This conference-style event will also include smaller workshops on the below topics hosted by YOU, our current Highlander! Here's the details:

April 14th from 8a-3p in HUB 302.

Session presenters will need to be at their location 30 minutes before session begins (10:30a for session one and 12:45p for session two). Those who are selected will receive a confirmation email with all details related to their session.

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Jonathan Keplinger: “Plumbing the Depths: Funeral Doom and its Place in Extreme Metal”

Metal enthusiast and writer Jonathan Keplinger delves into the depths of extreme metal on a mission to investigate one of its darkest abysses: funeral doom. Join us as we journey to its birthplace--early-'90s Finland--and follow the spread of its eldritch tendrils through the decades. Audio examples will be plentiful!

BIO

Jonathan Keplinger is staff pianist for the music department at UC Riverside and a devotee of all things extreme metal. While his career as a professional musician is in collaborative piano--particularly classical music, opera, choral music, and musical theater--his extracurricular activities include listening to and analyzing copious amounts of death metal, as well as writing numerous metal-related articles and reviews of metal albums.

Part of the 2025-2026 Florence Bayz Music Series

The Florence Bayz Music Series offers online concerts, lectures, and presentations of academic research by Department of Music faculty, postdoctoral researchers, students, and international guest artists and scholars.

Dr. Amy Skjerseth (she/her), Assistant Professor of Popular Music, Coordinator

Events are free and open to the public.

PARKING

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on this linkStep 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.Step 4: Press ‘Park’
For any other questions about event parking, please email parking@ucr.edu between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, and allow up to one business day to receive a response.

Additional visitor parking info for events can be found at: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

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Conference on Listening for Central America

Apr. 17 @ 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

INTS 1113 Symposium Room

Conference Organizers

Dr. Bernard Gordillo Brockmann, Visiting Scholar, UCR Music Department

Prof. Walter Aaron Clark, Director, Center for Iberian and Latin American Music

A gathering of internationally recognized scholars and performers of music from Central America and its diaspora. This will include presenters from Central America, the US, Canada, and Mexico, on a range of topics exploring Central American culture and history, as well as the region’s connections to Mexico and the US.

Events are free and open to the public.

SPEAKERS:

Sean Bellaviti, Toronto Metropolitan University, CanadaIreri Chávez-Bárcenas, Bowdoin CollegeLuis Díaz-Santana Garza, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, MexicoAmy Frishkey, University of Texas, San AntonioSonia Medrano Ruiz, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, MexicoFernando Rios, University of Maryland, College ParkT.M. Scruggs, Independent ScholarMaría Clara Vargas Cullell, Universidad de Costa Rica

SPONSORED BY: The CHASS Dean’s Office, the Center for Ideas and Society, and the Center for Iberian and Latin American Music

Later on this date, please also join us for:

In Conversation with Carlos Mejía Godoy

7:00 p.m., UCR ARTS, downtown Riverside

Globally renowned Nicaraguan revolutionary singer-songwriter Carlos Mejía Godoy will talk (and sing) about his life, music, and Nicaraguan history.

PARKING

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on this linkStep 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.Step 4: Press ‘Park’
For any other questions about event parking, please email parking@ucr.edu between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, and allow up to one business day to receive a response.

Additional visitor parking info for events can be found at: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

View on site | Email this event

In Conversation with Carlos Mejía Godoy

7:00 p.m., UCR ARTS, downtown Riverside

The globally renowned Nicaraguan revolutionary singer-songwriter Carlos Mejía Godoy will talk (and sing) about his life, music, and Nicaraguan history.

ADMISSION

Free and open to the public.

PARKING

See these various city lots surrounding UCR ARTS.

Information:

music.ucr.edu

Earlier on this date, please also join us for:

Conference on Listening for Central America

Apr. 17 @ 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

INTS 1113 Symposium Room

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Maracas & Magic, celebrating the rich sounds and rhythms of Spanish and Latin American music, including favorites like Huapango, Andalucia, Malagueña, a tango, and beloved selections from Carmen and Coco. Performed by the UCR Orchestra and Chamber Singers, emcee'd by actor Taiquira Williams and conducted by Ruth Charloff, this lively event will include sing-alongs, a raffle, and a big bienvenido/welcome for all ages. An unforgettable afternoon of music, fun, and family, sponsored by the Esther Hays Family Concert series at the UCR Department of Music and UCR's Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts.

Apr. 19 @ 3 p.m. University Theatre

Ruth Charloff, Director

FREE and open to the public

PARKING

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on this linkStep 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.Step 4: Press ‘Park’
For any other questions about event parking, please email parking@ucr.edu between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, and allow up to one business day to receive a response.

Additional visitor parking info for events can be found at: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

View on site | Email this event

FREE and open to the public.

Parking:

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on this link for winter quarter events (or this link for spring quarter events)

Step 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”

Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.

Step 4: Press ‘Park’

For more information about visitor parking, visit: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

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Hosted by the Office of Sustainability and the Green Campus Action Plan, this free event is open to students, staff, faculty, and the broader community. In 2026, the festival will feature delicious food, art, plants, thrifting opportunities, and a wide range of resources and information on sustainability and climate action.

Save the date and we look forward to seeing you at the 2026 Earth Day Festival!

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Amy Coddington: How Hip Hop Became Hit Pop

Over the past half century, hip hop has utterly transformed U.S. culture: look around, and it’s hard to see or hear something that hasn’t been influenced by the young people of color who fashioned, developed, and championed hip hop culture. Hip hop isn’t so much part of today’s mainstream as it is the mainstream.

How exactly did this happen? How did this minority subcultural movement find its way out of the community center and block parties of the South Bronx and into the ears, eyes, and hearts of people across the United States? This lecture analyzes the critical role commercial radio stations had in this transformation, examining how the racial organization of the radio industry influenced the way hip hop music was sold to the American public.

BIO

Amy Coddington is an associate professor of music at Amherst College, where she teaches classes on American popular music. Her book How Hip Hop Became Hit Pop: Radio, Rap, and Race (University of California Press, 2023) explores how rap broke through to a white mainstream audience in the 1980s and 1990s through programming on commercial radio stations. She has published related essays in the Journal of the Society for American Music and The Oxford Handbook of Hip Hop Music.

Part of the 2025-2026 Florence Bayz Music Series

The Florence Bayz Music Series offers online concerts, lectures, and presentations of academic research by Department of Music faculty, postdoctoral researchers, students, and international guest artists and scholars.

Dr. Amy Skjerseth (she/her), Assistant Professor of Popular Music, Coordinator

Events are free and open to the public.

PARKING

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on this linkStep 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.Step 4: Press ‘Park’
For any other questions about event parking, please email parking@ucr.edu between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, and allow up to one business day to receive a response.

Additional visitor parking info for events can be found at: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

View on site | Email this event

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All is welcome! We hope to see you there.

View on site | Email this event

FREE and open to the public.

Parking:

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on this link for winter quarter events (or this link for spring quarter events)

Step 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”

Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.

Step 4: Press ‘Park’

For more information about visitor parking, visit: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

View on site | Email this event

Nick May and Alex Li: You, Me Us: A Celebration of Queer Music for Saxophone and Piano

Join Kansas City based duo, Nick May (saxophone) and Alex Siu Lun Li (piano) for a performance of queer composed works reflecting on queer culture, history, and narratives, as part of the I Exist Project. Learn more at https://www.nickmaysax.com/i-exist-project.

BIOS:

NICK MAY

Saxophonist NICK MAY is recognized as “a highly expressive, virtuosic, and fresh performer” (David Del Tredici, Pulitzer Prize and Grammy winner) whose artistry “knows no boundaries, neither technically nor emotionally” (AM:plified Magazine). As the founder of the I Exist Project, May leads an innovative artistic initiative that celebrates queer life, culture, and creativity through performance, collaboration, and the commissioning of new repertoire. His advocacy-driven collaborations extend to leading queer cultural institutions — including NoDivide KC, LA Pride, and upcoming work with the Harvey Milk Foundation — reflecting a commitment to community impact, representation, and creative partnership at a national level.

