Lively Arts 2005-06 season filled with the promise of memorable performances
The Martha Graham Dance Company will perform Appalachian Spring.
Radio host Rob Kapilow will appear on campus Dec. 7 and Jan. 8.
The St. Lawrence String Quartet will perform three concerts this season, beginning Oct. 16.
BY BARBARA PALMER
Stanford Lively Arts' 2005-06 season—a kaleidoscopic mix of music, dance and theater presented by celebrated artists from all over the world—is filled with the promise of memorable performances. Among them is the Oct. 23 Northern California premiere of composer Osvaldo Golijov's electrifying song cycle Ayre, which was inspired by the blend of Christian, Islamic and Jewish cultures in 15th-century Spain. Songs written in Arabic, Hebrew, Sardinian, Spanish and Ladino, the lost language of Spanish Jews, will be performed by soprano Dawn Upshaw, the music ensemble Eighth Blackbird and Latin American guitarist Gustavo Santaolalla.
And on Jan. 25, the iconic Martha Graham Dance Company will perform the equally iconic Appalachian Spring, scored by Aaron Copland and first performed in 1944. Legendary jazz saxophonist Wayne Shorter will appear with the Wayne Shorter Quartet on Jan. 29 and pianist Murray Perahia—called "beyond praise" by one reviewer—will perform on March 17. (Perahia, who appeared in 2000, is the performer Lively Arts audiences have most asked to return to campus.) Illusionist Michael Moschen, the only juggler in history to receive a MacArthur "genius" grant, performs March 12.
While continuing its 36-year tradition of bringing a diverse lineup of world-class artists to campus stages, Lively Arts' intention is not just to string one great performance after another, said Robin Fribance, interim executive director. "The question we continually ask ourselves is, 'How do we get beyond the dynamic of having the performing artists up on stage and the audience just taking it in?'"
One answer is to be found in this season's new initiatives and multidisciplinary collaborations, which include two in-depth artist residencies. The programs, which were developed in partnership with many of the artists scheduled to perform on campus, are designed to foster deep connections with the artists and their work for Lively Arts' audiences, the campus and the community, Fribance said.
The "Imagine America" series threads together five performances, in genres including classical music, folk music, modern dance and performance art, all based on the theme of how artists have defined and interpreted the American national identity.
The series will begin with performances by folk musician Mike Seeger (Pete Seeger's half-brother) and the Ying Quartet on Nov. 30. National Public Radio personality Rob Kapilow, the host of What Makes It Great?, will explore Leonard Bernstein on Dec. 7. A month later, on Jan. 8, Kapilow will be accompanied by the Stanford Chamber Strings in an interactive performance and talk about Aaron Copland's composition Appalachian Spring, in advance of the Martha Graham Dance Company's performance on Jan. 25.
The "Imagine America" series will culminate April 25-27 with the world premiere of The 51st (Dream) State, by poet and performance artist Sekou Sundiata. The piece, to be performed by a 10-member ensemble, was co-commissioned by Lively Arts and will draw on work Sundiata began while in residence on campus last winter.
The Actors' Gang from Los Angeles also will be in residence on campus during the season, Fribance said. On Feb. 10-11 they will perform the off-Broadway hit The Exonerated, which tells the stories of wrongfully convicted death row inmates. While here, members of the theater group will take part in cross-campus events that involve students, faculty and staff in conversations about the death penalty.
Lively Arts also will present the campus ensemble-in-residence, the St. Lawrence String Quartet in three concerts, beginning Sunday, Oct. 16, when it performs with pianist Jeremy Denk. (Tickets are still available for next Sunday's concert, but two later performances, on Feb. 12 and April 23, are sold out.) This Sunday's program will include work by Osvaldo Golijov written especially for the quartet.
Other scheduled performances in the season, which is ongoing until May 7, include the following:
Classical and chamberMore information about the season's performances and ticket information is available at the Lively Arts website at http://livelyarts.stanford.edu and at the Tresidder Ticket Office. A brochure also is available by mail by calling 725-2787.
Ticket discounts are available for those ages 15 and under, for groups and for Stanford faculty, staff and students. Non-Stanford students with a valid high school, college or university ID get $3 off full ticket prices.
Tickets can be purchased online at the Lively Arts website, in person at the Tresidder Ticket Office, or by phone, fax or mail. For information, call the Ticket Office at 725-2787.
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