2007-08
Season of Performances
(
Special
Performances
The
Performing Arts Center (PAC) is pleased to offer two professional touring
companies this fall and three experimental music groups in the spring. Through its membership in Partners in Dance,
the PAC is also collaborating on a special dance event in May.
First on the
schedule is a performance by the EastRiver
Ensemble on October 13. A collective
of top-notch musicians from north
In November, the
PAC will host a three-day residency by the Nai-Ni
Chen Dance Company. Led by Artistic
Director and choreographer Nai-Ni Chen, the company’s works fuse the dynamic freedom
of American modern dance with the grace and splendor of Asian art. Their
productions take the audience beyond cultural boundaries to where tradition
meets innovation and freedom arises from discipline. During the November
1-3 residency, the company will present two public performances -- a Friday
evening program of traditional Chinese dance and a Saturday evening program of Dragons on the Wall, a full-length
contemporary work that is a collaboration between choreographer Nai-Ni Chen,
poet Bei Dao, composer Joan La Barbara and visual artist Chen Shen. The company will also present a Friday
morning matinee for area middle and high school students, workshops for dance and
theater students and a lecture.
During the spring
semester, the PAC is pleased to be partnering with Proctors on the Dangerous Music Project. The three groups that are a part of this
project will present free lecture/demonstrations on the Friday evening before
their public performances in Proctors’ GE Theatre. F’loom,
an avant cappella vocal trio, will present a lec/dem on February 1 showcasing
its cutting-edge "language music" -- original pieces that inhabit the
fertile, mysterious realm that lies between pure language (speech) and pure
music (song). On March 7, Aussie-American alt-classical quartet Clogs will conduct their lec/dem
showcasing their compositions
and improvisations using sounds, textures and influences from across the
musical spectrum. The final group, LEMUR (League of
Electronic Musical Urban Robots), will take the stage on April 4 for a lec/dem
showcasing their exotic, sculptural instruments which integrate robotic
technology.
As a member of
Partners in Dance, the PAC is proud to be collaborating on a performance of From
the Horse’s Mouth at Proctors on May 10. Created by Tina Croll and
Jamie Cunningham, this celebratory dance/theatre production has received
standing ovations for its captivating story-telling and exceptional dancing. The performers - outstanding dancers and
choreographers of all ages and dance traditions from the Capital Region - tell
personal stories from their lives and perform movement of their own personal
style. The stories range from humorous
to poignant and reveal personal moments of loss, joy, frustration, and triumph.
Tickets for this performance are on sale through Proctor’s Box Office at (518)
346-6204.
Department
of Theatre
The Theatre
Department will produce four departmental productions this year which feature two
original works, an off-Broadway hit and a comedy by Steve Martin. This year’s
full productions include the following shows:
Letters to a Student Revolutionary – October 19 to 27
Written and directed
by guest artist Elizabeth Wong
Mao vs Manolo. BMW vs Buddha. Little
Red Book vs Vogue. Don't call it a debate. Call it, a cautious friendship. Two
young women -- one from the
A Coupla White Chicks Sitting Around Talking – November 16 to December 1
Directed by faculty
member Jackie Roberts
John Ford Noonan's long-running
off-Broadway hit shows how worlds collide when uptight Maude meets her sexed-up
neighbor Hannah Mae. Throughout this zany romp, the mismatched pair fight,
scheme, cheat, laugh and love. When the play first premiered in 1980, The New York Times hailed it as
"an unusually smart sitcom" and it went on to run for two years,
helping launch the careers of Susan Sarandon and Dixie Carter.
Picasso at the Lapine Agile – March 7 to 15
Director: TBD
In this wildly funny play by
acclaimed comedian, actor and playwright Steve Martin, Pablo Picasso and Albert
Einstein personify art and science as they duke it out in a local pub. Whose truth is the real truth? Who will have the greatest impact on the next
century? Martin discusses this and more
while mixing wit and absurdity with great aplomb. You will laugh your way into the modern age!
Shakespeare’s Power Plays – April 25 to May 3
Conceived and directed
by guest artist Jeffrey Mousseau
Ambition…Greed…Fame…Vision: What
drives our leaders? Brace yourself this presi-dential election season with a
highly charged original production to rattle you, if not your politics. The Bard’s best scenes are assembled to
illuminate what goes on in the minds of those in charge -- Shakespeare takes us
into the very vortex of power.
Subscriptions to
these four Theatre Department performances are available and include one ticket
to each performance at $40 for the general public and $28 for students, seniors
and staff.
In coordination with
the Performing Arts Center, the Department will also offer student matinee
performances of each of these productions for high school groups.
In addition to the
full productions, the Department will continue its Plays in Process series on February 8 & 9. Offered each year, the series features
readings of original works by student playwrights. Admission is $2.
Department
of Music
This
season, the Music Department is pleased to present a fall mini-festival which
focuses on Frank Glazer whose career began in
September 25 – A free lecture by
UAlbany faculty member Duncan Cumming about his former teacher’s rich and
varied life. Along with UAlbany students, he performs some of Glazer's
compositions.
September
26 – Frank Glazer gives a free lecture entitled "A Philosophy of Artistic
Performance."
September
27 – Frank Glazer and Duncan Cumming perform a concert of music for four hands
featuring works by Mozart, Schubert, Fauré and Dvořák.
