Performances Magazine: May 2023 @ The Wallis

Blue13 Dance Company

Stephanie J. Block WITH Seth Rudetsky, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra: Masterworks for String Orchestra, Sasha Velour: The Big Reveal LIVE Show!, Miró Quartet WITH SPECIAL GUEST Kevin Puts, pianist Jeffrey Kahane

THE WALLIS BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2022/2023

Michael Nemeroff

CHAIRMAN, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

David C. Bohnett

CHAIRMAN, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Arnold S. Rosenstein

EXECUTIVE VICE CHAIR & ASSISTANT TREASURER

Honorable Vicki Reynolds

VICE CHAIR, DEVELOPMENT

Ronald D. Rosen

VICE CHAIR, OPERATIONS & SECRETARY

Susan Strauss

VICE CHAIR, PLANNING & ASSISTANT SECRETARY

Jonathan A. Victor

TREASURER

Arnon Adar

Ahsan Aijaz

Debbie Allen

Wallis Annenberg

Pamela Beck

John Bendheim

Thomas J. Blumenthal

MeraLee Goldman

Bruce Goldsmith

Carol Goldsmith

Halle Hammond

Chad Hummel

Cinny Kennard

Donald P. Kivowitz

Agnes Lew

Mark Louchheim

Sandra Barros Lowy

Linda May

Daphna Nazarian

Gretchen Pace

Arline Pepp

Ron Simms

Stephanie Vahn

Gregory Annenberg Weingarten

Grant Withers

Richard S. Ziman

FOUNDING CHAIRMAN

Bram Goldsmith*

FOUNDING PRESIDENT

Paul Selwyn*

CHAIRMAN EMERITUS

Jerry Magnin

PRESIDENT EMERITUS

Richard Rosenzweig*

LIFETIME TRUSTEES

Les Bider | Eunice David

Max Salter* | Luanne Wells*

ROBERT VAN LEER | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO

BROADWAY @ THE WALLIS & MARK CORTALE PRESENT

STEPHANIE J. BLOCK WITH SETH RUDETSKY

SONGS WILL BE ANNOUNCED FROM THE STAGE

THURSDAY, MAY 4 AT 7:00 PM

Bram Goldsmith Theater

Running Time: 90 minutes, no intermission.

STEPHANIE J. BLOCK (Performer) has established herself as one of the most relevant and versatile voices in contemporary musical theater. She was most recently seen on Broadway starring as The Baker's Wife in the 2022 critically acclaimed production of Into the Woods. She won the 2019 Tony Award® for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, as well as winning The Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Award for her STAR turn in The Cher Show. Block was also recognized for her role of Trina in Lincoln Center Theatre's 2016 revival of Falsettos garnering her the Tony Award®, Drama Desk and Outer Critics nominations for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. In 2013, she was recognized with both the Drama Desk and Tony Award® nomination(s) for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Alice Nutting/Edwin Drood in The Roundabout Theater’s production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood. These three productions marked three nominations in a six year span, a feat very few Broadway actors have attained. Other Broadway credits include Reno Sweeney in the 2011 Tony Award®–winning revival of Anything Goes, 9 to 5: The Musical playing the role of Judy Bernly for which she earned a Drama Desk nomination for Best Actress in a Musical. She created the roles of Grace O'Malley in The Pirate Queen and Liza Minnelli in The Boy From Oz (opposite Hugh Jackman). Block is also well known for her portrayal as Elphaba in the Broadway company of Wicked as well as originating the role in the first national tour for which she won numerous awards including the prestigious Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical. Block has sung with numerous symphony orchestras including the NY Pops at Carnegie Hall, Boston Pops, National Symphony Orchestra (under the baton of Marvin Hamlisch), Dallas Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, Utah Symphony, Columbus Symphony, Charlotte Symphony, and the Cleveland Pops among many others. Her solo concert has been critically acclaimed and continues to sell out throughout the U.S. and in London. Some of her Off-Broadway and regional theatrical credits include Brigadoon (Encores! City Center), Little Miss Sunshine (Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical), By The Way, Meet Vera Stark (Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play), They're Playing Our Song (starring opposite Jason Alexander), Cats (St Louis' Kevin Kline Award Nominee- Best Actress), Funny Girl, Crazy For You (L.A. Ovation Award Nominee), Oliver (Critics Award-Best Actress), James Joyce's The Dead, Triumph of Love, The Grass Harp, South Pacific, Will Rogers Follies and the World Premiere of Wicked.

Stephanie's solo album, This Place I Know has been received with great praise, lauded by critics as "One of the best debut recordings to come out of the Broadway community in quite some time... 6 out of 5 stars". An array of award-winning songwriters assembled to help interpret their music on Stephanie's album. Composers such as Stephen Schwartz, Marvin Hamlisch and the legendary Dolly Parton join forces with Ms. Block to create a thrilling musical experience. Stephanie's voice can be heard on multiple cast recordings, including The Cher Show, Brigadoon, Falsettos, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, 9 to 5: The Musical (Grammy Nomination), Wicked's 5th Anniversary Album, The Pirate Queen, and The Boy From Oz. Television credits include: “Bluff City Law” (NBC), ”Rise” (NBC), “Madame Secretary” (CBS), “Orange Is the New Black” (Netflix), “Homeland” (Showtime), “It Could Be Worse” (HULU). She currently hosts and produces a podcast, “Stages Podcast.” You

can listen wherever you get your podcasts. @stephaniejblock stephaniejblock.com.

SETH RUDETSKY (Pianist, Host) spent many years on Broadway as a pianist and/or conductor on shows like Les Miserables, Ragtime and Phantom of the Opera, as well as two years as a comedy writer on The Rosie O’Donnell Show (three Emmy nominations with his co-writers) which led to him writing two opening numbers for the Tony Awards. He is now the afternoon deejay on the SiriusXM Broadway channel, as well as the host of his own talk show, Seth Speaks. He has performed his show, Deconstructing Broadway in London, Boston (Irne award) and L.A. (with Barbra Streisand in the audience!). He co-wrote and co-starred in Disaster!! (a New York Times critics’ pick) on Broadway which was licensed by Music Theater International and is being performed around the country. After the Pulse Nightclub shooting, Seth's husband came up with the idea of doing an all-star "What The World Needs Now Is Love" and they recorded it with around 50 stars like Carole King, Idina Menzel, Gloria Estefan, Bernadette Peters and more and it went to number one on iTunes, has raised over $100,000 for the Pulse nightclub victims and families as well as the Trevor Project and they performed the song at the Democratic National Convention. Seth and James also put together the "Seasons of Love/Let The Sunshine In" all-star video, directed by Schele Williams, that played at Biden's inauguration. When the Covid lockdown began, Seth and James started the twice-a-day livestream Stars In The House with reunions of original casts of Broadway shows like Ragtime, A Chorus Line and Cats as well as TV shows like "Grey's Anatomy", "Taxi" and "E.R." (with George Clooney who was in London!). The livestream raised over $1,000,000 for the Actors Fund and over $100,000 for other charities like NAACP LDF and "You Gotta Believe" for foster youth. Seth has published numerous books including "The Rise And Fall Of A Theatre Geek" (Random House) and the just released "Musical Theatre For Dummies.” You can learn more about Seth's concerts, Broadway cruises and watch his videos at SethRudetsky.com.

MARK CORATLE (Producer) is celebrating his twelfth season as Producing Artistic Director of The Art House in Provincetown, MA where he has presented artists that include Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, Chita Rivera, Sutton Foster, Kristin Chenoweth, Megan Mullally and Christine Ebersole. He recently co-produced the Drama Desk and Lucille Lortel nominated Off-Broadway musical Midnight At The Never Get. Mark founded the international Broadway @ Concert Series featuring Seth Rudetsky as music director and host in Provincetown in 2011 and has presented these concerts at theaters that include the Steppenwolf Theatre Company, The Broward Center, The Wallis, The Kimmel Center, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Huntington Theatre Company, the Leicester Square Theatre in London and The Sydney Theatre in Australia. Mark also founded the singing string quartet Well-Strung which debuted at Ars Nova in 2012. He also founded the developmental theater lab New Works Provincetown. In conjunction with producing partners Jonathan Murray and Harvey Reese, New Works Provincetown has commissioned four new full scale musicals to date including: Maiden Voyage with book and lyrics by Mindi Dickstein and music by Carmel Dean and Beautiful Little Fool with music and lyrics by Hannah Corneau, directed by Michael Greif.