Nick May is an endorsing artist for Key Leaves and Légère Reeds and performs on Yanagisawa saxophones. www.nickmaysax.com

ALEX SIU LUN LI

Born and raised in Hong Kong, pianist Alex Siu Lun Li is based in Kansas City, where he combines different music and presentation media to connect composers with audiences. Alex holds two Master's degrees from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), one in solo piano and one in collaborative piano. He is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) in Piano Performance at UMKC.

As a collaborative pianist, Alex frequently coaches and performs with singers and instrumentalists both in and out of conservatories settings. Recent projects include the I Exist Project with saxophonist Nick May, bringing music by LGBTQ+ composers to more than 20 universities and conservatories around the United States, including the Manhattan School of Music and Peabody Institute.

Part of the 2025-2026 Florence Bayz Music Series

The Florence Bayz Music Series offers online concerts, lectures, and presentations of academic research by Department of Music faculty, postdoctoral researchers, students, and international guest artists and scholars.

Dr. Amy Skjerseth (she/her), Assistant Professor of Popular Music, Coordinator

Events are free and open to the public.

PARKING

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on this linkStep 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.Step 4: Press ‘Park’
For any other questions about event parking, please email parking@ucr.edu between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, and allow up to one business day to receive a response.

Additional visitor parking info for events can be found at: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

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Every month during the school year, from October to July, the Recognition Committee will review submissions and select a winner. The winner will be honored at an upcoming Get Recognized Celebration, where they can invite colleagues, receive a gift, and be featured on the Staff Assembly website and social media.

Fall Quarter recognition includes those nominated through October, November, and DecemberWinter Quarter recognition includes those nominated through January, February, and MarchSpring Quarter recognition includes those nominated through April, May, and JuneNominate a colleague

For details, visit https://staffassembly.ucr.edu/get-recognized

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World Music Festival

May 1 @ 7 p.m. University Theatre

Jonathan Ritter, Event Coordinator

FREE and open to the public

PARKING

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on this link

Step 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”

Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.

Step 4: Press ‘Park’

For any other questions about event parking, please email parking@ucr.edu between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, and allow up to one business day to receive a response.

Additional visitor parking info for events can be found at: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

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This is not an official UCR alumni event but marketing is supported by the UCR Office of Alumni Engagement and new Fraternity & Sorority Alumni Council. See link for details.

View on site | Email this event

FREE and open to the public.

Parking:

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on this link for winter quarter events (or this link for spring quarter events)

Step 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”

Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.

Step 4: Press ‘Park’

For more information about visitor parking, visit: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

View on site | Email this event

presents:

49th UCR Writers Week Festival 2026

Writers Week is the longest-running, free literary event in California and features the most renowned authors of our day alongside those at the start of promising careers. writersweek.ucr.edu

Josh Emmons, Professor
Allison White, Professor
Co-Directors, Writers Week

Download the 48th Writers Week Poster (coming soon)

_____________________________

Tuesday - Friday, May 5 - 8, 2026

Free and open to the public

In-person (location TBD)

_____________________________

PARKING

General Parking (Lot 1 Blue)link coming soon VIP Parking (Lot 1 Red)link coming soon_____________________________

49th UCR Writers Week Featured Writers

Caro DeRobetino, Anel Flores, A.M. Sosa, Emily Weinstein, Jose Valdi, Emily Doyle, Johnathan Lethem, Ilya Kaminsky, D.A. Powell, Viet Nguyen, and more.

_____________________________

SCHEDULE
subject to change

Tuesday, May 5:

11 a.m. Caro De Robertis (Fiction writer)1 p.m. Anel Flores (Fiction writer)3 p.m. A.M. Sosa (Fiction writer)4:30-5:30 Panel Discussion on Queer Latinx Literature

_____________________________

Wednesday, May 6

11 a.m. Emily Weinstein (Nonfiction writer)

1 p.m. Jose Vadi (Essayist and Poet)

3 p.m. Prageeta Sharma (Poet)

_____________________________

Thursday, May 7

11 a.m. Mosaic Reading (UCR literary journal-affiliated undergraduates)

1 p.m. Emily Doyle (Fiction writer and UCR MFA alum)

3 p.m. Jonathan Lethem (Fiction writer)

_____________________________

Friday, May 8

11. a.m. Ilya Kaminsky (Poet)

1 p.m. D.A. Powell (Poet)

3 p.m. Viet Thanh Nguyen (Fiction writer)

5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. MFA Students Reading

_____________________________

SPECIAL THANKS

The 49th Writers Week 2026 is hosted by the UCR Department of Creative Writing.

_____________________________

SPONSORS

CHASS Dean’s Office, the Center for Ideas & Society, Inland Empire magazine, the National Book Award Society

_____________________________

BOOK PURCHASES
Cellar Door Books is our recommended local independent store. Be sure to stop by their page.

Information: writersweek@ucr.edu

• FB UCR Writers Week
• FB UCR Writers Resist

View on site | Email this event

presents:

49th UCR Writers Week Festival 2026

Writers Week is the longest-running, free literary event in California and features the most renowned authors of our day alongside those at the start of promising careers. writersweek.ucr.edu

Josh Emmons, Professor
Allison White, Professor
Co-Directors, Writers Week

Download the 48th Writers Week Poster (coming soon)

_____________________________

Tuesday - Friday, May 5 - 8, 2026

Free and open to the public

In-person (location TBD)

_____________________________

PARKING

General Parking (Lot 1 Blue)link coming soon VIP Parking (Lot 1 Red)link coming soon_____________________________

49th UCR Writers Week Featured Writers

Caro DeRobetino, Anel Flores, A.M. Sosa, Emily Weinstein, Jose Valdi, Emily Doyle, Johnathan Lethem, Ilya Kaminsky, D.A. Powell, Viet Nguyen, and more.

_____________________________

SCHEDULE
subject to change

Tuesday, May 5:

11 a.m. Caro De Robertis (Fiction writer)1 p.m. Anel Flores (Fiction writer)3 p.m. A.M. Sosa (Fiction writer)4:30-5:30 Panel Discussion on Queer Latinx Literature

_____________________________

Wednesday, May 6

11 a.m. Emily Weinstein (Nonfiction writer)

1 p.m. Jose Vadi (Essayist and Poet)

3 p.m. Prageeta Sharma (Poet)

_____________________________

Thursday, May 7

11 a.m. Mosaic Reading (UCR literary journal-affiliated undergraduates)

1 p.m. Emily Doyle (Fiction writer and UCR MFA alum)

3 p.m. Jonathan Lethem (Fiction writer)

_____________________________

Friday, May 8

11. a.m. Ilya Kaminsky (Poet)

1 p.m. D.A. Powell (Poet)

3 p.m. Viet Thanh Nguyen (Fiction writer)

5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. MFA Students Reading

_____________________________

SPECIAL THANKS

The 49th Writers Week 2026 is hosted by the UCR Department of Creative Writing.

_____________________________

SPONSORS

CHASS Dean’s Office, the Center for Ideas & Society, Inland Empire magazine, the National Book Award Society

_____________________________

BOOK PURCHASES
Cellar Door Books is our recommended local independent store. Be sure to stop by their page.

Information: writersweek@ucr.edu

• FB UCR Writers Week
• FB UCR Writers Resist

View on site | Email this event

presents:

49th UCR Writers Week Festival 2026

Writers Week is the longest-running, free literary event in California and features the most renowned authors of our day alongside those at the start of promising careers. writersweek.ucr.edu

Josh Emmons, Professor
Allison White, Professor
Co-Directors, Writers Week

Download the 48th Writers Week Poster (coming soon)

_____________________________

Tuesday - Friday, May 5 - 8, 2026

Free and open to the public

In-person (location TBD)

_____________________________

PARKING

General Parking (Lot 1 Blue)link coming soon VIP Parking (Lot 1 Red)link coming soon_____________________________

49th UCR Writers Week Featured Writers

Caro DeRobetino, Anel Flores, A.M. Sosa, Emily Weinstein, Jose Valdi, Emily Doyle, Johnathan Lethem, Ilya Kaminsky, D.A. Powell, Viet Nguyen, and more.

