“Discovering Uncertainty” is the theme of Vassar College’s 23rd annual MODfest, featuring music and dance that reflect elements of the quantum theory described by physicists in the early decades of the 20th century. View a complete schedule of events, all of which are free and open to the public.

MODfest opens January 31 at 5:30 p.m. with a lecture in Taylor Hall titled “100 Years of Quantum Uncertainty” by Associate Professor of Physics José Perillán, and a choral presentation, Stimmung, by Karlheinz Stockhausen, a 70-minute work for six singers to be held at Skinner Hall of Music at 7:30 p.m.

On Saturday, February 1, 7:30 p.m. in Skinner Hall, Dr. Daniel J. Levitin, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, McGill University, will deliver a lecture on how music has been used throughout history for medical purposes. Dr. Levitin will uncover the latest findings in this rapidly developing field on how music can be used to treat injury and disease and promote wellness.

Students of Vassar Repertory Dance Theatre will make their annual MODfest appearance on February 7 at 7:00 p.m. in the Frances Fergusson Dance Theater in Kenyon Hall. The program includes a special appearance by dancers from the Parul Shah Dance Company, whose work harnesses the expressive power of Indian classical dance to promote cultural understanding and explore questions around identity and humanity. This is a free but ticketed event; reservations for general seating are required and will be available online at https://vassardance.tix.com beginning January 15. For additional information, please email: dance@vassar.edu.

On February 8 at 7:30 pm, there will be a screening of Fritz Lang’s celebrated silent film masterpiece of 1927 Metropolis, with a live soundtrack for piano and electronics recently composed by the ICEBERG Composers Collective. Assistant Professor of Film Fabio Andrade will introduce the film at 7:00 p.m. in Skinner Hall of Music. Pianist Po-Wei Ger and composer Drake Andersen will perform the ICEBERG soundtrack.

The festival will conclude on February 9 with the annual Honorary Adene and Richard Wilson Concert at 3:00 p.m. in Skinner Hall. This concert will feature the music of Professor Emeritus of Music Richard Wilson, as well as composers Unsuk Chin, Luciano Berio, and Terry Riley, whose minimalist classic In C will conclude the festival. Performers will include MODfest co-directors Drew Minter, Senior Lecturer in Music, and Thomas Sauer, Senior Adjunct Artist in Music.

“This year’s MODfest explores the loss of certainty that is the legacy of the scientific and artistic developments of the early 20th century,” Minter and Sauer said in a joint statement. “In the realm of physics, early investigations into the behavior of the electron found that it defied the laws of classical mechanics. The sub-atomic realm uncovered by quantum theorists was one of probability and contingency: of Uncertainty. At the same time, musicians, artists, and writers of the European and American avant-garde were calling into question many of the artistic values that had held sway for generations: harmonic practice in music, the use of figure and representation in art, narrative structure and perspective in fiction. A new age sought new techniques; a creative uncertainty arose that has persisted to this day. MODfest 2025 highlights the presence of indeterminacy and digital technology in the music of the last 100 years and offers platforms for discussion of the widespread adoption throughout our society of technologies made possible by the discoveries of quantum theory.”

About Vassar College

Vassar College, based in Poughkeepsie, NY, is a coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college where perspectives cross, ideas intersect, and passion burns bright. Originally founded to provide women an education equal to that once available only to men, Vassar was the first all-women’s college in the nation to become coeducational when it opened its doors to men in 1969. Vassar fosters an intellectual openness and independence in students, who meet each other as equals, and are encouraged to absorb diverse thought and impassioned dialogue that give them the insight and confidence they will need in a complex world where they will make important contributions. Consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the country, Vassar is renowned for pioneering achievements in education, for its long history of curricular innovation, and for the beauty of its campus.

Vassar College strives to make its events, performances, and facilities accessible to all. Individuals with disabilities requiring special accommodations must contact the Office of Campus Activities at least 48 hours in advance of an event, Mondays–Fridays, at (845) 437-5370. Without sufficient notice, appropriate space and/or assistance may not be available. Detailed information about accessibility to specific campus facilities can be found on the Accessibility and Educational Opportunity website. The Vassar campus is located at 124 Raymond Avenue in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Contact: Gladwyn Lopez, glopez@vassar.edu; (845) 437-7404 (Vassar College)