139th Season
2017——18
Looking Back——LEANING FORWARD
Looking Back ——LEANING FORWARD As we launch our 139th season, we are delighted to introduce Matthew VanBesien, who takes over as the seventh president of UMS following Ken Fischer’s 30-year tenure. Matthew comes to Ann Arbor by way of the orchestra world, as both a professional horn player and an orchestra executive. He has served as the chief administrator for the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Australia, and most recently, the New York Philharmonic, where he was president for the past five years. Join us as we welcome Matthew to UMS, the University of Michigan, and the Southeast Michigan community!
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Ken Fischer with future UMS president Matthew VanBesien in 2015
139TH SEASON
WELCOME TO UMS
UMS president Matthew VanBesien
Welcome to UMS! It is with great pleasure, excitement, and humility that I assume the presidency of UMS. My wife Rosie and I are both enjoying this community and are thrilled to be here. The mission of UMS — to inspire individuals and enrich communities by connecting audiences and artists in uncommon and engaging experiences — is, in my view, not only our raison d’être, but a call to action for UMS to serve and help our communities, near and far. The performing arts have always held a place of importance in engaging the world, and the world we are now witnessing implores us to dig deeper to engage audiences in new and profound ways, and to be steadfast in our commitment to challenge, entertain, provoke, and soothe and comfort. I couldn’t be more thrilled to lead this incredibly vibrant institution and to help forge UMS’s next chapter as one of the most admired performing arts presenters in the world. And I look forward to hearing from you about what you most value about UMS! Sincerely,
M A T T H E W V A N B E S I E N —— UMS President T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
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139th Season
2017——18 CALENDAR September Fri 9/8
L’État de siege (State of Siege) Théâtre de la Ville
Butler, Bernstein & The Hot 9
Wed 10/18
Season Opening Event! Tue-Sun 9/12-17
Every Brilliant Thing
Amir ElSaffar’s Rivers of Sound Orchestra
Starring Jonny Donahoe
Fri 10/20
Sun 9/24 Added Event!
Written in Water Ragamala Dance Company
National Theater Live in HD
Tony Kushner’s Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes Part One: Millennium Approaches
October Sun 10/1 Added Event!
National Theater Live in HD
Tony Kushner’s Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes Part Two: Perestroika Thu 10/5
4
Fri-Sat 10/13-14
Emerson String Quartet & Calidore String Quartet
Sun 10/22 Added Event!
National Theater Live in HD
Yerma
By Simon Stone after Federico García Lorca Wed 10/25
Daniil Trifonov, piano Sun 10/29
Sphinx Virtuosi
November Wed 11/1
Zakir Hussain & Dave Holland
139TH SEASON
Sun 11/19
The Joke is Mightier than the Sword Bassem Youssef
Strauss and Bernstein
New York Philharmonic
Tue 11/7
December
China NCPA Orchestra
Leonard Slatkin, conductor
Lü Jia, conductor Wu Man, pipa
Sat-Sun 12/2-3
Fri 11/10
Fri 12/8
Chanticleer Sun 11/12
The Knights with Avi Avital, Kinan Azmeh, and Colin Jacobsen Wed 11/15
Revisiting Mahavishnu John McLaughlin & Jimmy Herring Bernstein's Philharmonic: A Centennial Festival Fri 11/17
Mahler’s Symphony No. 5
New York Philharmonic Jaap van Zweden, conductor Sat 11/18
Young People’s Concert
New York Philharmonic Leonard Slatkin, conductor
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
2017-18 CALENDAR
Mon 11/6 Added Event!
Handel’s Messiah Bach Collegium Japan
January Sat 1/6
What’s in a Song An evening of song curated by Martin Katz Singers to include Nicole Cabell, Daniela Mack, Nicholas Phan, and John Relyea Fri 1/12
Hair and Other Stories Urban Bush Women Sun 1/14
Haydn Mega-Concert
St. Lawrence String Quartet No Safety Net Provocative Theater. Courageous Conversations. Safe Spaces. January 17-February 4, 2018 Four productions, full details to be announced in September 5
Sun 1/21 Added Event!
Moscow’s Vakhtangov Theater Live in HD
Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya Sat 1/27
Russian Renaissance
National Theatre Live in HD
Stephen Sondheim’s Follies Wed 2/14
Emmanuel Pahud, flute
M-Prize Winner
Sat 2/17
Sun 1/28
The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Maxim Vengerov, violin Wed 1/31
Janai Brugger, soprano Martin Katz, piano
Opera in Concert
March Fri-Sat 3/9-10
February
Borderline Company Wang Ramirez
Fri 2/2
Sun 3/11
Book of Travelers Gabriel Kahane
Elias Quartet
Sat 2/3
Tenebrae
Estonian National Symphony Neeme Järvi, conductor Garrick Ohlsson, piano Sun 2/4
Schubert’s Winterreise Ian Bostridge, tenor
Tue 3/13
Wed 3/14
Piedmont Blues: A Search for Salvation Gerald Clayton & The Assembly featuring René Marie Sat 3/17
Thu-Sun 2/8-11
Steve Lehman & Sélébéyone
Romeo & Juliet American Ballet Theatre
Thu-Sun 3/22-25
Sat 2/10
Written and performed by Nick Cassenbaum
Joshua Bell, violin 6
Sun 2/11 Added Event!
Bubble Schmeisis
139TH SEASON
Nederlands Dans Theater Sat 3/31
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Chick Corea
May Sun 5/6 Added Event!
National Theater Live in HD
2017-18 CALENDAR
Fri-Sat 3/23-24
Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar
April Sun 4/8
Artemis Quartet Fri 4/13
The Jazz Epistles featuring Abdullah Ibrahim & Hugh Masekela Sat 4/14
Colin Stetson: Sorrow Sun 4/15 Opera in Concert
Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo Apollo’s Fire Jeannette Sorrell, conductor Thu-Sat 4/19-21
Cold Blood A show by Michèle Anne De Mey, Jaco Van Dormael, and The Collectif Kiss and Cry
—— IMPORTANT DATES Mon 7/31 • Donor Pre-Sale (for donors of $250+) Mon 8/7 • Public Single Ticket Day — tickets to all individual events on sale Thu 8/31 • Student tickets on sale Mon 9/11 • Kids Club Tickets on sale
Sun 4/22
Murray Perahia, piano
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Fri 9/15 • Last day to order UMS subscriptions
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FRI
Sep 8 DOWNTOWN HOME & GARDEN A N D B I L L’ S B E E R G A R D E N 2 1 0 S . A S H L E Y S T, A N N A R B O R
Photo by Levy-Stab
139TH SEASON
Added Event!
Butler, Bernstein & The Hot 9 Henry Butler, piano and vocals Steven Bernstein, trumpet, slide trumpet, and alto horn Curtis Fowlkes, trombone Charlie Burnham, violin Doug Wieselman, clarinets and saxophone Peter Apfelbaum, saxophones Erik Lawrence, saxophones Matt Munisteri, guitar Brad Jones, bass Jerome Jennings, drums UMS brings the Big Easy to Downtown Home & Garden with a seasonopening event featuring Butler, Bernstein & The Hot 9. Retro-futurist brass man Steven Bernstein has a soft spot for early jazz, so his hookup with New Orleans pianist and singer Henry Butler is bound to deliver big fun. A virtuoso who has been blind since birth and channels sounds as diverse as his Louisiana birthplace, Butler’s technical ability and expansive repertoire are nothing short of legendary. He “revels in fluency and facility, splashing chords all over the keyboard and streaking through solos with machine-gun articulation.” (New York Times) Butler and Bernstein first worked together in the Kansas City All Stars, a touring big band that came out of the Robert Altman film Kansas City. They use New Orleans tradition and early 20th-century blues as a launching point toward exploration that is “both historically aware and fully prepared to cut loose.” (New York Times) General admission standing-room ticket. Limited seating available on a firstcome, first-served basis. Come early and enjoy food and drink from Mark’s Carts and Bill’s Beer Garden! Supporting Sponsor:
Media Partners: Ann Arbor’s 107one and WEMU 89.1 FM
Fri 9/8 at 8 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 14+
9
TUE–SUN
Sep 12-17 A R T H U R M I L L E R T H E AT R E
139TH SEASON
SEPTEMBER 12-17
Paines Plough
Every Brilliant Thing By Duncan Macmillan
A Paines Plough and Pentabus Theatre Company production Starring Jonny Donahoe “You’re six years old. Mum’s in hospital. Dad says she’s ‘done something stupid.’ She finds it hard to be happy. So you start to make a list of everything that’s brilliant about the world. Everything that’s worth living for. 1. Ice Cream 2. Water fights 3. Staying up past your bedtime and being allowed to watch TV
4. The color yellow 5. Things with stripes 6. Rollercoasters 7. People falling over
You leave it on her pillow. You know she’s read it because she’s corrected your spelling. Soon, the list will take on a life of its own.”
This new play about depression and the lengths we will go to for those we love was commissioned by Paines Plough, one of the UK’s leading theater companies devoted to new writing. The show, an interactive, heartwarming, and life-affirming piece of theater that involves members of the audience, recounts a life lived in the shadow of suicide and “may be the funniest show about depression you’ve ever seen…about finding reasons to live rather than reasons to die. And those reasons can be as minute as wearing a cape and as big as falling in love.” (New York Post) The week of September 5-11 is National Suicide Prevention Week. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255) Funded in part by: Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Endowment Fund
Tue 9/12 at 7:30 pm Wed 9/13 at 7:30 pm Thu 9/14 at 7:30 pm
Fri 9/15 at 8 pm Sat 9/16 at 2 & 8 pm Sun 9/17 at 2 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 14+
11
Sep 24 &
Oct 1 M I C H I G A N T H E AT E R
Photo by Helen Maybanks
139TH SEASON
Broadcast in Two Parts
Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes
SEPTEMBER 24 & OCTOBER 1
National Theatre Live in HD
Part One: Millennium Approaches Part Two: Perestroika Directed by Marianne Elliott
America in the mid-1980s. In the midst of the AIDS crisis and a conservative Reagan administration, New Yorkers grapple with life and death, love and sex, heaven and hell. Angels in America is an incredible drama set against the backdrop of the AIDS crisis that also offers a critique of American conservative politics. It focuses on the stories of two troubled couples, one gay, one straight: “word processor” Louis Ironson and his lover Prior Walter, and Mormon lawyer Joe Pitt and his wife Harper. Prior contracts AIDS, and Louis panics. Meanwhile, Joe is offered a job in the Justice Department by Roy Cohn, his right-wing, bigoted mentor and friend. Their lives intersect in unexpected and interesting ways. Tony Kushner’s epic seven-hour play in two parts won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1993. The incredible star cast includes Andrew Garland, Denis Gough, Nathan Lane, James McArdle, and Russell Tovey. Presented in partnership with the Michigan Theater.
