Baryshnikov, Sondheim, Lang Lang Headline Harris Theater's 2009-2010 Season
By: Gabrielle Sierra May. 06, 2009
Click Here for More on STEPHEN SONDHEIM
The Harris Theater for Music and Dance today announced its Harris Theater Presents 2009-2010 season. The schedule of Harris Theater Presents events features nine programs, a remarkable thirteen Chicago premieres and includes an impressive and diverse selection of music, dance and conversation by internationally acclaimed artists and ensembles. Highlights of the Harris Theater Presents 2009-2010 season include a rare opportunity to see Mikhail Baryshnikov in a solo dance performance, an evening of insight with the "Master of the Musical," Stephen Sondheim, the Harris debut of Lang Lang under the baton of his mentor Maestro Christoph Eschenbach, the Chicago premiere of Orquestra de São Paulo with virtuoso percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, Kathleen Battle's unusual program of holiday spirituals, and much more.
"Planning the Harris Theater Presents season is always an exciting challenge," said Michael Tiknis, Harris Theater President and Managing Director. "There already exists such a rich diversity of offerings in our community and at the Harris, so that as a staff and board, we search extensively in this process for events which reflect the unique perspective of the Harris mission and philosophy. This year the challenges are even greater given the significant factor the economy plays in our considerations."
The schedule for the next Harris Theater Presents season includes an unparalleled series of the most highly acclaimed artists and ensembles from around the world. The Theater will open its season with ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov, performing the Chicago premiere of Three solos and a duet with his long-time dance partner and collaborator Ana Laguna; a distinctive holiday engagement with American soprano Kathleen Battle and the Chicago Children's Choir; a new program by the acclaimed all-male ballet company Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo; Grammy Award-winning guitarist Sharon Isbin and renowned violinist Mark O'Connor in celebration of Isbin's new release on Sony Classical, Journey to the New World and marking the first time they will have performed together in Chicago as duo recitalists; a special performance by Chicago's own Tony Award-winning actress and singer Christine Ebersole; an intimate exchange with composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim, the most important artist at work in the American musical theater over the past half-century, in celebration of his 80th birthday; and a performance by virtuoso pianist Lang Lang, under the baton of Christoph Eschenbach and the Chicago premiere of the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra, acclaimed as one of the finest youth orchestras in the world.
"We always seek to emphasize aspects of artists or their repertoire that accent the work of our resident companies and performances that delve further into the exploration of contemporary artistic innovation, as well as those which enlighten and delight audiences in what is becoming regarded as a unique and ‘Harris' way," noted Tiknis. "We believe that our offerings during the 2009-2010 season accomplish even more of this."
Fulfilling the Theater's mission, the Harris will collaborate with The University of Chicago Presents on its Contempo Double-Bill program, featuring two Chicago premieres, Harris Theater resident company and Grammy Award-winning sextet eighth blackbird and renowned mezzo soprano Susanne Mentzer. The Harris will also partner with the Arts and Culture Initiative of Access Living, a cross-disability organization governed and staffed by a majority of people with disabilities, to present the Chicago premiere of Orquestra de São Paulo with rising young conductor Kazem Abdullah, in his Chicago debut, and world-renowned percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie. The program for this engagement will feature the works of Latin composers, including Heitor Villa-Lobos and Camargo Guarnieri.
"We remain deeply committed to exciting collaborations like those with Access Living and The University of Chicago Presents Contempo series," said Tiknis. "These partnerships not only fulfill our mission, but enable us to continue to offer new works and first appearances that always include unusual repertoire and programming which finds a focus on special celebrations of artistic accomplishment. All of this makes the Harris a venue where ‘out of the ordinary' is in fact commonplace."
