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Press Releases
Celebrity Series of Boston Announces 75th Season
May 3, 2013 | By Stephanie Janes
(Boston) The Celebrity Series of Boston announced its 2013-2014, 75th anniversary season today, marking 75 years of bringing the world's greatest performing artists to Boston. The season opens on Saturday, September 28, 2013 with jazz tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins in a concert that is also the highlight of the 2013 Beantown Jazz Festival. In total, the 2013-2014 season will include 57 music, dance and entertainment engagements, for a total of 75 performances, along with various commemorative events in honor of the 75th season.
The Boston Globe is the 75th Season Print Media Sponsor.
The 2013-2014 season offers a five-performance debut series, two orchestras, thirteen ensembles, eight piano recitals, five instrumental recitals, five vocal recitals, eleven jazz and popular song performances, seven dance and physical movement companies and two spoken word performances. Rob Kapilow will host two What Makes It Great? programs and there will be two public events and two anniversary celebration events. Celebrity Series events in the 2013-2014 season will take place in NEC's Jordan Hall, Symphony Hall, Pickman Hall, Boston Opera House, Berklee Performance Center, Sanders Theatre, Shubert Theatre, the Calderwood Pavilion and the Citi Wang Theatre.
SUBSCRIPTION AND SINGLE
Subscription sales, both online and by mail, will begin on April 18, 2013. Online subscriptions will be available beginning at 9:00am on April 18 at www.celebrityseries.org. Subscription brochures with ticket order forms will be mailed the week of April 18. Subscription sales include half-price child ticket pricing for most events. Persons who wish to receive a copy of the new brochure should email brochures@celebrityseries.org or write to Celebrity Series of Boston, 20 Park Plaza, Suite 1032, Boston, MA 02116.
Subscription orders by phone will begin on Monday, June 10, 2013, and single ticket sales for most events will begin on Monday, September 9, 2013.
BOSTON DEBUTS
The 2013-2014 season will feature the Boston debuts of pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, pianist Yuja Wang (recital debut), violinist Leonidas Kavakos (recital debut), Danish String Quartet, Quatuor Ebene, the Jerusalem String Quartet, the TAO Dance Theater, baritone Gerald Finley (recital debut), pianist Cedric Tiberghein and soprano Natalie Dessay (recital debut).
CELEBRITY SERIES DEBUTS
Making their Celebrity Series debuts during the 2013-2014 season are: Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, Gryphon Trio, Kirill Gerstein, Sasha Cooke and Opus 1, Compagnie Kafig, Lionel Lueke, Gregoire Maret, Gustavo Dudamel, Wendy Whelan, Lars Vogt, Circus Oz, Clarice and Carolina Assad, Nicholas Phan, Dave Douglas, Geri Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington, Anthony Marwood and Martin Frost.
THE DEBUT SERIES
The Debut Series continues for the second year at Pickman Hall with pianist Benjamin Grosvenor, Danish String Quartet, mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and Opus 1 with clarinetist David Shifrin, pianist Cedric Tiberghien and tenor Nicholas Phan. The Debut Series is sponsored by Harriet and David Greisinger and the Longy School of Music at Bard College.
BOSTON PREMIERES
Among the works receiving their Boston premieres in 2013-2014 include Voigt Lessons with soprano Deborah Voigt and pianist Kevin Stites, performed over two evenings. Marc-Andr? Hamelin will perform the U.S. premiere of his new work for piano, Barcarolle. Pianist Kirill Gerstein will debut Old Friend, composed by Timothy Andres. Songs for mezzo, clarinet and piano quartet by composer Lowell Liebermann and co-commissioned by the Celebrity Series of Boston, will be performed by clarinetist David Shifrin, soprano Sasha Cooke and Opus 1. The Celebrity Series co-commission of Handel's opera, Acis and Galatea, created by Mark Morris and performed by the Mark Morris Dance Group, makes its East Coast premiere May 15, 2014 (see below).