ROBERT VAN LEER | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO

PRESENTS

MASTERWORKS FOR STRING ORCHESTRA

LEADER

Margaret Batjer

PROGRAM

HILDEGARD OF BINGEN O virtus Sapientiae

BENJAMIN BRITTEN

Simple Symphony , Op. 4

FELIX MENDELSSOHN

Sinfonia No.10 in B minor

Intermission

PAUL HINDEMITH

Op. 44 No. IV, Five Pieces for String Orchestra

EDVARD GRIEG

Holberg Suite , Op. 40

SATURDAY, MAY 6, 2023 AT 7:30PM

Bram Goldsmith Theater

Running Time: One hour and 37 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission.

MARGARET BATJER (Concertmaster and Director of Chamber Music) has served as concertmaster of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra since 1998. She is also renowned as a violin soloist, chamber musician and teacher, and has established herself as a versatile and respected artist worldwide.

Batjer has appeared as a soloist with America’s leading orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Symphony Orchestra, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Batjer has also performed with leading European ensembles such as the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the RTÉ. National Symphony Orchestra (of Ireland), Berlin Symphony Orchestra and the Hall. Orchestra. An esteemed chamber musician, Batjer has performed at the Marlboro Music Festival, La Jolla Summerfest, Sarasota Music as well as the Naples and Salzburg Festivals in Europe. In 2020, she formed the Los Angeles Piano Trio with colleagues Fabio Bidini and Andrew Shulman.

Ms. Batjer has had an extensive recording career over the last several decades. Her most recent recording with the LA Chamber Orchestra includes the live premiere of the Pierre Jalbert Violin Concerto, and works by Bach, Pärt and Vasks released on the BIS label. She recorded the Bach Concerto for Two Violins with Salvatore Accardo and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe for the Philips label, and later a 2003 Deutsche Grammophon recording pairing Batjer and Hilary Hahn as soloists with Jeffrey Kahane conducting the LA Chamber Orchestra. She has also made numerous chamber music recordings on the EMI, Nuova Era and BMG labels. Batjer is a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music. She is Adjunct Professor of Violin at the USC Thornton School of Music, and on the violin faculty at the Colburn School.

ABOUT LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

Beloved by audiences and praised by critics, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, known to Angelenos as LACO, is a preeminent interpreter of historical masterworks as well as a champion of contemporary composers. Headquartered in the heart of the country’s cultural capital, LACO has been proclaimed “America’s finest chamber orchestra” (Public Radio International), “LA’s most unintimidating chamber music experience” (Los Angeles Magazine), “resplendent” (Los Angeles Times), and “one of the world’s great chamber orchestras” (KUSC Classical FM).

LACO was founded in 1968 as an artistic outlet for the recording industry’s most gifted musicians. Founder, cellist James Arkatov, envisioned an ensemble that would allow these conservatorytrained players to balance studio work and teaching with pure artistic collaboration at the highest level. The Orchestra presented its first performances with the financial backing of philanthropist Richard Colburn and managerial expertise from attorney Joseph Troy, who also became the Orchestra’s first president. Sir Neville Marriner, Gerard Schwarz, Iona Brown, Christof Perick and Jeffrey Kahane, LACO’s illustrious music directors, each built upon a tradition of joyous music-making performed by exceptional artists. Jaime Martín, praised as “a visionary conductor, discerning and meticulous” (Platea Magazine), joined LACO as Music Director at the start of our 2019/20 season.

LACO has made 31 recordings, toured Europe, South America and Japan, performed across North America, and garnered eight ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming. The Orchestra’s offices are located in downtown Los Angeles.

ROBERT VAN LEER | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO

PRESENTS

BLUE13 DANCE COMPANY

FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Achinta S. McDaniel

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Matt Cook

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Jon Paul

DANCERS

Alisa Carreras, Arjun Kochhar, Atticus Dobbie, Bella Allen, Brenan Gonzalez, Chelsea Correa, Emily Carr, Esi Samuels, Felisya Soqui-Garcia, Hayden Rivas, Janae Holster, Malachi Stevens, Moira Saxena, Onye Stevenson, Presley Hawk, Satori Folkes-Stone, Shea Hancock, William Okajima

LIGHTING DESIGN

Brandon Baruch

STAGE MANAGER

Katelan Braymer

MAY 12-13, 2023

Bram Goldsmith Theater

Running Time: One hour and 40 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.

Dance @ The Wallis is made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

RESTLESS AUTUMN. RESTLESS SPRING.

CHOREOGRAPHY Achinta S. McDaniel, Dancers, Jon Paul MUSIC Speaking in Tongues, Volumes I-IV, Sheila Chandra

MUSIC MIX Jon Paul

COSTUMES Achinta S. McDaniel

PERFORMERS Bella Allen, Emi Carr, Alisa Carreras, Chelsea Correa, Brenan Gonazalez, Shea Hancock, Arjun Kochhar, Hayden Rivas

The World Premiere of McDaniel’s work was presented in 2022 by REDCAT for the New Original Works Festival. Relying on a chance score, the performers explore the multiplicity of intersectional global majority identities, seemingly incongruous to a basic dance score. Largely a response to the isolation and separation of the COVID-19 pandemic, Restless autumn, restless spring is a return to collaboration and a rediscovery of what it means for artists to unite in a space to reflect on shared experiences and create work together.

Special thanks to Shreya Patel for the use of her score.

SHAADI MEDLEY

CHOREOGRAPHY Achinta S. McDaniel

MUSIC The Wakhra Song, Navv Inder, Badshah; Mirchi, DIVINE, MC Altaf, Phenom, Stylo G; Chhote Chhote Peg, Navraj Hans, Neha Kakkar, Yo Yo Honey Singh.

MUSIC MIX Jon Paul

COSTUMES Achinta S. McDaniel

PERFORMERS Bella Allen, Emi Carr, Alisa Carreras, Chelsea Correa, Atticus Dobbie, Brenan Gonazalez, Shea Hancock, Presley Hawk, Janae Holster, Arjun Kochhar, William Okajima, Hayden Rivas, Esi Samuels, Moira Saxena, Felisya Soqui-Garcia

Medley of excerpts from Blue13’s pandemic era immersive work, Shaadi (“wedding” in Hindi), “Before there was Delta. Before there was Omicron, there was…Shaadi.”-EM

Special thanks to Heritage Square Museum, where Blue13 developed the piece in residency in 2021.

DEAR MR. KHAN, CHOREOGRAPHY Achinta S. McDaniel

MUSIC Prologue: The Violent Bear it Away, Moby. Khan Music: Terpsichore in Ghungroos, commissioned by Blue13 Dance Company, Paul Livingstone. Performed by: Paul Livingstone, Alma Cielo, Enrique Lara.

MUSIC MIX/EDITING Jon Paul

COSTUMES Achinta S. McDaniel

PROJECTION ARTWORK Sean Cawelti

PERFORMERS Full Company. Prologue Soloists (in order of appearance): Alisa Carreras, Atticus Dobbie, Felisya Soqui-Garcia, William Okajima.

Khan Soloist: Emi Carr

Part one of McDaniel’s Triptych, Terpsichore in Ghungroos, which premiered February 2020 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. The prologue was developed 2021-2023 in collaboration with the dancers.

Intermission

SOUNDS LIKE WHOOP. LOOKS LIKE FLASH. (PREVIEW)

CHOREOGRAPHY Achinta S. McDaniel

MUSIC Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, Johann Sebastian Bach, performed by Yo Yo Ma; Breakfast in Bed, Dusty Springfield; Beauty and the East, Bombay Dub Orchestra

MUSIC MIX Jon Paul

COSTUMES Achinta S. McDaniel

PERFORMERS Bella Allen, Alisa Carreras, Chelsea Correa, Atticus Dobbie, Satori Folkes-Stone, Brenan Gonzalez, Shea Hancock, Presley Hawk, Janae Holster, Arjun Kochhar, Moira Saxena, Felisya Soqui-Garcia, Malachi Stevens

Exclusive to The Wallis audiences: A preview of a new work in development, the piece is about invisible disability, addiction, and keeping up appearances. Please note: we would love to hear your feedback about the piece as we will continue to develop it over the next two years.

Please scan this QR code to leave us a note and learn more about Blue13.

