About once a month, an otherwise unremarkable strip mall in Fairfax turns into a bustling bazaar where you can buy lamb kabobs straight off the fire, delicious samsa (meat pies), flatbread, and homemade liángpí (“cold skin” noodles). “The atmosphere is: you’re in the Uyghur community, you’re in a little homeland,” explained Ajinur Setiwaldi, a resident of Arlington.
Michael Puri, associate professor of music theory and history, co-edited the new book, Musical Meaning and Interpretation: Perspectives, Reflections, Critique (Oxford University Press). In this video, Puri sits down at the piano and discusses his chapter in the volume, illustrating his points by playing excerpts from Debussy and Ravel. Watch as he reveals how the widespread notion of “rotationality,” which conceives of musical repetition as cyclical motion, is not merely a theoretical formalism but is rooted in the idea of sacred ritual.
This week marks the official release of “& metaphors”, a groundbreaking live orchestral-rap collaboration by Dr. A.D. Carson, Associate Professor of Hip-Hop and the Global South at the University of Virginia.
The Charlottesville Symphony in Virginia has selected Carolyn Keurajian as executive director. She succeeds Janet Kaltenbach, who has led the Charlottesville Symphony for more than 16 years. Keurajian is currently president and CEO of the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra in Williamsburg, VA, which she joined in 2013.
You’re listening to WTJU Charlottesville. On Friday, July 11, The Barons will take the stage at Ting Pavilion as part of the Fridays After Five concert series. For this week’s edition of Arts This Week, we spoke to Peyton Alley, frontman of The Barons, who shared all the details about their upcoming performance and new album. My name is Peyton Alley. I’m the front man and rhythm guitarist for the band The Barons. I’d like to say we’re alternative rock, but we don’t necessarily try to fall into too many genres. We kind of try to mix it up a little bit.
University of Virginia third-year student Simone Marijic’s journey on NBC’s singing competition “The Voice” came to an end Monday night as the member of the Virginia Belles lost in the knockout round to her Team Bublé teammate and friend Barry Jean Fontenot. “Thank you, Michael. I’ve learned so much and I’m very proud of myself,” Marijic said to coach Michael Bublé following the announcement Fontenot would be moving on in the contest.
Peter Mildrew initially thought the email in his inbox offering up to $75,000 was a scam. As the then-president of the Hullabahoos, an all-male a cappella group at the University of Virginia, he was used to fielding gig requests paying far less. When a publicist working for Reser’s Fine Foods, a ready-made food company, reached out about a jingle-writing contest for college a cappella groups, Mildrew was skeptical.
You’re listening to WTJU Charlottesville. On Saturday, July 12th and 26th at 8pm, Book Club C’ville will host live music performances set up in a local DIY space. For Arts This Week, we spoke to the band coordinator, John, who gave us all the details on what to expect this month at Book Club.
June marks the start of summer 2025, as well as awards season for broadcasters. WTJU has just won six awards from the Alliance for Community Media (ACM) and the Virginia Association of Broadcasters (VAB). “We have such a good team of volunteers, students, and staff at WTJU, and we live in such a vibrant place for music, arts, and culture. With those ingredients, we sure do make some tasty radio and podcasts,” said Nathan Moore, WTJU General Manager. “It is buoying to receive award recognition for a few examples of WTJU’s altogether terrific work.”
Barbara Moore has achieved a feat no other person in the world can claim: She has performed at more than 400 weddings in the chapel at the University of Virginia. “Oh my,” she recalled. “Gee. I know I’ve played about 700 weddings, but not all of them are at the chapel. So, I’d say maybe two-thirds of them, 400-plus, 450, something like that.” She played her first wedding when she was 16 years old. Born and raised in Charlottesville, she still remembers her first ceremony in the chapel – one of hundreds she’s meticulously recorded in compact, spiral notebooks during the last 60 years.
Mary Hall and Jacob Hobbs smile at each other from behind their microphones. The WXTJ studio at the University of Virginia (UVA) is dim, lit only by a string of white Christmas lights dangling across the ceiling and the glow of a computer screen that brightens Hall’s face. A big-bellied, three-foot-tall teddy bear sits on a shelf, leaning into a corner as if listening to the show; the walls are lined with posters from station-sponsored events on the Charlottesville campus. Hall and Hobbs are seniors and four-year radio vets—and the studio is clearly their happy place—but they’re still students dealing with grad school applications (he’s a computer science major, she’s a theater major, and both plan to pursue a master’s degree) and the start of spring classes (it’s their first show of 2025).
The New Dominions a cappella group celebrated its 35th anniversary concert Saturday evening in the Chemistry Building with unique pieces sung by both alumni from varying years and current New Dominion members. The concert included two acts from current student singers and with a set in the middle of the concert wholly dedicated to alumni performances. The evening showcased the a cappella group’s camaraderie and the special place it has in the heart of the University.