_____________________________

SCHEDULE
subject to change

Tuesday, May 5:

11 a.m. Caro De Robertis (Fiction writer)1 p.m. Anel Flores (Fiction writer)3 p.m. A.M. Sosa (Fiction writer)4:30-5:30 Panel Discussion on Queer Latinx Literature

_____________________________

Wednesday, May 6

11 a.m. Emily Weinstein (Nonfiction writer)

1 p.m. Jose Vadi (Essayist and Poet)

3 p.m. Prageeta Sharma (Poet)

_____________________________

Thursday, May 7

11 a.m. Mosaic Reading (UCR literary journal-affiliated undergraduates)

1 p.m. Emily Doyle (Fiction writer and UCR MFA alum)

3 p.m. Jonathan Lethem (Fiction writer)

_____________________________

Friday, May 8

11. a.m. Ilya Kaminsky (Poet)

1 p.m. D.A. Powell (Poet)

3 p.m. Viet Thanh Nguyen (Fiction writer)

5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. MFA Students Reading

_____________________________

SPECIAL THANKS

The 49th Writers Week 2026 is hosted by the UCR Department of Creative Writing.

_____________________________

SPONSORS

CHASS Dean’s Office, the Center for Ideas & Society, Inland Empire magazine, the National Book Award Society

_____________________________

BOOK PURCHASES
Cellar Door Books is our recommended local independent store. Be sure to stop by their page.

Information: writersweek@ucr.edu

• FB UCR Writers Week
• FB UCR Writers Resist

View on site | Email this event

presents:

49th UCR Writers Week Festival 2026

Writers Week is the longest-running, free literary event in California and features the most renowned authors of our day alongside those at the start of promising careers. writersweek.ucr.edu

Josh Emmons, Professor
Allison White, Professor
Co-Directors, Writers Week

Download the 48th Writers Week Poster (coming soon)

_____________________________

Tuesday - Friday, May 5 - 8, 2026

Free and open to the public

In-person (location TBD)

_____________________________

PARKING

General Parking (Lot 1 Blue)link coming soon VIP Parking (Lot 1 Red)link coming soon_____________________________

49th UCR Writers Week Featured Writers

Caro DeRobetino, Anel Flores, A.M. Sosa, Emily Weinstein, Jose Valdi, Emily Doyle, Johnathan Lethem, Ilya Kaminsky, D.A. Powell, Viet Nguyen, and more.

_____________________________

SCHEDULE
subject to change

Tuesday, May 5:

11 a.m. Caro De Robertis (Fiction writer)1 p.m. Anel Flores (Fiction writer)3 p.m. A.M. Sosa (Fiction writer)4:30-5:30 Panel Discussion on Queer Latinx Literature

_____________________________

Wednesday, May 6

11 a.m. Emily Weinstein (Nonfiction writer)

1 p.m. Jose Vadi (Essayist and Poet)

3 p.m. Prageeta Sharma (Poet)

_____________________________

Thursday, May 7

11 a.m. Mosaic Reading (UCR literary journal-affiliated undergraduates)

1 p.m. Emily Doyle (Fiction writer and UCR MFA alum)

3 p.m. Jonathan Lethem (Fiction writer)

_____________________________

Friday, May 8

11. a.m. Ilya Kaminsky (Poet)

1 p.m. D.A. Powell (Poet)

3 p.m. Viet Thanh Nguyen (Fiction writer)

5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. MFA Students Reading

_____________________________

SPECIAL THANKS

The 49th Writers Week 2026 is hosted by the UCR Department of Creative Writing.

_____________________________

SPONSORS

CHASS Dean’s Office, the Center for Ideas & Society, Inland Empire magazine, the National Book Award Society

_____________________________

BOOK PURCHASES
Cellar Door Books is our recommended local independent store. Be sure to stop by their page.

Information: writersweek@ucr.edu

• FB UCR Writers Week
• FB UCR Writers Resist

View on site | Email this event

Senior Recitals

Betsaida Gonsalez Rincon (voice) and Malcolm Mullins (voice)

Jonathan Keplinger, Event Coordinator

Tuesday, May 5, 2026 at 8 pm

Performance Lab ARTS 166

ADMISSION

Free and open to the public.

Though admission is free, a ticket is required. One ticket per person will be distributed at the venue one hour before the concert. Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.

LOCATION

Performance Lab (ARTS 166)

There is no reserved seating, so please arrive early for the best selection of seats.

The performance will start promptly at the announced curtain time and latecomers will only be seated at an appropriate pause in the program.

If you’ve never been to campus, here are directions to UCR.

PARKING

Free parking for event attendees will be available in Lot 1 Blue. To reserve your complimentary parking permit, please follow these steps;

Step 1: Click on this linkStep 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.Step 4: Press ‘Park’For more information about event parking at UCR, please visit: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

View on site | Email this event

presents:

49th UCR Writers Week Festival 2026

Writers Week is the longest-running, free literary event in California and features the most renowned authors of our day alongside those at the start of promising careers. writersweek.ucr.edu

Josh Emmons, Professor
Allison White, Professor
Co-Directors, Writers Week

Download the 48th Writers Week Poster (coming soon)

_____________________________

Tuesday - Friday, May 5 - 8, 2026

Free and open to the public

In-person (location TBD)

_____________________________

PARKING

General Parking (Lot 1 Blue)link coming soon VIP Parking (Lot 1 Red)link coming soon_____________________________

49th UCR Writers Week Featured Writers

Caro DeRobetino, Anel Flores, A.M. Sosa, Emily Weinstein, Jose Valdi, Emily Doyle, Johnathan Lethem, Ilya Kaminsky, D.A. Powell, Viet Nguyen, and more.

_____________________________

SCHEDULE
subject to change

Tuesday, May 5:

11 a.m. Caro De Robertis (Fiction writer)1 p.m. Anel Flores (Fiction writer)3 p.m. A.M. Sosa (Fiction writer)4:30-5:30 Panel Discussion on Queer Latinx Literature

_____________________________

Wednesday, May 6

11 a.m. Emily Weinstein (Nonfiction writer)

1 p.m. Jose Vadi (Essayist and Poet)

3 p.m. Prageeta Sharma (Poet)

_____________________________

Thursday, May 7

11 a.m. Mosaic Reading (UCR literary journal-affiliated undergraduates)

1 p.m. Emily Doyle (Fiction writer and UCR MFA alum)

3 p.m. Jonathan Lethem (Fiction writer)

_____________________________

Friday, May 8

11. a.m. Ilya Kaminsky (Poet)

1 p.m. D.A. Powell (Poet)

3 p.m. Viet Thanh Nguyen (Fiction writer)

5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. MFA Students Reading

_____________________________

SPECIAL THANKS

The 49th Writers Week 2026 is hosted by the UCR Department of Creative Writing.

_____________________________

SPONSORS

CHASS Dean’s Office, the Center for Ideas & Society, Inland Empire magazine, the National Book Award Society

_____________________________

BOOK PURCHASES
Cellar Door Books is our recommended local independent store. Be sure to stop by their page.

Information: writersweek@ucr.edu

• FB UCR Writers Week
• FB UCR Writers Resist

View on site | Email this event

Esther Viola Kurtz: A Beautiful Fight: Researching Capoeira, Playing with Money

In this talk I provide an overview of my book, A Beautiful Fight: The Racial Politics of Capoeira in Backland Bahia. I trace its arguments that capoeira group members cohere community by using sound and movement to produce axé (life force energy) but that despite this resonant alignment, group members still diverge in their understandings of capoeira’s antiracist politics and spirituality. I then focus on capoeira’s “money game” as it is played by Mestre Cláudio and his group, the Angoleiros do Sertão. I argue that their way of playing with money provides insight into capoeira group economics, revealing how capoeira mestres work both against and within enduring racialized political-economic systems in ways that are deeply relational in nature. This case study also models how I merge methods of critical ethnography, Africana studies, and the holistic study of music and movement.

BIO

Esther Viola Kurtz is an Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology in the Department of Music and a Faculty Affiliate with the Department of African and African-American Studies and the Performing Arts Department at Washington University in St. Louis. Her research explores African diasporic music-dance practices as sites where practitioners contest injustice and transform their worlds. Her book, A Beautiful Fight: The Racial Politics of Capoeira in Backland Bahia (University of Michigan Press, 2025) is an ethnographic study of Black and white practitioners’ interpretations of capoeira’s spirituality and political antiracist potentials. Her new project explores how St. Louis jazz musicians resist racial capitalism and define alternative value systems.