1947

CHOREOGRAPHY Achinta S. McDaniel

MUSIC Kamariya, Lijo George, DJ Chetas, Darshan Raval; Magnetic, Tabla Beat Science; ShivranjaniPleasing Shiva at 432 Hz, Hariprasad Chaurasia, Rakesh Chaurasia; Palmistry, Tabla Beat Science; Sound Effects: Sound Effects Library, Todster, Digiffects Sound Effects Library; Voiceovers: Indira Kaur Sawhny, Harbans Kaur Singh, Bhupinder Singh Sawhny

MUSIC MIX/EDITING Jon Paul

COSTUMES Achinta S. McDaniel, Kate Poppen

PERFORMERS Full Company. Soloists: Arjun Kochhar, Hayden Rivas, William Okajima

You may know of India’s independence from the British - an August date celebrating freedom obscures the dark reality of that time. In 1947, over one million people died during the horrific and bloody migration caused by the partition of India and Pakistan. “There is no crime in anyone’s blood any more than there is goodness in the blood of others. Criminals are not born. They are made by hunger, want and injustice.” — Khuswant Singh, Train To Pakistan

ACHINTA S. MCDANIEL (Founding Artistic Director) Project Leader, Kaufman Faculty, is a powerful voice of the Indian diaspora, a pioneer of American dance, and the Founding Artistic Director of Blue13 Dance Company. A prolific choreographer, performer, and instructor, McDaniel’s powerful style draws from techniques including Bhangra, Kathak, and Bollywood, Hip Hop, Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Modern Dance, to create spectacular and theatrical dance. Her choreography is highly dramatic and a real reflection of her upbringing: Eastern and Western, exotic, mysterious, wild, rebellious and unconventional, traversing commercial, concert, and community engagement, and challenging monolithic representations of Indianness. Her work questions hierarchies of pop culture vs. high art, and is at once disobedient and joyful. She is known for her experimentation with international styles and for inventive staging of her signature contemporary Indian forms. McDaniel’s work is fearless and inventive, ever-exploring the boundaries of contemporary dance as a South Asian American woman. McDaniel, a Professor at the Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, was born in New York and grew up studying dance in Cleveland, Ohio, where she got her start as a choreographer at Hathaway Brown School at the age of 14. She danced in ensembles at Cleveland State and Case Western Reserve, thereafter graduating from New York University with a degree in Choreography, Dance, and Theatre. She later studied classical Indian Kathak in Bangalore, India with guru Maya Rao. Returning to New York in 1999, McDaniel founded Blue13 Dance Company, performing and teaching across the Tri-State area until 2001, when she relocated to Los Angeles. Achinta has evolved Blue13 for over two decades, creating the United States' first professional contemporary Indian dance company. McDaniel also lectures, teaches, and choreographs for educational institutions across the U.S. McDaniel has choreographed and danced in the music videos of DJ Snake (Colin Tilley) and The Strokes (Warren Fu), and choreographed for Bollywood and American films and artists alike. McDaniel works as a TV choreographer ("So You Think You Can Dance," "New Girl," "The Amazing Race") designs live productions at Walt Disney World on both coasts, and choreographs a multitude of projects in comedy, contemporary, and Bollywood and Bhangra dance styles. She has worked as a choreographer for commercials and brands, including Madden NFL, Heineken, and Snapple, and has worked with artists Timbaland, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, and A.R. Rahman at Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl. McDaniel is passionate about teaching and sharing her unique perspective with students of all levels and abilities. She is an expert in audience and community engagement, working with The Music Center, The Los Angeles Philharmonic, and many more. McDaniel’s recent work includes the acclaimed work Terpsichore in Ghungroos, presented at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, and the world premiere of Restless autumn, restless spring., presented as part of the 2022 REDCAT New Original Works Festival. She created her newest work, 1947 based on the partition of India and Pakistan, on 44 dance majors for the Kaufman School of Dance in Spring 2022.

JON PAUL (Associate Director) has been studying, performing, choreographing, and teaching with Blue13 since 2011. As a principal dancer with the company, he performed with Blue13 for Google, Dreamworks, and Fox’s "New Girl." As Associate Director, he has assisted Achinta S. McDaniel with projects for artists such

as A.R. Rahman and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, TV shows such as ABC’s "Speechless" and "So You Think You Can Dance," productions at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Ford Amphitheater, and Heritage Square Museum, and engagements at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and California Adventure theme parks. Working with McDaniel and Blue13 has provided Jon Paul with training and experience in a variety of classical, semi-classical, and folk styles of Indian dance, as well as an expanded vocabulary in Western modern and contemporary styles. Through his work with Blue13 Dance Company and beyond, Jon Paul has established himself as a versatile and knowledgeable dancer, choreographer, and instructor. He has worked with artists such as Lance Bass and Marques Houston, Broadway star Kristin Chenoweth, and world famous ballroom dancers Julz Tocker and Katerina Fedosova. He has starred in productions of A Chorus Line, Hello Dolly, Brigadoon, and You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown. Commercially, he has danced for Oscar Meyer, Honda, and Radio Disney. Jon Paul has choreographed for Olympic medalists Ashley Wagner and Adam Rippon, brands such as BCBGMAXAZRIA, and musical theatre productions such as The Wiz! and Godspell. Jon Paul is a former instructor at Debbie Reynolds' Dance Studio, and a current faculty member at C-Spot LA. He has appeared as a guest instructor at Glorya Kaufman School of Dance at the University of Southern California, University of Minnesota, Iowa State University, and has taught and choreographed for studios and dance teams across the country, showcasing his unique style which is influenced by western jazz, contemporary, modern, hip hop, whacking, vogue, and house dance.

ALISA CARRERAS was born and raised in LA. She is an alum of the Theater Dance and Performance Studies program and UC Berkeley. Go Bears! Upon graduating in 2016 she was awarded the Mark Goodson Grant for Theatrical talent. Alisa is trained in Contemporary, Jazz, Ballet, Modern and Bollywood. She has performed at many prestigious venues including the Ford Amphitheater, The Music Center, Culver City and Los Angeles City Hall, Descanso Gardens, Disney's California Adventure Park, and the Hollywood Bowl. Alisa is thrilled to be returning to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts for the second time with Blue 13 Dance Company.

FELISYA SOQUI-GARCIA started her dance journey at the age of 3 due to a medical condition and now it’s her career choice! She started in the competition realm and quickly changed gears when she got her BFA at the University of Arizona’s dance program. Since then, she has been honored to do local performances, commercials and more recently, a performance in Bolzano, Italy. She is excited to see what this next chapter brings, and to be a part of the great community and family that is Blue13 Dance Company!

PRESLEY HAWK has been dancing since the age of three and has trained in various styles including contemporary and heels. She enjoys expressing herself through makeup, fashion, and dance. Hawk’s goals include implementing creative direction for dance films and music videos. She is proud to showcase her authentic self in all things. Hawk joined Blue13 in 2023.

ESI SAMUELS is an artist from the Bronx, NY with roots in Ghana and Montserrat. She began her training at the Ailey School and continued on to join the MOVE|NYC| Young Professionals Program. All while immersing herself in New York City's Afro Dance community. Esi is a current student at USC Kaufman School of Dance and a member of DWP Academy's USA team.

ARJUN KOCHHAR is a dancer, poet, author, artist and storyteller from New Delhi, India. Currently, he is pursuing a BFA degree at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, with a minor in Public Relations at the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. A Harvard University awardee for journalistic excellence, he independently published his debut collection of prose and poetry in 2020 titled Afsana, which was ranked among Amazon India's top 5 poetry bestsellers. It paints a picture of the harsh realities that come with wrestling social evils in contemporary orthodox society. He co-founded a chapter of the United Nations’ Girl Up Foundation and serves as a founding youth ambassador to the internationally acclaimed Barefoot College International. Combating age-old systems of oppression through art and artistry, Arjun has chosen to be woven into a legacy of changemakers striving for a bigger, brighter and bolder tomorrow. He hopes to wield unrivaled power in his voice and body to uplift the unheard and bring peace and tranquility to the spine-tingling ways of life that devastate the discriminated.

ONYE STEVENSON grew up in Dallas, Texas where she trained and competed with her studio Prodigy dance and performing arts centre. Onye grew up training in contemporary, jazz, modern, hip hop, tap, ballet and latin ballroom dance. She is a current second-year BFA student at the University of Southern California Glorya Kaufman School Of Dance, within her dance education she has learned and performed many different works by artist such as Peter Chu, Jiri Kyllian, Dani Rowe and Toyin Sogunro.

WILLIAM OKAJIMA is a third year student at USC’s Kaufman School of Dance. He studied with Desmond Richardson, Micaela Taylor, Bret Easterling, and Jermaine Spivey during his early years at Kaufman. In 2020, he graduated from Orange County School of the Arts High School, under the direction of Jim Kolb and Cindy Peca through the Commercial Dance Conservatory and Montage. He received his primary contemporary training with Westside Dance

Project under the direction of Jessie Riley, and classical ballet training with Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy. In his training, he has performed and competed in pieces set by Jermaine Spivey, Bret Easterling, Spencer Theberge, Alex Ketly, Micaela Taylor, and Al Blackstone. Currently he is doing work in Los Angeles as a dancer, and is being casted in various commercials and music videos.

