Harvard Invites Renowned Performing Artists To Present Workshops, Seminars Next Year

Some of the country's most renowned professional artists will come to Harvard next year under a new program currently being developed through the Office of the Arts.

The program is designed to bring performing and visual artists to Harvard "to share their knowledge and expertise with undergraduates." Myra Mayman, coordinator of the Office of the Arts, said yesterday.

Mayman said the program, called "Learning From Performers" will be run as a series of seminars, workshops, lectures and residencies featuring visiting artists in music, film, visual arts, dance and theater.

A board of faculty advisors from the Fine Arts, English, Music and Visual and Environmental Studies departments has chosen an advisory committee that included Leonard Bernstein. Dave Brubeck, Joseph Papp. Mstislav Rostropovich and Beverly Sills, to choose the visiting artists, and in many cases to appear themselves.

Mayman would not disclose the names of any of the artists who have accepted the invitation, but she said a list of the artists will be available in late August.

"The object of the program is to give students the opportunity to talk with or be coached by professional artists while they are on tour or visiting Boston," Mayman said.

Each of the artists will be invited to take a week-long residency in one of the Harvard Houses and to participate in all University activities.

"A critical part of this effort is to provide a unique opportunity for purposeful interaction between the best of the artistic and academic worlds." President Bok said in a pamphlet on the program.

Bok wrote that he hopes the program will "encourage greatly increased contact between professional artists and to provide a unique opportunity for interaction between the best of the artistic and academic worlds."

"This will not be an elitist kind of set-up." Mayman said, "but some of the lectures will be limited to special audiences."

Harvard has offered each of the invited artists an honorarium--a stipend for then services but this is in no way a "professional fee," Mayman said.

She added that in the past specialized guests had come to Harvard casually and addressed mixed audiences at which people asked uninformed questions.

The artists workshops will be informal coaching sessions conducted by the artists.

"The artists may designate the size of the participating student group and require that students have a certain level of competance in order to participate," the brochure says.

When the artists are invited for the residencies, they may participate in all University activities.