Part of the 2025-2026 Florence Bayz Music Series

The Florence Bayz Music Series offers online concerts, lectures, and presentations of academic research by Department of Music faculty, postdoctoral researchers, students, and international guest artists and scholars.

Dr. Amy Skjerseth (she/her), Assistant Professor of Popular Music, Coordinator

Events are free and open to the public.

PARKING

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on this linkStep 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.Step 4: Press ‘Park’
For any other questions about event parking, please email parking@ucr.edu between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, and allow up to one business day to receive a response.

Additional visitor parking info for events can be found at: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

View on site | Email this event

presents:

49th UCR Writers Week Festival 2026

Writers Week is the longest-running, free literary event in California and features the most renowned authors of our day alongside those at the start of promising careers. writersweek.ucr.edu

Josh Emmons, Professor
Allison White, Professor
Co-Directors, Writers Week

Download the 48th Writers Week Poster (coming soon)

_____________________________

Tuesday - Friday, May 5 - 8, 2026

Free and open to the public

In-person (location TBD)

_____________________________

PARKING

General Parking (Lot 1 Blue)link coming soon VIP Parking (Lot 1 Red)link coming soon_____________________________

49th UCR Writers Week Featured Writers

Caro DeRobetino, Anel Flores, A.M. Sosa, Emily Weinstein, Jose Valdi, Emily Doyle, Johnathan Lethem, Ilya Kaminsky, D.A. Powell, Viet Nguyen, and more.

_____________________________

SCHEDULE
subject to change

Tuesday, May 5:

11 a.m. Caro De Robertis (Fiction writer)1 p.m. Anel Flores (Fiction writer)3 p.m. A.M. Sosa (Fiction writer)4:30-5:30 Panel Discussion on Queer Latinx Literature

_____________________________

Wednesday, May 6

11 a.m. Emily Weinstein (Nonfiction writer)

1 p.m. Jose Vadi (Essayist and Poet)

3 p.m. Prageeta Sharma (Poet)

_____________________________

Thursday, May 7

11 a.m. Mosaic Reading (UCR literary journal-affiliated undergraduates)

1 p.m. Emily Doyle (Fiction writer and UCR MFA alum)

3 p.m. Jonathan Lethem (Fiction writer)

_____________________________

Friday, May 8

11. a.m. Ilya Kaminsky (Poet)

1 p.m. D.A. Powell (Poet)

3 p.m. Viet Thanh Nguyen (Fiction writer)

5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. MFA Students Reading

_____________________________

SPECIAL THANKS

The 49th Writers Week 2026 is hosted by the UCR Department of Creative Writing.

_____________________________

SPONSORS

CHASS Dean’s Office, the Center for Ideas & Society, Inland Empire magazine, the National Book Award Society

_____________________________

BOOK PURCHASES
Cellar Door Books is our recommended local independent store. Be sure to stop by their page.

Information: writersweek@ucr.edu

• FB UCR Writers Week
• FB UCR Writers Resist

View on site | Email this event

presents:

49th UCR Writers Week Festival 2026

Writers Week is the longest-running, free literary event in California and features the most renowned authors of our day alongside those at the start of promising careers. writersweek.ucr.edu

Josh Emmons, Professor
Allison White, Professor
Co-Directors, Writers Week

Download the 48th Writers Week Poster (coming soon)

_____________________________

Tuesday - Friday, May 5 - 8, 2026

Free and open to the public

In-person (location TBD)

_____________________________

PARKING

General Parking (Lot 1 Blue)link coming soon VIP Parking (Lot 1 Red)link coming soon_____________________________

49th UCR Writers Week Featured Writers

Caro DeRobetino, Anel Flores, A.M. Sosa, Emily Weinstein, Jose Valdi, Emily Doyle, Johnathan Lethem, Ilya Kaminsky, D.A. Powell, Viet Nguyen, and more.

_____________________________

SCHEDULE
subject to change

Tuesday, May 5:

11 a.m. Caro De Robertis (Fiction writer)1 p.m. Anel Flores (Fiction writer)3 p.m. A.M. Sosa (Fiction writer)4:30-5:30 Panel Discussion on Queer Latinx Literature

_____________________________

Wednesday, May 6

11 a.m. Emily Weinstein (Nonfiction writer)

1 p.m. Jose Vadi (Essayist and Poet)

3 p.m. Prageeta Sharma (Poet)

_____________________________

Thursday, May 7

11 a.m. Mosaic Reading (UCR literary journal-affiliated undergraduates)

1 p.m. Emily Doyle (Fiction writer and UCR MFA alum)

3 p.m. Jonathan Lethem (Fiction writer)

_____________________________

Friday, May 8

11. a.m. Ilya Kaminsky (Poet)

1 p.m. D.A. Powell (Poet)

3 p.m. Viet Thanh Nguyen (Fiction writer)

5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. MFA Students Reading

_____________________________

SPECIAL THANKS

The 49th Writers Week 2026 is hosted by the UCR Department of Creative Writing.

_____________________________

SPONSORS

CHASS Dean’s Office, the Center for Ideas & Society, Inland Empire magazine, the National Book Award Society

_____________________________

BOOK PURCHASES
Cellar Door Books is our recommended local independent store. Be sure to stop by their page.

Information: writersweek@ucr.edu

• FB UCR Writers Week
• FB UCR Writers Resist

View on site | Email this event

Senior Recital

Oscar Chilapa (upright bass)

Jonathan Keplinger, Event Coordinator

Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at 8 pm

Performance Lab ARTS 166

ADMISSION

Free and open to the public.

Though admission is free, a ticket is required. One ticket per person will be distributed at the venue one hour before the concert. Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.

LOCATION

Performance Lab (ARTS 166)

There is no reserved seating, so please arrive early for the best selection of seats.

The performance will start promptly at the announced curtain time and latecomers will only be seated at an appropriate pause in the program.

If you’ve never been to campus, here are directions to UCR.

PARKING

Free parking for event attendees will be available in Lot 1 Blue. To reserve your complimentary parking permit, please follow these steps;

Step 1: Click on this linkStep 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.Step 4: Press ‘Park’For more information about event parking at UCR, please visit: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

View on site | Email this event

presents:

49th UCR Writers Week Festival 2026

Writers Week is the longest-running, free literary event in California and features the most renowned authors of our day alongside those at the start of promising careers. writersweek.ucr.edu

Josh Emmons, Professor
Allison White, Professor
Co-Directors, Writers Week

Download the 48th Writers Week Poster (coming soon)

_____________________________

Tuesday - Friday, May 5 - 8, 2026

Free and open to the public

In-person (location TBD)

_____________________________

PARKING

General Parking (Lot 1 Blue)link coming soon VIP Parking (Lot 1 Red)link coming soon_____________________________

49th UCR Writers Week Featured Writers

Caro DeRobetino, Anel Flores, A.M. Sosa, Emily Weinstein, Jose Valdi, Emily Doyle, Johnathan Lethem, Ilya Kaminsky, D.A. Powell, Viet Nguyen, and more.

_____________________________

SCHEDULE
subject to change

Tuesday, May 5:

11 a.m. Caro De Robertis (Fiction writer)1 p.m. Anel Flores (Fiction writer)3 p.m. A.M. Sosa (Fiction writer)4:30-5:30 Panel Discussion on Queer Latinx Literature

_____________________________

Wednesday, May 6

11 a.m. Emily Weinstein (Nonfiction writer)

1 p.m. Jose Vadi (Essayist and Poet)

3 p.m. Prageeta Sharma (Poet)

_____________________________

Thursday, May 7

11 a.m. Mosaic Reading (UCR literary journal-affiliated undergraduates)

1 p.m. Emily Doyle (Fiction writer and UCR MFA alum)

3 p.m. Jonathan Lethem (Fiction writer)

_____________________________

Friday, May 8

11. a.m. Ilya Kaminsky (Poet)

1 p.m. D.A. Powell (Poet)

3 p.m. Viet Thanh Nguyen (Fiction writer)

5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. MFA Students Reading

_____________________________

SPECIAL THANKS

The 49th Writers Week 2026 is hosted by the UCR Department of Creative Writing.

