WCA News and Program Notes

Join Us for our Next Performance: Soweto Gospel Choir • January 24, 2012

2011-12-08T10:03:00.001-08:00

SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR – ABRIDGED BIOGRAPHY

Soweto Gospel Choir was formed in November, 2002
In December, 2002 their first album “Voices from Heaven” was recordedand went on to reach the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s World Music Chart within 3weeks of its release in the US
In 2003 the choir won its first award, a Helpmann Award, Australia’sprestigious Performing Arts Award, for “Best Contemporary Music Concert”
This success was followed when they won a 2003 American Gospel MusicAward for “Best Choir”
In the same year, they won a “Gospel Music Award” (US based) for “BestInternational Choir”
They performed for President Bill Clinton at a corporate function inLittle Rock, Arkansas
In October 2006, the choir performed as invited guests for their Patron,Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s 75^th Birthday Celebrations, in front of anillustrious audience which included former President Nelson Mandela, Mrs ZaneleMbeki, Tokyo Sexwale, Samuel L Jackson, Alfre Woodard and Carlos Santana

They featured on a guest appearance with Diana Ross, Deborah Cox and Danny K for the “Unite of the Stars” Gala Banquet in South Africa in November 2006
They were invited guests on NBC’s “Today Show” as well as on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien”
The choir have also made a guest appearance on ‘The Tonight Show with Jay Leno’
In December 2006 they performed at Sun City, South Africa, for Oprah Winfrey and 200 of her V.I.P. guests, including Mariah Carey, Mary J Blige, Tina Turner, Patti Labelle, Sydney Poitier and Quincy Jones
On 11 February 2007, Soweto Gospel Choir received its greatest accolade, a Grammy Award for their second CD “Blessed”, in the category “Best Traditional World Music”
At the same time, they were nominated for the 26^th International Reggae and World Music Awards, held at the Apollo Theatre, Harlem, on 5 May, in the category “Contribution to World Music”, alongside Jimmy Cliff, Salif Keita, Youssou N’Dour and Ziggy Marley
In May 2007, the choir won a SAMA Award (South African Music Association Award) in the Category “Best Live Performance DVD”
In June 2007 Soweto Gospel Choir was the support act for the Red Hot Chilli Peppers at their concerts in Germany
To add to their string of national and international awards, in November 2007 Soweto Gospel Choir won a Metro FM Music Award for Best Gospel Album for “African Spirit”, based on nominations submitted by the radio station’s listeners, and the public
In February 2008, the choir was awarded a second Grammy Award for their third album “African Spirit”, in the “Best Traditional World Music” category
Also in February 2008, the choir was honoured with the PanSALB Award for Multilingualism and Nation Building, for “Album of the Decade”
They performed with Celine Dion during her “Taking Chances” tour of South Africa
The choir has had the honour of performing with gospel legends Bebe Winans and Kirk Franklin
While in New Orleans, they recorded a track with rock legend Robert Plant, which was included on a Fats Domino tribute album, with proceeds going to the victims of Hurricane Katrina

· Their 46664 London performance of “Weeping”, with Josh Groban and VusiMahlasela, is featured on Josh’s latest album “Collection”

· The choir has toured the world extensively, performing at prestigiousvenues like Carnegie Hall, Sydney Opera House, the Nelson Mandela Theatre andRoyal Festival Hall in London

. They have performed at high profile festivals such as the EdinburghFestival, the Adelaide Festival, the Hong Kong Festival, and the LondonFestival, always to huge acclaim

· Soweto Gospel Choir received its third Grammy nomination in December2008, this time in the category Best Contemporary World Music, for their album,“Live at the Nelson Mandela Theatre”

· The song “Down To Earth” from the blockbuster Wall-E movie, theircollaboration with Peter Gabriel, won a Grammy in the Best Movie Song category

· In February 2009, the choir became the first South African artist toperform at the Academy Awards, when they sang “Down To Earth”, the Gabriel/NewmanOscar-nominated song, with John Legend.

· During the same period, their newest album “Grace” charted in the top 10of Billboard’s World Music charts

· In March 2009, they were nominated for three SAMAs (South African MusicAwards), for their cd and dvd, “Live At the Nelson Mandela Theatre”, winningthe Award for “Best Duo or Group”

· In May 2009, the choir was invited to perform at the InaugurationCeremony of South Africa’s new President

· In November, members of Soweto Gospel Choir were flown to Los Angeles totake part in a major Pepsi advertising campaign, alongside Akon and Keri Hilson

· The choir was one of three featured African artists for the FIFA WorldCup Draw held in Cape Town in December 2009

· In April 2010, Soweto Gospel Choir was honoured with the inauguralInternational Achievement Award, at the South African Music Awards held at SunCity.

· Also in April, the choir was invited to perform at the Opening Ceremonyof the 2010 World Trade Expo, held in Shanghai, as the African representative.

· The choir has collaborated with U2, as the featured South Africanartist, on the songs “Streets Have No Name”, “Magnificent” and “Boots” forESPN’s promotional campaign for the 2010 World Cup.

· They performed during the FIFA World Cup Kick-Off Concert in Soweto, thenight before the opening of the World Cup in June, with a select internationaland African line-up including the Black-Eyed Peas, Shakira, Angelique Kidjo andJohn Legend.

· The choir is an Ambassador for Nelson Mandela’s 46664 campaign and hasperformed at the Cape Town, Johannesburg, London and New York concerts withartists such as Peter Gabriel, Bono, Queen, Jimmy Cliff, Johnny Clegg, EddieGrant Amy Winehouse, Queen Latifah, Wyclef Jean, Aretha Franklin and StevieWonder

· They have been featured in Time Magazine and are one of the selectedinternational artists included in Andrew Zukerman’s “Music”, as part of aseries of photographic books that includes the best seller “Wisdom”.

· They are UN Envoys forAfrica and recorded and performed with seven other top African artistsincluding Angelique Kidjo, Baba Maal, Eric Wainaina, Mingas,OliverMtukudzi,Yvonne Chaka Chaka and HHP as part of the UN MDG “* Goals Away”campaign, during the World Cup. The choir is also an Ambassador for the 1Goalcampaign, which advocates education for all, and for SHOUT which advocates AntiCrime

· Soweto Gospel Choir has founded its own AIDS orphans foundation, Nkosi’sHaven Vukani, to assist organisations that receive little or no funding. Todate, the choir has collected over R 4million for their foundation. In South Africa, the choir performs fora variety of charitable organisations.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT SOWETOGOSPEL CHOIR

“There is simply no flaw here”

Evening News, Scotland

“When they open their mouths, thesense of texture is flawless…here is energy and passion in song”

BusinessDay, Johannesburg

“The public will be blown away”

DailySun, Johannesburg

“These absolutely thrilling singersneed nothing but their voices to make dazzling music”

Billboard

“Simply the best”

The Star Tonight, Johannesburg

“This is a tour de musicalforce….Soweto Gospel Choir is a slice of musical heaven”

Australian Stage, Melbourne

“A singularly joyful sound”

O Magazine, USA

“Occasionally, a diamond of suchbrilliance is unearthed that you find yourself compelled to develop anear-fanatical enthusiasm for it”

Manchester News

“The crowd was held in sway by thesheen and spectacle of a masterful performance”

Seattle News”

“Meticulous and unstoppable…spiritedand spectacular”

The New York Times

“I was left awestruck by the choir’smajestic and moving performance. There is no equal to their passion and power”

Three Weeks, Edinburgh

“Soweto Gospel Choir mesmerised thecaptive audience”

TheSowetan, Johannesburg

“A really spectacular 65 minutes”

The Herald, Scotland

“…the cascade of incredible colourand talent make this the most uplifting show in town”

The Big Issue, Edinburgh

“In all, this choir takes choralsinging to new levels and are a must-see, whatever age or musical taste”

Edinburgh Festivals, Scotland

Soweto Gospel Choir and The BalaBrothers:

“The overall atmosphere casts aspell, with the ultra professional performers conveying a real sense ofspontaneity””

Express, London

“This was always going to be anunforgettable performance! The collaboration creates a sound so unique, sopowerful and so moving, that they rightly deserve their standing ovation……SouthAfrica’s ‘vocal dream team’”.

The New Current, Edinburgh

Latest Album “Grace” reviews:

“Soweto Gospel Choir’s latest album“Grace”, is easily as exuberant and inspired as any of its past efforts. Theaptly title 19-song set is a creative blending of traditional South Africangospel numbers with elegantly conceived arrangements of contemporarytunes. The choir’s performance isa sustained display of individual and ensemble virtuosity, underwritten by itsdeep spiritual sensibility.”

Billboard,February 2010

“Beautiful voices, pristine musicalarrangements and tremendous instrumentation permeate the 19 tunes onGrace. These singers bring realgrace, human and divine, to this elegant, soulful album”.

ArkansasGazette, February 2010

“If you have only 1 hour and 10minutes, feed your soul with “Grace”. The 26 member troupe proves that joy isnondenominational”

The OprahMagazine, USA, January 2010

“The 19 selection CD is certainlyanother award winning album. Theharmony is almost perfect – if there is such a thing”.

“BaltimoreTimes, February 2010

Upcoming Performance:

2011-10-19T09:57:00.000-07:00

Lynn Harrell, Cellist • Thursday, December 1, 2011• 8 p.m.

“The Cello Concerto No. 1 by Shostakovich, like so many of his works, suggests an aural diary where innermost worries and dreams have been recorded. The brilliant American cellist Lynn Harrell unlocked those secrets with playing that was extraordinarily incisive and gripping” – Baltimore Sun

“Once in a generation a cellist makes an irrefutable claim to the Elgar Concerto. For years the piece belonged to Paul Tortelier (onetime Boston Symphony Orchestra principal cellist); the charismatic and tragic Jacqueline DuPre made it her own. And last night Lynn Harrell took possession of the piece and won both the audience’s undivided attention and a standing ovation that recalled him to the stage four times.
Harrell responds both to the famous elegiac element in Elgar and to the robust, sinewy and ruddy-cheeked side, both aspects joined on a long, singing through-line. From the opening gesture, Harrell embraced us and didn’t put us down, gently but with a flourish, until the end. His playing was bold, imaginative, and surpassingly sensitive…fully human and rich in detail” – Boston Globe

“The dean of American cellists, Lynn Harrell, joined the [National Symphony] orchestra for Barber’s Cello Concerto, Op. 22….Harrell’s artistry marries elegant restraint, a sensitive musical imagination and commanding technique. This experienced virtuoso drew out the plangent and more agitated passages in the outer movements, while his cello joined in magical conversation with the NSO woodwinds in the touching second movement Adagio.” – Washington Post

More information on this performance HERE

Season Opening Performance

2011-05-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Boston Brass Monday, October 10, 2011

For nearly 25 years, Boston Brass has set out to establish a one-of-a-kind musical experience. From exciting classical arrangements, to burning jazz standards, and the best of the original brass quintet repertoire, Boston Brass treats audiences to a unique brand of entertainment, which captivates all ages. The ensemble's lively repartee, touched with humor and personality, attempts to bridge the ocean of classical formality to delight audiences in an evening of great music and boisterous fun. The philosophy of Boston Brass is to provide audiences with a wide selection of musical styles in unique arrangements, provided in a friendly and fun atmosphere.

Boston Brass has been featured on The CBS Early Show, National Public Radio'sPerformance Today, The Great American Brass Band Festival and has recorded several diverse albums. Latin Nights, their latest offering, features a collection of some of the greatest classical and jazz works by Latin composers and performers and features the legendary drummer Steve Gadd, the beautiful voice of Talita Real, percussion and guitar. Other albums include Ya Gotta Try, featuring music from Horace Silver, Chick Corea and Dizzy Gillespie, produced by legendary jazz recording genius Rudy van Gelder and Within Earshot, featuring classical works by Shostakovich, Ginastera, Dvorak, Liszt and others.

