Everything Nac

Opportunities to attend fine arts events are plentiful on the Stephen F. Austin State University campus. From concerts and recitals to plays and art exhibitions, there is truly something for every taste and interest in art, music and theatre.

Among the more popular offerings are the free one-night film screenings on the first Friday night (there are occasional exceptions because of holidays) of each month presented by the SFA School of Art and Friends of the Visual Arts at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House.

Kicking off the spring semester’s list of films is Errol Morris’ “The Fog of War” at 7 p.m. Friday. Jan. 15. Described as the story of America as seen through the eyes of former Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, one of the most controversial and influential figures in world politics, “The Fog of War” shows an insider’s view of the seminal events of the 20th Century, according to information at errolmorris.com.

Showing Feb. 5, “What Happened, Miss Simone?” is the 2015 biographical documentary about Nina Simone, a classically trained pianist, dive-bar chanteuse and black power icon dubbed the “High Priestess of Soul,” according to information at ninasimone.com.

The life and work of Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado is showcased in “The Salt of the Earth” on March 4. For the past 40 years, Salgado has traveled through the continents witnessing major events of history – international conflicts, starvation and exodus. This film by his son, Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, and Wim Wenders, chronicles his quest to discover pristine territories, wild fauna and flora and grandiose landscapes as part of a huge photographic project as a tribute to the planet’s beauty, according to information at imdb.com.

Filmed over seven years, “The Shadow of the House” is an intimate portrait of photographer Abelardo Morell, revealing the mystery and method of his artistic process. Morell will serve as the juror for the 2016 Texas National Competition and Exhibition of the School of Art. This film by Allie Humenuk, to be screened April 1, skips across time and space from Morell’s early childhood escape from Castro’s regime to his status as a world-renowned photographer. The film explores his daily working life as an artist and his eventual return to Cuba after 40 years of living in exile, according to imdb.com.

The May 6 film is “Ida,” a Polish drama directed by Pawel Pawlikowski that won the 2015 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Anna, a young novitiate nun in 1960s Poland, is on the verge of taking her vows when she discovers a dark family secret dating back to the years of the Nazi occupation, according to imdb.com.

These screenings are sponsored in part by the Nacogdoches Film Festival, William Arscott, The Liberty Bell, Nacogdoches Junior Forum, Karon Gillespie, Mike Mollot, Main Street Nacogdoches, David Kulhavy, John and Kristen Heath, Brad Maule, Galleria Z, Jill Carrington, Jean Stephens and Jim and Mary Neal.

The Cole Art Center is located at 329 E. Main St. For more information, call (936) 468-1131.

The application process for the prestigious 2016 George and Peggy Schmidbauer Young Artist Competition at Stephen F. Austin State University has begun.

Celebrating its ninth year, the Schmidbauer Competition holds the highest standards in artistry and performance. It is designed to attract young high school musicians ages 15 to 18 who are beginning to plan their future careers and are looking at schools that may be best suited toward helping them reach their goals. It is SFA’s goal to be that institution, according to Dr. Gene Moon, director of orchestral studies at SFA and of the competition.

This year’s strings and piano competition is slated for Jan. 30 in Cole Concert Hall on the SFA campus and is open to any high school violinists, violists, cellists, double bassists and pianists. Applications are accepted worldwide. Past competitions have brought young musicians from South Korea, Russia, Finland and locations across the United States to Nacogdoches to compete.

A valuable recruiting tool for SFA, the Schmidbauer Competition offers a unique performance opportunity for young musicians, offering prizes that include cash awards, scholarship incentives from the SFA School of Music and performance opportunities with orchestras.

“Concerto performances with orchestras are very rare for a musician at any stage of their professional career, let alone a budding high school student,” Moon said. “Our hope is that eager young students will be attracted to such lucrative opportunities.”

Cash awards are $2,000 for first, $1,000 for second and $500 for third. The remaining prize money will be awarded in the form of scholarships contingent upon successful admission to SFA’s School of Music. First prize also includes an appearance as a guest soloist with SFA’s distinguished Orchestra of the Pines.

Several years ago, George and Peggy Schmidbauer, California residents who founded Cal-Tex Lumber Company in Nacogdoches 30 years ago, wanted to give a donation to SFA to foster and promote classical music. As a result, Moon was asked to formulate a competition.

“The School of Music is forever indebted to Mr. and Mrs. Schmidbauer for their generosity and artistic leadership offered through our Schmidbauer Competition,” said Dr. Manny Brand, director of the School of Music. “Our music faculty is devoted to identifying and cultivating musically talented students, and the Schmidbauer Competition extends SFA’s role as one of the premier schools of music in Texas and the nation.”

The Schmidbauer Competition continues to serve as one of the highest benchmarks in the competition circuit and is a catalyst for launching successful careers. Past winners have continued their careers to perform with professional artists and orchestras all over the world. As evidence to the caliber of musician the Schmidbauer Competition attracts, the 2011 winner, Ying Fu, won a position in the first violin section with the Cleveland Orchestra while studying at Rice University. Two years ago, Ying took a new position as associate concertmaster with the Philadelphia Orchestra, an orchestra regarded as one of the top five in the world, according to Moon.

“Ying’s accomplishments are reflective of his personal hard work as well as the time he spent with master teachers throughout his career thus far,” Moon said. “Competitions such as the Schmidbauer have served as a catalyst to help further his career. Past winners of the Schmidbauer Competition have made similar strides and thus show a proven track record that those involved with it move on to greater career changes.

“The Schmidbauer Competition attracts hard-working, charismatic musicians who remain on the forefront of the classical music industry, and it serves as a stimulus for continued growth in the field,” he said.

Deadline for application is Jan. 4. For more information or to apply to the competition, contact Moon at (936) 468-3885 or moongh@sfasu.edu or visit www.schmidbauercompetition.org.