Arts Carolina Performing Arts announces 2010-11 season
| Carolina Performing Arts announces 2010-11 season |
|
| Wednesday, April 07, 2010 | |
|
At the start of its sixth season, Carolina Performing Arts at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is building more than just its newest season. It is building vital relationships with artists and audiences in an expansive program showcasing internationally acclaimed artists in 49 performances. Announced today (April 7), the 2010-11 season boasts its largest lineup to date, including 13 artists and ensembles who will return to Chapel Hill. Those include cellist Yo-Yo Ma (Aug. 17); conductor Valery Gergiev and the Mariinsky Orchestra (Oct. 13-14); pianist Mitsuko Uchida (Jan. 21); Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (Feb. 22-24); dance-theater troupe Cirque Éloize (March 1-2); and Durham resident and saxophonist Branford Marsalis (April 21). “We are eager to build a history with these key artists so audiences can experience the creative developments that occur in an artist’s work over time, to experience an artist’s versatility, and to create a safe environment for these same artists to take risks,” said Executive Director for the Arts Emil Kang. “Now that we are in our sixth season, we have sufficient history to solidify ties with many artistic partners,” Kang said of the returning artists, whose visits are timed to important events in their respective worlds. The performances by the Mariinsky Orchestra are the culmination of a season-long project by Maestro Valery Gergiev. The orchestra will perform the complete Gustav Mahler symphonies in New York to mark the 150th anniversary of Mahler’s birth and the 100th anniversary of his death. The Mariinsky – formerly known as the Kirov Orchestra – performed in Chapel Hill twice in November 2008. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is in its last season under legendary artistic director Judith Jamison, who will depart at the end of 2011. The company will make its fourth Memorial Hall appearance in six years. Other programming highlights have Carolina Performing Arts strengthening its ties to the Triangle’s vibrant arts scene. Durham resident Branford Marsalis will perform with the Chapel Hill-based North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra, directed by Jim Ketch, UNC music professor and jazz studies director. World-renowned tenor and UNC professor of the practice Anthony Dean Griffey will be joined by UNC music faculty for a concert on Jan. 14 that will mark his recital debut in Chapel Hill. Banjo legend Earl Scruggs will share the stage with North Carolina’s own bluegrass band The Red Clay Ramblers, opening Carolina Performing Arts’ celebrated American Roots series on Sept. 15. “Fostering collaboration between our visiting artists and renowned local talent is another way Carolina Performing Arts is building bridges with its community,” Kang said. Carolina Performing Arts continues its effort to bring the world to Chapel Hill. In the organization’s first five years, Memorial Hall has played host to artists representing 40 unique nations. In 2010-11, artists will represent 15 countries, including Senegal, Cuba, China, the Netherlands, Morocco, South Africa, India and Latvia. Carolina Performing Arts makes its first venture into festivals with the International Theater Festival, Feb. 9 through April 3. The festival’s lineup comprises three performances in Carolina Performing Arts’ new World Theater series: The National Theatre of Scotland’s “Black Watch,” Feb. 9-13; Cirque Éloize’s “ID,” March 1-2; and actor Yves Jacques of the French-Canadian company Ex Machina in director Robert Lepage’s “The Andersen Project,” March 17-18. Besides these performances, the festival will feature the return of Actors from the London Stage in residence performing William Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” Feb. 14-20. The troupe’s past visits to UNC were in 2006 and 2009. The play is not part of Carolina Performing Arts’ season; it will be presented by the UNC Office of the Executive Director for the Arts. “We are thrilled to have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to present the Southeast premieres of two world-renowned theater companies during our festival and also mark the long-awaited return of another,” Kang said. “The work of legendary director Robert Lepage sits at a mythical level.” “Black Watch,” the sensation of the New York theater scene and the 2007 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, will be performed six times in Memorial Hall in a customized stage setup with the audiences sitting on two sides. “‘Black Watch’ is as significant today as it was in 2007,” Kang said. “The play is an exploration of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and its impact on the 10 characters onstage as told by members of the elite Scottish regiment known as the Black Watch.” Besides the creation of the theater festival, Carolina Performing Arts chose to refine one of its subscription series to better fit a genre represented often in its programming. Drawing on its 2009-10 season, which featured seven artists from the broad genre of world music, Carolina Performing Arts has created a new World Music