Part One: Sun 9/24 at 6 pm Part Two: Sun 10/1 at 6 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 16+
13
THU
Oct 5 RACKHAM AUDITORIUM
Photo by Lisa Mazzucco
OCTOBER 5
Emerson String Quartet Calidore String Quartet PROGRAM
R. Strauss Bruckner Shostakovich Mendelssohn
String Sextet (“Intermezzo”) from Capriccio String Quintet in F Major, WAB 112 (excerpts) Two Pieces for String Octet, Op. 11 Octet in E-flat Major, Op. 20
Members of the Calidore String Quartet, the inaugural M-Prize winner (2015) who made their UMS debut in February, join their mentors, the Emerson String Quartet. The program features works for larger string ensembles, closing with Mendelssohn’s brilliant octet, composed when he was just 16 as a birthday gift for his violin teacher. Presenting Sponsor: Ilene F. Forsyth Chamber Arts Endowment Fund, which supports an annual UMS Chamber Arts performance Media Partners: WGTE 91.3 FM and WRCJ 90.9 FM
Thu 10/5 at 7:30 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 12+
15
F R I - S AT
Oct 13-14 POWER CENTER
Photo by Jean Louis Fernandez
139TH SEASON
OCTOBER 13-14
L’État de siege (State of Siege)
Théâtre de la Ville by Albert Camus Directed by Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota
A comet screams ominously through the sky, rupturing the sweet status quo of a sleepy summer. One by one, stricken bodies collapse as two smiling bureaucrats, the Plague and his loyal secretary Death, take control of the government, imposing a regime of contagion, domination, and disinformation. After thrilling stage productions of Ionesco’s Rhinocéros in 2012 and Pirandello’s Six Characters in Search of an Author in 2014, Théâtre de la Ville returns with L’État de siege (State of Siege), a dizzying and alternative fact-filled allegory by Albert Camus about defiance in the face of authoritarianism. In this nightmarish future, a city is reduced to silence and submission to authority. The Plague brings order, administration, lists, records, statistics, and persecution — until a young man, Diego, organizes a revolt. Written in 1948 in the aftermath of World War II, State of Siege reflects the creation of a corrupt, totalitarian regime, weaving together paranoia, endurance, and the necessity of resistance. Performed in French with English supertitles. Presenting Sponsor: James Garavaglia Theater Fund Funded in part by: Wallace Endowment Fund Media Partner: WDET 101.9 FM
Fri 10/13 at 8 pm Sat 10/14 at 8 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Opening Night PostPerformance Q&A
Ages 16+
17
WED
Oct 18 POWER CENTER
Photo by Alice Gebura-Walker
139TH SEASON
OCTOBER 18
Amir ElSaffar’s Rivers of Sound Orchestra Amir ElSaffar, trumpet and santur Iraqi-American trumpeter, santur player, vocalist, and composer Amir ElSaffar has mastered disparate musical styles and created a singular approach to combining aspects of Middle Eastern music with American jazz, extending the boundaries of each tradition. ElSaffar’s Rivers of Sound Orchestra showcases 17 musicians from a broad spectrum of traditions, including Western classical instruments alongside oud, jowza, mridangam, buzuq, and dumbek; together, the group creates an entirely new musical language that transcends established notions of style and convention. The highest ideal in maqam music is to reach a state of tarab, or musical ecstasy, which results from the melting away of borders as performers and audiences revel together in the music. As pitches and rhythms become fluid, so do cultural boundaries, and this transcultural approach combines improvisation and composition in a novel soundscape. Amir ElSaffar is an expert practitioner of both jazz and Iraqi maqam and shows off his large-scale ensemble to Ann Arbor for this special presentation; ElSaffar and select members of the group also provide the live music and original score for Ragamala Dance Company two nights later. Full personnel at ums.org. Funded in part by: Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Endowment Fund
Wed 10/18 at 7:30 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 14+
19
FRI
Oct 20 POWER CENTER
139TH SEASON
Ragamala Dance Company
OCTOBER 20
Written in Water
Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy, co-artistic directors Live music performed and written by Amir ElSaffar In Written in Water, Ranee and Aparna Ramaswamy explore the concept of spiritual ascension through the 2nd-century Indian board game Paramapadam (upon which Snakes & Ladders is based) and the 12th century Persian epic The Conference of the Birds. Rooted in the South Indian Bharatanatyam classical dance form, the large-scale multi-disciplinary performance unfolds with paintings by Chennai-based visual artist Keshav projected on the stage floor. This “gameboard” serves as a physical and metaphorical framework for a world of psychological complexity, with snakes and ladders representing the heights of ecstasy and the depths of longing in Hindu and Sufi thought. The live music for Written in Water is composed and performed by Amir ElSaffar, interwoven with original South Indian Carnatic compositions by Prema Ramamurthy. Ragamala Dance Company is “providing some of the most transcendent experiences that dance has to offer.” (New York Times) Supporting Sponsor:
Funded in part by: Arts Midwest Touring Fund Media Partners: Ann Arbor’s 107one and Michigan Radio 91.7 FM
Fri 10/20 at 8 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Post-Performance Q&A
Ages 8+
21
SUN
Oct 22 M I C H I G A N T H E AT E R
139TH SEASON
OCTOBER 22
National Theatre Live in HD
Yerma
A Young Vic production by Simon Stone after Federico García Lorca Directed by Simon Stone Lorca’s 1934 play about a farmer’s wife broken by her longing for a child is modernized for the 21st century in Simon Stone’s radical update. Here Yerma is a hard-driving journalist who has settled down with her boyfriend in a gentrifying part of London. Billie Piper’s lead performance as a young woman driven to the unthinkable by her desperate desire to have a child is spellbinding, astonishing, and devastating. Set in contemporary London, Piper builds with elemental force to a staggering, shocking climax. Winner of the 2017 Olivier Award for Best Actress for this performance, Piper is “fearless, furious, wildly funny — then utterly destroyed, as she realizes that neither yoga nor bravado can overcome the vulnerability of her own body.” (TimeOut London) Presented in partnership with the Michigan Theater.
Sun 10/22 at 7 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 16+
23
WED
Oct 25 HILL AUDITORIUM
Photo by Dario AcostaDeutsche Grammophon
139TH SEASON
OCTOBER 25
Daniil Trifonov, piano PROGRAM: AN HOMAGE TO CHOPIN
Mompou Tchaikovsky Rachmaninoff Chopin Chopin
Variations on a Theme of Chopin Un poco di Chopin, Op. 72, No. 15 Variations on a Theme of Chopin Nocturnes and Mazurkas Piano Sonata No. 2 in b-flat minor, Op. 35
“He is, no other word, a phenomenon. Like Rachmaninoff, he is both a dazzling pianist and composer.” (The Guardian) At 20, Daniil Trifonov won first prize at both the Tchaikovsky and Rubinstein competitions. Now 26, this dazzling Russian pianist makes his UMS recital debut after a wildly successful appearance with the Montreal Symphony in 2016. He takes a deep dive into the music of Chopin, exploring the Polish genius’s world and the music he inspired. Supporting Sponsors: Diane and Gary Stahle and Robert and Darragh Weisman Media Partners: WGTE 91.3 FM and WRCJ 90.9 FM
Wed 10/25 at 7:30 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 12+
25
SUN
Oct 29 RACKHAM AUDITORIUM
Photo by Kevin Kennedy
139TH SEASON
OCTOBER 29
20th Anniversary Tour
Sphinx Virtuosi Afa Dworkin, artistic director
PROGRAM: CONCERTI PER VENTI
Vivaldi Beethoven Vaughan Williams Michael Abels Jimmy López
Concerto for Four Violins and Cello in b minor, RV 580 Grosse Fuge, Op. 133 Concerto Grosso Delights & Dances Guardian of the Horizon: Concerto Gross for Violin, Cello and Strings
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Sphinx Organization, this program offers a collection of concerti through the ages, including both beloved masterpieces and new works by American composer Michael Abels and Jimmy López from Peru, both of which were commissioned by Sphinx. The group, which was founded at the University of Michigan by alumnus and former dean Aaron Dworkin, is composed of 18 alumni of the Sphinx Competition, which supports racial diversity in classical music. They tour each fall, performing annually at Carnegie Hall and at other leading venues across the country. Presenting Sponsor: Media Partners: Ann Arbor’s 107one, WGTE 91.3 FM, and WRCJ 90.9 FM
Sun 10/29 at 4 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 12+
27
WED
Nov 1 M I C H I G A N T H E AT E R
Zakir Hussain by Jim McGuire Dave Holland by Ulli Gruber
139TH SEASON
NOVEMBER 1
Crosscurrents
Zakir Hussain & Dave Holland Zakir Hussain, tabla Dave Holland, bass Shankar Mahadevan, vocals Chris Potter, saxophones Sanjay Divecha, guitars Louiz Banks, piano and keyboards Gino Banks, drums This special collaboration between Zakir Hussain, a living master of the 3,000-year-old tabla percussion tradition, and distinguished bassist and 2017 NEA Jazz Master Dave Holland demonstrates the many directions of inspiration between the idioms of jazz and Indian music in a program entitled Crosscurrents. The influence of Indian classical music on jazz is widely known, but fewer people are aware of how jazz influenced the popular music of India. Jazz first came to India by way of the Hollywood musicals of the 1930s and ’40s and quickly inspired the music of India’s burgeoning film industry; the improvisational nature of jazz was familiar to Indian composers and musicians who found a way to incorporate jazz harmonies and chord progressions into their work. This concert features Bollywood superstar vocalist Shankar Mahadevan alongside a cast of spectacular sidemen. Supporting Sponsor: Funded in part by: JazzNet Endowment Fund Media Partners: Ann Arbor’s 107one and WEMU 89.1 FM
Wed 11/1 at 7:30 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 12+
29
MON
Nov 6 M I C H I G A N T H E AT E R
Photo by Sunny Martini
139TH SEASON
The Joke is Mightier than the Sword
NOVEMBER 6
Added Event!
Bassem Youssef
Dubbed the Jon Stewart of the Arab World, Bassem Youssef was a cardiothoracic surgeon when he became the creator and host of the wildly popular TV show “Al-Bernameg” — the first political satire show in the Middle East. Originally a five-minute show shot from his laundry room and posted on YouTube after protests in Tahrir Square unseated Egypt’s ruling elite, it became the most-watched program in the region, with 30 million viewers every week. Throughout its three seasons, the show remained controversial for its hilarious and bold criticism of ruling powers. Accused of being “anti-Islam” and insulting the President, Youssef was arrested and interrogated before being released on bail. He was forced to terminate the show because of overwhelming political pressures and was subsequently awarded the prestigious International Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), presented by Jon Stewart. In The Joke is Mightier than the Sword, Youssef shares his personal story and his thoughts on the political climate that led to the Arab Spring, its parallels to the current state of American politics, and how propaganda lays the foundation for dictatorial regimes. The multimedia presentation includes a talk, video, audience Q&A, and book signing. Supporting Sponsors:
Mon 11/6 at 7:30 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 14+
31
TUE
Nov 7 HILL AUDITORIUM
Photo by Wind Music
139TH SEASON
NOVEMBER 7
China NCPA Orchestra Lü Jia, conductor Wu Man, pipa
PROGRAM
Qigang Chen Harrison Brahms
New Work Concerto for Pipa and String Orchestra Symphony No. 4 in e minor, Op. 98
One of China’s great orchestras, from the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing, makes its UMS debut with a new work commissioned by Qigang Chen, the music director of the 2008 Summer Olympics. The concert also shines a spotlight on Wu Man, the world’s reigning pipa virtuoso and Silk Road Ensemble member. She performs Lou Harrison’s concerto for the pipa, a traditional Chinese lute that dates back 2,000 years. Wu Man has devoted her career to creating awareness of China’s ancient musical traditions and was named Musical America’s Instrumentalist of the Year in 2013, the first time the award was given to a player of a non-Western instrument. Presenting Sponsor: Ilene H. Forsyth Choral Union Endowment Fund, which supports an annual UMS Choral Union performance Media Partner: WGTE 91.3 FM
Tue 11/7 at 7:30 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 14+
33
FRI
Nov 10 HILL AUDITORIUM
139TH SEASON
NOVEMBER 10
Heart of a Soldier
Chanticleer
William Fred Scott, music director The hearts of soldiers burst with every emotion. Expressed in music from the Renaissance to the present day, these sentiments ranging from extreme pain to extreme joy are universal. Heart of a Soldier will feature early music of war and peace from Byrd, Tomkins, Jannequin, and Dufay. Stirring martial music from Russia includes works by Glinka and traditional songs sung by ordinary soldiers. New works for Chanticleer by Mason Bates and John Musto are paired with celebrated choruses from Jennifer Higdon’s Cold Mountain and lighthearted music from the home front. Called “the world’s reigning male chorus” by the New Yorker, the Grammy Award-winning ensemble Chanticleer is known around the world as an “orchestra of voices” for the seamless blend of its 12 male voices, ranging from soprano to bass. Named for the “clear-singing” rooster in Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales, “Chanticleer fascinates and enthralls for much the same reason a fine chocolate or a Rolls Royce does: through luxurious perfection.” (Los Angeles Times) The U-M Glee Club makes a special cameo appearance in this Veterans Day Weekend concert, which kicks off the Ambassadors of Song International Male Chorus Symposium on the University of Michigan campus. Presenting Sponsor: Supporting Sponsors: Jim Toy, honoring the distinguished service of UMS President Emeritus Ken Fischer, and Tom and Debby McMullen Media Partners: Between the Lines, Michigan Radio 91.7 FM, and WRCJ 90.9 FM
Fri 11/10 at 8 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 8+
35
SUN
Nov 12 RACKHAM AUDITORIUM
Photo by Harald Hoffmann
139TH SEASON
NOVEMBER 12
The Knights Avi Avital, mandolin Kinan Azmeh, clarinet Colin Jacobsen, violin
PROGRAM
Azmeh/Avital/Knights Purcell Giovanni Sollima Osvaldo Golijov J.S. Bach Schubert/Mendelssohn Kinan Azmeh Traditional
Improvisation Upon One Note Fantasia Upon One Note “La Camera Bianca” from Viaggio in Italia Lullaby and Doina Concerto No. 1 for Harpsichord, Strings, and Continuo in d minor, BWV 1052 Songs without Words Triple Concerto for Clarinet, Mandolin & Violin Middle Eastern, Balkan, and klezmer music, arranged by the artists
The trailblazing Israeli mandolin virtuoso Avi Avital and soulful Syrian clarinetist and composer Kinan Azmeh team up with The Knights for an extraordinary performance grounded in the classical tradition and crossing boundaries into the worlds of Middle Eastern, Balkan, klezmer, and jazz. “Few ensembles are as adept at mixing old and new as the dynamic Brooklyn orchestra The Knights,” says the New Yorker, and when Avital and Azmeh join the group, the result is “nothing short of electric.” (New York Times) Supporting Sponsor: Ellie Serras Media Partner: WGTE 91.3 FM
