09/10 Education Events

Past Public Programs

UMS Book Club: "The Rest is Noise" by Alex Ross
Monday, April 19, 7-8:30 pm
Ann Arbor District Library, 343 S. Fifth Ave

Alex Ross creates vivid portraits of the 20th-century’s most iconic composers in his universally acclaimed and best-selling book, "The Rest Is Noise: Listening to the Twentieth Century". Musicologists and performers from U-M faculty that specialize in 20th century music and history will explore the themes in the text, and lead a discussion with participants. This event is an excellent primer for those attending the UMS presentation of The Rest is Noise in Performance, featuring Alex Ross and pianist Ethan Iverson on April 25.

A collaboration with the Ann Arbor District Library and the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

Baaba Maal Post-Performance Dance Party
Saturday, April 10, post-performance
Michigan Union Pendleton Room, 503 S. State Street

UMS and the Senegalese Association of Michigan host a dance party featuring both traditional and contemporary Senegalese music.

A collaboration with the Senegalese Association of Michigan, U-M Center for Afroamerican and African Studies, and the U-M African Studies Center.

West African Drum and Dance Workshops
Friday, April 9, various times
Center of Music and Performing Arts Southwest, 8701 West Vernor, Detroit, 48209

Friday, April 9th
4:30 pm - Djembe Drum Class with Aly MBaye
6:00 pm - Djembe Dance Class with Assane Konte

Saturday, April 10th
Noon – Djembe Drum with Cheikh N'Dong
1:30 pm – Kutiro Dance with Assane Konte
3:00 pm - Djembe Dance with Idy Ciss

These workshops will feature Senegalese drum and dance experts who have performed with and choreographed for internationally renowned companies, including Les Ballets Africans Kolaam Serere, Muntu, and KanKouran West African Dance Company, among others. Assane Konte has also served as a dance faculty member at American, George Mason, and Howard Universities. To register, please visit www.heritageworks.org.

Who is Baaba Maal?
Tuesday, April 6, 7-8:30 pm
Ann Arbor District Library, Downtown, Multipurpose Room

The social and intellectual power of Baaba Maal’s art is matched only by his artistry and cultural awareness. In the final installation of our "Who Is…?" series, recent U-M Ethnomusicology grad Vera Flaig will lead a discussion of where Maal fits in the pantheon of African musicians who have bridged the gap between musical genres and social causes. This event is presented in conjunction with Baaba Maal’s performance on April 10 at the Michigan Theater.

The UMS "Who is…?" series seeks to explore the artists that served as the creative impetus behind this season’s programs. In an attempt to break down the barriers between performer and audience, the UMS Education Department will collaborate with a host of experts to engage audience members through an interactive discussion, ultimately demystifying these great artists and their work.

A collaboration with the Ann Arbor District Library and the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance

Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love
Monday, April 5, 7 pm
U-M Biomedical Science Research Building Auditorium, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor

This never-before-told story follows Africa’s most famous musician, Youssou N’Dour, at a turning point in his life and career, as he releases his most personal and controversial album, Egypt. "I Bring What I Love" is an unforgettable musical journey with an artist whose courage and conviction shook the music industry and ultimately awakened the world.

A collaboration with the U-M African Studies Center and the U-M Center for Afroamerican and African Studies.

Penny W. Stamps Distinguished Speaker: Cameron Carpenter
Killing Me Loudly: On the Abdication of the "King" of Instruments
Thursday, April 1, 4:40 pm
Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty Street, Ann Arbor

With its grandiose, easily-stereotyped image, a history stretching over millenia, and an unavoidable association with the Christian church, probably no instrument is more in need of innovation than the organ. Grammy-nominated organist Cameron Carpenter argues that new technology and artistic approaches can save organists from the organ's problems - particularly the immobility, ever-increasing expense and physical inflexibility of the pipe organ. This two-part lecture will also address some of the artist's innovative work with the interplay between composition, transcription and adaptation, particularly in his Inventions on Chopin's Etudes, a hyper-virtuosic set of arrangements and syncretic variations for organ of Frederic Chopin's seminal Etudes, Op. 10 (originally for piano). Carpenter's recent work has been the subject of much acclaim and controversy as his technical abilities have widely been regarded as unmatched. This lecture will include piano demonstrations of the concepts and mechanisms, and complete performances on the Michigan Theater's organ, of several of his Inventions including the Revolutionary Etude, the Etude in c# Minor Op. 10 No. 4, and the first performance in Michigan of his Will o'the Wisp invention based on Chopin's Etude Op. 10 No. 2 in a minor.

Cameron will present a pre-lecture organ recital on the Barton organ beginning at 4:40 pm.

RSC Creative Project: Insight for Written on the Heart (King James Bible play, by David Edgar)
Tuesday, March 30, 6:30-8:30 pm
Blau Auditorium (Ross School of Business, 701 Tappan St.)

A play by David Edgar on the role of Lancelot Andrewes in the formation and publication of the King James Bible. Andrewes played a central and controversial role in the religious life of the times.

A collaboration with the the RSC, U-M and UMS.

RSC Creative Project: Shakespeare: From Stage to Film - A Lecture by RSC Director Greg Doran and actor Sir Antony Sher
Monday, March 29, 7:30 pm
Blau Auditorium, Ross School of Business, 701 Tappan Street

A collaboration with the the RSC, U-M and UMS.

