Aug 28 - Nov 13
School of Filmmaking Symposium
School of Filmmaking: Symposium

The School of Filmmaking's "Symposium" series opens a door into the world behind the screen, offering audiences a chance to engage with filmmakers, artists and creative thinkers from myriad disciplines who are shaping contemporary storytelling. Through screenings, conversations and engaging dialogue, each event becomes a unique space to come together and explore how art is made, why it matters and what it reveals about the world we live in.

Oct 29 - Nov 7
Angels in America
"Angels in America, Part 1: Millennium Approaches" by Tony Kushner

In a world of surreal encounters and shifting realities, lives collide in 1980s America as friends, lovers and strangers navigate beautiful and challenging transformations in Tony Kushner's "Angels in America," the Pulitzer Prize-winning play that was also adapted into an acclaimed HBO miniseries.

7
Nov
Jennifer Rowley
Soprano Jennifer Rowley in Recital

Jennifer Rowley, lauded by the New York Times as "a singer of enormous gift and promise," illuminates Watson Hall with a voice of striking power and expressive nuance. From intimate reflection to soaring virtuosity, the program features music that demands both technical brilliance and deep emotional clarity, highlighting the full dramatic and lyrical range of the soprano repertoire. The recital moves between operatic arias and art song, showcasing the voice as both instrument and storyteller. Rowley is acclaimed for her powerful voice and commanding stage presence, with a repertoire spanning many of opera's great heroines. She has appeared on major international stages including the Metropolitan Opera, Staatsoper Berlin and Opernhaus Zürich and in roles such as Aida, Tosca and Turandot. She is also the founder of Aria Bootcamp and serves on the voice faculty at the Curtis Institute of Music. Jennifer Rowley performs at UNCSA as part of a year-long operatic celebration of the 25th anniversary of the A.J. Fletcher Opera Institute.

8
Nov
Crosscurrents
Crosscurrents: UNCSA Woodwind Faculty in Recital

A vibrant showcase of woodwind artistry marks the arrival of new faculty members Steven Banks (H.S. Music '11) and Rachel Messing in a collaborative afternoon of chamber music. The program features the work of composers Reena Esmail and Madeleine Dring alongside new pieces by faculty composer Lawrence Dillon and alumna Phoebe Pylant (H.S. Music '25), showcasing a harmonious mix of voices across styles and generations. Banks, saxophone, and Messing, oboe, are joined by faculty artists -- Tadeu Coelho, flute; Oskar Espina Ruiz, clarinet; Stephanie Patterson, bassoon; Maria Serkin, horn, and special guests.

8
Nov
Trumpet Studio in Recital
UNCSA Trumpet Studio in Recital

Bold, brilliant and full of energy, trumpet students shine in an evening of music showcasing the range and technical power of the instrument. Under the guidance of professor David Dash, the studio presents a recital highlighting both individual growth and collective artistry, offering a glimpse of the next generation of brass performers.

9
Nov
The KDA Trio
The KDA Trio: A World in Three Voices

New music comes vividly to life in an evening of bold chamber collaboration from the KDA Trio -- intense and fresh, offering audience a direct connection to the evolving sound of today's chamber repertoire. Violinist Katherine Gilger, faculty trumpeter David Dash and pianist Anatoly Larkin present a program centered on contemporary creativity, featuring works by Canadian composer Michael Spiroff, American composer Eric Ewazen, Icelandic composer Jórunn Viðar and a UNCSA student composer.

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Local founding partners announced for national arts and wellness initiative with National League of Cities

The National League of Cities Institute for Youth, Education, and Families has announced the selection of Winston-Salem, in partnership with Forsyth County, as one of nine sites nationwide competitively selected to participate in a pilot peer-learning cohort for its newly launched initiative, Improving Community Health and Resilience through the Arts, a collaboration between the National League of Cities and One Nation/One Project.

Local founding partners for the initiative are Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County, Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Forsyth County Department of Public Health, United Health Centers and the City of Winston-Salem Department of Community Development.

Additional partners will be named over time. The participating partners will work to create economic opportunities and holistically improve community wellbeing through their arts investments. 

The initiative will be carried out in partnership with One Nation/One Project, a national arts and wellness project with the goal to amplify the proven benefits that arts engagement has in fostering holistic recovery, well-being and social cohesion in communities. This social impact venture is inspired by the work of the 1936 Federal Theatre Project that worked to reinvigorate America after the Great Depression.

Winston-Salem and Forsyth County will participate in the pilot cohort for the initiative, with a goal of building partnerships between municipal leadership, community health centers, safety net providers, local artists and the communities hit hardest by the pandemic. This national initiative will leverage the power of the arts to support municipal leaders’ efforts to improve the health, cohesion and resilience of their communities by using funds from local American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocations.

“Research shows the arts play an integral part in the health and overall well-being of a community,” said Chase Law, Arts Council President and CEO. “This partnership is coming at a critical time in our community where the Arts Council can continue to work alongside community members to understand and respond to needs through the lens of arts, culture and creativity. Our city and county received significant allocations from the American Rescue Plan Act, and this project falls in line with their focus areas to support the recovery and healing of our community.”

The selection of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County for this important nationwide initiative reflects the strong commitment of our community in recognizing the power of the arts to fuel economic recovery, as well as to bridge divides and not only recover but flourish in the wake of the pandemic.

Kevin Bitterman, Executive Director, Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts

“Health and wellness through the arts and for artists is a core component of the work being done on campus at UNCSA, and by extension in our community through the Thomas S. Kenan Institute for the Arts,” said Kevin Bitterman, Kenan Institute for the Arts Executive Director. “The selection of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County for this important nationwide initiative reflects the strong commitment of our community in recognizing the power of the arts to fuel economic recovery, as well as to bridge divides and not only recover but flourish in the wake of the pandemic.”

“Exploring the intersection of health and arts play a vital role in addressing disparities often seen in marginalized communities — which have been exacerbated by COVID-19,” said Lashun Huntley, United Health Centers CEO. “United Health Centers is honored to work with this talented team of community partners to address 21st century challenges that will positively impact the health, wellness and economic vitality of our shared community.”

Winston-Salem and Forsyth County are joined by the following cities in the Arts & Health pilot cohort: the City of Gainesville, Florida; the City of Chicago, Illinois; the Town of Utica, Mississippi; the City of Providence, Rhode Island; the City of Rhinelander, Wisconsin; Harlan County, Kentucky; the City of Edinburg, Texas; and Phillips County, Arkansas focusing on the Cities of Elaine and Helena.

The cohort will be supported through extensive context-specific technical, artistic and organizational assistance and will engage in regular peer learning opportunities to achieve their desired outcomes.

May 24, 2022