Jessye Norman News

The Members of the Board of Trustees of the Brooklyn Museum have elected Elizabeth A. Sackler, Board member since 2000, as the Museum's Chair. Dr. Sackler, the first woman in the nearly 200-year history of the Museum to serve in that position, is the founder of the Museum's Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art. She succeeds retiring chair John S. Tamagni, who has served as Chair since 2011 and will continue to serve as an active Board member.

Summer is just around the corner, and we are looking ahead in anticipation to the start of Carnegie Hall's 2014-2015 season! Listed below are classical music highlights at Carnegie Hall, including details on UBUNTU: Music and Arts of South Africa, a three-week festival from October 10 to November 5, featuring an exciting array of events to be presented at Carnegie Hall and partner venues throughout New York City, inviting audiences to explore the incredibly dynamic and diverse culture of South Africa.

Center Stage Opera concludes its 2013-14 season with one of the most beloved operas of all-time, Puccini's Madama Butterfly. The tragic, tender story of a Japanese girl and and an American naval officer is told through one of Puccini's most poignant, moving scores.

While singer Jessye Norman's voice is known across the globe for its size, power, range and beauty, few people know that she credits her middle school choral director for helping her find it.

Media impresario and humanitarian Quincy Jones has been selected as the 99th recipient of the Spingarn Medal. Jones will receive the distinguished medal on July 23rd at 105th NAACP National Convention in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Center Stage Opera concludes its 2013-14 season with one of the most beloved operas of all-time, Puccini's Madama Butterfly. The tragic, tender story of a Japanese girl and and an American naval officer is told through one of Puccini's most poignant, moving scores.

The Chicago Humanities Festival (CHF), in partnership with Lyric Opera of Chicago, is pleased to present five-time Grammy Award-winning opera singer Jessye Norman on May 19, 2014 at 6 p.m. at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (112 S. Michigan Ave.). Legendary soprano Jessye Norman will be in conversation with opera dramaturg Colin Ure to discuss her new memoir titled Stand Up Straight and Sing!, set to release on May 6. Tickets to the program are on sale now for $25-35 and can be purchased online at chicagohumanities.org or at 312-494-9509.

What is an Action Maverick? An original. A person that breaks the rules, re-interprets or establishes new parameters of their craft. A risk taker. A hero. Each year STREB honors the courage, strength, openness, and interdependence that both STREB and SLAM embody as we honor a fellow Action Maverick. This year's honorees are one of the most celebrated dancers/choreographers of the last century, Bill T. Jones and his enormously talented sculptor/designer partner, Bjorn Amelan. The evening is again hosted by wickedly funny satirist, Kate Clinton, with her customary sass and wit. Cynthia Mayeda serves as Honorary Chair. It begins at 7pm with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres and a Silent Auction. Dinner and the Awards ceremony begins at 8pm, including a Live Auction and special performances by Indie String Quartet ETHEL and the STREB Extreme Action Company

Washington Performing Arts Society (WPAS) leads celebration of Marian Anderson on 75th anniversary of her Lincoln Memorial concert Soprano Jessye Norman, composer Ysaye Barnwell, opera singer Soloman Howard and vocalist Annisse Murillo (respectively an alumnus and current member of WPAS's Children of the Gospel), and an extraordinary 300-voice choir led by WPAS Gospel choir Artistic Director Stanley Thurston are just some of the talented artists who will join together under the banner of the Washington Performing Arts Society (WPAS) for Of Thee We Sing: The Marian Anderson 75th Anniversary Celebration.

NEW YORK FESTIVAL OF SONG has announced its star-studded 2014 spring gala, Remembering Lenny, celebrating the life of Leonard Bernstein with a performance on Monday, April 28 at 6:30PM at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, followed by supper at the '21' Club.

Lawrence Hamilton, the elegant and commanding musical theater artist and one of Broadway's leading men, died of cardiac arrest on Thursday, April 3, 2014 at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City due to complications following bypass surgery. He was 59.