Sun 11/12 at 4 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 8+
37
WED
Nov 15 M I C H I G A N T H E AT E R
Photo by Ina McLaughlin
139TH SEASON
NOVEMBER 15
John McLaughlin Farewell US Tour
Revisiting Mahavishnu
John McLaughlin & Jimmy Herring John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension Jimmy Herring and The Invisible Whip On this tour, which features the first extended collaboration between two of the world’s foremost improvising artists, guitarist John McLaughlin revisits the legacy of his legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra with his co-headliner, virtuoso guitarist Jimmy Herring. Over five decades, McLaughlin has become one of improvised music’s most influential guitarists, composers, and bandleaders. Herring has been at the creative forefront of the thriving American rock-jam band movement for 25 years as lead guitarist of Widespread Panic. After separate sets by the two headliners with their own bands, they join forces for an expansive closing jam, revisiting the pioneering music that McLaughlin introduced in the 1970s with his deeply influential, genre-defying Mahavishnu Orchestra. “To play the music of Mahavishnu is not for the faint-hearted,” says McLaughlin. “In fact, among the only people I know who have succeeded in interpreting Mahavishnu music are my two alltime favorite guitarists: Jimmy Herring and Jeff Beck.” This tour marks the 75-year-old McLaughlin’s first extensive US tour in seven years and his last American performances. Full personnel at ums.org. Supporting Sponsor:
Funded in part by: JazzNet Endowment Fund Media Partners: Ann Arbor’s 107one, WDET 101.9 FM, WEMU 89.1 FM, and WRCJ 90.9 FM
Wed 11/15 at 7:30 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 12+
39
—— BERNSTEIN’S PHILHARMONIC: A CENTENNIAL FESTIVAL
40
139TH SEASON
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
41
Mahler ‘s Symphony No. 5
New York Philharmonic Jaap van Zweden, conductor
PROGRAM
Mahler
Symphony No. 5
The New York Philharmonic returns for its second major UMS residency, this time with a focus on Leonard Bernstein, the celebrated New York Philharmonic music director and composer who was born 100 years ago. The first concert of the weekend features the music of Gustav Mahler, also a music director of the New York Philharmonic (1909-11), whose music Bernstein championed and brought back into the symphonic canon. The concert is conducted by Jaap van Zweden, the music director designate of the New York Philharmonic who assumes the reins in 2018-19. The 2012 Musical America Conductor of the Year, van Zweden comes to the New York Philharmonic after a decade as music director of the Dallas Symphony. Numerous residency activities, including master classes, lectures, and workshops, will occur throughout the weekend, with full details announced this fall. Funded in part by: Friends of the UMS New York Philharmonic Residency, initiated with a generous challenge gift from Rachel Bendit and Mark Bernstein Media Partners: Ann Arbor’s 107one, WGTE 91.3 FM, and WRCJ 90.9 FM
Friday, November 17 at 8 pm Hill Auditorium
42
Ages 12+
139TH SEASON
NOVEMBER 17-18
Young People’s Concert
New York Philharmonic Leonard Slatkin, conductor Makoto Ozone, piano
PROGRAM: WORKS OF LEONARD BERNSTEIN
Overture to Candide Selections from On the Town Masque from Symphony No. 2 (“The Age of Anxiety”) Profanation from Symphony No. 1 (“Jeremiah”) Selections from West Wide Story
The second concert of this weekend festival residency recreates one of Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concerts, which were broadcast nationally on CBS during 1958-1972. While titled a “young people’s concert,” it will be appreciated and enjoyed by audiences of all ages. Funded in part by: Friends of the UMS New York Philharmonic Residency, initiated with a generous challenge gift from Rachel Bendit and Mark Bernstein Media Partners: Ann Arbor’s 107one and WRCJ 90.9 FM
Saturday, November 18 at 2 pm Hill Auditorium
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 8+
43
Strauss and Bernstein
New York Philharmonic Leonard Slatkin, conductor UMS Choral Union / Scott Hanoian, director Michigan State University Children’s Choir / Kyle Zeuch, director Cynthia Phelps, principal viola Carter Brey, principal cello Tamara Wilson, soprano
PROGRAM
R. Strauss Bernstein
Don Quixote, Op. 35 Symphony No. 3 (“Kaddish”)
DSO music director Leonard Slatkin leads the New York Philharmonic in the finale of the Bernstein Festival and Ann Arbor residency. Evoking the chanted Jewish prayer of mourning, Bernstein’s powerful “Kaddish” Symphony was written in 1963 and is dedicated to the memory of John F. Kennedy, who was assassinated just weeks before the first performance. The program concludes with Richard Strauss’s witty vignettes of the bumbling knight-errant Don Quixote. Funded in part by: Friends of the UMS New York Philharmonic Residency, initiated with a generous challenge gift from Rachel Bendit and Mark Bernstein Media Partners: Ann Arbor’s 107one, WGTE 91.3 FM, and WRCJ 90.9 FM
Sunday, November 19 at 3 pm Hill Auditorium
44
Ages 12+
139TH SEASON
NOVEMBER 19
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
45
S AT- S U N
Dec 2-3 HILL AUDITORIUM
Photo by Peter Smith
139TH SEASON
DECEMBER 2-3
Handel’s Messiah
UMS Choral Union Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra Scott Hanoian, conductor Brenda Rae, soprano Avery Amereau, contralto Sean Panikkar, tenor Christian Van Horn, bass-baritone Joseph Gascho, harpsichord Scott VanOrnum, organ Handel’s Messiah was composed over the course of a month in 1741, six months before its premiere in Dublin at a new concert hall where several of Handel’s operas were also performed. Even the dress rehearsal was ticketed, and the morning newspapers excitedly reported that the oratorio “far surpasses anything of that nature, which has been performed in this or any other Kingdom.” Ladies were asked to attend without hoops and gentlemen without swords, to increase the capacity of the hall. The premiere was a triumph; the Dublin Journal proclaimed, “The sublime, the grand, and the tender, adapted to the most elevated, majestic, and moving words, conspired to transport and charm the ravished heart and ear.” Nearly 300 years later, Handel’s Messiah still provokes joy, and UMS’s 139th year of presenting the oratorio fills audiences with emotion for both the beauty of the piece and the pride of hearing friends and colleagues from the community bring this glorious work to life. Music director Scott Hanoian conducts the UMS Choral Union and the Ann Arbor Symphony in this annual community tradition. Presenting Sponsor: Richard and Norma Sarns Supporting Sponsor: Carl and Isabelle Brauer Endowment Fund Media Partners: Ann Arbor’s 107one and WRCJ 90.9 FM
Sat 12/2 at 8 pm Sun 12/3 at 2 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 12+
47
FRI
Dec 8 HILL AUDITORIUM
Photo by Marco Borggreve
139TH SEASON
DECEMBER 8
J.S. Bach’s Christmas Oratorio
Bach Collegium Japan Masaaki Suzuki, conductor Sherezade Panthaki, soprano Jay Carter, countertenor Zachary Wilder, tenor Dominik Wörner, bass
Johann Sebastian Bach wrote over 200 church cantatas, and the Bach Collegium Japan is intent on performing every one of them — and in fact did so, in chronological order, from 1995-2013. Additionally, the group recorded all of the cantatas in an effort that took 18 years and resulted in 55 discs. Bach’s oratorio is written in six parts, each celebrating one of the major feast days of the Christmas period. The Bach Collegium brings its signature crispness and purity to a beloved Bach masterpiece, highlighting the polyphonic wonder of Bach’s rich, imaginative cantatas that were written to celebrate Jesus’ birth. Media Partner: WGTE 91.3 FM
Fri 12/8 at 8 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 14+
49
S AT
Jan 6 LY D I A MENDELSSOHN T H E AT R E
Photos (clockwise from top left): John Relyea, Daniela Mack, Nicole Cabell, Nicholas Phan
139TH SEASON
JANUARY 6
What’s in a Song
Martin Katz, piano and curator Singers to include: Nicole Cabell, soprano Daniela Mack, mezzo-soprano Nicholas Phan, tenor John Relyea, bass One of the highlights of the 2015-16 UMS season was the opening of the first Song Biennial, in which Martin Katz curated a wonderful evening featuring a variety of singers examining the different components of a song. This second edition features a different cast of characters, with Katz’s inimitable knowledge of the vast song repertoire guiding the evening. Soprano Nicole Cabell, a “faultlessly gleaming soprano” (Financial Times) who also won the 2005 BBC Singer of the World Competition in Cardiff is joined by U-M alumnus and tenor Nicholas Phan, who has “one of the most beautiful young lyric voices around,” (Opera News) mezzo-soprano Daniela Mack, a rising star at the San Francisco Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, and Santa Fe Opera, and John Relyea, a Canadian bass with many local ties and a distinguished international career, round out the quartet of singers. Presenting Sponsor: Maurice and Linda Binkow Vocal and Chamber Arts Endowment Fund
Sat 1/6 at 8 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 12+
51
FRI
Jan 12 POWER CENTER
Photo by Hayim Heron
139TH SEASON
JANUARY 12
Hair & Other Stories
Urban Bush Women Jawole Zollar, founder “The Urban Bush Women are committed, triple-threat performers who dance, sing, and act with a sometimes searing sense of truthfulness.” (New York Times) Founded by Jawole Zollar, the company burst onto the dance scene in 1984 and has made an indelible mark on the field with bold, innovative, and demanding works that challenge long-held assumptions about women, people of color, body types, styles of movement, society, history, and appropriate content for the stage. Hair & Other Stories is a multidisciplinary evening-length work that addresses matters of race, gender identity, and economic inequality through the lens of physical appearance, including the cultural significance of African-American women’s hair. Weaving contemporary dance, music, and text with the history, culture, and spiritual traditions of the African Diaspora, this astonishing troupe performs innovative, exciting works that bring untold stories to life. Presenting Sponsor: Supporting Sponsor: Funded in part by: New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project Media Partner: Between the Lines, Michigan Radio 91.7 FM, and WDET 101.9 FM
Fri 1/12 at 8 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Post-Performance Q&A
Ages 12+
53
SUN
Jan 14 RACKHAM AUDITORIUM
Photo by Marco Borggreve
139TH SEASON
St. Lawrence String Quartet
JANUARY 14
Haydn Mega-Concert
ALL-HAYDN PROGRAM
String Quartet No. 1 in E-flat Major String Quartet No. 2 in C Major String Quartet No. 3 in g minor String Quartet No. 4 in D Major String Quartet No. 5 in f minor String Quartet No. 6 in A Major
“No other North American quartet plays the music of Haydn with more intelligence, expressivity, and force,” says the New Yorker. Since its founding in 1989, the St. Lawrence String Quartet has had an evangelical fervor for the music of Haydn, and they think of the composer as a radical, passionate innovator. Haydn’s “Sun” Quartets, dazzling, virtuosic, powerfully emotional, and whimsical, set the course for all subsequent Western chamber music; Beethoven was in such awe of their mastery that he copied them all out by hand. In this special immersive concert, the SLSQ performs all six of Haydn’s Op. 20 string quartets. First violinist Geoff Nuttall provides insightful commentary to accompany the performance. Please note: this concert will be performed with two intermissions, including a meal break (dinner not included). Dining options will be sent to ticketholders in mid-November. Presenting Sponsor: Carl Cohen, whose bequest will establish an endowment to support a Chamber Arts performance in perpetuity Media Partners: WGTE 91.3 FM and WRCJ 90.9 FM
Sun 1/14 at 2 pm (extended concert experience)
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 12+
55
Jan 17 Feb 4
Provocative Theater. Courageous Conversations. Safe Spaces.
No Safety Net A R T H U R M I L L E R T H E AT R E & S TA M P S G A L L E R Y
139TH SEASON
JANUARY 17-FEBRUARY 4
No Safety Net Provocative Theater. Courageous Conversations. Safe Spaces. “The dangers of life are infinite, and among them is safety.” (Goethe) Save the date for No Safety Net, a program of provocative theater featuring four different productions over a three-week period in January and early February. The stage can be a powerful vehicle for expressions of resistance, social unrest, and political change. And artists on stage ask us to face complexity — to provoke thinking that can unsettle and even hurt. We may be asked to confront difficult issues that we might otherwise prefer to avoid. There are no easy answers, and no clear truths. Opinion, bias, training, and status all take center stage in this artistic journey. The UMS 2017-18 season will include a three-week look at stage work that embraces the long theatrical legacy of intervening in social issues and drawing diverse voices into focused conversation. In doing so, we may be asked to reconsider our notions of the world and listen to different viewpoints. We will certainly be challenged to re-examine what we think we already know. Through artistic presentation on stage, and an equal helping of discussion and inquiry off the stage, UMS will create a community platform for important dialogue — an invocation to move beyond our personal comfort zones and to lean in to the complexities of living in a global society. The hoped-for outcome? Better understanding. Better resilience. And a better ability to face the world we live in. Full details to be announced in September. Presenting Sponsor: Renegade Ventures Fund, established by the Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation Funded in part by: Building Audiences for Sustainability initiative of The Wallace Foundation Media Partners: Ann Arbor’s 107one, Between the Lines, and Metro Times
1/17-2/4 (four productions)
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 16+
57
SUN
Jan 21 M I C H I G A N T H E AT E R
139TH SEASON
JANUARY 21
Moscow’s Vakhtangov Theater Live in HD
Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya Directed by Rimas Tuminas
Rimas Tuminas’s reimagining of Anton Chekhov’s tale about broken illusions and dashed hopes is freed from traditional trappings, leaving behind a battlefield for passions and colliding ambitions. Anton Chekhov’s tragicomic masterpiece of dashed dreams, thwarted love, and eternal longing begins as Professor Serebryakov and his young wife, Elena, arrive at the family’s remote country estate that has been looked after by Sonya (the Professor’s daughter from his first marriage) and her Uncle Vanya (Voynitsky), the Professor’s brother-in-law. Vanya has sacrificed his life managing the estate for the Professor, whom he once revered, but is now filled with regret for lost time, a pain made worse by the arousing presence of Elena. An acutely observed study of humanity, Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya remains a classic of Russian theater, a play of tragic and tangled love combining comic scenes of the everyday with a scathing attack on the idle provincial life of the upper classes. Starring Sergey Makovetskiy as Vanya. Performed in Russian with English subtitles. Presented in partnership with the Michigan Theater.
