It’s the biggest event of the SMTD year—the annual Collage Concert! For the past 43 years, SMTD students from across all disciplines have joined together to perform for sold-out crowds in Hill Auditorium in this showcase of the best that the School of Music, Theatre & Dance has to offer.
This year, Collage is taking on a new, virtual form—the virtuosic performances, however, remain the same.
“Watching this Collage Concert come together has been a source of deep inspiration and testimony to the enduring and persevering spirit of our students and their artistry,” said Prof. Mark Stover, co-conductor of this year’s concert. “In a year where so much has been lost, what we have found is how our artistry is a true source of hope and catalyst for us to respond to the moment in which we find ourselves. Collage is a unifying experience for all of us who contribute to the rich community of SMTD, and in a year when we have been forced to engage at a distance, this production serves as a means to draw us close and to be reminded of the abundance that is expressed through the immense and diverse talents of our student community of artists.”
Whether you attend Collage every year or you’ve never been able to secure a ticket, this year’s concert is for you. The virtual format has allowed students and faculty to think beyond the traditional boundaries of Collage, something that co-conductor Prof. Richard Frey found uplifting for students and faculty alike during the pandemic.
“Collage has always been a virtuosic spectacle, but the context of our collective past twelve months gives this year’s student performances an entirely new frame,” said Frey. “Through the varied works included in the concert, the audience will see ‘behind the scenes’ into what dance, theatre, and music-making have been during the pandemic. Sometimes this means using technology to connect from various locations, sometimes it’s a large ensemble spaced widely across a familiar stage, and sometimes it’s a soloist performing alone in a room. In each case the joyful acts of creating, sharing, and connecting through our respective arts shine through these wonderful student performances.”
“Collage 44: A Virtual Concert Experience” will premiere Sunday, April 18 at 8 p.m. on YouTube. The concert will feature performances by the Symphony Band, The University Symphony Orchestra, the Department of Jazz, U-M’s choral ensembles, the cast of the opera Proving Up, the Musical Theatre Class of 2024, and so much more. No ticket needed—this year’s performance is completely free.