Before he was an Emmy-winning TV star, Mandy Patinkin was already a Tony-winning Broadway legend. The acclaimed actor, singer and storyteller will appear on the Heinz Hall stage with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra tonight, April 5 at 8 p.m. in his most electrifying role - concert performer.

Before he was an Emmy-winning TV star, Mandy Patinkin was already a Tony-winning Broadway legend. The acclaimed actor, singer and storyteller will appear on the Heinz Hall stage with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra tonight, April 5 at 8 p.m. in his most electrifying role - concert performer.

Before he was an Emmy-winning TV star, Mandy Patinkin was already a Tony-winning Broadway legend. The acclaimed actor, singer and storyteller will appear on the Heinz Hall stage with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, April 5 at 8 p.m. in his most electrifying role - concert performer.

Before he was an Emmy-winning TV star, Mandy Patinkin was already a Tony-winning Broadway legend. The acclaimed actor, singer and storyteller will appear on the Heinz Hall stage with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra on Saturday, April 5 at 8 p.m. in his most electrifying role — concert performer.

New York Festival of Song announces 'Remembering Lenny', A Gala Celebration of Leonard Bernstein (Founding Advisor NYFOS). NYFOS Artistic Directors and pianists STEVEN BLIER and MICHAEL BARRETT host an extraordinary lineup of special guests.

Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) held its 2014 Vision 2014 Gala on February 25th at Cipriani 42 in New York City. As Dance Theatre of Harlem celebrates its 45th Anniversary, this year's gala was themed 'Live the Moment' and raised $700,000, $75,000 of which resulted from the entertaining live auction conducted by Audrey Smaltz, with the proceeds benefitting the DTH School's Next Generation and Community Engagement Funds. Honorees were Grammy Award-winning recording artist Patti LaBelle with the Arthur Mitchell Vision Award; dance educator and arts advocate Jody Gottfried Arnhold with The Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Foundation Medal; and Goldman, Sachs & Co. senior partner Valentino D. Carlotti with the inaugural Virtuoso Award. The evening's honorary chair was Billy Joel (not in attendance). Scroll down for photos!

Five decades later and still blazing new trails, Meredith Monk began preparation for her Fiftieth Year celebration with the January 29 announcement of her appointment as the 2014/15 Richard and Barbara Debs Composer's Chair at Carnegie Hall. Her spring calendar, a prelude to her 50th anniversary events, is crammed with New York, national and international performances, record and CD releases, workshops and residencies designed to showcase Monk's groundbreaking work past and present.

Due to the sudden death of guest vocalist Alexei Mochalov's wife, tonight's February 7 program of Gidon Kremer and Kremerata Baltica at the Harris Theater has been changed. Mieczyslaw Weinberg's Concertino, Op. 42 and Benjamin Britten's Young Apollo, Op. 16 replaces the previously scheduled Antiformalist Rayok by Dmitri Shostakovich and Britten's Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10. With the addition of Concertino, Op. 42, audience members will have the extraordinary opportunity to hear two works featuring violinist Gidon Kremer. Kremer also leads Kremerata Baltica in Weinberg's Symphony No.10 for strings, Op.98, appearing onstage in three of the evening's four works.

Due to the sudden death of guest vocalist Alexei Mochalov's wife, the Friday, February 7 program of Gidon Kremer and Kremerata Baltica at the Harris Theater has been changed. Mieczyslaw Weinberg's Concertino, Op. 42 and Benjamin Britten's Young Apollo, Op. 16 replaces the previously scheduled Antiformalist Rayok by Dmitri Shostakovich and Britten's Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10. With the addition of Concertino, Op. 42, audience members will have the extraordinary opportunity to hear two works featuring violinist Gidon Kremer. Kremer also leads Kremerata Baltica in Weinberg's Symphony No.10 for strings, Op.98, appearing onstage in three of the evening's four works.