BRENAN GONZALEZ is from Lake Worth, FL, and began his dance training through his love and passion for hip-hop styles at the age of 4. He is a 2021 graduate from Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts with a major in dance. He is a second-year BFA student at the University of Southern California Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Through his expansive movement vocabulary in a multitude of dance genres — including hip-hop, house, various ballet techniques, Horton technique, Taylor technique, Dunham technique, percussive dance, contemporary, countertechnique, and improvisation — the idea of hybridity within dance is a significant aspect of his movement study and research. Brenan is a two-time YoungArts awardee, including a 2020 honorable mention and a 2021 merit award in the modern/ contemporary discipline. Brenan has multiple self-choreographed works and artistic collaborations for the Southern California Choreographic Collective, as well as various works within USC Kaufman’s student choreographic showcases. Brenan attended the 2021 A.I.M Winter Intensive, where he was granted the opportunity to work with Kyle Abraham and the A.I.M company dancers. Brenan has worked with other notable dance artists such as Justin Peck, Bret Easterling, Peter Chu, Max Pham, Achinta McDaniel, Patrick Corbin, Peter Stark, Darrell Moultrie, Lloyd Culbreath, Hope Boykin, and more.

JANAE HOLSTER is a dancer and visual artist based in L.A. They have danced for Nickelodeon, the J-pop group Arashi and most recently Disney’s Descendants. Janae could also be seen dancing in the 2022 Monsters Freakshow, directed by Luther Brown and they are on track to receive a Dance BFA from the USC Glorya Kaufman International School of Dance in 2025.

ATTICUS DOBBIE was born in Sydney, Australia and moved to New York at the age of three. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California where he is pursuing his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in dance as a part of the class of 2024 at the University of Southern California’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. There he has had the opportunity to perform repertory by artists including Kyle Abraham, Justin Peck, Dwight Rhoden, Micaela Taylor, Achinta McDaniel, Hope Boykin, and Max Pham. Atticus is a graduate of the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School for the Arts and a proud of alumnus of Downtown Dance Factory and the MOVE|NYC| Young Professionals Program. He has additional training at the Miami City Ballet School and The Juilliard School. Atticus is a YoungArts National Winner in Modern/Contemporary Dance, as well as the recipient of the USC Trustee Scholarship.

HAYDEN RIVAS is delighted to be performing at The Wallis again. From South Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Hayden is a rising senior pursuing a BFA in Dance and a Masters in Legal Studies at the University of Southern California. He has performed throughout Canada, the United States of America, and the Bahamas and was a guest artist at A.I.M by Kyle Abraham's recent program at The Joyce in New York City. He recently served as associate choreographer for USC's production of Sondheim on Sondheim and his short films have played in film festivals all around North America. Film/TV: Disney's Descendants 3, "Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist", "So You Think You Can Dance." More info can be found at www.haydenrivas.com

MOIRA SAXENA is a dancer from Palo Alto, California. She started dancing at the age of six in her hometown. She has trained in Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Modern, Contemporary, House, and Heels. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of California, Santa Barbara and later her Master’s in Education from Grand Canyon University. She has worked professionally as a dancer in Santa Barbara, New York City, and Los Angeles.

MALACHI STEVENS is a passionate artist from Maryland who is currently enrolled at USC Kaufman. Started training at Divine Dance Institute and went to Baltimore School for the Arts. They are extremely grateful for this opportunity to perform and express life through dance.

EMI CARR also known as Emi, is a born and raised Jersey girl who aspires to be nothing less than phenomenal. Emily is an educated, empathetic, and driven hybrid artist. With dance being her foundation since age two, she has spent several years exploring and refining not only the craft, but its discipline, its academia, and how it can be applied to her surrounding world. From being a Child Star of Tomorrow for the Apollo Theater to filming on set with FOX TV for “So You Think You Can Dance” Season 15, to being crowned 2018 Miss Dance of the United States and more, Emily has been able to gain all kinds of experience and knowledge from the many humbling opportunities she has received. As she continues to build her artistic resume and expand her network, she believes it is important to pass on her knowledge and passion for the dance/entertainment industry with the youth. Post graduating from the University of Southern California's Glorya Kaufman International School of Dance, Emily currently is a teaching artist with Everybody Dance LA as well as an artist in residence with Ms. Debbie Allen. Emily is grateful for her fruitful career thus far. She finds pure joy in being able to share the gift of dance to the world through all of its many outlets. In combination with her other passion of anthropology, Emily hopes to succeed in becoming a prominent figure within the dance and entertainment industry. She aims to leave behind a legacy that will continue to trailblaze and positively influence generations to come!

BELLA ALLEN is from Los Angeles, where she attended the Orange County School of the Arts and the Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy. From 2012–2018, she performed with and was a member of Westside Dance Project, under the direction of Jessie Riley. In 2021, Bella organized an event in collaboration with the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance and the USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. Presented by USC Visions as a part of their 2021-2022 Arts in Action initiative, “Dance as Radical SelfCare” was an event that facilitated conversations about movement’s impact on our well-being as individuals and its role in community building. In 2022, Bella earned her BFA from the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Upon graduation, Bella began freelancing in Los Angeles. Over the course of her career, she has performed works by Barak Marshall, Jermaine Spivey, Jiří Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Peter Chu, and William Forsythe, amongst others. She is honored to perform with Blue13 this evening.

SHEA HANCOCK was born and raised in Stockton, CA. She is currently a second-year BFA student and Glorya Kaufman Endowed Scholar at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance in the class of 2025. Within her education at USC Kaufman, she has learned and performed works by artists such as Jiří Kylián, Hope Boykin, Peter Chu, Tessandra Chavez, Toyin Sogunro, and Max Pham. Prior to college, Shea assisted for Hollywood Connection Dance Convention, as co-captain of their Teen Company then as their Senior Dancer of the Year. With a background in contemporary, tap, ballet, modern, jazz, and hip hop, Shea has been given opportunities to further her training through intensives with Chuthis., Hubbard Street Dance Company, New Years Training Camp, The Paul Taylor Summer Intensive, Camp Protege, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet, to name a few.

CHELSEA CORREA is from Old, Bridge New Jersey, and began dancing at Dance Stop Dance Education Center at the age of three until deciding to pursue dance at a collegiate level. During her time at her home studio, she attended the Juilliard Summer Intensive in 2019 and 2020. Additionally, she was named a 2021 and 2022 YoungArts National Competition Award Winner as an Honorable Mention in the Modern/Contemporary category. She is a current BFA student at the University of Southern California's Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, minoring in Mind-Body Studies and holding PAI certifications in Pilates Mat and Reformer I and II. Thus far, she has worked with choreographers and dancers such as Kyle Abraham, Jodie Gates, d. Sabela Grimes, Achinta S. McDaniel, Patrick Corbin, Bret Easterling, Jennifer Lott, Moncell Durden, Ebony Haswell Frazier, Saleemah E. Knight, and many more. Chelsea has performed works by Jiří Kylián, Justin Peck, Peter Chu, Danni Rowe, and Achinta S. McDaniel. She has trained in intensives at Complexions

Contemporary Ballet and BalletX, working with Desmond Richardson, Clifford Williams, Christine Cox, Matthew Neenan, Jennifer Archibald, and Cali Quan.

SATORI FOLKES-STONE Los Angeles born and raised Satori Folkes-Stone is an inaugural alumna of the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. Soon after graduation she made her 2020 Broadway debut in Ivo Van Hove’s Westside Story. Her other performance credits stretch from film to stage including works by Zachary Woodlee, d. Sabela grimes, William Forsythe, Amy O’Neal, E. Moncell Durden and Stephanie Klemons. Satori hopes to continue making her own work in the pursuit of care for the communities she holds dear. This past fall she participated in the Social Impact Residency at The Kennedy Center’s “The Reach”. As summer nears she excitedly awaits joining the cast of nicHi douglas’ (pray) presented through Ars Nova and National Black Theater.