MARC-ANDRE HAMELIN: THE ART OF THE PIANO
In tribute to Celebrity Series founder Aaron Richmond, himself an accomplished pianist, Marc-Andre Hamelin curates three concerts with some of his closest musical friends in a project called The Art of the Piano. The project launches with a solo recital by Mr. Hamelin on Sunday, December 8 at NEC's Jordan Hall. The recital program will include the U.S. premiere of Hamelin's new work, Barcarolle. The second segment is a duo-piano concert with pianist Emanuel Ax on Sunday, April 13, 2014 at Symphony Hall; media partner for both events is WGBH 99.5 All Classical. Hamelin's third performance of The Art of the Piano is a chamber music performance with violinist Anthony Marwood and Swedish clarinetist Martin Frost., both in their Celebrity Series debuts on Friday, May 2, 2014 at NEC's Jordan Hall; media partner is WGBH 99.5 All Classical. The first two concerts in The Art of the Piano are Aaron Richmond Recitals.
MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP: ACIS AND GALATEA
A fully-staged production of Mozart's arrangement of Handel's opera, Acis and Galatea, created by director and choreographer Mark Morris and performed by the Mark Morris Dance Group, makes its East Coast premiere May 15-18, 2014 at the Citi Shubert Theatre. Acis and Galatea is co-commissioned by the Celebrity Series of Boston and will be performed with the Handel and Haydn Society Period Instrument Orchestra and Chorus. Vocal soloists for Acis and Galatea are Thomas Cooley, Acis; Sherezade Panthaki, Galatea; Douglas Williams, Polyphemus, and Zach Finkelstein, Damon. Sponsored by Amy and Joshua Boger, Jann Leeming and Arthur Little and Frank and Eleanor Pao, with additional support provided by Martha H. Jones.
ORCHESTRAS
Celebrity Series will present the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under musical director Zubin Mehta on Wednesday, March 19, 2014 at Symphony Hall in a performance of Bruckner's 8th Symphony. The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra directed by Gustavo Dudamel will perform Corigliano's Symphony No. 1 and Tchaikovsky's 5th Symphony at Symphony Hall on Sunday, March 23, 2014; sponsored by Amy and Joshua Boger, media partner is WGBH 99.5 All Classical.
PIANISTS
The 2013-2014 Celebrity Series season will feature eight piano recitals, starting with Yuja Wang in her Boston recital debut on Friday, October 18, 2013 at NEC's Jordan Hall in a program that includes works by Albeniz, Granados, and Liszt; media partner is WGBH 99.5 All Classical.
On Friday, November 1, 2013 at NEC's Jordan Hall, Andras Schiff performs J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations and Beethoven's Diabelli Variations as part of The Bach Project. Schiff's performance is an Aaron Richmond Recital. Benjamin Grosvenor performs as part of the Debut Series on Tuesday, November 5, 2013 at Pickman Hall; media partner is WGBH 99.5 All Classical.
Pianist Kirill Gerstein makes his Celebrity Series debut Friday, January 31, 2014 at NEC's Jordan Hall; sponsored by the D.L Saunders Real Estate Corp; An Aaron Richmond Recital. Cedric Tiberghien makes his Boston recital debut on Wednesday, February 19, 2014 at Pickman Hall with a program of Liszt, Szymanowski and Ravel. This performance is part of the Debut Series. Evgeny Kissin performs Sunday, March 16, 2014 at 5pm at Symphony Hall. See information on page 3 about Marc-Andre Hamelin's three Art of The Piano performances.
CHAMBER ENSEMBLES
Cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han will perform Beethoven's Complete Sonatas for Piano and Cello on Sunday, October 27, 2013 at NEC's Jordan Hall; sponsored by the D.L. Saunders Real Estate Corp. Danish String Quartet will perform works by Abrahamsen, Mendelssohn and Debussy in their Debut Series recital on Wednesday, November 13, 2013.
