Annenberg Center Live Presents Jordi Savall And The Routes Of Slavery

Grammy Award-winning early music interpreter Jordi Savall makes his Philadelphia debut with the acclaimed program, The Routes of Slavery, November 1 at 7:30 PM. Tickets are available at AnnenbergCenter.org or 215.898.3900.

Joined by artists representing Europe, Africa, and the Americas, Jordi Savall explores the music through which enslaved peoples preserved their own humanity, forged a sense of community, and found a way to endure. Accompanied by historical texts on slavery, this musical memoir spanning four centuries honors their journeys through the musical legacy they left, aiming to illuminate both the cruelest depths and extraordinary resilience of the human spirit.

For more than 50 years, Jordi Savall, one of the most versatile musical personalities of his generation, has rescued musical gems from the obscurity of neglect and oblivion and given them back for all to enjoy. A tireless researcher into early music, he interprets and performs the repertory both as a gambist and a conductor. His activities as a concert performer, teacher, researcher, and creator of new music and cultural projects have made him a leading figure in the reappraisal of historical music. Together with Montserrat Figueras, Savall founded the ensembles Hespèrion XXI (1974), La Capella Reial de Catalunya (1987), and Le Concert des Nations (1989), with whom he explored and created a world of emotion and beauty shared with millions of early music enthusiasts around the world.

Guest artists in the Philadelphia production include Mohamed Diaby, René Marie, Ballake Sissoko, Rajery, Driss el Maloumi, Maria Juliana Figueredo Linhares, Adriana Fernández, Yannis François, La Capella Reial de Catalunya, Tembembe Ensamble Continuo, and Hespèrion XXI.

The performance will be preceded by an INSIGHTS talk on slavery by Dr. Kathleen Brown, David Boies Professor of History at the University of Pennsylvania, starting at 6:30 PM in the Upper Ambulatory outside the Zellerbach Theatre. Additionally, there will be a free performance featuring excerpts of The Routes of Slavery, for college students only, November 1 at 12:30 PM. Tickets must be reserved by calling 215.573.8827.

For more information the full cast list/program and performance notes are available online. Photos for The Routes of Slavery are available in the Annenberg Center's Press Room.

The Philadelphians: Migrations That Made Our City

Jordi Savall's The Routes of Slavery is the first performance in the Annenberg Center's The Philadelphians series, an exploration of the populations that migrated to and influenced Philadelphia. In this series, audiences will experience two periods in time, a contrast of colonial-era early music with new works that look back on our history. In addition to the performances, junto-style discussions, inspired by Benjamin Franklin's Junto Club, created to discuss issues, politics, and philosophies of the day, will further illuminate those who created Philadelphia's cultural landscape and consider how it will be changed by new waves of immigrants.

About the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts serves as a major cultural destination and crossroads connecting Penn and the greater Philadelphia region through innovative human expression in theatre, music, dance, and film, serving an annual audience of almost 50,000. The Annenberg Center also serves as a key resource for the arts at Penn, connecting master artists with Penn students in support of and as an enhancement to the arts curriculum. Student performing arts groups are also key users of the Annenberg Center's multiple performance and rehearsal spaces, while also staffing many operational roles throughout the academic year. In reflection of Penn's core values as a world-respected academic institution, the Annenberg Center emphasizes artistic and intellectual excellence, diversity, and rigor in its presentations; prioritizes broad inclusiveness in the artists, audiences, and groups it serves; manages outstanding performance, conference, and meeting facilities; and stresses comprehensive event planning, production support, and customer service. The Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is a major provider of performing arts access for school children and actively engages a broad range of primary, secondary, and post-secondary student audiences and inclusive constituencies from the campus, community, and greater Philadelphia region. Visit www.AnnenbergCenter.org.

Annenberg Center Live's 2018-19 chronological calendar is available online.