BRANDON BARUCH (Lighting Designer) is an Ovation Awardwinning lighting designer specializing in theater, opera, dance, and immersive performance. Previously with Blue13 Dance: Shaadi. Other design credits include Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 (Mark Taper Forum); The Duat (Center Theatre Group Digital Stage); The Dry Years (Ghost Road Company); Radio Golf (A Noise Within); Restless autumn, restless spring (REDCAT); Cruzar la Cara de la Luna (Opera Santa Barbara); Four Larks Frankenstein (The Wallis); Katabasis and Homeric Hymns (Getty Villa); Love Actually: The Unauthorized Musical Parody (Chicago and Off-Broadway); Asterion (The Grotowski Institute, Wrocław, Poland); Overland Industry's Iceland (Ford Amphitheatre); Bataré (West Coast Tour); Dana Foglia Dance VATIC (LA, Long Beach, and NYC); Duke Ellington's Queenie Pie (Long Beach Opera and Chicago Opera Theater); and The Legend of Black Herman, a live magic show commissioned as a companion piece for artist Derek Fordjour's solo exhibition at David Kordansky Gallery in Los Angeles. Brandon also creates solar powered designs for Liquid Light Flight, a yearly trapeze and aerial arts festival at Wild Arts Collective (New Paltz, NY), a community of makers devoted to igniting new ideas, living sustainably, and sharing access to artful spaces immersed in nature. www.brandonbaruch.com

KATELAN BRAYMER (Stage Manager) Katelan Braymer is a Lighting Designer and Technical Director for Theatre, Dance and Opera. LA Designs: Drift, BlueNav, MISFIT, 90Sugar, Time, ROSEWOOD (Michaela Taylor); Daughter of the Wicked (Lions Bay); It's Alive, It's Alive, Fefu and her Friends, Hir, Underneath, Silent, Forgotten, Kiss, A Taste of Honey, The Hairy Ape (Odyssey Theatre); Terra (LACDC); Safe and Sound, Gnarled, Trophy (Kevin Williamson); notes on change_ (Erica Sobol); and JACK (Taylor, Berg, Whyte). NY Designs: Land of Sweets, Company Debut (Movement Headquarters Ballet). Current US/ International Tours: All The Sex I've Ever Had (Mammalian Diving Reflex). Past Tours: David Rousseve, Geoffe Sobelle, Lionel Popkin, and Dan Froot. Films: Mad Woman (Marc Ancito), Harbor (Ivana Horvat), and Tracers (First Two Rounds). Katelan has been a Lighting Assistant at the LA Opera since 2011. KatelanBraymer.com

BLUE13 DANCE COMPANY is an American dance ensemble based in Los Angeles, CA. They are devoted to creating a shift in the perception and practice of American dance through performance, community engagement, and education. For over 20 years, Blue13 has connected with audiences through aesthetically and culturally daring dance. Their highly energetic and theatrical modern dance style is inspired in part by the classical and cultural art forms of the Indian subcontinent. They have taken this work to seven countries through over 100 performances. As a first-generation South Asian American, Blue13’s Artistic director, Achinta S. McDaniel pulls precision, humor, and deep emotion from her ensemble. She creates work that is as rebellious and as unconventional as its architect. Blue13 hires dancers of many backgrounds. A continual exploration of technique and storytelling through dance are central to its growth. The moody and rhythmic work turns the cultural stereotype of Indian dance on its head. Outreach and education are also woven deeply into the company’s mission. They are experts in audience engagement and engage communities through workshops, audience “flash mobs,” and interactive public dance events. Blue13 has toured internationally with engagements at Royce Hall (Los Angeles), Symphony Space (NYC), Mohammed V Theatre (Rabat, Morocco), and at UNESCO (Paris). They have been presented by UNC Wilmington, Tahoe Arts Project, Taal Festival (Cleveland), Northern Alberta Children’s Festival (Canada) and many others. Beyond the concert stage, Blue13 provides choreography for film, television, and commercial events worldwide. They were featured on FOX’s "New Girl" (2016), "So You Think You Can Dance" (2022) and other television programs on MTV, CBS, NBC, WE, Sony TV, and on PBS. Blue13 has also worked with renowned artists and celebrities including A.R. Rahman, DJ Snake, Zooey Deschanel, Dave Franco, Timbaland, Anupam Kher, Rasika Shekar, and Kavita Krishnamurthy.

BLUE13 DANCE COMPANY STAFF

Achinta S. McDaniel FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Matthew Cook EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Jon Paul, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

Rae Shrum DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER

Kylie Conlon PROGRAMMING INTERN

SPECIAL THANKS

Blue13 Dance Company is supported, in part, by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Department of Arts and Culture. We’d also like to thank The Perenchio Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, Aaron Copland Fund, Natasha Neufeld, Dre Jackson, Jaikaran Sawhny, Arun Mathai, Anthea Bhargava, Michael Graham, Erin O'Malley, Vishal Uttam, Sanjana Seelam, Dale and Don Franzen, Bhupinder and Nilli Sawhny, and Earl S. McDaniel III.

Visit blue13dance.com and follow us on IG or FB @blue13dance to keep up with Blue13 Dance Company.

Next: Playdate, an AAPI residency program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with public events June 23-24, 2023, Stomping Ground LA.

ROBERT VAN LEER | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO

PRESENTS

WITH SPECIAL GUEST PEPPERMINT

Join

Books are not included with any ticket purchase however , copies will be available for sale from a local seller.

MONDAY, MAY 15 AT 8:00 PM

Bram Goldsmith Theater

Running Time: 90 minutes, no intermission.

WARNING: This show is for all ages with the understanding that it involves some adult language and conversation of mature topics.

SASHA VELOUR (Entertainer, Author) As a modern-day pioneer of innovative, emotive, and provocative drag aesthetics, Sasha Velour continues to raise the bar for the art of drag performance across the globe. Velour is most notably recognized as the winner of season nine of the Emmy-nominated “RuPaul’s Drag Race” on VH1 in 2017, where her lip-sync performance to Whitney Houston’s “So Emotional” made history and was hailed as “the performance of the year” by The A.V. Club and named one of “TV’s Best Musical Moments on Television” by Entertainment Weekly. The act cleverly featured an elaborate reveal full of rose petals hidden in her gloves and wig and is now widely regarded as one of the most iconic performances in the show’s history. Ingenuity is not something new to Velour, as her live performances have been renowned by critics as “an entirely new level of performance art” (Yahoo!) and “heart-wrenching” (Billboard). Her first onequeen drag show “Smoke & Mirrors” toured from 2019-2022 to over 80 cities around the world including sold-out performances at the prestigious London Palladium and the Folies Bergère in Paris. Velour’s esteemed drag show “NightGowns,” founded in 2015, has hosted some of the world’s greatest drag performers before being adapted into a docu-series directed by Sophie Muller and The Documentary Group in 2020. In 2021, the cast released two original “NightGowns” films: “NightGowns Forever,” an anthology of past shows, and “NightGowns the Musical,” an original comedy set in 1966, adapted from a live show performed Off-Broadway.

Velour’s talents also expand beyond the drag universe, as her artist profile continues to transcend boundaries and mediums untouched by many other queens. Her studio and illustration work has been the subject of two acclaimed solo gallery shows in New York in 2014 and 2016 before being tapped by Google to draw their homepage search engine doodle of the late Marlene Dietrich in celebration of her 116th birthday in 2017. Together with her partner Johnny Velour, she also self-published and designed the art magazine “Velour,” which celebrates the art of drag through visual art, poetry, photography, and essays. Velour frequently uses her platform to discuss politics, queer history, and LGBTQ+ issues in an educational format, having transformed her into a highly sought-after public speaker. She has graced the stages at prestigious venues, including The Smithsonian for “The Long Conversation,” an event with thought leaders from around the world, the US Embassy in Singapore, and many distinguished universities including Purdue, The University of Illinois, the University of North Carolina Wilmington, and Columbia. For more information about Sasha Velour, please visit sashavelour.com.

PEPPERMINT (Entertainer, Activist) is everyone's favorite flavor. For more than 10 years, Peppermint has dominated New York Audiences with her high-energy performance and engaging personality. Peppermint has performed all over the world and collected many honors. From her comedic microphone skills to her live singing performances of pop music, Peppermint has an uncanny knack for connecting with a dedicated and eclectic audience. She's been featured on MTV's “The Real World Brooklyn,” “Ugly Betty” and Season 9 of “Rupaul's Drag Race.” She has also performed alongside Chaka Khan, Martha Wash, and Ultra Nate. Peppermint has helped raise over $100,000 for the Human Rights Campaign (including a large bid from Vanessa Williams). She is deeply involved in the fight against HIV/AIDS and participates in the M.A.C. Aids Fund and the HIV Vaccine trials network. More info at peppermintonline.com.

ROBERT VAN LEER | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO

PRESENTS

MIRÓ QUARTET

WITH SPECIAL GUEST

KEVIN PUTS

MIRÓ QUARTET

PROGRAM

W.A. MOZART (1756-1791)

String Quartet in C major, K. 465, “Dissonance”

Adagio-Allegro

Andante cantabile

Menuetto. Allegro

Allegro molto

FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797-1828)

Andante con moto from String Quartet in D minor, D. 810 “Death and the Maiden”

KEVIN PUTS (B.1972)

Home

Intermission

ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856)

Scherzo from String Quartet in A minor, Op. 41, No. 1

JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897)

String Quartet No. 1 in C minor, Op. 51, No. 1

Allegro

Romanze: Poco adagio

Allegretto molto moderato e comodo

Allegro

SATURDAY, MAY 20, 2023 AT 7:30 PM

Bram Goldsmith Theater

Running Time: One hour and 35 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission.