The Harris Theater's 2009-2010 fall season has been made possible with support from United Airlines, the Harris Theater's Official Airline of the 2009-2010 Season. Support for Harris Theater programming is provided by the Irving Harris Foundation Presenting Fund, established in 2006 to occasionally bring to Chicago artists or ensembles of the highest caliber who would normally not be seen here in order to complement the works of the Theater's resident companies and build audiences for the Theater. Rental subsidies for select user groups have been provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Lead Underwriter of the Harris Theater's Rental Subsidy Program. Additionally, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has provided support for collaborative partnerships with the Harris Theater to the following arts and cultural organizations: Alianza de las Artes Puertorriquenas, Chicago Opera Theater, eighth blackbird, Fulcrum Point New Music Project, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Luna Negra Dance Theater, Music of the Baroque and Urban Gateways. All performances are on the The Elizabeth Morse Genius Stage.
"In all of this the Harris remains more than just a place, it's an idea full of excitement, collaboration and innovation. It brings audiences and artists together in unique and new ways!" Tiknis added.
"The Harris Theater Presents 2009-2010 series highlights intelligent, imaginative programming and features artists with innovative repertory," said Joan Harris, Chairman of the Harris Board of Trustees. "The Theater's founding mission of partnership and collaboration is more important than ever. We will continue to present these significant performances in order to further the growth and development of our Theater and our resident companies."
The Harris Theater Presents subscription series consists of Hear the Music, a two-concert music series; See the Dance, a two-performance dance series; Broadway Luminaries, a two-performance Broadway-inspired series; At the Harris, a two-performance series featuring collaborations and performances by resident companies; and a special holiday engagement, all for sale via subscription and on an individual ticket basis. The Harris has reduced ticket and subscription prices this season, with individual programs priced as low as just $35. Subscriptions will go on sale May 20, 2009 and single tickets will go on sale August 1, 2009.
Subscriptions and single tickets will be available at the Harris Theater box office located in Millennium Park at 205 E. Randolph Dr., by calling 312-334-7777 or by visiting www.harristheaterchicago.org.
Harris Theater Presents programs will be presented in addition to the Theater's roster of diverse resident company performances, including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Music of the Baroque and Chicago Opera Theater. Harris Family Series performances, featuring interactive dance and a multi-media musical revue, will be announced in full at a later date. Additionally, the Harris will launch a new Lunchtime Series during 2009-2010 season, with further details to come in the fall.
Program information for the Harris Theater's 2009-2010 season is as follows:
SEE THE DANCE
Only at the Harris - a Living Legend and Ballet En Travesti
Chicago Premiere of "Three solos and a duet"
Friday, September 25, 2009 and Saturday, September 26, 2009 at 7:30 pm; Sunday, September 27, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Tickets: $55, $65, $75
Hailed by The New York Times as "one of the greatest dancers in history," ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov will perform the Chicago premiere of Three solos and a duet with long-time dance partner and collaborator Ana Laguna. Baryshnikov will tour Three solos and a duet throughout Europe this summer. Marking his first appearance in Chicago since he thrilled audiences with his performance with Hell's Kitchen Dance at the Harris in 2007, Three solos and a duet will give Chicago audiences a rare opportunity to see Baryshnikov dance solo. The program features Valse-Fantasie, a new work by Russian choreographer Alexei Ratmansky; Solo for Two and Place by Swedish choreographer Mats Ek; and a radically reworked version of Years Later by Benjamin Millepied of France, which Baryshnikov premiered at the spring gala fundraiser for his Baryshnikov Arts Center on April 14.
A native of Riga, Latvia, Baryshnikov began studying ballet at age nine; entered the school of the Kirov Ballet as a teenager and graduated from student to principal dancer in 1969. In 1974, he left Russia to pursue a career with ballet and modern companies around the world, settling in NYC in 1979 as a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre and from 1979 to 1980, with New York City Ballet. In 1980 he returned to ABT as artistic director. From 1990 to 2002, Mr. Baryshnikov was director and dancer with the White Oak Dance Project, which he co-founded with choreographer Mark Morris. Mr. Baryshnikov is currently devoting his time and energy to the Baryshnikov Arts Center. Among his most recent awards are the Kennedy Center Honors, The National Medal of Honor, The Commonwealth Award, The Chubb Fellowship, and the Jerome Robbins Award.