RSC Creative Project: Discussion on the Bible as literature with RSC director Greg Doran, playwright David Edgar, and Ralph Williams
Saturday, March 27, 4-6 pm
The Library Gallery, 100 Hatcher Graduate Library (just off the Diag)

Note: Bible-related materials ranging from a second-century C.E. papyrus fragment of a letter of St. Paul to an original copy of the 1611 King James Version of the Bible will be on display in the University Library's Audubon Room adjoining the gallery. These materials are from the University of Michigan Library's Special Collections.

A collaboration with the the RSC, U-M and UMS.

Lev Dodin’s Journey Without End: Stories from a Lifetime in Theater (CANCELLED)
Friday, March 26, 6:30-7:30 pm
Alumni Center Founders Room

In this public interview of Lev Dodin, Artistic Director of the Maly Drama Theater of St. Petersburg, the artist will discuss his current production of Chekov’s Uncle Vanya, and the renowned artistic process that has turned the Maly into one of the world’s premiere theater companies.

A collaboration with the U-M Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies.

Q&A with Members of the Maly Drama Theater of St. Petersburg
Friday, March 26, 3 pm
Walgreen Drama Center Studio I, 1226 Murfin, Ann Arbor

John Neville-Andrews, Professor of Theatre Acting & Directing and Head of Performance in the U-M Theatre Department, moderates a Q&A with members of the Maly Drama Theater’s artistic staff and acting company including Dina Dodina, Vice Artistic Director and Assistant Director of Uncle Vanya, Sergey Kuryshev (Uncle Vanya), Igor Ivanov (Professor Serebriakov), and Ksenia Rappoport (Elena/ Best Actress Award Winner of the 2000 Venice Film Festival).

A collaboration with the the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance

RSC Creative Project: Insight for the Cardenio play
Friday, March 26, 2-4 pm
Keene Theatre, East Quad, 701 East University Avenue

“Cardenio,” a play by Shakespeare and John Fletcher, which is known to have been performed, but of which there is no existing text. The story involves a character of the same name from Cervantes’ “Don Quixote,” published and translated into English from the original Spanish in 1605. Greg Doran and a Spanish playwright are developing a script that aims to restore the play.

"Insight" refers to a partial reading of a script (in development) and discussion of the play with the writer, director and actors. Audience participation will be encouraged.

A collaboration with the the RSC, U-M and UMS.

RSC Creative Project: Insight for the Sor Juana play (written by Helen Edmundson)
Wednesday, March 24, 6-8 pm
Blau Auditorium, Ross School of Business, 701 Tappan St.

A play by Helen Edmundson based on the story of Sor Juana Inez de la Cruz, a celebrated 17th-century, South American nun, emerging as a key figure in the history of literature in the Western hemisphere. Sor Juana wrote plays, essays, and poetry, and was highly controversial for her life and literary works.

"Insight" refers to a partial reading of a script (in development) and discussion of the play with the writer, director and actors. Audience participation will be encouraged.

A collaboration with the the RSC, U-M and UMS.

Masterpieces Revealed: Bach’s Partitas (CANCELLED)
Tuesday, March 23, 7-8:30 pm
University of Michigan Museum of Art Commons Area, 525 S. State Street, Ann Arbor

In conjunction with Julia Fischer’s performance of the partitas, U-M violinist Paula Muldoon will break down why Bach’s mastery of this genre was unparalleled. This is a Masterpieces Revealed not to be missed! To be presented in conjunction with Julia Fischer’s UMS performances (Rackham Auditorium, Mar. 24-25).

In the “Masterpieces Revealed” series, local artists/UM faculty provide a step-by-step exploration of some of the artistic works presented on the UMS season through live performance and discussion, deconstructing the nuances of performance and explaining what turns a piece into a “masterpiece.”

A collaboration with the U-M Museum of Art and the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance

Russian Tea
Tuesday, March 23, 3-5 pm
Power Center Green Room

Very limited seating available.

A collaboration with the U-M Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures and the U-M Center for Russian, East European & Eurasian Studies.

Who is Anton Chekhov?
Monday, March 22, 7-8:30 pm
Ann Arbor District Library Downtown, Multipurpose Room, 343 South Fifth Ave, Ann Arbor

Led by Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures, Michael Makin and Residential College Drama Lecturer Katherine Mendeloff, Who Is Anton Chekhov? will center on Chekhov’s role in Russian literature and society and as transformer and innovator of Russian drama. U-M acting students will perform several scenes from Uncle Vanya featuring costume, live music and other scenic elements, setting the stage for a lively discussion of Chekhov’s classic play and the challenges set forth for actors and directors in mounting this production. This event is presented in conjunction with the University Musical Society production of Chekhov’s Uncle Vanya by the Maly Drama Theater of St. Petersburg at the Power Center March 25-28.

The UMS Who is … Series seeks to explore the artists that served as the creative impetus behind this season’s programs. In an attempt to break down the barriers between performer and audience, the UMS Education Dept. will collaborate with a host of experts to engage audience members through an interactive discussion, ultimately demystifying these great artists and their work.