The Miró Quartet is represented by MKI Artists: 70 S Winooski Ave. #318 | Burlington, VT 05401

Recordings: Bridge Records, Oxingale Records, Longhorn Music, and Miró Quartet Media

VIOLIN Daniel Ching

VIOLA John Largess VIOLIN William Fedkenheuer CELLO Joshua Gindele

QUARTET IN C MAJOR, K. 465, “DISSONANCE”

W.A. Mozart

Mozart had been profoundly impressed by Haydn’s set of six quartets Opus 33 published in 1781. Inspired by these works, he returned to the writing of string quartets after a lapse of ten years. It was between 1782 and 1785 that the six "Haydn" quartets were composed. As musicologist Alfred Einstein says, "Mozart did not allow himself to be overcome. This time he learned as a master from a master; he did not imitate, he yielded nothing of his own personality." He followed Haydn’s lead in conceiving the string quartet as a four-part discourse, shared by all the instruments. Their respect and admiration being mutual, Haydn was, in turn, to be influenced in his own subsequent quartets by these quartets that Mozart dedicated to him.

The C major Quartet was the last of the series to be composed. It was completed on January 14th, 1785. It’s appellation “Dissonance” refers to the introductory adagio’s opening passage. As is usually the case, the composer had nothing to do with this nickname. And, if you’re expecting, because of this name, to be treated to earcrushing dissonance, of the sort that would make Charlie Ives stand up and cheer; fugettaboutit. The “dissonance” occurs in the opening passage; a progression of chords over a pedal point by the cello. While it is a rather chromatic passage, it’s quite within the rules of 18th century harmony.

So while it may have reportedly caused a tantrum or two by a disgruntled aristocrat with “sissy ears”, as Ives would say, causing him to tear up the parts, and caused scores to be returned to the publisher, by performers, with corrections indicated, none other than the dedicatee (and no mean musical experimenter himself) Haydn would remark; “ Well, if Mozart wrote it, he must have meant it.” What this opening passage achieves is a deliberate sense of ambiguity. Mozart is keeping us in the fog, rather than clearly establishing the key of C major. With the Allegro that follows this introduction, the fog has lifted and we are the sunny key of C major. The second movement andante cantabile is considered to be the heart of the work; a lovely, lush, lyrical (forgive the alliteration) work. The third movement menuetto is interesting in that central to it is a rather agitated section that places it way out of the realm of a courtly or even country dance. The finale is a good natured romp ala Haydn, using his type of clipped themes and a device that Haydn was an absolute master of... the pause.

— Program note by Joseph Way

HOME

Kevin Puts

The refugee crisis in Europe, documented in recent media by horrific stories and photos of displaced families, led me to compose Home.

The work begins in what is essentially C Major, or with a tonal center of “C”, which I intended as a sonic representation of "home” and one which is abandoned after the idyllic atmosphere of the work’s first several minutes in search of new and unfamiliar harmonic terrain. As is my way, I worked through the piece in a linear fashion, never certain what lay around each corner. My only hope was that I would find my way back to the musical idea heard at the opening, and that it would present itself in a way that suggested this material (or one’s perception of it) had been altered in some way by the journey the work represents.

I am grateful to Orcas Island Chamber Music Festival and to all co-commissioners for their support of this work. Home is the third work of mine written for the Miró Quartet, and it is dedicated with admiration and affection to its members.

— Note by Kevin Puts

SCHERZO FROM STRING QUARTET IN A MINOR, OP. 41, NO. 1

Robert Schumann

The life of Robert and Clara Schumann is one of the greatest love stories of classical music: their early friendship and young love, then forced separation because of Clara’s father (the same man was also Robert’s piano teacher) who opposed the match, and their final triumphant marriage after 6 years of lawsuits, opposition and struggle was only the first chapter of the tale; after 16 years of married life filled with mutual fame, fortune and 8 children their love story was to end in tragedy as Robert gradually succumbed to depression, mental illness, and after attempting suicide, died tragically in a mental asylum at the young age of 46. After his death, Clara, a heartbroken widow never again to marry, was to pursue a brilliant career as one of the most famous concert pianists in Europe; for more than three more decades, she toured, raised her children completely on her own, and championed the music of her beloved Robert on concert stages everywhere.

Up until their marriage in 1840, Robert had composed exclusively for the piano. But the great joy and happiness that the couple shared after their marriage unleashed a torrent of creativity for him in new genres: first songs, and then symphonies, and in 1842, “the Year of Chamber Music” almost all of the chamber works that now stand in his oeuvre. The three quartets of the Opus 41 were written in a rush of creativity during June of this year, all three pieces begun and completed in only 18 days! All three have a vernal freshness to them, as well as showing his intense study earlier in the spring of the string quartets of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.

The second movement scherzo evokes the fairy tale seriousness of Robert’s piano pieces “Kinderszenen”, reminding me of little tin soldiers marching to battle.

The three quartets were first performed on September 13, 1842 as a birthday present for Clara; when published a year later in 1843 they were dedicated to Robert’s friend, mentor and inspiration, the composer Felix Mendelssohn.

— Note by John Largess

STRING QUARTET IN C MINOR, OP. 51, NO. 1

Johannes Brahms

Brahms’ career as a composer took flight after Robert Schumann famously introduced the young pianist to the public—and publishers— in 1853 as one of the musical “elect” who would “give ideal expression of his times.” Brahms’ composing style reflects his love of the great Classical tradition, and he quickly became known as the musical heir of Beethoven. This proved to be a burden for the cautious, self-critical Brahms. He had difficulty composing his first symphony and string quartets, the two forms in which Beethoven’s achievements were supreme. Pressed by critics and publishers to compose a symphony, he asked for “more time,” and he wrote despairingly to a friend, “You have no idea what it is like to hear [Beethoven’s] footsteps constantly behind me.”

For fourteen years Brahms struggled to create a string quartet that met his exacting standards. By his own count he destroyed 20 different versions in the process. In 1873 he was finally satisfied and

published his two Op. 51 string quartets. He was 40 years old. A third and final string quartet was published three years later as Op. 67. The long delay was beneficial. Brahms was at the height of his creative powers in the 1870s and fully capable of composing powerful, large-scale works. Each of his quartets displays a superb blend of rich melodic texture, rhythmic and harmonic freedom, and wellcrafted technique.

The forceful first movement of Op. 51, no. 1 quickly presents its dominant musical idea—a rising dotted-rhythm figure in the violins over an agitated accompaniment in the lower instruments. This driving seven-bar passage shapes the character of the entire first movement. The contrasting second theme is gentle but dark, and it provides little relief from the movement’s restless intensity.

In the second movement the rising dotted-rhythm motif is transformed into a slow accompaniment beneath the first violin’s calm, lyrical melody. Here Brahms marks the score “expressive” and “sweet.” The music darkens somewhat in its middle section with a halting, unstable rhythm that conveys a sense of anxiety. The movement returns to its opening calm and closes with orchestral sonorities.

Following the second movement’s lyrical beauty, the Allegretto brings back the restless quality of the first movement, although without its fierce concentration. Contrasting melody lines are joined together uneasily in the first violin and viola when the movement opens. The movement’s harmonic ambiguity, steady rhythmic pulse in the cello, and prominent descending lines impart a melancholy mood. The middle section is a naive little dance tune in the first violin over a sustained unison bariolage—the same note played alternately on two different strings—in the second violin.

The passionate finale returns to the driving energy of the first movement, and its themes are modified versions of the first movement’s rising dottedrhythm figure. Brahms creates a dramatic musical texture with intricate part-writing and many quick exchanges between the players. The movement’s intensity rarely flags, and it accelerates to an exciting conclusion.

— Note by Robert Strong ©2013

KEVIN PUTS (Composer) Winner of numerous prestigious awards, including the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for his debut opera Silent Night, Kevin Puts’ works have been commissioned, performed, and recorded by leading ensembles, and soloists throughout the world, including Yo-Yo Ma, Renée Fleming, Jeffrey Kahane, Dame Evelyn Glennie, the New York Philharmonic, the Tonhalle Orchester (Zurich), the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Miro Quartet, and the symphony orchestras of Baltimore, Cincinnati, Detroit, Atlanta, Colorado, Houston, Fort Worth, St. Louis, and Minnesota. His newest orchestral work, The City, was co-commissioned by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in honor of its 100th anniversary and by Carnegie Hall in honor of its 125th anniversary. His new vocal work Letters From Georgia, written for Soprano Renée Fleming and orchestra and based on the personal letters of Georgia O’Keeffe, had its world premiere in New York in Fall 2016, and his first chamber opera, an adaptation

of Peter Ackroyd’s gothic novel The Trial of Elizabeth Cree commissioned by Opera Philadelphia, had its world premiere in September 2017, followed by performances with Chicago Opera Theater in February 2018.

