MODfest, Vassar College’s 24th annual interdisciplinary tribute to the arts, featuring music, dance, visual arts, and—for the first time, an opera—opens on January 23 and concludes on February 7 on the Vassar campus. All events are free and open to the public. View a complete schedule of events.

The festival opens with performances of the award-winning opera Computing Venus on January 23 at 7:30 p.m. and on January 24 and 25 at 2:00 p.m. in the Martell Theater of the Vogelstein Center for Drama and Film. Composed by Timothy Takach with libretto by Caitlin Vincent, the opera tells the story of astronomer Maria Mitchell, one of Vassar’s first female faculty members, weaving together music, science, feminist theory, and 19th^-century women’s history to illuminate her pioneering legacy. Lead performers are Vassar alums Eden Bartholomew ’23, Michael Hoffman ’13, and Beatrix Postley ’24. It is co-directed by Senior Lecturer in Music Drew Minter and Professor and Chair of Drama Christopher John Grabowski. Christine Howlett, Professor of Music and Director of Choral Activities on the George Sherman Dickinson Chair, is the musical director.

Vassar Trustee Kathy Zillweger Putnam ’75 first brought Computing Venus to the attention of Music Department faculty and is a major benefactor of the production. The event is free but requires tickets. Reservations can be made at tix.com/ticket-sales/vassardrama/3300. The opera will be livestreamed for an off-campus audience at 2:00 p.m. on January 24. For access to the livestream, go to modfest2026.vassar.edu/computing-venus/

Other highlights of the festival include a talk by award-winning artist and poet Cecilia Vicuña; Rescoring Richter, a multimedia event pairing the experimental films of Hans Richter made in the 1920s; the annual Honorary Adene and Richard Wilson Concert featuring the works by Professor of Music Emeritus Richard Wilson and composer Celeste Oram; plus a premiere by first-year faculty member, Assistant Professor of Music Alan Hankers.

The festival concludes on the weekend of February 6 at 7:00 p.m. with a performance by the Vassar Repertory Dance Theater in The Frances Fergusson Dance Theater in Kenyon Hall, and a student-centered weekend featuring a student composer symposium, SoundCrawl, and a live listening part with WVKR—celebrating the next generation of visionary artists.

Professor Howlett and Associate Professor and Chair of Music Justin Patch are co-directors of this year’s event. “This year’s MODfest explores the power of creative vision to shape culture, spark change, and imagine new futures,” Howlett said. “Through music, opera, dance, film, and visual arts, the event honors artists and thinkers who break boundaries, reimagine the world around them, and inspire us to listen, move, and see differently.”

Patch said the two-week event “celebrates nearly two centuries of fearless, creative innovation. From Mariah Mitchell's scientific work and advocacy for women in the sciences, to provocative films and installations, to contemporary works by Vassar faculty and students, this year's program illuminates the spirit and transformative power of creativity.”

About Vassar College

Vassar College—based in Poughkeepsie, New York—is a coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college where perspectives cross, ideas intersect, and passion burns bright. Originally founded to provide women an education equal to that once available only to men, Vassar was the first all-women’s college in the nation to become coeducational when it opened its doors to men in 1969. Vassar fosters an intellectual openness and independence in students, who meet each other as equals, and are encouraged to absorb diverse thought and impassioned dialogue that give them the insight and confidence they will need in a complex world where they will make important contributions. Consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the country, Vassar is renowned for pioneering achievements in education, for its long history of curricular innovation, and for the beauty of its campus.

Vassar College strives to make its events, performances, and facilities accessible to all. Individuals with disabilities requiring special accommodations must contact the Office of Campus Activities at least 48 hours in advance of an event, Mondays–Fridays, at (845) 437-5370. Without sufficient notice, appropriate space and/or assistance may not be available. Detailed information about accessibility to specific campus facilities can be found on the Accessibility and Educational Opportunity website.

The Vassar campus is located at 124 Raymond Avenue in Poughkeepsie, NY.