A collaboration with the Ann Arbor District Library, U-M Center for Russian and East European Studies, and the U-M Department of Slavic Languages

Conducting Master Class with Michael Tilson Thomas - Win Your Seat!
Sunday, March 21, 10 am-12 pm
Revelli Hall, 350 E Hoover Ave, Ann Arbor

As part of the upcoming residency with the San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas will lead a conducting master class on Sunday, March 21 at 10 am with members of Kenneth Kiesler’s U-M conducting studio and the University Symphony and Philharmonia Orchestras. As seating for observation is very limited, we’ve decided to reserve 2 seats for 5 lucky winners of this contest!

We’re seeking answers to this question: “What does it mean to be a conductor?” Answers do not have to be related to music. We’re looking for interesting, compelling, and creative entries, and entries can be submitted in any format (writing, music, video, artwork, photos—be creative!).

To enter, please visit www.umslobby.org and find the featured post called “Michael Tilson Thomas Conducting Master Class: Win Your Seat!” Post your entry as a comment, and make sure to leave an email address so that we can contact you.

UMS staff will vote on the winning entries and announce the winners on Thursday, March 18. Entries must be posted on www.umslobby.org by 5pm on Wednesday, March 17 to be considered.We look forward to your responses!

A collaboration with the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance

Lecture/Demonstration: Engaging Young Audiences in Classical Music
Saturday, March 20, 1:30-3 pm
U-M Biomedical Science Research Building Auditorium

Targeted at educators, musicians, and students, San Francisco Symphony musicians will lead a musical lecture/demonstration focusing on engaging young audiences and making connections between classical music and the humanities.

Screening of Keeping Score and Q&A with John Kieser
Saturday, March 20, 4-5:30 pm
Walgreen Drama Center, Penny Stamps Auditorium

Keeping Score is a new multimedia initiative by the San Francisco Symphony to engage participants in musical experiences. Not dependent on prior knowledge of classical music, Keeping Score deepens and refines these experiences through interactive websites, digital media, education, and a PBS television series. Join us for a screening of the series episode on Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, followed by a Q&A with San Francisco Symphony General Manager John Kieser.

Screening of Poetry in Motion: 100 Years of Zanzibar’s Nadi Ikhwan Safaa
Tuesday, March 16, 7 pm
U-M Biomedical Science Research Building Auditorium, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor

As part of its 2010 focus on African performing arts traditions, UMS will host a series of film screenings beginning with Poetry in Motion: 100 Years of Zanzibar’s Nadi Ikhwan Saffaa, a celebration and history of Zanzibar’s oldest taarab orchestra. This full-length feature documentary was produced by Kelly Askew, Director of the U-M African Studies Center and Associate Professor of Anthropology and the U-M Center for Afroamerican and African Studies. The film screening will be preceded by a brief introduction by Professor Askew.

A collaboration with the U-M African Studies Center and the U-M Center for Afroamerican and African Studies

Who is Wynton Marsalis?
Tuesday, March 16, 7-8:30 pm
Ann Arbor District Library, Downtown Branch Multipurpose Room, 343 South Fifth Ave, Ann Arbor

Jazz expert Linda Yohn will engage participants in an exploration of modern-day legend and frequent UMS performer Wynton Marsalis, whose notions of what jazz is and should be resonate alongside his incredible artistry as a musician, bandleader, and composer. This Who Is…? event is presented in conjunction with Marsalis’ concert with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra on March 17 at Hill Auditorium.

The UMS Who is … Series seeks to explore the artists that served as the creative impetus behind this season’s programs. In an attempt to break down the barriers between performer and audience, the UMS Education Dept. will collaborate with a host of experts to engage audience members through an interactive discussion, ultimately demystifying these great artists and their work.

A collaboration with the Ann Arbor District Library, and the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance

A Sneak Peek into the Future of UMS´s Past: 100 Years of Concert Programs and Photographs
Sunday, March 14, 2 pm
Ann Arbor District Library Downtown Branch, Multi-purpose Room

Join Ann Arbor District Library staff and UMS President Ken Fischer as the AADL launches two new online collections celebrating UMS's concert history. We'll show you how to browse and search thousands of pages of historical concert programs from UMS's first 100 seasons; we'll also unveil a growing collection of images that include both performance and rare backstage photographs of celebrated UMS artists over the past eight decades. Following a brief demonstration, Ken Fischer will present a talk on the history of UMS and the future of its archives.

Engage Off Stage: Percussion
Saturday, March 13, 11:30am-12:40 pm and 2:30-3:40 pm
Power Center Lobby

What is a drum? Well, according to Cyro Baptista, just about anything you can beat on! This pre-performance event allows families to explore the possibilities of percussion music with traditional instruments and everyday items. With the help of the U-M Stearns Collection of Musical Instruments and Clague Middle School, audience members connect with what it means to improvise, make music, and have fun!

This event is free and open to patrons who have purchased tickets to the Beat the Donkey Family Performances.

A collaboration with the Clague Middle School and the U-M Stearns Collection of Musical Instruments.

Choral Workshop between U-M Chamber Choir and Swedish Radio Choir
Monday, February 22, 1-2:30pm
McIntosh Theatre, U-M School of Music Moore Building, 1100 Baits, Ann Arbor

Ragnar Bohlin leads a masterclass with the Swedish Radio Choir and the U-M Chamber Choir.

A collaboration with the U-M School of Music

U-M Choral Conducting Masterclass
Monday, February 22, 2:30-4:30pm
McIntosh Theatre, U-M School of Music Moore Building, 1100 Baits, Ann Arbor

Ragnar Bohlin leads a masterclass with the U-M Chamber Choir and graduate choral conducting students.