Silent Night, commissioned and premiered in November 2011 by Minnesota Opera and co-produced by Opera Philadelphia, has been produced at Fort Worth Opera, Cincinnati Opera, the Wexford Opera Festival, Calgary Opera, Montreal Opera, the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Atlanta Opera, Opera San Jose, and Michigan Opera Theatre. In 2013, his choral works To Touch The Sky and If I Were A Swan were performed and recorded by Conspirare. His second opera, also commissioned by Minnesota Opera, The Manchurian Candidate, based on the novel, had its world premiere in 2015. A former Composer-in-Residence of Young Concerts Artists, he is currently a member of the composition department at the Peabody Institute and the Director of the Minnesota Orchestra Composer’s Institute.

THE MIRÓ QUARTET is one of America’s most celebrated and dedicated string quartets, having been labeled by The New Yorker as “furiously committed” and noted by the ClevelandPlain Dealer for its “exceptional tonal focus and interpretive intensity.” For over twenty-five years the Quartet has performed throughout the world on the most prestigious concert stages, earning accolades from critics and audiences alike. Based in Austin, TX, and thriving on the area’s storied music scene, the Miró takes pride in finding new ways to communicate with audiences of all backgrounds while cultivating the longstanding tradition of chamber music. In their 2021-22 season, the Miró premiered a new work entitled Microfictions written for them by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Caroline Shaw. The work has been commissioned for the quartet

by an impressive consortium of presenting organizations including Carnegie Hall, Shriver Hall, the La Jolla Music Society, Premiere Performances (Hong Kong), and Chamber Music Houston. The Miró is also partnering with renowned soprano Karen Slack in a new program exploring the works of Florence Price and Margaret Bonds.The Miró Quartet took its name and its inspiration from the Spanish artist Joan Miró, whose Surrealist works —with subject matter drawn from the realm of memory, dreams, and imaginative fantasy —are some of the most groundbreaking, influential, and admired of the 20th century. Visit miroquartet.com for more information.

ROBERT VAN LEER | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO

PRESENTS

JEFFREY KAHANE PIANO

PROGRAM

Lecture by Jeffrey Kahane

Intermission

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685 - 1750)

Aria with Diverse Variations, BWV 988 "Goldberg Variations" (1741)

Aria

VARIATION 1

VARIATION 2

VARIATION 3:

Canon at the Unison

VARIATION 4

VARIATION 5

VARIATION 6:

Canon at the Second

VARIATION 7: Al tempo di Giga

VARIATION 8

VARIATION 9: Canon at the Third

VARIATION 10: Fughetta

VARIATION 11

VARIATION 12: Canon at the Fourth

VARIATION 13

VARIATION 14

VARIATION 15:

Canon at the Fifth (Andante)

VARIATION 16: Overture

VARIATION 17

VARIATION 18:

Canon at the Sixth

VARIATION 19

VARIATION 20

VARIATION 21: Canon at the Seventh

VARIATION 22: Alla breve

VARIATION 23

VARIATION 24:

Canon at the Octave

VARIATION 25: Adagio

VARIATION 26

VARIATION 27:

Canon at the Ninth

VARIATION 28

VARIATION 29

VARIATION 30: Quodlibet

SATURDAY, MAY 25, 2023 AT 7:30PM

Bram Goldsmith Theater

Running Time: One hour and 50 minutes, including a 20-minute intermission

Recordings available on the SONY, EMI, Telarc, RCA, Nonesuch, Deutsche Grammophon, Virgin Records, Decca/Argo and Haenssler Labels.

Jeffrey Kahane appears by arrangement with CM Artists.

Aria da capo

JEFFREY KAHANE (Pianist) Equally at home at the piano or on the podium, Jeffrey Kahane is recognized around the world for his mastery of a diverse repertoire ranging from Bach and Mozart to the music of our time.

Mr. Kahane has appeared as soloist and conductor with most of the major US orchestras and is also a popular artist at all of the major US summer festivals. Since making his Carnegie Hall debut in 1983, he has given recitals in many of the nation’s major music centers. Also a highly respected chamber musician, Mr. Kahane collaborates with many of today’s most important chamber ensembles.

In May 2017, Mr. Kahane completed his 20th and final season as Music Director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. He is now the orchestra’s Conductor Laureate. He also served as the Music Director of the Colorado Symphony from the 2005/06 season through the 2009/10 season and for ten seasons was Music Director of the Santa Rosa Symphony. In August 2016, he was appointed Music Director of the Sarasota Music Festival and he also served as the orchestra’s Artistic Advisor for two seasons. Recent and upcoming engagements include a fifth play/conduct with the New York Philharmonic as well as play/conducts with the Houston, Indianapolis, Vancouver, Milwaukee, Colorado and San Diego symphonies; concerto appearances with the Toronto, Cincinnati, New World, New Jersey, Oregon and Utah symphonies; and appearances at the Aspen, Mostly Mozart, Oregon Bach and Ravinia festivals.

Mr. Kahane also recently conducted two productions of Kurt Weill’s operas – a rare fully staged production of Weill’s last Broadway opera, Lost in the Stars, during his final LACO season; and a concert version of The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny with the Hamburg Symphony in May 2018.

A native of Los Angeles and a graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Mr. Kahane was the First Prize winner at the 1983 Rubinstein Competition, a finalist at the 1981 Van Cliburn Competition, and the recipient of a 1983 Avery Fisher Career Grant. An avid linguist who reads fluently in a number of ancient and modern languages, Mr. Kahane received a Master’s Degree in classics from the University of Colorado in 2011. He is currently a Professor of Keyboard Studies at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music.

310.273.5578 | thefarmofbeverlyhills.com

The Wallis @ a Glance

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During performance dates, Ticket Services will be open two hours before performance time and a half hour after the performance begins. Please note that Ticket Services is unable to process exchanges and future sales one hour prior to curtain time on performance dates.

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The Wallis is committed to accommodating and ensuring a pleasant experience for all of our patrons with special needs or disabilities. Please contact Ticket Services, our House Manager or an usher to discuss your needs.

LATE SEATING

Should you arrive late for any performance or need to leave your seat during the performance, please expect to be held in the lobby until an appropriate moment or pause. To minimize any disturbance to other patrons, you may be seated in the first available locations by our staff even if different than your assigned seat locations. Please also be advised that some performances or circumstances may not allow for late seating or return seating.

LARGE PRINT PROGRAMS

The Front of House Staff is happy to provide programs with larger print to patrons upon request.

In The Bram Goldsmith Theater

TELECOIL INDUCTION SYSTEM FOR HEARING ASSISTANCE

A state of the art “hearing loop”—a thin copper wire—has been installed beneath the floor of the orchestra seating in the Bram Goldsmith Theater. For guests wearing a hearing aid with a copper telecoil wire or who have a cochlear implant, the system captures electromagnetic waves and broadcasts signals directly to your hearing aid device. For assistance, please inquire with Patron Services.

Gifted by Virginia and Frank Maas.

QUIET ROOM

The Lynn and Les Bider Family Foundation

Quiet Room is available during the performance for patrons who wish or need to step away for a moment. You can still see and hear the performance in progress, but we can’t hear you.