Born and educated in Zaragoza, Spain, Ana Laguna received her primary dance training from Maria de Avila. In 1974 she joined the Cullberg Ballet in Stockholm under the direction of Birgit Cullberg and Mats Ek. Along with works choreographed by Cullberg and Ek, Ms. Laguna created parts in works by Jirí Kylián, Christopher Bruce, Maurice Béjart, Nacho Duato, Jean-Pierre Perrault, Ohad Naharin and William Forsythe. After a one-year interlude with Nederlands Dans
Theater (1980-81), Ms. Laguna returned to the Cullberg Ballet, where she continued to create major roles in dance productions and appeared on practically every major stage in the world. In 1993 Ana Laguna left the Cullberg Ballet to work in drama and dance theatre productions. She is now teaching and coaching the works of Mats Ek at other dance companies.
Valse-Fantasie
Choreography: Alexei Ratmansky (2009)
Music: Mikhail Glinka, Valse-Fantasie
Lighting: Jennifer Tipton
Costume: DeAnna Berg MacLean
Dancer: Mikhail Baryshnikov
Premiere: May 2, 2009
Latvian National Opera, Riga, Latvia
Solo for Two
Choreography: Mats Ek (1996)
Music: Arvo Pärt (Für Alina, For Arinushka, Spiegel im Spiegel)
Lighting: Erik Berglund
Set Design: Peder Freiij
Costumes: Peder Freiij
Dancers: Ana Laguna and Mikhail Baryshnikov
Premiere: March 29, 1996
Ljusdal, Sweden
Years later
Choreography: Benjamin Millepied (2006 & 2009)
Film and Video: Asa Mader
Music: Philip Glass, Melodies for Saxophones Nos. 10, 2, 13, and 12
Akira Rabelais, Première Gnossienne (from album "Eisoptrophobia")
Lighting: Jennifer Tipton
Original Video Concept: Olivier Simola
Director of Photography: Ghasem Ebrahimian
Costume: Marc Happel
Dancer: Mikhail Baryshnikov
Original Premiere: June 8, 2006
Center for the Arts, University at Buffalo, NY
Revised Premiere: May 2, 2009
Latvian National Opera, Riga, Latvia
The development of "Years later" was made possible, in part, by a generous gift from Michèle and Steve Pesner.
Place
Choreography: Mats Ek (2007)
Music: Fläskkvartetten
Set Design: Peder Freiij
Lighting: Erik Berglund
Dancers: Ana Laguna and Mikhail Baryshnikov
Premiere: August 27, 2007
House of Dance, Stockholm, Sweden
Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
Classical Ballet You're Always Guaranteed Never to Forget
Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $45, $55, $75
Following an appearance in the UK, including a performance in celebration of the 80th Anniversary of the Royal Variety Performance which Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall attended, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo promise to delight Chicago audiences with an exciting new program demonstrating their playful, entertaining view of classical ballet in parody form and en travesti. Hailed as "wholly spectacular" and "stunning" by The New York Times, the Trocks, as they are affectionately known, will amuse and inspire Chicagoans with their blend of their loving knowledge of dance, their comic approach, and the astounding fact that men can, indeed, dance en pointe without falling flat on their faces! The fact that men dance all the parts--heavy bodies delicately balancing on toes as swans, sylphs, water sprites, romantic princesses, angst-ridden Victorian ladies--enhances rather than mocks the spirit of dance as an art form, delighting and amusing the most knowledgeable, as well as novices, in The Audience. This Harris Theater presentation of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo is back by popular demand after a sold-out engagement at the Harris in 2007.