Sun 1/21 at 7 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 14+
59
S AT
Jan 27 RACKHAM AUDITORIUM
139TH SEASON
JANUARY 27
M-Prize Winner
Russian Renaissance The grand prize winner of the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance’s 2017 M-Prize competition, Russian Renaissance presents “high caliber traditional folk music through a modern lens.” With their professional debut in October 2015, the quartet — which includes balalaika (a Russian stringed instrument with a unique triangular body), domra (a long-necked Russian string instrument from the lute family), button accordion, and contrabass balalaika — brings together tradition and modernity in unique crossover and fusion styles. Their M-Prize appearance featured works ranging from tango to Russian folksongs to Duke Ellington, creating a fun, yet soulful, approach. Presenting Sponsor: Helmut F. and Candis J. Stern Endowment Fund, which supports an annual UMS Chamber Arts performance Media Partner: WGTE 91.3 FM
Sat 1/27 at 8 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 8+
61
SUN
Jan 28 HILL AUDITORIUM
Photo by B. Ealovega
139TH SEASON
JANUARY 28
Maxim Vengerov, violin Roustem Saïtkoulov, piano PROGRAM
Brahms Brahms Ravel Ernst Paganini Paganini
Scherzo in c minor from the “F-A-E” Sonata Sonata No. 3 in d minor, Op. 108 Violin Sonata No. 2 in G Major “The Last Rose of Summer” Variations Cantabile for Violin and Piano in D Major, Op. 17 Variations on “I Palpiti,” Op. 13 (arr. Fritz Kreisler)
Universally hailed as one of the world’s finest musicians, Maxim Vengerov made his public debut at age 5 and performed the Mendelssohn Concerto at age 7. Vengerov is inspired by many different styles of music and brings his tireless search for new means of creative expression to his first UMS recital appearance in nearly 20 years. “Maxim Vengerov is undoubtedly one of the most brilliant violinists of our time.” (ClassiqueNews.com) Media Partners: WGTE 91.3 FM and WRCJ 90.9 FM
Sun 1/28 at 4 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 12+
63
WED
Jan 31 LY D I A M E N D E L S S O H N T H E AT R E
Photo by Dario Acosta
139TH SEASON
JANUARY 31
Janai Brugger, soprano Martin Katz, piano Winner of Placido Domingo’s prestigious Operalia competition in 2012 and a true standout in the What’s in a Song event that launched the UMS Song Biennial two years ago, soprano Janai Brugger has quickly become one of the Metropolitan Opera’s go-to singers, with four roles this past season. The U-M alumna, who studied with the late Shirley Verrett, also won the Kennedy Center’s 2016 Marian Anderson Vocal Award and was identified by Opera News as one of their top 25 “brilliant young artists” in 2015. At the Metropolitan Opera competition in 2012, the New York Times wrote, “Only one singer inspired me to look forward to a full performance. Janai Brugger sang with poise and style, quiet intensity, and superb phrasing…The emotion was in her sound, which projected, with silvery ease, relaxed but focused bliss and then haunting melancholy.” Brugger, joined by pianist Martin Katz, makes her UMS solo recital debut with this performance. Program will include songs of Richard Strauss, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Lee Hoiby, among others. Supporting Sponsor: Maurice and Linda Binkow Philanthropic Fund
Wed 1/31 at 7:30 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 14+
65
FRI
Feb 2 LY D I A M E N D E L S S O H N T H E AT R E
139TH SEASON
FEBRUARY 2
Book of Travelers
Gabriel Kahane Written and performed by Gabriel Kahane Directed by Daniel Fish Scenic and video design by Jim Findlay The morning after the 2016 presidential election, singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane packed a suitcase and set out for a two-week train trip across the US with no phone or internet, embracing 8,980 miles of a reclusive Amtrak existence. The result is this hymn to the analog intimacy of American rail culture as antidote to the fragmentation and efficiency of modern life. Alone at the piano, Kahane draws from dining car conversations with dozens of strangers — cowboys, postmasters, religious luddites, national park conservationists, drifters, and software engineers — to sing of his own upended assumptions about the body politic as revealed through his unplugged railroad exile. The highly anticipated follow-up to his acclaimed stage piece, The Ambassador, Gabriel Kahane’s Book of Travelers is a meditation on the beautiful terror of getting lost in an unfamiliar landscape. Supporting Sponsors: Joel Howell and Linda Samuelson
Fri 2/2 at 8 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 12+
67
S AT
Feb 3 HILL AUDITORIUM
Photo by Pier Andrea Morolli
139TH SEASON
FEBRUARY 3
Estonian National Symphony Orchestra Neeme Järvi, conductor Garrick Ohlsson, piano
PROGRAM
Eller Dawn Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 in d minor, Op. 15 Tubin Symphony No. 5 in b minor
Former Detroit Symphony Orchestra music director Neeme Järvi returns to Southeast Michigan with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra. Now 80, Järvi leads the ensemble in its UMS debut with a program steeped in the music of Estonian composers. The concert includes the beautiful fifth symphony of Eduard Tubin, who fled to Stockholm in 1944 when the Soviet Union occupied Estonia. Garrick Ohlsson, a musician of magisterial interpretive and technical prowess, joins the orchestra for Brahms’s first piano concerto. Supporting Sponsors:
Gil Omenn and Martha Darling and Dody Viola
Media Partners: Ann Arbor’s 107one, WGTE 91.3 FM, and WRCJ 90.9 FM
Sat 2/3 at 8 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 12+
69
SUN
Feb 4 LY D I A M E N D E L S S O H N T H E AT R E
Photo by Sim Canetty-Clarke
139TH SEASON
FEBRUARY 4
Schubert’s Winterreise
Ian Bostridge, tenor Julius Drake, piano “Even as a child, I was unnaturally obsessed with love and death,” says celebrated English tenor Ian Bostridge. “So in that sense, I really was born to sing lieder.” Bostridge’s fascination with Schubert’s Winterreise extends beyond the hundreds of performances he has given of the 24-song cycle; the former historian has also written a book, Schubert’s Winter Journey: Anatomy of an Obsession. The book is an engrossing read, but the live performance of a winter journey across a landscape of lost love is not to be missed. Of recent performances in England, the Financial Times observed that “Bostridge gets inside the very soul of Schubert’s tortured winter traveler.” The Telegraph raved, “This was without doubt the most extraordinary, riveting, uncanny performance of Schubert’s great song-cycle I have ever witnessed.” Presenting Sponsor: Maurice and Linda Binkow Vocal and Chamber Arts Endowment Fund
Sun 2/4 at 4 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 14+
71
THU–SUN
Feb 8-11
DETROIT OPERA HOUSE
Photo by Gene Schiavone
139TH SEASON
FEBRUARY 8-11
Romeo & Juliet
American Ballet Theatre Kevin McKenzie, artistic director Choreography by Kenneth MacMillan Music by Sergei Prokofiev Set and costumes by Nicholas Georgiadis Lighting by Thomas R. Skelton Kenneth MacMillan’s masterful interpretation of Shakespeare’s enduring romantic tragedy has become one of ABT’s signature productions. The story of Verona’s tragic star-crossed lovers is woven throughout a dance tapestry rich in character nuance and sensuality, with Renaissance Italy providing a sumptuous and period-perfect background. Sergei Prokofiev’s instantly recognizable music, performed live by the Michigan Opera Theatre Orchestra, underscores the lyric beauty and passion of this beloved ballet. UMS and Michigan Opera Theatre co-present American Ballet Theatre as part of an extended partnership to bring dance to southeastern Michigan. Casting to be announced. UMS will provide round-trip luxury coach service for a nominal fee on Thursday and Friday. Co-presented with Michigan Opera Theatre. Funded in part by: Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan The Michigan Opera Theatre Dance Season is made possible by: Lear Corporation Media Partners: Ann Arbor’s 107one and Michigan Radio 91.7 FM
Thu 2/8 at 7:30 pm Fri 2/9 at 7:30 pm Sat 2/10 at 7:30 pm Sun 2/11 at 2:30 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Pre-Performance Talks begin an hour before each performance in the Detroit Opera House
Ages 12+
73
S AT
Feb 10 HILL AUDITORIUM
Photo by Timothy White
139TH SEASON
FEBRUARY 11
Joshua Bell, violin Sam Haywood, piano Joshua Bell enchants audiences with his breathtaking virtuosity and charismatic stage presence. His restless curiosity, passion, and multifaceted musical interests have developed and deepened since he was first spotted plucking tunes with rubber bands stretched around the handles of his dresser drawers at age four. His concerts regularly draw rock-concert enthusiasm from audiences, despite — or perhaps because of — his down-to-earth personality. Recital will include works of Schubert and Richard Strauss, with complete details announced in the fall. Presenting Sponsors: Drs. Max and Sheila Wicha and Karl V. Hauser and Ilene H. Forsyth Choral Union Endowment Fund, which partially supports an annual UMS Choral Union performance Supporting Sponsors: The Medical Community Endowment Fund, James and Nancy Stanley, and The Zelenock Family
SesiMotors.com
Media Partners: WDET 101.9 FM, WGTE 91.3 FM, and WRCJ 90.9 FM
Sat 2/10 at 8 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 12+
75
SUN
Feb 11 M I C H I G A N T H E AT E R
139TH SEASON
Stephen Sondheim’s Follies
FEBRUARY 11
National Theatre Live in HD
Directed by Dominic Cooke New York, 1971. There’s a party on the stage of the Weismann Theatre. Tomorrow, the iconic building will be demolished. Thirty years after their final performance, the Follies girls gather to have a few drinks, sing a few songs, and lie about themselves. This dazzling production features a cast of 37 and an orchestra of 21, with Tracie Bennett, Janie Dee, and Imelda Stanton starring as the magnificent Follies. Presented in partnership with the Michigan Theater.
Sun 2/11 at 7 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 16+
77
WED
Feb 14 RACKHAM AUDITORIUM
Photo by Fabien Monthubert
139TH SEASON
FEBRUARY 14
Emmanuel Pahud, f lute Alessio Bax, piano PROGRAM
Mozart Schubert Schumann Mendelssohn
Violin Sonata in C Major, K. 296 (arr. Pahud) Arpeggione Sonata in a minor, D. 821 Fantasy Pieces, Op. 73 Violin Sonata in F Major (arr. Pahud)
A star flutist only comes around once or twice in a generation — and it’s fair to say that this generation’s strongest candidate is the Swiss-born Emmanuel Pahud. One of today’s most adventurous musicians, Pahud joined the Berlin Philharmonic as principal flute under Claudio Abbado at age 22, a position he still holds today. For this UMS debut recital, he performs arrangements of sonatas written for other instruments, allowing audiences to experience the works in a completely different soundscape. Presenting Sponsor: Ken Fischer Legacy Endowment Fund Supporting Sponsors: Jerry and Gloria Abrams Media Partner: WGTE 91.3 FM
Wed 2/14 at 7:30 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 12+
79
S AT
Feb 17 HILL AUDITORIUM
George Gershwin and Dubose Heyward in 1935 by Vandamm Studio NY, courtesy of the Ira and Leonore Gershwin Trusts
139TH SEASON
The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
FEBRUARY 17
Opera in Concert
Written by George Gershwin, DuBose and Dorothy Heyward, and Ira Gershwin Featuring U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance Choruses University Symphony Orchestra Kenneth Kiesler, conductor with Morris Robinson, Porgy Talise Trevigne, Bess Norman Garrett, Crown Chauncey Parker, Sporting Life Janai Brugger, Clara Reginald Smith, Jr., Jake Michelle Bradley, Serena Rehanna Thelwell, Maria UMS and the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance (SMTD) present the first-ever performance of the U-M Gershwin Initiative’s scholarly performing edition of this landmark score. Porgy and Bess is without rival as the most famous 20th-century American opera. Since its 1935 debut, this story of a disabled beggar transformed by the unexpected love of Bess has been performed worldwide and features such well-known songs as “I Got Plenty o’ Nuttin’,” “My Man’s Gone Now,” “Summertime,” and “It Ain’t Necessarily So.” In addition to the concert, UMS and SMTD will host related symposia and other educational activities as part of an ongoing scholarly examination of the art of George and Ira Gershwin. Supporting Sponsors:
Mr. and Mrs. Donald L. Morelock and the Susan B. Ullrich Endowment Fund
Media Partners: Ann Arbor’s 107one, WGTE 91.3 FM, and WRCJ 90.9 FM
Sat 2/17 at 7:30 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 12+
81
F R I - S AT
Mar 9-10 POWER CENTER
Photo by Frank Szafinski
139TH SEASON
MARCH 9-10
Borderline
Company Wang Ramirez Honji Wang and Sébastien Ramirez, dancers and choreographers Original music by Jean-Philippe Barrios (aka Lacrymoboy) A couple both onstage and in real life, Sébastien Ramirez, a Frenchman with Spanish parents, and Honji Wang, a German woman with a Korean mother, make their UMS debut with Borderline. Their dance backgrounds could hardly be more different — Ramirez was a B-boy while Wang was classically trained — but they share a love of experimentation and have combined their training to create innovative approaches to movement. Borderline features a cast of six dancers hooked up to an aerial rigging system, allowing them to defy gravity. Nuanced choreography explores visual metaphors of flight, struggle, freedom, constraint, and the forces that connect us and tear us apart. “The contemporary dance revolution is taking place. And dancers like Sébastien Ramirez and Honji Wang are on the frontlines.” (L’Indépendant) Funded in part by: Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Endowment Fund Media Partners: Ann Arbor’s 107one and WDET 101.9 FM
Fri 3/9 at 8 pm Sat 3/10 at 8 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Opening Night PostPerformance Q&A
Ages 8+
83
SUN
Mar 11 RACKHAM AUDITORIUM
Photo by Ettore Causa
139TH SEASON
MARCH 11
Elias Quartet PROGRAM
Schubert Dvořák Schubert
Quartettsatz in c minor, D. 703 Quartet No. 14 in A-flat Major, Op. 105 Quartet No. 14 in d minor, D. 810 (“Death and the Maiden”)
After a three-year project exploring all of Beethoven’s string quartets, the Elias Quartet decided to consider how composers after Beethoven lived up to his monumental legacy. Some of them approached their string quartets by expanding his musical language; others took a more poetic and imaginative turn of phrase. This particular program focuses on the freshness and fluidity of the music of Schubert and Dvořák, both of whom had a particular gift for writing melodies that seemed to spring from an endless well of inspiration. “Magic moments abound…This remarkable ensemble’s ability to live and breathe each phrase with an enraptured sensitivity proves revelatory.” (The Strad) Supporting Sponsors: Joel Howell and Linda Samuelson Media Partners: WGTE 91.3 FM and WRCJ 90.9 FM
Sun 3/11 at 4 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 12+
85
TUE
Mar 13 S T. F R A N C I S O F A S S I S I C AT H O L I C C H U R C H
Photo by Chris O’Donovan
139TH SEASON
MARCH 13
Path of Miracles
Tenebrae
with U-M Chamber Choir Nigel Short, music director
PROGRAM
Owain Park Joby Talbot
Footsteps Path of Miracles
Joby Talbot’s Path of Miracles was the first major work commissioned by the professional vocal ensemble Tenebrae. Founded by former King’s Singers member Nigel Short in 2000, Tenebrae’s members are drawn from the choirs of Westminster Abbey, King’s College Cambridge, and Britain’s two major opera houses. Talbot’s work was supposed to premiere in London on July 7, 2005 but was delayed because of the London subway bombings that day, which caused massive casualties. Ten days later, Path of Miracles received its premiere as part of the City of London Festival. Talbot’s composition is based on the most enduring route of Catholic pilgrimage, the great Pilgrimage to Santiago; the four movement titles are the four main posts along the route (Roncevalles, Burgos, León, and Santiago). Path of Miracles incorporates medieval texts and Roman Catholic liturgy and is sung in Greek, Latin, Spanish, Basque, French, English, and German. Candlelight and an imaginative use of the St. Francis of Assisi space guarantee a dramatic evening.