310.475.3540

THE WALLIS IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY: ENJOY LOCAL DINING

 PLATINUM CIRCLE

The Ahmanson Foundation

Annenberg Foundation/ Wallis Annenberg & Kris Levine

Dan Clivner

The Seattle Foundation/

Katharyn A. Gerlich

The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation 

Bruce Goldsmith

Peggy Parker Grauman*

GRoW @ Annenberg Foundation/ Gregory Annenberg Weingarten & Family

Los Angeles County

Department of Arts & Culture

Anahita and Jim Lovelace

Meeghan and Michael Nemeroff

Ralph M. Parsons Foundation

Arline and Buddy Pepp

Dwight Stuart Youth Fund

Vanity Fair

Luanne Wells*

 GOLD CIRCLE

Camille and Arnon Adar

Ahsan Aijaz

Jacqueline* and Clarence Avant

Leon Lowenstein Foundation/ John M. Bendheim 

Thomas J. Blumenthal

David C. Bohnett

Colburn Foundation

Carol Goldsmith

Halle and Oliver Hammond

Chad Hummel and Tara Church

Stacey and Donald Kivowitz

Agnes Lew

Cathy and Mark Louchheim

Peter Lowy

Nigel Lythgoe OBE

Matt Construction

Daphna Nazarian

Neiman Marcus

Linda May and Jack Suzar

The Estate of Ted and Hedy Orden

Vicki Reynolds and Murray Pepper

Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Rosenstein

Ruby Family Foundation/ Wendy and Ken Ruby

Stephanie & Howard Sherwood

The Simms/Mann Family Foundation

Susan and Peter Strauss

Leon and Stephanie Vahn

Jonathan A. Victor

May and Richard Ziman

 SILVER CIRCLE

Anonymous

City of Beverly Hills

Lynn and Les Bider

Family Foundation

Anoosheh Bostani

Capital Group Companies

Charitable Foundation

Louise and Brad Edgerton

Lisa FIeld

Hon. MeraLee Goldman

Betty Hayman

Morris & Shîla Hazan Charitable Fund

Ronnie and Barbara Kahn

Sandra Krause & William Fitzgerald

Elisabeth and Jeffrey Lipsman

National Endowment for the Arts

Gloria and Richard Pink

Koni and Geoffrey Rich

Karen Sulzberger and Eric Lax

Bob Tuttle & Maria Hummer-Tuttle

Catherine and Grant Withers

 DIRECTORS CIRCLE

Beverly Hills Rotary Community Foundation

Dale Cochran

Bonnie and Ronald Fein

The Feintech Family Foundation

Sonia and Robert Freedman

Helene and Louis Galen Family Foundation

Kiki and David Gindler

Debra Holstein

Ronnie and Barbara Kahn

David Lee Foundation

Anu Leemann

Karen and Walter Loewenstern

Virginia and Francis S. Maas

Michal Amir Salkin and Kenneth H. Salkin

Ronald and Carole Sasiela

Moshe and Helen Sassover

The Selwyn/Wyatt Families

The Younes & Soraya

Nazarian Family Foundation

 AMBASSADORS

Laura and Harvey Alpert

Judith and Thomas Beckmen

Martha and Barry Berkett

Robert and Elissa Bregman

Consulate General of Israel

Eunice David

Mrs. Diane Deshong

Honorable Donna Ellman Garber

Mimi Alpert Feldman

Judy O. and Robert T. Flesh

Friars Charitable Foundation

Anita Dann Friedman

Benita and Bert Ginsberg

Lou and Kelly Gonda

Vera and Paul Guerin

Bucky Hazan & Eva Aaronson

Dr. Ariella D. Herman

Susan Howard

Mark and Freya Ivener

Jewish Community Foundation

Laurie and Lyn Konheim

Ronald and Stephanie Kramer

Pamela and Bob Krupka

Tamara and David Lachoff

Deborah Laub and Eddie Israel

Lawry’s The Prime Rib

Barbara and Joel Marcus

Cookie Miller

Joanne Mogy

The Estate of Leah and William Molle

Ann Mulally

Lawrence Murphy

Ilene and Jeff Nathan

Suzanne Papaian

Pasadena Showcase House for the Arts

Jane Rascoff

Ron Rosen and Judi Lawenda

Barbara Ruben

Thomas Safran

Marc Selwyn Fine Arts

Joan and Paul Selwyn

In memory of Gail Silver

Lisa Sockolov

Melissa Rosenberg and Lev L. Spiro

Elaine and Ronald Stein

I.H. Sutnick

Elizabeth Topkis

Andrea Van de Kamp

Rayni Williams

Marc Zachary



ENTHUSIAST

Robert and Jeanie Anderson

Caherine Glynn Benkaim

David Brecher

Robert and Elissa Bregman

Judy Briskin

Barbara Bruser

Linda Burrow

Rosette Varda Delug

Laura Donnelly

Patricia Feldman

Diane Futterman

Howard Gleicher

Richard and Harriet Gold

Dr. Phillip Green and Dr. Neerad Varshney

Marty and Eden Halfon

Carolyn and Bernard Hamilton

Lynn and Bruce Heymont

Steven Jones

Deborah Bach Kallick

Sally Karbelnig

Patricia Keating and Bruce Hayes

Elodie Keene and Bruce Fortune

Joanne C. Kozberg

Stewart and Grace Krakover

Susan and George Krouse

Renee Kumetz

Pearle Rae & Mark Levey

Anita Lorber

Cornelius and Andrea Littlejohn

Marlene Louchheim

Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP

Jeannette Mandelbaum

The Marks Family Foundation

Jeanne and Leonard Marks

Frank and Virginia Maas

Cynthia McGranahan and Lyle Dawn

Charles and Dori Mostov

Mahnaz and David Newman

Phylis Nicolayevsky

Lee Ramer

Herbert and Felice Reston

Dan Ricketts

Brandi Roth and Bruce Clemens

Ann Sunshine

Joel Wachs

Janice and Daniel Wallace

Les Weinstein

Richard and Patricia Wilson

Keenan Wolens

Hailey Yoo

Victoria Zalben

Walter Zifkin

* = IN MEMORIAM

 = MULTI-YEAR COMMITMENT EXCLUSIVE HOTEL SPONSOR

THE WALLIS IS THE PROUD RECIPIENT OF GENEROUS SUPPORT AND RECOGNITION FROM

SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM

Robert van Leer

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO

Kurt J. Swanson

ACTING CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Christine Bernardi Weil DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Joel Hile DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Erin Mahan

DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Coy Middlebrook

ACTING CHIEF ARTISTIC OFFICER

Manuel Prieto

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

Edward L. Rada

INTERIM CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

David Truly

DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL PROJECTS

Michelle Wiesel

GENERAL MANAGER

ARTISTIC

Camille Jenkins

PROGRAMMING MANAGER

Meghan Ripchik ARTISTIC COORDINATOR

DEVELOPMENT

Peter Indall

DIRECTOR OF INDIVIDUAL GIVING

Summer Grubaugh

DONOR EVENTS MANAGER

Loren Hayes

INSTITUTIONAL GIVING COORDINATOR

Debra Steckler

DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR

Lisa Cowell Shams

SPECIAL ADVISOR TO THE COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN

EDUCATION / GROW @ THE WALLIS

Debra Pasquerette DIRECTOR OF CREATIVE AGING PROGRAMS

Rachel Kilroy

EDUCATION PROGRAM MANAGER

Pat Taylor

EDUCATION PROGRAMS COORDINATOR

Will Nedved

CREATIVE AGING TEACHING ARTIST

Dan Oliverio

CREATIVE AGING TEACHING ARTIST

Michelle Rearick

GRAUMAN FELLOWSHIP ADVISOR

Annalise Englert

EDUCATION ASSISTANT

MARKETING

Chandra Jackson

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Hannah Burnett

DIGITAL MARKETING MANAGER

Libby Huebner

Laura Stegman

PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTANTS

Studio Fuse

GRAPHIC DESIGN CONSULTANTS

PRODUCTION

Samantha Else

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Lauren Wemischner* LIGHTING SUPERVISOR

Sean Kozma*

AUDIO VIDEO SUPERVISOR

Joshua Shelden*

ASSISTANT TECHNICAL DIRECTOR

Joseph Skowronski*

LIGHTING COORDINATOR

Jose Miguel Cortes*

AUDIO VIDEO COORDINATOR

Joyce Maddox

PRODUCTION ADMINISTRATOR

Bryant Heatherly

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION

April Clements

ACCOUNTS PAYABLE CLERK

Emily Bisno

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & CEO

FACILITIES

Roland Henriquez

FACILITIES MANAGER

TICKET SERVICES

Jacob Houser

ASSISTANT TICKET SERVICES MANAGER

Tori Long

TICKET OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

Eric Latham

Bradley Roa

SENIOR TICKET SERVICES ASSOCIATES

FRONT OF HOUSE

Bryan Puckett

AUDIENCE SERVICES MANAGER

Nick Johnson

Piatrice Shekerjian

HOUSE MANAGERS

Laura Long

Ann McDowell

Timm Carney

GRAND HALL GREETERS

USHERS

Ruby Arreguin

Diana Borja

Annabel Chick

Jacqui Creekmore

Judith Halle

Ruby Layne

Adam Linde

Itzhak Matos

Rachael Neinast

Charlie Pinel

James Poulin

Liv Robertson

The City of Beverly Hills collects both waste refuse and recyclables in the same container.

WARNING: The photographic or sound recording of any performance or the possession of any device for such photographic or sound recording inside the theater, without the written permission of the management, is prohibited by law. Violators may be punishable by ejection and violations may render the offender liable for money damages.

* The noted staff employed by The Wallis are members of the IATSE union.