Celebrity Series of Boston Announces 2018-2019 Season

CELEBRITY SERIES OF BOSTON ANNOUNCES 80^th SEASON | 2018-2019

Highlights of the 2018-2019 Season include:

• Jazz Along the Charles: A Walkable Concert with 25 jazz bands September 23 along the Charles River Esplanade in Boston
  
• A new artistic initiative focused on emerging dance ensembles with live music and Boston debuts at NEC’s Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre
  
• More than 150 Neighborhood Arts concerts, workshops, and classes across Boston neighborhoods and schools
  
• An investment in technology and innovation with a re-designed website
  
• Alan Cumming in his new show, Legal Immigrant, on October 7, 2018 at Symphony Hall
  
• Pianist Emanuel Ax on October 28, 2018 at Symphony Hall
  
• Mark Morris Dance Group in Pepperland, a 50^th Anniversary tribute to The Beatles’ album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, with live music, February 8-10, 2019 at the Boch Center Shubert Theatre
  
• Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato in her Boston recital debut of SONGPLAY on March 1, 2019 at NEC’s Jordan Hall
  
• Monterey Jazz Festival 60^th Anniversary Celebration, starring Cécile McLorin Salvant on March 17, 2019 at Berklee Performance Center
  
• San Francisco Symphony with conductor Michael Tilson Thomas and violinist Christian Tetzlaff on March 24, 2019 at Symphony Hall
  
• Batsheva Dance Company in their Boston Debut, performing Ohad Naharin’sVenezuela, April 5-6, 2018 at the Boch Center Shubert Theatre
  
• Australian Chamber Orchestra with pianist Paul Lewis on April 13, 2019 at NEC’s Jordan Hall
  
• Violinist Itzhak Perlman & pianist Evgeny Kissin, April 22, 2019 at Symphony Hall
  
• Joshua Bell, violin; Jeremy Denk, piano; Steven Isserlis, cello on April 28, 2019 at Symphony Hall
  
• Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, May 2-5, 2019 at the Boch Center Wang Theatre

(Boston—April 11, 2018) The Celebrity Series of Boston announced its 2018-2019 season today, marking 80 years of bringing the world’s greatest performing artists to Boston. In total, the 2018-2019 season will include 50 music, dance, and entertainment mainstage engagements, including a new artistic initiative to present three dance ensembles in their Boston debuts with live music at NEC’s Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre. The season will open on September 23 with Jazz Along the Charles, A Walkable Concert along the Charles River Esplanade featuring 25 jazz ensembles along a 2-mile loop. Neighborhood Arts will feature more than 150 workshops, classes, and concerts in schools and community venues performances across Boston.

The 2018-19 season is sponsored by Amy and Joshua Boger.

Gary Dunning, President and Executive Director of the Celebrity Series of Boston, says, “I am very much looking forward to our 80th season of bringing live performing arts to the Greater Boston area. This season continues the tradition that Aaron Richmond started in our very first year—bringing artists from around the world in order to broaden the cultural experience of Boston audiences. We have Boston debuts in dance, classical music, jazz, and contemporary music. There is a strong mix of long-time favorites of Celebrity Series stages and young artists who bring a new perspective on performance and composition. I hope everyone will explore Celebrity Series’ 2018-2019 season and join in the celebration.

The 2018-2019 season offers thirteen ensembles; five piano recitals; five instrumental recitals; nine human voice or vocal performances; eleven jazz and popular song performances; and seven dance companies, including a new series of three dance performances at the New England Conservatory’s Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre.

Celebrity Series events will take place in NEC’s Jordan Hall (30 Gainsborough Street, Boston), NEC’s Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre (Student Life & Performance Center 255 St. Botolph Street, Boston), Symphony Hall (301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston), Longy’s Pickman Hall (27 Garden Street, Cambridge), Berklee Performance Center (136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston), Sanders Theatre (Memorial Hall, 45 Quincy Street, Cambridge), Boch Center Shubert Theatre (265 Tremont Street, Boston), and the Boch Center Wang Theatre (270 Tremont Street, Boston).