Tue 3/13 at 7:30 pm
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Ages 12+
87
WED
Mar 14 M I C H I G A N T H E AT E R
Photo by Andy Tennille
139TH SEASON
MARCH 14
Piedmont Blues: A Search for Salvation Featuring René Marie, vocals Conceived and composed by Gerald Clayton Directed by Christopher McElroen with Gerald Clayton & The Assembly Godwin Louis, alto saxophone Tivon Pennicott, tenor saxophone Dayna Stephens, baritone saxophone Alan Hampton, guitar Joe Sanders, bass Kendrick Scott, drums Maurice Chestnut, tap Ragtime rhythms, a unique finger-picking guitar style, and understated vocals are the hallmarks of the folk music style found in the Piedmont region, the area between the Atlantic Coastal Plain and the Appalachian Mountains covering central Georgia to central Virginia. Jazz pianist and composer Gerald Clayton (who also holds down the piano chair in the Charles Lloyd Quartet) has captured the essence of this celebrated land, home to a unique culture and rapidly vanishing folkloric history, and preserved it in a multimedia project. This music-theater experience features a nine-piece band led by Clayton and combines music with projected film, new and archival photography, and the stories of those few musical elders who are still keeping the tradition alive. It testifies to the struggles endured by African Americans in the Southeast during Jim Crow and chronicles the efficacy of the Piedmont Blues as a salve for suffering. Presenting Sponsor: Media Partner: WEMU 89.1 FM
Wed 3/14 at 7:30 pm
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Ages 12+
89
S AT
Mar 17 EL CLUB 4114 VERNOR HWY DETROIT
139TH SEASON
MARCH 17
Steve Lehman & Sélébéyone HPrizm (aka High Priest), vocals (English) Gaston Bandimic, vocals (Wolof) Steve Lehman, alto saxophone and electronics Maciek Lasserre, soprano saxophone and electronics Carlos Homs, keyboards Rich Brown, electric bass Damion Reid, drums Though hip-hop and jazz are clearly no strangers to one another, Sélébéyone takes the conversation between jazz and hip-hop to “feverish new heights” (The WIRE), drawing from Senegalese rap, modern jazz, live electronics, and underground hip-hop to create a unique form of urban experimentalism. Composer and saxophonist Steve Lehman, a “quietly dazzling saxophonist” (New York Times), has built a career creating innovative new music that packs a visceral wallop. He leads this international ensemble, which includes rappers HPrizm, a legend of New York’s underground hip-hop scene, and Gaston Bandimic, one of Senegal’s most distinctive young rap stars. This unique hybrid juxtaposes English and Wolof against changing meters and asymmetrical rhythms, giving rise to the development of a whole new musical universe. In Wolof, “sélébéyone” refers to an intersection, where two fixed entities meet and transform themselves into something previously unknown. “The international jazz-rap project Sélébéyone is a rare case of two genres mixing at their most far-out, abstract corners.” (Pitchfork) A co-presentation with El Club. General admission standing-room ticket. Limited seating available on a first come, first serve basis. Presenting Sponsor: Renegade Ventures Fund, established by the Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation Funded in part by: Building Audiences for Sustainability initiative of The Wallace Foundation and the JazzNet Endowment Fund Media Partners: Metro Times, WDET 101.9 FM, and WEMU 89.1 FM
Sat 3/17 at 9 pm
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Ages 14+
91
THU-SUN
Mar 22-25 THE SCHVITZ 8295 OAKLAND ST DETROIT
139TH SEASON
MARCH 22-25
Bubble Schmeisis Written and performed by Nick Cassenbaum Directed by Danny Braverman Welcome to the steam baths! The word bubbemeises is a Yiddish term meaning “a grandmother’s story” or “an old wives’ tale.” Writer and street performer Nick Cassenbaum, along with his klezmer musicians, invite you into the warmth of the Schvitz in Detroit, one of the country’s few remaining traditional bath houses, which has been in operation for over 85 years. Among the steam and the ritual, Nick will take you on a journey of discovery to find the place where he belongs. Bubble Schmeisis is full of intimate and personal true stories about identity, home, and getting schmeised (washed) by old men. “It is by far the funniest thing I have seen in Edinburgh so far…Bubble Schmeisis is also beautiful in its depiction of male friendship and shared routines.” (Exeunt) Please Note: Due to the historical nature of the venue, the Schvitz is not fully accessible; audiences must descend stairs to get into the space, and there is no elevator. While UMS makes every effort to hold its events in accessible spaces, the unique nature of this work limited the options available. Presenting Sponsor: Renegade Ventures Fund, established by the Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation Funded in part by: Building Audiences for Sustainability initiative of The Wallace Foundation Media Partner: Metro Times
Thu 3/22 at 7:30 pm Fri 3/23 at 7 pm & 9 pm Sat 3/24 at 2 pm & 8 pm Sun 3/25 at 2 pm & 6 pm
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Opening Night PostPerformance Q&A
Ages 12+
93
F R I - S AT
Mar 23-24 POWER CENTER
Photo by Rahi Rezvani
139TH SEASON
MARCH 23-24
Nederlands Dans Theater Paul Lightfoot, artistic director
PROGRAM
Lightfoot/León Pite Lightfoot/León
Shoot the Moon The Statement Singulière Odyssée
Nederlands Dans Theater has forged a path between classical ballet and American modern dance, creating a modern ballet style that is widely admired across the world. Many NDT members have gone on to found other companies in other countries, including Nacho Duato, Ohad Naharin, and Crystal Pite. Pite’s 2016 work, “The Statement,” features two men and two women dealing with a conflict in a boardroom setting, with Jonathan Young (from the 2016-17 season’s Betroffenheit) providing the script/score. “Shoot the Moon” is a heartbreaking view of three different love stories deteriorating behind closed doors in a revolving set of three rooms, set to music by Philip Glass. “Think ballet line and virtuosity fused with modern dance weight and power. Think a commitment to the deepest European art-making traditions with no pandering to pop culture. Above all, think a super-ensemble: dancers who can form a superb corps one moment and perform just as superbly as principals the next.” (Los Angeles Times) Presenting Sponsor: Renegade Ventures Fund, established by the Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation Supporting Sponsors: Cheryl Cassidy and Funded in part by: Building Audiences for Sustainability initiative of The Wallace Foundation Media Partners: Metro Times, Michigan Radio 91.7 FM, and WDET 101.9 FM
Fri 3/23 at 8 pm Sat 3/24 at 8 pm
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Opening Night PostPerformance Q&A
Ages 12+
95
S AT
Mar 31 HILL AUDITORIUM
139TH SEASON
MARCH 31
The Music of Chick Corea
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Chick Corea Surprise! This perennial favorite is back, but this time with jazz pianist Chick Corea at the helm. Corea’s staggering career, spanning more than 50 years, is a torrent of creative and professional highlights. His last UMS appearance, a duet concert with Herbie Hancock, was a sellout, and demonstrated why the New York Times called him “a luminary, ebullient and eternally youthful.” Corea’s fearless creative spirit has earned him a slew of accolades along the way, including the country’s highest honor for a jazz artist when he was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2006. “The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is ridiculously tight, executing tricky maneuvers like a fighter jet.” (DownBeat) Presenting Sponsor: Supporting Sponsors: Funded in part by: JazzNet Endowment Fund Media Partners: Ann Arbor’s 107one, WDET 101.9 FM, WEMU 89.1 FM, and WRCJ 90.9 FM
Sat 3/31 at 8 pm
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Ages 8+
97
SUN
Apr 8 RACKHAM AUDITORIUM
Photo by Nikolaj Lund
139TH SEASON
APRIL 8
Artemis Quartet PROGRAM
Mozart Bartók Schumann
Quartet No. 23 in F Major, K. 590 Quartet No. 2, Op. 17 Quartet in a minor, Op. 41, No. 1
Named after the Greek goddess of hunt and wilderness, the Artemis Quartet was founded in 1989 but took a full 10 years before it performed its first concerts for a live audience. This dedication to excellence has not wavered, and their playing is known for its “apparently effortless grace and effervescent athleticism.” (BBC) Based in Berlin, it programs its own series at the Berlin Philharmonie and the Vienna Konzerthaus, as well as in Munich and Amsterdam. Media Partners: WGTE 91.3 FM and WRCJ 90.9 FM
Sun 4/8 at 4 pm
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Ages 12+
99
FRI
Apr 13 M I C H I G A N T H E AT E R
139TH SEASON
APRIL 13
The Jazz Epistles featuring Abdullah Ibrahim & Hugh Masekela Abdullah Ibrahim, piano Hugh Masekela, trumpet and flugelhorn Cleave Guyton, alto saxophone, flute, and clarinet Lance Bryant, tenor saxophone Marshall McDonald, baritone saxophone Andrae Murchison, trombone and trumpet Noah Jackson, cello and bass Will Terrill, drums “Hugh Masekela creates an instant party, leading from vocals and flugelhorn like a South African Louis Armstrong.” (Guardian) The two iconic South African jazz legends Abdullah Ibrahim and Hugh Masekela reunite and perform on the same stage for the first time in 56 years. They come together for a historic concert to tell the story of The Jazz Epistles, the first all-black jazz group in South Africa and arguably the most important jazz (bebop) recording in the country’s history. This music was almost lost forever — only 500 copies were pressed in 1959, buried, and rediscovered decades later after the tyranny of apartheid. Jazz symbolized what the white nationalist government feared most: the social mixing of racial groups. The government’s prohibition of jazz spawned secret listening parties, and the Sharpeville massacre ultimately destroyed the musicians’ hopes of a national tour when the apartheid government outlawed gatherings of more than 10 people, forcing the ensemble into exile. These giants of South Africa perform music from the seminal Jazz Epistles recording alongside music from both of their illustrious careers. Supporting Sponsors: Gary Boren and Louise Taylor Funded in part by: JazzNet Endowment Fund Media Partners: Ann Arbor’s 107one, WDET 101.9 FM, and WEMU 89.1 FM
Fri 4/13 at 8 pm
T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
Ages 12+
101
S AT
Apr 14 M I C H I G A N T H E AT E R
139TH SEASON
APRIL 14
Sorrow – A Reimagining of Górecki’s Third Symphony Colin Stetson, saxophones and lyricon Megan Stetson, soprano Sarah Neufeld, violin Rebecca Foon, cello Dan Bennett and Matt Bauder, saxophones and clarinet Grey Mcmurray and Ruan Ferreira, guitars Justin Walter, keyboards, EVI Shahzad Ismaily, synthesizers Greg Fox, drums Henryk Górecki’s iconic third symphony, often called “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs,” made a huge impact on listeners in the early 1990s and was a musical touchstone for virtuoso saxophonist and Ann Arbor native Colin Stetson. The work’s three movements centered around three laments, each focused in some way to child being taken away from a mother. Celebrated for the way he “demolishes clichés to unleash fresh, unexpected energies,” (Pitchfork) Stetson takes on the mammoth task of reimagining Górecki’s symphony for an expansive and contemporary sonic palate. Sorrow, his inspired new interpretation of the heartbreaking work, is “timeless and of the moment.” (PopMatters) It draws on a uniquely constructed 11-member ensemble (including Arcade Fire’s Sarah Neufeld), employing electric guitars, synthesizers, drums, strings, woodwinds, and soprano to create transformative extensions of the emotional core of the piece. Presenting Sponsor: Renegade Ventures Fund, established by the Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation Funded in part by: Building Audiences for Sustainability initiative of The Wallace Foundation Media Partners: Metro Times and WEMU 89.1 FM
Sat 4/14 at 8 pm
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Ages 14+
103
SUN
Apr 15 HILL AUDITORIUM
139TH SEASON
APRIL 15
Opera in Concert
Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo
Apollo’s Fire Jeannette Sorrell, conductor Karim Sulayman, Orfeo Erica Schuller, Eurydice
“It’s hard to say who wrote the very first opera, but there’s little doubt about the first, truly great one — it’s Monteverdi’s 1607 masterpiece, L’Orfeo.” (National Public Radio) As one of the earliest examples of the form, and certainly the earliest that still has a place in the present repertoire 400 years later, L’Orfeo sets to music the famous myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, whose long-awaited wedding night ends in tragedy when Eurydice is bitten by a poisonous snake and Orfeo storms the gates of hell to rescue her. Jeannette Sorrell leads Apollo’s Fire, Cleveland’s celebrated Baroque orchestra, in this semi-staged production with period dancers. Performed in Italian with English supertitles. Media Partner: WGTE 91.3 FM
