Fantasia: A blending of visual art and music in 1940 and 2009

My initial recollection of Fantasia involves Mickey Mouse panicking amid an army of brooms that are inducing an artificial flood, until the Mouse’s master casts a spell to quell the impending catastrophe. Walt Disney’s 1940 feature film actually involves quite a bit more than Mickey Mouse, who only appears on screen for about 9 minutes. The movie contains a soundtrack that includes the likes of Bach, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky and Beethoven, just to name a few. It is fitting then that our upcoming season of Art of Èlan is entitled Fantasia.

What the heck is Art of Èlan? This is our program of classical chamber music, programmed by Kate Hatmaker and Demarre McGill, the artistic directors of A of È. Each season, Kate and Demarre go around the Museum, scour the galleries, look through the permanent collection catalogue and find works of art that inspire a specific program of classical music. These concerts are perfect for either the seasoned or novice classical concert goer, as the music is always inspiring and each concert is held to just one hour long. And then there’s the setting- SDMA’s Hibben Gallery. With only 125 seats and some top-notch works of European painting on the walls, the Hibben Gallery is an intimate and beautiful space to watch a concert in. The musicians perform right in the middle of the room, so there is never a bad seat. Our first concert of the year will be next Tuesday, September 29th at 7p.m. and I encourage all of you to come to the Museum and witness how classical music can move you.

For more info call 619.696.1978 or email ajarman@sdmart.org

- Alexander Jarman, SDMA Public Programs Manager