A collaboration with the U-M School of Music

Screening of Throw Down Your Heart
Monday, February 15, 7pm
U-M Biomedical Science Research Building Auditorium, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor

“Throw Down Your Heart” follows American banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck on his journey to Africa to explore the little known African roots of the banjo and record an album. It’s a boundary-breaking musical adventure that celebrates the beauty and complexity of Africa – an Africa that is very different from what is often seen in the media today.

A collaboration with the U-M Museum of Art, U-M African Studies Center, and the U-M Center for Afroamerican and African Studies

Artist Interview
Thursday, February 11, post-performance
Rackham Auditorium

Luciana Souza, Romero Lubambo, and Cyro Baptista are interviewed from the stage about their careers and Brazilian cultural traditions.

A collaboration with the U-M Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies

Who is Franz Schubert?
Tuesday, February 9, 7-8:30 pm
Ann Arbor District Library, Downtown, Multipurpose Room

February's "Who Is...?" event will center on Schubert's young life as a composer and prodigy. U-M Professor of Musicology Jason Geary will connect Schubert's improbable story with the birth of a new musical style and vocabulary that would resonate throughout the 19th and even 20th centuries. This event is presented in conjunction with the Schubert Piano Trios concert at Rackham Auditorium on Feb. 14 featuring David Finckel, Wu Han, and Philip Setzer.

The UMS "Who is …" Series seeks to explore the artists that served as the creative impetus behind this season’s programs. In an attempt to break down the barriers between performer and audience, the UMS Education Dept. will collaborate with a host of experts to engage audience members through an interactive discussion, ultimately demystifying these great artists and their work.

A collaboration with the Ann Arbor District Library and the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance

Masterpieces Revealed: Music of The Bad Plus
Tuesday, February 2, 7-8:30pm
University of Michigan Museum of Art Commons Area, 525 S. State Street, Ann Arbor

UM Jazz Professor and saxophonist /composer Andrew Bishop will lead a program surrounding the eclectic and unforgettable music of The Bad Plus. With collaborators in tow, Bishop will use performance and discussion to help deconstruct why exactly the group’s music is so distinctive and genre defying, and worthy of being a Masterpiece Revealed. This event is presented in conjunction with The Bad Plus’s concert at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre on February 4.


In the “Masterpieces Revealed” series, local artists/UM faculty provide a step-by-step exploration of some of the artistic works presented on the UMS season through live performance and discussion, deconstructing the nuances of performance and explaining what turns a piece into a “masterpiece.”

A collaboration with the U-M Museum of Art and the U-M School of Music

Pierre Boulez Interview
Thursday, January 28, 12 pm
Rackham Building, Fourth Floor Amphitheatre, 915 East Washington Street, Ann Arbor

No longer the enfant terrible of his youth, Pierre Boulez reigns in his Late Style as one of the few dominant figures in the world of the performing arts: more than a conductor, more than a composer, he virtually defines the intellectual epicenter of 20th century music. U-M School of Music Professor Emeritus of Musicology Glenn Watkins and Maestro Boulez will discuss the past, present, and future of orchestras, live performance, artistic choices, and contemporary composition.

A collaboration with the U-M School of Music

American Orchestras Summit at the University of Michigan: Creating Partnerships in Research and Performance
Wednesday, January 27, Various times, see website below for more info
Rackham Auditorium

On January 27-28, 2010, a landmark conference concerning the American orchestra will be held at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, unearthing the wide-reaching cultural impact that the orchestra has had in America, and discerning what these institutions can tell us about our society. This conference will bring together arts administrators and scholars from across disciplines to explore two issues in particular: 1) organizational structures and strategies, past and present, that have aided (or hindered) orchestra’s success and 2) the symbiotic relationship between an orchestra and its community. We hope that by considering the institutional history and practices of the American orchestra, we can better understand and address the challenges and opportunities of the present.

Participants include Joseph Horowitz (writer and consultant), Henry Fogel (Dean, Roosevelt University), Rob Birman (CEO, Louisville Symphony), Larry Tamburri (President, Pittsburgh Symphony), Susan Feder (Mellon Foundation), Wayne Brown (NEA), and many others.

For more info, or to register, check out our website: http://sitemaker.umich.edu/orchestrasummit.

A collaboration with the the University Musical Society, the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance, Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra, and Arts Enterprise

Who is Béla Bartók?
Monday, January 25, 7-8:30pm
Ann Arbor District Library, Downtown, Multi-Purpose Room

This incarnation of the Who is...? Series will explore Bartók's unique life story, including his work as an ethnographer, his transition to American life, and the formative importance of his Bluebeard's Castle. Musicologists Mark Clague and Michael Mauskapf will discuss how, as one of the foremost composers of the 20th century, Bartók was a complex figure whose legacy is only now beginning to be understood fully. This event is presented in conjunction with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Bluebeard’s Castle, conducted by Pierre Boulez at Hill Auditorium on January 27.

The UMS Who is … Series seeks to explore the artists that served as the creative impetus behind this season’s programs. In an attempt to break down the barriers between performer and audience, the UMS Education Dept. will collaborate with a host of experts to engage audience members through an interactive discussion, ultimately demystifying these great artists and their work.

