The Fine Arts Department celebrated Mozart’s 250th birthday this past week with a festival of performances and lectures to commemorate the composer’s birth.

“All around the world right now this is going on in honor of the 250th anniversary of his birth,” said Dr. Alan Mason, associate professor of Fine Arts.

The Festival began with an Art and Music Lecture Demonstration Thursday evening. The demonstration involved various Mozart compositions, performed by students and faculty, paralleled with visual art compositions from the same time period. Along with several solo piano and vocal performances, the Chamber Ensemble also participated with several choral selections.

“They were trying to clean it up, clean up the music,” said Chamber Ensemble director Dr. Giselle Rios of Mozart’s works. “At the same time you find a consistency between creating a balanced harmonic structure and needing variety.”

This search for balance was also found in the visual art of the period. Dr. Dan Ewing, professor of Fine Arts, highlighted several architecture and visual art pieces from Mozart’s age to illustrate this.

“It’s a very rational approach to design, and very similar to what you’re going to hear in the music,” Ewing said.

After the lecture demonstration, the celebration continued into Friday afternoon, when the Dean of student office co-sponsored “Songs and Piano Music,” performed by students in the Landon lobby. Students performed solo and group Mozart songs before an informal lunchtime audience for the presentation.

Saturday evening’s, “Music from Mozart’s Operas” ended the festival, with students and guest artists presenting highlights from Mozart’s operatic works. The performance took place in Cor Jesu Chapel and was a fitting end to the week’s celebration.