IN THIS ISSUE
Photo: Alonzo King
TABLE of CONTENTS
Letter from the Director | A-2
Alonzo King LINES Ballet | A-3
Lara Downes | A-12
Taj Mahal & Leyla McCalla | A-15
Your Guide to Meany Center | A-18
Thanks to Our Donors | A-19
Upcoming PERFORMANCES
Third Coast Percussion & Jessie Montgomery | May 3 Complexions Contemporary Ballet | May 8–10
Jonathan Biss | May 13
Hamid Rahmanian’s Song of the North | May 17
INTRODUCING THE 2025–26 SEASON
The new season has been announced.
See page A-11 for a complete list of artists and dates.
We acknowledge that Meany Center is on unceded and traditional land of the Coast Salish, including the Duwamish People, the first pe ople of Seattle. We honor with gratitude the land itself and those who have cared for it, past and present. Meany Center is committed to better understanding our relationship with this land and to building authentic relationships with the first people of this region.
Welcome to Meany Center
Dear Friends,
This month, we present three visionary artists whose work invites dialogue, reaffirms our shared humanity and embodies the thrill of live performance.
Alonzo King LINES Ballet returns with Deep River, mirroring the dynamic interplay of tradition and innovation. By weaving African American spirituals with global movement languages, King’s choreography becomes a collective meditation on resilience.
Pianist Lara Downes, selected by Meany Artistic Partner Rhiannon Giddens, performs This Land, showcasing the distinct voices and richness of American music, past and present.
Finally, Taj Mahal and Leyla McCalla present Black Banjo, where Blues and Haitian folk traditions converge. Their collaboration,
ADVISORY BOARD
John Robinson, President
Kyra Hokanson Gray, Vice President
Sashi Raghupathy, Vice President
Robert Babs, Treasurer
Manisha Advani
Melinda Bitners
Sara Bowen
Darlene Cheatham
Margie Chen
Luis Fernando Esteban
Dr. M. Elizabeth Halloran
Hsiao-Wuen Hon
Cathy Hughes
Yumi Iwasaki
Susan Joslyn
Megan Kennedy
Sally Kincaid
Olivia Lee
rooted in Afrobeat and Appalachian sounds, celebrates the banjo’s African lineage and roots, which laid the groundwork for American folk and popular music.
We have just announced our 2025–26 season. We are thrilled to bring Yo-Yo Ma back to Meany, and to announce next year’s Artistic Partner, the legendary Peter Sellars. I hope you are as excited as I am.
Thank you for being here tonight. You are an essential part of what makes the Meany family so special. Enjoy the performance!
With gratitude,
Michelle Witt Executive & Artistic Director
Jeff Lehman
Kambiz Parcham-Azad
Cecilia Paul
Jack Percival
Tina Ragen
Donald Rupchock
Marcie Stone
Scott VanGerpen
Gregory Wallace
EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS
Ana Mari Cauce
UW President
Dianne Harris
Dean, College of Arts & Sciences
Gabriel Solis
Divisional Dean of the Arts
EMERITUS BOARD
Matt Krashan
Emeritus Artistic Director
Linda Linford Allen
Cynthia Bayley
Thomas Bayley
Cathryn Booth-LaForce
JC Cannon
Elizabeth Cooper
Gail Erickson
Brian Grant
Randy Kerr
Susan Knox
Kurt Kolb
Sheila Edwards Lange
Frank Lau
Craig Miller
Dick Roth
Eric Rothchild
Jeff Seely
K. Freya Skarin
Rich Stillman
Dave Stone
Donald Swisher
Lee Talner
Thomas Taylor
David Vaskevitch
Ellen Wallach
Kathleen Wright
IN MEMORIAM
Ellsworth C. “Buster” Alvord
Linda Armstrong
Betty Balcom
Ross Boozikee
Ruth Gerberding
Ernest Henley
Mina Person
Lois Rathvon
Jerry Sanford, Sr.
ALONZO KING LINES BALLET DEEP RIVER
April 3–5 | 8 p.m.
Choreographer, Artistic Director and Co-Founder: Alonzo King
Executive Director, Creative Director and Co-Founder: Robert Rosenwasser
Choreography: Alonzo King
Original Music: Jason Moran, Lisa Fischer
Music: Pharoah Sanders, Maurice Ravel, James Weldon Johnson
Composers and Lyricist: Maurice Ravel, Pharoah Sanders, Kamalakanta
Bhattacharya, James Weldon Johnson, J. Rosamond Johnson
Vocals: Lisa Fischer
Piano: Jason Moran
Lighting Design: Jim French
Costume and Set Design: Robert Rosenwasser
Sound Design: Philip Perkins
The Company
Maël Amatoul, Babatunji, Adji Cissoko, Theo Duff-Grant, Lorris Eichinger, Shuaib Elhassan, Joshua Francique, Mikal Gilbert, Ilaria Guerra, Marusya Madubuko, Tatum Quiñónez, Amanda Smith
General Manager: Brandi Williams
Production Manager: Seah Johnson
Rehearsal/Stage Manager: Byron Roman
Technical Director: Joshua Weckesser
Rehearsal Director: Meredith Webster
Costume Construction: Joan Raymond, Shannon Maxham
SEASON SUPPORT COMES FROM
YOUTH MATINEE & K-12 IN-SCHOOL ARTS RESIDENCY
UNDERWRITTEN BY
Hans & Kristin Mandt
Colonel Ron & Mrs. Darlene Cheatham
SIGNATURE SUPPORT
Cecilia Paul & Harry Reinert
Ellen Wallach and Thomas Darden
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT COMES FROM
Manisha Advani & Rajib Chakrabarti
Linda & Thomas Allen
Stephen & Sylvia Burges
Katharyn Alvord Gerlich
Lynn & Brian Grant Family
Amy & Christopher Gulick
Hsiao-Wuen & Tiffany Hon
Tuck Hoo & Tom Lyons
Yumi Iwasaki & Anoop Gupta
Matthew & Christina Krashan
Terrel Dean & Robert Lefferts
Jeffrey Lehman & Katrina Russell
Gary L. Menges
Tina Ragen and son, Ian
Richard Szeliski & Lyn McCoy
Donna & Joshua Taylor
Scott VanGerpen & Britt East
George S. Wilson & Claire L. McClenny
Anonymous
DEEP RIVER
World Premiere May 13, 2022
Kaddisch
Composer: Maurice Ravel
Dancers: Company
Transition
Composers: Lisa Fischer and Jason Moran
Dancers: Adji Cissoko and Shuaib Elhassan
Drip
Composer: Jason Moran
Dancers: Ilaria Guerra, Theo Duff-Grant, Joshua Francique
Where is There Love?
Composer: Kamalakanta Bhattacharya
Translated into English by Paramahansa Yogananda
Dancers: Adji Cissoko
Chime Aria
Composer: Lisa Fischer
Dancers: Ilaria Guerra, Tatum Quiñónez, Shuaib Elhassan, Joshua Francique, Mikal Gilbert, Marusya Madubuko, Maël Amatoul, Amanda Smith
Follow the Light
Composer: Jason Moran
Lyricist: Lisa Fischer
Dancers: Theo Duff-Grant and Company
Rivers of Memory
Composers: Pharoah Sanders, Jim McKee, Wieslaw Pogorzelski
Dancers: Adji Cissoko, Shuaib Elhassan and Company
Fanfare
Composer: Pharoah Sanders
Dancers: Amanda Smith and Marusya Madubuko
Laughing Pas
Composer: Jason Moran
Dancers: Marusya Madubuko and Joshua Francique
Rhythm Chant
Composer: Jason Moran
Dancers: Company
Lift Every Voice and Sing
Composers: James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson
Dancers: Babatunji
Deep River
Traditional African American Spiritual
Dancers: Company
Epilogue Pas
Composer: Jason Moran
Dancers: Adji Cissoko and Shuaib Elhassan
Inspiration for Deep River
Over the first two years of the pandemic, Alonzo King and the artists of LINES worked in confined bubbles at their studios, in outside grassy areas of Golden Gate Park, on a farm in the isolated desert of Wickenburg, Arizona, and in other locales in order to build work and not be halted or harmed by the pandemic. Deep River is the result of three years of working in designated time periods in unusual settings.