A collaboration with the Ann Arbor District Library and the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance

Arts of Citizenship Breakfast: Lincoln in American Culture's Collective Memory
Friday, January 22, 9-10:30am
UMMA Commons

In conjunction with the UMS presentation of Bill T. Jones's Fondly Do We Hope... Fervently Do We Pray, a dance meditation on the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln, Arts of Citizenship and UMS sponsors a participatory discussion on the role of the arts, culture, and politics in the shaping of public memory of President Lincoln, the civil war, and the end of slavery, featuring faculty members from the U-M Center for African and African American Studies, the Program in American Culture, the History department, and the Dance department. Participating faculty will include Kristin Hass, Assistant Professor of American Culture and author of Carried to the Wall: American Memory and The Vietnam Veterans Memorial (1998), Martha Jones, Associate Professor of History and African-American Studies and author of All Bound Up Together: The Woman Question in African American Public Culture, 1830-1900 (2007), and Robin Wilson, Associate Professor of Dance, choreographer and dance historian.

A collaboration with the U-M Ginsburg Center, Arts of Citizenship, & UMMA

Post-Performance Q&A
Friday, January 22, post-performance
Power Center

The full Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company takes audience questions from the stage about Fondly Do We Hope…Fervently Do We Pray. Must have a ticket to the Friday night performance to attend.

Penny W. Stamps Series: Bill T. Jones A Question of Strategy and Objectives: Fondly Do We Hope, Fervently Do We Pray
Thursday, January 21, 5:10-7pm
Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty Street, Ann Arbor

The Tony and McArthur “Genius” Grant award-winning iconic American choreographer Bill T. Jones is renowned for taking risks and making bold statements in his distinguished dance pieces. The fierce and bold artistry we see on stage is rooted in a research-intensive and highly collaborative choreographic process; Bill T. Jones will share his thoughts on how a work is made and the process of understanding it.

Established with the generous support of alumna Penny W. Stamps, the Distinguished Visitors Program brings respected emerging and established artists/designers from a broad spectrum of media to the School to conduct a public lecture and engage with students, faculty, and the larger University and Ann Arbor communities.

A collaboration with the U-M Penny W. Stamps Distinguished Lecture Series

So We Think You Can Dance! Beginning Dance Class with Leah Cox of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company
Tuesday, January 19, 7:30-9 pm
Ann Arbor YMCA, Studio B, 400 West Washington Street

Join Leah Cox of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company for an exploration of movement! The creation of gestures—a key component of the Jones/Zane dance style—and the importance of gesture as a means of expressing ideas will be explored. No dance training or experience necessary, and all levels and ages are welcome. First come, first served until studio reaches capacity.

Caroling on the Steps of Hill
Sunday, December 6, 1-2pm
Hill Auditorium

Area choral groups perform music, then invite the public to join them for carols on the steps of Hill Auditorium prior to the Messiah concert.

Masterpieces Revealed: Handel’s Messiah
Saturday, December 5, 1:30-3pm
Hill Auditorium

Performing Handel’s Messiah is an annual tradition in Ann Arbor. As part of the pre-concert festivities, conductor Jerry Blackstone, singer Freda Herseth, and their stable of University singers will delve into the wonders of this oft-performed work.

A collaboration with the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance

Africa Festival Kickoff
Friday, December 4, 7 pm
BSRB

Celebrate the African talent within our own community at this community kickoff performance and reception featuring food, performing artists, and pageantry from many African nations represented in our region.

A collaboration with the United African Community Organization, U-M African Studies Center, U-M Center for Afro and African American Studies, U-M Institute for the Humanities, and U-M Arts on Earth.

Caroling on the Steps of Hill
Sunday, November 29, 3-4 pm
Hill Auditorium

Area choral groups perform music, then invite the public to join them for carols on the steps of Hill Auditorium prior to the Vienna Boys Choir concert.

9s Project. “Collapsing Borders—Einstürzende Grenzen.”
Friday, November 20, 6-9 pm
Video and Performance Studio, Duderstadt Center, 2281 Bonisteel, Ann Arbor

This special audio-visual live electronics presentation will feature a North American appearance by Markus Guentner, a German artist known as an innovator of the pop ambient sound, and Detroit-based digital dub stylists nospectacle. The performance at the University of Michigan's Duderstadt Center will include composed and improvised music and video, mixed and sequenced by the artists. The point of focus is to show how art and entertainment technologies play a crucial role in transcending political, cultural, and psychological borders. Guentner is best known for his work on Cologne's Kompakt record label, which released his full-length albums In Moll (2001) and 1981 (2005), and various single tracks on its annual Pop Ambient series. He has a new LP, Doppelgaenger, released this fall by Sending Orbs in the Netherlands. He has produced soundscapes for Ambient Work,a comprehensive workstation for creating cinematic atmospheres for feature films, documentaries, commercials, and new media project applications. He lives in Regensburg. nospectacle is an electronic music, video, and DJ project based in Detroit. The group is made up of Christopher McNamara, Jennifer A. Paull, and Walter Wasacz. They perform original works by McNamara, a founding member of the Windsor-Detroit laptop group Thinkbox, re-shaping the source material into drones, dubs, disembodied voices, subsonic bass immersion, and streaming images. The group performs frequently, most recently at Cranbrook and the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD). In 2009, nospectacle performed at the Detroit Institute of Arts' Detroit Film Theatre at a multi-media program called Live in Time.

