Experience a Season of Enlightenment and Engagement at the 2024-25 Lyceum
What do the presidential election, gene editing, Jane Austen and art song have in common? They are all subjects of the 2024-25 season of VMRC’s Annual Shenandoah Valley Lyceum. Each topic will either be discussed or performed before rapt audiences seeking to expand their knowledge and possibilities. The season begins in September and runs through the following spring.
What is a Lyceum?
A lyceum is a welcoming space for public lectures, debates and discussions, serving as a hub for intellectual growth and cultural enrichment. Originating in ancient Greece, this concept has evolved over the centuries but continues to focus on education and enlightenment. Today, lyceums host a diverse array of events, including lectures, performances, and workshops, all designed to offer educational opportunities and foster a strong sense of community.
How does it benefit audiences?
At VMRC, the 8 Dimensions of Wellness are the foundation for all experiences and programs produced by the Wellness & Enrichment team. With its engaging conversations and performances, the Lyceum series engages the mind and promotes cognitive stimulation. Of the eight dimensions, the social, emotional and intellectual areas of life are greatly enhanced.
Engaging with complex topics, whether in science, history, literature or art, requires active mental participation, encouraging audiences to think critically and process new information.
Learning Never Stops
Lifelong learning opportunities abound, particularly where there are institutions of higher education. At VMRC, intellectual programming and meaningful partnerships with local universities enable residents and greater Harrisonburg-area community members to connect with new revelations in the arts and sciences.
Learning never has to stop because new knowledge is always being created through investigation and research!
This year’s lineup includes:
Political Expert J. Miles Coleman, associate director of Sabato’s Crystal Ball: At the University of Virginia, Coleman is renowned for analyzing campaigns, scrutinizing detailed election returns, and providing accurate political forecasts. On Friday, Sept. 6, he’ll share a comprehensive overview of the upcoming 2024 presidential election and delve into down-ballot races, including Congressional elections. Coleman will also discuss key trends shaping the American electorate.
Marie Engle, mezzo-soprano and doctoral student at Northwestern University and Mary Castello, collaborative pianist at Acadia University: On Friday, Oct. 18, the duo will perform two masterworks of the art song repertoire: Robert Schumann’s Dichterliebe (poetry by Heinrich Heine) and Gabriel Faure’s La bonne chanson (poetry by Paul Verlaine). Both song cycles present voice and piano, and word and music as equal partners in the stories they tell.
Dr. James C. Peterson, Schumann Professor Emeritus of Ethics at Roanoke College and a faculty member at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: He has been a research fellow in molecular and clinical genetics on a grant from NIH and authored “Changing Human Nature: Ecology, Ethics, Genes, and God.” On Friday, Nov. 1, Peterson will give a first-hand account of how geneticists across the world have been meeting to discern the best use of gene editing for healing and enhancing humans.
Dr. Christina Richieri Griffin, Assistant Professor at the University of Virginia Department of English: More than two hundred after their publication, Jane Austen’s famous novels have seeped into the zeitgeist and never left. On Friday, March 21, 2025, Richieri will discuss Jane Austen’s life and works — what we know, what we don’t — and how Austen became the cultural touchstone she is today.
All events take place at 7 p.m. in the Detwiler Auditorium at VMRC. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Season tickets are available for $25 (for all four events) and a lifetime pass can be purchased for $100. For more information, call 540.574.3850.