Along with the compositions of Jason Moran and the remarkable voice of Lisa Fischer, the use of spiritual music from the Black and Jewish traditions was selected to address the power of inspiration during difficulty and hope and determination against seemingly impossible odds. Deep River is the call to be fanatically positive regardless of circumstance. To bloom the lotus in the muck. And to look at one another as a family of souls. It points to the imbalance of the intellect without a heart, and the necessity to feel for others as we do for ourselves. It is a love letter to a world writhing in pain. The majority of the company is predominantly on stage, sewn through solos and pas de deux.
Alonzo King LINES Ballet is a celebrated contemporary ballet company that has been guided since 1982 by the artistic vision of acclaimed choreographer Alonzo King. Collaborating with extraordinary composers, musicians, writers, and visual artists from around the world, King draws on a diverse set of deeply rooted cultural traditions, imbuing classical ballet with new expressive potential. He has been heralded as a visionary and thought leader on topics that reach far beyond dance, receiving numerous accolades including a San Francisco Arts Medallion, an induction into the California Hall of Fame, and a 2020 Dance Magazine Award. The company brings new works of illuminating beauty to Bay Area audiences in bi-annual home seasons. LINES Ballet’s national and international tours allow the company to share its vision of transformative, revelatory dance through performances worldwide.
LINES Ballet is dedicated to training the next generation of artists through its pre-professional Summer Program, Training Program, and Bachelor of Fine Arts Program with Dominican University of California. LINES also makes dance accessible to Bay Area adults and youth through worldclass, affordable classes open to the community and free in-school education programs.
“The term LINES alludes to all that is visible in the phenomenal world. There is nothing that is made or formed without a line. Straight and Circle encompass all that we see. Whatever can be seen is formed by a line. In mathematics, it is a straight or curved continuous extent of length without breadth. Lines are in our fingerprints, the shapes of our bodies, constellations, geometry. It implies genealogical connection, progeny, and spoken word. It marks the starting point and finish. It addresses direction,
communication, and design. A line of thought. A boundary or eternity. A melodic line. The equator. From vibration or dot to dot it is the visible organization of what we see.”
— Alonzo King
Alonzo King (Choreographer, Artistic Director and Co-Founder)
Alonzo King has been called a visionary choreographer, who is altering the way we look and think about movement. King calls his works “thought structures,” created by the manipulation of energies that exist in matter through laws, which govern the shapes and movement directions of everything that exists. Named as a choreographer with “astonishing originality” by The New York Times, Alonzo King LINES Ballet has been guided by his unique artistic vision since 1982.
Photo: Alonzo King
ALONZO KING LINES BALLET | ABOUT THE ARTIST
King has works in the repertories of the world’s leading ballet and modern companies and has collaborated with distinguished visual artists, musicians and composers across the globe. His work has been recognized for its impact on the cultural fabric of the company’s home in San Francisco, as well as internationally by the dance world’s most prestigious institutions.
Named a Master of Choreography by the Kennedy Center in 2005, King is the recipient of the NEA Choreographer’s Fellowship, the Jacob’s Pillow Creativity Award, the US Artist Award in Dance, NY Bessie Award and the National Dance Project’s Residency and Touring Awards. In 2015 he received the Doris Duke Artist Award in recognition of his ongoing contributions to the advancement of contemporary dance. Joining historic icons in the field, King was named one of America’s “Irreplaceable Dance Treasures” by the Dance Heritage Coalition. He is a former San Francisco commissioner, and a writer and lecturer on humanity and art. Inducted into the California Hall of Fame, King holds an honorary Doctorate from Dominican University, California Institute of the Arts and The Juilliard School.
Robert Rosenwasser (Executive Director, Creative Director and CoFounder)
Robert Rosenwasser shapes the aesthetic and artistic direction of each project at the Company, including conceptual design and production. In addition to his work with Alonzo King LINES Ballet, he has designed for American Ballet Theater, Ballet de Monte Carlo, Ballet Bejart, the Royal Swedish Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Alvin Ailey American, Dance Theater of Harlem, Ballet Rambert, Joffrey Ballet, and Frankfurt Ballet. Working with Kelsey St. Press, Mr. Rosenwasser has collaborated with artists and poets Richard Tuttle, Kiki Smith, Cecilia Vicuna, Mei-mei Berssenbrugge,
and Barbara Guest. This work can be found at the New York Museum of Modern Art in the Department of Books and Illustrated Prints, at the Whitney Museum, and at the Spencer Collection of the New York Public Library. Mr. Rosenwasser grew up in New York and attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, Cooper Union, and California Institute of the Arts.
Lisa Fischer (Composer, Vocalist)
After four decades of featured background singing with icons like Luther Vandross, The Rolling Stones, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner and Nine Inch Nails, Lisa Fischer set out to take centerstage with her own humble, heartfelt song. The 2013 Best Documentary Oscar winning film Twenty Feet from Stardom altered the course of Lisa’s musical journey, telling her story, with clips of her legendary duets with Sting and Mick Jagger, left audiences eager to see and hear more, so Lisa took the chance to set out on her own reinventing classic songs with her co-conspirators JC Maillard and Grand Baton. Their organic fusion of Caribbean psychedelic soul and jazzy progressive rock ignited Lisa’s flexibility and freedom of expression, awakening her lifelong desire to make music that heals but still rocks the house.
While Lisa’s range is legendary, her greatest gift is the ability to connect, to reach the hearts of her listeners. Raised in the Fort Greene neighborhood of Brooklyn, she emerged from New York’s fervent studio scene in the early 1980s, sang for two decades with legendary vocalist Luther Vandross, and released “So Intense”, earning her first Best R&B Performance Grammy with “How Can I Ease the Pain.” She joined the Rolling Stones for their 1989 Steel Wheels tour, and continued to grace their stage for the next 26 years. Lisa’s passion for constant growth and experimentation with different
styles invited recent collaborations with jazz pianist Taylor Eigsti, Sting, Bruce Springsteen, Michael McDonald, Eric Krasno, Talib Kweli, Billy Childs, Yo-Yo Ma, the BBC Proms/ Jules Buckley and the Metropole Orkest, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Anna Deavere Smith’s Notes from the Field for HBO, and especially her full evening program The Classic Lisa Fischer with Grand Baton and Seattle Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony and the National Philharmonic. With spiritual truth-telling as her compass and loving kindness as her guide, Lisa Fischer continues her creative journey: destination unknown.
Jason Moran (Composer, Pianist)
Jazz pianist, composer and performance artist Jason Moran is deeply invested in reassessing and complicating the relationship between music and language; his work is geared towards challenging the status quo while respecting the accomplishments of his predecessors. Moran graduated from Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Jaki Byard. He was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2010 and is the Artistic Director for Jazz at The Kennedy Center. Currently, Moran teaches at the New England Conservatory. Moran has recorded and performed with masters of the form including Charles Lloyd, Bill Frisell and the late Sam Rivers, and his work with his trio The Bandwagon (with drummer Nasheet Waits and bassist Tarus Mateen), which resulted in a prolific discography for Blue Note Records. He also has collaborated with such major figures as Adrian Piper, Joan Jonas, Glenn Ligon, Stan Douglas, Adam Pendleton, Lorna Simpson and Kara Walker; commissioning institutions of Moran’s work include the Walker Art Center, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Dia Art Foundation, the Whitney Museum of American Art, Harlem Stage and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
THE DANCERS
Maël Amatoul is native to the French Riviera. He embarked on a journey at the PNSD Rosella Hightower in Cannes, where he trained in ballet and contemporary. Amatoul has worked on pieces by choreographers including Jean Christophe Maillot, Christophe Garcia, Hervé Koubi and Francesco Curci. In 2022, he was awarded a Scholarship of Excellence in Art and Culture from the Côte d’Azur University. After seven years spent in Cannes, Amatoul decided to open his dance experience to new techniques, so he joined The Ailey School. There, he had the opportunity to learn and perform works by Alvin Ailey and renowned choreographers such as Ray Mercer, Branndi Lewis, Renee Robinson and Clifton Brown. After attending the LINES’ Summer Intensive in June 2023, Amatoul joined Alonzo King LINES Ballet as a company dancer.
Babatunji was born in Portland, Oregon, but raised on the Big Island of Hawaii. He received his formal dance training from Center Stage Dance Studio and the University of Hawaii in Hilo before moving to San Francisco to train at the LINES Ballet Training Program on a full scholarship. Babatunji has performed works by diverse choreographers such as Sidra Bell, Amanda Miller, Gregory Dawson and Maurya Kerr. He has performed overseas in Japan and China and danced with Philein/ZiRu productions, Maurya Kerr’s tinypistol, and Dawson|Wallace Dance Project. Babatunji joined LINES Ballet in 2013 and danced with the company for six years. Currently, he is a dancer with Post:Ballet and SFDanceworks in San Francisco. He rejoined LINES Ballet in 2021.
