FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
NEWMAN CENTER STAFF EXECUTIVE Gregg Kvistad, Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor Kendra Whitlock Ingram, Executive Director Richard Michel, Budget Officer Cathy Kaufman, Executive Assistant EVENT SERVICES Diane L. Roth, Assistant Director Amanda Swartzbaugh, Event Manager Ramsey Walker, Event Coordinator MARKETING Natalie Raborn, Marketing Director PATRON SERVICES Rachel Hargroder, Assistant Director PRODUCTION SERVICES Garret Glass, Assistant Director Shakeel Wahab, Stage Operations Coordinator/ Audio Engineer Zach Jovanovich, Stage Operations Coordinator/ Lighting Engineer TICKETING SERVICES Richard Moraskie, Assistant Director Max Manoles, Assistant Manager ADVERTISING INFORMATION
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Welcome to Newman Center Presents and thank you for coming! I am delighted to begin my tenure as executive director of the Newman Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Denver. It is a privilege to join the Newman Center team, bringing world-class performing arts programs to the University of Denver and the Denver community. I follow in the footsteps of Stephen Seifert, who has served as executive director of the Newman Center since its opening in 2003 and has recently retired. Stephen has done a tremendous job curating season after season of high quality, thought-provoking and inspiring programs. I am grateful to Stephen for building the extraordinary tradition of Newman Center Presents and wish him the best in his retirement. The 2016-17 season launches with the ever-inventive MOMIX, featuring their work Opus Cactus, which celebrates the American Southwest. Contemporary dance makes appearances later in the season as well, starting with the Denver premiere of Bridgman | Packer Dance. Art Bridgman and Myrna Packer may be the only two dancers on the stage, but their creative use of projected images populates the stage in magical ways. Newman Center favorite Aspen Santa Fe Ballet returns in February, this time with a new work created by Spanish choreographer Alejandro Cerrudo. Dance programming is rounded out in April with the regional premiere of New Zealand’s powerful Black Grace. The Newman Center has been dedicated to presenting artists new to Denver and to supporting the creation of new works. This season has some stellar examples of both. The brilliant young jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant makes her Denver debut in November. The world music group from Ukraine, DakhaBrakha, makes its Denver debut in March. In April, a vocalist and bass player from Italy, calling their small ensemble Musica Nuda, join Norwegian jazz saxophonist and vocalist Hakon Kornstad, in a regional premiere in a show we’re calling “Nude Music.” As to new music, in October the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet will give the world premiere of a new work by the legendary Pat Metheny, co-commissioned by the Newman Center. Vocal ensemble Roomful of Teeth returns in January with a program that includes a new work by ensemble member and Pulitzer Prize winner Caroline Shaw. This work was cocommissioned by Denver’s own The Playground Ensemble, who will join Roomful of Teeth for the performance of this work. In March, yMusic returns, performing new works by Chris Thile and Caroline Shaw, both co-commissioned by the Newman Center and Carnegie Hall. It is, of course, a general election year, so we welcome back Capitol Steps for their bipartisan humor. Throughout the rest of the season, we have a broad variety of performers, from The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center performing all six of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerti, to bassists Edgar Meyer and Christian McBride mixing it up with jazz, classical, bluegrass, and more, to the world famous Taiko ensemble from Japan, Kodo, co-presented by the Sakura Foundation. The season finale performance features the Branford Marsalis Quartet and special guest vocalist Kurt Elling. My tenure officially begins on November 1 and I’m very much looking forward to getting to know the Denver community. Thank you for your support of Newman Center Presents and enjoy the season!
Kendra Whitlock Ingram Executive Director
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2016-2017 Newman Center Presents