Boston Brass has two holiday recordings, Christmas Bells are Swingin', and The Stan Kenton Christmas Carols, featuring the Boston Brass All-Stars Big Band playing the truly phenomenal charts made popular by the Stan Kenton Orchestra. Boston Brass tours a vibrant holiday show each year featuring many of the charts from these two albums, combined with a variety of solo and combo selections and some fun surprises, which has quickly established the show as a perennial audience favorite.

2011 marks the 25th Anniversary of Boston Brass and will be celebrated with the "25 Fanfares Project," wherein 25 fanfares will be premiered by composers from all over the country. Boston Brass will also premier a new major commission and new arrangements by the legendary Sam Pilafian. Additionally, Boston Brass is very excited to have the opportunity to collaborate in the 2010/2011 season with the fabulous Imani Winds in a program entitled "Sketches of Spain," featuring the music of Miles Davis and Gil Evans.

Content Copyright © Boston Brass, All Rights Reserved • Photo by Chip Litherland

Season Finale! Romeo and Juliet Ballet

2011-02-14T16:28:00.000-08:00

BUY ROMEO and JULIET

BALLET TICKETS HERE...

ROMEO and JULIET
Ballet Production by

The Russian National Ballet

Tues., March 29, 2011

The Russian National Ballet Theatre was founded in Moscow during the transitional period of Perestroika in the late 1980s, when many of the great dancers and choreographers of the Soviet Union's ballet institutions were exercising their new-found creative freedom by starting new, vibrant companies dedicated not only to the timeless tradition of classical Russian Ballet but to invigorate this tradition as the Russians began to accept new developments in the dance from around the world.

The company, then titled the Soviet National Ballet, was founded by and incorporated graduates from the great Russian choreographic schools. The principal dancers of the company came from the upper ranks of the great ballet companies and academies of Russia, and the companies of Riga, Kiev and even Warsaw. Today, the Russian National Ballet Theatre is its own institution, with over 50 dancers of singular instruction and vast experience, many of whom have been with the company since its inception. In addition to their upcoming tour, beginning in January 2011 the company will embark upon a 4-month coast-to-coast tour of the United States. The company’s performance of Shakespeare’s timeless classic is sure to delight.

Opera Production by Teatro Lirico D’Europa

2010-11-13T13:13:00.000-08:00

LUCIA Di LAMMERMOOR
Opera Production by Teatro Lirico D’Europa
Wed., January 19, 2011 at 8 p.m.

Teatro Lirico D'Europa had developed a firm history of success with a portfolio of hundreds of rave reviews for full-scale international opera productions. They continue to excite with this exceptional opera — the tale of poor Lucia, forced into marriage and made to abandon her true love, Edgardo — with its famous third act mad scene, one of the touchstones of the operatic repertoire and perhaps the greatest coloratura showpiece. In the scene, Lucia appears in her bloodstained nightgown before the guests who have attended her arranged marriage.This riveting production is marked by fine sets and even, moody lighting. This is a production not to be missed because of the remarkable singing and a score that is, at times, hypnotic.

ORDER YOUR TICKETS HERE
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Donizetti’s LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR
Reviews from U.S. debut tour – winter 2006
and fall 2006 U.S. tour and the winter 2007 tour

“The Bulgarian opera company Teatro Lirico d'Europa made its annual return to the Garde Arts Center Thursday night to stage Donizetti's vocal showpiece “Lucia di Lammermoor” with a cast well worth showing off.

The heart of the opera — the tale of poor Lucia, forced into marriage and forced to abandon her true love, Edgardo — is the third act mad scene, one of the touchstones of the operatic repertoire and perhaps the greatest coloratura showpiece in the repertoire. And in the mad scene, Yudina was superb. In the mad scene, Lucia appears in her bloodstained nightgown before the guests who have attended her forced marriage, having used a few dagger thrusts in the wedding chamber to lose both her new husband and her marbles. In a long spellbinding sequence, Yudina traversed the spectrum of bel canto technique, from pinpoint staccato coloratura to long, liquid lines in her gorgeous mid-voice. At her most dramatic, gasping “il fantasma” again and again in horror, she was riveting, and at her most winsome, recapping the tenderness of the earlier love duet “Ah! Verranno a te sull'amore,” she brought the emotional cycle full circle. In every featured moment, the attractive soprano never once cut corners, never cheating the audience out of a thrilling finish. Yudina pushed to the top of her range in the finale to every aria, duet and set piece and was as solid at the top as she was flexible in her mid-range. The other key principals were nearly as fine as Yudina. American baritone Theodore Lambrinos was vocally winning and Ukrainian tenor Igor Borko was strong and effortless as Edgardo. Russian basso Mikhail Kolelishvili dominated the stage and rattled the foundations as Raimondo.” THE DAY – Milton Moore – Oct. 2006

Gifted Russian Singers lift Teatro's LUCIA
"There were two gifted singers from the Kirov Opera as the star-crossed lovers, soprano Larissa Yudina and tenor Evgeni Akimov. Yudina's voice boasts an unusual coloration, ample and accurate flexibility, a neat trill, and flaming top notes. In the Mad Scene she was both spectacular and touching. Akimov is a real find, the best. He's got a strong, attractive lyric voice and sings and acts with persuasive passion. Bass, Viacheslav Pochapsky made a sonorous and sympathetic priest. As the villain Enrico, American baritone James Bobick strode with malevolent swagger and sang forcefully. The cheering audience was clearly happy." BOSTON GLOBE - Richard Dyer – Feb. 2006

VOICES TRIUMPH! LUCIA sends opera lovers to Scotland, 1835
"Teatro Lirico D'Europa delivered handsomely last night where it really counts; in the voice department. They sure did sing. The lovely, supple voice of Soprano Larissa Yudina suited the role so well delivering Lucia's pearl-like notes with confidence ease, beauty and real style. Tenor Evgeny Akimov as her true love, sang handsomely and with a forceful passion. Baritone James Bobick, as Lucia's greedy brother Enrico, made a strong, positive impression, and Viacheslav Pochapsky filled the role of Raimondo vividly with his black-as night bass. Conductor Topolov led the music with real spirit and a strong understanding of the singers needs." BOSTON HERALD - T. J. Medrek – Feb. 2006

TOWERING PERFORMANCES ELEVATE LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR SCORING ANOTHER BIG SUCCESS FOR TEATRO LIRICO
"Singing the role of Lucia was Larissa Yudina, a lovely coloratura soprano with a set of pipes and manner of punctuated delivery that was perfection in every way. Her Lucia displayed, both vocally and through her gestures, an emotional attachment to the role that, when joined with the manner of her fluid, flawless delivery, cast a spell over the audience that remained unbroken to the very end. Cast in the lead of her lover, Edgardo, was Russian tenor, Evgeni Akimov. This grand singer; this grand voice is what going to opera is all about. When he sings the walls shake and the ceiling lifts, and the audience is simply swept away in the power and grandeur of perfect tone and technique that is virtuosic in its sheer luminescence. I saw this fine singer perform in Teatro's earlier production of "La Boheme" and noted that his performance went "thermonuclear". Nothing has changed. Akimov acts. He moves. He gestures. He emotes feeling. He is the character - and that is what cements a performance and elevates a production, particularly when it is shared by every other performer on stage. Also, doing a superb job last night was Russian basso Viacheslav Pochapsky. Mr. Popchapsky has a solid stage presence and last night delivered a powerful vocal performance with a deep, resonant and remarkably melodic bass that was nothing short of commanding. Cast in the role of Lucia's scheming brother, Enrico, was baritone James Bobick, who displayed fine singing form and a strong, solid voice. The score was rendered well and the orchestra performed just fine under the apt direction of Krassimir Topolov. This production was marked by fine sets and even, moody lighting that played off the backgrounds nicely and gave this production warmth. This is a production worth seeing because of the remarkable singing and a score that is, at times, hypnotic. Towering performances elevate this "Lucia," scoring another big success for Teatro Lirico D'Europa!” OPERAONLINE.US - Paul Walkowski – Feb. 2006

"After the Boston Lyric Opera's arty production of Donizetti's French revision of his most famous opera, Lucia di Lammermoor, it was refreshing to have the familiar Italian version back. With a strong cast, Lucia is as foolproof as La Boheme. Young coloratura Larissa Yudina has an extremely pretty, expressive voice that rises into the stratosphere, with real trills. Her "Mad Scene," was a vocal and dramatic triumph. Tenor Evgenyi Akimov's voice combines power and color with good dramatic instincts. Baritone Vladimir Samsonov, hilarious as Rossini's barber last season, was equally effective as a snarling villain. Bolshoi bass Viacheslav Pochopsky, Teatro Lirico's unforgettable Boris Godunov, sang magnificently as Lucia's confessor. And Bulgarian mezzo, Viara Zhelezova, so winning as Rossini's Rosina, made something real and touching of the tiny role of Lucia's maid. They all sang their hearts out. What fun!"
BOSTON PHOENIX - Lloyd Schwartz – Feb. 2006

“As the tormented Lucia, Larissa Yudina handled the famous coloratura runs during the wedding reception scene when Lucia, bloodstained and totally bonkers, matches notes with a nightingale in a deluded wedding song. It’s an aria so difficult some productions whack it if they can’t find a soprano up to its rigors. Teatro Lirico created its best touring stage yet for the production and put the strongest principals they have in it. Evgeni Akimov is foremost among them as the lovesick Edgardo with a strong dramatic presence to match a powerful, fluid tenor voice. As Lucia’s shameless brother Enrico, Vladimir Samsonov’s strong baritone is a good fit for this role. So is Viacheslav Pochapsky’s Raimondo. Lucia has all eyes however, for her thrilling solos.”
NAPLES DAILY NEWS – Harriet Howard Heithaus – Mar. 2006

Lucia di Lammermoor-Teatro Lirico D'Europa at The Touhill Center
“First produced in Naples in 1835, Lucia di Lammermoor is one of Donizetti's most famous and tragic operas. Based on Walter Scott's novel The Bride of Lammermoor, the opera takes place in Scotland during the late 17th century. Lucia and Edgardo, the opera's two young lovers, come from families in the midst of a bitter feud. After promising herself to Edgardo, Lucia finds herself forced to marry another, Arturo, chosen by her brother Enrico. By forging a letter from Edgardo to Lucia, Enrico convinces Lucia to marry Arturo. Just as the two are married and the wedding papers are signed, Edgardo arrives to witness the signing. Edgardo curses Lucia and staggers away emotionally, with Lucia overcome by sadness. The wedding celebration comes to a sudden halt when it is learned that Lucia, in a fit of rage and grief, has killed her husband. She enters the stage in her blood soaked gown, muttering incomprehensively and madly. She ultimately falls to her death from madness. Edgardo, upon learning of Lucia's death, determines that his only relief to be to join Lucia in heaven, and plunges a knife into his chest. Much of the success of a production of Lucia di Lammermoor is dependent upon the climactic Act 3, in which Lucia breaks down completely into madness. Soprano Larissa Yudina's doomed heroine was tragic and chilling. Yudina's Lucia staggered across the stage in agony after killing her husband, portraying the young woman's madness with passion and honesty. Yudina did an excellent job of portraying Lucia's full range of emotions, from love-struck to furious to coming completely undone. Yudina truly stole Saturday's show. Tenor Igor Borko's Edgardo is strong and competent; his vocal range was impressive and his tone melodic and clear. Baritone James Bobick easily dominated his scenes as Enrico, providing a rich and robust voice to the character. Lucia di Lammermoor's set design is simplistic but serves the tragic production well. The lighting design was excellent, and the costumes beautiful.”
THE CURRENT – St. Louis - Kelly Levins-Moore – Jan. 2007

MIDORI, violinist, to Perform November 14th! Don't Miss it!

2010-11-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

MIDORI, violinist
Sun., November 14, 2010 at 8 p.m.