_____________________________

SPONSORS

CHASS Dean’s Office, the Center for Ideas & Society, Inland Empire magazine, the National Book Award Society

_____________________________

BOOK PURCHASES
Cellar Door Books is our recommended local independent store. Be sure to stop by their page.

Information: writersweek@ucr.edu

• FB UCR Writers Week
• FB UCR Writers Resist

View on site | Email this event

presents:

49th UCR Writers Week Festival 2026

Writers Week is the longest-running, free literary event in California and features the most renowned authors of our day alongside those at the start of promising careers. writersweek.ucr.edu

Josh Emmons, Professor
Allison White, Professor
Co-Directors, Writers Week

Download the 48th Writers Week Poster (coming soon)

_____________________________

Tuesday - Friday, May 5 - 8, 2026

Free and open to the public

In-person (location TBD)

_____________________________

PARKING

General Parking (Lot 1 Blue)link coming soon VIP Parking (Lot 1 Red)link coming soon_____________________________

49th UCR Writers Week Featured Writers

Caro DeRobetino, Anel Flores, A.M. Sosa, Emily Weinstein, Jose Valdi, Emily Doyle, Johnathan Lethem, Ilya Kaminsky, D.A. Powell, Viet Nguyen, and more.

_____________________________

SCHEDULE
subject to change

Tuesday, May 5:

11 a.m. Caro De Robertis (Fiction writer)1 p.m. Anel Flores (Fiction writer)3 p.m. A.M. Sosa (Fiction writer)4:30-5:30 Panel Discussion on Queer Latinx Literature

_____________________________

Wednesday, May 6

11 a.m. Emily Weinstein (Nonfiction writer)

1 p.m. Jose Vadi (Essayist and Poet)

3 p.m. Prageeta Sharma (Poet)

_____________________________

Thursday, May 7

11 a.m. Mosaic Reading (UCR literary journal-affiliated undergraduates)

1 p.m. Emily Doyle (Fiction writer and UCR MFA alum)

3 p.m. Jonathan Lethem (Fiction writer)

_____________________________

Friday, May 8

11. a.m. Ilya Kaminsky (Poet)

1 p.m. D.A. Powell (Poet)

3 p.m. Viet Thanh Nguyen (Fiction writer)

5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. MFA Students Reading

_____________________________

SPECIAL THANKS

The 49th Writers Week 2026 is hosted by the UCR Department of Creative Writing.

_____________________________

SPONSORS

CHASS Dean’s Office, the Center for Ideas & Society, Inland Empire magazine, the National Book Award Society

_____________________________

BOOK PURCHASES
Cellar Door Books is our recommended local independent store. Be sure to stop by their page.

Information: writersweek@ucr.edu

• FB UCR Writers Week
• FB UCR Writers Resist

View on site | Email this event

presents:

49th UCR Writers Week Festival 2026

Writers Week is the longest-running, free literary event in California and features the most renowned authors of our day alongside those at the start of promising careers. writersweek.ucr.edu

Josh Emmons, Professor
Allison White, Professor
Co-Directors, Writers Week

Download the 48th Writers Week Poster (coming soon)

_____________________________

Tuesday - Friday, May 5 - 8, 2026

Free and open to the public

In-person (location TBD)

_____________________________

PARKING

General Parking (Lot 1 Blue)link coming soon VIP Parking (Lot 1 Red)link coming soon_____________________________

49th UCR Writers Week Featured Writers

Caro DeRobetino, Anel Flores, A.M. Sosa, Emily Weinstein, Jose Valdi, Emily Doyle, Johnathan Lethem, Ilya Kaminsky, D.A. Powell, Viet Nguyen, and more.

_____________________________

SCHEDULE
subject to change

Tuesday, May 5:

11 a.m. Caro De Robertis (Fiction writer)1 p.m. Anel Flores (Fiction writer)3 p.m. A.M. Sosa (Fiction writer)4:30-5:30 Panel Discussion on Queer Latinx Literature

_____________________________

Wednesday, May 6

11 a.m. Emily Weinstein (Nonfiction writer)

1 p.m. Jose Vadi (Essayist and Poet)

3 p.m. Prageeta Sharma (Poet)

_____________________________

Thursday, May 7

11 a.m. Mosaic Reading (UCR literary journal-affiliated undergraduates)

1 p.m. Emily Doyle (Fiction writer and UCR MFA alum)

3 p.m. Jonathan Lethem (Fiction writer)

_____________________________

Friday, May 8

11. a.m. Ilya Kaminsky (Poet)

1 p.m. D.A. Powell (Poet)

3 p.m. Viet Thanh Nguyen (Fiction writer)

5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. MFA Students Reading

_____________________________

SPECIAL THANKS

The 49th Writers Week 2026 is hosted by the UCR Department of Creative Writing.

_____________________________

SPONSORS

CHASS Dean’s Office, the Center for Ideas & Society, Inland Empire magazine, the National Book Award Society

_____________________________

BOOK PURCHASES
Cellar Door Books is our recommended local independent store. Be sure to stop by their page.

Information: writersweek@ucr.edu

• FB UCR Writers Week
• FB UCR Writers Resist

View on site | Email this event

We are currently accepting nominations for this year’s awards until Sunday, March 15, 2026

The School of Education will host this year’s Alumni Excellence Awards on May 7, 2026.

Register Here: https://forms.gle/Sc4kAoKzjnFdxRSR8

Submit a Nomination Here: https://forms.gle/YjHzffW5NeRZN3cTA

View on site | Email this event

April 2 enjoy the exciting UCR Mariachi ensemble; May 7 the UCR Latin American Music ensemble performs folk music from the Andean regions

All ages, free and open to the public, Artswalk has activities from 6:00-8:00p,

Culver Center for the Arts

3834 Main St

Riverside, CA 92501

This series is supported by the Gluck Fellows Program of the Arts at UCR

View on site | Email this event

presents:

49th UCR Writers Week Festival 2026

Writers Week is the longest-running, free literary event in California and features the most renowned authors of our day alongside those at the start of promising careers. writersweek.ucr.edu

Josh Emmons, Professor
Allison White, Professor
Co-Directors, Writers Week

Download the 48th Writers Week Poster (coming soon)

_____________________________

Tuesday - Friday, May 5 - 8, 2026

Free and open to the public

In-person (location TBD)

_____________________________

PARKING

General Parking (Lot 1 Blue)link coming soon VIP Parking (Lot 1 Red)link coming soon_____________________________

49th UCR Writers Week Featured Writers

Caro DeRobetino, Anel Flores, A.M. Sosa, Emily Weinstein, Jose Valdi, Emily Doyle, Johnathan Lethem, Ilya Kaminsky, D.A. Powell, Viet Nguyen, and more.

_____________________________

SCHEDULE
subject to change

Tuesday, May 5:

11 a.m. Caro De Robertis (Fiction writer)1 p.m. Anel Flores (Fiction writer)3 p.m. A.M. Sosa (Fiction writer)4:30-5:30 Panel Discussion on Queer Latinx Literature

_____________________________

Wednesday, May 6

11 a.m. Emily Weinstein (Nonfiction writer)

1 p.m. Jose Vadi (Essayist and Poet)

3 p.m. Prageeta Sharma (Poet)

_____________________________

Thursday, May 7

11 a.m. Mosaic Reading (UCR literary journal-affiliated undergraduates)

1 p.m. Emily Doyle (Fiction writer and UCR MFA alum)

3 p.m. Jonathan Lethem (Fiction writer)

_____________________________

Friday, May 8

11. a.m. Ilya Kaminsky (Poet)

1 p.m. D.A. Powell (Poet)

3 p.m. Viet Thanh Nguyen (Fiction writer)

5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. MFA Students Reading

_____________________________

SPECIAL THANKS

The 49th Writers Week 2026 is hosted by the UCR Department of Creative Writing.

