently the author of Fire to Fire: New and Selected Poetry, The Art of Description, and Dog Years, A Memoir.

“Doty is a master teacher, revered poet, and one of the most perceptive writers on the conversations between and among visual art and the written word,” says Dr. Laura Winters, CSE professor of English and the person instrumental in bringing renowned writers to campus each semester.

Doty’s appearance is funded by the CSE Poet and Writers Fund and is one of a series of events from the CSE Culture and Humanities area. It is part of a four-pronged project combining art, music, dance and poetry under the collective umbrella called The Phrase in Art. It is funded in part by a first-time grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education.

“The College is grateful to the NEA for its vision, recognition, and support of this project,” says Dr. Virginia Butera, chair of the CSE art and music departments and director of the Therese A. Maloney Art Gallery. “Since the Annunciation Center opened with the Maloney Art Gallery and Dolan Performance Hall, we have been able to create innovative, multi-disciplinary programs that explore intellectual ideas and the artistic experience in ways that larger museums and galleries are unable to do. The CSE art exhibitions and cultural programs are often based on the curricula and events on campus that re-enforce the important role that the arts play in daily life and also reflect the College’s emphasis on liberal arts education.”

Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at www.cse.edu.

New York Musicians to Perform Contemporary Music at the College of Saint Elizabeth, March 22, 2011

Musicians Tristan Perich and Lesley Flanigan will present From Phrase to Music, a concert of contemporary music, Tuesday, March 22, 2011, in Dolan Performance Hall, Annunciation Center, on the campus of the College of Saint Elizabeth, 2 Convent Road, Morristown, N.J. CSE music faculty member Pamela Stein will present a pre-concert lecture at 7 p.m. and the concert will start at 7:30 p.m. The concert is free and open to the public.

Annunciation Center is a barrier-free facility and fully ADA compliant. Individuals needing special accommodations should call 973-290-4378 or email, events@cse.edu.

Perich and Flanigan will explore the physical and sculptural nature of sound in their contemporary compositions. New York-based Perich is inspired by the aesthetics of math and physics, and works with simple forms and complex systems. The challenge of elegance provokes his work in acoustic and electronic music, and physical and digital art. Flanigan is a New York-based sound sculptor, composer, vocalist, and performer. Inspired by the physical materiality of sound, she focuses on amplification itself as the subject of her performances, which weave sound from her voice with hand-built feedback electronics.

CSE music faculty and students will then join Perich and Flanigan in the second half of the concert to perform In C, Terry Riley’s 1964 semi-aleatoric musical piece, which means an element of composition is left to the determination of its performers. Their asynchronous performance of a series of musical phrases will create a unique performance of the piece for the audience.

From Phrase to Music is part of a four-pronged project highlighting art, music, dance and poetry under the umbrella term The Phrase in Art, produced and presented by the CSE Culture and Humanities Area and CSE Presents. The art exhibition, Visual Phrasing, is currently on display in the Therese A. Maloney Art Gallery, Annunciation Center, until April 17. Poet Mark Doty will present The Phrase in Poetry, Monday, March 28, in the Octagon, located in Mahoney Library, at 3:15 and 7 p.m. The Phrase in Motion features Rashaun Mitchell and Silas Riener from the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, April 16 at 7 p.m. in Dolan Performance Hall.

The Phrase in Art is funded in part by a first-time grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, bringing the arts to all Americans, and providing leadership in arts education.

After being invited to apply under the Arts Education Invitational Grants Initiative, Dr. Butera collaborated with CSE colleagues Laura Winters, Ph.D., professor of English; Pamela Stein, M.M., adjunct instructor of voice; and Janice Hill, M.A., development associate for Institutional Advancement, to develop The Phrase in Art project.

“The College is grateful to the NEA for its vision, recognition, and support of this project,” says Dr. Virginia Butera, chair of the CSE art and music departments and director of the Therese A. Maloney Art Gallery. “Since the Annunciation Center opened with the Maloney Art Gallery and Dolan Performance Hall, we have been able to create innovative, multi-disciplinary programs that explore intellectual ideas and the artistic experience in ways that larger museums and galleries are unable to do. The CSE art exhibitions and cultural programs are often based on the curricula and events on campus that re-enforce the important role that the arts play in daily life and also reflect the College’s emphasis on liberal arts education.”

Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at www.cse.edu.

CNN Reporter Soledad O’Brien to Speak at the College of Saint Elizabeth, March 2, 2011

CNN news anchor and special correspondent Soledad O’Brien, author of the recently published book, The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities, will appear at the College of Saint Elizabeth, 2 Convent Road, Morristown, N.J., March 2, 2011, at 7:30 p.m. in Dolan Performance Hall, Annunciation Center. Tickets are $25 and can be ordered by calling 973-290-4378 or emailing events@cse.edu. A book signing will follow the conclusion of her speech.

O’Brien is an anchor and special correspondent for CNN: Special Investigations Unit, reporting on the most important ongoing and breaking news stories for all major CNN programs. She also covers political news as part of CNN’s Best Political Team on Television. She joined CNN in 2003 as the co-anchor of the network’s flagship morning program, American Morning, and distinguished herself by reporting from the scene on events such as Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in Phuket, Thailand.