SUBSCRIPTION AND SINGLE TICKET SALES

Subscription sales (any order with three or more events), both online and by mail, will begin on April 11, 2018. Online subscriptions will be available beginning at 9am on April 11 at www.celebrityseries.org. Subscription brochures will be mailed the week of April 11. Subscription sales include half-price child ticket pricing for most events.

The Priority Seating deadline is June 1 and subscription orders by phone will begin on Monday, June 4, 2018, and single ticket sales for most events will begin on Monday, September 10, 2018. The deadline for subscription orders is Friday, October 5, 2018.

Persons who wish to receive a copy of the new brochure or paper order form in the mail should email brochures@celebrityseries.org with their full name and mailing address or write to Celebrity Series of Boston, 20 Park Plaza, Suite 1032, Boston, MA 02116.

BOSTON DEBUTS

The 2018-2019 season will feature the Boston debuts of Academy St. Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble; Batsheva Dance Company; a cappella group Cantus; Dance Heginbotham; Ephrat Asherie Dance; Dover Quartet; Amir ElSaffar’s Two Rivers Ensemble; Mnozil Brass; dance ensemble Sankofa Danzafro; Philharmonix; bass-baritoneLuca Pisaroni; pianist Beatrice Rana; composer Max Richter; and guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas.

CELEBRITY SERIES DEBUTS

Making their Celebrity Series debuts during the 2018-2019 season are ACME (American Contemporary Music Ensemble); cellist Gautier Capuçon; singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin; mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato; guitarist Bill Frisell; tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain; cellist Steven Isserlis; vocalist José James; musician Storm Large; percussionist Pedrito Martinez; percussionist Charles McPherson; rock band OK Go; Cuban jazz pianist Alfredo Rodriguez; singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams; and jazz band The Yellowjackets.

THE DEBUT SERIES

The Debut Series continues for the seventh year at Longy’s Pickman Hall with countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo; Dover Quartet; guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas; pianist Beatrice Rana; and a cappella group Cantus. The Debut Series is sponsored by Harriet and David Griesinger and the Longy School of Music of Bard College.

DANCE AT NEC’S PLIMPTON SHATTUCK BLACK BOX THEATRE

Celebrity Series will launch a new artistic initiative in the 2018-2019 season with performances at NEC’s Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre, an intimate, flexible space in the Student Life & Performance Center at 255 St. Botolph Street, just around the corner from Jordan Hall. This first season’s programming will emphasize dance and, in particular, younger, groundbreaking choreographers and dance ensembles in their Boston debuts with Boston premiere works, all performed to live music. Celebrity Series is proud to deepen its ongoing partnership with the New England Conservatory to include this new performance space and to continue our long-standing tradition of bringing debut performances and new works to Boston.

STAVE SESSIONS

Celebrity Series will present its signature contemporary music series Stave Sessions for the fifth year March 19-23, 2019 at 160 Mass. Ave. Performers to be announced in the fall of 2018. Stave Sessions is sponsored by Margaret Eagle & Eli Rapaport, Susan & Michael Thonis, and the Barr Foundation.

PUBLIC PROJECT: JAZZ ALONG THE CHARLES: A WALKABLE CONCERT

Jazz Along the Charles: A Walkable Concert will take place on Sunday, September 23, 2018 from 2-4pm along the Charles River Esplanade, Boston. On a single fall afternoon, Celebrity Series will produce a free, outdoor concert at a series of connected locations along the Charles River Esplanade. 25 jazz ensembles will interpret the same curated list of Boston-related tunes, each in their own style. While each band is unique, together they will create one collective event that celebrates the great jazz community in Boston today. The audience will stroll along the Charles River on a 2-mile loop, discovering new favorite songs, artists, and areas of the Esplanade, creating a dynamic and evolving jazz concert experience. Jazz Along the Charles is a free public event, part of Celebrity Series’ commitment to free public performance experiences for the people of Boston. Previous Celebrity Series public projects have included Street Pianos Boston (2013 & 2016), Le Grand Continental (2014), and Let’s Dance Boston (2015 & 2017).