Midori was born in Osaka, Japan, in 1971 and began studying the violin with her mother at a very early age. In 1982, when Zubin Mehta first heard her play, he was so impressed that he invited her to be a surprise guest soloist for the New York Philharmonic's traditional New Year’s Eve concert, for which she received a standing ovation and the impetus to begin a major career. Since that night, at the age of 11, Midori has established a record of achievement which sets her apart as a master
musician, innovator, and champion of the developmental potential of children. Named a Messenger of Peace by United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in 2007, she has created a new model for young artists who seek to balance the joys and demands of a career at the highest level with a hands-on investment. Her violin is the 1734 Guarnerius del Gesu “ex- Huberman,” which is on lifetime loan to her from the Hayashibara Foundation. She uses three bows, two by Dominique Peccatte and the third by François Peccatte.

Order Tickets by Phone
UNCW Kenan Auditorium Box Office
601 So. College Road
Wilmington, NC 28403

910.962.3500 local
1.800.732.3643 toll free

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Chattanooga Times Free Press, October 16, 2010
By MEL R. WILHOIT

"Midori began the first movement [of the Tchaikovsky Concerto] with a barely audible tone of crystalline effect that floated to the back row. By turns she either coaxed sumptuous melodies from her rare 1734 instrument or tangoed with it while tossing off fiendish musical pyrotechnics. The orchestra provided a perfect partner for her and shared the standing ovation from a noticeably younger audience who experienced a night not soon to be forgotten."

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Indianapolis Star, October 9 2010
By JAY HARVEY

Midori's [interpretation of Beethoven's Violin Concerto] seemed to encompass whole worlds. Her performance was both playful and feisty, intimate and grandiloquent. She had a story of her own to tell in this well-known music. She made her 1734 Guarnerius del Gesu instrument speak in universal terms and diverse colors.

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Omaha World-Herald, September 25, 2010
By ASHLEY WEGNER
Midori's artistry entrances audience

When the Japan-born violinist performs live, she seems to transport the listener to a special musical oasis where she generously imparts the ideas she has garnered during her nearly 30 years as a concert violinist.

As a listener you hardly ever wonder if she's going to hit the glissandi, the double stops, the jaunts up and down the fingerboard or the maddening octaves. What you're holding your breath for is what she is going to do next - how she is going to express that next musical phrase. And her interpretations aren't surface-level opinions about notes on a page. Rather, they are the result of a well-research, highly inspired, experienced artistic vision drawn from her career as a violinist, educator and humanitarian.....

[In the Sibelius violin concerto, performed with the Omaha Symphony] Midori asserted herself as the soloist immediately with a ferocious introduction of the theme, shortly followed by a dominating, well-calculated cadenza. The lyrical second movement gave the audience an opportunity to hear the breadth of Midori's remarkable instrument, and the third movement finished the concerto with a technical obstacle course full of nearly every virtuosic feat imaginable, including some tricky double-stopped sixths. To put it plainly, this is the kind of movement that separates the girls from the women.

Welcome to the 2010-2011 Season!

2010-05-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

We cordially invite you to join us for an exciting new 2010-2011 season — full of drama, passion and amazing international talent! Tickets are on sale right now and it's first come, first seated, so don't delay, secure your seat today!

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OUR OPENING SEASON PERFORMANCE

MADAMA BUTTERFLY
Opera Production by Teatro Lirico D’Europa
Wed., October 20, 2010 at 8 p.m.

This heartbreaking opera, set in the early 1900’s in Nagasaki, Japan, has Lieutenant Pinkerton of the U.S. Navy marrying a naive 15-yearold Japanese geisha in a staged wedding ceremony while secretly planning to marry an American woman as soon as he returns to the U.S. Join us and get absorbed in this tragic story infused with Puccini’s lovely music and beautifully presented by this prestigious company.

Our Next Performance:

2010-02-14T15:48:00.001-08:00

The Gold Medal Winner of the

Van Cliburn Piano Competition

... Haochen Zhang

Thursday, April 22, 2010 @ 8 p.m.

Order Your Tickets by Phone or Mail Here.

The Van Cliburn International Piano Competition
was first held in 1962 in Fort Worth, Texas. It was
created by Fort Worth area teachers in honor of
Van Cliburn, who had won the first International
Tchaikovsky Competition four years prior with
Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto and
Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 3.

The Van Cliburn Competition is held every four
years (the year after the United States Presidential
elections; thus, the next competitions will
be held in 2009, 2013, and so forth). The winners
and runners-up receive substantial cash prizes,
plus concert tours at world-famous venues where
they perform pieces of their choice. This competition
now rivals the Tchaikovsky competition and is
often dubbed “the most prestigious in the world.”

The Gold Medal Winner of the Van Cliburn Piano

Competition, Haochen Zhang, will be performing

here in Wilmington as well as in hundreds of
venues across the United States and abroad.

More About Haochen Zhang, pianist

On June 7, 2009, four days after celebrating his nineteenth birthday, Haochen Zhang was awarded a Nancy Lee and Perry R. Bass Gold Medal at the Thirteenth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. He also received three years of international concert engagements and a CD recording of his prizewinning performances on the harmonia mundi usa label. The youngest participant at the competition, Mr. Zhang has already begun to forge a reputation as a strong, energetic pianist with a sophisticated approach and musical depth far beyond his years.

Haochen Zhang’s talent manifested itself early when he began studying the piano at age three. At age five, he made his recital debut at the Shanghai Music Hall, performing all fifteen Bach two-part inventions, as well as sonatas by Haydn and Mozart. His orchestral debut followed a year later when he performed a Mozart concerto with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra. At seventeen, he became the youngest winner ever of the China International Piano Competition (2007). Since then, Mr. Zhang has performed with the China National Symphony, Polish Krakow State Philharmonic, Guangzhou and Shenzhen Symphony Orchestras, as well as with the New Jersey Symphony and Philadelphia Orchestras, among others.

Mr. Zhang’s inaugural season as a Cliburn gold medalist was launched by summer festival debuts in Aspen and Steamboat Springs, Colorado; Bartlesville, Oklahoma; and Ruidoso, New Mexico. Additional engagements during 2009–2010 include performances with the Colorado, Hartford, Jacksonville, Pacific, and San Francisco Symphony Orchestras and recital presented by Arts San Antonio; the Carolinas Concert Association (Charlotte); the Lied Centers of Kansas and Nebraska; La Jolla Music Society; Portland Piano International (Oregon); Scottsdale Center for the Arts; the University of Florida (Gainesville); and the University of Vermont (Burlington). International engagements coordinated by IMG Artists Europe include appearances at the Beijing Music Festival in October and recitals in Hannover, London, and Krakow in December.

Born in Shanghai, China, Haochen Zhang entered the Shanghai Conservatory of Music in 1999 at the age of nine, and was admitted to the Shenzhen Arts School, where he studied under Professor Dan Zhaoyi, in 2001. In March 2005, he was chosen from a pool of 115 pianists worldwide to study with pianist Gary Graffman at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, where he has just completed his second year toward the Bachelor of Music degree. Mr. Zhang excels at ping pong and snooker, and enjoys writing poetry, composing, and improvising popular music. His broad interests include Chinese and world history, as well as science and literature.

Visit www.cliburn.org for more information.

P R O G R A M

Piano Sonata in C major, K. 330 (18') . . . . . . . Mozart

Allegro moderato

Andante cantabile

Allegretto

Ballade No.4 in F minor, Op. 52 (11') . . . . . . . Chopin

I N T E R M I S S I O N

Fantasy in C major, Op.17 (30') . . . . . . . Schumann

Trois mouvements de Petrouchka (16') . . . . . . . Stravinsky

• • • • • • • • CREDITS • • • • • • • •

Van Cliburn Foundation

2525 Ridgmar Blvd., Suite 307, Fort Worth, TX 76116

More information on the Van Cliburn Foundation and the competition

can be found on: www.cliburn.org

Travel arrangements provided in part by American Airlines

Set design and flowers B.B.Rusher and

Classic Designs of Wilmington

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

PIANO SONATA IN C MAJOR, K. 330 (18')

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 10 in C major, K 330 was written in 1778. The sonata in C major is among one of the three works in the cycle K.330-332. The sonata was composed and complete in the summer of 1778 whilst Mozart was on holiday in Paris. This sonata was written within several months of his mother’s death. However, it is not known whether his mother died prior or following the composition of this sonata.

I: ALLEGRO MODERATO: The first movement typically takes about five minutes to perform. It is basically calm and quiet. The movement is composed of a main theme which repeats twice, then a bridge and then a recapitulation of the main theme. The main theme starts in key of C major, modulates to G major and stays in G major. The bridge is very intense and shows clever passages and modulations. In the recapitulation the main theme starts in C major, modulates to G major and then modulates back to C major.

II: ANDANTE CANTABILE: The second movement takes between five and seven minutes to perform. To the end of the piece, there is a question on the conclusion. Editors have resolved to employ a most “Mozart” idea to replace the lost autograph.

III: ALLEGRETTO: The third movement is the most energetic movement. Performance times range from three to five minutes. Use of arpeggios is prevalent throughout the piece. Like the second movement, the last few bars were lost in the autograph as well.

BALLADE NO.4 IN F MINOR, OP. 52 (11')

Frédéric Chopin

This ballade captures almost all elements of musical ideas and human expressions with just the piano; it also summarizes Chopin's lifetime creative experience. It was composed around 1842-43 and dedicated to Madame la Baronne C. Nathaniel de Rothschild. Madame Rothschild invited Chopin to play in her Parisian estate to introduce him to the aristocrat and nobility. The ballade was said to be inspired from Mickiewicz's “Budri”, a story of a father sending his sons to fight the enemy but ending up with three wedding feasts. Despite the overall key signature of F minor, the ballade opens with a major key that fades out for the main theme to appear. The main theme in F minor is so haunting and mysterious, yet a little bit sad, and it requires a great sense of rubato to interpret successfully. This Slavonic theme is slightly modified and repeated before a calming and serene octave section. The development section before leading to a silent point uses the same pattern as the main theme but in an opposite way, like an answer to the question proposed by the main theme. That question is still unanswered, as seen in the fading Gb repeating three times and turning to the main theme again. The main theme has for this third time more modification and expression, still elegant yet more powerful with the stormy and dramatic rising octaves that lead to the second subject in B flat major. This major key section seems to follow the motif of the second ballade where peace returns. The next modulation in A flat major is very delicate and it requires a good technique to master the double notes on the right hand and trills on the left hand. This long passage goes slowly and gives way for the return of the opening theme. The returning theme, in A major, slightly moves to the sad corresponding F sharp minor and quickly returns to the original bright key with a passage of grace notes. Then comes a wandering variation of the main theme in a strange tone, which suggests some doubts irresolvable and only relieved until the return of the common theme in F minor. The main theme appears again for this fourth time with many modification and at a faster pace, and so does the second subject, yet in D flat major, after. The recap of the two main subjects leads to a climax of arpeggios and successive chords that end suddenly. Calmness returns in the six 'pianissimo' mysterious chords modulated into C major, but just temporarily. The turbulent coda requires very high technical mastery of double notes. Is is said that this shattering section provokes a scene of horses running into the forest, which is featured in the climbing passages of double notes. The most fiery passage of rolling arpeggios concludes this most dramatic ballade with a 'triple forte' bass F and four massive ending chords.

FANTASY IN C MAJOR, OP.17 (30')

Robert Schumann

The Fantasia in C, Op. 17, written in the summer of 1836, is a work of passion and deep pathos, imbued with the spirit of late Beethoven. This is no doubt deliberate, since the proceeds from sales of the work were initially intended to be contributed towards the construction of a monument to Beethoven. The closing of the first movement of the Fantasy contains a musical quote from Beethoven’s song cycle, An die ferne Geliebte, Op. 98. According to Liszt, who played the work for Schumann, and to whom Schumann dedicated the work, the Fantasy was apt to be played too heavily, and should have a dreamier (träumerisch) character than vigorous German pianists tended to impart. Liszt also said, “It is a noble work, worthy of Beethoven, whose career, by the way, it is supposed to represent.” It must suffice to say that it is Schumann’s greatest work in large form for piano solo.