Friday, January 24, 2014, What Makes It Great? with Rob Kapilow features Mendelssohn's Trio in D minor with the Gryphon Trio at NEC's Jordan Hall; media partner is WGBH 99.5 All Classical. What Makes It Great? is sponsored by Amy and Joshua Boger. Tuesday, January 28, mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke and Opus 1--Ida Kavafian, violin; Steven Tenenbaum, viola; Peter Wiley, cello; and Anne-Marie McDermott, piano--make their Celebrity Series debuts with clarinetist David Shifrin. The program will include the Celebrity Series co-commission of Songs for mezzo, clarinet and piano by composer Lowell Liebermann at Pickman Hall as part of the Debut Series.
The French string quartet Quatuor Ebene make their Boston debut with a program of Mozart, Bartok and jazz selections on Friday, February 28, 2014 at NEC's Jordan Hall; media partner is WGBH 99.5 All Classical. Jerusalem String Quartet will make their Boston debut on Saturday, March 29, 2014, with a program of Haydn, Shostakovich and Brahms at NEC's Jordan Hall; sponsored by the D.L. Saunders Real Estate Corp.; An Aaron Richmond Recital.
Takacs Quartet performs the complete Bartok string quartet cycle in two separate concerts over March and April. On Thursday, March 20, 2014, they will perform quartets Nos. 1, 3 and 5 and on Friday, April 11, 2014 they will perform Nos. 2, 4 and 6. Both performances will take place at NEC's Jordan Hall and are sponsored by Gabor Garai, Hungarian Consul General, and the Hungarian Society of Massachusetts.
ENSEMBLES
Bela Fleck's Banjo Summit will take place on Thursday, October 10, 2013 at Sanders Hall featuring banjo players Bela Fleck, Bill Keith, Eric Weissberg, Noam Pikelny, Richie Stearns and Tony Trischka. Guitarists Sergio and Odair Assad will be joined by pianist Clairice Assad; guitarist Badi Assad and vocalist Carolina Assad for The Assad Family--A Brazilian Songbook on Saturday, April 5, 2014 at NEC's Jordan Hall; sponsored by the D.L. Saunders Real Estate Corp.
INSTRUMENTALISTS
Chris Thile, mandolin player and MacArthur 'Genius' Grant recipient, will perform a solo concert of Bach sonatas and partitas in addition to his own compositions and contemporary pieces at Sanders Hall on Sunday, October 20, 2013; media partner is WGBH 99.5 All Classical. On Sunday, November 17, 2013, violinist Joshua Bell will perform in recital at Symphony Hall; sponsored by Tufts Health Plan and the D.L. Saunders Real Estate Corp., media partner is WGBH 99.5 All Classical.
Violinist Leonidas Kavakos will make his Boston recital debut with pianist Enrico Pace in a program including Beethoven Sonatas Nos. 1, 8 and 9 on Sunday, February 23, 2014 at NEC's Jordan Hall. Cellist Yo-Yo Ma and pianist Kathryn Stott, will perform a recital of works by Stravinsky, Villa-Lobos, Piazzolla, Messiaen and Brahms on Friday, March 21, 2014 at Symphony Hall; sponsored by Eleanor and Frank Pao, media partner is WGBH 99.5 All Classical.
Violinist Christian Tetzlaff and pianist Lars Vogt will perform a program of Mozart, Bartok, Webern and Beethoven on Sunday, March 30, 2014 at NEC's Jordan Hall; sponsored by the D.L. Saunders Real Estate Corp.; An Aaron Richmond Recital.
CLASSICAL VOCAL RECITALS
Soprano Deborah Voigt brings her engaging one-woman autobiographical show, Voigt Lessons, to the Calderwood Pavilion on Thursday, November 21 and Friday, November 22, 2013. Developed with playwright Terrence McNally and director Francesca Zambello, Voigt Lessons is an engaging and intimate evening of her life stories and songs. Deborah Voigt returns on Sunday, April 27, 2014 for a Symphony Hall recital with pianist Brian Zeger featuring songs by Amy Beach, Richard Strauss, Respighi, Tchaikovsky, Ben Moore and Bernstein. Deborah Voigt in Recital is sponsored by Eleanor and Frank Pao.
