The Colleges calendar provides things to see and do

Classes at the Claremont Colleges begin on September 4, and the fall semester is starting with a bang, not a whimper. The annual Pomona College Run, a tradition signifying the start of the year, was held Sunday.

Residents looking forward to resuming attendance at lectures and performances welcome the fall, and the calendar of Pomona College, which celebrates its 125th anniversary this year, is particularly chock-full.

Hector Tobar, author of The Barbarian Nurseries, will present a lecture at Bridges Auditorium  (150 E. Fourth St., Claremont) on Sunday, September 2 at 6:30 p.m. The event will be preceded by a 6 p.m. booksigning and followed by a Q&A. Mr. Tobar’s novel was named a New York Times Notable Book in 2011 and won the California Book Award Gold Medal for Fiction. For 2 decades, Mr. Tobar, the author of The Tattooed Soldier, has worked as a city reporter and national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times.

On September 4, Pomona College presents a dance concert, “Chart of Landing,” from noon to 1 p.m. Held at Bridges Hall of Music, it will be performed by dancer/choreographer Oguri and composer Paul Chavez. Oguri recently collaborated with dancer/choreographer Morleigh Steinberg on “Cold Dream Colour: A Dance Homage,” which premiered at the REDCAT theatre and will tour the country in the coming year. Mr. Chavez collaborated with Ms. Steinberg’s husband, U2 guitarist The Edge, on the same production. Sponsored by the Mellon Family Elemental Arts Initiative, the performance is free and open to the public. 

That evening, the celebration will continue as local Native American tribes gather at 7 p.m. to mark Pomona College’s birthday with a procession from Frank Dining Hall (260 E. Bonita Ave.) to Sontag Greek Theatre (300 E. Bonita Ave.) The commemoration is expected to run through 9 p.m. and will feature drumming, singing, chanting and ritual dances around a bonfire.

Tuning up

Do you like live music? There will be sounds a-plenty resonating through various Claremont College venues this semester, beginning with a celebration of the 100th birthday of the late John Cage from 7 to 8 p.m. behind the Thatcher Music Building, 340 N. College Ave. Mr. Cage was an American composer, music theorist, writer and artist who was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde.

The college’s John Cage Centenary Celebration will feature a birthday cake and a performance/installation plus 2 short works by Mr. Cage: Movement II from Dance Music for Elfried Ide for 4 percussionists with Theresa Dimond, Alfred Cramer, Eric Lindholm, Joti Rockwel; Story from Living Room Music, a vocal performance by Donna M. Di Grazia, Tom Flaherty, Genevieve Lee, and Gibb Schreffler; and Perpetual Tango, interpreted by the robot Chakisapa, with guidance from Barry Werger-Gottesmann and live input from the audience.

And Irish eyes will be smiling on Friday, September 14 during the kick-off of the Levitt on the Lawn concert series, when Celtic Spring performs from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on the Bowling Green at Scripps College (1030 Columbia Ave.) The event, sponsored by the Levitt Pavilions and Elizabeth Levitt Hirsch, is free. Guests can purchase dinner for $9 or bring a picnic. 

For more Claremont Colleges events, visit www.collegescalendar.org.