TROIS MOUVEMENTS DE PETROUCHKA (16')

Igor Stravinsky

Three Movements from Petrouchka for the solo piano were composed ten years later for his friend, pianist Arthur Rubinstein, and are dedicated to him. Stravinsky is very explicit in stating that the movements are not transcriptions. He was not trying to reproduce the sound of the orchestra, but instead wished to compose a score which would be essentially pianistic even though its musical material was drawn directly from the ballet. Stravinsky also wanted to create a work which would encourage pianists to play his music, but it should be one in which they could display their technique, an objective he amply achieved. Stravinsky’s goal in arranging Petrushka for the piano (along with Piano-Rag-Music) was to attempt to influence Arthur Rubinstein into playing his music. In order to gain the latter’s attention, Stravinsky ensured that Rubinstein would find the arrangement technically challenging but musically satisfying. Trois mouvements de Petrouchka reflects the composer’s intentions, and unsurprisingly, it is renowned for its notorious technical and musical difficulties. All three movements include wild and rapid jumps which span over two octaves, complex polyrhythms, extremely fast scales, multiple glissandos, and tremolos. Petrushka ranks among the most challenging repertoire for the piano. Because the playing time varies wildly depending on the performer, a performance of all three movements can take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.

The Wilmington Concert Association

2010-01-21T11:52:00.000-08:00

Proudly Presents:

TEATRO LIRICO D’EUROPA
Orchestra and Chorus
Presents
LA TRAVIATA
(THE STRAYED WOMAN)
by Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto by Francesco Maria Piave

Based on the play by Alexander Dumas La DAME AUX CAMELIAS

Wednesday, February 3, 2010 at 8 p.m.
at Kenan Auditorium on the UNCW Campus

For ticket information, please click here.

Artistic Director/Stage Director: Giorgio Lalov
Conductor: Krassimir Topolov
Sets/Costumes: Giorgio Lalov

Artists are subject to change without notice

CHARACTERS

VIOLETTA VALERY ................Marina Viskvorkina

Soprano ..................................... Snejana Dramcheva

FLORA BERVOIX .....................Viara Zhelezova
Mezzo-Soprano

ALFREDO GERMONT ..............Orlin Goranov
Tenor ............................................Rafael Davila / Igor Borko

GIORGIO GERMONT ...............Peter Danailov

Baritone

BARON DOUPHOL ....................Hristo Sarafov
Baritone

DR. GRENVILLE .........................Plamen Dimitrov
Basso

DANCERS ..................................... Sofia National Opera Ballet

Guests of Violetta Valery, Chorus of Gypsies and Gypsy Dancers
Place and Time: Paris and surroundings around 19th century

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About Teatro Lirico D’Europa
Giorgio Lalov, Artistic Director

Teatro Lirico D’Europa, the European opera touring company formed in 1988 by Giorgio Lalov, a former Bulgarian opera singer, has completed over 4,000 performances worldwide and 10 consecutive seasons of major U.S. tours. The company is now embarking on its 11th season touring America. The fall 2009 and winter 2010 tours include over 75 performances of five full-scale operas, including a traditional version of Verdi’s tragic opera, LA TRAVIATA.

The operas will travel to the most outstanding venues across the United States as well as a side trip to the Island of Martinique with the Sofia Symphony Orchestra and Chorus and professional dancers. Soloists for the productions were chosen from auditions held in major cities around the world including Moscow, Sofia, New York, Prague, St. Petersburg and San Juan. The principal singers are all professionals in the middle of major operatic careers. Visit Teatro Lirico’s web site for an in-depth history of the company, including hundreds of U.S. reviews, video clips and a huge photo gallery: www.JennyKellyProductions.com.

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ARTISTS BIOS

MARINA VISKVORKINA (Violetta Valery)

The young Ukrainian soprano is on the roster of the Prague State Opera, where she performs leading soprano roles in the lyric coloratura fach. She is a frequent guest artist at major European opera houses and performs regularly at the Vienna State Opera, where she has most recently undertaken the roles of Lucia in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR and Violetta in LA TRAVIATA to outstanding critical acclaim. Ms. Viskvorkina performed Gilda in RIGOLETTO and Violetta in LA TRAVIATA on tour with Teatro Lirico D’Europa in the United States in 2004 and returned the next year to perform Musetta in LA BOHÈME. She traveled to the United States again in 2006 to perform the role of Violetta.

SNEJANA DRAMCHEVA (Violetta Valery) Bulgaria-born soprano, Snejana Dramcheva, graduated from the Dobrin Petkov Music School of Plovdiv, where she studied voice with Ivanka Michaylova. She also graduated from Pancho Vladigerov Music Academy in Sofia, where she studied with Professor Karnobatlova-Dobreva. Ms. Kramcheva made her artistic debut in 1984 with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Dobrin Petkov. In 1990, Ms. Dramcheva made her first appearance on the operatic stage in Mozart's DIE ENTFŰKHRUNG AUS DEM SERAIL (THE ABDUCTION FROM THE SERAGLIO) with the Sofia National Opera and Ballet's opera studio. During 1991-1993, she completed several European tours with the German touring company, Schlotte, as Gilda in RIGOLETTO, Violetta in LA TRAVIATA and Musetta in LA BOHÈME.

Ms. Dramcheva’s awards include the second place prize at the Francesco Vignas competition in Barcelona, the Grand-Prix in Pamplona, Spain, the first prize in Pavia, Italy, and the Audience-Grand-Prix at the Giuseppe Verdi Competition in Parma, Italy. She was a finalist in the Belvedere International Opera Competition in Vienna and has participated in numerous international festivals and concerts.

Ms. Dramcheva has made recordings for the Bulgarian National Radio and for companies in other countries, singing opera répertoire of Bellini, Donizetti, Mozart, Puccini and Verdi. In recent years, she has been a frequent guest artist on opera stages in major European cities, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bilbao, Lille, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris, Tokyo, Valencia and Zurich. Last season in the United States, she performed the role of Valencienne in MERRY WIDOW with Czech Opera Prague and Violetta in LA TRAVIATA with Teatro Lirico D’Europa. During the 2008-2009 season, Ms. Dramcheva performed the roles of Pamina in DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE and Musetta in LA BOHÈME with Mozart Festival Opera and Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana with Teatro Lirico D’Europa. During the 2009-2010 season, she will also be performing Gilda in RIGOLETTO, Rosina in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, Adelle in FLEDERMAUS and Musetta in LA BOHÈME with Teatro D’Europa on its 11th major consecutive U.S. tour.

ORLIN GORANOV (Alfredo) Two-time Golden Orpheus first-place winner at the International Festival in Bulgaria, Mr. Goranov is a laureate of several international opera festivals, including the Dresden Festival, Bratislava Lyre International Slovakia Vocal Festival and the Intertalent Festival in Prague. He has been a principal soloist at the State Opera House in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, since 1999, and is a regular participant of both the Christmas and New Year's Berliner Symphoniker concerts since 1991. Mr. Goranov has made numerous recordings for both the Bulgarian National Radio and Bulgarian National Television. Since the 2005-2006 season, he has received outstanding critical acclaim for his performances with Teatro Lirico.

IGOR BORKO (Alfredo) Young Ukrainian tenor, Igor Borko, was educated at the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Kiev, Ukraine. He has participated in master-classes with Renata Faltin and Furelli Carmen-Forti at La Scala in Milan. Mr. Borko is currently a principal soloist at the Kiev Opera House and makes numerous guest-appearances with opera companies throughout The Czech Republic, France, The Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia and Spain. Mr. Borko’s répertoire includes leading roles in Italian, French and Russian. He performed with Teatro Lirico on its winter 2006 U.S. tour as Alfredo in LA TRAVIATA and Rodolfo in LA BOHÈME. This season he returns as Edgardo in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR and again sings Rodolfo and the Duke in RIGOLETTO.

RAFAEL DAVILA (Alfredo)
Tenor, Rafael Davila, made his Italian debut in 2003 at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples as Riccardo in Verdi’s UN BALLO IN MASCHERA. For the New Zealand Opera, he appeared as Don José in CARMEN and Alfredo in LA TRAVIATA. With the Sarasota Opera in Florida, Mr. Davila has sung the title role in WERTHER, as well as Canio in PAGLIACCI, Turiddu in CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA, Foresto in Verdi’s ATTILA and Cavaradossi in TOSCA. In 2010 he will return to Sarasota Opera to sing the role of King Charles VII in Verdi’s GIOVANNA D’ ARCO.

For Opera de Puerto Rico, Mr. Davila has sung the roles of Pinkerton in MADAMA BUTTERFLY, Edgardo in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, Alfredo in LA TRAVIATA and Rinuccio in GIANNI SCHICCHI. For the Fundación de Zarzuela y Opereta de Puerto Rico, he sang Alfredo in Johann Strauss’s DIE FLEDERMAUS, as well as Leonardo in the Cuban zarzuela CECILIA VALDÉS, Javier in LUISA FERNANDA and Camille in THE MERRY WIDOW. Last year marked his debut in the role of Calaf in TURANDOT for Connecticut Grand Opera, as well as for Dicapo Opera in New York City. Mr. Davila created the role of Ignacio in the opera TIME AND AGAIN for the Barelas, New Mexico, world premiere with the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, under Guillermo Figueroa.

Mr. Davila has also appeared with Opera du Montréal, National Lyric Opera of New York, Teatro de la Puerto Rico, San Antonio Opera, Opera Tampa, Austin Lyric Opera, Fort Worth Opera and Opera Roanoke, as Pinkerton in MADAMA BUTTERFLY, the Duke of Mantua in RIGOLETTO, Alfredo in LA TRAVIATA, Cassio in OTELLO and Narraboth in SALOME, among others. Mr. Davila sang Mozart’s roles of Tamino in DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE and Belmonte in DIE ENTFÜHRUNG AUS DEM SERIAL, in Salzburg, Steyr and Attersee, Austria.

Mr. Davila's concert experience includes Verdi’s REQUIEM, Berlioz’ BEATRICE ET BENEDICT, Mahler’s DAS LIED VON DER ERDE and Beethoven’s NINTH SYMPHONY with the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra. He has also sung Mozart’s CORONATION MASS with soprano June Anderson and in Antonio Estévez’ CANTANTA CRIOLLA with The Seattle Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Gerard Schwarz. Other works in his répertoire include Rossini’s STABAT MATER, Mozart’s REQUIEM, Handel’s MESSIAH, Bach’s MAGNIFICAT, Charpentier’s MESSE DE MINUIT POUR NOËL and MAGNIFICAT, MISA CRIOLLA and NAVIDAD NUESTRA by Ariel Ramírez, and the world premieres of MISA JÍBARA by Nicolás Aponte and ANGLICAN REQUIEM by Ignacio Morales Nieva. Mr. Davila's recording of Misa Criolla was nominated for a Grammy Award.

PETER DANAILOV (Giorgio Germont)
Bulgarian baritone, Peter Danailov, graduated from the Vladiguerov State Music Academy in Bulgaria in 1995 and made his first stage appearances in Varna and Burgas, Bulgaria. Since then, he has become a regular soloist at the Sofia National Opera House. In 2000, he won first prize at the Boris Christoff International Competition. From 2003 to 2005, Mr. Danailov was a leading baritone soloist at the Opera Theatre in Bonn, where he sang the title role of MACBETH. He was also featured there in Janacek’s FROM THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD, Verdi’s LA FORZA DEL DESTINO and Tchaikovsky’s EUGENE ONEGIN. Before that, he was in a production of Rossini’s THE BARBER OF SEVILLE directed by Dario Fo in Munich and London.