Adji Cissoko was born and grew up in Munich, Germany where she trained at the Ballet Academy Munich and graduated with a diploma in dance.
Cissoko attended the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre in New York City on full scholarship, before joining the National Ballet of Canada in 2010. In 2012, she was awarded the Patron Award of Merit by the Patrons’ Council Committee of The National Ballet of Canada. Cissoko joined LINES Ballet in 2014. Since then she’s originated many central roles and guested for galas worldwide. Cissoko has given multiple masterclasses and taught classes around the world as part of the company’s outreach program. In 2020, she became certified in health/life coaching and ABT’s National Training Curriculum. Cissoko choreographed her first piece “AZIZ” for Ballet X in 2021. She is also a 2022 recipient of the Toulmin fellowship.
Theo Duff-Grant was born in Vancouver, Canada. He studied at Goh Ballet Academy for ten years before completing his training at the Dutch National Ballet Academy. In 2015, he joined the Dutch National Ballet. In 2017, he moved to Saint Petersburg, Russia to join the Mikhailovsky Theatre. In 2022, he joined LINES Ballet.
Shuaib Elhassan, from Manhattan’s Lower East Side, began his formal dance training at The Ailey School under the co-direction of Tracy Inman and Melanie Person on a full scholarship. Elhassan has also trained at intensives such as Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts, Jacob’s Pillow and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Elhassan was a member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet during their 2012–2013 season. Additionally, Elhassan has performed with Life Dance Company, Zest Collective, Dance Iquail and the Von Howard Project. Elhassan joined LINES Ballet in 2014.
Joshua Francique was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He began his dance training with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater back in 2015. Joshua continued his training at the Northern
Photo: Alonzo King
Illinois University BFA dance program and, soon after at The Ailey School on a full scholarship. Francique has performed works by Nicole ClarkSpringer, Gary Abbott and Kevin Iega Jeff, to name a few. In 2020, Francique attended the LINES Ballet | Training Program for a year. Joshua joined LINES Ballet in 2022.
Mikal Gilbert was raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia. His love for dance began at the age of 19 while studying music performance at the University of the Arts. It was there his passion grew upon encouragement from several dance faculty members. He then went on to formally train at Norfolk Academy under the tutelage of Elbert Watson, where he studied ballet and modern. In 2017, Gilbert was an inaugural member of Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s Pre-Professional Program. In 2018, he continued his studies at The Ailey School as a full scholarship recipient. Mikal has attended intensives and workshops at Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Complexions, and BalletX. Mikal is a “Dancer of Philadelphia” and has been a member of Koresh Dance Company (2019–2022), Dance Iquail (2022) and Philadanco (2022–2024), where he performed works by Bernard Gaddis, Milton Myers, Christopher Rudd and Tommie Wheed. Mikal joined LINES Ballet in 2024.
Ilaria Guerra was born in Torino, Italy. At the age of 5, she moved to Palos Verdes Estates, California where she trained in classical ballet at Lauridsen Ballet Center, performing with their pre-professional company, South Bay Ballet. Ilaria graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Alonzo King LINES Ballet BFA Program at Dominican University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a minor in Arts Management in 2013. She joined dawsondancesf under the direction of Gregory Dawson in 2013. In 2016, Ilaria received an Isadora Duncan Dance Award for Ensemble Performance.
Ilaria joined LINES Ballet in 2018 and has had the chance to tour all over the US, Canada and Europe with the company. In 2022, Ilaria earned her Master’s degree in Arts Administration from Drexel University.
Marusya Madubuko, originally from New York, NY, she began her pre-professional training at age 15 with Premiere Division Ballet under the tutelage of Nadege Hottier. In 2019, Madubuko competed at the Royal Grand Prix in Italy, winning second place for her contemporary and classical solo. She has trained with the Bolshoi Ballet Academy, the Royal Ballet School, and at San Francisco Ballet School where she had the opportunity to dance repertoire including Helgi Tomasson’s Nutcracker and Cinderella, as well as George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In 2021, she participated in BalletUnleashed’s first creative project “Switchback”, working with choreographer Cathy Marston to create a solo. Madubuko joined LINES Ballet in 2021.
Tatum Quiñónez began her training at Master Ballet Academy in Phoenix, Arizona. She then continued her training at Ballet West Academy and the BWA trainee program. She spent her summers at Ballet Arizona, Ballet Austin, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Ballet West and Oregon Ballet Theatre. Quiñónez then joined Oregon Ballet Theatre’s second company, OBT2, in 2019. She has performed works by George Balanchine, August Bournonville, Willam Christensen, Gerald Arpino, Christopher Stowell, James Canfield and LeeWei Chao. Quiñónez joined LINES Ballet in 2021.
Amanda Smith grew up in Orange County, California and trained at California Dance Academy, Pointe of Grace & Anaheim Ballet. In 2008, she was crowned Miss Dance Drill Team California and USA. She moved to New York to study at SUNY Purchase where she received her BFA in 2012. There
Guest Artist Concert: Eroica Trio
Erika Nickrenz, piano; Sara Parkins, violin; and Sara Sant’Ambrogio, cello perform works by J.S. Bach, Tomaso Albinoni, Fritz Kreisler, George Gershwin, and Johannes Brahms.
7:30 pm Meany Hall—Gerlich Theater
APR 18
Faculty Concert: John-Carlos Perea, “Improvising Home”
John-Carlos Perea and guests perform “Improvising Home” for jazz ensemble. This performance revisits and reinterprets the score composed by Perea.
7:30 pm Meany Hall—Studio Theatre
MAY 5
Faculty Recital: Melia Watras, Broken Bell
Violist/composer Melia Watras and writer Sean Harvey unveil their latest collaboration, Broken Bell, in this world premiere performance.
7:30 pm Meany Hall—Gerlich Theater
ALONZO KING LINES BALLET | ABOUT THE ARTIST
she studied abroad and performed at the Dance New York International Dance Festival in Madrid, Spain.
After graduating, she joined Charlotte Ballet and worked with Patricia McBride. In 2015, she moved back to New York and later began working with New York Theatre Ballet. She taught and participated in outside projects including The Black Iris Project, Kymera Dance and featured in a national campaign for GAP. She joined the Dance Theatre of Harlem in 2017 and was featured on the cover of April’s issue of Dance Magazine in 2019. Amanda did many roles in ballets such as Allegro Brilliante and Blake Works IV. She’s also guested for Debbie Allen’s Hot Chocolate Nutcracker. Amanda has taught and worked with many people such as Arthur Mitchell, Carmen De Lavalade and William Forsythe.