Jazz Along the Charles: A Walkable Concert is sponsored by Leslie & Howard Appleby, Amy & Joshua Boger, the Stephanie L. Brown Foundation, Donna & Michael Egan, and the Barr Foundation.

ORCHESTRAS AND ENSEMBLES 

Celebrity Series will present composer and musician Max Richter with the ACME ensemble on Thursday, October 11, 2018 at 8pm at the Berklee Performance Center. With Richter on keyboards and electronics and ACME in quintet form, the ensemble will perform music from Richter’s 2010 release, Infra, and the HBO series The Leftovers.

Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble will make its Boston debut on Friday, October 12, 2018 at 8pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. With members from its world-renowned chamber orchestra, Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble will perform Nielsen Serenata in vano, Françaix Octet, and Schubert Octet in F Major for Winds & Strings, D.803. An Aaron Richmond Recital

OK Go, the rock band famous for their wildly creative videos, brings their unique magic to the stage for The Live Video Tour. The band will perform their songs live and in sync with 20 of their iconic videos, pausing for question/answer sessions with the crowd and special performances. Friday, November 2, 2018 at 8pm at Berklee Performance Center.

Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain, and Edgar Meyer are masterful virtuosos on their respective instruments who move with ease among the worlds of classical, bluegrass and world music. The super group will bring a mix of global grooves and dazzling solos to Sanders Theatre on Saturday, November 17, 2018 at 8pm. Sponsored by Julia Byers & Steven Holtzman.

The Dover Quartet makes their Boston debut as part of the Debut Series on Wednesday, December 5, 2018 at 8pm at Longy’s Pickman Hall. Following a sweep of the 2013 Banff Competition, the ensemble was recently named the Cleveland Quartet Award winner and awarded an Avery Fisher Career Grant. The program consists of Tchaikovsky Quartet No. 3 in E-flat minor, Opus 30; Mason Bates From Amber Frozen; and Dvorák Quartet in A-flat Major, Opus 105. The Debut Series is sponsored by Harriet and David Griesinger and the Longy School of Music of Bard College.

Mnozil Brass, the Austrian brass septet, will bring their program Cirque in their Boston debut to NEC’s Jordan Hall on Saturday, February 9, 2019 at 8pm. Media Partner 99.5 WCRB.

The Hagen Quartet, who first debuted with the Celebrity Series as part of the Debut Series in 2012, make their first return engagement on Saturday, March 23, 2019 at 8pm to NEC’s Jordan Hall. The program consists of Schubert Quartet in A minor, D. 804, “Rosamunde”; Webern Five Movements for String Quartet, Opus 5; and Beethoven Quartet in C-sharp minor, Opus 131. An Aaron Richmond Recital; Media Partner 99.5 WCRB.

San Francisco Symphony with conductor Michael Tilson Thomas returns to the Series on Sunday, March 24, 2019 at 5pm at Symphony Hall. Joined by violin soloist Christian Tetzlaff, they will perform one of Tilson Thomas’s own compositions, Agnegram; Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E minor, Opus 64; and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 in E-flat Major, “Eroica.” Sponsored by Foley & Lardner, LLP with additional support provided by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany.

So Percussion will perform Steve Reich’s early-1970s masterwork, Drumming, a piece inspired by the music of Ghana. The ensemble will make its first return performance on the Series since their debut in 2016 as part of the new music festival Stave Sessions on Thursday, March 28, 2019 at 8pm at Sanders Theatre.

Australian Chamber Orchestra led by Richard Tognetti will be joined by pianist Paul Lewis on Saturday, April 13, 2018 at 8pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. They will perform Bach The Art of Fugue: Contrapunctus I – IV; Mozart Piano Concerto No. 12 in A Major, K.414; Beethoven String Quartet, Opus 130 (arr. for string orchestra); and Beethoven Grosse Fugue, Opus 133 (arr. for string orchestra).