Recently, Mr. Danailov has sung Germont in LA TRAVIATA and Sharpless in MADAMA BUTTERFLY at the Staatsoper in Hamburg. For seven consecutive seasons, he has been a guest soloist in Klagenfurt, Austria, singing Rodrigo in DON CARLO, Marcello in LA BOHÈME, Taddeo in L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI, Ashton in LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR, and Germont in LA TRAVIATA. At the Toscana Festival in Italy, he took part in LA TRAVIATA, PAGLIACCI, CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA, IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA AND CARMEN. He is also a frequent guest artist at the Auditorium of Palma de Mallorca. Last September, Mr. Danailov sang the role of Baron Scarpia in TOSCA at the National Opera House of Kishnau, Moldova, and the title role in Verdi’s RIGOLETTO at the Asta Opera Theatre in Malta.

Mr. Danailov’s concert répertoire includes Orff’s CARMINA BURANA, Bach’s ST. MATTHEW PASSION and BRAHMS’ REQUIEM. He has recorded with Bulgarian National Radio and Television.

PLAMEN DIMITROV (Dr. Grenville) Bulgarian baritone, Plamen Dimitrov, has performed various roles with Teatro Lirico on tour in the United States during the last five seasons, including Schaunard in LA BOHÈME, Morales in CARMEN, and PING in TURANDOT. He debuted in the role of Sharpless in MADAMA BUTTERFLY and Dr. Grenville in LA TRAVIATA with Teatro on its eighth season of U.S. tours during the 2007-2008 season and has continued to perform with the company on tour in the United States as well as in Bulgaria with Sofia National Opera and Opera Varna.

VIARA ZHELEZOVA (FLORA)
Bulgarian mezzo-soprano, Viara Zhelezova, made her debut with Baltimore Opera Theatre as Rosina in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA in November 2009 and was highly praised by opera critics of the BALTIMORE SUN and OperaOnline.us. Ms. Zhelezova graduated from the Bulgarian National Conservatory of Music and joined the roster of the Bulgarian National Opera, where she has performed leading mezzo roles alongside such singers as Ghena Dimitrova, Nicolai Giuselev and Anna Tomova Sintova. She has appeared as a guest artist with opera companies throughout Eastern and Western Europe, including singing the role of Orlofsky in Czech Opera Prague’s DIE FLEDERMAUS. In the United States, Ms. Zhelezova has performed the roles of Carmen in Bizet’s masterpiece, Rosina in IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA, Zerlina in DON GIOVANNI, Cherubino in LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, Suzuki in MADAMA BUTTERFLY and Prince Orlofsky in DIE FLEDERMAUS, to outstanding critical acclaim.

HRISTO SARAFOV (Baron Duphol)
Mr. Sarafov has been active on the stage for his entire adult life as a soloist in operetta, opera and as an actor. After graduation from the National Academy of Music in Sofia in Bulgaria, he was immediately engaged by the Sofia National Opera for the role of Bartolo in Rossini's IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA. Mr. Sarafov has performed numerous roles with Teatro Lirico D'Europa, worldwide, since 1990.

KRASSIMIR TOPOLOV (Conductor) The young Bulgarian maestro was educated in Vienna. In addition to conducting hundreds of performances for Teatro Lirico D'Europa on tour in central Europe and the United States since 1995, he is a guest conductor with opera companies in Bulgaria and other Eastern European countries.

GIORGIO LALOV (Artistic Director/Stage Director) Giorgio Lalov studied at the Young Artists School of La Scala, Milan, where he made his debut at the age of 25. He has staged hundreds of operas worldwide since 1986 and makes his home in the United States. Mr. Lalov speaks a number of European languages fluently and is able to stage his multi-national cast productions without the use of a translator.

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Synopsis of the Opera

Act I. Violetta’s house, August 1847, Paris. A party is being given at the house of the city’s most beautiful and adored courtesan, Violetta Valéry. She greets her guests, among them Flora Bervoix, the Marquis D’Obigny, Baron Douphol and Doctor Grenvil. Gastone introduces Alfredo Germont to Violetta, and the young man tells Violetta that he admires her and thinks of her constantly. Gastone proposes a toast, and Alfredo responds with a drinking song. When the guests move into the ballroom to dance, Violetta feels indisposed and begs her guests to go on without her. Alfredo remains behind and declares how much he loves her. She tells him she can only offer friendship. She gives him a flower, asking him to return when it has faded. Alone, she thinks about Alfredo, but resolves to enjoy herself and her whirlwind lifestyle.

Act II. Scene I. A country house near Paris the following November. Alfredo and Violetta have been living together in the country for three months, when Alfredo learns from Annina that Violetta has been selling her possessions to support them. Disgraced, he rushes off to Paris to get money. Alfredo’s father, Giorgio Germont, surprises Violetta with a visit and requests that she leave Alfredo, because his sister may have trouble marrying if her brother is linked to a courtesan. Violetta confesses that Alfredo’s love has redeemed her, and that she is very sick and might not live long. Germont is unmoved and insists on a definite separation. Violetta finally agrees to make the sacrifice and only begs that, after she dies, Alfredo should know the reason she left him. She writes a letter and, when Alfredo returns, says good-bye. He assumes she will only be gone for a short while, but a messenger delivers the letter announcing that she has returned to her former lover. Alfredo’s father tries to comfort his son, but to no avail.

Scene 2. A room in Flora’s house, later that day. Violetta’s friend Flora is hosting a party. Alfredo’s arrival startles the guests, but his disinterest in Violetta garners approval. He joins a game of cards as Violetta and her lover, Baron Douphol, enter. The Baron challenges Alfredo and promptly loses. The guests disperse when dinner is announced. Violetta returns to warn Alfredo that his life is in danger and that he should leave the party. He agrees to go only if she follows him. Remembering her oath to his father, Violetta refuses and, furious, Alfredo calls the guests to witness that he has paid her back for their time together. His father arrives and denounces his son for such shameful behavior, and Douphol vows to avenge Violetta.

Act III. Violetta’s bedroom. Violetta lies on her deathbed, knowing she will not live much longer. She reads a letter from Alfredo’s father, relating how Alfredo fled the country after wounding Douphol in a duel, but promising that he will return to seek her pardon. When Alfredo enters the bedroom, the two reunite joyfully and dream of living in Paris, but Violetta collapses. Alfredo’s father arrives and asks forgiveness for the pain he has caused the lovers. Violetta presses a miniature portrait of herself into Alfredo’s hands, telling him to give it to the pure bride whom he will marry one day. Violetta suddenly feels that her pains have ceased and that she is coming back to life. But it is too late… she dies in Alfredo’s arms.

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VERDI AND LA TRAVIATA:
A VERY PERSONAL STORY
By Mary Jane Phillips-Matz

Giuseppe Verdi was born in 1813 in the living quarters over his parents’ little village tavern in Italy’s Po River valley. In spite of their modest circumstances, his parents gave him a solid classical education, and, after realizing that he had a great gift for music, they added private lessons in that field as well. When Verdi was 18, he went to Milan for further study, but he later returned to Busseto, the market town near his birthplace. There he married his patron’s daughter, but she and their two children soon died, leaving him a stricken young widower in 1840.

Verdi’s first opera had been given in 1839 at La Scala, one of the world’s greatest opera houses, and it was followed three years later by his Nabucco, a hit on the national and international scene. As Verdi said, “After Nabucco I never had to look for work again.” In the course of a career that lasted more than 50 years, he wrote 28 operas, gained worldwide fame, and became rich.

He also had a sterling record as a patriot in the long struggle for the unification of Italy, so several of his early operas had Italian patriotic themes. His people elected him to public office twice, first in 1859 as a Deputy to the Parma Legislature and then two years later to the First Parliament of Italy. His other principal interests were philanthropy and his farm, a huge estate near the Po. Verdi lived to be almost 87 and died in 1901.

Many of his early works are set in long-ago eras. Their main characters are kings, queens, and powerful nobles, but after 1849, the composer changed course and wrote Stiffelio (1850) and La Traviata (1853), two intensely personal operas based on recent real events. Both are about “fallen women” of his time. Lina, the leading soprano in Stiffelio, is the adulterous wife of a German Protestant minister who, according to tradition, lived in the early 1800s. Violetta in La Traviata is based on the life of a real and notorious French courtesan who had died in the 1840s.

The “original” behind Violetta was Marguerite Gautier, whose story had been told by Alexandre Dumas fils, one of her lovers, in a novel and a play called La Dame aux Camélias. Living in Italy when he did, Verdi showed enormous courage in writing about a disgraced woman who was more or less his contemporary. And it was natural that when people learned about his plans for La Traviata, many considered it scandalous. Felice Varesi, a very famous baritone, was outraged because “the main character is a kept woman or common whore of our own time who died in Paris not very long ago.” In another letter, Varesi called Violetta “this unhappy prostitute.” Verdi, however, was not discouraged. In fact, he went right ahead, pouring compassion and humanity into his portrayal of her and showing how brutally and hypocritically “proper society” treated her.

As we look back on La Traviata, we may see it through the lens of Verdi’s private life, for when he decided to write it, he had been living for about three years with someone whom many people considered a “fallen woman.” This was the celebrated soprano Giuseppina Strepponi (1815-1897), who had a distinguished career but had lived a scandal-ridden personal life, having had three (or even four) illegitimate children by two or three different fathers. Hard up for cash, Strepponi sang right to the end of every pregnancy, with one of her children being born in Florence only a few hours after she finished a performance! Although she abandoned her children in orphanages or placed them with foster parents, everyone who knew about opera remembered these events.

Verdi originally met Strepponi in Milan, probably in 1839 at La Scala. Three years later, she sang the leading soprano role in Nabucco there and was partly responsible for getting it produced. In 1847, after she retired from the stage, she and Verdi began living together in Paris. There no one cared about their personal lives, but in 1849 they foolishly and recklessly returned to Busseto, the small town where Verdi had been educated on scholarships, had married his patron’s daughter, and had worked as the municipal music teacher. The townspeople of Busseto honestly believed they had “made Verdi,” and they were simply enraged at seeing him and his mistress living together in a mansion on the main street.

Nearly two years of uproar followed their return, with people throwing rocks at Verdi’s windows and shouting obscenities at him and Strepponi from the sidewalk below. People also crossed the street to avoid her and moved away from her in church, and one neighbor even called the police, saying that a lot of noise was coming from Verdi’s courtyard. Infuriated at such harassment, Verdi and Strepponi moved to a nearby farm that he owned; they lived there until their deaths.

Given these facts, many see a personal association between Verdi’s life and his decision to write about Violetta and La Traviata. Others, though, see no connection, and the matter remains unresolved. What is certain is that Verdi once said that when he sat at his piano writing music, his heart pounded and his tears fell on the keyboard. Seeing how much passion he poured into La Traviata, we can easily believe him.

For upcoming shows and more information about the Wilmington Concert Association, please go to our website here.

Join Us Feb. 3, 2010!

2010-01-16T14:08:00.001-08:00

Join us for an exciting night of Opera...
Click Here for more details...

Sunday Performance • Program • 01/17/10

2010-01-16T13:39:00.001-08:00

The Wilmington Concert Association and
COLUMBIA ARTISTS PRESENTS
Andrew S. Grossman, Producer

DIRECT FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM:

THE Band of the Irish Guards AND
The Pipes, drums and highland Dancers of
the argyll and sutherland highlanders, 5th battalion
The Royal Regiment of Scotland

Performing
Hands Across The Sea
Featuring the Music of England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales

•••••••••••••••••••• PROGRAM ••••••••••••••••••••

Sunday Presentation • Biographies • 01/17/10

2010-01-16T13:29:00.000-08:00

The Wilmington Concert Association Proudly Presents
Sunday, January 17 at 8 p.m. at Kenan Auditorium

Band of the Irish Guards and
The Royal Regiment of Scotland
(The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5’th Battalion)

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BIO: Band of the Irish Guards

Major P D Shannon MBE
Music Director

The Irish Guards were formed on 1 April 1900 on the expressed wish of HM Queen Victoria to commemorate the bravery of the many Irish Regiments who had fought in the South African campaigns. The Regimental Band was formed at about the same time and consisted initially of 35 musicians and a Warrant Officer, Mr C H Hassell, who was the Bandmaster. The Band quickly gained a reputation for excellence and in 1905 was invited to make what turned out to be the first of many tours of Canada. The people of Toronto were so impressed with the band's performance that they presented the Band with a large and very ornate Silver Cup that remains a cherished possession of the Band today.