She is the recipient of several, major awards including one named in her honor, “Soledad O’Brien Freedom’s Voice Award,” bestowed by Community Voices at Morehouse School of Medicine. As its first honoree, O’Brien was cited for her accomplishments in her field together with her commitment to cover stories that others fail to pursue, and her willingness to be a voice for those in society who are unable to speak for themselves.

As a reporter, O’Brien is known for her compassion for the people whose stories she tells. O’Brien’s book, The Next Big Story: My Journey Through the Land of Possibilities, chronicles her beginnings as a mixed-race child growing up in suburban Long Island, N.Y., and explains how those experiences have influenced her approach to her work. Using some of her biggest reporting moments as examples, she tells stories of how American opportunity, optimism, and generosity thrive in the face of enormous tragedy. She writes, “Bad things happen until good people get in the way. I learn this life lesson … almost everywhere I go in pursuit of the next big story. People have an incredible potential to do good and make good and seize good from bad if they will only make the choice to do it. “

Commenting on O’Brien’s book, CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric says, “Soledad is a living example of achieving the American dream. Because a door opened to her family, she has been able to accomplish so many things. Her life story shows that opportunity can create success…and success can create a sense of responsibility that can create opportunities for others. Soledad has paid it forward, cares deeply about the disenfranchised, and brings her unique personal experience to whatever story she may be covering.”

Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at www.cse.edu.

Newspeak Ensemble Concert Combines Rock and Classical Music at College of Saint Elizabeth, February 23, 2011

Newspeak, an eight-piece amplified ensemble incorporating elements of a rock band and new classical music, will perform in the Dolan Performance Hall, Annunciation Center, on the campus of the College of Saint Elizabeth (CSE), 2 Convent Road, Morristown, N.J. on Wednesday, February 23, 2011. The evening begins at 7 p.m. with a pre-concert lecture by CSE music faculty member Pamela Stein, who is a classical singer and contemporary music performer. The concert follows at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 for the general public; $10 for students with valid identification; and $5 for CSE students with valid identification. For ticket information, contact events@cse.edu or 973-290-4378.

Under the direction of composer David T. Little and clarinetist Eileen Mack, Newspeak has commissioned, work-shopped, and premiered work of some of the most exciting members of the new generation. During the CSE concert, Newspeak will perform tracks from its new record, Sweet Light Crude, as well as a special preview of part one of Grammy-nominated, jazz musician and composer Darcy James Argue’s new work, The Sleep Room. It is the first time Argue has composed a piece for a group other than his own.

Other artists championed by Newspeak include Oscar Bettison, Corey Dargel, Ted Hearne, Caleb Burhans, Missy Mazzoli, Judd Greenstein, and David T. Little, as well as established masters like Frederic Rzewski and Paul Lansky. The group has been featured in the annual MATA festival in New York City. MATA is a non-profit organization dedicated to commissioning and presenting works by young composers. Newspeak has held multiple residencies at Princeton University, shared bills with The Fiery Furnaces as part of Wordless Music, and performed as part of John Zorn’s Full Force Festival.

Their debut album Sweet Light Crude has met with critical acclaim. Says Ronni Reich of The Star Ledger, “Newspeak is a band of classically trained musicians, including Weehawken-based founder, composer and drummer David T. Little. But this debut album makes it clear that shirking conservatory protocol to rock out doesn’t mean just one thing. With a hard-driving beat, Pat Muchmore’s Brennschluss starts out as one of the heavier tracks. Then, exemplifying Newspeak’s eclecticism, it morphs into what sounds like an operatic recitative transferred to a feedback-ridden poetry slam followed by accelerating chaos. Little’s skillfully constructed title “love song to oil” maintains a moody, obsessive feel as it balances sad, tender, and lovely chamber music in upper instrumental voices with relentless percussion, grumbling bass and a well-timed, powerful outburst.

“On six tracks, all by different composers, everything somehow makes sense, whether the musicians are taking on noisy funk or a soft, steady ballad. The group’s flexibility deserves commendation, and is also part of the fun. But a special shout out goes to Mellissa Hughes whose wide-ranging and crystal-toned singing defies normal vocal limitations.”

The CSE Concert program, which is subject to change, will feature B and E (with aggravated assault), Oscar Bettison, composer; I Would Prefer Not To, Stefan Weisman, composer; sweet light crude, David T. Little, composer; Brennschluss, Pat Muchmore, composer; A Portrait of Glenn Beck, Matt Marks, composer; Requiem for a General Motors in Janesville, WI, Caleb Burhans, composer; and The Sleep Room, Part 1, Darcy James Argue, composer.

Sponsored by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, Convent Station, New Jersey, the College of Saint Elizabeth enrolls more than 2,100 full- and part-time students in more than 25 undergraduate, 10 graduate and one doctoral degree programs. For information on other activities or programs, visit the College of Saint Elizabeth web site at http://www.cse.edu/.