Collaborators violinist Joshua Bell, cellist Steven Isserlis, and pianist Jeremy Denk join forces on Sunday, April 28, 2019 at 5pm at Symphony Hall. The trio will perform a Mendelssohn Trio (TBD); Shostakovich Trio No. 2 in E minor; Rachmaninoff Trio élégiaque No. 1 in G minor; and Ravel Trio in A minor. Media Partner 99.5 WCRB.

Philharmonix, comprised of members of the Vienna Philharmonic, two Berlin Philharmonic soloists, one of the most versatile Austrian pianists, and a singing violinist, make their Boston debut on Friday, May 3, 2018 at 8pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. Sponsored by Sally Seaver, PhD; 
Media Partner 99.5 WCRB.

PIANISTS

The 2018-2019 Celebrity Series season will feature five piano recitals, beginning with Emanuel Ax on Sunday, October 28, 2018 at 3pm at Symphony Hall. His program isBach Partita No. 1 in B flat Major, BWV825; Schoenberg Six Little Piano Pieces, Opus 19; Schumann Fantasiestücke, Opus 12; Ravel Valses Nobles et Sentimentales;Chopin Mazurkas TBD, Andante Spianato and Grand Polonaise Brillante, Opus 22. An Aaron Richmond Recital. Sponsored by Dorothy & Stephen Weber. Media Partner 99.5 WCRB.

Pianist Inon Barnatan returns to the Series for his fourth engagement on Sunday, November 18, 2018 at 3pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. He will perform Bach Toccata in E Minor, BWV 914; Handel Allemande from Suite in E Major, HWV 430; Rameau Courante from Suite in A minor, RCT 5; Couperin L’Atalante; Ravel Rigaudon from Le tombeau de Couperin; Adès Blanca Variations; Ligeti Musica Ricercata No. 10 and No. 11; Barber Fugue from Sonata in E minor; and Brahms Variations & Fugue on a Theme by Handel. An Aaron Richmond Recital.

Rob Kapilow and recent Debut Series pianist Orion Weiss take on one of Beethoven’s greatest and most technically challenging piano works, Sonata No. 23, Opus 57, the “Appassionata,” as part of What Makes It Great? on Sunday, December 2, 2018 at 3pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. Sponsored by Amy and Joshua Boger.

Leif Ove Andsnes performs a solo recital on Friday, January 18, 2019 at 8pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. The program consists of R. Schumann Three Romances, Opus 28; Janácek On an Overgrown Path, Book 1; Bartók Three Burlesques, Opus 8; and Schumann Carnaval, Opus 9. An Aaron Richmond Recital. Sponsored in memory of Blanche & George Jones.

Italian pianist Beatrice Rana makes her Boston debut as part of the Debut Series on Wednesday, February 27, 2019 at 8pm at Longy’s Pickman Hall. Just 24 years old, Rana won the Silver Medal and Audience Award at the 2013 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. She will perform Chopin Ètudes, Opus 25; Ravel Miroirs;Stravinsky/Agosti The Firebird. The Debut Series is sponsored by Harriet and David Griesinger and the Longy School of Music of Bard College.

Pianist Kirill Gerstein and pianist and composer Thomas Adès will perform on Friday, March 15, 2019 at 8pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. They will perform Debussy En Blanc et Noir; Stravinsky/Shostakovich Symphony of Psalms; Lutoslawski, Variations on a theme by Paganini; Debussy, Lindaraja; Adès, Concert paraphrase on Powder Her Face; and Ravel, La Valse. The performance is a co-presentation with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

INSTRUMENTALISTS

Violinist Gil Shaham and pianist Akira Eguchi perform in recital on Friday, November 16, 2018 at 8pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. The program consists of Leclair Sonata in D Major, Opus 9; Wheeler, The Singing Turk; Prokofiev, Five Melodies; Kreisler, Praeludium and Allegro (In the Style of Pagnani); and Franck, Sonata in A Major. Media Partner WCRB.