There is a fine tradition in the British Army of bands providing musical support to troops on active service. It engenders a unique espirit-de-corps and during both World Wars the Band regularly travelled to active service areas in order to give morale-boosting performances to the troops. During World War II in particular, the commitments of the Band had so intensified that its strength was increased to 65 musicians.

Over the years the Band has toured extensively visiting Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Germany, Hong Kong, France, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Japan. In 2010, The Band of the Irish Guards will make its debut tour of the United States of America. It was in Japan where the band was accorded the unique honour of being the first band ever to play in the Imperial Palace in the presence of the Empress and the 2 Crown Princesses. The Band has toured Australia twice, once in 1957 for 10 weeks as part of a world tour, and more recently in 2004 for a six-week concert tour of both Australia and New Zealand. The latter consisted of 27 performances, which took in all the major cities and included the Sydney Opera House.

With a current establishment of 49 musicians the band has a variety of professional ensembles that include a Concert Band, Marching Band, Salon Orchestra, Dance Band, Fanfare Trumpeters and several other smaller ensembles. The band's main duty is to play, in turn with the other 4 Foot Guards Bands, for the Mounting of The Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace and for state ceremonial occasions and public duties such as Investitures, State Visits, Royal Weddings, Guards of Honour, Royal Garden Parties and, of course, The Queen's Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour).

The Band has made many broadcast and recordings over the years and in the 1950's was chosen to give the UK premier performance of Paul Hindemith's 'Symphony for Concert Band' live 'On Air'. The Band has also appeared on television (most notably for the Queen's 80th Birthday Celebration in Windsor recently), and in films (The 'Ipcress File' starring Michael Caine). Upon retirement from the Service a number of musicians have continued their careers with the National Orchestras, which included the Halle, the BBC Symphony and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

In addition to their musical activites, Musicians are trained to give support to the Army Medical Services in the event of mobilisation. Three of our musicians served in the first Gulf War of 1990/1991 and in June 1999 the band was deployed to Kosovo as part of a NATO Peace-keeping force.

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BIO: The Royal Regiment of Scotland
(The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, 5’th Battalion)

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders came into being in 1881 with the amalgamation of two distinguished Scottish regiments which had been formed during the reign of George III: The 91st Argyllshire Highlanders and the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders.

The 91st Highlanders was formed in 1794 when the Duke of Argyll was requested by George III to raise a Regiment of foot soldiers for Foreign Service. The Regiment was embodied at Stirling Castle and sailed almost immediately for South Africa. It was 1802 before the 91st Highlanders returned home and during the century to follow they returned to South Africa three more times. Their colours carry four different scrolls from South Africa, a unique distinction in the British Army.

The next major campaign for the 91st was under Wellesley (later the Duke of Wellington) in the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. They fought in all the major campaigns and formed part of the rearguard during the retreat to Corunna in 1808. In 1812 they returned to the Peninsula and fought their way back across the Pyrenees into France. They took part in the conquest of France and in the Waterloo campaign. From 1819-91 the Regiment served in Jamaica, St. Helena, South Africa and India. During this period there were two major events particularly affecting the 91st. A large draft of the 91st was travelling on the troopship Birkenhead when it struck a rock off the African Coast. All the women and children were saved by the gallantry of the troops, who remained at their posts until the women and children had got clear of the sinking troopship. By this time there was little hope for the troops on deck, and all but a handful perished.

In 1871 an event of an entirely different nature occurred when HRH the Princess Louise (daughter of Queen Victoria) married the Marquise of Lorne (Heir to the Duke of Argyll). After the event the Regiment became known as Princess Louise’s Argyllshire Highlanders.

The 93rd Highlanders was formed in 1799. Britain was once again at war with France and General Wemyss, a nephew of the Earl of Sutherland, was authorised to raise a regiment of foot soldiers. The regiment was raised from tenants of the Earl of Sutherland and from the tiny hamlets and parishes of the Country of Sutherland.

One of the93rd’s earliest actions was the Battle of New Orleans in 1814, where they held their ground when many older regiments faltered. It was in the Crimea, however, that the 93rd Sutherland Highlanders first achieved outstanding fame. At the Alma, as part of the Highland Brigade, they fought with great distinction. Then at Balaklava on October 25, 1854. At the same time as the Charge of the Light Brigade was taking place, the Sutherland Highlander stood alone against a mass of Russian Cavalry. Though heavily out numbered the Regiment stoop two deep above the town of Balaklava and repulsed the Russian onslaught. The London Times war correspondent who witnessed the scene described the Regiment as a “Thin Red Streak Tipped with a Line of Steel.” From this came the expression the Thin Red Line.

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See more on our website: Wilmington Concert Association

Program Notes from Martha Graham Dance Company Peformance

2009-10-19T18:17:00.001-07:00

MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY

The Sarah Graham Kenan Memorial Auditorium
University of North Carolina Wilmington
Wilmington, North Carolina
October 19, 2009

For any questions about these
program notes, please contact:
Faye Rosenbaum, General Manager
650-619-9309

MARTHA GRAHAM DANCE COMPANY

Artistic Director Executive Director
Janet Eilber LaRue Allen

The Company
Tadej Brdnik Katherine Crockett Jennifer DePalo
Carrie Ellmore-Tallitsch Maurizio Nardi
Miki Orihara Blakeley White-McGuire
Lloyd Knight
Jacqueline Bulnes Sevin Ceviker Jacquelyn Elder
Mariya Dashkina Maddux Heather McGinley James A. Pierce III
Samuel Pott Ben Schultz Oliver Tobin
Kerville Jack Andrea Murillo
Lauren Newman Caterina Rago

Senior Artistic Associate
Denise Vale

Funding for this production generously provided by National Endowment for the Arts
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
New York State Council on the Arts

The Artists employed in this production are members of the
American Guild of Musical Artists AFL-CIO.

Copyright to all dances except Lamentation Variations is held by the
Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance. All rights reserved.

Martha Graham Dance Company was made possible by the
National Endowment for the Arts'
American Masterpieces: Dance inititative,
administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts

Martha graham Dance Company
"Prelude and Revolt: Early Masterpieces of American Modern Dance"
was made possible by the
National Endowment for the Arts' Masterpieces: Dance Initiative,
administered by the New England Foundation for the Arts.

PRELUDE AND REVOLT: DENISHAWN TO GRAHAM

Montage of solos arranged by Janet Eilber
Lighting Design by Judith M. Daitsman
Text by Janet Eilber and Jeffrey Sweet

Narrator Janet Eilber

I. Montage of Three Denishawn Style Solos

The Incense
(excerpt)
Choreography and Costume by Ruth St. Denis

Premiere: March 22, 1906, Hudson Theater, New York City

Carrie Ellmore-Tallitsch

Gnossienne (A Priest of Knossos)
(excerpt)
Choreography by Ted Shawn
Music by Erik Satie†

Premiere: December 17, 1919, Egan Little Theatre, Los Angeles, CA

Lloyd Knight
†Gnossienne No. 1

Tanagra
(excerpt)
Choreography by Martha Graham

Premiere: April 18, 1926 48th Street Theater, New York City

Jacquelyn Elder

II. Serenata Morisca

Choreography by Ted Shawn
Reconstructed by Martha Graham
Costumes by Martha Graham after Pearl Wheeler
Music by Mario Tarenghi†
Lighting by Thomas Skelton

Premiere: 1916, performed by Martha Graham on Denishawn tours 1921–1923 and in the Greenwich Village Follies 1923–1925

Jennifer DePalo

†Serenata, op. 13, adapted by Jonathan McPhee

III. Lamentation

Choreography and Costume by Martha Graham
Music by Zoltán Kodály†
Original lighting by Martha Graham
Adapted by Beverly Emmons

Premiere: January 8, 1930, Maxine Elliott’s Theatre, New York City

Katherine Crockett

This presentation of Lamentation has been made possible by a gift from Francis Mason in honor of William D. Witter. Additional support was provided by the Harkness Foundation for Dance.

†Neun Klavierstücke, op. 3. no. 2

IV. Steps in the Street
Devastation—Homelessness—Exile

Choreography and Costumes by Martha Graham
Music by Wallingford Riegger†
Original lighting by Jean Rosenthal
Lighting for reconstruction (‘Steps in the Street’) by David Finley

Premiere: December 20, 1936, Guild Theatre, New York City

Carrie Ellmore-Tallitsch

Jacqueline Bulnes Sevin Ceviker Katherine Crockett
Jennifer DePalo Jacquelyn Elder Mariya Dashkina Maddux
Heather McGinley Lauren Newman Blakeley White-McGuire

‘Steps in the Street’ was reconstructed by Yuriko and Martha Graham from the Julien Bryan film.
†Finale from New Dance, Opus 18b (for ‘Steps in the Street’), used by arrangement with Associated Music Publishers, Inc., publisher and copyright owner.

Recordings of Incense, Gnossienne, and Serenata Morisca by Patrick Daugherty. Recording of Steps in the Street by Margaret Kampmeier.

LAMENTATION VARIATIONS

Choreography by Richard Move,
Larry Keigwin, and Bulareyaung Pagarlava
Music by DJ Savage, Frederic Chopin, and Gustav Mahler†
Lighting by Beverly Emmons
Conceived by Janet Eilber
Premiere: September 11, 2007, Joyce Theatre, New York City

Lamentation Variations is an event which was conceived in 2007 to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11. The work is based on a film from the early 1930s of Martha Graham dancing movements from her then new, and now iconic, solo, Lamentation. The choreographers were each invited to create a movement study in reaction to the Graham film for the current company of Graham dancers.

Pagarlava Variation: Jacqueline Bulnes, Lloyd Knight, Maurizio Nardi, Ben Schultz
Move Variation: Katherine Crockett
Keigwin Variation: Full Company

Lamentation Variations was commissioned by the Martha Graham Center with support from Francis Mason.

† Savage (Richard Move): “Ballet for Martha”, based on material from Symphony No.5 by Ludwig van Beethoven; Chopin: Nocturne in F Sharp, Op.15 No.2; Mahler: “Die zwei blauen Augen von meinem Schatz”, from Lieder eienes fahrenden Gesellen

ERRAND INTO THE MAZE

Choreography and Costumes by Martha Graham
Music by Gian Carlo Menotti†
Set by Isamu Noguchi
Original lighting by Jean Rosenthal
Adapted by Beverly Emmons

Premiere: February 28, 1947, Ziegfeld Theatre, New York City

There is an errand into the maze of the heart’s darkness in order to face and do battle with the Creature of Fear. There is the accomplishment of the errand, the instant of triumph, and the emergence from the dark.

Jennifer DePalo Ben Schultz

†Used by arrangement with G. Schirmer, Inc., publisher and copyright owner.

INTERMISSION

APPALACHIAN SPRING
“Ballet for Martha”

Choreography and Costumes by Martha Graham
Music by Aaron Copland†
Set by Isamu Noguchi
Original lighting by Jean Rosenthal
Adapted by Beverly Emmons

Premiere: October 30, 1944, Coolidge Auditorium, Library of Congress, Washington, DC

Springtime in the wilderness is celebrated by a man and woman building a house with joy and love and prayer; by a revivalist and his followers in their shouts of exaltation; by a pioneering woman with her dreams of the Promised Land.

The Bride Blakeley White-McGuire
The Husbandman Samuel Pott
The Revivalist Lloyd Knight
The Pioneering Woman Katherine Crockett
The Followers Jacqueline Bulnes, Jacquelyn Elder, Mariya Dashkina Maddux.Heather McGinley

Commissioned by the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation in the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

The original title chosen by Aaron Copland was “Ballet for Martha,” which was changed by Martha Graham to “Appalachian Spring.”

