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Join us April 22 to 26 for the annual celebration of the creativity of our students, faculty, alumni, and professional guest artists through concerts, plays and art exhibitions across campus. All events are free and open to the public.

Featured Performances

Brandeis-Wellesley Orchestra and University Chorus:
"Carmina Burana"
Epic? Majestic? Subversive? Carl Orff’s 1937 cantata continues to challenge and intrigue the world’s finest musicians. Saturday, April 25, 8:30 p.m. Levin Ballroom, Usdan Student Center.

Sunday, April 26
Performing Arts Festival
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

Throughout the afternoon, more than 200 actors, singers, dancers, and musicians perform in locations across the Brandeis campus, with free art-making activities for the whole family. Last year’s event drew an estimated 3,000 people! Experience the power of art as transformation at this great Brandeis tradition.

Big Nazo
Brandeis is invaded by creatures from Big Nazo, the international group of visual artists and puppet performers. Their hilarious larger-than-life characters include renegade circus family contortionists, a giant three-eyed robot percussionist, break-dancing police officers, blob-like go-go dancers, and a charismatic lab rat and his giant man-eating chia pet.

Sidewalk Sam and Art Street
There’s no experience as joyful as making art with Sidewalk Sam, aka Robert Guillemin, the beloved Boston artist dedicated to creating public art that promotes community spirit and children’s creativity. Join Sam and his crew outside the Shapiro Campus Center.

Guy Mendilow Band
Israeli composer/performer Guy Mendilow leads this spirited quintet in breaking down musical boundaries with an inventive blend of Israeli, Middle-Eastern, Sephardi  and Blues. “Mendilow is no dilettante,” writes the Boston Phoenix. “He learned the music of these countries by living and working there  … he knows what he’s talking about.” Listen to a track from the new album, "Skylark."

Tanglewood Marionettes
Master puppeteers Anne Ware, Peter Schaefer, and Jennifer Tebo have enchanted audiences throughout New England with their international folk tales. This afternoon performance of "An Arabian Adventure" also includes a behind-the-scenes demonstration of how the marionettes are made and operated.

ARTiculation
ARTiculation follows the journey of six young Boston poets as they weave their way through the vast jungles of their own imaginations. Armed with only words, this ensemble provides a mosaic of life, love, youth, religion, and art set to a thundering mix of urban poetics and dynamic live theatre.

The Leonard Bernstein Festival of the Creative Arts is sponsored by the Brandeis Office of the Arts. It is made possible by the generous support of Eric Green P ’07, Sue Nager ’55, and Jolie Schwab '78 and David Hodes.