Different worlds, foreign favorites

A black teenager at a mostly white prep school manages to keep her two worlds separate until a police officer shoots her friend in George Tillman Jr.’s “The Hate U Give,” Feb. 6 and 8 at Cornell Cinema.

Filmmaker Dehanza Rogers, assistant professor of performing and media arts, will introduce the Feb. 6 screening at 6:45 p.m. in Willard Straight Theatre.

Also at Cornell Cinema: The ISU Foreign Favorites Fest, with five popular films from Japan, Argentina, Italy and France through Feb. 14. The first 25 undergraduates or graduate students at each screening get in for $2.50.

Films include a new digital restoration of Satoshi Kon’s anime “Perfect Blue,” Jan. 31-Feb. 2; plus “Wild Tales” and “Cinema Paradiso,” Feb. 3; “Persepolis,” Feb. 8-9; and “Amelie” on Valentine’s Day. The festival was organized with participation and support from the International Students Union, an umbrella organization for international and ethnic associations on campus.

Re-imagining Bach

The 2019 Grammy-nominated chamber orchestra A Far Cry will perform with pianist Simone Dinnerstein on a program of Bach’s “Goldberg” Variations, Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. in Bailey Hall as part of the Cornell Concert Series. Tickets are $29 to $36 general, $19 for students.

In re-imagining one of Bach’s greatest works, the musicians explore new sonic possibilities by juxtaposing the original keyboard part with its orchestral embodiment.

A Far Cry is at the forefront of a new generation in classical music. Founded in 2007 by a collective of 17 young professional musicians, the ensemble has developed an innovative structure of rotating leadership on stage and behind the scenes. Dinnerstein’s solo career has seen her perform with the Vienna Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony and many others. 

Tile painting workshop

The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art holds its first Studio Thursday of the semester, Feb. 7 at 5 p.m. with a session on tile painting. Participants are invited to view artworks on display for inspiration before creating their own works.

Register by email no later than 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 5. Registration is limited but there will be a waiting list. The workshop is free for Johnson Museum members and Cornell students with ID, $5 for Cornell staff and faculty and $10 for the general public. All skill levels and ages are welcome, including those younger than age 16 when accompanied by an adult.

Participants can try their hands at different artistic processes in the workshop series, with sessions on printmaking March 14 and sculpting with clay April 4.

The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Thursdays until 7:30 p.m. from Feb. 7 to May 2. Admission is always free.

Songs of Exile

Soprano Lucy Fitz Gibbon and pianist Ryan MacEvoy McCullough will perform mid-20th century art songs reflecting on exile, war and community, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. in Barnes Hall Auditorium.

The program includes songs of Polish composers Roman Palester, Aleksandre Tansman and Grażyna Bacewicz, and the U.S. premiere of a work by Tadeusz Zygfryd Kassern. The performance is presented by the Department of Music and was supported by the Cornell Council for the Arts.

Also this week: “William Byrd, Father of Music” with keyboardist Matthew Hall, Feb. 2 at 3 p.m. in Barnes Hall.

Hall plays harpsichord and organ music to trace Byrd’s development as a composer and performer. Byrd was credited with single-handedly building Elizabethan musical culture; his life spanned the reigns of seven English monarchs.

The events are free and open to the public.

Winter Employee Celebration

Tickets are on sale through Feb. 8 for the Winter Employee Celebration on Feb. 16 for staff, faculty, retirees and their families.

Tickets are $5 each, available weekdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Athletic Ticket Office in Bartels Hall, by calling 607-255-4247, or online.

Each ticket includes a community dinner in the Ramin Room at Bartels Hall from 4:30-6 p.m., with chicken parmesan, baked ziti and vegan and gluten-free options available; bowling from 10 a.m.-6 p.m. in Helen Newman Hall, and admission to these athletic events: the Marc Deneault Invitational Track and Field Competition, held all day in Barton Hall; women’s ice hockey vs. Yale at 3 p.m. in Lynah Rink; and men’s basketball vs. Yale at 7 p.m. in Newman Arena.