Sun 4/15 at 4 pm
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Ages 14+
105
T H U - S AT
Apr 19-21 POWER CENTER
Photo by Julien Lambert
139TH SEASON
APRIL 19-21
Cold Blood A show by Michèle Anne De Mey, Jaco Van Dormael, and The Collectif Kiss and Cry Texts by Thomas Gunzig After the resounding success of Kiss & Cry (2014-15 season), the magnificent creative team of Charleroi Danses in Belgium brings Cold Blood, a poetic journey that is filmed before your very eyes. The performance explores the miniscule, creating an ephemeral and dreamlike world where fingers cavort in delightful miniature settings and take on human-like forms. A hypnotic story laced with offbeat humor, Cold Blood explores the uncertain, yet inevitable, last moments we experience before we die. Neither a sequel nor an epilogue to Kiss & Cry, Cold Blood utilizes the same storytelling techniques, combining film, dancing fingers, music, and theater in brilliant and surprising ways. “If the team came back to Quebec ten times, we would rush to see them ten times. And would encourage you to do the same. Because their work is absolutely masterful.” (Le Devoir, Montreal) Presenting Sponsor: Renegade Ventures Fund, established by the Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation Supporting Sponsors: Ilene H. Forsyth Theater Endowment Fund, which partially supports an annual UMS theater presentation, Carl and Charlene Herstein, and David and Phyllis Herzig Funded in part by: Building Audiences for Sustainability initiative of The Wallace Foundation Media Partners: Metro Times and WDET 101.9 FM Produced by: MARS, Astragales Asbl, and the Théâtre de Namur
Thu 4/19 at 7:30 pm Fri 4/20 at 8 pm Sat 4/21 at 8 pm
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Opening Night PostPerformance Q&A
Ages 12+
107
SUN
Apr 22 HILL AUDITORIUM
Photo by Felix Broede
139TH SEASON
APRIL 22
Murray Perahia, piano “His sound can be pure gold, and he voices chords with a clarity that you have to hear to believe.” (Washington Post) Murray Perahia’s place in the pantheon of great musicians is indisputable. With 12 UMS appearances since his debut over 40 years ago, he is one of the most treasured artists to appear on our series and consistently delivers performances that audiences remember years, or even decades, later. Born in New York, he started playing piano at the age of four; later, he spent his summers at the Marlboro Festival where he collaborated with such musicians as Rudolf Serkin, Pablo Casals, and members of the Budapest String Quartet. In subsequent years, he developed a close friendship with Vladimir Horowitz, whose perspective and personality were an abiding inspiration. A master of a vast range of repertoire, he can reveal the complex inner voices of a Baroque fugue with stunning clarity, pour out a sustained legato line in a Romantic nocturne, or summon thunder in a Beethoven sonata. “The commanding insights he brings to this repertory are more than enough to breathe freshness and distinction into works we’ve heard many times before, but seldom played at this inspired level.” (Chicago Tribune) Supporting Sponsors: Menakka and Essel Bailey, Bob and Marina Whitman, and Ann and Clayton Wilhite
Media Partners: WGTE 91.3 FM and WRCJ 90.9 FM
Sun 4/22 at 4 pm
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Ages 12+
109
SUN
May 6 M I C H I G A N T H E AT E R
139TH SEASON
M AY 6
National Theatre Live in HD
Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar A Bridge Theatre production Directed by Nicholas Hytner Caesar returns in triumph to Rome, and the people pour out of their homes to celebrate. Alarmed by the autocrat’s popularity, the educated elite conspire to bring him down. After his assassination, civil war erupts on the streets of the capital. Nicholas Hytner’s production thrusts the audience into the street party that greets Caesar’s return, the congress that witnesses his murder, the rally that assembles for his funeral, and the chaos that explodes in its wake. Starring Ben Whishaw (The Danish Girl, Skyfall) as Brutus; Michelle Fairley (Game of Thrones) as Cassius; David Calder (The Lost City of Z) as Caesar; and David Morrissey (Hangman, The Walking Dead) as Mark Antony. Broadcast live from the Bridge Theatre, London. Presented in partnership with the Michigan Theater.
Sun 5/6 at 7 pm
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Ages 16+
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WHERE CURIOUS AUDIENCES—— MEET UNEXPECTED IDEAS Artists are fully engaged in a creative enterprise full of risk-taking, experimentation, and pushing boundaries. But artists aren’t alone in this venture. At UMS, we are fortunate to have you, our supportive and adventurous audiences, who seek out challenging artistic work that is often edgy, sometimes controversial, and always surprising. An electrifying “conversation” between jazz and hip-hop at El Club in Detroit, a delightful theater production filmed before your eyes with fingers cavorting in a miniature setting, a three-week focus on provocative theater productions that will draw diverse voices into conversation around important social issues — this season’s Renegade presentations may take us out of our comfort zones, but promise a whole new world of possibility, exploration, and inspiration. This season’s Renegade presentations include: NO SAFETY NET Jan 17 – Feb 4, Stamps Gallery and Arthur Miller Theatre Steve Lehman & Sélébéyone Mar 17, El Club in Detroit Bubble Schmeisis Mar 22-15, The Schvitz in Detroit 112
Nederlands Dans Theater Mar 23-24, Power Center Colin Stetson: Sorrow Apr 14, Michigan Theater Cold Blood Apr 19-21, Power Center
139TH SEASON
RENEGADE—— VENTURES FUND
RENEGADE VENTURES FUND
WE INVITE YOU TO SUPPORT THE
A major gift from Maxine and Stuart Frankel in 2011 launched the Renegade Ventures Fund, which has provided the resources and inspiration for UMS to present performances that take creative risks and push boundaries.
Our donors have responded generously to the Frankels’ challenge gift, paving the way for UMS, our audiences, and partners at the University of Michigan to embrace the kind of innovation, experimentation, and exploration that we now call “Renegade.” Renegade has encouraged UMS and our audiences to grow, to experience the broadest possible spectrum of work, and to rediscover the unexpected gift that comes when we explore beyond our comfort zone. You, our donors and audiences alike, have recognized the critical role the arts play in expanding our creativity, imagination, abstract thinking, collaboration, and understanding — all essential in our 21st-century world.
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We invite you to join the UMS Renegade adventure. Your support helps UMS fulfill our continuing commitment to Bold Artistic Leadership, a centerpiece of our Victors for the Arts campaign, and guarantees even more adventurous and innovative experiences that will keep our community and audiences buzzing. To make a gift, please send your contribution to: Renegade Ventures Fund UMS Burton Memorial Tower 881 North University Avenue Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011 For more information, please contact the UMS Development Office at 734.764.8489 or visit ums.org/support. 113
STUDENT TICKETS—— Whether you buy in advance or on the day of the show, college and high school students (not just University of Michigan students!) will always get the same sweet deal: All student tickets are $12 or $20, depending on seat location.
$12 AND $20—— FOR COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS Show your student ID, and you can purchase tickets at low prices all year long.
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STUDENT TICKETS
UMS designates a significant number of discounted seats for student purchase for every production. Should student seats sell out, UMS will monitor seat inventory and sales demand for to assess whether additional student seats can be made available. If it is possible to increase the number of student seats, they will become available each Tuesday at 10 am. As long as a performance is not sold out, student tickets will also be available at the door. Students may also purchase tickets online or in person with a valid student ID. • Student tickets for the 2017-18 season go on sale Thursday, August 31, 2017 at 10 am. • Student subscriptions are available now ($20 per ticket, with a minimum of five different events purchased). • Students may purchase two tickets per ID but must be enrolled in an accredited degree program.
BERT’S TICKET FOR UNDERGRADUATE U-M ——FIRST-YEAR AND SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS Bert Askwith (1911-2015, U-M Class of ’31) was a true victor for the arts and an incredible advocate for the U-M student experience. Bert pledged to buy every first- and second-year U-M undergraduate student a free ticket to a UMS performance and provide a second ticket for a friend for just $10. Eligible performances for the Fall semester are available starting Thursday, August 31, 2017 while Winter semester performances are available starting Wednesday, January 3, 2018. All performances on the 2017-18 season are eligible for the Bert’s Ticket offer, though quantities may be limited for some performances. Stop by the Michigan League Ticket Office with your student ID to claim your free Bert’s Ticket.
Presenting Sponsor:
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Supporting sponsors: Stephen and Rosamund Forrest Student Ticket Endowment Fund and Karen and David Stutz
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KIDS CLUB TICKETS
KIDS CLUB ——TICKETS Open to youth in grades 3-12 and encompassing the entire UMS season, the UMS Kids Club Tickets program allows families to purchase up to two kids’ tickets for $10 each with the purchase of at least one adult ticket for $20 (seats will be together). ON SALE SEP
11
MON 9 AM
UMS Kids Club Tickets will go on sale for the entire season beginning Monday, September 11, 2017 at 9 am. Seating is subject to availability and ticket office discretion, but UMS guarantees that at least 30 tickets will be available for each event (selected performances for multiple-performance runs). Act early to lock in your seats. UMS Kids Club Tickets are available in person, online, and by phone (handling fees apply for online and phone orders). Kids Club Tickets will be available at the door unless the allotment is sold out. Limit two kids per adult and two adults per kid.
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FAMILY-FRIENDLY ——OPPORTUNITIES While parents are the best judges about what’s age-appropriate for their own children, UMS offers these recommendations to guide you through our season. If in doubt, feel free to contact the UMS Ticket Office, who will be happy to discuss whether an event might be appropriate for your family.
Ages 8+ (3rd grade)
Ages 12+ (middle school)
Ragamala Dance Company Fri 10/20
Emerson String Quartet & Calidore String Quartet Thu 10/5
Chanticleer Fri 11/10 The Knights Sun 11/12 New York Philharmonic Young People’s Concert Sat 11/18 Russian Renaissance Sat 1/27 Company Wang Ramirez Fri-Sat 3/9-10 Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Chick Corea Sat 3/31
Daniil Trifonov, piano Wed 10/25
St. Lawrence String Quartet Sun 1/14 Maxim Vengerov, violin Sun 1/28
Sphinx Virtuosi Sun 10/29
Gabriel Kahane’s Book of Travelers Fri 2/2
Zakir Hussain & Dave Holland Wed 11/1
Estonian National Symphony Sat 2/3
John McLaughlin & Jimmy Herring Wed 11/15
American Ballet Theatre Romeo & Juliet Thu-Sun 2/8-11
New York Philharmonic Fri 11/17 Sun 11/19
Joshua Bell, violin Sat 2/10
Handel’s Messiah Sat-Sun 12/2-3 What’s in a Song Sat 1/6
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Urban Bush Women Fri 1/12
Emmanuel Pahud, flute Wed 2/14 The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess Sat 2/17
139TH SEASON
Please remember that children under the age of 3 are not permitted at UMS mainstage performances. All children attending must be able to sit quietly in their seats and not distract other patrons.
Elias Quartet Sun 3/11 Tenebrae Tue 3/13 Piedmont Blues Wed 3/14 Bubble Schmeisis Thu-Sun 3/22-25 Nederlands Dans Theater Fri-Sat 3/23-24 Artemis Quartet Sun 4/8 The Jazz Epistles with Abdullah Ibrahim & Hugh Masekela Fri 4/13
Butler, Bernstein & The Hot 9 Fri 9/8 Every Brilliant Thing Tue-Sun 9/12-17
F A M I LY- F R I E N D LY O P P O R T U N I T I E S
UNDER 3?