On Friday, February 7, 2014, Canadian baritone Gerald Finley makes his Boston recital debut with Schubert's song cycle Winterreise with pianist Julius Drake at NEC's Jordan Hall; sponsored by Tufts Health Plan and the D.L. Saunders Real Estate Corp., media partner is WGBH 99.5 All Classical.
Soprano Natalie Dessay will make her Boston debut with pianist Philippe Cassard in a program featuring works by Clara Schumann, Brahms, Pfitzner, Strauss, Poulenc, Duparc, Chabrier, Chausson and Debussy at NEC's Jordan Hall on Saturday, March 8, 2014; sponsored by the D.L. Saunders Real Estate Corp, media partner is WGBH 99.5 All Classical.
Tenor Nicholas Phan will make his Celebrity Series debut with pianist Myra Huang in a recital featuring works by Benjamin Britten on Thursday, April 17, 2014 in Pickman Hall as part of the Debut Series.
Russian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky concludes the vocal performances for the season in a recital with pianist Ivar Ilja in a program of Rachmaninoff, Medtner and Tchaikovsky on Saturday, May 10, 2014 at NEC's Jordan Hall; media partner is WGBH 99.5 All Classical.
POPULAR VOCALISTS
On Sunday, November 3, 2013 at NEC's Jordan Hall, What Makes It Great? with Rob Kapilow, Rebecca Luker and Michael Winther pay tribute to Tin Pan Alley master songwriter Harold Arlen with their program Over the Rainbow: The Songs of Harold Arlen; media partner is WGBH 99.5 All Classical. What Makes It Great? is sponsored by Amy and Joshua Boger.
Brian Stokes Mitchell brings the program Simply Broadway on Thursday, January 23, 2014 at Sanders Theatre. The a cappella ensemble Sweet Honey in the Rock brings the program Forty and Fierce! in celebration of their 40 years as an ensemble on Sunday, March 2, 2014 at Symphony Hall; sponsored by Charlesbank Capital Partners, LLC.
SPOKEN WORD
Ira Glass, talks about the creation of his hit NPR series, This American Life, in 'Reinventing Radio' on Sunday, March 9, 2014 at Symphony Hall. Comic artist and creator of Maus, Art Spiegelman, will give a lecture with images entitled 'What the %@&! Happened to Comics?' on Friday, May 9, 2014 at Sanders Theatre; sponsored by the D.L. Saunders Real Estate Corp., media partner is 90.9 WBUR.
JAZZ
The Celebrity Series 2013-2014 season will kick off with legendary tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins on Saturday, September 28, 2013 at the Boston Opera House, which will also be the highlight performance of the 2013 Beantown Jazz Festival and is co-presented with the Berklee College of Music.
Abyssinian: A Gospel Celebration, featuring Jazz at Lincoln Center with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and Chorale le Chateau will perform on Sunday, October 27, 2013 at 7pm with conductor Damien Sneed at Symphony Hall; media partner is 89.7 WGBH.
Symphony Hall is the site of jazz saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter's 80th Birthday Celebration on Sunday, November 24, 2013 at 5pm. Mr. Shorter will be joined by his quartet, pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Brian Blade. Also performing will be Sound Prints: Joe Lovano / Dave Douglas Quintet: Joe Lovano, tenor saxophone; Dave Douglas; trumpet; Lawrence Fields, piano; Linda Oh, bass and Joey Barron, drums; and ACS: Allen, Carrington, Spaulding: Geri Allen, piano; Terri Lyne Carrington, drums; Esperanza Spalding, bass. The Wayne Shorter 80th Birthday Celebration is sponsored by PTC.
