Wellesley Concert Series -arts 150 A three-day celebration of Wellesley College's creative legacy. September 18-20, 2025

In honor of Wellesley College’s 150th celebration, the Art and Music departments, in collaboration with the Davis Museum, have teamed up to present ARTS150 - a three-day celebration of Wellesley's Creative Legacy. All events take place in the historic Jewett Arts Center, the Davis Museum, and Alumnae Hall. All events are free and open to the public. 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Davis Museum Opening Celebration
Presented by the Davis Museum

• Suzanne Ciani ‘68 and Dr. Carrie Cushman in Conversation
  4:00-5:00 pm, Collins Cinema
  
  Join Dr. Carrie Cushman, Guest Curator for The Worlds of Ilse Bing and Director of the Bates College Museum of Art, in conversation with Suzanne Ciani ‘68, who will share her reflections on Ilse Bing’s monumental contributions to the history of photography, as well as lessons from their mentor-mentee relationship. This conversation is presented in collaboration with the Wellesley College Music Department Concert Series.
   
• Davis Museum Opening Reception
  5:00-8:00 pm, Davis Lobby and Galleries
  Welcome Remarks
  5:30 pm, Davis Lobby
  
  Join the Davis Museum for the opening of our fall 2025 exhibitions, which celebrate Wellesley College’s 150th anniversary: In Focus: Wellesley College Faculty Artists, The Worlds of Ilse Bing, Suzanne Ciani: Sound Lounge, and Digging Into History: The Wellesley College Hall Archaeology Project.  We honor an extraordinary history, look forward to an exciting future, and celebrate the College’s enduring commitment to providing an excellent education to women who will make a difference in the world.
  The Fall 2025 Exhibition is on view September 19 - December 14 and February 6 - May 24.
   

• Jewett Art Gallery Fall Exhibition
  Reception: 4:30-6:00 pm, Jewett Art Gallery Foyer
  Presented by the Art Department
  On view September 2 - October 14
  
  a question of imagination and taste: the Jewett Arts Center, then and now is an exhibition in the Jewett Art Gallery, running from September 2 through October 14. Artifacts, blueprints, drawings, and photographs in this show speak to the history and contemporary life of this important building. Opened in 1958 and designed by architect Paul Rudolph, Jewett was decidedly modern, but made deliberate nods to the neo-Gothic architecture of existing buildings on campus. Originally built to house the Art, Music, and Theater Departments as well as the College's public art museum, Jewett today is a lively center of creative and academic inquiry, performance, and exhibition.
   
• Suzanne Ciani: Improv on Four Sequences
  7:00 pm, Diana Chapman Walsh Alumnae Auditorium
  Presented by the Wellesley College Music Department Concert Series
  See concert listing below.
   

• Sounding Legacy: Celebrating Faculty Composers 
  7:00 pm, Jewett Auditorium
  Presented by the Wellesley College Music Department Concert Series
  See concert listing below.
   
• Celebratory Closing Reception
  Jewett Foyer (post-concert)

We are thrilled to welcome Grammy-nominated composer and electronic music pioneer Suzanne Ciani ‘68 back to her alma mater for a rare live performance. A trailblazer in synthesis and neo-classical sound, Ciani has shaped the sonic landscape for decades—from iconic albums like Seven Waves to the pop-and-pour of a Coca-Cola. She returns to perform Improv on Four Sequences on the Buchla 200e, revisiting her groundbreaking 1976 work for the National Endowment for the Arts. Don’t miss this historic event with a true innovator whose influence spans music, technology, and culture. 

This event is a featured part of ARTS150: Celebrating Wellesley's Creative Legacy.

Suzanne Ciani: Improv on Four Sequences is presented in collaboration with the Davis Museum at Wellesley College. Visit the Suzanne Ciani: Sound Lounge - on view at the Davis Museum from September 19-December 14, 2025, and February 6-May 24, 2026.

This event is free and open to the public.
Wellesley College Events Listing 

For concert questions, please email concerts@wellesley.edu.
For accessibility questions, please email accessibility@wellesley.edu.

Join us for a vibrant celebration of the Wellesley College Music Department’s rich musical legacy as members of the Performance Faculty honor the enduring contributions of past faculty-composers. This special concert will feature works by Nadia Boulanger, Hubert Lamb, Arlene Zallman, Marty Brody, and Jenny Olivia Johnson, culminating in the exciting premiere of a new composition by current faculty-composer Reinaldo Moya. Experience the dynamic intersection of tradition and innovation in an evening that showcases the artistic spirit of Wellesley’s Music Department.

This event is a featured part of ARTS150: Celebrating Wellesley's Creative Legacy. Please join us for a celebratory closing reception post-concert.

JENNY OLIVIA JOHNSON: sylvia songs: iv. wellesley 
Sonja Tengblad, soprano, David Russell, cello, Jenny Tang, piano, Eliko Akahori, synthesizers, Jenny Olivia Johnson, electronics

MARTIN BRODY: Apparitions (1983) and Tenebrae (2014)
Charles B. Fisk, piano

NADIA BOULANGER: Trois pièces for Cello and Piano  
David Russell, cello, Eliko Akahori, piano
 
HUBERT LAMB: Three Songs for Voice and Piano 
Sonja Tengblad, soprano, David Collins, piano

ARLENE ZALLMAN: Trio 1999 'Triquetra' 
Jennifer Hsiao, violin, David Russell, cello, Lois Shapiro, piano

REINALDO MOYA: Cantos Helicoide
Salsa Ensemble: Sonja Tengblad, Fausto Miro, Mark Hamilton, Tom Duprey, Cercie Miller, Doug Johnson, Phil Sargent, Mark Henry, Gen Yoshimura, Ricardo Monzón, David Russell, Jennifer Hsiao

This event is free and open to the public.
Wellesley College Events Listing 

For concert questions, please email concerts@wellesley.edu.
For accessibility questions, please email accessibility@wellesley.edu.