_____________________________

SPONSORS

CHASS Dean’s Office, the Center for Ideas & Society, Inland Empire magazine, the National Book Award Society

_____________________________

BOOK PURCHASES
Cellar Door Books is our recommended local independent store. Be sure to stop by their page.

Information: writersweek@ucr.edu

• FB UCR Writers Week
• FB UCR Writers Resist

View on site | Email this event

presents:

49th UCR Writers Week Festival 2026

Writers Week is the longest-running, free literary event in California and features the most renowned authors of our day alongside those at the start of promising careers. writersweek.ucr.edu

Josh Emmons, Professor
Allison White, Professor
Co-Directors, Writers Week

Download the 48th Writers Week Poster (coming soon)

_____________________________

Tuesday - Friday, May 5 - 8, 2026

Free and open to the public

In-person (location TBD)

_____________________________

PARKING

General Parking (Lot 1 Blue)link coming soon VIP Parking (Lot 1 Red)link coming soon_____________________________

49th UCR Writers Week Featured Writers

Caro DeRobetino, Anel Flores, A.M. Sosa, Emily Weinstein, Jose Valdi, Emily Doyle, Johnathan Lethem, Ilya Kaminsky, D.A. Powell, Viet Nguyen, and more.

_____________________________

SCHEDULE
subject to change

Tuesday, May 5:

11 a.m. Caro De Robertis (Fiction writer)1 p.m. Anel Flores (Fiction writer)3 p.m. A.M. Sosa (Fiction writer)4:30-5:30 Panel Discussion on Queer Latinx Literature

_____________________________

Wednesday, May 6

11 a.m. Emily Weinstein (Nonfiction writer)

1 p.m. Jose Vadi (Essayist and Poet)

3 p.m. Prageeta Sharma (Poet)

_____________________________

Thursday, May 7

11 a.m. Mosaic Reading (UCR literary journal-affiliated undergraduates)

1 p.m. Emily Doyle (Fiction writer and UCR MFA alum)

3 p.m. Jonathan Lethem (Fiction writer)

_____________________________

Friday, May 8

11. a.m. Ilya Kaminsky (Poet)

1 p.m. D.A. Powell (Poet)

3 p.m. Viet Thanh Nguyen (Fiction writer)

5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. MFA Students Reading

_____________________________

SPECIAL THANKS

The 49th Writers Week 2026 is hosted by the UCR Department of Creative Writing.

_____________________________

SPONSORS

CHASS Dean’s Office, the Center for Ideas & Society, Inland Empire magazine, the National Book Award Society

_____________________________

BOOK PURCHASES
Cellar Door Books is our recommended local independent store. Be sure to stop by their page.

Information: writersweek@ucr.edu

• FB UCR Writers Week
• FB UCR Writers Resist

View on site | Email this event

presents:

49th UCR Writers Week Festival 2026

Writers Week is the longest-running, free literary event in California and features the most renowned authors of our day alongside those at the start of promising careers. writersweek.ucr.edu

Josh Emmons, Professor
Allison White, Professor
Co-Directors, Writers Week

Download the 48th Writers Week Poster (coming soon)

_____________________________

Tuesday - Friday, May 5 - 8, 2026

Free and open to the public

In-person (location TBD)

_____________________________

PARKING

General Parking (Lot 1 Blue)link coming soon VIP Parking (Lot 1 Red)link coming soon_____________________________

49th UCR Writers Week Featured Writers

Caro DeRobetino, Anel Flores, A.M. Sosa, Emily Weinstein, Jose Valdi, Emily Doyle, Johnathan Lethem, Ilya Kaminsky, D.A. Powell, Viet Nguyen, and more.

_____________________________

SCHEDULE
subject to change

Tuesday, May 5:

11 a.m. Caro De Robertis (Fiction writer)1 p.m. Anel Flores (Fiction writer)3 p.m. A.M. Sosa (Fiction writer)4:30-5:30 Panel Discussion on Queer Latinx Literature

_____________________________

Wednesday, May 6

11 a.m. Emily Weinstein (Nonfiction writer)

1 p.m. Jose Vadi (Essayist and Poet)

3 p.m. Prageeta Sharma (Poet)

_____________________________

Thursday, May 7

11 a.m. Mosaic Reading (UCR literary journal-affiliated undergraduates)

1 p.m. Emily Doyle (Fiction writer and UCR MFA alum)

3 p.m. Jonathan Lethem (Fiction writer)

_____________________________

Friday, May 8

11. a.m. Ilya Kaminsky (Poet)

1 p.m. D.A. Powell (Poet)

3 p.m. Viet Thanh Nguyen (Fiction writer)

5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. MFA Students Reading

_____________________________

SPECIAL THANKS

The 49th Writers Week 2026 is hosted by the UCR Department of Creative Writing.

_____________________________

SPONSORS

CHASS Dean’s Office, the Center for Ideas & Society, Inland Empire magazine, the National Book Award Society

_____________________________

BOOK PURCHASES
Cellar Door Books is our recommended local independent store. Be sure to stop by their page.

Information: writersweek@ucr.edu

• FB UCR Writers Week
• FB UCR Writers Resist

View on site | Email this event

presents:

49th UCR Writers Week Festival 2026

Writers Week is the longest-running, free literary event in California and features the most renowned authors of our day alongside those at the start of promising careers. writersweek.ucr.edu

Josh Emmons, Professor
Allison White, Professor
Co-Directors, Writers Week

Download the 48th Writers Week Poster (coming soon)

_____________________________

Tuesday - Friday, May 5 - 8, 2026

Free and open to the public

In-person (location TBD)

_____________________________

PARKING

General Parking (Lot 1 Blue)link coming soon VIP Parking (Lot 1 Red)link coming soon_____________________________

49th UCR Writers Week Featured Writers

Caro DeRobetino, Anel Flores, A.M. Sosa, Emily Weinstein, Jose Valdi, Emily Doyle, Johnathan Lethem, Ilya Kaminsky, D.A. Powell, Viet Nguyen, and more.

_____________________________

SCHEDULE
subject to change

Tuesday, May 5:

11 a.m. Caro De Robertis (Fiction writer)1 p.m. Anel Flores (Fiction writer)3 p.m. A.M. Sosa (Fiction writer)4:30-5:30 Panel Discussion on Queer Latinx Literature

_____________________________

Wednesday, May 6

11 a.m. Emily Weinstein (Nonfiction writer)

1 p.m. Jose Vadi (Essayist and Poet)

3 p.m. Prageeta Sharma (Poet)

_____________________________

Thursday, May 7

11 a.m. Mosaic Reading (UCR literary journal-affiliated undergraduates)

1 p.m. Emily Doyle (Fiction writer and UCR MFA alum)

3 p.m. Jonathan Lethem (Fiction writer)

_____________________________

Friday, May 8

11. a.m. Ilya Kaminsky (Poet)

1 p.m. D.A. Powell (Poet)

3 p.m. Viet Thanh Nguyen (Fiction writer)

5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. MFA Students Reading

_____________________________

SPECIAL THANKS

The 49th Writers Week 2026 is hosted by the UCR Department of Creative Writing.

_____________________________

SPONSORS

CHASS Dean’s Office, the Center for Ideas & Society, Inland Empire magazine, the National Book Award Society

_____________________________

BOOK PURCHASES
Cellar Door Books is our recommended local independent store. Be sure to stop by their page.

Information: writersweek@ucr.edu

• FB UCR Writers Week
• FB UCR Writers Resist

View on site | Email this event

FREE and open to the public.

Parking:

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on this link for winter quarter events (or this link for spring quarter events)

Step 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”

Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.

Step 4: Press ‘Park’

For more information about visitor parking, visit: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

View on site | Email this event

Crimson Riot

Hailing from Las Vegas, Crimson Riot are fresh off celebrating the release of their third full-length album “Third Time’s a Charm.” Dubbed the “Punk Rock Partridge Family” by IHeartRadio’s Bobby Bones, the trio brings punk nostalgia into 2026 with catchy riffs and hooky lyrics. Crimson Riot has toured most of North America over the past 7 years and gained international popularity after winning “Who Will Rock You” a music competition presented by TopGolf.

www.crimsonriot.com

Part of the 2025-2026 Florence Bayz Music Series

The Florence Bayz Music Series offers online concerts, lectures, and presentations of academic research by Department of Music faculty, postdoctoral researchers, students, and international guest artists and scholars.

