At Duke, tomorrow’s neuroscientists are studying the brain through music. And performance is bringing coding to life for computer engineers.
Thomas F. DeFrantz is more than a professor. To his students, he is a fellow artist. He works alongside them to explore the symbiotic relationship between art and engineering. DeFrantz is one of many Duke faculty members integrating the arts with other disciplines.
Emily Levinstone ’17 decided on a whim to audition for Duke’s mainstage play, The Perfect Detonator. She ended up stealing the show playing several female and male characters with a Russian accent.
“It is amazing to hear professional artists perform my work,” says Scott Lee, a Ph.D. student in composition.
For two years, the new music sextet, yMusic, worked closely with Scott and other doctoral students on developing new compositions and arrangements—from first sketches through final drafts.
Duke University has always thrived on a balance of innovation and tradition. The arts at Duke are no different. We offer robust training in theater, dance, music, and the visual arts. But art also flourishes here at the intersections, converging with medicine, mathematics, theology, and engineering. This arts-rich education opens doors to new ways of thinking and inspires spirited collaboration.
The impact of the arts at Duke reaches far beyond our university’s walls. Faculty and students are blazing new trails in their creative fields. Distinguished visiting artists are inspiring students and experimenting with new work, drawn to Duke by its collaborative atmosphere. And our world-class presenting organizations—the Nasher Museum of Art, Duke Performances, and the Center for Documentary Studies—are showcasing some of the most visionary art of our time.
With the support of alumni and friends, we can ensure that the arts remain an essential part of a Duke education.
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