HEAR THE MUSIC
Celebrations of Music with Virtuoso Performers Lang Lang and Eschenbach and Isbin and O'Connor
Sharon Isbin and Mark O'Connor
Chicago Premiere of Strings & Threads Presents New American Classical Music
Saturday, March 6, 2010 at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $45, $55, $75
Grammy Award-winning classical guitarist Sharon Isbin and virtuoso violinist Mark O'Connor will make their Chicago premiere performing together as duo recitalists in a program highlighting Sharon's new release on Sony Classical, Journey to the New World, a voyage in song from the British Isles to the New World. The disc features the world premiere of O'Connor's folk-inspired Strings & Threads Suite for violin and guitar and the Joan Baez Suite by John Duarte for solo guitar, both of which will be performed as part of Sharon and Mark's debut at the Harris.
Acclaimed for her lyricism and technique, Sharon Isbin is considered "the preeminent guitarist of our time." Her catalogue of more than 25 recordings - spanning Baroque, Spanish/Latin to jazz-fusion - reflect her versatility and ability to expand the guitar repertoire with some of the finest new works of the century. Sharon last performed in Chicago with the Grant Park Music Festival in 2006. Fresh off the release of the critically acclaimed world premiere recording of his most ambitious work yet, the six-movement "Americana Symphony" (performed by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra under conductor Marin Alsop), Mark O'Connor is on the rise and considered one of the most talented and imaginative artists working in music today. A product of America's rich aural folk tradition as well as classical and flamenco music, O'Connor has melded and shaped these influences into a new American Classical music, and a vision of an entirely American school of string playing.
ANDECY for solo guitar, Andrew York (b.1958) - Sharon Isbin
CAPRICES for solo violin, Mark O'Connor (b.1961) - Mark O'Connor
JOAN BAEZ SUITE, Op. 144 John Duarte (1919-2004) Composed for Sharon Isbin
STRINGS & THREADS SUITE Mark O'Connor (b. 1961) Violin & Guitar Adaptation Composed for Sharon Isbin
Lang Lang, piano
Christoph Eschenbach, conductor
Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra
Two Concertos and More
Sunday, April 11, 2010 at 3:00 pm
Tickets: $45, $55, $75, $95
Hailed by The New York Times as "the hottest artist on the classical music planet," Lang Lang will perform an impressive two concerto program at the Harris, featuring works he has not performed in Chicago before, under the baton of his mentor Maestro Christoph Eschenbach with the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra (SHFO), one of the finest youth orchestras in the world. The challenging program for Lang Lang's debut at the Harris and the Chicago premiere of SHFO includes Mozart's Piano concerto No. 17 and Prokofiev's Symphony No. 1 and Piano Concerto No. 3.
Lang Lang has played sold out recitals and concerts in every major city in the world and is the first Chinese pianist to be engaged by the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic and the top American orchestras. He has played with the world's best orchestras and with the most renowned conductors, including Maestros Ashkenazy, Barenboim, Boulez, Chailly, Sir Colin Davis, Dutoit, Eschenbach, Gergiev, Jansons, Levine, Mehta, Maazel, Welser-Most, Muti, Nagano, Ozawa, Sir Simon Rattle, Salonen, Slatkin, Temirkanov and Tilson-Thomas.
Maestro Eschenbach, who will become the National Symphony Orchestra's sixth music director in the 2010-11 season, has been Principal Conductor of the SHMF International Orchestral Academy since 2004. His long-standing artistic and personal friendship with Lang Lang has led to numerous memorable performances, most recently with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra in November 2008, and a critically acclaimed recording of Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 4 with Orchestre de Paris in 2007.
Founded in 1987 by Leonard Bernstein and renowned as "awe-inspiring" by the Berliner Zeitung for their power, brilliance and expressiveness, the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra is comprised of the world's finest young musicians under the age of 27, hand-picked through a rigorous auditioning process. While in residence at the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, the young musicians work with experienced teachers from the Berlin Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, and the NDR Symphony Orchestra, collaborate ... with famous conductors, study and perform the greatest orchestral and chamber music, and attend lectures and seminars. The Orchestra's performance at the Harris is part of their spring 2010 North American Tour, the Orchestra's first-ever tour in the United States and Canada.