Series featuring iconic South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela (Oct. 11), legendary Cuban songstress Omara Portuondo (Nov. 5) and Indian sitar royalty Anoushka Shankar (April 19). “Our 2010-11 season is designed to bring the complete spectrum of the world’s artistic offerings to Memorial Hall,” said Kara Larson, director of marketing and public relations for Carolina Performing Arts. “Not only are we presenting the best in world music and international theater, but also in dance and roots music with companies like the Netherlands Dance Theater and Mexican-American singer-songwriter Carrie Rodriguez.” Five performances in the new Carolina Performing Arts season will be part of the 2010-11 Carolina Creative Campus initiative – a yearlong, University-wide discussion facilitated by the Office of the Executive Director for the Arts. This year’s theme, “Voices of Dissent,” explores the ways people speak up, go against and think differently. It is a conversation examining what protest looks like, sounds like and feels like, and it asks questions of why and how people speak up and out in the world. Performances that will be part of the conversation will be by the Latin-, hip-hop-, and rock-influenced band Ozomatli, whose members met through their affiliation with the Peace and Justice Center of Los Angeles (Oct. 1); South African legend Masekela; “Black Watch”; and “Blues at the Crossroads,” a retrospective on legendary bluesman Robert Johnson featuring guitarist Dave “Honeyboy” Edwards (Feb. 16). “Our Carolina Creative Campus initiative provides an opportunity each year for us to reach out beyond the boundaries of individual disciplines to create a shared exploration of important issues,” said Reed Colver, Carolina Performing Arts’ director of campus and community engagement. “‘Voices of Dissent’ is a theme that touches on many issues, including oppression, freedom of speech, power, politics, law and health,” Colver said. “Protest is powerful; exploring the many facets of how and why it happens is an exciting challenge for our fourth year of Carolina Creative Campus, and I anticipate the campus will continue to find new ways to spark creative dialogues about this topic.” New subscriptions to any of seven Carolina Performing Arts series – which range from theater and dance performances to roots, jazz and classical offerings – will be available beginning June 7. Also available on June 7 will be flex subscription packages, which allow patrons to create subscription packages based on the performances they like the most, and single tickets to the Yo-Yo Ma performance. Tickets to other individual performances will be available beginning July 5. All on-sale dates begin at 10 a.m. Subscriptions and tickets can be purchased online at www.carolinaperformingarts.org , by phone through the Memorial Hall Box Office at (919) 843-3333, or by mail to the Memorial Hall Box Office, UNC-Chapel Hill, Campus Box 3276, Chapel Hill, N.C., 27599-3276. While University classes are in session, the box office is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. 2010-11 Carolina Performing Arts season Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble Yo-Yo Ma’s multi-faceted career is testament to his continual search for musical connections that stimulate the imagination. His Silk Road Ensemble takes inspiration from the historical Silk Road trading route as a modern metaphor for multicultural exchange. From Japan to the Mediterranean, the Silk Road promoted an unprecedented sharing of commodities, ideas, arts, sciences and innovations among people from diverse cultures along the way. The Silk Road Ensemble, composed of internationally renowned musicians, composers, arrangers, visual artists and storytellers from more than 20 countries, presents innovative performances that explore the relationship between tradition and innovation in music from the East and West. McCoy Tyner Quartet McCoy Tyner’s harmonic contributions and dramatic rhythmic devices have left their mark on generations of jazz pianists. A former member of the John Coltrane Quartet with four Grammy Awards and nearly 80 albums, Tyner renders a sophisticated blues-based style shaped modern jazz, which has become one of the most identifiable sounds in improvised music. Always expanding his vision of the musical landscape and incorporating new elements, whether from distant continents or diverse musical influences, he has collaborated with artists as varied as Derek Trucks, Béla Fleck and Savion Glover. Earl Scruggs with special guests The Red Clay Ramblers From Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys to the Foggy Mountain Boys and Flatt & Scruggs (the most successful instrumental duo in bluegrass history), banjo legend Earl Scruggs is one of the most important figures in American music. Revered by generations of bluegrass pickers, his ingenuity, vitality and trademark three-finger picking style make for magical and unforgettable listening. North Carolina’s own Tony Award-winning Red Clay Ramblers are among the very best of the string-band revival groups, rooted in old-time mountain music as well as bluegrass, country, rock, New Orleans jazz, gospel and the American musical. Chick Corea, piano, with Christian