For the holiday
season, the Music Department is also proud to present a staging of Gian Carlo
Menotti’s Amahl & the Night Visitors on December 9. This famous holiday opera is about a disabled
boy who tells tall tales to his widowed mother until he is visited by three
kings on their way to
The
Music Department will also present performances by several guest artists as
part of their concert calendar. The
schedule for these performers is:
Don Preston and the
Akashic Ensemble - October 1
A member for many years of Frank
Zappa’s original Mothers of Invention, this synthesizer pioneer presents a
lecture/performance with André Cholmondeley and Cheri
Jiosne.
Martha Mooke’s Viola
X-Treme! -
October 8
This electric 5-string violist/composer/progressive
recording artist presents a plugged in concert of original music and works
written for her by leading composers on the new music scene. (Martha Mooke will also be offering a free clinic at
The Art of Flamenco Guitar - October 10
Internationally acclaimed flamenco
guitarist
Lee Shaw Trio - October 17
Pianist and
Jazz-Hall-of-Famer Lee Shaw performs with bassist Rich Syracuse and drummer
Jeff Siegel in a program of jazz standards and original compositions of the
virtuosic “bop” genre.
Ernie Williams and his
Band -
November 15
A concert by the blues
legend and recording artist, a star performer in theaters, clubs and festivals
from
Several
concerts on the calendar also feature guest artists, this time performing with
faculty members.
Joel Engel, Pioneer of
Jewish Art Music -
September 19
The compositional output from the
“father of Jewish national music” consists of many songs and duets published in
Yiddish, Russian and Hebrew as well as arrangements of Jewish folk songs for
violin and piano. His rarely performed Hadibuk Suite based on the famous Dybbuk
tale will be featured in this concert by soprano Gene Marie Callahan Kern,
mezzo-soprano Frances Pallozzi Wittmann, violinist Leo Milman, pianist M.
Rahima Hohlstein and the University Chamber Singers.
Bringing a uniquely
explosive, creative edge to jazz performance, this trio on piano, electronics,
bass and drums interweaves conventional and unconventional tunes and modes of
improvisation into a dynamic and beautiful musical stew.
The Parnas/
Findlay
Pianist Findlay
Music for Violin and
Piano -
November 18
Capital Trio - April 3
Pianist Duncan Cumming, violinist
Song of Songs - April 6
In a
multi-media production,
Rounding out the concert
schedule are performances by the Department’s ensembles, students, faculty and
guest ensembles. Performers and dates
are as follows:
Music and the Spirit - September 24
Music of Wagner, Sibelius, Chopin
and Ravel will be woven together with commentary and readings from African,
Oriental and Euro-American traditions to present a “concert of ideas” which
examines music, the spirit and the imagination.
Richard Albagli and friends performs this creative juxtaposition of
elements inviting and challenging the audience to open up their minds and
imaginations to the power of music.
Beethoven Piano Sonatas: Program VIII
- September 29
& 30
Professor Emeritus Findlay
University Symphony
Orchestra - October
21, March 16 & May 4
Students,
faculty and community members comprise this large ensemble which offers three
Sunday evening programs this season.
University Concert
Band & Jazz Ensemble - October 29 & March 19
Presenting a shared program, these
two instrumental ensembles made up of students and community members perform
under the direction of
Turns of Centuries - November 8
Pianist Duncan Cumming performs music composed at the beginning of
the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries by Weber,
Debussy and William Matthews, at a time when all three were setting out on a
new path. The program also features the
music of Chopin, another great innovator striking a new course, and the world
premiere of the Matthews’ work.
Capital Collegiate
Choral Festival VIII - November 11
The University Chorale
and the University Chamber Singers are joined by a host of area choruses
including those from the
Music Department Student
Recitals -
November 14 and December 4
A host of performers
showcase their vocal and instrumental talents as part of their departmental
studies.
The University Music Department
ensembles -- the Chorale, Chamber Singers, Concert Band and Symphony Orchestra
-- are joined by student groups -- Serendipity, Earth Tones and Angelic Voices
of Praise -- for a concert celebrating the season.
University Percussion
Ensemble -
December 3
The UAlbany ensemble is
joined by the RPI Percussion Ensemble for a concert of music of many styles
from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Mozart and Bartok - February 10
UAlbany faculty members
Songs My Students Taught
Me -
March 9
Dedicated to her past,
present and future students, Frances Pallozzi Wittmann presents an evening of
song and anecdotes inspired by her years of vocal teaching.
Festival of Contemporary
Music -
March 17
The University
Percussion Ensemble hosts the Empire State Youth and Repertory Ensembles in a
concert of many styles with an emphasis on contemporary works.
Music for Solo Piano - April 17
Faculty member and pianist
Spring Choral Concert
- April 27
The University Chorale and University Chamber
Singers, under the direction of David M. Janower, provide choral delights for a
spring evening.
University Concert
Band and Percussion Ensemble - May 5
Presenting a shared
program, these instrumental ensembles made up of students and community members
perform under the direction of faculty members
Tickets and subscriptions
are available now by mailing orders to the
- 30 -
The performance by the
EastRiver Ensemble is presented by the
The residency by Nai-Ni
Chen Dance Company is presented by the Performing Arts Center with funding
support provided by the College of Arts and Sciences, Office of the Provost,
Office of International
The Dangerous Music Project
lecture/demonstrations are presented by the
The performance of From the Horse’s Mouth is presented by
Partners in Dance with support from the NYS DanceForce through funding from the
New York State Council on the Arts Dance Program and Altria Group, Inc.
