Illuminarts Presents DRESDEN: A HYMN TO HUMANITY

IlluminArts is Miami's Art Song and Vocal Chamber Music Series, collaborating with museums and galleries to present site-specific performances of music inspired by the current exhibitions of visual art. On Saturday, September 15, 2018, IlluminArts is thrilled to present "DRESDEN: Hymn to Humanity" inspired by the DRESDEN exhibition of Argentinian artist and South Florida resident Sebastian Spreng at the Lowe Art Museum. DRESDEN offers a pointed reminder that we hold within us an infinite capacity not only to create but also to destroy-and then to rise again from the ashes only to start the cycle over. This exclusive event will feature critically acclaimed baritone Jonathan Beyer, and internationally renowned soprano Jennifer Holloway joined by IlluminArts co-founder and accomplished Russian pianist

Anna Fateeva for an evening of exhilarating music that takes the audience on an exploration of humanity through the music of Schubert, Berg, Rachmaninoff, Bernstein, Brahms, Mahler and others.

"Why DRESDEN" Spreng explains: "DRESDEN is my racconto, composed of images and ideas that have haunted me for decades." The descendant of German and Swiss immigrants from the turn of the 20th century, Spreng explores a city which he describes as the "Florence of the river Elbe" and the birthplace and inspiration for painters, poets, and composers who shaped the European artistic landscape for centuries. In Spreng's own words, "DRESDEN is my hymn to what was lost and my humble supplication to mankind to never lose sight of the real cost of war...it is about the fabric of our mortal existence and the essence of our being, which is marked by a tenuous, gossamer thread that separates good from evil, creation from destruction, and reason from ignorance."

DRESDEN has beaten record attendance at the Lowe Art Museum, and is an exhibition not to be missed.

Following a growing desire in our programming to highlight social issues, IlluminArts recognizes the power of the arts to inspire thought, dialogue, and action by exposing audiences to performances that not only entertain, but also engage. A two time Knight Arts Challenge winner, IlluminArts has collaborated with the Pérez Art Museum Miami, de la Cruz Collection and Bass Museum of Art, among many others.