April/May 2021 Sullivan Fortner Program Book

SULLIVAN FORTNER APRIL 30–MAY 2, 2021 2020/2021 Concert Season

2O14/2O15 CONCERT SERIES

Founded in 1943, UChicago Presents brings extraordinary artists from around the world for dynamic live performances, educational experiences, and community engagement through a diverse mix of chamber music and recitals, early, contemporary, jazz, and world music, including artist residencies, commissions, and premieres. Concerts feature pre- or post-event talks led by University of Chicago scholars and are performed in treasured campus venues such as Mandel Hall, Rockefeller Chapel, and the Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts.

Heralded by the Chicago Tribune as “a model of what a classical concert series should be,” and “the city’s most important by a mile chamber music series” by the Chicago Sun-Times, UChicago Presents has been dedicated to presenting music on an intimate scale at the highest level since its inception. The pursuit of excellence is central to this mission, infusing not only UChicago Presents’ music but also its relationship with its audience and community. b

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Kayhan Kalhor

Kayhan Kalhor

Seth Parker Woods

Quince

Quince

John Corkill

SPRING 2021 VIRTUAL EVENTS b MARCH 30–APRIL 30

Shomyo: Buddhist Ritual Chant—Moonlight Mantra: Shomyo no Kai—Voices of a Thousand Years b APRIL 8 / 7:30 PM

Virtual Workshop: Shomyo for Everyday Wellness

b APRIL 9–11

b APRIL 16–18

b MAY 7–9

b APRIL 21 / 12:30 PM

b MAY 14–16

b APRIL 23–25

b MAY 21–23

Ian Bostridge, tenor, and Imogen Cooper, piano Virtual Lunch Discussion: Aurelio Martínez Aurelio Martínez and the Garifuna Soul Band

Encore – SOUND/SITES: Seth Parker Woods

Echoes of the East: Kayhan Kalhor, kamancheh

Quince: love fail

b MAY 27–31

Bach’s Goldberg Variations:

Mahan Esfahani, harpsichord b APRIL 30–MAY 2 The Great American Songbook: Sullivan Fortner, piano

SOUND/SITES: John Corkill, percussion

SULLIVAN FORTNER, piano

FRIDAY, APRIL 30—SUNDAY, MAY 2, 2021 / ONLINE PROGRAM GERSHWIN

I Loves You Porgy

FORTNER Anxiety CHOPIN (arr. Fortner)

Minute Waltz

SCHWARTZ

Alone Together

JOBIM Desafinado FORTNER Elegy

LEGRAND

You Must Believe in Spring

POWELL

Dusky ‘n’ Sandy

NEWPORT Newport GILLESPIE

Con Alma

FORTNER Blues RUBINSTEIN (arr. Fortner)

Melody in F

VIDEO PRODUCTION CREDITS Filmed and produced at Steinway Hall, New York City Producer: Jon Feidner Audio Engineer: Lauren Sclafani Cameras and Video Editing: Melody Nieun Hwang

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PROFILES at Newport, Monterey, Discover, Tri-C, and Gilmore Keyboard, among others. In 2019, he brought his band to the historic Village Vanguard for a week-long engagement as a leader.

Fortner’s notable studio contributions include work on Etienne Charles’s Kaiso (Culture Shock, 2011), Donald Harrison’s Quantum Leap (FOMP, 2010), and Theo Croker’s The Fundamentals (Left Sided Music, 2007).

b SULLIVAN FORTNER For the past decade, Sullivan Fortner has been stretching deep-rooted talents as a pianist, composer, bandleader, and uncompromising individualist. The Grammy Award–winning artist has received international praise as both keyboardist and producer for his collaborative work on The Window (Mack Avenue, 2018) alongside multiple Grammy Award winner, vocalist-composer Cecile McLorin Salvant. As a solo leader, he has released Moments Preserved (Decca, 2018) and Aria (Impulse!, 2015) to critical acclaim, and his solo career just getting started.

This past year, Fortner earned recognition in multiple DownBeat Critics Poll categories, winning first place in the Rising Star Piano and Rising Star Jazz Artist categories.

In addition to associations with such diverse artists as Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Dianne Reeves, Etienne Charles, and John Scofield, Fortner’s frequent and longtime collaborators have included Ambrose Akinmusire, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Stefon Harris, Kassa Overall, Tivon Pennicott, Peter Bernstein, Nicholas Payton, Billy Hart, Gary Bartz, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Fred Hersch, and the late Roy Hargrove. The highly sought-after improviser has performed across the country and throughout the world at such cultural institutions as Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Jazz Standard, and Smalls Jazz Club, as well as at celebrated festivals including 2 | UChicago Presents 77th Season

Whether playing solo or leading an orchestra, Fortner engages harmony and rhythmic ideas with curiosity and clarity. Within phrases, he finds universes, and listeners often hear how he moves through each note he explores. Growing up in New Orleans, Fortner began playing piano at the age of seven, following a storied lineage of improvisers who have mastered timekeeping and every iteration of the blues.

He earned his Bachelor of Music degree from Oberlin Conservatory and Master of Music in Jazz Performance from the Manhattan School of Music (MSM). A champion of mentorship, Fortner has offered masterclasses at MSM, New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Purdue University, Lafayette Summer Music Workshop, and Belmont University, as well as Oberlin Conservatory, where he held a faculty position.

Drawing upon distinct elements from different eras, Fortner’s artistry preserves the tradition and evolves the sound. He seeks connections among varied musical styles that are at once deeply soulful and wildly inventive. Both his work and his insights have been featured in notable publications including the New York Times and The Root. His accolades include 2015 winner of the Cole Porter Fellowship by the American Pianists Association, a Leonore Annenberg Arts Fellowship, and the 2016 Lincoln Center Award for Emerging Artists.

