Matthew VanBesien News

The residents of Flint and Ann Arbor, Michigan were treated to a very special event because of the University Musical Society (UMS): Yo-Yo Ma visited as part the performer's two-year journey to perform Six Suites for Solo Cello as a catalyst for social action and it marks the first time Ma extended the model beyond the Bach Project to a broader audience. Ma's visit was two-days filled of activities including a talk by him in the University of Michigan's Hill Auditorium on 'Culture, Understanding, and Survival,' as well as a Day of Action in Flint, Michigan with the theme, 'Flint Voices: Culture, Community, and Resilience.' At the Day of Action, Ma worked with community partners to transform lives and forge both a more connected world and a healthy and vibrant local community with the goal of the session to find new opportunities for collaborations across Flint's cultural communities and organizations. The strategy session was followed up by a community cultural show that was a celebration of Flint's vitality, diversity, and artistry. BroadwayWorld Detroit had a chance to speak with two of people heavily involved in brining Yo-Yo Ma and his Day of Action event to Michigan - Jim Leija (director of education & community engagement for UMS) and Natasha Thomas-Jackson (Flint-based arts advocate). Read our interview with them to see why this was an important event:

The University Musical Society (UMS) announces its 141st season, which runs from September 2019 through April 2020. One of the most acclaimed and innovative performing art presenters in the nation and a 2014 recipient of the National Medal of Arts, UMS will continue to showcase time-honored ensembles and artists alongside a diverse lineup of young performers who push the boundaries of their art forms in new directions. In addition to presenting world-class performances, UMS is also committed to creating unique and engaging ways for audiences to connect with the artists on stage through a robust offering of education and community engagement activities.

The University Musical Society of the University of Michigan presents the world premiere of a new theater piece on the work of controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, Friday-Saturday, March 15-16 at the Power Center for the Performing Arts in Ann Arbor, MI. Composed by Bryce Dessner, with a libretto by Korde Arrington Tuttle that includes poetry by Essex Hemphill and Patti Smith, Mapplethorpe's longtime creative muse, Triptych (Eyes of One on Another) premieres 30 years after Mapplethorpe's untimely death from AIDS at the age of 42.

The University Musical Society (UMS) is pleased to announce a visit to Michigan by cellist Yo-Yo Ma that will take place February 27-28, 2019 in Ann Arbor and Flint. This special visit builds on the performer's two-year journey to perform Johann Sebastian Bach's Six Suites for Solo Cello as a catalyst for social action, and it marks the first time Ma is extending the model beyond the Bach Project to engage a broader audience. The activities include a talk in the University of Michigan's Hill Auditorium on 'Culture, Understanding, and Survival' as well as a 'Day of Action' in Flint, MI, with the theme 'Flint Voices: Culture, Community, and Resilience.' This day-long set of activities will bring together 50 Flint-based community leaders for a working session on cultural collaboration for social change led by Yo-Yo Ma, as well as a Community Cultural Showcase celebrating Flint's past and future, which is open to the public.

The University Musical Society (UMS) is pleased to announce a residency with cellist Yo-Yo Ma that will take place February 27-28, 2019 in Ann Arbor and Flint. The residency includes Ma's talk on 'Culture, Understanding, and Survival' as well as a 'Day of Action' in Flint, MI. The residency is made possible with support from the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor and Flint campuses.

The University Musical Society (UMS) welcomes Syrian-American rapper and poet Omar Offendum as the 2018-19 UMS Education and Community Engagement Research Residency Artist. This research residency program, funded in part by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, seeks to bring performing artists whose work engages with issues of social justice, public practice, or intercultural understanding to the University of Michigan (U-M) campus.

The University Musical Society (UMS) announces that Ryan Davis has joined the UMS staff as its new Chief Development Officer.

Long recognized as one of the greatest science fiction works of all time, 2001: A Space Odyssey is celebrated for its technological realism. The themes it raises, in artificial intelligence and deep space exploration, remain relevant today. Events include:

The University Musical Society (UMS) will present a dramatic reading of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, featuring stage and screen actor Alec Baldwin in the lead role of Willy Loman on Saturday, September 29, 2018 at 8 pm in Ann Abor's Power Center (121 Fletcher St). Baldwin will perform alongside student and faculty actors and directors from the University of Michigan's Department of Theatre & Drama. The reading will mark Baldwin's first time in the role. The performance is currently sold out, but those interested in attending can call the UMS Ticket Office at 734.764.2538 to ask to be put on an interest list.