Alonzo King LINES Ballet Staff
Leadership Team
Alonzo King, Choreographer, Artistic Director & Co-Founder
Robert Rosenwasser, Executive Director, Creative Director & CoFounder
Development
Lavanya Ganganna, Database Administrator
Sheri Kuehl, Institutional Giving Manager
Marketing
Jamie Lyons, Marketing Manager
Erin McKay, Editor/Writer & Content Manager
Mona Baroudi, Public Relations Consultant
Katie Roy, Graphic Designer
Finance and Human Resources
Jane Clifford, Interim Chief Operating Officer
Masami Kondo, Director of Finance
Anne Calais, Director of Human Resources
Rebecca Anaya, Payroll Administrator
Education
Marina Hotchkiss, BFA Program Director
Maddie Sager, BFA Program Coordinator
Karah M. Abiog, Training and Summer Program Director
Linda Lam, Summer Program Operations Manager
Timmorie Freeman, Training Program Coordinator
Jamie Wright, Dance Center Assistant Manager
Information Technology
Matthew Trevino, vCIO Consultant
Company Staff
Brandi Williams, General Manager
Byron Roman, Rehearsal/Stage Manager
Seah Johnson, Production Manager
Philip Perkins, Sound Designer
Josh Weckesser, Technical Director
Meredith Webster, Julia Erickson, & Jenny Sandler, Rehearsal Directors
Syam Waymon, Assistant to Alonzo King
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Korri Jackson, Chair
Carolyn Press Chatham, Secretary
Augustin de Kerversau
Christopher Dydyk
Shannon Houston
Kimberly Hughes
Alonzo King, Artistic Director & CoFounder
Micki Klearman
Patricia Lawton
Sandra Lloyd
Lisa Pinckney
Bouchra Rachid
Robert Rosenwasser, Creative Director & Co-Founder
Harry Schoening
Diana Smith
Pasha Thornton
Aaron Walton
Benjy Weinberger, Treasurer
Al Wong
Breanna Zwart
Booking
Margaret Selby, Director, Selby Artists Management
mselby@selbyartistsmgmt.com 262 West 38th Street, Suite 1701, New York, NY 10018
Thierry DuClos, Director, Delta Danse
td@deltadanse.com 102 Rue Pasteur, 16600 Magnac sur Touvre, FR
Be INSPIRED
CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES
Jerusalem Quartet | OCT 21, 2025
Karim Sulayman, tenor & Sean Shibe, guitar | JAN 17, 2026
yMusic | FEB 21, 2026
Augustin Hadelich, violin & Francesco Piemontesi, piano | MARCH 19, 2026
East Coast Chamber Orchestra with Shai Wosner, piano | MAY 14, 2026
CROSSROADS SERIES
Mariachi Herencia de México | OCT 17, 2025
Amadou & Mariam | NOV 8, 2025
The Baylor Project | FEB 14, 2026
Ted Poor & Friends | MARCH 14, 2026
Pablo Sáinz–Villegas | APRIL 18, 2026
DANCE SERIES
Sutra | NOV 13–15, 2025
Ephrat Asherie Dance with Arturo O’Farrill | JAN 29–31, 2026
Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company | FEB 26–28, 2026
Circa: Duck Pond | APRIL 2–4, 2026
Mark Morris Dance Group | MAY 7–9, 2026
PIANO SERIES
Mahani Teave | OCT 3, 2025
Jon Kimura Parker | NOV 6, 2025
Leif Ove Andsnes | JAN 23, 2026
Joyce Yang | APRIL 14, 2026
Min Kwon | MAY 12, 2026
SPECIAL EVENTS
Music for New Bodies | NOV 1, 2025
Dianne Reeves: Christmas Time is Here | DEC 11, 2025
MOMIX: ALICE | APRIL 24–25, 2026
SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT
An Evening With Yo–Yo Ma | APRIL 22, 2026
PIANO SERIES
generously underwritten by Sven & Melinda Bitners and Sally Schaake Kincaid
SEASON SUPPORT COMES FROM
SIGNATURE SUPPORT
Diana K. Carey
The Hokanson Family
Thomas McQuaid Jr.
Judy Pigott
John C. Robinson & Maya Sonenberg
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT COMES FROM
Stephen & Sylvia Burges
Katharyn Alvord Gerlich
Lynn & Brian Grant Family
Hsiao-Wuen & Tiffany Hon
Tuck Hoo & Tom Lyons
Matthew & Christina Krashan
Jeffrey Lehman & Katrina Russell
Hans & Kristin Mandt
Eric & Margaret Rothchild
Donald & Toni Rupchock
David & Marcie Stone
Donald & Gloria Swisher
Jeff & Carol Waymack
LARA DOWNES This Land
April 8 | 7:30 p.m.
PAUL SIMON
TRADITIONAL
KIAN RAVAEI
America
900 Miles
Shenandoah
My Lord, What a Mornin’
Variations on “This Land is Your Land”
ANGELICA NEGRÓN Sueño Recurrente
SAM COOKE
SCOTT JOPLIN
INTERMISSION
A Change Is Gonna Come
Prelude from Treemonisha
Bethena Waltz
Magnetic Rag
Maple Leaf Rag
MARGARET BONDS Spiritual Suite
WILLIAM GRANT STILL Summerland
DUKE ELLINGTON Come Sunday
GEORGE GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue
Program is subject to change
Exclusive Management: Cadenza Artists www.cadenza artists.com
LARA
Iconoclastic pianist Lara Downes presents This Land, a timely and resonant project that speaks to the significance of this pivotal moment in American history. Known for her expansive and profound musical explorations, Downes offers a powerful and soulful reflection on the diversity of stories that have shaped the contrasts and contradictions of the American condition. She acknowledges the nation’s flaws while celebrating the beauty of the American experiment, embracing hope and humanity as vital tools, and echoing the call to move forward with courage, to stand together on common ground, and embrace the radical power of joy.
About the project, Lara says, “I’ve been working in these trenches for a long time, trying to understand this country and my own place in it. And I could never have imagined the urgency and the potential of this time. But I’m glad I’m here, and that the music can be present to remind us of our history and help us dream our future.”
She continues, “This land. It’s vast, around 3000 miles from sea to shining sea. A crazy quilt of irregular squares — dense cities, sprawling suburbs and tiny towns. Mountains and canyons, deserts, forests and prairies, all stitched together along their seams by the rivers, the railroads and highways that move us around this land. It seems that we’re always on the move here in America, restless and roaming, following adventure and opportunity, and maybe just the urge to know what else is out there in this big, wide country.”
ABOUT LARA DOWNES
Honored as 2022 Classical Woman of the Year by Performance Today, American pianist Lara Downes has been called “a musical ray of hope” by NBC News and “an explorer whose imagination is fired by bringing notice to the underrepresented and forgotten” (The Log Journal). An iconoclast and trailblazer, her dynamic work as a sought-after soloist, a Billboard Chart-topping recording
artist, a producer, curator, arts activist and advocate positions her as a cultural visionary on the national arts scene. Lara’s musical roadmap seeks inspiration from the legacies of history, family and collective memory, excavating a broad landscape of music to create a series of acclaimed performance and recording projects that serve as gathering spaces for her listeners to find common ground and shared experience.
Lara’s recent and upcoming onstage adventures include guest appearances with The Philadelphia Orchestra, the Boston Pops, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, with recitals and residencies at Ravinia, the Gilmore Festival, Carolina Performing Arts, Washington Performing Arts, Caramoor, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, the Cabrillo Festival and Oregon Bach Festival, among others.
Lara enjoys creative collaborations with an eclectic range of artists
Photo: Max Barrett
LARA DOWNES | ABOUT THE ARTIST
including folk icon Judy Collins, pianist Simone Dinnerstein, musical multi-hyphenate Rhiannon Giddens, former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove, author John McWhorter, Broadway legend Brian Stokes Mitchell, baritone Thomas Hampson and violinist Daniel Hope. Her close partnerships with prominent composers span genres and generations, with premieres and commissions coming from Adolphus Hailstork, Jennifer Higdon, Billy Childs, Paola Prestini, Arturo O’Farrill, Gerald Clayton, Jimmy Lopez-Bellido, Teddy Abrams, Clarice Assad and many others.
Lara’s adventurous approach to concept and curation have created a unique series of acclaimed recordings, including her 2023 release Love at Last on the Pentatone label, which reached #1 on the Billboard Classical Chart and was featured as an NPR Tiny Desk Concert. In 2022, Reflections: Scott Joplin Reconsidered, also reached the top of the Billboard chart and was featured in The New York Times and on NPR’s Morning Edition.
Other recent albums include Florence Price: Piano Discoveries, a worldpremiere recording of recently discovered piano works by that groundbreaking composer; and Some of These Days, a collection of freedom songs and spirituals reflecting on social justice, progress and equality. In 2019 For Love of You marked Lara’s concerto recording debut, celebrating the 200th birthday of the great pianist and composer Clara Schumann. In 2017, her Sony Classical release For Lenny was awarded the Classical Recording Foundation Award, and America Again was selected by NPR as one of “10 Albums that Saved 2016.”
Lara is a highly visible media presence in her role as the creator and host of AMPLIFY with Lara Downes, an NPR Music series now in its third season, featuring intimate, profoundly personal video conversations with visionary artists and cultural leaders who are shaping our creative present
and future. She is a frequent guest on national programs including NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, City Lights and Performance Today, and she serves as Resident Artist for Classical KDFC in San Francisco and Classical KUSC in Los Angeles. Her work has been supported by the Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Sphinx Venture Fund and the Center for Cultural Innovation, among others.
Lara’s fierce commitment to citizenship and advocacy brings her working with organizations including the ACLU, Feeding America and Headcount, a non-partisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy.
Lara has recently launched The Declaration Project, a national initiative marking the 250th anniversary of the United States by gathering together American communities to find common ground in exploring the core essence of our founding promise: the unalienable rights of “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.” Engaging with multi-generational communities in the form of round-table conversations, generative writing workshops, and collaborative creative practice, Lara is encouraging reflection and expression that actively reimagines the promise of our future, reflecting on the magic and mystery of life, the ongoing quest for freedom and equality, and the radical power of joy.
