MODfest, Vassar College’s annual tribute to the visual and performing arts, opens on January 25 and continues through February 4 on the campus in the Town of Poughkeepsie. Now in its 22nd year, MODfest features performances and exhibits by students, faculty, and guest artists. It is hosted by the Vassar College Music Department in collaboration with the Creative Arts Across Disciplines office. Some events require tickets and reservations, but all are free and open to the public. Complete listing of events and information on ticketing.

The theme of this year’s festival, “Defining Lines,” invites audiences to examine, celebrate, and challenge the lines that exist between cultures, spaces, bodies, identities, and more.

“MODfest 2024 invites us to view things from different perspectives or consider what defines or separates people, places, and ideas,” said MODfest Co-Director Tom Pacio. “A theatrical story of grief told through acrobatic movement, the relationship between the audience and dancers from a scientific perspective, and the impact of people’s lives and their surroundings told through music are just a few examples of what awaits us in this year’s festival. With exciting visiting artists from UPLift Physical Theatre, the creative team and performers of the new musical Shanghai Sonatas, and acclaimed dancers Baye & Asa (2023 Dance Magazine Award Winners) alongside our extremely talented faculty and students, there is something for everyone.”

Shanghai Sonatas, a new theater work to be held January 28 at 2:00 p.m. in the Alumnae House, is based on first-person accounts. It tells the true story of musicians from Europe living in China during World War II who used their optimism, humor, and musical talents to survive, forging friendships with their Chinese neighbors who helped save their lives.

MODfest will also feature the work of two current Vassar students. In “Reciprocal Visions: Reimagining the Dance,” to be performed on January 25 in the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, cognitive science major Camryn Spero ’24 will examine how the audience, the lighting, and sensational experiences physiologically change the dancers’ realization of their performance. On January 26 and 27, The Game, a play written by Solomon Hess ’24, will be performed in the Powerhouse Theater. The play tells the story of a white lacrosse coach who engages with a Native American friend to honor the origins of the game.

MODfest will also feature several musical performances, including a tribute by faculty musicians to MODfest co-founders Professor Emeritus of Music Richard Wilson and Adene Wilson ’69. This year’s concert will be held February 3 in Skinner Hall.

“We are thrilled to highlight our faculty and the music of Rogerson, Stravinsky, and Wilson in this year’s honorary concert for Richard and Adene Wilson,” said MODfest Co-Director and Associate Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities Christine Howlett. “Thomas Sauer, piano, collaborates with guest violinist Grace Park on the music on Rogerson’s Lullaby: No Bad Dreams, Stravinsky’s Duo concertant, and Wilson’s Eclogue for solo piano. The second half of the program features Stravinsky’s iconic L'histoire du soldat, a fascinating tale of a soldier named Joseph who meets the Devil in disguise. Composed for seven instruments and a narrator, the music includes the influences of tango, waltz, ragtime, and klezmer instrumentations and textures, and even Bach. This piece is performed entirely by our brilliant Vassar faculty Drew Minter, narrator, Marka Young, violin, Daniel Merriman, bass, Ian Tyson, clarinet, Elisabeth Romano, bassoon, James Osborn, trumpet, Paul Bellino, trombone, Frank Cassara, percussion, and Eduardo Navega, conductor.”

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 Larry Hertz, lahertz@vassar.edu, (845) 518-3098, (845) 437-7938 (Vassar College)