A collaboration with the SAC, CES-EUC, Digital Media Commons, and WCED.

9s Film. The Power of the Powerless.
Tuesday, November 17, 4:00-5:30 pm
University of Michigan Museum of Art, Helmut Stern Auditorium, 525 S. State, Ann Arbor

The inspirational story of the Velvet Revolution of 1989 - a bloodless achievement comparable to the movements of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. - and the legacy of apathy left behind. Directed by Cory Taylor, narrated by Jeremy irons. (78 minutes, 2009) Free and open to the public. For more information, see www.umma.umich.edu.

A collaboration with the UMMA, CES-EUC, CICS, CREES, IPC, and WCED.

Freedom Without Walls Exhibition
Tuesday, November 17, 7 pm
Hill Auditorium Mezzanine Lobby

In honor of the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, and the UMS presentation of the Berliner Philharmoniker, area high school and University students created designs for public art projects celebrating the Fall of the Wall, and responding to the figurative and literal walls in our own Southeastern Michigan community. Their projects will be exhibited in the Hill Auditorium Lobby at the Berliner Philharmoniker concert.

Must have ticket to the concert to attend.

A collaboration with the U-M Department of German, Dutch and Scandinavian Studies, U-M Center for Russian and Eastern European Studies, U-M Program on Intergroup Relations, Neutral Zone, U-M Alumni Center, and the U-M School of Art and Design.

9s Film. The Power of the Powerless.
Sunday, November 15, 3:00-4:30 pm
University of Michigan Museum of Art, Helmut Stern Auditorium, 525 S. State, Ann Arbor

The inspirational story of the Velvet Revolution of 1989 - a bloodless achievement comparable to the movements of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. - and the legacy of apathy left behind. Directed by Cory Taylor, narrated by Jeremy irons. (78 minutes, 2009) Free and open to the public. For more information, see www.umma.umich.edu.

A collaboration with the UMMA, CES-EUC, CICS, CREES, IPC, and WCED.

Freedom Without Walls Exhibition Opening and Dessert Reception
Sunday, November 15, 6:30 pm
Hill Auditorium Mezzanine Lobby

In honor of the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, and the UMS presentation of the Berliner Philharmoniker, area high school and University students created designs for public art projects celebrating the Fall of the Wall, and responding to the figurative and literal walls in our own Southeastern Michigan community. Join the artists, their friends, and family for a dessert reception celebrating the Freedom Without Walls Exhibition Opening.

A collaboration with the U-M Department of German, Dutch and Scandinavian Studies, the U-M Center for European Studies-European Union Center, the U-M Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia, the U-M Program on Intergroup Relations CommonGround, the U-M Alumni Center, the U-M School of Art and Design, Arts at Michigan, and the German Information Center USA.

9s Exhibition Opening. REDUX/The Berlin Wall. 1989/2009.
Thursday, November 12, 6-8 pm
Institute for the Humanities Osterman Common Room, South Thayer Building

Photos by Piotr Michalowski, George G. Cameron Professor of Ancient Near Eastern Civilization and Languages and professor of Near Eastern studies, U-M. The exhibition runs through Dec 11 (M-F, 9 am-5 pm).

A collaboration with the U-M Institute for the Humanities, Copernicus Endowment, CES-EUC, and WCED.

The Fall of the Berlin Wall: 20 Years of Reconstruction and Reconciliation
Monday, November 9, 6:30 pm
Washtenaw Community College, Crane Liberal Arts and Sciences Building, Room 175

WCC Arts History Professor Elisabeth Thoburn spent the first 25 years of her life behind the Iron Curtain. She brings a unique perspective to the historical event and its impact on Dresden, the town she grew up in. For more information, visit www.wccnet.edu/news-events/

A collaboration with the the U-M Institute for the Humanities, Copernicus Endowment, CES-EUC, and WCED.

Chamber Music Jam Session
Sunday, November 8, 1:00-3:00 pm
U-M Museum of Art Commons, 525 S. State Street

UMS, Shar Music, and Classical Revolution host a chamber music reading session. Community members will be able to come with their instruments and read through great works of music with area musicians in a fun and relaxed environment. No pre-event practice or rehearsal necessary, just a willingness to play a few wrong notes and jam! Please contact Liz Stover to RSVP at lizsto@umich.edu.

A collaboration with the Shar Music, Classical Revolution, and UMMA

Who is Gal Costa? – Artist Interview
Friday, November 6, 1-2:30 pm
U-M Clements Library, 909 S. University Ave, Ann Arbor

The second installation of our Who Is…? Series will explore the meteoric rise of Gal Costa, one of the artists central to the Tropicalismo movement in Brazilian popular music. The scope of her music has evolved and grown over time, yet the heart of her artistry continues. Gal Costa will be interviewed by UM Professors Sueann Caulfield and Jesse Hoffnung-Garskoff, both experts in Brazilian history and culture, who will discuss her art, cultural background, and personal story.

A collaboration with the U-M Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, U-M Institute for Research on Women and Gender

Sleight of Hand: How Bodies Fool Minds
Thursday, November 5, 5:10-6:10 pm
Michigan Theater

Penny Stamps Lecture Series: Jamy Ian Swiss

"Magic" is a performance art in which the body's role is often underappreciated. "Sleight of hand," "legerdemain," and "prestidigitation" — all terms for performance magic — point to the role of the hand in fooling the mind. And in fact, mastery of sleight of hand requires relentless physical practice comparable to that required to master a musical instrument. But like all performance artists, magicians use their full bodies, both as a property of performance, and in the service of deception and illusion.

