A violent and crass triple stab of brass killed the gaiety. A man in black marched through the pews. As light licked his jowls, the police chief Scarpia, played by Bryn Terfel, revealed himself to the choristers and audience.
Makai Murray was finishing a piece in his Stoughton studio. The wall-sized work, an abstraction of three-dimensional shapes and color clipped to two pieces of plywood, would serve as a backdrop for an audiovisual installation in his planned show on Newbury Street that summer, his biggest show yet. He calmly stood above his creation with a placid expression as he mixed paint with the amplified words of Frank Ocean spilling from a nearby speaker. But three months later, the Newbury show had yet to materialize. Even then, Murray’s tranquility remained undisturbed; he hadn’t failed — it just wasn’t the right time for this dream. He turned toward his next creation with the same peaceful devotion.
Tufts and New England Conservatory dual degree alum Chad Smith was appointed by the Boston Symphony Orchestra as their newest CEO in May 2023. Smith is one of the country’s leading orchestral music executives and previously served a four-year period as Chief Executive at the Los Angeles Philharmonic where he worked closely with famed maestro Gustavo Dudamel to establish some of the most impactful orchestral programs of the 21st century.
Death loomed. Darwin bludgeoned nature, Einstein assaulted physics and Nietzsche killed God. Trapped by time, a gaunt man sat in the south of the Habsburg Empire, unaware of the coming continental baptism of hell. In eight years, the Great War would bathe Europe in the greatest bloodletting known to mankind. The dense trees and pearlescent waters of Maiernigg blockaded nascent modernity for Gustav Mahler.
Professional artist and Tufts senior Makai Murray’s newest show, “Reflection Before Progression,” will open at the Hunter Gallery of St. George’s School in Middletown, R. I. on Sept. 28th from 6–10 p.m.
Graduating senior Jason Wallace is nearing the end of post-production for his thesis film “Citizens of Kattaquam.” Featuring scenes with up to 40 cast members and a crew of 15, Wallace’s grandiose sci-fi epic is not the typical small-scale production expected of student films on sparse budgets. But for Wallace, pursuing one of the most ambitious Tufts thesis films in recent years was necessary to realize his vision.
This year marks a monumental milestone for the Newport Jazz Festival: its 70th anniversary. Since its inception in 1954, the festival has showcased jazz giants like Ella Fitzgerald and Miles Davis, whose legendary performances have become a part of its rich history. As this summer’s gathering approaches from Aug. 2–4 at Fort Adams State Park, the festival not only celebrates its storied past but also its continuous pulse on the future of jazz.
The Boston Lyric Opera’s charming production of Chevalier de Saint-Georges’ only surviving opera, “The Anonymous Lover,” ran at the Huntington Theatre from Feb. 16 to 18. “The Anonymous Lover” continued the BLO’s exploration of love through four operas in their 2023-24 season ...
The enduring music of the Allman Brothers Band lives on in the Allman Betts Family Revival tour, which made a stop at the Orpheum on Friday. The tour is an annual event founded seven years ago by Devon Allman to celebrate the life of his father Gregg Allman, one of the two brothers who gave their name to the illustrious ’70s band. This year, the show was organized by Devon Allman and Duane Betts, son of band member Dickey Betts, to celebrate the music of both of their fathers.
The Boston Globe successfully ran their ninth-annual GlobeDocs Film Festival from October 25-29. GlobeDocs is a five-day film festival that features new, acclaimed documentary films, ranging from big-budget streaming hits such as “American Symphony” (2023) and“The Pigeon Tunnel” (2023) to smaller, independent films such as“The Highest Standard” (2023) and “The Philadelphia Eleven” (2023).