Ages 14+ (high school)
Amir ElSaffar’s Rivers of Sound Orchestra Wed 10/18 Bassem Youssef Mon 11/6 China NCPA Orchestra Tue 11/7 Bach Collegium Japan Fri 12/8 Janai Brugger, soprano Wed 1/31 Ian Bostridge / Winterreise Sun 2/4 Steve Lehman and Sélébéyone Sat 3/17 Colin Stetson: Sorrow Sat 4/14 Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo Apollo’s Fire Sun 4/15
Cold Blood Thu-Sat 4/19-21
Ages 16+
Murray Perahia, piano Sun 4/22
L’État de siege (State of Siege) Fri-Sat 10/13-14 No Safety Net Theater 1/17-2/4
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K-12 EDUCATION:
THE ARTS—— ARE FOR EVERYONE The UMS K-12 program offers multidisciplinary artistic experiences that represent a range of cultural traditions and viewpoints. At UMS, diversity is celebrated as both a powerful educational resource and a guiding value for all of our work. During the 2017-18 UMS season, we invite audiences of all ages to celebrate our differences, as well as our common interests, in order to educate, strengthen, and unite us as a community. We often hear from educators that they value the ways in which UMS connects young people to the world beyond the classroom, helping students develop greater intercultural competency. Through live performances, students develop creativity and critical thinking skills, which reinforce a variety of curricular connections and spark curiosity for new ideas. Bringing young people to a UMS performance opens new pathways for intellectual, artistic, and cultural exploration, and develops life skills that only arts education can provide for our children.
UMS continues to provide innovative and transformative educational experiences for our K-12 community. Each season we welcome nearly 6,000 K-12 students from across the region to our 60-minute school day performances; for many students, this is their first time attending a live performance or visiting the University of Michigan campus.
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E D U C AT I O N
UNIVERSITY ENGAGEMENT: FROM THE CONCERT HALL TO THE CLASSROOM—— Throughout our 139-year history, UMS has partnered with the University of Michigan to transform lives and minds through world-class performances in music, theater, and dance. UMS’s signature undergraduate course, “Engaging Performance,” invites students from all class years and academic disciplines to discover the performing arts through the lens of UMS’s programming. We also work with faculty across campus to infuse arts experiences throughout the curriculum. This year, we launched new Course Development Grants to support faculty members in any discipline as they incorporate UMS performances and arts-based learning strategies into their teaching. Faculty can also consult “UMS in the Classroom” resource guides on our website as they design course experiences around any of our performances. In the past two years, over 100 classes have brought more than 4,000 students to experience a UMS presentation as part of the course design. For more information, visit ums.org/education/university-programs
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UMS 101 —— Curious about UMS, but haven’t taken the plunge? Want to learn more about an unfamiliar artist or genre? UMS and Ann Arbor Public Schools Community Education & Recreation (“Rec & Ed”) are teaming up to offer pre-performance classes created especially for first-time UMS attendees, for curious audience members, and for anyone who simply enjoys attending performances with a group. Each UMS 101 class will be facilitated by a dance, jazz, or classical music expert and feature conversation, interactive exercises, and mini lectures that will help you better understand the genre and have a more enjoyable UMS performance experience. The classes will bring you together with other audience members who are curious about the performing arts and want to learn more. Registration for UMS 101 includes a ticket to the performance, workshop fees, transportation to/from the performance venue, and light snacks before the performance. To participate in UMS 101, you must register through the Rec & Ed website and pay the registration fee (which includes a ticket to the performance). Registration opens on Monday, August 28 at http://bit.ly/UMSClasses. Instructors will be announced when registration opens. Class sessions will take place at Pioneer High School, and group transportation will be provided to and from the performance venue via coach. (Sorry, no ticket exchanges or refunds for previously purchased tickets.) OCT
8
FRI 6 PM
UMS 101: DANCE
Written in Water
Ragamala Dance Company Class begins at 6 pm Performance at 8 pm (Power Center) Registration fee: $59 This class will introduce participants to the classical Indian dance form Bharatanatyam and explore how it remains a living tradition through the work of Ragamala Dance Company. Participants will learn about the building blocks of this traditional dance form and understand how the musical traditions of Arabic maqam and South Indian Carnatic music inspired the dance.
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NOV
UMS 101: JAZZ
1 Zakir Hussain & Dave Holland
WED 5:30 PM
Crosscurrents
Class begins at 5:30 pm Performance at 7:30 pm (Michigan Theater) Registration fee: $69 This collaborative performance between tabla percussionist Zakir Hussain and distinguished bassist Dave Holland is the perfect launch pad for understanding the fundamentals of jazz music. This class is designed with the jazz newcomer (and future jazz fan!) in mind, and explores the history of jazz and its profound impact on modern music, from improvisation to inversions to the genre’s intersections with Indian musical traditions.
NOV
UMS 101: CLASSICAL MUSIC
18 New York Philharmonic Young People’s
S AT 12 NOON
Concert: The Music of Leonard Bernstein Class begins at 12 noon Performance at 2 pm (Hill Auditorium) Registration fee: $55 Many people had their first experience with orchestral music through watching the New York Philharmonic’s Young People’s Concerts during its extended television run on CBS. Even though the program is created with children in mind, this concert is also a great learning experience for adults. Learn about the foundations of Western classical music, the evolution of the orchestra, and all while enjoying the beautiful music of one of America’s most treasured composers, Leonard Bernstein. The workshop and UMS 101 session is designed for adults, not children (children are welcome to attend the concert). Must be 16 or older to attend this session.
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FEB-MAR
WINTER 2018…UMS NIGHT SCHOOL RETURNS!
12-26 UMS Night School: MON
7-8:30 PM
Writing about Performance Registration fee for class series only: $99 Registration fee for class series including ticket package: $199 Instructor: Clare Croft, Department of Dance, U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance No class February 26 and March 5. Looking to attend more performing arts events? Interested in further developing your writing skills? Want to explore the performing arts with a like-minded group of community members? This six-week course will dive into the many ways the written word can interact and respond to what is being presented on stage. Join U-M Professor of Dance Clare Croft for this interactive, conversational course that will help you critically examine what you’re seeing on stage while developing your own writing skills. From personal reflection and blog comments to critical reviews and inspired creative writing, this course will use the performing arts as a starting off point for a range of exploratory exercises. To participate in UMS Night School, you must register through the Rec & Ed website and pay the registration fee. Registration opens on Monday, December 18, 2017. The UMS performances connected to this course are: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess (Opera in Concert) Saturday, February 17, 2018 at 7:30 pm Piedmont Blues: A Search for Salvation Wednesday, March 14, 2018 at 7:30 pm Nederlands Dans Theater Friday, March 23 - Saturday, March 24, 2018 at 8 pm
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L’État de siege (State of Siege) Théâtre de la Ville Fri 10/13 Power Center Ragamala Dance Company Fri 10/20 Power Center Urban Bush Women Fri 1/12 Power Center Romeo & Juliet American Ballet Theatre Pre-Performance Talks (one hour before curtain) Thu-Sun 2/8-11 Detroit Opera House
Where does inspiration come from? What makes an artist tick? In conjunction with most opening night dance and theater performances, join us for post-performance artist Q&As to get a glimpse into the lives and minds of the artists who bring creativity to the stage. Must have a ticket to that evening’s performance to attend.
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Bubble Schmeisis Thu 3/22 The Schvitz (Detroit) Company Wang Ramirez Fri 3/9 Power Center Nederlands Dans Theater Fri 3/23 Power Center Cold Blood Thu 4/19 Power Center
Look for the Artist Q&A callout on artist pages.
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UMS—— NIGHTS AT THE MUSEUM FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC SEP
19
TUES 7:30PM
In partnership with UMMA (University of Michigan Museum of Art), UMS will present two free screenings this September as a part of UMMA’s “Nights at the Museum” series. The screenings will take place outside along the Museum’s State Street-side facade, on the west side of the Maxine and Stuart Frankel and the Frankel Family Wing, featuring two exceptional performances from past and present UMS collaborators.
Simulcast: New York Philharmonic Opening Gala Concert Celebration Mahler’s Symphony No. 5
Jaap van Zweden, music director designate A trumpet call heralds a new season of the New York Philharmonic at David Geffen Hall, and you’re invited to experience it here in Ann Arbor. Feel the sheer virtuosity and passion of the orchestra as it performs Mahler’s emotionally powerful Symphony No. 5. Conducted by the New York Philharmonic’s music director designate Jaap van Zweden, this performance screening will preview the New York Philharmonic’s five-day residency in Ann Arbor, taking place November 15-19.
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19
TUES 7:30PM
Simulcast: New York Philharmonic Opening Gala Concert Celebration
E D U C AT I O N
SEP
Mahler’s Symphony No. 5
Jaap van Zweden, music director designate A trumpet call heralds a new season of the New York Philharmonic at David Geffen Hall, and you’re invited to experience it here in Ann Arbor. Feel the sheer virtuosity and passion of the orchestra as it performs Mahler’s emotionally powerful Symphony No. 5 — a work full of yearning, tenderness, and joy. Conducted by the New York Philharmonic’s music director designate Jaap van Zweden, this performance screening will preview the New York Philharmonic’s five-day residency in Ann Arbor, taking place November 15-19.
NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC ——RESIDENCY During the New York Philharmonic’s residency in November, staff and musicians will participate in a number of free events, including master classes with U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance students. A schedule of public events will be posted at ums.org in September.
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UMS YOUTH EDUCATION SUPPORTERS——
E D U C AT I O N A L S U P P O R T
THANK YOU TO OUR
Extraordinary Gifts. Extraordinary Learning through the Arts. UMS is grateful to the following donors whose generosity — by establishing a permanent endowment or through an annual contribution of $10,000 or more* — makes it possible for UMS to offer Education and Community Engagement programs that inspire students of all ages through uncommon and engaging experiences. Anonymous Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan DTE Energy Foundation David and Jo-Anna Featherman Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation David and Phyllis Herzig Endowment Fund
THE MOSAIC FOUNDATION (of R. and P. Heydon) National Endowment for the Arts New England Foundation for the Arts PNC Foundation Prudence and Amnon Rosenthal K-12 Education Endowment Fund Jane and Edward Schulak
The Mardi Gras Fund
University of Michigan (U-M)
Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs
U-M Credit Union Arts Adventures Program
Michigan Medicine
U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance
*Reflects annual gifts between July 1, 2016 and April 15, 2017 T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
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UMS hosts a number of special events each season. From this season’s opener at Downtown Home & Garden to the end-of-season Ovation celebration, UMS extends special opportunities for our audiences to enjoy shared experiences surrounding our mainstage performances.
UMS SPECIAL EVENTS AND EXPERIENCES
UMS SPECIAL EVENTS & EXPERIENCES——
Prelude Dinners for signature performances, special receptions, and interactive lobby happenings give patrons the opportunity to connect with friends, colleagues, and fellow enthusiasts, often providing insights about a performance and expanding the experience. And UMS Ovation — with a new theme and venue each year — raises important support for our Education and Community Engagement programs. Stay tuned this season for uncommon and engaging experiences beyond the stage. We hope you will join us. To learn more about special events, contact 734.764.8489 or visit ums.org/support.
SAVE THE DATE
Ovation Saturday, May 5, 2018
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in presenting our 139th season — on stage and beyond. Uncommon and engaging experiences. A sense of connection between audience and artist. Moments of clarity, inspiration, and reflection. An opportunity to explore new ideas and step beyond what we know
The performing arts provide us with these fundamental experiences, unlocking our creative selves and helping us make meaningful connections between art and life.
BE A VICTOR FOR THE ARTS
YOU HAVE A PART TO PLAY——
Your support makes all that we do possible. The generous support of our donors, corporate sponsors, public agencies, and foundations helps UMS deliver remarkable seasons like this one. Every gift to UMS seeds moments of inspiration — from a second major residency with the New York Philharmonic to a one-man theater performance in a historic Detroit bath house to over 150 educational and community engagement activities that will enrich thousands through creative learning experiences. At UMS, we believe anyone and everyone should experience the power of the performing arts — students of all ages and abilities, diverse cultural communities, young and seasoned, classical music enthusiasts and adventurous souls. Your support means we can continue to bring the world to you, connecting audiences and artists in uncommon and engaging experiences. Thank you. 734.764.8489 — ums.org/support
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LASTING GIFTS—— THAT CONTINUE TO GIVE Each season, numerous UMS presentations are supported by nearly 40 endowed funds that our donors have established at UMS. Whether endowing a performance, series, artist residency, or educational and community engagement program, endowment donors provide a very special and generous gift, one that gives beyond the current season and assures continued annual financial support for UMS. Endowed gifts are a particularly creative investment, ensuring that UMS has both the capacity and flexibility to make long-term artistic and programmatic commitments, including over 150 educational and community engagement activities that UMS offers each season. We extend our deepest appreciation to the many donors who have established or contributed to endowed funds at UMS — including the newly established Ken Fischer Legacy Endowment. We invite you to explore the power of a lasting gift to UMS. Your endowed gifts ensure continued success at UMS, setting the stage for the next generation. For more information, please contact the UMS Development Office at 734.764.8489 or visit ums.org/support.