According to Penn and Teller, master magician Jamy Ian Swiss "makes one understand what a terrifying art form pure sleight of hand can be." But in this original and surprise-laden presentation, Swiss provides a behind-the-scenes view of the ways in which the magician employs the entire body electric to determine what we see.

A collaboration with the Arts on Earth and the U-M Center for Educational Outreach, and the Penny Stamps Distinguished Visitor Series.

Making a Business of Body Music
Monday, November 2, 12-2pm
Kuenzel Room, Michigan Union

Have you ever wondered how artistic expression can be channeled into other facets of your life, both work and play? Come witness internationally-renowned artist Keith Terry talk about and demonstrate how the tenets of body music are applicable to every-day tasks that we all encounter in the home and in the boardroom, including team work and leading, public presentations, relationship management, and confidence building. Get ready to Get Down! Lunch will be provided. Free and open to the public.

A collaboration with the Arts on Earth, the U-M Center for Educational Outreach, and and Arts Enterprise.

Masterpieces Revealed: Ravel String Quartet in F
Monday, November 2, 7-8:30 pm
University of Michigan Museum Commons Area, 525 S. State Street, Ann Arbor

In the second installation of our Masterpieces Revealed Series, Andrew Jennings will facilitate a group of graduate student performers as they unlock the secrets behind Maurice Ravel’s only string quartet. By exploring one or two of the movements in detail, participants will come away with a new appreciation of this masterwork.

A collaboration with the U-M School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, U-M Museum of Art

Body Music Mini-Festival
Sunday, November 1, 1pm-5pm
Michigan Union, Pendleton Room, 530 S. State Street Ann Arbor

The Body Music Mini-Festival celebrates body music traditions from around the world by bringing together national, regional, and campus groups to perform and teach diverse body music traditions. Keith Terry performs and emcees an afternoon of performances and workshops that will end with an open mic. Check back here for details in the next few weeks.

A collaboration with the Arts on Earth and the U-M Center for Educational Outreach.

Abstinence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder: Gender and Sexuality in Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost
Wednesday, October 21, 6:30-8pm
Rackham Amphitheater, 4th floor, 915 East Washington, Ann Arbor

A willful battle of the sexes is critical to the narrative of Love’s Labour’s Lost. U-M Professors Doug Trevor and Barbara Hodgdon and MSU Professor Jyotsna Singh discuss issues of gender and sexuality as driving forces in Love’s Labour’s Lost versus other Shakespearean works.

A collaboration with the U-M English Department, MSU English Department

Talking Theatre with the Globe: Post-Performance Discussion for Students
Wednesday, October 21, Post-performance
Power Center

Talking Theatre is designed to engage students with the approaches, challenges, and discoveries that are involved in the creation of the Globe’s production of Love’s Labour’s Lost. Through interactive costume demonstrations and interviews with the actors and creative team, the Talking Theatre session will provide audience with insights into creating a play for the Globe Theatre and will seek to demystify the process by which theatre is created. This discussion will be facilitated by U-M Professor Linda Gregerson featuring actors and crew from the Globe Theatre, and will also provide an opportunity for students to ask questions about the production. Must have ticket to student performance to attend.

A Labour of Love: 24 Hour Plays
Sunday, October 18, 7:30 pm
Keene Theatre, U-M Residential College, 701 East University, Ann Arbor

Student writers, directors, producers, and actors from both the RC Players and the general U-M student body begin with themes from Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost, and in 24 hours, create original one act theater works for this public performance. The artistic director for this project is Steve Marmion, an acclaimed English Theater Director who has worked with the National Theatre of London and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

A collaboration with the U-M Residential College, U-M School of Music, Theatre and Dance, Performance Network

BYOBad Sonnet: Unlocking the Language of Love’s Labour’s Lost
Thursday, October 15, 6 pm
Washtenaw Community College Towsley Auditorium, 4800 East Huron River Drive, Ann Arbor

The language of Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost is often intricate and includes scenes with intentionally bad poetry. Acclaimed English theater director Steve Marmion, U-M’s Macklin Smith and WCC’s Tom Zimmerman will facilitate an interactive session on the “good and bad” sonnets in this and other works, to unlock some of Shakespeare’s challenging language. Feel free to bring your own favorite “bad” sonnet for questions or discussion! (see http://www.wccnet.edu/about-us/visiting/ for campus map and directions)

A collaboration with the Washtenaw Community College

From the Bard to the Boardroom
Wednesday, October 14, 7-8:30pm
U-M Ross School of Business, Blau Auditorium

What can Shakespeare's life and his works teach us not only about creativity and ethics, but about entrepreneurship and business practice? And how can drama as game and theater practice both prepare businesspersons for their own “performances” in the boardroom and increase morale and teamwork in today’s corporate environment? UM Professor Ralph Williams draws parallels between today’s business world and the world of Shakespeare, while the award-winning British theater director, Steve Marmion, who has worked with the RSC and the National Theatre of England, will share interactive games and theater improvisations that can help stimulate creativity and teamwork, and enable effective public speaking.

A collaboration with the the U-M Ross School of Business’s Ross Leadership Initiative (RLI), and Arts Enterprise@U-M.