Beethoven "Leonora No. 3" Overture, Op. 72a (14' 23")
Mozart Piano concerto No. 17 in G Major, K. 453 (29')
Prokofiev Symphony No. 1 (Classique) in D Major, Op. 25 (16' 55")
Prokofiev Piano concerto No. 3 in C Major, Op. 26 (27' 34")
BROADWAY LUMINARIES
Broadway Legends of Script and Song, Sondheim and Ebersole Bring a Bit of New York to Chicago
An Intimate Exchange with the "Master of the Musical"
Thursday, March 4, 2010 at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $35, $55, $65
Marking a first-ever Harris Theater Presents dialogue and what promises to be an important moment of the 2009-2010 theater season in Chicago, composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim will offer a personal and engaging view of his life in the theatre and present a rare look into the mind of the most important artist to work in the American musical theater over the past half century. Sondheim, who will celebrate his 80th birthday on March 22, 2010, has not only collaborated on more than a dozen landmark shows and written countless standard songs but has also been the single most influential force in bringing the Broadway musical into the modern age.
During the live, unscripted conversation at the Harris, Stephen Sondheim and moderator John Callaway, host of the Chicago Tonight Friday Night program on WTTW-TV, will reminisce about Sondheim's career including his collaborations with Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins and Tim Burton; predecessors, including his mentor Oscar Hammerstein II; the state of American musical theater; the differences between film and theater; and, in a very personal series of reflections, his own creative process, speaking specifically on works ranging from his early shows Gypsy and West Side Story to such later classics as Company, Follies and Sweeney Todd. Following the conversation, Sondheim will conduct a Q&A with audience members.
This intimate dialogue program may be repeated with other noteworthy speakers in future seasons at the Harris.
An Evening of Song with Chicago's Own Nightingale
Thursday, March 25, 2010 at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $45, $55, $75
Having received virtually every Off-Broadway award and her second Tony Award for Leading Actress in a Musical for her "dual role of a lifetime" as Edie Beale and Little Edie Beale in Grey Gardens, and following a critically acclaimed cabaret engagement at New York's Café Carlyle, Christine Ebersole will make her Harris Theater debut and present a unique line-up of Broadway show tunes and standards for this special performance at the Harris.
Noted by The New York Times as having "the voice of a nightingale," Chicago native Christine Ebersole has enchanted audiences throughout her performing career, from the Broadway stage to cabaret performances, television series and specials, films, concert appearances, and recordings. Ms. Ebersole is currently starring in the Broadway revival of Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit as Elvira and this past fall she delighted audiences by participating in the Opening Night Gala of Carnegie Hall's 118th Season. After making her debut with the Boston Pops two years ago, she returned to Boston's Symphony Hall and Tanglewood last season to star as Desiree Armfeldt in a concert version of A Little Night Music with the Boston Pops.
‘TIS THE SEASON AT THE HARRIS
Inspired Holiday Spirituals Soar with Luminous Soprano Kathleen Battle
Kathleen Battle, soprano
Chicago Children's Choir
Classic Spirituals to Illuminate the Holiday Season
Friday, December 18, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $60, $75, $85
Celebrate this holiday season with the Harris Theater debut of five-time Grammy Award-winning soprano Kathleen Battle, whose soaring voice is "without qualification, one of the very few most beautiful in the world" (The Washington Post). In this extraordinary and unique holiday program of inspired seasonal spirituals with Chicago Children's Choir, the legendary Ms. Battle will perform her first-ever all spirituals program in Chicago. This music, "has been an important part of my musical life for as long as I can remember," Kathleen Battle says. In April 2009, she premiered a solo recital program of spirituals at Carnegie Hall. You won't want to miss this special evening of celebration, inspiration and hope.
