The Capstone Announces New Spring Season: Jazz, Cinema & More

Audiences of The Capstone in Liverpool have plenty to look forward to during the Spring Season 2015, including Liverpool International Jazz Festival, classic and international cinema, and a Spring Jazz Series.

The contemporary programme is bursting with entertainment and features live music, cinema, drama and dance performances. Collectively, offering a truly diverse line-up set against the backdrop of a unique and hidden gem of a live performance venue.

The new season commences on Wed 14 January with the first in a new series, the Capstone Contemporary Piano Series. The first in the series sees Joanna McGregor present an evening devoted to the eccentric genius of Erik Satie, godfather of Minimalism and the inventor of 'furniture music'. Joined by Stephen Pratt and Vanessa Williamson, Joanna McGregor explores Satie's profound impact on the twentieth century. The Capstone Contemporary Piano Series continues on Fri 20 February with Re: Sono Piano Duo, a programme of contemporary music for two pianos by Lauryna Sablevicute and Nicholas Ashton including new work by Liverpool Hope University composers.

The third show in the series is a captivating and enjoyable journey where music and visuals meet and interact in Visual Piano on Thu 5 March. Pianist and composer Francesco Di Fiore and video artist Valeria Di Matteo present a wonderful selection of original and contemporary compositions alongside music from the Baroque era including music from composers Couperin, Galuppi and Domenico and Alessandro Scarlatti. Bringing the series to a close on Wed 22 April one of Britain's most gifted pianists and imaginative composers, multi award winning Gwilym Simcock comes to the Capstone for a captivating concert.

The Capstone continues to develop its reputation for bringing the very best of dance, with some exceptional performances this season, the first offering being two new pieces by butoh artist Joan Laage on Mon 9 February. Strand explores the choreographer's personal journey inspired by the culture of hair and its links with one's personal identity and Stations is the latest in a body of work inspired by the WWII period and years following the war; capturing a time full of hardships, loss and dislocation for vast numbers of people. Later that month on Tue 24 February Deborah Light brings together a cast of 3 remarkable female performers to present Hide, incorporating layers of movement, image, sound and text to question notions of (dis)appearance and (in)visibility.

There has been an incredible buzz in the air ever since last year's Liverpool International Jazz Festival, and The Capstone is delighted to bring the highly anticipated festival back for 2015 from Thu 26 February - Sun 1 March. With even more events than ever before at venues across Liverpool, the festival brings some of the biggest names from the jazz world including the Dennis Rollins Velocity Trio and the prolific James Taylor Quartet, as well as hotly tipped local and regional artists. Many performances are free admission and as ever there will also be a fantastic selection of workshops available throughout the festival. For more information and the complete line-up, visit http://www.hope.ac.uk/lijf/

Chicken Pox Fox presents the hilarious Donna Disco on Tue 17 March for the first in this season's theatre productions. For anyone who thought being fourteen was easy, enter the crazy world of Donna, a bland and bespectacled 14 year old whose world begins to disband and the disco that plays in her heart is in danger of grinding to a glittering halt. Then Thu 9 - Sat 11 April, the comedy continues when The Ciggie Run touches down in its native home of Liverpool, after a successful run of almost two years in St Helens. Watch the escapades unfold as hapless trio Chrissie, Franna and Lash depart on one of their regular jaunts to Spain to maximise their profits in the lucrative tobacco trade.

The Capstone's partner organisation Milapfest has a strong presence throughout the season and a wonderful programme of free events. Bringing an incredible selection of world renowned and acclaimed musicians and artists all delivering a wonderfully diverse celebration of the finest Indian music, dance and culture. Highlights throughout the season include sarod maestro Rajeeb Chavkraborty performing a programme of beautiful north Indian ragas on Sat 31 January. Acclaimed flautist Pravin Godkhindi brings his incredible skill, intricate rhythms and creative style to the Capstone on Sat 28 March playing a mix of northern and southern classical Indian music, fused with Western jazz and folk influences. Then on Sat 25 April, 2014 Yuva Ratna Award winners Uma Venkataraman and Nilanjana De present a showcase of music and dance. Sat 30 May sees versatile multi-instrumentalist Rekesh Chauhan perform his new solo piano album Beyond Roots which continues to push barriers in contemporary world and Indian classical music. Highly acclaimed Indian musician Pandit Tarun Bhattacharaya completes Milapfest's line-up on Sat 27 June, presenting a contemporary Indian classical music concert featuring specially selected compositions.

Fans of the Liverpool International Jazz Festival will be delighted to hear that The Capstone is also presenting a Spring Jazz Series which includes great names such as Marius Neset on Fri 17 April who will take the listener on a journey with his highly original sound. Next Swiss trio Vein bring their surprising melodic, rhythmic and dynamic sound on Fri 24 April. Known for his distinctive sound and approach to improvisation, Max Luthert brings his Sextet to the Capstone on Fri 1 May after releasing his debut record as a leader in 2014.

The Jazz series continues with the distinctive sound of hotly tipped Stretch Trio. The unusual line-up of sax, guitar and drums features innovative approaches to playing and can be witnessed on Fri 8 May. The Capstone host the official launch of The Weave's widely anticipated second album as the collection of some of Liverpool's best established Jazz musicians perform in concert on Fri 15 May. Bringing the Jazz Series to a spectacular finale is Ant Law. Described as "an innovator" by The Guardian, Ant Law brings his Quintet to perform music from their highly anticipated new album due for release in Feb 2015, as well as revisiting music from previous album Entanglement.

With the addition of the new Jazz Series following on from the now annual Liverpool International Jazz Festival, it further acknowledges the venue's commitment as being a leading host to the biggest names in today's jazz scene, bringing world renowned artists to its stage.

More music this season comes in the form of world renowned and prize winning flamenco guitarists Juan Martin and Chaparro de Malaga on Sat 9 May. Melodic and explosive, their pieces evoke the visceral power of authentic flamenco in a musical dialogue between two great masters of this great and esoteric art. Wrapping up an extensive musical season is folk legend Peggy Seeger with Neil MacColl and Calum MacColl on Sat 13 June. Witness music from the remarkable singer-songwriter as she presents her new and, quite possibly finest, solo album Everything Changes.

Another new series for this season is Capstone Classics. Each month a new classic film will be screened. The first film in the series is Gandhi on Thu 29 January. In tribute to the late Richard Attenborough, audiences can relive one of his greatest works and an Academy Award winner. There will be a post-film Q&A with Mira Kaushik, a member of the Gandhi film crew, sharing her insight into the making of this epic. The 1942 American romantic drama and anti-Nazi propaganda film Casablanca, the story of a man torn between love and virtue plays on Thu 19 February. Then on Thu 19 March, is the feel good movie of self-discovery, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara which follows three friends as they head on a trip of a lifetime to celebrate one friend's upcoming marriage. The challenges they face ultimately give them a renewed sense of their relationship with each other.

Continuing the series is Alfred Hitchcock's horror-thriller Psycho on Thu 23 April. Ranked among the greatest films of all time, Psycho is considered one of Hitchcock's best and is praised as a work of cinematic art by international film critics and scholars. Blockbuster Love Aaj Kai is screened on Thu 21 May, a love story told through memories of an old fashioned romantic as he tells tales to the film's heroine who draws parallels and inspiration from the stories. The British-South African biographical film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom completes the movie series on Thu 18 June. Based on Nelson Mandela's 1995 autobiography Long Walk to Freedom the film chronicles his early life right through to his 27 years in prison before coming President and working to rebuild the country's once segregated society.

Another full and varied programme in what promises to be the most ambitious, diverse and entertaining season to date for Liverpool's International Arts Venue.