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UMS subscription packages, including genre-based packages and the popular Series:You, are available until Friday, September 15, 2017. Subscribers receive great perks including free ticket exchanges up to 48 hours before a performance and discounts of up to 25%. Full details are available at ums.org/tickets. Student subscriptions are also available! See ums.org/students for more info.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
SERIES—— SUBSCRIPTIONS In addition to tangible perks, subscribers also enjoy:
Personal fulfillment. Let’s be honest — it’s hard to find those moments of personal escape, and sometimes we have to schedule them into our lives. UMS takes you to a place where the imagination is thriving, and a UMS series allows you to invest in yourself while supporting the quality of life in our community.
Building relationships. When you attend with family and friends, you create memories with people who are important to you, whether you join up for dinner before or meet up at the performance. And even if you attend alone, you can build lasting friendships with others who enjoy the arts.
Discovery. We hope you’ll take a chance and discover something new this year — an artist you’ve never heard of, an art form you’ve never experienced, a hands-on experience through our highly-lauded education programs… With UMS, you can count on unexpected moments that will stay with you for a lifetime. T I C K E T S : 7 3 4 . 7 6 4 . 2 5 3 8 ——— U M S . O R G
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TICKET INFO—— How to order
IN PERSON Visit the UMS Ticket Office on the north end of the Michigan League building (911 North University Avenue). The Ticket Office also sells tickets for all U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance productions and the Ann Arbor Summer Festival. MAIL
WEB
ums.org
UMS Ticket Office Burton Memorial Tower 881 North University Avenue Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011
PHONE
HOURS
734.764.2538 Outside the 734 area code, call toll-free 800.221.1229 FAX
734.647.1171 EMAIL
umstix@umich.edu
Summer Hours (May-August) Mon-Fri 10 am to 5 pm Sat-Sun Closed Regular Hours (beginning Tuesday, September 5, 2017) Mon-Fri 9 am to 5 pm Sat 10 am to 1 pm Sun Closed Venue box offices open 90 minutes before published start time. FEES Service fees of $3.00–$6.00 per ticket apply to all online and phone orders. There are no fees for tickets purchased at the League Ticket Office or at the venue immediately before the performance.
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UMS sends updated concert-related parking and late seating information via email a few days before each event. Please be sure that the Ticket Office has your correct email address on file. This information is also used to communicate event changes or cancellations. While these happen infrequently, timing is often critical and email is the fastest way to reach audiences. PRINT-AT-HOME TICKETS When you order online or by phone, you’ll now have the option to print your tickets at home and avoid long lines at will-call. Please ask about this option when you place your order, or select the print-at-home option delivery method when ordering online. Print-at-home is not available for student, group, or other discounted tickets. STUDENT TICKETS Specially-priced student tickets are available for students in accredited degree programs, subject to availability, beginning Thursday, August 31, 2017. All tickets cost $20 (main floor and mezzanine) and $12 (balcony). Students may purchase subscriptions for $20 per ticket, as long as at least five different events are ordered, and receive full subscriber benefits. Student subscriptions are available until Friday, September 15, 2017. Order online at ums.org/students.
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GROUPS OF 10 OR MORE Groups of 10 or more people attending a single event save 20% off the regular ticket prices to most performances. For more information, contact the UMS Group Sales Office at 734.763.3100 or umsgroupsales@umich.edu.
TICKET INFO
PLEASE GIVE US YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
AUTHORIZED TICKETING AGENT UMS assumes no liability for tickets purchased through unauthorized channels, including Craigslist, eBay, StubHub, and other secondary market or ticket broker services. We strongly advise against purchasing tickets from any source other than the UMS Ticket Office or tickets.ums.org. Tickets purchased from unauthorized sources may be stolen, counterfeit, or otherwise compromised, and if so, are not valid for event admission. If you are unsure whether a ticket seller has been authorized to sell UMS tickets, please contact the Ticket Office prior to purchasing from that source. REFUNDS Due to the nature of the performing arts, programs and artists are subject to change. If an artist cancels an appearance, UMS will make every effort to substitute that performance with a comparable artist. Refunds will only be offered if a substitute cannot be found, or in the event of a date change. Service charges are not refundable. UMS will not cancel performances or refund tickets because of inclement weather. An artist may choose to cancel a performance if weather prevents the artist’s arrival in Ann Arbor, but that decision rests with the artist and not with UMS.
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TICKET EXCHANGES
TICKET MAILING VS. TICKET PICK-UP
Subscribers receive fee-free ticket exchanges up to 48 hours before the performance.
Any ticket order received fewer than 10 days prior to the performance will be held at will-call, which opens in the performance venue 90 minutes before the published start time. Or choose the printat-home delivery method to avoid the lines and have your tickets emailed to you!
Exchanged tickets must be received by the Ticket Office (by mail or in person) at least 48 hours prior to the performance. You may also fax a photocopy of your torn tickets to 734.647.11 71, or email a photo to umstix@umich.edu. The value of the ticket(s) may be applied to another performance or will be held as UMS Credit until the end of the 2017-18 season. Credit must be redeemed by April 22, 2018, when it will expire. UMS is no longer able to automatically convert expired credit to a gift-in-kind donation without a direct request from the credit holder. Exchanges within 48 hours of the performance are subject to a $10 per ticket exchange fee (applies to both subscribers and single ticket buyers). Tickets must be exchanged at least one hour before the published concert time. Tickets received less than one hour before the performance will be returned as a donation. TICKET DONATIONS/ UNUSED TICKETS Tickets may be donated to UMS until the published start time of the concert. A receipt will be issued for tax purposes; please consult your tax advisor. Unused tickets that are returned after the performance begins are not eligible for UMS Credit or as a donation.
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LOST OR MISPLACED TICKETS Call the Ticket Office at 734.764.2538 to have duplicate tickets waiting for you at will-call or sent to your email address. Duplicate tickets cannot be mailed. VENUE SEAT MAPS Detailed seat maps of all UMS venues are available at ums.org/venues. START TIME & LATECOMERS UMS makes every effort to begin concerts at the published start time. Latecomers will be asked to wait in the lobby and will be seated by ushers at a predetermined time in the program, which may be as late as intermission. The late seating break is determined by the artists and will generally occur during a suitable break in the program, designed to cause as little disruption as possible to other patrons and the artists on stage. Please allow extra time to park and find your seats. Occasionally, performances will have no seating break. For example, dance and theater performances often have a “no late seating” policy. UMS may not learn a specific company’s late seating policy until a couple of weeks before the performance and makes every effort to contact ticketbuyers via email if there will be no late seating. Be sure the Ticket Office has your email address on file.
139TH SEASON
Detailed directions and parking information will be mailed with your tickets and are also available at ums.org. Please note that the parking structures accept cash only. CHILDREN AND FAMILIES/ UMS KIDS CLUB Children under the age of three will not be admitted to UMS performances. All children attending UMS performances must be able to sit quietly in their own seats without disturbing other
patrons, or they may be asked to leave the auditorium. Please use discretion when choosing to bring a child, and remember that everyone must have a ticket, regardless of age. See pages 118-119 for information about familyfriendly performances.
TICKET INFO
PARKING/PARKING TIPS
UMS Kids Club tickets, which provide discounted tickets for children in grades 3-12 and an accompanying adult, will go on sale on Monday, September 11, 2017. See pages 116-117 for details.
ACCESSIBILIT Y Accessible parking is provided in University of Michigan parking structures for those with a state-issued disability permit or a U-M handicap verification permit. There are drop-off areas near Hill Auditorium and Rackham Auditorium and inside the Power Center structure.
Assistive listening devices are available in Hill Auditorium, Rackham Auditorium, Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, the Michigan Theater, the Arthur Miller Theatre, and the Power Center. Earphones may be obtained upon arrival. Please ask an usher for assistance.
All UMS venues, except the Schvitz in Detroit, have barrier-free entrances. Patrons with accessibility or special seating needs should notify the UMS Ticket Office of those needs at the time of ticket purchase. We will make every effort to accommodate special needs brought to our attention at the performance, but we request that these arrangements be made in advance if at all possible.
Relay calls are welcome via the Michigan Relay Service. Dial 711 to access the service.
Seating spaces for patrons with mobility disabilities and their companions are located throughout each venue, and ushers are available to assist patrons. Please let the usher know how best to assist you.
Further accessibility information is available at ums.org/accessibility.
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Large-print programs are available upon request from an usher. Please note that there is no elevator access for balcony seating in the Power Center, the Michigan Theater, or Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre.
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SEAT—— MAPS
PRICING LEVELS
*
A
B
C
D
E
Pricing levels apply to all venues.
Hill Auditorium
Michigan Theater
Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre
S TA G E
S TA G E
S TA G E
4
5
2
3
4
1
2
3
A ORCHESTRA MAIN FLOOR
10
9
7
8
6 MAIN FLOOR BALCONY
MEZZANINE
16 21
15 20
13
14 19
12 18
11 17
BALCONY BALCONY
Power Center
Rackham Auditorium
S TA G E
S TA G E
1
3 2
1
5 4
3
8
2
4 7
10 9
6
MAIN FLOOR
5 6
7 8 BALCONY
GENERAL ADMISSION VENUES
Arthur Miller Theatre 1226 Murfin Ave.
St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church
Downtown Home & Garden and Bill’s Beer Garden 210 S. Ashley St.
El Club
4114 Vernor Hwy., Detroit
The Schvitz
8295 Oakland St., Detroit
2250 E. Stadium Blvd. 140
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This group of volunteer singers is best-known for their annual performances of Handel’s Messiah, but they perform throughout the region. The UMS Choral Union 2017-18 schedule includes: Leonard Bernstein’s “Kaddish” Symphony with the New York Philharmonic Sunday, November 19 Hill Auditorium
Verdi’s Requiem with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra Saturday, April 21 Hill Auditorium
TI CK ETS: ums.org, 734.764.2538
TI C KE TS : a2so.org, 734.994.4801
Handel’s Messiah with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra Saturday, December 2 – Sunday, December 3 Hill Auditorium
Debussy’s Nocturnes with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Saturday-Sunday, April 28-29 Orchestra Hall (Detroit)
TI CK ETS: ums.org, 734.764.2538
S E AT M A P S & U M S C H O R A L U N I O N
UMS CHORAL UNION ——2017-18 SEASON
TI C KE TS : dso.org, 313.576.5111
AUDITION FOR THE UMS CHORAL UNION!
Monday, August 28 Monday, September 11 Contact choralunion@umich.edu for more information and to set up an audition time. Auditions take place in the evening. Additional information at ums.org/choralunion
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PRIVATE AND —— PUBLIC SUPPORT Generous philanthropic support accounts for over half of UMS’s annual operating budget. That includes support from private foundations and funding partners, which makes it possible for UMS to invest in special initiatives such as: • Free tickets for first- and second-year U-M students • Teaching seminars for faculty that integrate the arts into the Michigan experience • Research that helps UMS measure and build sustainable audiences • Renegade performances RENEGADE VENTURES FUND This multi-year challenge grant created by Maxine and Stuart Frankel supports artistic, innovative, and cutting-edge programming. ARTS MIDWEST TOURING FUND Ragamala Dance Company is funded in part by the Arts Midwest Touring Fund, a program of Arts Midwest that is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional contributions from Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Crane Group COMMUNIT Y FOUNDATION FOR SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN The co-presentation with Michigan Opera Theatre of American Ballet Theatre’s Romeo and Juliet is funded in part by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, part of a three-year initiative focused on dance. DORIS DUKE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION ENDOWMENT FUND Special project support for several components of the 2017-18 UMS season is provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Endowment Fund, established at UMS with a challenge grant from the Leading College and University Presenters Program at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.
MEDIA PARTNERS
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THE ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded a multi-year grant to UMS that supports artist residencies and other initiatives, all designed to integrate the arts more fully into the academic experience at the University of Michigan and into the life of our community. MICHIGAN COUNCIL FOR ARTS AND CULTURAL AFFAIRS General operating support is provided by the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts. MICHIGAN MEDICINE Michigan Medicine provides multi-year support for UMS programs. NEW ENGLAND FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS’ NATIONAL DANCE PROJECT Urban Bush Women is funded in part by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
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UNIVERSIT Y OF MICHIGAN The University of Michigan provides special project support for many activities in the 2017-18 season through the U-M/UMS Partnership Program. WALLACE ENDOWMENT FUND The UMS presentation of Théâtre de la Ville’s State of Siege is funded in part by the Wallace Endowment Fund, established with a challenge grant from The Wallace Foundation to build participation in arts programs.
P R I VAT E A N D P U B L I C S U P P O R T
THE INDIAN TRAIL CHARITABLE FOUNDATION An annual grant supports Bert’s Ticket program, which extends an invitation to all first- and second-year U-M undergraduate students to attend one UMS performance free of charge.
WALLACE FOUNDATION Special project support for components of UMS Renegade is provided by a multi-year grant from the Building Audiences for Sustainability initiative at The Wallace Foundation. UMS IS A MEMBER OF THE UNIVERSIT Y OF MICHIGAN ARTS CONSORTIUM, THE ARTS ALLIANCE, AND CULTURESOURCE.
A NON-DISCRIMINATORY, AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER.
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Cover: Théâtre de la Ville by Christophe Dessaigne. Publication Date: July 2017
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2014 National Medal of Arts Recipient
Looking Back——LEANING FORWARD
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1011
881 North University Avenue
University of Michigan
Burton Memorial Tower
University Musical Society Non-Profit
Permit No. 27
Ann Arbor, MI
Paid
U.S. Postage
Organization