Dr. Amy Skjerseth (she/her), Assistant Professor of Popular Music, Coordinator

Events are free and open to the public.

PARKING

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on this linkStep 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.Step 4: Press ‘Park’
For any other questions about event parking, please email parking@ucr.edu between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, and allow up to one business day to receive a response.

Additional visitor parking info for events can be found at: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

View on site | Email this event

FREE and open to the public.

Parking:

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on this link for winter quarter events (or this link for spring quarter events)

Step 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”

Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.

Step 4: Press ‘Park’

For more information about visitor parking, visit: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

View on site | Email this event

View on site | Email this event

May 19 @ 8 p.m. Performance Lab ARTS 166

Frances Moore, Director

Free and open to the public.

LOCATION

Performance Lab (ARTS 166)

There is no reserved seating, so please arrive early for the best selection of seats.

The performance will start promptly at the announced curtain time and latecomers will only be seated at an appropriate pause in the program.

If you’ve never been to campus, here are directions to UCR.

PARKING

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Click on this linkEnter the license plate number (LPN) in the 'Plate' section

Select the appropriate state, if not California.

OPTIONAL: Add your email address to receive a confirmation email

Click 'Park' to complete.

For any other questions about event parking, please email parking@ucr.edu between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, and allow up to one business day to receive a response.

Additional visitor parking info for events can be found at: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

View on site | Email this event

View on site | Email this event

Rafael Montero (tenor), John Sloboda (piano): The Songs of Pedro Ximénez Abril Tirado (1784-1856)

Pedro Ximénez Abril y Tirado was one of Latin America’s most successful and prolific composers of the early 19th century, whose work spanned the critical period of the establishment of independent Latin American states in the period after the end of the Spanish Empire. Known at the time as “El sinfonista de los Andes,” he learned his craft during the colonial years, but he was able to contribute to the body of early postcolonial repertoire. In the 20th century his work fell from view. It is only now, with the greater interest in postcolonial studies and the rehabilitation of indigenous musics, that his work has begun to receive scholarly and artistic attention. His music exemplifies the cosmopolitanism and cultural mobility that were an important strand in the establishment of a distinctive Latin American cultural life. At the peak of his career, he occupied a prestigious position as director of music at Sucre Cathedral, the most important cultural and religious city of the newly created state of Bolivia, under the direct patronage of President Andrés de Santa Cruz.

These secular songs exemplify his cosmopolitanism in both words and music. He set to music South American poets like Esteban Echeverría and Manuel Martínez, from Argentina and Mexico respectively, who took their inspiration from the culture in which they were living, working in the neoclassical and Romantic poetic styles. The music also shows stylistic variety. While the predominant style draws on European models (with similarities to Mozart, Haydn, and Bellini), there are also strong indigenous influences in some, particularly in a set of “Jaravi,” songs drawing on the ancient traditional genre of Andean music and indigenous lyric poetry. At a time when the impetus to de-privilege the European classical canon grows ever stronger, Ximénez is a neglected composer of the highest quality whose works deserve wide contemporary exposure and integration into the corpus of established art songs. This recital will offer a selection from the more than 300 songs now discovered and gradually being transcribed and edited for contemporary performance.

Rafael Montero is an Argentinian solo tenor and ensemble singer, singing teacher, and coach. He is founder and artistic director of El Parnaso Hyspano early-music ensemble. Rafael’s heritage is native American and Spanish, and he has spoken Quechua since he was a child. He studied singing at the Conservatorio Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina, and then early and chamber music at the Conservatoire de Musique de Neuchatel, Switzerland. In 2022 he sang the title role in the U.K. premiere of Domenico Zipoli’s San Ignacio de Loyola, a Baroque opera written for the indigenous people from whom he is descended.

John Sloboda, OBE, FBA, is a singer, pianist, conductor, and researcher. He is currently Assistant Conductor of Chorus of Dissent, a community choir based in Hackney, London. He trained as a pianist with Else Cross and has specialized in accompanying, currently working with the tenor Rafael Montero. He is also a music psychologist, as well as Emeritus Professor at both the University of Keele and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, where his recent interests have been the psychology of the live concert and the social benefits of music engagement. He is the author of several books and over 200 academic papers.

Part of the 2025-2026 Florence Bayz Music Series

The Florence Bayz Music Series offers online concerts, lectures, and presentations of academic research by Department of Music faculty, postdoctoral researchers, students, and international guest artists and scholars.

Dr. Amy Skjerseth (she/her), Assistant Professor of Popular Music, Coordinator

Events are free and open to the public.

PARKING

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on this linkStep 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.Step 4: Press ‘Park’
For any other questions about event parking, please email parking@ucr.edu between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, and allow up to one business day to receive a response.

Additional visitor parking info for events can be found at: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

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A concert of Art Songs and Arias

featuring styles from Baroque (Henry Purcell) to Contemporary (Ned Rorem).

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

8:00 p.m.

Performance Lab ARTS 166

Ralph Cato, Vocal Instructor

ADMISSION

Free and open to the public.

Though admission is free, a ticket is required. One ticket per person will be distributed at the venue one hour before the concert. Seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.

LOCATION

Performance Lab (ARTS 166)

There is no reserved seating, so please arrive early for the best selection of seats.

The performance will start promptly at the announced curtain time and latecomers will only be seated at an appropriate pause in the program.

If you’ve never been to campus, here are directions to UCR.

PARKING

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Click on this linkEnter the license plate number (LPN) in the 'Plate' sectionSelect the appropriate state, if not California.OPTIONAL: Add your email address to receive a confirmation emailClick 'Park' to complete.
For any other questions about event parking, please email parking@ucr.edu between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, and allow up to one business day to receive a response.

Additional visitor parking info for events can be found at: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

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Cynthia Flores, Mariachi Director

The Mariachi Los Alteños de UCR teams up with the Ballet Folklorico de UCR for this annual delight of sight and sound!

Mariachi Los Alteños, made up of students from MUS 175A & B, perform a wide array of mariachi styles, interspersed with colorful and energetic performances by the y Ballet Folklorico de UCR, a student club under the advisement of Dr. Xóchitl Chávez. Come join us for a fun evening of cultural representation , gritos, song, dance, entertainment, and community!

Thursday, May 21 @ 8 p.m.

University Theatre

TICKETS

$6 child

$8 students with school ID

$10 general admission

PARKING

To reserve a parking permit for Lot 6, please use this link.

For any other questions about event parking, please email parking@ucr.edu between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, and allow up to one business day to receive a response.

Additional visitor parking info for events can be found at: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

Learn more about UCR Visitor Parking.

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Sunday, 12/14/25 open Winter Break modified hours of 3:00pm-7:00pmMonday, 12/15/25 thru Friday, 12/19/25 open Winter Break modified hours of 6:30am-7:00pmSaturday, 12/20/25 – Sunday, 12/21/25 open modified hours of 3:00-7:00pmMonday, 12/22/25 open modified hours of 6:30am-7:00pmTuesday, 12/23/25 open modified hours of 12:00pm-7:00pmWednesday, 12/24/25 thru Thursday, 1/1/26 CLOSED for winter break (reopen regular hours on Friday, 1/2/26)Monday, 1/19/26 open for Martin Luther King Holiday modified hours of 6:30am-7pmMonday, 2/16/26 open for President’s Day Holiday modified hours 6:30am-7pmSunday, 3/22/26 open for Spring Break modified hours of 3pm-7pmMonday, 3/23/26 thru Thursday, 3/26/26 open for Spring Break modified hours of 6:30am-7pmFriday, 3/27/26 CLOSED for Cesar Chavez HolidayMonday, 5/25/26 open for Memorial Day Holiday modified hours of 6:30am-7pm

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FREE and open to the public

Culver Center of the Arts (UCR ARTS)
3834 Main St., Riverside CA

ADMISSION

Free and open to the public.