The University Musical Society (UMS) will bring the Philadelphia Orchestra to Hill Auditorium (825 N University Ave, Ann Arbor) for one performance on Thursday, September 27, 2018 at 7:30 pm. The performance marks the orchestra's 268th appearance under UMS auspices and its first return to Ann Arbor in 24 years.

In conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of Stanley Kubrick's influential 1968 masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey, the University Musical Society (UMS) and the University of Michigan's College of Engineering (Michigan Engineering) co-present a free campus-wide multimedia celebration of the film's socio-technical themes. The celebration, taking place September 21-27, 2018, will feature a free screening of the film with live orchestral and choral accompaniment, technology demonstrations, speakers, and panel discussions. All events are free and open to the public. A complete schedule is included at the bottom of this release.

Tickets to individual performances on the University Musical Society's 140th season will go on sale to the public on Monday, August 13, 2018. With appearances by internationally renowned orchestras, chamber musicians, dance groups, jazz and global music artists, and international theater ensembles, the UMS season spans the complete spectrum of the performing arts. Events will take place in Ann Arbor venues, including Hill Auditorium, the Power Center, the Michigan Theater, and Rackham Auditorium. In addition, UMS will present five high-definition theater broadcasts from the National Theatre of London and the Bolshoi Theater of Moscow, all in partnership with the Michigan Theater.

The University Musical Society (UMS) announces that Eric Woodhams will join the UMS staff on August 1, 2018 as its new senior manager of digital media.

The University Musical Society (UMS) and the University of Michigan's School of Music, Theatre & Dance EXCEL Lab are proud to announce the 2018 cohort of 21st Century Artist Interns. These four students, all SMTD undergraduates, will spend the summer working with a professional dance, theater, or music ensemble that UMS will present during the 2018-19 season. When they return to campus, the interns continue their work via a one-credit independent study. To fulfill course requirements, each student will serve as a campus ambassador, educator, and marketer to support the ensemble during its visit. Each intern earns a competitive stipend of $5,000 to cover the cost of lodging, travel, and living expenses during the internship. The $5,000 stipend is on par with similar internship programs in the sciences, and a rarity in the arts, where internships are often unpaid, volunteer opportunities.

The University Musical Society (UMS), under the leadership of President Matthew VanBesien, today announces its 140th season in 2018-19 with an initial slate of 40 performances and events

The University Musical Society (UMS), under the leadership of President Matthew VanBesien, today announces its 140th season in 2018-19 with an initial slate of 40 performances and events. One of the country's most acclaimed performing arts presenters, UMS honors its past by showcasing respected ensembles and performers with whom it has enjoyed rich relationships, and fully embraces the future as initiator, incubator, and accelerator for innovative new works and projects. This potent combination infuses the anniversary season with dynamic and diverse voices and perspectives featuring artists at the top of their game - celebrating the canon, taking risks, moving genres in new directions, disrupting stereotypes, and surprising audiences.

Pianist Murray Perahia has cancelled his spring tour, including his recital performance with the University Musical Society (UMS) scheduled for Sunday, April 22 at 4 pm at Hill Auditorium, due to illness.

The University Musical Society of the University of Michigan presents writer and street performer Nick Cassenbaum in Bubble Schmeisis at The Schvitz in Detroit, one of the country's few remaining traditional bath houses, which has been in operation for over 85 years. 'This is fun, relaxed storytelling journey to find Jewish identity in modern London centered around schmeising and schvitizing,' said Cassenbaum. It is the U.S. premiere and exclusive U.S. performance of this show about self-discovery and Jewish identity through storytelling, music, and audience interaction. BroadwayWorld Detroit had a chance to speak with Cassenbaum about his experience writing and performing in the show.

The University Musical Society (UMS) will offer a free online livestream of Nick Cassenbaum's sold-out performance of Bubble Schmeisis on Thursday, March 22 at 7:30 pm. The performance will be streamed live from the Schvitz in Detroit at ums.org/live and via Facebook Live at facebook.com/UMSNews. Viewers may register in advance at ums.org/live to receive an email reminder shortly before the livestream begins. An archived version of the livestream will be made available for later viewing.

From January 17 to February 3, 2018, the University Musical Society of the University of Michigan (UMS) presents No Safety Net, a three-week theater festival of four productions that foster timely conversations around slavery, terrorism, transgender identity, and radical wellness and healing. Two of the titles are U.S. premieres and will receive their only U.S. performances as part of No Safety Net. Performances will be held in Arthur Miller Theatre (1226 Murfin Ave, Ann Arbor) and the Stamps Gallery (201 S. Division St, Ann Arbor), with each title examining a different topic related to contemporary social issues.