†Used by arrangement with the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, copyright owners; and Boosey and Hawkes, Inc., sole publisher and licensor.

NOTES ON THE REPERTORY

PRELUDE AND REVOLT: DENISHAWN TO GRAHAM (1906–1936)

Martha Graham came to the Denishawn School as a student in 1916 and performed with the group until 1924. Prelude and Revolt is a suite of dances that traces the emergence of Graham’s unique theater and distinctive movement vocabulary from these Denishawn beginnings to the stark, explosive imagery of “Steps in the Street” from 1936.

A trio made up of solo works by Ted Shawn, Ruth St. Denis, and Martha Graham sets the stage for Prelude and Revolt. This montage includes excerpts from Gnossienne (1917), Tanagra (1926) and Incense (1906). Martha Graham would have undoubtedly seen Miss Ruth perform Incense, as it remained a signature work throughout her long career. Its evocation of private ritual, as well as its dramatic use of fabric, surely interested the young Graham. This influence can be seen in Tanagra, one of Graham’s earliest compositions. Ted Shawn’s choreography drew upon ritual as well. Gnossienne, also known as A Priest of Knossos, was inspired by a series of bas reliefs depicting a ritual to the Snake Goddess from the Temple of Knossos in Crete.

The Denishawn style is full force in Serenata Morisca (1916), the next dance in this suite. The dance is best known for its quick turns, high kicks and fiery rhythms. The dancer is dressed in a tight fitting bodice and an ankle length skirt, weighted to ensure that the folds of the skirt will swing out as the dancer turns, making the movement of the fabric an integral part of the choreography.

By 1930, when Graham made Lamentation, she was in revolt against her Denishawn past, against ballet, and against the conventions of theatricality. Lamentation is performed almost entirely from a seated position, with the dancer encased in a tube of purple jersey. The diagonals and tensions formed by the dancer’s body struggling within the material create a moving sculpture, a portrait that presents the very essence of grief. The fabric is again integral to the choreography, but in ways that Ruth St. Denis could never have foreseen.

“Steps in the Street” (1936) was a response to contemporary problems threatening the world, the rise of fascism in Europe. This dance required a new vocabulary, one that Graham had been developing over the previous decade. The female body is cast as an instrument of force; joints, muscles, and sinews at the ready. The dancers in “Steps in the Street” are prepared to speak out with an expressive vocabulary in order to make an impact upon a modern world.

LAMENTATION VARIATIONS

Lamentation Variations is an event that was originally conceived to commemorate the anniversary of 9/11. It was premiered on that date in 2007. The work opens with a film from the early 1930s of Martha Graham. We see her dancing movements from her then new, and now iconic, solo, Lamentation. The variations that follow were developed under specific creative conditions by choreographers Richard Move, Larry Keigwin, and Bulareyaung Pagarlava. Each was asked to create a spontaneous choreographic sketch of their reaction to the Graham film, and was required to adhere to the following conditions: 10 hours of rehearsal, public domain music or silence, basic costumes and lighting design. Though it was planned to be performed on only one occasion, the audience reception for Lamentation Variations was such that it has been added to the permanent repertory of the Martha Graham Dance Company.

ERRAND INTO THE MAZE (1947)

Errand Into the Maze premiered in 1947 at the Ziegfield Theater in New York City. With a score by Gian Carlo Menotti, and set design by Isamu Noguchi, the dance was choreographed as a duet for Martha Graham and Mark Ryder. It is loosely derived from the myth of Theseus, who journeys into the labyrinth to confront the Minotaur, a creature who is half man and half beast. In Errand Into the Maze, Martha Graham retells the tale from the perspective of Ariadne, who descends into the labyrinth to conquer the Minotaur. Substituting a heroine for the hero of Greek mythology in her dance, Martha Graham created a female protagonist who would confront the beast of fear, not just once, but three times, before finally overpowering him. Noguchi designed a set that consisted of a v-shaped frame, like the crotch of a tree or the pelvic bones of a woman. A long rope curves its way through the performance space and ends at this symbolic doorway. Influenced by the theories of the great psychologist Carl Jung, Martha Graham was exploring the mythological journey into the self in this dance. —ELLEN GRAFF

APPALACHIAN SPRING (1944)

In 1942, Martha Graham received a commission from the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation for a new ballet to be premiered at the Library of Congress. Aaron Copland was to compose the score. Graham called the new dance Appalachian Spring, after a poem by Hart Crane, but for Copland it always remained “Ballet for Martha.” Choreographed as the war in Europe was drawing to end, it captured the imagination of Americans who were beginning to believe in a more prosperous future, a future in which men and women would be united again. With its simple tale of a new life in a new land, the dance embodied hope. Critics called Appalachian Spring “shining and joyous,” “a testimony to the simple fineness of the human spirit.” The ballet tells the story of a young couple and their wedding day; there is a Husbandman, his Bride, a Pioneer Woman and a Preacher and his Followers.

In a letter to Aaron Copland, Graham wrote that she wanted the dance to be “a legend of American living, like a bone structure, the inner frame that holds together a people.” As Copland later recalled, “After Martha gave me this bare outline, I knew certain crucial things – that it had to do with the pioneer American spirit, with youth and spring, with optimism and hope. I thought about that in combination with the special quality of Martha’s own personality, her talents as a dancer, what she gave off and the basic simplicity of her art. Nobody else seems anything like Martha, and she’s unquestionably very American.” Themes from American folk culture can be found throughout the dance. Copland uses a Shaker tune, “Simple Gifts,” in the second half of his luminous score, while Graham’s choreography includes square dance patterns, skips and paddle turns and curtsies, even a grand right and left. The set by Isamu Noguchi features a Shaker rocking chair. Appalachian Spring is perhaps Martha Graham’s most optimistic ballet, yet it does contain a dark side. The fire and brimstone Preacher and his condemnation of earthly pleasures recalls the repressive weight of our Puritan heritage, while the solemn presence of the Pioneer Woman hints at the problems of raising families in remote and isolated communities. In this newly cleared land life was not simple, and Graham’s vision pays homage to that as well. —ELLEN GRAFF

ABOUT MARTHA GRAHAM

Martha Graham is recognized as a primal artistic force of the 20th Century alongside Picasso, Stravinsky, James Joyce, and Frank Lloyd Wright. In 1998 TIME Magazine named Martha Graham as the “Dancer of the Century,” and People Magazine named her among the female “Icons of the Century.” As a choreographer, she was as prolific as she was complex. She created 181 ballets and a dance technique that has been compared to ballet in its scope and magnitude. Many of the great modern and ballet choreographers have studied the Martha Graham Technique or have been members of her company.

Martha Graham’s extraordinary artistic legacy has often been compared to Stanislavsky’s Art Theatre in Moscow and the Grand Kabuki Theatre of Japan, for its diversity and breadth. Her legacy is perpetuated in performance by the members of the Martha Graham Dance Company and Graham II (formerly, the Martha Graham Ensemble), and by the students of the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance.

In 1926, Martha Graham founded her dance company and school, living and working out of a tiny Carnegie Hall studio in midtown Manhattan. In developing her technique, Martha Graham experimented endlessly with basic human movement, beginning with the most elemental movements of contraction and release. Using these principles as the foundation for her technique, she built a vocabulary of movement that would “increase the emotional activity of the dancer’s body.” Martha Graham’s dancing and choreography exposed the depths of human emotion through movements that were sharp, angular, jagged, and direct. The dance world was forever altered by Martha Graham’s vision, which has been and continues to be a source of inspiration for generations of dance and theatre artists.

Martha Graham’s ballets were inspired by a wide variety of sources, including modern painting, the American frontier, religious ceremonies of Native Americans, and Greek mythology. Many of her most important roles portray great women of history and mythology: Clytemnestra, Jocasta, Medea, Phaedra, Joan of Arc, and Emily Dickinson.

As an artist, Martha Graham conceived each new work in its entirety — dance, costumes, and music. During her 70 years of creating dances, Martha Graham collaborated with such artists as sculptor Isamu Noguchi; actor and director John Houseman; fashion designers Halston, Donna Karan and Calvin Klein; and renowned composers including Aaron Copland, Louis Horst (her mentor), Samuel Barber, William Schuman, Carlos Surinach, Norman Dello Joio, and Gian Carlo Menotti. Her company was the training ground for many future modern choreographers, including Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, and Twyla Tharp. She created roles for classical ballet stars such as Margot Fonteyn, Rudolf Nureyev, and Mikhail Baryshnikov, welcoming them as guests into her company. In charge of movement and dance at The Neighborhood Playhouse, she taught actors including Bette Davis, Kirk Douglas, Madonna, Liza Minnelli, Gregory Peck, Tony Randall, Anne Jackson, and Joanne Woodward how to use the body as an expressive instrument.

Her uniquely American vision and creative genius earned her numerous honors and awards such as the Laurel Leaf of the American Composers Alliance in 1959 for her service to music. Her colleagues in theater, the members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local One, voted her the recipient of the 1986 Local One Centennial Award for Dance, not to be awarded for another 100 years. In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford bestowed upon Martha Graham the United States’ highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom, and declared her a “national treasure,” making her the first dancer and choreographer to receive this honor. Another Presidential honor was awarded Martha Graham in 1985 when President Ronald Reagan designated her among the first recipients of the United States National Medal of Arts.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Founded in 1926 by dancer and choreographer Martha Graham, the Martha Graham Dance Company is the oldest and most celebrated contemporary dance company in America.

Since its inception, the Martha Graham Dance Company has received international acclaim from audiences in over 50 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The Company has performed at the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall, the Paris Opera House, Covent Garden, and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, as well as at the base of the Great Pyramids of Egypt and in the ancient Herod Atticus Theatre on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

"One of the great companies of the world," according to Anna Kisselgoff, former chief dance critic of The New York Times, the Martha Graham Dance Company has been lauded by critics throughout the world. Alan M. Kriegsman of The Washington Post referred to the Company as "one of the seven wonders of the artistic universe."

BIOGRAPHIES

JANET EILBER (Martha Graham Center Artistic Director) worked closely with Martha Graham. During her time as a principal dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company, Ms. Eilber performed on all national and international tours, soloed at the White House, was partnered by Rudolf Nureyev, and starred in three segments of Dance in America. She danced many of Graham’s greatest roles, had many roles created for her by Graham, and has since taught, lectured, and directed Graham ballets internationally. She has four Lester Horton awards for performance and reconstruction of seminal American dance. Ms. Eilber is also Director of Arts Education for the Dana Foundation and a trustee of the Interlochen Center for the Arts. She is married to screenwriter John Warren, with whom she has two daughters, Madeline and Eva.

DENISE VALE (Senior Artistic Associate) began her professional performing career with the Martha Graham Dance Company in 1985, attaining the rank of principal dancer. Roles performed include the Pioneer Woman in Appalachian Spring, Woman in White in Diversion of Angels, Chorus Leader in Night Journey, Chorus in Cave of the Heart, the Attendant in Hérodiade, Leader in the 1980s reconstruction of Steps in the Street, and Night Chant, a ballet created for Ms. Vale by Martha Graham in 1989. Graham solos performed include Lamentation, Frontier, Satyric Festival Song, and Serenata Morisca.

TADEJ BRDNIK (Principal Dancer) began his dance career in Slovenia. He has danced with Battery Dance Company, Avila/Weeks Dance, White Oak Dance Project, Robert Wilson, and Pick Up Performance Company, as well as in works of Maurice Béjart, Lucinda Childs, Yvonne Rainer, Susan Stroman, Steve Paxton, and Deborah Hay. He has taught extensively in the United States and Europe and is on the faculty of the Martha Graham School. Mr. Brdnik is currently Education Director for the Downtown Dance Festival. He is a recipient of the Benetton Dance Award and the Eugene Loring Award and has been with the Company since 1996.

