We are sorry to have to share this news, but the noonartsound that was scheduled for December 2 with Spanish Flamenco guest guitarist, Tony Hauser, has been cancelled.

We will resume our noonartsound schedule in 2015, however, and hope to see you for next season’s noon-hour conversations about art and music:

Flamenco Guitarist Tony Hauser

March 3, 2015   Vienna and Franz Schubert with Chris Kachian and David Jenkins performing the Arpeggione Sonata.

April 7, 2015     The British Invasion with Chris Kachian and friends

May 5, 2015      The 1930s with guests artists Wilkenson-James singing songs of the early union/labor movement

We will seek to re-schedule Tony Hauser, if at all possible, during the spring.   Thank you very much!

Thomas Schönberg and Chris Kachian

The Arpeggione Duo – guitarist Dr. Christopher Kachian and cellist Dr. Thomas Schönberg will perform their 10th anniversary  7 p.m. concert Wednesday, Nov. 19, in the Great Hall on the second floor of O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library.

Program features the French Suite in G major by J.S. Bach, another French suite by Gabriel Faure and Maurice Ravel, and Hello Cello by Claude Gagnon. The duo also will premier several new works they have commissioned: Campfire Songs by Michael Karmon, Fantasy by Bryan Johanson, and Frozen Columns by Ron Pear.  The evening’s program is the same one the duo will perform on their November concert tour throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota.

Schönberg and Kachian, who are educators as well as performers, formed the Arpeggione Duo after meeting at the Guitar Festival of Sollentuna, Sweden, in 2004. Since that time, they have toured annually and have recorded four albums.

Schönberg is a native of Sweden and was accepted to the Royal Music Academy of Stockholm at age 13. He received his doctorate at the University of Hartford, Conn., and is dean of the Lidingo School of Music in Sweden. He performs throughout Europe, Asia and the United States on a cello made by Guarneri filius ca 1715.

Kachian, whose doctorate is from the University of Minnesota, heads the Guitar Studies Program at St. Thomas and in 2011 was inducted into the renowned Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity. A champion of new music, he has commissioned and premiered more than 40 works for guitar. He has given more than 500 performances in Japan, China, Africa, Cuba, Costa Rica, Peru and throughout Europe and North America.  Kachian is a founding member of the Society for the Affectation of Baroque Music and also plays the blues harmonica.

The duo’s name reflects the musicians’ blend of guitar and cello. Invented in 1823 by Viennese guitar maker Johann Stauffer, the arpeggione has six strings and frets like a guitar, but it is similar in size to a cello and played with a bow. Only one major work was written for the instrument, the Sonata in A Minor for Arpeggione and Piano by Franz Schubert.

The Duo Arpeggione’s 10th anniversary concert is free and open to the public —  refreshments will be provided.   For more information please call Julie Kimlinger at (651) 962-5014.

It’s an Irish noonartsound this time  . . . and we’ll be treated to readings by Jim Rogers along with insights into the art, the music, and the people of Ireland.  Be sure to join us if you can!

In describing the upcoming November 4th  noonartsound, our presenters Chris and Shelly tell us:  “We all have ideas of what the ancient Celtic lands were like.  We have seen real, ancient objects, such as the Book of Kells and half-pagan, half-Christian jewelry — but how much of this is filtered through the numerous revivals that have occurred over the years?   See how it all fits together.   Irish music, perhaps more than most, adheres to tradition in the form of jigs, reels and waltzes.  And then there’s the Pogues…”

Please plan to join us Tuesday, November 4th at noon in the O’Shaughnessy Room of the O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library.   Our noonartsound presentations are always free and all are welcome!   Bring your lunch if you wish – light dessert will be provided.  Any questions?   Please don’t hesitate to call Julie at 651-962-5014.

Dan Gjelten

On Monday, October 27, students, faculty and staff will receive a link to a library satisfaction survey (known as LibQUAL)  via UST email.  Please help us out by taking a few minutes to complete the survey.  Those who respond will be eligible for a drawing for several Amazon gift certificates.

In 2008, the UST Libraries conducted the LibQUAL survey for the first time.  LibQUAL has been conducted by over 1,200 libraries at institutions all over the world and helps libraries understand user perceptions of collections and services.  The feedback from LibQUAL helps us develop a culture of excellent service and collections, improve programs and innovate, compare our library to peer institutions and, generally, to better communicate with our users.  We are conducting the survey again this fall and the data we obtain will be compared against the 2008 benchmark so that we’ll be able to see the areas of the library enterprise that have changed.  (More on what we learned in 2008.)

There are three major areas of the library enterprise that will be covered by the survey: “information control” which measures the extent to which users can find the information they need; “affect of service” which measures the quality of service and interactions with library staff; and “library as place” which concerns the physical library environment.  The survey also gives users a chance to comment in their own language on the library.

This year, as the university and the Libraries engage in strategic planning, we again want to learn more about our users’ expectations and experience with the libraries at St. Thomas. Conducting this highly regarded survey again will allow us to benchmark ourselves against the 2008 findings as well as UST’s comparable institutions.

When you receive the email link to the survey, we ask that you please take the time (10 – 15 minutes) to let us know about your experiences with the UST Libraries. Your responses will influence the direction of the libraries in the near future. Visit the LibQUAL web site if you would like more information about the survey.

Dogs, rabbits, and a Guinea pig will be at the O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library on

Tuesday, October 21^st from 6-8 pm

to visit St. Thomas students and friends. The animals are certified therapy animals who also visit schools, hospitals, and care facilities with their owners.  At St. Thomas, they provide stress relief for students who might be anxious about papers or exams at midsemester.

Hundreds of students turn out for the popular events, and some arrive early to help with set-up or just because they are so excited to see the animals come through the doors.  The event is free and everyone is welcome!

Would you like to get more involved?!

This time, library circulation supervisor Karen Batdorf is looking for a few students who are willing to be “bunny escorts,” that is, to help the volunteers from Minnesota Companion Rabbit Society carry bunnies to and from the library to  volunteers’ vehicles.   Email her at k9batdorf@stthomas.edu if you would be willing to help or have questions about the event.

Here are some of the therapy pets who will be here on Tuesday: Buster, Buddy, Sophie, and Remi!