September 14, 2018 | UHCL Staff
With almost twice as many outstanding performances to offer Clear Lake theater lovers this season than last, the Bayou Theater at University of Houston-Clear Lake opens the 2018-19 season on Friday, Sept. 21 at 7:30 p.m. with an orchestral “battle of the bands” as interpreted by Clear Lake fan-favorite Mercury.
Featuring the virtuosic violin compositions of Antonio Vivaldi and Niccolo Paganini with Mercury’s twist of signature exuberance and humor, Mercury Artistic Director Antoine Plante says the performance will showcase violin soloists Jonathan Godfrey and Anabel Detrick in a “back and forth” competition including some surprises for the audience.
“We are very excited to open the season at the Bayou Theater,” Plante said. “We are presenting this concert featuring two of the greatest violin composers and putting them side by side so the audience can experience their different styles.”
These two masters of the baroque and romantic eras are regular elements in Mercury’s performance repertoire. “They lived about 100 years apart, but both pushed and brought violin composing to a new level, technically and expressively,” Plante said. “The audience will first hear a piece by one composer, then the other. They’ll go back and forth, and the two soloists will share in a little competition in the first half of the show.”
The second half, Plante said, Mercury will present an arrangement of Vivaldi’s “La Folia,” with variations that bring the audience into many different musical landscapes from the baroque era. “There will be a few surprises, all the way to some pop music,” he said.
The approach, he explained, “is a bit like a rock concert. There will also be visual experiences projected reflected on the stage with light effects. It’s really fun,” he said.
Mercury will perform four concerts during the 2018-19 season, including a special February presentation of “An Evening of Mozart Symphonies,” as well as classics from Brahms and Tchaikovsky. To purchase season tickets, call 281-283-2065, email bayoutheater@uhcl.edu or visit www.uhcl.edu/bayou-theater.
Gain hands-on experience incorporating technology in your classroom in this interactive professional development session for grade 6-12 educators. Participants will learn how to use Google Classroom with Chromebooks, Spheros, Makey-Makeys, Ozobots and Google Expedition. Led by Sha’Rell Webb and Azka Bukhari, the sessions will prepare you to write grants to acquire technology and how to use it in your classroom. Participants will earn four hours of CPE credit for each session. Those planning to attend are asked to bring laptops, tablets and other technology with them.
Sessions take place Sept. 22 and 29, 8 a.m. – noon in the Arbor Building, room 1310.05 at University of Houston-Clear Lake, 2700 Bay Area Blvd., Houston. Each session is $65. To register or for more information, visit www.uhcl.edu/education/centers-initiatives/center-educational-programs/professional-development.
Get ready to enter business school with a Graduate Management Admissions Test preparation course taught by UH-Clear Lake’s Center for Executive Education. This four-session course takes place Sept. 22-Oct. 13, Saturdays, 8 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. in the Bayou Building, 2700 Bay Area Blvd.
Sessions will cover a wide range of material, including test-taking strategies, test format, and a breakdown of each section of the GMAT. Fees for the course are $499, and include a textbook and instruction materials. Discounts are available for early registration by Sept. 1, and for UHCL faculty, staff, students and alumni. For more information and to register, visit the Center for Executive Education online at www.uhcl.edu/center-executive-education, or call 281-283-3120.
Learn about the diversity of monkeys in the Amazon from tamarin to howlers, or explore the symbolism behind food and its link to culture and identity in the fall 2018 kickoff of the Friday Morning Continuing Education.
Lectures will be held Sept. 29, 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. in the Bayou Building of University of Houston-Clear Lake and presented by Professor of Biology and Environmental Science Cynthia Howard, and Associate Professor of Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Studies Christine Kovic.
For cost information and to register, visit www.uhcl.edu/academics/extended/friday-morning-ce/schedule.
