December 2015

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Dec. 18, 2015 — Santa Clara University, in collaboration with Montalvo Arts Center, presents XLIII: A Contemporary Requiem to honor victims of violence worldwide.

The world premiere of XLIII: A Contemporary Requiem will be held on January 15, 2016, at 7:30 p.m. at the historic Mission Santa Clara de Asís at Santa Clara University. XLIII is the culmination of three other events that will take place in early January 2016 reflecting on global violence, social justice, and civic responsibility.

The thematic focus of XLIII responds to Santa Clara University’s commitment to social justice and civic responsibility. The performance is supported by the newly established Center for the Arts and Humanities in the College of Arts and Sciences, and its inaugural Salon theme, (in)humanity, which examines how the humanities and arts may work as agents of change in a world besieged by violence and misunderstanding.

“More than any other creative production, XLIII has become a passion,” said Stephen Lee, the associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Santa Clara University. “The plight of the missing students and their families has inspired an extraordinary opportunity for our students and our community to come together in the name of justice.”

XLIII refers to 43 male students from Ayotzinapa, Guerrero, Mexico who were kidnapped in 2014 after traveling to the city of Iguala to stage a protest against perceived government corruption. The students are believed to have been murdered by members of a drug cartel. The number 43 has subsequently become a symbol of protest against violence and corruption in Mexico and throughout the world. While the performance takes inspiration from this tragic event, it is intended not only to honor the memory of those 43 students, but victims of violence worldwide.

XLIII is an inventive exploration of the requiem format, mixing traditional elements of organ and voice with electronics and creative movement. The co-commissioned piece features the original musical composition of Andrés Solis and choreography by Sandra Gómez, two Mexico City-based artists who are Lucas Artists Fellows at Montalvo. Dr. Scot Hanna-Weir, director of choral activities at Santa Clara University, will be conducting the SCU Chamber Singers along with Dr. James Welch, organist. Several dancers, including SCU alumna Lauren Baines, will also be a part of the production.

"For Montalvo Arts Center, this program is part of a broader effort to expand our creative collaborations with like-minded organizations in the Bay Area, and deepen local community engagement by Artist Fellows at our Lucas Artists Residency Program," said Montalvo Executive Director Angela McConnell. "Its timely and moving subject matter reaffirms our belief that the arts should be at the center of innovative thinking about pressing local and global concerns."

More information can be found at 43requiem.com.

Additional Events honoring the missing 43 at Santa Clara University

January 2, 2016, 11 a.m., Ignatian Lawn Art installation of silhouettes symbolizing each of the missing 43 students. An additional mirrored silhouette will be added to compel viewers to “see themselves in the 43.” The father of one of the missing students who vanished will also be in attendance. The silhouette installation will be on campus for public viewing through January 15.

January 7, 2016,  5 p.m., Mission Santa Clara Prayer Vigil to Remember the Missing planned by Campus Ministry and the student club, Creating Progress at Home.

January 12, 2016, 5 p.m., California Mission Room, Benson Center Faculty and Student Panel to discuss the political and social events surrounding the atrocity. The panel features Alberto Ribas-Casasayas, assistant professor of Spanish and Latin American studies at Santa Clara University; invited panelist Adrian Felix, assistant professor of Latina/o and Latin American Studies, UC Santa Cruz; Jennifer Gonzalez, undergraduate student, MEChA El Frente co-chair; Isaac Nieblas, undergraduate student, MEChA and Creating Progress at Home; Moderator: Anna Sampaio, Santa Clara University associate professor and director of the Ethnic Studies Program.

About Santa Clara University

Santa Clara University, a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located 40 miles south of San Francisco in California’s Silicon Valley, offers its more than 9,000 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, and engineering; master’s degrees in business, education, counseling psychology, pastoral ministry, and theology; and law degrees and engineering Ph.D.s. Distinguished nationally by one of the highest graduation rates among all U.S. master’s universities, California’s oldest operating higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice. For more information, see www.scu.edu.

About Montalvo Arts Center

A member-supported nonprofit institution, our mission is to create and present art of all types, nurture artists, and use our historic Villa, buildings, and grounds in innovative ways that engage people in the creative process. Located in Silicon Valley's Saratoga Hills, Montalvo occupies a Mediterranean-style Villa, built in 1912 by Senator James Duval Phelan and surrounded by 175 stunning acres, including the campus of our international Lucas Artists Residency Program. Senator Phelan bequeathed the villa and grounds to the people of California for the encouragement of art, music, literature, and architecture, a mandate Montalvo has carried forward ever since its founding. For more information, call (408) 961-5858 or visit montalvoarts.org

Media Contacts

Santa Clara University: Tina Vossugh | SCU Media Relations | tvossugh@scu.edu | 408-829-4836

Montalvo Arts Center: Leah Ammon | Associate Director, Marketing & Communications | lammon@montalvoarts.org | 408-961-5814