On Saturday, January 25, 2014, the Luciana Souza Trio with special guests, guitarist Lionel Loueke and jazz harmonica player Gregoire Maret come to the Sanders Theatre; sponsored by Amy and Joshua Boger. The Newport Jazz Festival celebrates its 60-year legacy with Newport Jazz Festival: NOW 60 on Thursday, February 13, 2014 at the Berklee Performance Center. The band is led by clarinetist Anat Cohen, joined by vocalist Karrin Allyson, trumpeter Randy Brecker, guitarist Mark Whitfield, pianist Peter Martin, bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Clarence Penn. Sponsored by Donna and Mike Egan; media partner for this performance is 89.7 WGBH.
The DeJohnette, Lovano, Spalding, Genovese Quartet with drummer Jack DeJohnette, saxophonist Joe Lovano, bassist Esperanza Spalding and pianist Leo Genovese will perform at Sanders Theatre on Thursday, March 6, 2014; sponsored by Amy and Joshua Boger and Tufts Health Plan, media partner is 89.7 WGBH. The Vijay Iyer Trio with special guest Robert Pinsky/POEMJAZZ appear at Sanders Theatre on Friday, March 14, 2014 for an evening of poetry and jazz; media partner is 90.9 WBUR.
On Friday, April 4, 2014 at the Berklee Performance Center, pianist Jason Moran pays a unique homage to the great jazz pianist Fats Waller with his Fats Waller Dance Party; sponsored by Donna and Mike Egan. Renowned composer Maria Schneider brings the Maria Schneider Orchestra to the Berklee Performance Center on Saturday, April 26, 2014; sponsored by Donna and Mike Egan.
DANCE
The Paul Taylor Dance Company launches the Celebrity Series dance series Friday-Sunday, November 1-3, 2013 at the Citi Shubert Theatre; sponsored by Foley & Lardner, LLP; media partner is WGBH. The French hip hop ensemble Compagnie Kafig, directed by choreographer Mourad Merzouki, makes its Boston debut at the Citi Shubert Theatre Friday-Sunday, February 7-9, 2014; media partner is WGBH. Also making their Boston debut is TAO Dance Theater, performing at the Citi Shubert Theatre Thursday - Friday, February 27-28, 2014; sponsored by the D.L. Saunders Real Estate Corp., media partner is WGBH.
New York City Ballet principal dancer Wendy Whelan, makes her Boston debut in Restless Creature, Friday-Saturday, March 28-29, 2014 at the Citi Shubert Theatre. Restless Creature is a collaboration with four young choreographers, Kyle Abraham, Joshua Beamish, Brian Brooks and Alejandro Cerrudo, to create a suite of duets that will be performed by Wendy and each of the four choreographers in turn. Sponsored by Jann E. Leeming and Spring Sirkin, media partner is WGBH.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will return for five performances Thursday-Sunday, May 1-4, 2014 at the Citi Wang Theatre; sponsored by Tufts Health Plan.
See Mark Morris Dance Group, Acis and Galatea, on page 3.
The Dance Series is sponsored by the Little Family Foundation and the John S. and Cynthia Reed Foundation.
FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT
Circus Oz, the National Circus of Australia, bring their exciting show, From the Ground Up, to Boston for six performances Wednesday-Sunday, February 19-23, 2014 at Citi Shubert Theatre.
PUBLIC EVENTS
In celebration of the 75th season of Celebrity Series of Boston, the organization will partner with British artist Luke Jerram to bring his installation, Play Me I'm Yours to Boston from Friday, September 27 to Monday, October 14, 2013. Reaching over two million people worldwide, more than 700 pianos have now been installed in cities across the globe, from New York to Sydney, bearing the simple instruction, 'Play Me, I'm Yours.' Located in public spaces, the pianos are available for any member of the public to play and enjoy. Celebrity Series will be installing 75 pianos throughout the Boston area to commemorate the anniversary season. Sponsored by Jann E. Leeming & Arthur D. Little and Eleanor & Frank Pao.
