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Composer and award-winning flutist James Newton will speak out about copyright infringement at 12:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, in the UVM Recital Hall. His talk is titled, "James Newton Fights for His Rights Against the Beastie Boys." Newton is currently embroiled in a copyright infringement case with the popular hip-hop band for their sampling of his copyrighted original music without permission.

The case is currently under appeal and an amicus brief has been filed by Newton with many of the biggest names in classical and jazz music signed on. Alex Stewart, assistant professor of music, who currently is working as an expert witness to analyze recordings to assess possible copyright infringement, will provide a brief explanation of copyright law at this brown bag luncheon event.

Newton and San Francisco-based pianist-composer Jon Jang created "When Sorrow Turns to Joy: A Musical Tribute to Paul Robeson," which will be presented at the Flynn Center on Jan. 24 at 8 p.m. Two-for-one vouchers for the performance are available to university affiliates on a first-come, first-served basis and may be obtained at the Center for Cultural Pluralism or the ALANA Student Center.

The performance marks a series of collaborative events between UVM and Flynn to foster life-long learning, explore arts and humanities and examine diverse perspectives and cultures. Each event in the trilogy "China: Ancient and Modern" celebrates Chinas great traditional arts heritage and serves as a reminder that, since ancient times, live performance has been a powerful force in creating community and illuminating the transcendent commonality of the human experience.

"When Sorrow Turns to Joy" is a vocal/instrumental exploration of the emotional power of African-American jazz, traditional Chinese folk songs and the spiritual links between them. Peter Seybolt, director of Asian Studies, and Geoffrey Reynolds, assistant professor of music, will give a free pre-performance lecture on "Paul Robeson and Mei Lanfang: Artists & Revolutionaries" Jan. 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Flynns Amy E. Tarrant Gallery.

Later this year the "China: Ancient and Modern" series will continue with the Peking Opera and the Living Dance Studios "Report on the Body" as well as related lectures and workshops.

For information on ticket vouchers for these performances, call 656-8818. To learn more about Flynn performances go to Flynn Center.org.

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