McBride, bass, and Brian Blade, drums Fifteen-time Grammy Award winner Chick Corea’s four-decade career is the stuff of jazz lore – his groups are hotbeds of imagination, full of the joy of making music while creating influential, limit-stretching musical experiences. His solo concerts are master performances rife with soul-searching explorations. His collaborations are intricate dances of personality, grace and intuition. Throughout it all, Chick’s music continues to break new ground. He performs here with Grammy-winning bass virtuoso Christian McBride and the multi-talented veteran Brian Blade on drums. “Dynamic Korea: Dance and Song” – Chae Hyang Soon Dance Company With dazzling color and grace, the movements of Korea’s gorgeous classical dance tradition reflect the essential rhythms of life in Korea, handed down from generation to generation. From the gentle, gliding grace of the opening chaech’ŏnmu(Chosŏn Court Dance) to the thunderous drumming of the closing p’unggo, the elaborately costumed dancers and musicians of the Chae Hyang Soon Dance Company are animated by the strength and energy of the Korean tradition. The exuberant yŏtt’aryŏngch’um(Taffy Peddler Dance) walks audiences through Korea’s bustling marketplaces, while meditative, deeply symbolic performances such as the hwahyŏnmu(Lotus Dance) and sŭngmu(Monk’s Dance) explore the country’s deep Buddhist roots. Leon Fleisher, piano Program Ozomatli With a reputation for serious party-rocking, these Grammy-winning Los Angeles culture-mashers blend their notorious urban-Latino collision of hip-hop, salsa, dance hall, cumbia, samba and funk. In the band members’ 14 years together, they’ve gone from hometown heroes to world superstars. Synonymous with their city and a product of its grassroots political scene, they recorded the street-view travelogue “City of Angels”in 2007 as a new urban anthem and recently were featured as part of the prominent L.A. figures imaging campaign “We Are 4 LA” on NBC. Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, in just five seasons, has vaulted into the realm of elite dance companies. With dazzling exuberance, sensuality, emotion and technical brilliance, these 16 dancers from around the world integrate classical ballet and edgy athleticism into contemporary and popular dance forms. Acquiring and commissioning new works by the most sought-after emerging choreographers – including Nicolo Fonte, Crystal Pite, Jacopo Godani, Stijn Celis, Angelin Preljocaj, Ohad Naharin, Didy Veldman, Jo Strømgren, Luca Veggetti and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui – Cedar Lake explores the infinite possibilities of movement and multimedia. Hugh Masekela A defining force in world music and the human rights struggle, Hugh Masekela’s riveting live performances are unforgettable. An inspiration in the fight to end apartheid, this iconic South African’s hit song “Bring Him Back Home” was an anthem for the Free Nelson Mandela movement. He became an international star with his Grammy-winning hit “Grazing in the Grass” and played an integral role in Paul Simon’s “Graceland”tour. His music was featured in Alvin Ailey’s “Masekela Language,” and he co-created the smash-hit Broadway musical “Sarafina,” introducing the sounds and passion of South African music to audiences around the globe. Mariinsky Orchestra with Valery Gergiev, music director and conductor Omara Portuondo Kremerata Baltica with Gidon Kremer, violin/leader Program Of all the world’s leading violinists, Gidon Kremer is one of the most original and compelling. With more than 100 albums, Kremer has an unusually extensive repertoire that includes standard classical and romantic works, music by 20th-century masters and contemporary composers of Eastern Europe and Russia. No other soloist of his stature has done as much for living composers in the past 30 years. Grammy-winning ensemble Kremerata Baltica is the realization of Kremer’s belief that music can overcome all barriers of language and culture. Performing in the world’s greatest halls, these 27 young musicians were handpicked by Kremer from among the most exceptional talent of the Baltic states, helping to create cultural bridges among three neighboring countries (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) with strikingly different identities. “Sutra” – Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui / Sadler’s Wells London Following a lifelong interest in the philosophy and faith behind the skill, strength and spirituality of Buddhist Shaolin monks in China, celebrated Flemish/Moroccan choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui has created a new dance work inspired by the Shaolin tradition, its relationship with kung fu and its position in contemporary life. The 17 monks performing in “Sutra”come directly from the original Shaolin Temple – China’s key national Buddhist temple, situated near Dengfeng City in the Henan Province and established in 495 A.D. by monks originating from India. The Shaolin monks follow a strict Buddhist doctrine and include kung fu and tai chi martial arts in their daily regimen. The set is designed by Antony Gormley, with music by Szymon Brzóska. Carrie Rodriguez and Ben Sollee A dynamic cross between Lucinda Williams