This concert marks Sullivan Fortner’s UChicago Presents debut.

GIFTS UChicago Presents gratefully acknowledges the many friends who graciously support our programs. To contribute to the UCP Annual Fund, please call 773.702.8068 or visit give.uchicago.edu and select University of Chicago Presents.

UChicago Presents appreciates the support of the Office of the Provost and the Department of Music for its operations and the Logan Center for the Arts for its partnership on Jazz at the Logan and family and school programming. $10,000 AND ABOVE Hanna H. Gray National Endowment for the Arts Reva and David Logan Foundation Revada Foundation Illinois Arts Council Alan Cravitz and Shashi Caudill Adam M. Dubin and Wei-Jen Chen $5,000–$9,999 Ann and Gordon Getty Foundation James and Joan Shapiro $2,500–$4,999 Anonymous Elizabeth F. Cheney Foundation Lynne F. and Ralph A. Schatz Dr. Elizabeth E. Sengupta* $1,000–$2,499 Anonymous Pamela Baker and Jay R. Franke Ann Bratton and John Partelow Howard and Elizabeth Helsinger William and Blair Lawlor Dr. and Mrs. Alan Leff Emilysue Pinnell and the Helen and Curtis Pinnell Foundation Anne Walters Robertson and J. Robert Robertson Evelyn Brody and Jack Siegel Betty Vandenbosch Kathleen and Willem Weijer $500–$999 Anonymous R. Stephen and Carla F. Berry Teri Edelstein and Neil Harris Emlyn Eisenach and Eric Posner Paula A. Golden Joel Handelman and Sarah Wolff Handelman Joseph Isenbergh Raymond J. and Alma M. Kuby

Barbara Mirecki Bruce Oltman Don R. and Patricia K. Swanson David and Kerstin Wellbery Howard Stanley White $250–$499 Anonymous Paul F. and Mary H. Anderson Mr. and Mrs. Spencer J. Bloch Mrs. Abraham Bookstein Karen and Jon Cashen Geoffrey Flick Paul E. and Susan S. Freehling William Hamilton William Jason Michel and Mark Botelho Kevin Oye and June Hsiao* Kenneth and Adair Small Ronald and Linda Thisted $100–$249 Anonymous Mr. and Mrs. Theodore N. Asner Ernestine and Ralph Austen Ellen Baird Susan Bell and Alan Rosin Phyllis B. Booth Bradley A. Brickner and Cindy Shelhart Derek Cottier Sonia V. Csaszar Jonathan Green and Joy Schochet Dr. Sally Ann Hastings Lyra and Javad Hekmatpanah in memory of R. Stephen Berry Mark and Judy Jacobi Barbara Jurgens Neil and Diana King Eva Fishell Lichtenberg and Arnold Tobin Corinne Lyon* Amy Mantrone Mitchell Dennis Marks Evelyn L. and Gerald E. Marsh* Gordon Marsh

Patrice Michaels and James Ginsburg Shankar and Katherine Nair Harry Poffenbarger Shulamit Ran and Dr. Abraham M. Lotan Sidney Robinson Christine and Earl Ronneberg Bhooma and R.N. Sailappan Mr. and Mrs. Harold Sanders Allen and Esther Schechter Carol Grossman Schneider Marshall Sparberg Judith E. Stein Timothy J. Thurlow in memory of Howard Brown Nicholas Weingarten and Cynthia Winter $50–$99 Anonymous Diane and Robert Altkorn Lenora M. Austin Marjorie M. Benson Marie Greaney Richard Hoskins in honor of Amy Iwano Lauren and John Kern in honor of Jim Kern Barbara S. Kirschner in memory of Robert H. Kirschner Laura Kracke Ellen McGrew Robert Parsons Dr. and Mrs. Louis Philipson Kathleen Rundell Marjorie M. Stinespring Louella Ward MATCHING GIFTS IBM Corporation SPECIAL THANKS The Saints

We also thank the many individuals who make annual contributions under $50. Every gift we receive helps to bring the music to the stage.

This list reflects contributions received for the period between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021.

We wish to acknowledge our donors accurately. If there is an error in your listing, please call us at 773.702.8068. * Denotes individuals who have sponsored a student. To learn more about the Sponsor-a-Student program, call the UCP main office.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

SOUND/SITES

SETH PARKER WOODS, CELLO b

MAY 7–9 ENCORE PERFORMANCE

KAYHAN KALHOR: ECHOES OF THE EAST b

MAY 14–16

The daring cellist and UChicago artist-in-residence

A champion of the kamancheh, or “spike fiddle,” Iranian

performs contemporary works in some of the

maestro Kayhan Kalhor explores the sound of ancient

University’s most architecturally stirking campus sites

Persian music in a meditative program alongside

in this special, encore SOUND/SITES performance.

tombak player Navid Afghah.

UCHICAGO PRESENTS NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT MORE THAN EVER! As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, musicians remain unable to perform for inperson audiences. With our virtual events, we are working to help artists make their music and to connect you in interesting and inspiring ways with the music, while keeping events at low or no cost.

Please consider giving generously to keep the music playing. We would be so4 grateful! | UChicago Presents 77 Season th

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GIVE TODAY

UCHICAGO ARTS BOX OFFICE 915 E. 60th Street Chicago, IL 60637 773.702.ARTS (2787) tickets.uchicago.edu CONCERT OFFICE 5720 S. Woodlawn Avenue Chicago, IL 60637 773.702.8068 chicagopresents@uchicago.edu

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