March 2, 2011
World-class music and dance: The UW World Series announces its 2011-12 season
Subscriptions for all four series are on sale now and may be purchased by contacting the UW Artists Ticket Office at 206-543-4880 or by downloading a subscription order form from the UW World Series web site at uwworldseries.org.
Tickets may also be purchased in person at the UW Arts Ticket Office, located at 3901 University Way NE. Single tickets for all four series will go on sale on June 27, 2011.
The UW World Series has announced the 2011-12 season for its four separate performing arts series that present acclaimed artists from around the globe in dance, chamber music, piano and world music.
The 2011-12 season includes the return of audience favorites such as Pilobolus, Chava Alberstein, Angela Hewitt, and the Emerson String Quartet, as well as exciting new discoveries including Chunky Move, Cedric Watson et Bijoux Creole, Jan Lisiecki, and the Calder Quartet. All shows are at 8 p.m.
The World Dance Series
Pilobolus (USA), Oct. 6-8. Started as an outsider company in 1971, Pilobolus has evolved into a pioneering American cultural institution of the 21st century. This is the company’s sixth appearance as part of the Dance Series.
Alonzo King LINES Ballet (USA), Nov. 17-19. Guided by a uniquely global vision and drawing on a diverse set of deeply rooted cultural traditions, the companys works imbue classical ballet with new expressive potential.
Shen Wei Dance Arts (USA), Feb. 2-4, 2012. This company creates interdisciplinary, cross-cultural performances for forward-looking audiences. Each work incorporates visual and storytelling elements from the theater, Chinese opera, Eastern philosophy, traditional and contemporary visual art and sculpture.
The Pilobolus dance troupe will make its sixth World Series appearance Oct. 6-8. | Photo by John Kane.
Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba (Cuba), March 1-3, 2012. Like an expression of the melting-pot that is Cuban culture, this company combines elements of flamenco, ballet, and folk dance with Spanish and afro-Cuban rhythms. Last seen by UW audiences 10 years ago.
Chunky Move (Australia), World Series debut, Apr. 12-14, 2012. Founded in 1995, this group has earned a reputation for producing a distinct yet unpredictable brand of genre-defying dance performance, seeing to redefine contemporary dance within an ever-evolving Australian culture.
Introdans (Netherlands), World Series debut, May 10-12, 2012. From humble beginnings in 1971, this company remains true to its mission to present high quality dance to a broad public. Since 2009 Introdans has been designated part of the basic national infrastructure of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.
World Music and Theatre Series
Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni ba (Mali), World Series debut, Nov. 12. Kouyate is a virtuoso picker and musical visionary whose work blurs the lines between West African and American roots music. Bassekou has jammed with Bonnie Raitt, explored blues and country music with Taj Mahal and created freewheeling improvisations with banjo maverick Bela Fleck.
Chava Alberstein (Israel), Dec. 10. One of Israels most popular and enduring singers and a gifted storyteller with a husky, soulful voice reminiscent of Edith Piaf. Over the past 30 years, she has recorded more than 50 albums, many that have gone gold, platinum, or even triple platinum. In Seattle, she will perform a mix of old favorites and new compositions sung in Hebrew, Yiddish, and English.
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Ladysmith Black Mambazo (South Africa), World Series debut, March 10, 2012. Singing the songs of Africa for four decades, this a capella group rose to international fame when Paul Simon featured them on his Grammy-winning album, Graceland. Their voices marry the intricate rhythms and harmonies of their native South African musical traditions to the sounds and sentiments of gospel music, resulting in musical and spiritual alchemy that has touched a worldwide audience.
Cedric Watson et Bijoux Creole (USA), World Series debut, April 28, 2012. One of the most notable young talents to emerge in Cajun or Creole music in the past few years, 2011 Grammy-nominated Watson is a fiddler, vocalist, accordionist and songwriter of seemingly unlimited potential. Drawn to the old-style of French song from Southern Louisiana, the Texas native and his band play a variety of old-school zydeco styles, original material and Creole traditions.
Presidents Piano Series
Angela Hewitt
Till Fellner (Austria), World Series debut, Oct. 18. Scrupulous musicianship, purity of style, and sparkling keyboard command — Fellners qualities that have earned him plaudits throughout Europe, the United States and Japan. His readings of the works of Bach and Beethoven in particular have already placed him among the elite in this repertoire.
Nikolai Lugansky (Russia), Nov. 15. Capable of great refinement and sensitivity in Mozart and Schumann, and breathtaking virtuosity in Rachmaninov and Prokofiev, Nikolai Lugansky is a pianist of extraordinary depth and versatility.
Jan Lisiecki (Canada), World Series debut, Feb. 8, 2012. A piano prodigy at 9 and still only 16, this Calgary-based pianist has performed as a soloist with orchestras internationally, demonstrating extraordinary musicality and flawless t
echnique.
Garrick Ohlsson (USA), March 7, 2012. Well known to Seattle audiences, Ohlsson will mark his 13th performance with the series. Since his triumph as winner of the 1970 Chopin International Piano Competition, he has established himself worldwide as a musician of magisterial interpretive and technical prowess.
Angela Hewitt (Canada), May 15, 2012. She has established herself as one of the worlds best known and most respected pianists. Her 10-year project to record all the major keyboard works of Bach has been described as “one of the record glories of our age” and has won her a huge following.
International Chamber Music Series
Carpe Diem String Quartet (USA), World Series debut, Oct. 4. With their innovative programming, thematic concerts, and electrifying performances, these musicians are committed to bringing new audiences to chamber music. Expect an exciting evening of unexpected selections superbly played.
Cuarteto Casals (Spain), Nov. 8. One of Europes most distinguished string quartets, this Spanish ensemble has garnered extensive critical acclaim and won top prizes at many international competitions.
Trio con Brio Copenhagen (Denmark), Jan. 18, 2012. Critics have praised these players — Korean sisters Soo-Jin Hong and Soo-Kyung Hong and Danish pianist Jens Elvekjaer — for their “sparkling joie de vivre” and “magic dialogue.” The trio belongs unquestionably to the upper echelons of young chamber ensembles performing today.
The Ritz Chamber Players (USA), Feb. 15, 2012. Hailed by The Baltimore Sun as “one of the most interesting and dynamic ensembles to emerge in recent years,” this groups flexible structure of instrumentation allows for astonishing combinations of virtuoso players and rising stars, creating riveting and dynamic performances of chamber music repertoire.
Calder Quartet (USA), World Series debut, March 14, 2012. Inspired by the innovative American artist Alexander Calder, this group continues to expand its unique array of projects by performing traditional quartet repertoire as well as partnering with innovative modern composers, emerging musicians, and performers across genres.
Emerson String Quartet (USA), April 17, 2012. Anchoring the International Chamber Music Series since its 1988 Seattle debut at Meany, this quartet had 90 worldwide engagements this past season alone and shows no signs of slowing down.
