Gravity-defying acrobatics meet Shostakovich in ‘Opus’

Eleven cirque acrobats and a live string quartet celebrate the gripping, revelatory music of one of the 20th century’s greatest composers, Dmitri Shostakovich. With a bold and sophisticated approach to cirque, Australian-based Circa is joined by the Debussy String Quartet for “Opus,” a fusion of acrobatics and lyrical movement set to three Shostakovich quartets, coming to the Moss Arts Center on Friday, March 28, at 7:30 p.m.

“Opus” brings the dramatic, emotionally charged music of Shostakovich to life — bodies soar, twist, and balance with extraordinary grace, moving in perfect sync with the intensity of live strings. This is classical music reimagined—a bold, visceral experience that pushes the boundaries of contemporary circus.

One of the world's leading performance companies, Circa is at the forefront of the new wave of contemporary Australian circus, pioneering how extreme physicality can create powerful and moving performances. It continues to push the boundaries of the art form, blurring the lines between movement, dance, theatre, and circus. Under the direction of circus visionary Yaron Lifschitz, Circa features an ensemble of exceptional, multi-skilled circus artists and has been a regular fixture at leading festivals and venues.

The Debussy String Quartet has enlivened the chamber music world with its stylish and stimulating performances since 1990. Based in Lyon, France and honored as the winner of the Evian International String Quartet Competition, the quartet performs about 120 concerts a year around the world. Having recorded all of the Shostakovich quartets, the Quartet continues to regularly enrich its collection, notably in French music — Bonnal, Caplet, Debussy, Onslow, Ravel, Fauré, Witkowski, Lekeu — and through explorations and artistic encounters.

This performance of “Opus” is supported in part by gifts from Dr. Mark and Connie Froggatt and Clem and Georgia Carter. Additional funding is provided by the Timothy and Michelle Bendel Center for the Arts Excellence Fund.

Related events

The center is offering two free workshops with Circa for community members ages 12 and up. Participants will explore the art of cirque, learning skills and movements from “Opus” with Circa company members as their guides. The workshops will be held in the Cube at the Moss Arts Center on Wednesday, March 26, from 4-5:15 p.m. for ages 12-17, and 5:30-6:45 p.m. for ages 18 and up. The workshops are free and open to the public, but registration is required.

Tickets

Tickets are $25-$65 for general audience and $10 for students and youth 18 and under. Tickets can be purchased online; at the Moss Arts Center's box office, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; or by calling 540-231-5300 during box office hours.

Venue and parking information

The performance will be held in the center’s Anne and Ellen Fife Theatre, located within the Street and Davis Performance Hall at 190 Alumni Mall. Convenient parking is available in the North End Parking Garage on Turner Street and in downtown Blacksburg. Find more parking details online.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Jamie Wiggert at least 10 days prior to the event at 540-231-5300 or email wiggertj@vt.edu during regular business hours.