Harris Theater to Welcome Renee Fleming & Patricia Barber as Part of New Series

The Harris Theater for Music and Dance is proud to announce a premier collaboration with renowned soprano Renée Fleming on the new performance series Renée Fleming: To the Edge, produced by the Harris Theater, in association with Lyric Unlimited. Renée Fleming: To the Edge is a creative work in progress which dives deeply into all that is on the cutting edge of performance, exploring the voice as it enriches a variety of artistic forms. Renée is known for her personal dedication to projects that transcend the notion of genre boundaries; born of Ms. Fleming's role as Creative Consultant at Lyric Opera of Chicago, this series reflects her breadth and passion for performance in its entirety, outside of any expectation of the structure of opera presentation. Given the Harris' expertise in producing and commissioning works that excite, inform, and push the envelope, this is a perfect artistic partnership and a thrilling premise for an innovative and truly special series. More details to come.

The first performance of this series is the world premiere of "Higher: Renée Fleming and Patricia Barber Perform the Music of Patricia Barber." "Higher" is a musical collaboration between Grammy winning soprano Renée Fleming and Chicago jazz vocalist, pianist, and composer, Patricia Barber for a virtuosic, adventurous, and uniquely harmonious evening of music, produced by the Harris Theater, in association with Lyric Unlimited. Just in time for the holidays, on December 14, Ms. Fleming will perform a recital program of Ms. Barber's songs which have been newly arranged for this special engagement. In keeping with the season, Ms. Fleming and Ms. Barber will also join forces for a selection of holiday favorites. Accompanying these dynamic artists will be collaborator and pianist Craig Terry, who is also Artistic Director for the Harris Theater's Beyond the Aria series and the Music Director of Lyric Opera's Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center. The performance will then be presented at the Kennedy Center on December 16.

"When Renée sings my music, I am thrilled to discover that a musical ideal can be realized. She inspires me to reach higher," reflects Ms. Barber, of whom TIME Magazine says, "Cross Diana Krall with Susan Sontag, and you get Patricia Barber, whose throaty, come-hither vocals and coolly incisive piano are displayed to devastating effect."

Ms. Fleming is as revered and respected as they come; she was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Obama in 2013, she has graced the world's greatest opera stages and concert halls, and she was the first ever classical artist to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. Ms. Barber is an internationally acclaimed jazz star, the first songwriter ever to win a Guggenheim Fellowship in composition, and a staple in her hometown of Chicago. To see these bright stars take the stage together is to witness a historic musical event.

"Collaborating with Renée Fleming and Patricia Barber on such unique and beautiful repertoire is the kind of expansive programming that we love to create at the Harris, and we look forward to presenting much more of it in our new series, which Renée Fleming will curate in the coming months," said Harris Theater President and Managing Director Michael Tiknis. "These two women are extraordinary artists in so many ways and their commitment to excellence mirrors our own - it was a perfect fit from the start and displays the innovative collaborations that we have become known for and are committed to here at the Harris."

Renée Fleming said, "I'm thrilled to be performing with Patricia Barber. When I was introduced to her work years ago, I was immediately struck by her uniquely sophisticated lyrics, her musical vocabulary, which, though idiomatically jazz, evokes art songs for me, and the intimacy she conveys in performance. In developing a series for the Harris Theater, I thought, 'How better to launch the project than by collaborating with my now friend, Patricia?'"

Tickets for this special engagement are $35-$125, now available HERE or by calling the Harris Theater Box Office at 312.334.7777.

Additionally, single tickets for ALL Harris Theater Presents and Beyond the Aria performances are on sale. The Harris is bringing the biggest names in the world in music and dance here to Chicago and there is no better place to experience this caliber of talent and entertainment. Dance companies from the Hamburg Ballet, to Mark Morris Dance Group and Music Ensemble, to the Miami City Ballet. Brilliant musicians from the Juilliard Orchestra and Itzhak Perlman, to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Pinchas Zukerman, to a world premiere with Kronos Quartet, Rinde Eckert and Vân-Ánh Vanessa Võ. This season is jam packed with world class talent and is not to be missed. Purchase tickets for the performances you have been eyeing all summer, before they sell out completely. Single tickets now available at www.HarrisTheaterChicago.org or by calling the Harris Theater Box Office at 312.334.7777.

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