Submissions to The Declaration Project are being collected as a national digital archive, and will be featured in a video installation that will premiere at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in July 2026 as part of Lara’s multimedia concert DECLARATION, featuring a triptych of new works by Grammy Award-winning American composers Valerie Coleman, Arturo O’Farrill and Christopher Tin, respectively titled Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness. Information can be found at TheDeclarationProject.org
TAJ MAHAL & LEYLA M c CALLA
Black Banjo
April 12 | 8 p.m.
Taj Mahal, guitar, banjo, vocals
Leyla McCalla, banjo, cello, vocals
Caito Sanchez, drums, percussion, vocals
Pete Olynciw, bass, vocals
Nahum Zdybel, guitar, vocals
SEASON SUPPORT COMES FROM
SIGNATURE SUPPORT
John C. Robinson & Maya Sonenberg
MEDIA PARTNER
ADDITIONAL SUPPORT COMES FROM
Manisha Advani & Rajib Chakrabarti
Katharyn Alvord Gerlich
Hsiao-Wuen & Tiffany Hon
Yumi Iwasaki & Anoop Gupta
Matthew & Christina Krashan
Eric & Margaret Rothchild
Dennis Lund & Martha Taylor
Richard Szeliski & Lyn McCoy
Scott VanGerpen & Britt East
The program will be announced from the stage.
ABOUT TAJ MAHAL
Taj Mahal doesn’t wait for permission. If a sound intrigues him, he sets out to make it. If origins mystify him, he moves to trace them. If rules get in his way, he unapologetically breaks them. To Taj, convention means nothing, but traditions are holy. He has pushed music and culture forward, all while looking lovingly back.
“I just want to be able to make the music that I’m hearing come to me — and that’s what I did,” Taj says. The 76-year-old is home in Berkeley, reflecting on six decades of music making. “When I say, ‘I did,’ I’m not coming from the ego. The music comes from somewhere. You’re just the conduit it comes through. You’re there to receive the gift.”
Taj is a towering musical figure — a legend who transcended the blues not by leaving them behind, but by revealing their magnificent scope to the world. “The blues is bigger than most people think,” he says. “You could hear Mozart play the blues. It might be more like a lament. It might be more melancholy. But I’m going to tell you: the blues is in there.”
If anyone knows where to find the blues, it’s Taj. A brilliant artist with a musicologist’s mind, he has pursued and elevated the roots of beloved sounds with boundless devotion and skill. Then, as he traced origins to the American South, the Caribbean, Africa, and elsewhere, he created entirely new sounds, over and over again. As a result, he’s not only a god to rockand-roll icons such as Eric Clapton and the Rolling Stones, but also a hero to ambitious artists toiling in obscurity who are determined to combine sounds that have heretofore been ostracized from one another. No one is as simultaneously traditional and avant-garde.
ABOUT LEYLA McCALLA
Born in New York City to Haitian emigrants and activists, Leyla McCalla finds inspiration from her past and present — her music vibrates with three centuries of history and influences from around the globe. McCalla possesses a stunning mastery of the cello, tenor banjo and guitar and, as a multilingual singer and songwriter, has risen to produce a distinctive sound that reflects the union of her roots and experience.
In addition to her solo work, McCalla is a founding member of Our Native Daughters (with Rhiannon Giddens, Amythyst Kiah and Allison Russell) and alumna of Grammy-winning Black string band The Carolina Chocolate Drops.
Her 2022 album, Breaking the Thermometer, is the album companion to a multidisciplinary music, dance and theatre work commissioned by Duke Performances. Through the story of the brave journalists at Radio Haiti who risked their lives to report news in Haitian Kreyol, Breaking the Thermometer identifies the critical importance of a free and independent press to promote self and societal liberation. Breaking the Thermometer was named one of the Best Albums of the year by The Guardian, Variety, Mojo and NPR Music, and her song “Dodinin” made Barack Obama’s short list of favorites. McCalla was awarded the 2022 People’s Voice Award by Folk Alliance International, an award given to artists who unabashedly embrace social change in their creative work.
McCalla’s newest album and fifth studio recording, Sun Without the Heat (ANTI- Records), is playful and full of joy
Photo: Chris Scheurich
while holding the pain and tension of transformation. Throughout Sun Without the Heat’s ten tracks, McCalla achieves a balance of heaviness and light with melodies and rhythms derived from various forms of Afro-diasporic music including Afrobeat, Ethiopian modalities, Brazilian Tropicalismo and American folk and blues.
On Sun Without the Heat, McCalla draws lyrical inspiration from the writings of Black feminist Afro-futurist thinkers including Octavia Butler, Alexis Pauline Gumbs and adrienne maree brown. Like these authors, McCalla looks to songwriting as a way to increase faith and hope, encourage community thinking and catalyze personal transformation. “Songwriting is a modality to tell the stories that need to be told,” she explains. “Sometimes these are painful stories to tell.”
“We all want the warmth of the sun but not everybody wants to feel the heat,” McCalla explains. “You have to have both.” Moved by this speech, and by Susan Raffo’s 2022 book Liberated to the Bone, McCalla asserts this idea fully by adding the lyric: “Can’t have the sun without the heat.” This song serves as a reminder of the continued work for social change and the struggle that we still bear. “These wounds,” McCalla reminds us, “are so old.”
Sun Without the Heat was recorded in an intense nine-day session at Dockside Studies in New Orleans. “Usually, I go into the studio and have the songs and the framework already in mind,” says McCalla. “But with this album, we built the frame in real time. It was an intimidating process, but it also helped me realize how held I am by the musicians I work with.” The result is a transcendent collection of songs that hold the personal and universal, carrying grief and joy at once. Through this album, McCalla explores the elements of transformation and the heat necessary to move from darkness toward light.
Bischofberger �iolins
Need Help? Have a Question?
The House Manager desk is located at the entrance to the lobby. Ask the House Manager or any of our ushers if you need assistance or have questions.
Meany Hall Box Office
The Meany Hall Box Office opens one hour before the performance and is located in Meany Hall’s main entrance.
Food & Beverage
Food and beverage options are available for Meany Center events. Food and beverage is not allowed in the theater.
Restrooms
Restrooms are located on the lower and upper lobby levels. Lower lobby restrooms are accessible by elevator.
Late Arrival
Lobby doors open one hour before the show and seating begins 30 minutes prior to show time. Performances begin promptly as scheduled. Out of respect for the artists and seated patrons, late seating is not guaranteed and is at the discretion of the artists and theater personnel.
Cell Phones, Cameras & Other Electronic Devices
Please turn off these devices before performances. The use of photographic recording equipment is prohibited. Flash cameras can be disruptive and dangerous to some artists.
Lost & Found
Contact the Meany House Manager in the lobby immediately following the performance or at bnancy@uw.edu or 206-543-2010.
Large Items
Instruments, skateboards, large bags or other egress hazards are not allowed in the seating area.
Admission of Children
Children 5 years of age or older are welcome at all Meany Center performances.
Patron Comfort
Earplugs are available available at the House Manager desk. Booster cushions are available in the lobby of the Katharyn Alvord Gerlich Theater. Large print programs are available at the House Manager’s desk.
Wheelchairs & Walkers
Wheelchair locations and seating for patrons with disabilities are available. Check with an usher for assitance in storing mobility devices near seating.
Hearing Devices
Assistive listening devices amplify and clarify sound by cutting down on ambient noise. RF (radio frequency) assistive listening systems are installed in the theater. You can check out a receiver and induction loop (can use a personal neckloop with a 3.5 mm jack) for those that use hearing aids or cochlear implants with a “T” switch or a headset for those without hearing aids. Please ask at the House Manager’s desk for assistance. Photo ID deposit is required.
Evacuation
In case of fire or other emergency, please follow the instructions of our ushers, who are trained to assist you. To ensure your safety, please familiarize yourself with the exit routes nearest your seat.
Smoking Policy
Smoking is not permitted on the University of Washington campus.
Firearm Policy
Possession or use of firearms, without special written permission from UW Police, is prohibited on the UW Campus.
Ride Share
Our accessible drop off and pick up location is inside the Central Plaza Garage (4100 15th Ave NE), at the CPG 2 Elevator Lobby. For more information: meanycenter.org/visit/directions-parking
Accessibility
The University of Washington is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs and activities for individuals with disabilities. To request these services or other accommodations at no additional cost, please contact the ArtsUW Ticket Office.