KATHERINE CROCKETT (Principle Dancer) joined the company in 1993, principal since 1996. Ms. Crockett danced as Cate Blanchett's double in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and with Mikhail Baryshnikov in "The Show-Achilles Heels " (choreographer Richard Move). Ms. Crockett has also had works created for her by Robert Wilson, Lucinda Childs, Martha Clarke, and Susan Stroman and was invited by Vanessa Redgrave to perform Lamentation in Kosovo. She played the mother in Myrtle Beach, a play by Dan Klores and has performed in The Gala of the Stars, the Cannes Film Festival, VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards, and runway shows of Alexander McQueen and Victoria’s Secret.

JENNIFER DEPALO (Principal Dancer) returned to the Martha Graham Dance Company after a three-year leave, during which she performed as a principal for Ballet Hispanico. She is also a principal for Buglisi/Foreman Dance. Ms. DePalo is an honored recipient of the Princess Grace Award for Artistic Excellence and is a certified Gyrotonic® instructor at Studio Riverside.

CARRIE ELLMORE-TALLITSCH (Principal Dancer) is from Virginia, where she began dancing. She graduated cum laude from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Ms. Ellmore-Tallitsch has danced with Dayton Contemporary Dance’s second company, Philadanco, and Pascal Rioult Dance Theatre. She joined the Martha Graham Dance Company in 2002.

MAURIZIO NARDI (Principal Dancer), a native of Italy, came to New York with a scholarship at the Martha Graham School in 1998, when he joined the Graham II. He has performed and collaborated with companies in the United States, Europe, and India. He made his first appearance with the Martha Graham Dance Company in 2003.

MIKI ORIHARA (Principal Dancer) joined the Company in 1987. She has performed with various other prominent companies and choreographers including the Broadway Production of The King and I, Elisa Monte, Dance Troup (Japan), Twyla Tharp, and Robert Wilson. Ms. Orihara was a special guest artist for Japan’s New National Theater. As an independent artist, she premiered her works in New York and Tokyo. Her teaching credentials include numerous workshops in Japan, Art International in Moscow, Peridance, the Ailey School, New York University, Florida State University, and New National Theater Ballet School; she also works as an assistant for Yuriko. Ms. Orihara performs with PierGroupDance and Lotuslotus.

BLAKELEY WHITE-MCGUIRE (Principal Dancer) joined the Company in 2002. She has performed principal roles in Appalachian Spring, Diversion of Angels, Deep Song, Errand Into the Maze, and Satyric Festival Song among others. Ms. White-McGuire has had new works created on her by choreographers Jacqueline Buglisi, Martha Clarke, Sean Curran, Richard Move, Pascal Rioult and the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Ms. White-McGuire holds a BA in dance from SUNY and has taught at the Ailey School, the Martha Graham School, the Neighborhood Playhouse, and The Actors’ Studio.

LLOYD KNIGHT (Soloist) was born in England, reared in Miami, and trained at the Miami Conservatory of Ballet. He has a BFA from the New World School of the Arts, where he worked with many renowned choreographers, including Donald McKayle, Robert Battle, and Michael Uthoff. He also performed leading roles in Jose Límon’s There is a Time, Merce Cunningham’s Inlets II, and Donald McKayles’ Rainbow ’Round My Shoulder. Mr. Knight has since performed in The King and I, directed by Guy Stroman. He joined the Martha Graham Dance Company in 2005.

JACQUELINE BULNES (Dancer), from Miami, Florida, began her early training with Edmundo Ronquillo of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba and her Martha Graham training at the New World School of the Arts, where she received a BFA with honors. Ms. Bulnes has danced lead roles in Giselle, La Bayadère, Theme and Variations (Balanchine), Push Comes to Shove (Tharp), and Nutcracker. She has received scholarships to American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Martha Graham School, and received a Merit Award from the NFAA “ARTS” competition. This is her fifth season with the Martha Graham Company.

SEVIN CEVIKER (Dancer) is from Istanbul, Turkey, where she studied classical ballet at the State Conservatory. Since coming to the U.S., she has studied at the schools of Alvin Ailey, Paul Taylor and Martha Graham where she was awarded a full scholarship. She received her BFA from Marymount Manhattan College with academic excellence in dance performance. Ms. Ceviker joined the Martha Graham Company in 2006 and has also danced with Jamie Bishton Dance, Odanata Dance Project, Labyrinth Dance Theater, Oh Dear Dance, Edgar Cortes Dance Theater, Carrie Ellmore-Tallitsch, and Tysan Dance Company. She recently performed as a lead dancer in the first Turkish musical to be performed on Broadway. She is also a certified GYROTONIC® instructor.

JACQUELYN ELDER (Dancer) studied dance at the Palm Beach Ballet Conservatory, the Alvin Ailey School, and at the Florida State University with Suzanne Farrell and Anthony Morgan. She received full scholarships from “Florida Bright Futures” and from the Martha Graham School. Ms. Elder is a former member of Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, Darrah Carr Dance, Nina Buisson’s Contemporary Move, and Graham II. She is also a current and founding member of Lehrer Dance.

MARIYA DASHKINA MADDUX (Dancer) was born and raised in Kiev, Ukraine, and moved to the United States in 1999. She received her dance training from the Thomas Armour Youth Ballet and the New World School of the Arts, where she graduated with a BFA. Ms. Maddux has performed lead roles in There is a Time and Psalm by Jose Limón and Rainbow ’Round My Shoulder by Donald McKayle.

HEATHER MCGINLEY (Dancer) holds a BFA in dance performance from Butler University. While at Butler she was featured in works by Thaddius Davis, Susan McGuire, and Marek Cholewa. In 2005 and 2006, Ms. McGinley presented three pieces of her own choreography as part of a Butler Ballet tour of Eastern Europe including St. Petersburg, Russia, and Warsaw, Poland. In 2007 she enrolled in the Martha Graham School and began performing with Graham II.

SAMUEL POTT (Dancer) received his BA from the University of California, Berkeley, and has performed with American Repertory Ballet, Oakland Ballet and in works by Marius Petipa, Martha Graham, Jose Límon, Twyla Tharp, Charles Moulton, and Val Caniparoli. In 2005, Mr. Pott founded Nimbus Dance Works, a company dedicated to building meaningful connections between concert dance and community. He received a Fellowship in Choreography from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and is a member artist of the Arts Council’s Arts in Education program. Mr. Pott has taught dance at Rutgers University and is a practitioner of the Feldenkrais Methodä.

BEN SCHULTZ (Dancer), originally from Denver, Colorado, began his dance training at age 15. He attended Indiana University where he studied ballet and theatre performance and minored in opera. Since leaving Indiana, his dance credits have included touring with the Tony Award® winning production Blast, dancing for the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Hannah Kahn Contemporary Dance, and Opera Colorado. Mr. Schultz has also served as resident choreographer and contemporary dance teacher for the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities in Arvada, Colorado.

LAUREN NEWMAN (Apprentice) received her B.F.A. in dance from Southern Methodist University in 2006. She became a member of Graham II in 2007. This is her first year dancing with the Martha Graham Company.

MARTHA GRAHAM CENTER
OF CONTEMPORARY DANCE

Staff
LaRue Allen, Executive Director
Janet Eilber, Artistic Director
Aaron Sherber, Music Director
Beverly Emmons, Lighting Designer
Faye Rosenbaum, General Manager
Anne Troy, Director of Development
Anne Posluszny, Production Manager
Judith Daitsman, Lighting Supervisor
Karen Young, Costume Supervisor
Allison Duncil, Wardrobe Supervisor
Tami Alesson, Director of Education
Virginie Mécène, Director of School
Bethany Roberge, Center Administrator
Susan Upton, Resources Manager
Angela Wiele, International Student Advisor
Arnie Apostol, Assistant to the Executive Director
Leslie Guyton, Administrative Assistant

Regisseurs
Tadej Brdnik, Donlin Foreman, Linda Hodes, Peggy Lyman,
Miki Orihara, Marni Thomas, Denise Vale

Board of Trustees
Judith Schlosser, Chair
Inger Witter, President
Francis Mason, Chair Emeritus
LaRue Allen, Executive Director
Amy Blumenthal
Inga Golay
Laura Gordon
Lorraine Oler
Patrick Leonard
Neila Radtke
Paul Szilard
Calvin Tsao
Ronald Windisch
Adam A. Pinsker, Secretary to the Board
Lee Traub, Chair Emerita

North American Representation
Rena Shagan Associates, Inc.
(www.shaganarts.com)

International Representation
Paul Szilard Productions, Inc.
Attract Productions
(szilardpro@aol.com)

Alumni Search
If you or someone you know has ever performed with the Martha Graham Dance Company or attended classes at the Martha Graham School, please send us names, addresses, telephone numbers and approximate dates of membership. We will add you to our alumni mailing list and keep you apprised of alumni events and benefits. Call 212.838.5886 or e-mail info@marthagraham.org.

The Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance is a not-for-profit corporation, supported by contributions from individuals, corporations, foundations, and government agencies. Contributions in support of the Martha Graham Center will be gratefully received at the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance, Inc., 316 East 63rd Street New York, NY 10065.

Message from the President...

2009-07-20T17:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends and supporters of the Arts,

What an amazing honor it is to be able to congratulate
the Wilmington Concert Association on attaining its
80th birthday! I think we would travel far to match this
year’s milestone: since 1929 this organization has
been devoted continuously to bringing world-class
music and dance to this large geographical area of
southeastern North Carolina. Wilmington shares in
the coastal beauty of our state while adding unique
historical, educational, and cultural attractions
to residents and visitors alike. Our volunteer team
comprised of city neighbors has joined with supporters,
subscribers, and audiences to present and enjoy the
best of the arts. It has been a long trip — thanks to
our contributors, volunteers, and audiences — and
we are sure that you’ll want to be aboard for this
year’s season, which romises to be outstanding.

In October, our season will open with a visit by the
Martha Graham Dance Company, a group synonymous
with the best in American Dance. We’ll revel with the
excitement of the Band of the Irish Guards and the
Drums, Pipes and Dancers of the Royal Regiment
of Scotland in January. In February the Teatro
Lirico D’Europa will again delight us with the beloved,
tuneful “La Traviata.” Finally, Wilmington will
welcome the Gold Medal Winner of the Van Cliburn
International Piano Competition in April.

Our season ticket price of $135 remains stable and
unchanged from last year, despite financial challenges.
A season ticket represents substantial savings over
the price of an individual ticket. Individual tickets,
when available, remain priced at $50 each. Sending
in an early order with a contribution enables us to
reach more local arts students introducing them to
the best of dance and music. Our outreach activities
allow local schools and academies to select students
who receive free concert vouchers through the programs
you support.

During these times, we must continually thank you for
your tax-deductible contributions. Ticket sales alone
cannot cover the cost of our programs. Any charitable
donation over the basic season ticket price is fully
tax-exempt. You can donate an unused ticket and
receive a deduction by calling the Kenan Auditorium
box office a week before the performance. Any donation
above the Benefactor level will allow us to send you
a complimentary parking pass to the lot adjacent to
Kenan Auditorium on the night of each performance.

All seats are reserved, so to retain your seats from
last season, or to request a specific change, please
return your order form to Kenan Box Office by
July 1, 2009. Tickets for early subscribers will be
mailed in late August.

Again, let us meet together to enjoy this wonderful
year-long 80th Anniversary!

June K. Davison
President, Wilmington Concert Association

2009-2010 Concert Season

2009-07-20T16:42:00.001-07:00

Join Us for an exciting season full of music and dance!
Our new season lineup is as follows:

Martha Graham Dance Company
October 19, 2009

Band of the Irish Guards and the Drums,
Pipes and Dancers of the Royal Regiment of Scotland
January 17, 2010

Teatro Lirico D'Europa's "La Traviata"
February 3, 2010

The Gold Medal Winner of the
Van Cliburn Piano Competition
April 22, 2010