News from Transy

LEXINGTON, Ky.—On Sunday, Nov. 17, gifted pianist David Viscoli will perform works of two musical giants, Beethoven and Rachmaninoff, presenting a program that demands passion and virtuosity. The concert begins at 3 p.m. in Carrick Theater and is free and open to the public. The first half of the recital features two Beethoven sonatas. Both works reveal the composer’s more lyrical side. In the second half, listeners will hear a collection of works that, because of their difficulty, are rarely performed publicly: the nine Etudes-Tableaux, op. 39, of Rachmaninoff.  Transylvania music professor Greg Partain, a recognized pianist himself, encourages people to “come and hear the piano explode.” Partain knew of Viscoli’s work when they were students together at The University of Texas at Austin, where Partain considered Viscoli to be one of the most gifted young pianists in attendance. Viscoli is currently professor of piano at Minnesota State University in Mankato. American Record Guide, America’s oldest classical music review magazine, said of Viscoli: “… [he] relishes punishing virtuosic repertoire; but he’s capable of tender, understated lyricism as well.” Parking is available in the Mitchell Fine Arts parking lot adjacent to the building. For more information, please call Gretchen Shoot, fine arts administrative assistant, at 859-233-8141 weekdays between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.

LEXINGTON, Ky.—In 2012, the lives of more than 60 transgender individuals worldwide came to a violent end. They were beaten, strangled, shot, stabbed, burned and frequently mutilated—all because they did not conform to society’s established norms of gender identity. In response to these abhorrent acts, groups of supporters gather annually in November to recognize and honor that year’s victims. The Transgender Day of Remembrance seeks to shine a light on the prejudice and hatred that leads to such violence. An international event observed in over 185 cities in more than 20 countries, the Transgender Day of Remembrance was founded in 1998 by Gwendolyn Ann Smith, a transgender graphic designer, columnist and activist, to memorialize the murder of her friend Rita Hester in Allston, Mass. On Nov. 22, three Transylvania University student organizations—T-Unity, SAGE and the Genderbread House—will sponsor a Trans* Day of Remembrance from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The memorial service is open to the public and will include a candlelight vigil on the Old Morrison steps, during which those individuals slain in 2013 will be recognized. Participants can then go to the Campus Center Gym for a Resource Illumination Fair featuring information booths promoting public safety and equality. The organizers hope to have many local and regional organizations participate. “Far too often, the struggles trans* folks face are ignored by the media and forgotten by the public,” said Spencer Peach ‘16, one of the event organizers. “This event will

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Kentucky State Auditor Adam Edelen will speak at Transylvania University on Nov. 14 as part of the Left of Center Speaker Series, sponsored by the Transylvania College Democrats. The series was founded in 2012 as a way to present a left-leaning point of view in a public setting. The lecture will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Transylvania’s Cowgill Center, room 102. It is free and open to the public. A nationally recognized public servant, Edelen was named a leader of the NewDEAL, a national network of pro-growth progressives, and received the New Leaders Council 40 Under 40 Leadership Award for entrepreneurship. He was identified as a rising star of American government by the Aspen Institute’s Rodel Fellowship Program for Public Leadership, a 24-month program focused on promoting bipartisan problem-solving and public leadership. His tenure as state auditor has been notable for its high-profile audits and investigations of public officials and tax-supported organizations. Cowgill Center is on Third Street, just east of Old Morrison. Parking is available in Old Morrison circle or in the parking lot on Fourth Street adjacent to the Mitchell Fine Arts Center. For more information, contact Donovan Sowder, president of Transylvania College Democrats, at desowder15@transy.edu or 859-559-3659.

LEXINGTON, Ky.—All musical palates are sure to be satisfied at Transylvania University’s Composers’ Concert Wednesday, Nov. 6, as music professors Tim Polashek and Larry Barnes serve up a savory menu of diverse original compositions. The concert will be in Carrick Theater of the Mitchell Fine Arts Center at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. The program includes world music, specifically Chinese, Indonesian and Islamic; solo Irish arrangements; and jazz-influenced modern classical music. The instrumentation is wide-ranging, too—piano, flute, guitar, cello…and an ashtray. Barnes will present four compositions, one of which is “Wanderer Fantasy: Hibernia” for piano, played by Barnes.  “Hibernia,” the Latin name for Ireland, is part of “Preludes from Pangaea,” composed for and premiered by Louisville pianist Denine LeBlanc in 2012. The piece explores elements of music cultures outside the Euro-centric tradition, an outgrowth of Barnes’ pedagogical work. Other compositions by Barnes include “Minarets” for guitar trio, a piece influenced by Middle-Eastern chant; “Cloud-Hidden,” a composition that borrows from ancient Chinese philosophy; and “The River of Heaven,” a lyrical, virtuosic vehicle for cello with the pianist playing the piano’s strings with a glass ashtray. Polashek will present “Sonata for Alto Saxophone and Piano” and “Evening Psalm,” both originally composed for his brother, jazz saxophonist Matthew Polashek, and Eric Huebner, a New York Philharmonic pianist. The performance of “Evening Psalm,” written in 2005, has strong emotional overtones for Polashek. His brother was in a tragic car

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LEXINGTON, Ky.—Nine short films by, for and about women. An opportunity to celebrate the courage and resiliency of women, as well as the talent, insightfulness and sense of humor of the filmmakers. That’s what the LUNAFEST film festival will bring to Lexington, and Transylvania is pleased to host the encore performance on Sunday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m. in the William T. Young Campus Center.  A discussion will follow, led by Sarah Jane Sanders, an editorial photographer and blogger based in Lexington. Learn more about the nine films at www.lunafest.org. The festival was established in 2000 by LUNA, the makers of the Whole Nutrition Bar for Women. Two nonprofits dedicated to helping women will benefit from the festival proceeds: GreenHouse17, which supports those affected by domestic partner abuse (formerly the Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program) and the national Breast Cancer Fund. Tickets are $15 for the general public and $5 for students. The Kentucky Theatre will present the first local screening of the films on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 6:30 p.m. Ashley Gutshall, Transylvania’s assistant director of residence life and coordinator for interpersonal violence prevention, explains why Transylvania chose to host the film festival: “Statistics from the National Domestic Violence Hotline indicate that 12 million men and women in the United States will be affected each year by intimate partner violence. Partnering with GreenHouse17 and having events like these on campus is vital to raising awareness about ending violence in our

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