Address & Contact Information
Meany Center for the Performing Arts University of Washington Box 351150
Seattle, WA 98195-1150
206-543-4882
ArtsUW Ticket Office 1313 NE 41st Street
Seattle, WA 98105
206-543-4880 or 800-859-5342
Email: ticket@uw.edu
Hours: Mon–Fri, 12 p.m.–4 p.m.
FRIENDS OF MEANY CENTER THANKS TO OUR DONORS
MANY THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING DONORS WHOSE GENEROUS SUPPORT MAKE OUR PROGRAMS POSSIBLE:
PRODUCER’S CIRCLE
Sven & Melinda Bitners
Sylvia & Stephen Burges
Katharyn Alvord Gerlich
Hans & Kristin Mandt
Thomas McQuaid Jr.
Gary L. Menges
Margaret Dora Morrison †
Cecilia Paul & Harry Reinert
Judy Pigott
John C. Robinson & Maya
Sonenberg
Sally Schaake Kincaid
DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE
Nancy C. Alvord †
Warren & Anne Anderson
Ira & Courtney Gerlich
Lynn & Brian Grant Family
Hsiao-Wuen & Tiffany Hon
Yumi Iwasaki & Anoop Gupta
Sunil Paul & Michelle Odom
Tina Ragen & son, Ian
Eric & Margaret Rothchild
Donald & Gloria Swisher
Richard Szeliski & Lyn McCoy
Scott VanGerpen & Britt East
Ellen Wallach & Thomas Darden
Anonymous
SERIES BENEFACTOR
Manisha Advani & Rajib
Chakrabarti
Linda & Thomas † Allen
Col. Ron & Mrs. Darlene
Cheatham
Terrel Dean & Robert Lefferts
Cynthia Gantz & Joshua Taft
Sharon Gantz Bloome †
Daniela & Torsten Grabs
Amy & Christopher Gulick
The Hokanson Family
Tuck Hoo & Tom Lyons
Karen L. Koon
Matthew & Christina Krashan
Jeffrey Lehman & Katrina Russell
Dennis Lund & Martha Taylor
Lois Rathvon †
Donald & Toni Rupchock
Craig Sheppard & Gregory
Wallace
David & Marcie Stone
Donna & Joshua Taylor
Jeff & Carol Waymack
George S. Wilson & Claire L.
McClenny
EVENT SPONSOR
Philip Anderson
Barbara Billings & Ernest Vogel
Paul Blinzer & Theodora Letz
Heidi Charleson & Louis
Woodworth
Jim & Margie Chen
Leonard Costello & Patricia
McKenzie
Susan & Lewis Edelheit
Patricia Emmons & Shmuel El-Ad
Phil Lanum & Gail Erickson
Justin & Tiffany Grimm
Dr. M. Elizabeth Halloran
Shuko Hashimoto
Elizabeth Hebert
Hugues Hoppe & Sashi
Raghupathy
David Kimelman & Karen Butner
Olivia Lee
Rebecca Norton & Craig Miller
Richard and Sally † Parks
Lorraine Toly
Manijeh Vail
Michelle Witt & Hans Hoffmeister
Anonymous
DISTINGUISHED PATRON
Kenneth & Marleen Alhadeff
Charles Alpers & Ingrid Peterson
Jillian Barron & Jonas Simonis
Mel Belding & Kate Brostoff
Cathryn Booth-LaForce & W Kenneth LaForce
Kalman Brauner & Amy Carlson
Pat Braus & Holly Boone
James Bromley Jr. & Joan Hsiao
Shannon Bruce
Eric & Susan Carlson
Carol & Carl Corbin
Margaret Crastnopol & Charles
Purcell
Sharon Ducey
Dunn Lumber Family
Susan Ewens & James Luby
Albert Fisk & Judith Harris
Corinne Fligner & Mark Wener
JoAnn Forman
Davis Fox & Rosemary Coleman
Judith Frey & Flick Broughton
Matthew & Michelle Galvin
Ruth Gerberding †
John Goodfellow Jr. & Barbara
Peterson
Arthur & Leah Grossman
Phyllis Hatfield
Susan Herring
Thomas Highsmith
Paul & Alice Hill
Paul Hopp
Gwen & J. Randy Houser
Mary, Mike & Emily Hudspeth
Weldon Ihrig & Susan Knox
John & Annick Impert
Mike Dryfoos & Ilga Jansons
Jean & David Koewler
Connie & Gus Kravas
Eric Larson & Teresa Bigelow
Teresa Lawson
Hank Levy & Ronit Katz
Kathleen Lindberg & David Skar
Barbara Mack
Melodie Martin & Kenneth
Dayton
Rupal Mehta & Srivats Srinivasan
John & Gail Mensher
Jim & Pamela Murray
Gloria & Dan Overgaard
Gowri & Ramesh Pabbati
Cheryl Redd-Cuthbert & Richard Cuthbert
Joy Rogers & Robert Parker
Karen Sandeen
Cathy Sarkowsky
Noah & Kate Scooler
Amy Scott & Stephen Alley
Virginia Sly
Clark Sorensen & Susan Way
Robert & Ethel Story Sr.
Keith Swartz
Dale Sylvain & Thomas Conlon
Jack & Gayle Thompson
Pieter & Tjitske Van der Meulen
Christine & Olaf Weckner
Melanie Ito & Charles Wilkinson
John & Lynn Williams
Igor Zverev & Yana Solovyeva
Anonymous
PATRON
Dick Ammerman
Julia Bacharach & Daniel Cory
Heather & Mark Barbieri
Christopher & Cynthia Bayley
John & Carol Belton
Cristi Benefield
Robert Bergman
Michael Bevan & Pamela Fink
David Bobroff
Michelle & Matthew Bomberger
Heida Brenneke
Jonathan & Bobbe Bridge
Dave & Debbie Buck
Leo Butzel & Roberta Reaber
Rita Calabro & James Kelly
Katherine Graubard & William
Calvin
Myrna & Grayson Capp
Fran Clifton
R. Bruce & Mary-Louise Colwell Jr.
Jill Conner
Robert Cook
Judy Cushman & Robert Quick
Suzanne Dewitt & Ari Steinberg
Toby Diamond
Susan & David Dolacky
Christopher & Carrie Doring
In Memory of Toby Faber
Kai Fujita
Lisa Garbrick
Sergey Genkin
Virginie Grange
Denise Gregory Wyatt
J. David & Brenda Griswold
Richard Groomer & Betsy Lieberman
Susan & Richard † Hall
Steven Haney
Katherine Hanson & Michael
Schick
Karen Henley & Laurie Goldman
Pamela Hinckley
Robert Hirsch
Kate Hokanson
Robert Jenkins
Nancy & Michael Kappelman
Paul Kassen
Aaron Katz & Kate Dougherty
Mary Kenny
Frederick Klein IV
Peggy Larson
Joanna & Frank Lau
Martha Leonard
William Levering III & Susan Hert
Michael Linenberger & Sallie
Dacey
Arni Litt
Neil Ludman
Thomas Manley & Mariann Carle
FRIENDS OF MEANY CENTER THANKS TO OUR DONORS
MANY THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING DONORS WHOSE GENEROUS SUPPORT MAKE OUR PROGRAMS POSSIBLE:
Bernadette Margin
Tessa Matthey & Peter Durkee
Anna & Paul McKee
Christopher & Mary Meek
Robin Mendelson & Josse Delage
M. Lynn Morgan
Jonathan Newmark
Margarete Noe
Anne & Bill Nolan
Amanda Overly
John Nemanich & Ellendee
Pepper
William & Suzanne Phillips
Desiree Prewitt
Kristi Rennebohm & Eldon H.