and Suzanne Vega, singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Carrie Rodriguez is climbing quickly to the top of the Americana ladder. She has performed with Lucinda Williams, Alejandro Escovedo, John Prine, Bruce Hornsby and many others. Her Austin roots, passionate live shows and critically acclaimed albums have led to a Roots Music Association 2009 Songwriter of the Year award and national TV and radio appearances on Austin City Limits (PBS-TV), Mountain Stage and World Café Live. One of National Public Radio’s 2007 Top 10 Unknown Artists, cellist and singer Ben Sollee defies convention with his soulful voice and unique instrumentation, bridging jazz, bluegrass and folk and collaborating with the Sparrow Quartet, Otis Taylor and Daniel Martin Moore. “Nutcracker” – Carolina Ballet A holiday season staple, Robert Weiss’s “Nutcracker”is a fantasy classic, capturing the irrepressible imagination of a child’s world in which all things are possible. Featuring toy soldiers, dancing snowflakes, an army of mice and the Sugar Plum Fairy, the original work was Tchaikovsky’s third and last major ballet. Renowned for its story ballets, Carolina Ballet has served the Triangle community since 1997 under the inspired leadership of artistic director Weiss, formerly a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. Anthony Dean Griffey, tenor, with UNC Music Faculty UNC-Chapel Hill artist in residence Anthony Dean Griffey possesses a beautiful and powerful voice and a gift for dramatic interpretation. He has received four Grammy Awards: Best Classical Album and Best Opera Recording for Kurt Weill’s “Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny” in 2009 and Best Classical Album and Best Choral Performance in 2010 for Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 with the San Francisco Symphony. His numerous recordings include the title role in Benjamin Britten’s “Peter Grimes”with the Metropolitan Opera; “War Requiem” with the London Philharmonic Orchestra; André Previn’s “A Streetcar Named Desire”; live recordings of the title role in Deems Taylor’s “Peter Ibbetson” with the Seattle Symphony; and Carlisle Floyd’s “Of Mice and Men.” In this program, he performs with members of UNC-Chapel Hill’s music faculty, including soprano Terry Rhodes, professor and department chair. Mitsuko Uchida, piano Program: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis The first jazz composer to win the Pulitzer Prize in music, New Orleans native Wynton Marsalis also was the first artist to win jazz and classical Grammy Awards in the same year. His Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) features 15 of jazz music’s leading soloists and draws from an extensive repertoire including the masterworks of Ellington, Mingus, Coltrane and other great jazz composers. The orchestra also performs original compositions by Marsalis, Benny Carter, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Joe Lovano, Marcus Roberts, Geri Allen, Christian McBride and others. “Black Watch” – National Theatre of Scotland Hurtling from a poolroom in Scotland to an armored truck in Iraq, this blistering, complex and urgent theater work is based on interviews with former soldiers who served in Iraq. Viewed through the eyes of those on the ground, “Black Watch” reveals what it means to be part of the legendary Scottish regiment and the war on terror – and what it means to make the journey home again. Exploring the male psyche and the morality of war with tremendous energy, wit and compassion, “Black Watch” addresses one of the thorniest issues of our time. “Blues at the Crossroads: The Robert Johnson Centennial Concerts” With David “Honeyboy” Edwards on board, “Blues at the Crossroads”connects to the Robert Johnson legend – Edwards was playing with him the night he died. The evening picks up the thread of Johnson’s Mississippi legacy at the junction of U.S. Highways 61 and 49 – the very crossroads where, as folklore would have it, Robert Johnson’s burning desire pushed him to make his deal with the devil, giving up his soul to write the most haunting blues the world had ever heard. This show features Big Head Todd & The Monsters, Edwards, William Elliott Whitmore and Cedric Burnside & Lightin’ Malcolm. Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz The prophet of Latin jazz, nine-time Grammy Award winner Eddie Palmieri blazes his own distinctive musical path around the world. A powerhouse innovator, this pianist, bandleader, composer, arranger, producer and pioneer of contemporary salsa revolutionized Latin music with his infectious sound. With 36 albums and more than 50 years as a bandleader, Palmieri is known for restless, instinctive playing rooted in Cuban music and influenced by jazz luminaries such as Art Tatum, Bobby Timmons, Bill Evans, Horace Silver, Bud Powell and McCoy Tyner. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Alvin Ailey’s story is one of the most inspirational in the history of American performing arts, and his genius forever changed the perception of American dance. For half a Nicola Benedetti, violin Program includes works by Brahms, Prokofiev, Franck, Webern, Richard Strauss The winsome charm and youthful exuberance of rising star Nicola Benedetti belie her razor-sharp technique and rapturous tone that exhilarate audiences and critics alike. Diving into the most challenging programs, she gives risk-taking performances that exhibit sheer virtuosity. One of the world’s most innovative young violinists, Benedetti was the choice of the Szymanowski violin concerto for the BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2004 – just the beginning of her focus on lesser-known repertoire and new music. Recording newly commissioned works by John Tavener and James MacMillan, studying jazz with Wynton Marsalis and exploring authentic baroque performance, she won the 2008 Classical BRIT Award for Young British Classical Performer. Benedetti is an exclusive Universal/Deutsche Grammophon artist. Cirque Éloize – “ID” A dynamic mix of new circus and urban dance, “ID”features 10 circus disciplines against a throbbing backdrop of hip-hop, rock music and sci-fi videos. With its signature mix of human poetry, physical feats and playful energy, Cirque Éloize sets “ID”in a public place in the heart of a futuristic city – a spot where we can seek refuge and escape anonymity, express our individuality, affirm our identity and reclaim possession of public space. Creating magical, poetic works combining circus arts with music, dance and theater, Cirque Éloize takes part in many prestigious international festivals and conquered Broadway with its hit show “Rain,” performed in Memorial Hall in October 2007. “The Andersen Project” – Ex Machina Filled to the brim with director Robert Lepage’s trademark rapid-fire humor and visual and technological brilliance, this spellbinding masterpiece by the Canadian theater visionary explores sexual identity, unfulfilled fantasies and the thirst for fame. Freely inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s timeless fables and anecdotes drawn from his life and writings, this deeply human one-man performance by Yves Jacques weaves the compelling story of a fictional Québécois songwriter in Paris whose travels and chance encounters take him on a voyage of self-discovery and understanding. Theater company Ex Machina is producing the work. Netherlands Dance Theater Netherlands Dance Theater is among the most prominent and innovative contemporary dance companies in the world, setting the stage on fire with lavish visuals, hypnotic music and 30 sublime dancers. Performing highly praised works by house choreographers Jiří Kylián and Lightfoot León as well as new creations by established and emerging choreographers, the company inspires and engages audiences from The Hague to New St. Petersburg Philharmonic with Yuri Temirkanov, conductor, and Alisa Weilerstein, cello Program: BeijingDance/LDTX An important voice in the evolution of modern Chinese thought and society, BeijingDance/LDTX (“Lei Dong Tian Xia”– Thunder Rumbles Under Heaven) was born of a controversial and exciting time of rapid cultural change. Founded by veteran choreographers and a new generation of dancers, China’s first independent, nongovernmental professional dance company is a platform for contemporary creations integrating Chinese culture and international influences. Pioneering China’s most cutting-edge choreography under the artistic direction of Willy Tsao – China’s foremost figure in modern dance – the company’s exquisite dancers perform a diverse repertoire. “Bach and Beyond” – Jennifer Koh, violin Program The Anoushka Shankar Project Often associated with her world-famous half-sister Norah Jones and her legendary father Ravi Shankar (the sitar virtuoso who inspired the Beatles), Anoushka Shankar has become hugely successful in her own right. One of the most exciting artists in world music today, she carries on the deep tradition of classical Indian music and combines it with a contemporary voice of her own. She has appeared on recordings by Sting, Lenny Kravitz and Joshua Bell. Her 2007 album, “Breathing Under Water,” features Sting, Norah Jones and Ravi Shankar. The Anoushka Shankar Project explores the fertile ground in the crossover between Indian music and genres including electronica, jazz, flamenco and Western classical music. Branford Marsalis, saxophone, with the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra Among the most celebrated musicians of the past quarter century, three-time Grammy Award winner Branford Marsalis has appeared with jazz giants such as Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock and Sonny Rollins. Born into one of the country’s most distinguished musical families, he gained initial acclaim with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and his brother Wynton’s quintet before forming his own ensemble. Equally at home on the stages of the world’s greatest jazz clubs and classical music venues, he is known for his innovative spirit and broad musical scope. He performs here with the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra led by James Ketch, music professor and director of jazz studies at UNC. Web site: www.carolinaperformingarts.org Note: For photos of the artists, e-mail Sean McKeithan at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it Carolina Performing Arts contact: Harry Kaplowitz, (919) 843-3119,
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
|