Co-sponsored by the Gluck Program of the Arts and The Center for World Music

Audiences will be treated to a rare and captivating performance of wayang kulit, Indonesia’s renowned shadow puppet theater. This ancient art form uses hand-carved leather puppets, accompanied by a traditional gamelan ensemble, to bring to life epic tales from the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

In this special presentation, celebrated shadow puppet master (dhalang) Woro Mustiko Siwi—one of the few women in Indonesia to achieve national and international acclaim in this traditionally male-dominated art form—will lead a condensed one-hour performance, thoughtfully adapted from the full six- to eight-hour format. The story, rooted in Javanese culture yet rich in universal themes, will be performed in English for the first time by an Indonesian woman puppeteer.

For audiences in California, this performance offers a rare opportunity to encounter the visual and sonic intensity of wayang kulit outside its homeland. The interplay of flickering shadows, shimmering metallophones, and powerful storytelling creates an atmosphere that is both meditative and exhilarating—an experience that transcends language and geography.

Following the performance, Woro Mustiko Siwi and the UCR’s Javanese Gamelan Ensemble director Joko Sutrisno will host a Q&A session, inviting audiences to engage more deeply with the cultural, musical, and artistic traditions of Java. This interactive discussion will provide insight into the history, symbolism, and contemporary relevance of wayang kulit, offering a rare glimpse into one of Indonesia’s most enduring and profound performing arts.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Woro Mustiko Siwi, who will preside as dhalang (puppet master) for this evening’s performance, is a highly accomplished Indonesian musician, dancer, and wayang kulit puppeteer. Recognized in her home country as a prominent cultural figure, she has received several prestigious awards, including the 2014 Anugerah Musik Indonesia (Indonesian Music Award) and the 2017 Anugerah Kebudayaan (Cultural Award) from the Indonesian Ministry of Education and Culture for her mastery of traditional Javanese puppetry.

Woro was born into a distinguished family of artists in Surakarta, Indonesia. Her great-grandmother, Kenyo Carito, was the first female puppeteer at the Kasunanan Surakarta Palace, and her grandfather, Joko Raharjo, was a respected puppet master. Woro began studying puppetry under her grandfather and continued her formal training at Sarotama, a renowned arts center in Surakarta. She is currently pursuing a degree in puppetry at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts, Surakarta.

Woro has performed internationally, collaborating in events such as the Noah Road to Kuala Lumpur concert (2017), Erwin Gutawa’s Ethnocestra concert in Eltorf, Germany (2019), the Harmonature concert at the Ancient Theatre of Philippopolis, Bulgaria (2023), the Senandung Nusantara concert at KLCC Plenary Hall, Malaysia, and the Alun-alun Nusantara performance in Los Angeles, USA (2024).

Joko Sutrisno, director of the gamelan ensemble, is an accomplished Javanese musician, composer, and educator who has engaged with students and audiences both in Indonesia and abroad. Sutrisno graduated from the Indonesian Institute of Arts, Surakarta, Java, in 1987.

He directed the gamelan ensemble at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, for eight years before moving to Minnesota in 1995, where he served as artistic director of the Sumunar Gamelan and Dance Ensemble. He was recently appointed professor of gamelan at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. and the UC Riverside School of Music. Joko Sutrisno has received numerous local and national awards, including Creative Individuals grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board (2022 and 2024) and Arts Impact for Individuals grants from the Metropolitan Regional Arts Center in St. Paul (2022 and 2023). In 2024, Sutrisno was appointed an Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) apprentice.

In addition Sutrisno directs the Javanese gamelan ensemble at Canyon Crest Academy. He is also currently the consulting director for the student gamelan ensembles at Saint Thomas University, the University of South Dakota, Concordia College, and Hamilton College.

PARKING

See these various city lots surrounding UCR ARTS.

Information:

music.ucr.edu

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Student Performance and Composition (Jonathan Keplinger)

UC Riverside’s own music students present a diverse program of individual and small ensemble performances. Works presented include newly composed music and pop selections, as well as songs, arias, and instrumental pieces from the classical, jazz, and musical theater traditions.

Part of the 2025-2026 Florence Bayz Music Series

The Florence Bayz Music Series offers online concerts, lectures, and presentations of academic research by Department of Music faculty, postdoctoral researchers, students, and international guest artists and scholars.

Dr. Amy Skjerseth (she/her), Assistant Professor of Popular Music, Coordinator

Events are free and open to the public.

PARKING

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on this linkStep 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.Step 4: Press ‘Park’
For any other questions about event parking, please email parking@ucr.edu between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, and allow up to one business day to receive a response.

Additional visitor parking info for events can be found at: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

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Every month during the school year, from October to July, the Recognition Committee will review submissions and select a winner. The winner will be honored at an upcoming Get Recognized Celebration, where they can invite colleagues, receive a gift, and be featured on the Staff Assembly website and social media.

Fall Quarter recognition includes those nominated through October, November, and DecemberWinter Quarter recognition includes those nominated through January, February, and MarchSpring Quarter recognition includes those nominated through April, May, and JuneNominate a colleague

For details, visit https://staffassembly.ucr.edu/get-recognized

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FREE and open to the public.

Parking:

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on this link for winter quarter events (or this link for spring quarter events)

Step 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”

Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.

Step 4: Press ‘Park’

For more information about visitor parking, visit: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

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Department of Music Annual Awards Ceremony

Celebrate the accomplishments of UCR Music students at our annual awards ceremony, featuring live music and a closing reception for the year.

Part of the 2025-2026 Florence Bayz Music Series

The Florence Bayz Music Series offers online concerts, lectures, and presentations of academic research by Department of Music faculty, postdoctoral researchers, students, and international guest artists and scholars.

Dr. Amy Skjerseth (she/her), Assistant Professor of Popular Music, Coordinator

Events are free and open to the public.

PARKING

Enjoy complimentary parking for this event! Please enter your vehicle info below before you park.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click on this linkStep 2: Enter your license plate in the “License Plate Number”Step 3: If the plate is non-California, select the appropriate state for the plate.Step 4: Press ‘Park’
For any other questions about event parking, please email parking@ucr.edu between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, and allow up to one business day to receive a response.

Additional visitor parking info for events can be found at: performingarts.ucr.edu/parking

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While official Commencement guest tickets are limited, this pre-celebration is open to everyone. Invite the whole family and all your friends to share in the joy.Undergraduates and graduate students who are eligible to graduate from any major/discipline are invited to participate.Additional event details will be sent after you've registered.This celebration does not replace the official Commencement ceremony associated with your specific school or college — it is an additional event.

🥳 Register on HighlanderLink to Participate

RSVP Deadline: April 30 (Early registrants will get an exclusive AAPI stole.)

💙 Save the date and start inviting friends, family, faculty, and fans. 💛

🎬 Watch a recap video of last year's AAPI Recognition Celebration.

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⭐️ While official Commencement guest tickets are limited, this pre-celebration is open to everyone. Invite the whole family and all your friends to share in the joy.

We welcome friends, family, faculty, staff, alumni, community members, and local educators, as well as high school and community college students aspiring to attend UCR.Tickets are not needed, but the SRC has a capacity of 3,000, so please arrive early or on time.This celebration does not replace the official Commencement ceremony associated with specific schools or colleges — it is an additional event.

🥳 To Participate

Guests (Friends, Family, Community, Alumni): Select the "Register " button above to tell organizers how many people to expect at your party. Registration is free and not required, but it is helpful to organizers.

Faculty/Staff: Complete this Faculty/Staff Registration Form to save your seat in the VIP section.

Graduating Students: AAPI students eligible to graduate with UCR's Class of 2026 who want to walk in this pre-celebration should register via HighlanderLink.

🎬 Watch a recap video of last year's AAPI Recognition Celebration.

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Every month during the school year, from October to July, the Recognition Committee will review submissions and select a winner. The winner will be honored at an upcoming Get Recognized Celebration, where they can invite colleagues, receive a gift, and be featured on the Staff Assembly website and social media.

Fall Quarter recognition includes those nominated through October, November, and DecemberWinter Quarter recognition includes those nominated through January, February, and MarchSpring Quarter recognition includes those nominated through April, May, and JuneNominate a colleague

For details, visit https://staffassembly.ucr.edu/get-recognized

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