Franz
John Rochford & Nick Utzinger
Mark & Barbara Roller
Richard Roth
Harriet Round
David & Joanne Rudo
Joseph Saitta
Werner & Joan Samson
Peter Seitel & Janet Geier
Mark & Patti Seklemian
Louise Shields
Sigmund Snelson
Sunita Sondur
Mark Taylor
Ericka & Stephen Thielke
Kris & Epaminondas Trimis
Linda Vangelos & Stephen Kaufer
Ann & Richard Weiner
Kai Wilhelm
John & Lynn Williams
Todd & Valerie Yerkes
Carol Young
Anonymous
GREAT PERFORMER
Mary Alberg
Nancy & John Angello
Robert Babs
Trudy Baldwin
Lisa Baldwin & John Cragoe
Melissa Belisle
Dennis Birch & Evette Ludman
James & Suzette Birrell
Peter Byers & Virginia Sybert
Erin Candee
Inez & Lior Caspi
Alan & Phyllis Caswell
Alan & Sandra Chait
Sandra & Dan Ciske
Libby & Leslie Cohen
Misti Davis
Annette de Soto
Karen Domino & Gene Brenowitz
Anne Eskridge
Gary Fuller & Randy Everett
Beatrice Graham
Martin Greene & Kathleen Wright
Pamela & Stephen Gruber
Kirsten Gunn
Allison & Paulo Gutscher
Lynn Hagerman & James Hummer
Dianne Harris & Lawrence
Hamlin
Robin Hendricks
Andrew Himes & Alexandra Wilber
Patricia Hynes
Robert Johnson & Heather Erdmann
Tamara & Randel Josserand
Marcia Kamin
Deborah Katz
Marcia Killien
Brandon Koeller & Kim Davis
Inge & Leslie Larsen
Margaret Levi & Robert Kaplan
Kris Lewis
Mary Louis & Robert Arnold
Gwendolyn Lundberg & David Aggerholm
Dean & Tomilynn † McManus
Christopher Miller
Sally Mizroch
Raymond Monnat Jr. & Christine Disteche
Marion Nielson
David Owsiany & Everett Seven
James Packman & Andrew Cohen
Kathy Partida
James Phelps & Ena Urbach
Kerry Radcliffe & Michael Fox
Paula Riggert
Chester Robachinski
John & Margaret Sanders
Norman & Elisabeth Sandler
Jean Schweitzer
Michael Scupine & Kim Abson
Harold & Ruth Spalter
Sarah Stanley & Dale Rogerson
Bonnie Steele
David Stiner
Linda Stone
Ingvil Syversen
Diana Frumkes Thompson & Richard Thompson
Michelle & Stephen Turnovsky
Raymond Tymas-Jones
Mary Vogelzang
Francine Walsh
Merle Weiss & Diana Pien
Tracey West
KEY PLAYER
Ann Adam
Jill Bader
Jonas Barklund
Michelle & Robert Berman
David Bird
Luther Black & C. Christina Wright
Cleo Bloomquist
Helen Bodkin
Edward & Adele Bolson
Katherine Bourbonais & Donald Ramsey
Lydia & Scott Brennan
Shannon Bryan
Kate & Jerry Campbell
Frances Carr
Connie Case
Marise Chan
Patricia Cirone
Alton & LeeAnn Cogert
Janet & William Corriston
Jean Crill
Christopher Curry
Dana Davoli & Bob Goldsmith
Lynne De Merritt
Susan Dorn & Adam Jonas
Michael Dryja
Laurie & C. Bert Dudley
Karen Elledge & Gerald Ginader
Hollie & Lynne Ellis
Michael Erickson & David Doody
L. Jay Field & Deborah Dwyer
Melanie Field &
Vinaya Chepuri
Virginia Fitzhugh &
Miguel Morales
Gerald Folland
Brenda Fong
Denise Fonseca
Jackie Forbes & Douglas Bleckner
William Friedman
Michael Furst
Brian Giddens & Steve Rovig
David & Anne Gilbert
George Gilman
Sara Glerum
J. David Godwin II &
Ginger Reeves
Joan & Steve Goldblatt
Harvey Greenberg
Tim Groggel & Annette Strand
Emile Haddad & Terryll Bailey
Keala Hagmann & Bur Davis
Lia & Benjamin Halas
Cathy Halstead
Keith Hawley
Bruce Horne
Nicholas Horvath
Travis Howland
Anne Huey
Lynne Iglitzin & Walter Bodle
Lowell Ing
M. Johnson
Christopher & Linda Johnson
Giff & Mary Jones
Carolyn Kast
Linda Katz
Kayla Kinnunen
James & Elaine Klansnic Jr.
Glen Kriekenbeck & Quentin King
John Lee & Pm Weizenbaum
Peter LeVeque
Kathryn Lew & Dennis Apland
Ariel Lopez & Thomas Finley
Sara Magee
Ronald & Lee Magid
Constance Mao
Janelle Martin
John Martines & Joel Gibson
Lila May
Robin McCabe
Pamela & David McDonald
Mary McGuire
Robert & Catherine McKee
Susan McNabb
Michael & Sarajane Milder
Jacquelyn & Gordon Miller
Reza & Carol Moinpour
Anne Morrison
Christine Moss
Susan Mulvihill & James
Liverman
Joseph & Kay Neal
Michael Nelson &
Louise Durocher
Betty Ngan & Tom Mailhot
Marianne Nijenhuis
David Norman
Georgia Oistad
Dennis Oliver & Stephanie Prince
Robert Otto
Jae Paek
Cathy Palmer
Anna Peterson
Jeanne Peterson
Gregory & Margaret Petrie
Wendy & Murray Raskind
Linda Reeder
Dennis Reichenbach
Jason Reuer
Cynthia Richardson
Carla Rickerson
Sharon Rodgers
Keith Rowe & Ann Stover
John & Janet Rusin
Jerret Sale & Rachel Klevit
Margaret Sandelin
Murl Sanders
Laura Sargent
Patricia Scott
George Sharp
Marc Sinykin
Sara Stamey & Winston Saunders
Derek Storm & Cynthia Gossett
Dawson & Lois Taylor
Kevin Thompson
Mary Thorbeck
Christian Torgersen & Emily Vason
Elena Trubnikova
John & Gail Wasberg
Robert & Andrea Watson
James Whitson & Patricia Adams
Karin Williams
Deborah Wilson & Ngan Teng
Eyva Winet
Grant Winther
Donna Wolter
Evgueni & Tatiana Zabokritski
Maxine Zemko
Reginald Zisette & Beth Gendler
Anonymous
FRIEND
Julia Adams
Adrianne Allen
Suzanne & Marvin Anderson
Dean Arnold
Samia Ashraf & Lewis Davidson
Lauret Ballsun
Holly Bays
Dana & Rena Behar
John Beierle
G. Carter Bentley & Lynda Emel
Thomas Bird
Jane Blackwell
Wayne Briscoe
Virginia Burdette & Gary Wieder
David Butterfield & Janice
DeCosmo
Dennis Calvin
Joan Casey
Carol Chellino & Robert Andrews
Thomas & Susan Colligan
Merrilee Conway & James
Young III
Diane Darling
Trisha Davis & Eric Muller
Alban Dennis
Marsha Devine
Kathleen Dickeman
Janice Dilworth
Cliff Eastman & Leah Kleinman
Sally & Stephen Edwards
Gaylord Escalona
Nicole Faghin & David Spence
Molly Flemming
Bryant Fujimoto
Matthew Gani
Dolores Gill Schoenmakers
Harold Gillies
Jerry & Lyn Grinstein
Stephen Haeck
Susan Hamilton & Timothy
Bates
Michael Harnisch
Eddie & Marguerite Hasson
Erin Hawley
Maryetta & Tina Healy
Judith Herrigel
Katharine & Frank Holland
Lynn Holmes
Greg Hope & Sandra Hunt
Leslie Jacobson & Barbara
Barnes
Natarajan Janarthanan & Ponni Rajagopal
David Johnson
Barbara & P. Redmond Johnston
Erica & Duane Jonlin
Margaret Kenrick
Linda Kent & James Corson
Lee Klastorin & Ralph Walden
Roger Kohn
Kent Koprowicz
Susan Krom
Elizabeth Leo
James & June Lindsey Jr.
Louise Lipnick
Robin Luke & John Casseday
Donna McCampbell
Meredith McClurg
Brian McHenry
Tim McTigat
Angela Medina
Sharon Metcalf & Randall Smith
Sheree Miller
Charles & Rene Murry
Matthew Nugent & Andrea
Hanses
Shyril O’Steen
Jennifer & Robert O’Twomney
Jack Percival
Sandra Piscitello
Gary Prince & Meg Goldman
Ann Rael
James & Ruth Raisis
Meryl Retallack
Tom & Nancy Roth
Eric Schmidt & Kristin Henderson
Michael Schmitt
Joan & Charles Schooler
Lynn Schwendiman
Lika Seigel
Dennis Shaw & Julie Howe
Luciana Simoncini & Todd Scheuer
Mani & Karen Soma
Hank & Dorothy Stephens
Nancy Stewart
Myrna & Donald Torrie
Emily Transue
Mark Veigl
Bruno & Yvonne Vogele
Greta Ward
Lucy & Larry Weinberg
Robert Wood
Janice Yamauchi
Robert Zauper
Deceased †
This listing includes donors from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024.