SumKali Indian Classical Music Lecture/Demonstration
Tuesday, October 13, 7 pm
Kerrytown Concert House, 415 N 4th Avenue, Ann Arbor

Indian classical music has a wide diversity of forms and traditions. Join local Indian ensemble SumKali as they explain the intricacies of Ravi and Anoushka Shankar’s particular style through performance, celebrating local talent while illuminating the greatness of these master visiting musicians!

Who is William Shakespeare?
Monday, October 12, 7-8:30pm
Rackham Auditorium, 915 East Washington, Ann Arbor

UMS’s Who Is…? Series aims to break down the barriers between performer and audience by demystifying the artists behind great work. To kick off the series, UM Professor Ralph Williams will explore the turbulent life and unparalleled work of William Shakespeare, whose legacy has continued to inspire some of the greatest artists of our own time.

Family Event - DANCETALK: Creative Movement and Language Development
Saturday, October 10, 11:30-12:30pm
Power Center Rehearsal Room

Kennedy Center teaching artist Kate Kuper leads a hands-on workshop for young students and their families aimed at harnessing dance movement to teach lessons about language. Using cooperative and kinetic education techniques, participants learn how creative movement can help increase students’ vocabulary, improve students’ verb and adverb usage, and build students’ comprehension. Geared towards pre-Kindergarten and early elementary school families.
After a successful career as a choreographer and performer in the 1980s, Kate Kuper turned her attention to becoming a teaching artist. Since then, she has been recognized by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Illinois Alliance for Arts Education for her work in education with young children, college students, and adult educators.

Post-Performance Artist Panel
Friday, October 9, post-performance
Power Center

U-M Department of Dance Chair Angela Kane moderates a panel discussion with members of the company following Friday evening’s performance from the Power Center Stage. Must have ticket to Friday evening performance to attend.

A collaboration with the U-M School of Music, Theatre, and Dance

Suzanne Farrell in Conversation
Wednesday, October 7, 7-8:30 pm
Palmer Commons, 4th Floor Forum Hall

Suzanne Farrell, one of the 20th century's greatest dancers and director of The Suzanne Farrell Ballet, will discuss her art with Professor Beth Genné. The talk will focus on how the dancer uses her body in a creativecollaboration with the choreographer to create new works and re-inhabit and revivify old ones.

Ms. Farrell was revolutionary choreographer George Balanchine's last and arguably greatest muse—he was inspired and challenged by her extraordinary dance intelligence, sensitivity to music, her passion for dance, and her ability to push established boundaries to try new and innovative ways of using the body. Working together, they helped to create truly modern American ballets that are landmarks in the field and still inspire contemporary choreographers. Ms. Farrell also worked with one of modern European ballet's innovators, Maurice Béjart, who was equally but in different ways inspired by Ms. Farrell and her distinctive ways of moving. The talk will be illustrated by film clips from Ms. Farrell's career.

A collaboration with the U-M School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, U-M Arts on Earth

Masterpieces Revealed: Beethoven Cello Sonata No. 2 in g minor
Monday, October 5, 7-8:30 pm
University of Michigan Museum of Art Commons Area

To kick off our Masterpieces Revealed series, which uses live performance and discussion as a method of audience engagement, UM Professor of Cello Anthony Elliott and Professor of Musicology Steven Whiting will deconstruct Beethoven’s masterful Second Cello Sonata. By hearing this music in new and interesting ways, any and every listener will come away with an enhanced understanding of what exactly makes this work great. This event is presented in conjunction with Alisa Weilerstein’s performance with Inon Barnatan (Hill Auditorium, Oct. 8)

A collaboration with the U-M School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, U-M Museum of Art

Freedom without Walls Kickoff
Sunday, October 4, 1:00-4:00 pm
U-M Alumni Center Founder’s Room

In honor of the 20th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall and the UMS presentation of the Berliner Philharmoniker, high school and University students are invited to participate in “Freedom without Walls,” a public artistic response to the figurative and literal walls in our own Southeastern Michigan community. Students participating will have the opportunity to hear first-hand accounts of life in East Berlin under communist rule which will provide the context for a facilitated group discussion of the literal and figurative “walls” in their own communities. Groups will then transfer the outcomes of these discussions into concepts for a public art installation, to be displayed in a public gallery prior to the Berliner Philharmoniker presentation on November 17.
Open to University and High School students and teachers; interested participants must apply. Deadline is September 30. Please contact Mary Roeder at mbroeder@umich.edu or 734-615-4077 for details.

A collaboration with the U-M Department of German, Dutch and Scandinavian Studies

“YOUR 15 MINUTES OF FAME” PHOTO SHOOT
Saturday, September 26, 7:30 pm
Michigan Theater Lobby

In the spirit of Andy Warhol’s well-known collaborations with the most influential rock bands of his time, UMMA and UMS join forces to sponsor the “Your 15 Minutes of Fame” photo shoot. Come early and dressed for your 15 minutes of fame to be photographed by our professional photographer. Photos will be uploaded onto both UMS’s and UMMA’s social networking sites, and may even be included in the UMMA exhibition of Warhol Snapshots 1973-1986, showing August 23 through November 1. Photo shoot begins at 7:30 pm and continues through the concert. All participants must have a ticket to the performance to attend.

A collaboration with the University of Michigan Museum of Art