AT THE HARRIS
Musical Collaborations featuring Brazil's Orquestra de São Paulo and Contempo from The University of Chicago
Harris Theater and Access Living present
Orquestra de São Paulo
Kazem Abdullah, conductor
Evelyn Glennie, Percussion soloist
Latin American Classical Music Lights up the Harris Stage
Wednesday, October 14, 2009, 7:30 pm
Tickets: $45, $55, $75
The Harris Theater is thrilled to partner with Access Living and its new Arts and Culture Initiative to present the Chicago premiere of the most outstanding orchestra in Latin America, Orquestra de São Paulo (OSESP), with world-renowned percussionist Dame Evelyn Glennie, under the baton of young rising star conductor twenty-nine year old Kazem Abdullah, also making his Chicago debut. The exciting, Latin-themed program at the Harris will feature the Chicago premiere of a new percussion concerto by Brazilian composer Marlos Nobre, commissioned by OSESP for Dame Glennie, as well as significant works by renowned Brazilian classical composers including Heitor Villa-Lobos and Camargo Guarnieri, and works of Maurice Ravel, Bela Bartok and Johannes Brahms.
Founded by Maestro Sousa Lima in 1954 and noted for their "impressive energy" and "exuberance" by the LA Times, Orquestra de São Paulo is Brazil's most celebrated classical music ensemble and embarks on its third tour of the U.S. during the 2009-2010 season. Acclaimed by The New York Times as "a phenomenon of a performer," Dame Glennie is the first person in musical history to successfully create and sustain a full-time career as a solo percussionist. One of the most eclectic and innovative musicians in the world today, Dame Glennie combines superb technique, a profound appreciation of the visual and her astonishing musicality to create performances of such vitality that they almost constitute a new type of performance. Current Assistant and Cover Conductor for the Metropolitan Opera, working under Music Director James Levine, Kazem Abdullah is quickly becoming one of the most watched young, American conductors on the scene today. He will continue to conduct at the Met during the 2009-2010 season, and in addition, Abdullah will also conduct Chicago Sinfonietta's annual Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. concert, featuring Beethoven's 9th Symphony, in January 2010.
The Harris is thrilled to partner with Access Living to present Orquestra de São Paulo with Dame Evelyn Glennie. As part of this collaboration, Dame Glennie will take part in education and outreach programs with participants of Access Living's Arts and Culture Initiative, an international movement and cultural program that includes visual art, music, dance, theater, literature and sports.
Double-Bill: Where Jazz and Contemporary Music Intersect
Presented by Harris Theater and Contempo
featuring
Cliff Colnot, conductor
Susanne Mentzer, mezzo soprano
eighth blackbird
Chris Potter, saxophones
Kenny Werner, piano
A Cutting-Edge Performance of the Best Living Composers by Today's Best Contemporary Artists
Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $40, $25
This exciting co-presentation of Contempo's Double-Bill: Where Jazz and Contemporary Music Intersect
features important Chicago premieres and combines the best of living composers, cutting-edge performances by contemporary artists, and memorable appearances by jazz musicians. Featuring Grammy Award-winning sextet eighth blackbird and renowned mezzo soprano Susanne Mentzer, who performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus this past October and wowed both critics and audiences with her portrayal of Dido in Dido and Aeneas with Chicago Opera Theater in 2006, as well as jazz musicians Chris Potter and Kenny Warner, Double-Bill will include the Chicago premiere of Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award-winning composer Bernard Rands' work, now again - fragments from Sappho for ten-piece ensemble, along with Kurt Weill's September Song. The performance will also feature the Chicago premiere of Taiwanese composer Yu-Hui Chang's Binge Delirium for solo percussion and conclude with a jam session with jazz musicians saxophonist Chris Potter and pianist Kenny Werner.
Bernard Rands now again - fragments from Sappho
Kurt Weill September Song
Yu-Hui Chang Binge Delirium for solo percussion
Set with Chris Potter, saxophone, and Kenny Werner, piano
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