ENDOWMENT & PLANNED GIFTS
MANY THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING INDIVIDUALS FOR SUPPORTING THE FUTURE OF MEANY CENTER THROUGH PLANNED GIFTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR ENDOWMENT:
Planned Gifts
Linda & Thomas † Allen
Cathryn Booth-LaForce
Wimsey J.N. Cherrington
Cheryl Redd-Cuthbert & Richard Cuthbert
Bill & Ruth Gerberding †
Michael & Nancy Kappelman
Matthew & Christina Krashan
Teresa Lawson
Tomilynn † & Dean McManus
Cecilia Paul & Harry Reinert
Lois Rathvon †
Dave & Marcie Stone
Donald & Gloria Swisher
Lee & Judy Talner
Ellen J. Wallach
Anonymous
Ellsworth C. & Nancy D. Alvord
Endowed Fund
Estate of Ellsworth C. Alvord*
Kathleen Dickeman
Arts Al!ve Student Fund for Exploring the Performing Arts
Lowell Douglas Ing
Susan Knox and Weldon Ihrig*
Mina Brechemin Person Endowed Fund
Estate of Mina B. Person*
Sylvia & Steve Burges Meany Center for the Performing Arts Endowment
Sylvia & Stephen Burges*
Nancy & Eddie Cooper Endowed Fund for Music in Schools
Kei Schafer
Marcie & Dave Stone*
Katharyn Alvord Gerlich Endowment for Artistic Excellence
Katharyn Alvord Gerlich*
Elaine & Ernest Henley Endowment for Classical Music
Mary Johnke Alberg
Anne Futterman
Joel Gibson & John Anthony Martines
Elaine & Ernest Henley*
Dr. Karen Henley & Dr. Laurie Goldman
J. Randy and Gwen Houser
Catherine & David Hughes Asian Programming Endowment
Catherine & David Hughes*
Matt Krashan Endowed Fund for Artistic & Education Excellence in the Performing Arts Matthew & Christina Krashan
Lee & Judy Talner
(*Multiple Founders)
Gary L. Menges Endowment for Chamber Music and Dance
Gary Menges*
Live Music for World Dance Series Endowed Fund
Cecilia Paul & Harry Reinert*
Meany Center Education Endowment
David Aggerholm & Gwendolyn Lundberg
Suzette & James Birrell
Jill Hanley Conner
Sandra Piscitello
(*Multiple Founders)
Meany Center Programming Endowment Fund
(*Multiple Founders)
Margaret Dora Morrison Meany Endowed Fund
Margaret Dora Morrison*†
Elizabeth Rennebohm Music
Performance and Education Memorial Endowment
Roger Kohn
Kristi Rennebohm Franz & Eldon H. Franz*
Gloria Wilson Swisher Music
Education & Outreach Endowment
Julia Adams
John and Nancy Angello
David Olmsted Bobroff
Jonathan Bridge
Paul Crawford
Kristin Henderson
Karen L. Koon
Jonathan Newmark
Kerry Radcliff e & Michael Fox
Alan & Susan Sherbrooke
Deborah Wilson & Ngan Chong Teng
George S. Wilson & Claire L. McClenny
* Endowment founder
† Deceased
Note: Dollar amounts rounded to the nearest thousand.
This listing includes endowment founders and endowment donors from July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024. For more information on how to make a gift through your will or trust, or to name Meany Center for the Performing Arts as a beneficiary of your retirement plan or insurance policy, please call 206-616-6296 or visit uwfoundation.org/giftplanning.
“If I have seen a little further, it is only by standing on the shoulders of Giants.”
— BERNARD OF CHARTRES
From Haydn to Mozart to Beethoven to the Beatles, each generation owes its progress to the ones that came before.
You, too, can be a giant.
CONSIDER A GIFT to the Meany Center through your will, trust or retirement plan, and help future generations of artists and arts lovers see a little further by standing on your shoulders.
Contact:
Cristi Benefield, Director of Philanthropy, Meany Center 206-616-6296
cristi@uw.edu meanycenter.org/donate
MEANY CENTER INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORTERS
WE ARE DEEPLY GRATEFUL TO THE FOLLOWING CORPORATIONS, FOUNDATIONS, GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND CAMPUS COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHOSE GENEROUS SUPPORT MAKE OUR PROGRAMS POSSIBLE:
$25,000 AND ABOVE
4Culture
Classical King FM 98.1*
National Endowment for the Arts
Nesholm Family Foundation
$10,000-$24,999
ArtsFund
Microsoft Corporation
New England Foundation for the Arts
Peg and Rick Young Foundation
Seattle Office of Arts and Culture
The Robert Craft Igor Stravinsky Foundation
UW College of Arts and Sciences/
Jones Fund
University Inn*
Watertown Hotel*
UP TO $9,999
ArtsWA
College Inn Pub
Creative West
Ladies Musical Club
Macrina Bakery*
Pagliacci Pizza*
UW Graduate School
MATCHING CORPORATE GIFTS
Apple Inc.
Google, Inc.
IBM Corporation
Intel Corporation
Merck Company Foundation
Microsoft Corporation
Nordstrom
Starbucks Coffee Company
The Boeing Company
T-Mobile USA, Inc.
CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS
ArtsUW
UW Department of Dance
UW School of Drama
UW School of Music
UW Alumni Association
Daybreak Star Indian Cultural Center
Early Music Seattle
Henry Art Museum
Ladies Musical Club
Langston
NW Film Forum
NW Folklife
On the Boards
Seattle Public Schools
Seattle Sacred Music and Art
Unmute the Voices
Velocity Dance Center
Wa Na Wari
* full or partial In-kind donation
Join an impressive roster of companies of all sizes that support Meany Center, its mission, and its performances. Sponsors receive significant recognition throughout the season and an array of benefits catered to your organization’s goals. For more information, please contact the Meany Center Philanthropy Department at 206-685-2819.
MEANY CENTER & ARTSUW TICKET OFFICE STAFF
Michelle Witt, Executive and Artistic Director
Sarah Wilke, Senior Director for Planning and Operations
Mahmoud Jaber, Assistant to the Executive and Artistic Director
Michelle J. Ward, Director of Finance
Yevgeniy Gofman, Accountant
Eric Schielmann, Fiscal Specialist
Elizabeth C. Duffell, Director of Artistic Engagement
Kristen Kosmas, Engagement Manager
Sara Jinks, Artist Services Coordinator
Alycia Zollinger, Artist Services Assistant
Gloria Gonzalez, Green Room Student Assistant
Cristi Benefield, Director of Philanthropy
Marianna Clair, Philanthropy Officer
Francesco D’Aniello, Philanthropy Coordinator
Kim Davis, Grants Officer
Bella Preciado, Philanthropy Student Assistant
Teri Mumme, Director of Marketing and Communications
Cynthia Mullis, Marketing and Communications Manager
Michaela Marino, Senior Digital Marketing Manager
Ana Alvira, Graphics Specialist
Yvonne Tran, Graphic Design Assistant
Jim Coleman, Arthur Grossman, Philip Lanum, Volunteer Photographers
Amber Sanders, Tessitura Administrator
Tom Burke, Technical Director
Brian Engel, Lighting Supervisor
Juniper Shuey, Stage/Video Supervisor
Matt Starritt, Audio Supervisor
Trevor Cushman, Studio Theatre Stage Technician
Rosa Alvarez, Director of Patron Services
Colette Moss, Assistant Director of Patron Services
Marchette DuBois, Patron Services Associate
Keeli Erb, Patron Services Associate
Liz Wong, Patron Services Associate
Cathy Wright, Patron Services Associate
Kai Arun, Melia Blumenfeld, Maggie Hedrick, Jingyun Li, Yokabed Ogbai, Andrea Yu, Ticket Office Student Assistants
Nancy Hautala, Director of Audience Services
Taylor Freeman, K Bailey, Lindsay Hanlon, House Managers
K Bailey, Joan Swartwood, Dominic Levenseller-Watland, Maleekah Khan, Harry Schuckman
Lead Ushers
Ushers
Hunter Bradshaw / Kaipo Colston / Jayda Fitch / Kaylee Flawau-Pate / Carter Grose / Noor Hasan / Heejin Kim / Jonah Miyashiro / Chloe Osborn / Josha Paonaskar / Belle Pearson / Carlos Salinas / Sebastian Shacteau / Shelby Smithson / Chloe Sprague / Susanna Stumph
Catering by Bay Laurel