From Friday-Sunday, May 16-18, 2014, Celebrity Series will present Le Grand Contintental by Montreal-based choreographer Sylvian Emard, an outdoor dance party in Copley Square consisting of volunteer dancers from all over Boston. The dancers prepare and present this colorful and infectious 30-minute dance event in the heart of Boston. Le Grand Continental is a co-production of Sylvain Emard Danse and the Festival TransAmerique. To learn more and sign up to be part of Le Grand Continental, visit www.celebrityseries.org.
'I'm thrilled to partner with the City of Boston in bringing these two public events to life,' said Gary Dunning, Celebrity Series President and Executive Director. 'Bringing music and dance to Boston is the core mission of the Celebrity Series, and we thank the Mayor and his offices for their support of these two projects.'
'I want to congratulate Celebrity Series of Boston on 75 years of bringing the world's greatest performing artists to our city," Mayor Thomas M. Menino said. "The public piano festival, Play Me I'm Yours, and public dance event, Le Grand Continental, will give residents and visitors a chance to make music and celebrate dance in the streets of Boston through this exciting public art installation.'
SPECIAL EVENTS
The 75th Season Kickoff Party to celebrate Street Pianos Boston takes place on Saturday, October 5, 2013 at the Galleria at 10 St. James Avenue with an evening of food, drinks, and celebration, in partnership with Opus Affair and sponsored by Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse.
The 75th Anniversary Gala will be held on Saturday, April 12 at 6:30pm at The Park Plaza Castle. Join the Celebrity Series for a celebration 75 years in the making with a spectacular evening that will recognize the Celebrity Series' long and illustrious history and its impact on Boston's cultural community. Supporters, patrons and community leaders will come together to celebrate the past, present, and future of the Celebrity Series of Boston during this black-tie affair featuring special guest performances.
SUBSCRIBER BONUS CONCERT
As a special bonus event, subscribers will receive an offer for free tickets to the New England Conservatory Philharmonia with conductor Hugh Wolff concert at Symphony Hall on April 23, 2014. Offers will be sent in the fall.
ABOUT CELEBRITY SERIES OF BOSTON
Celebrity Series of Boston was founded in 1938 by pianist and impresario Aaron Richmond. Over the course of its 75-year history, Celebrity Series has presented an array of the world's greatest performing artists, including Sergei Rachmaninoff, Arturo Toscanini, Ignace Paderewski, Artur Rubenstein, Vladimir Horowitz, Glenn Gould, Fritz Kreisler, Jascha Heifetz, Isaac Stern, Andres Segovia, Kirsten Flagstad, Marian Anderson, Luciano Pavarotti, Bela Bartok, Igor Stravinsky, Martha Graham, Ballet Russe De Monte Carlo, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Mstislav Rostropovich, and the New York City Opera Company.
The Celebrity Series has been bringing the very best performers--from orchestras and chamber ensembles, vocal and piano music, to dance companies, jazz, and more--to Boston's major concert halls for 75 years. The Celebrity Series of Boston believes in the power of excellence and innovation in the performing arts to enrich life experiences, transform lives and build better communities. Through its education initiatives, the Celebrity Series seeks to build a community of Greater Boston where the performing arts are a valued, lifelong, shared experience--on stages, in schools, at home everywhere. For more information on Celebrity Series of Boston, call (617) 482-2595 or visit us online at www.celebrityseries.org.
The Celebrity Series of Boston, Inc. receives generous support from Amy and Joshua Boger; Eleanor and Frank Pao; Donna and Mike Egan; Susanne Marcus Collins Foundation; The Little Family Foundation; Tufts Health Plan; Foley & Lardner LLP; The John S. and Cynthia Reed Foundation; First Republic Bank; The Peabody Foundation; Charlesbank Capital Partners; PTC, The D.L. Saunders Real Estate Corp; Massachusetts Cultural Council; New England Foundation for the Arts. ###