Spanish guitarist Pablo Sáinz Villegas makes his Boston debut as part of the Debut Series on Wednesday, January 23, 2019 at 8pm at Longy’s Pickman Hall. He will perform Heitor Villa-Lobos Five Preludes; Luiz Bonfa´ Passeio no Rio – Samba; Pedro Eli´as Gutie´rrez         Alma Llanera – Joropo; Roland Dyens Tango en Ska¨I; Agusti´n Barrios Mangore´   Un Suen~o en la Floresta; Leonard Bernstein Selections from West Side Story; and Antonio Lauro Seis por Derecho – Joropo. The Debut Series is sponsored by Harriet and David Griesinger and the Longy School of Music of Bard College.

Cellist Alisa Weilerstein performs the Complete Bach Cello Suites on Friday, February 15, 2019 at 7pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. Media Partner 99.5 WCRB.

Cellist Gautier Capuçon and pianist Yuja Wang perform in recital on Saturday, April 6, 2019 at 8pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. This recital marks Yuja Wang’s fourth Celebrity Series appearance, and Gautier Capuçon’s Celebrity Series debut. The will perform Chopin, Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor; Chopin, Polonaise Brillante in C Major; and Franck, Sonata for Cello and Piano in A Major. Sponsored by Zachary Haroutunian and The Garbis & Arminé Barsoumian Charitable Foundation. Media Partner 99.5 WCRB.

Violinist Itzhak Perlman and pianist Evgeny Kissin perform in recital on Monday, April 22, 2019 at 8pm at Symphony Hall. Their recital will include Brahms Violin Sonata No. 2 in A Major; Beethoven Violin Sonata No. 9 in A Major, “Kreutzer”; and a Mozart Violin Sonata TBD. Sponsored by Melinda & James Rabb. Media Partner 99.5 WCRB.

THE HUMAN VOICE

Alan Cumming—actor, singer, author, and activist—returns with his new cabaret show, Legal Immigrant on Sunday, October 7, 2018 at 7pm at Symphony Hall. The multi-genre performer has played Eli Gold on CBS's The Good Wife, stole the show as the Tony Award-winning Emcee in Cabaret, and currently hosts PBS's Masterpiece Mystery. Sponsored by Reuben Reynolds & Bill Casey.

American countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo makes his Celebrity Series recital debut as part of the Debut Series on Wednesday, November 7, 2018 at 8pm at Longy’s Pickman Hall. Program to include arias by Handel, a premiere of a new piece written for Anthony by Gregory Spears, plus other works by Purcell, Britten, Poulenc and Philip Glass. The Debut Series is sponsored by Harriet and David Griesinger and the Longy School of Music of Bard College.

Grammy®-award winning Soweto Gospel Choir will perform Songs of the Free, a special program celebrating the centenary of the birth of Nelson Mandela on Friday, December 7, 2018 8pm at Berklee Performance Center. Songs of the Free will include South African classics as well as freedom songs and gospel music much loved by Mandela for whom the choir had the privilege of performing in front of multiple times.

Baritone Thomas Hampson and bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni will perform No Tenors Allowed on Friday, February 1, 2019 at 8pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. This performance will mark the Boston debut of Luca Pisaroni. The duo will perform operatic and Broadway favorites along with selections by Mozart, Verdi, Rodgers & Hammerstein, and more. An Aaron Richmond Recital. 

Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato will make her Boston recital debut with a program titled SONGPLAY on Friday, March 1, 2019 at 8pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. She and her four-piece ensemble with perform a broad range of improvisation-forward musical styles – ranging from Italian old-style art songs to jazz – in a program that will draw unexpected and serendipitous connections across centuries and genres.

Musician and actor Storm Large will perform in her Celebrity Series debut on Friday, March 8, 2019 at 8pm at Sanders Theatre. Best known as a member of the eclectic pop band Pink Martini, she has performed in number of various settings, including with k.d. lang, pianist Kirill Gerstein, punk rocker John Doe, singer/songwriter Rufus Wainwright, funkster George Clinton, and the BBC Symphony and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestras.

Singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin makes her Celebrity Series debut on Friday, March 22, 2019 at 8pm at Sanders Theatre. In the 27 years since the release of her debut album, Colvin has won three Grammy Awards, released eleven albums, written a critically acclaimed memoir, maintained a non-stop national and international touring schedule, appeared on countless television and radio programs, had her songs featured in major motion pictures.

Cantus, the Minneapolis-based a cappella group, makes their Boston debut in Alone Together on Wednesday, April 3, 2019 at 8pm at Longy’s Pickman Hall as part of the Debut Series. The eight men of Cantus collaborate on arrangements of repertoire that run the gamut: liturgical chant from various traditions meet Broadway, pop, and standards. Alone Together features new works, classics, and pop favorites that reflect on connection, longing, and acceptance. Program to include the Boston Premiere of a new work by Libby Larsen, co-commissioned by Celebrity Series of Boston. The Debut Series is sponsored by Harriet and David Griesinger and the Longy School of Music of Bard College.

Master satirist David Sedaris returns for an evening of readings and irreverent humor on Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at 8pm at Symphony Hall. 

JAZZ

The Jazz Series is sponsored by Donna & Michael Egan

Brazilian Jazz singer and composer Luciana Souza, returns to the stage with Word Strings, her new project on words and poetry, featuring guitarist Chico Pinheiro and bassist Scott Colley. Joining Souza are the Yellowjackets in their Celebrity Series debut. The performance will take place on Friday, November 9, 2018 at 8pm at Berklee Performance Center.

Guitarist Julian Lage, bassist Jorge Roeder, and drummer Eric Doob join forces on Friday, November 30, 2018 at 8pm at Berklee Performance Center.

Charles Lloyd & the Marvels & Lucinda Williams Featuring Bill Frisell, Reuben Rogers,

Eric Harland, and Greg Leisz will take place on Sunday, December 16, 2018 at 7pm at Berklee Performance Center. Saxophonist Charles Lloyd & the Marvels recorded a powerful version of Bob Dylan’s Masters of War with singer/songwriter Lucinda Williams. The success of that single led to this collaboration and tour, which includes guitarist Bill Frisell, pedal steel guitarist, Greg Leisz; bassist Reuben Rogers; and drummer Eric Harland.

Jazz vocalists Lizz Wright and José James come together for a double bill on Friday, January 25, 2019 at 8pm at Berklee Performance Center. Mr. James will performLean on Me: José James Celebrates Bill Withers, celebrating the 80^th birth year of legendary R&B singer songwriter Bill Withers.

What Makes It Great? with Rob Kapilow brings back the Kyle Athayde Dance Party for Bands of The Swing Era on Saturday, March 2, 2019 at 8pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. Kapilow will delve into the works of famous bandleaders including Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, and Artie Shaw. What Makes It Great? is sponsored by Amy & Joshua Boger.

Monterey Jazz Festival 60^th Anniversary Celebration starring Cécile McLorin Salvant comes to the Berklee Performance Center on Sunday, March 17, 2019 at 8pm. Pianist and musical director Christian Sands celebrates 60 years of the Monterey Jazz Festival with a lineup of saxophonist Melissa Aldana (last seen on Stave Sessions in 2017), trumpeter Bria Skonberg, bassist Yasushi Nakamura, drummer Jamison Ross, and star vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant.

Danilo Pérez’s Global Messengers and Amir ElSaffar’s Two Rivers Ensemble team up for a double bill concert on Friday, March 29, 2018 at 8pm at Sanders Theatre. The Global Messengers draws on the culture and experiences of its members, who hail from Palestine, Greece, Jordan, and Panama, with varied musical traditions and instrumentation to match. 

The Two Rivers Ensemble is a sextet of jazz and Middle Eastern musicians particularly notable for combining the maqam modal system with American jazz. Rooted in musical forms of Iraq and nearby regions, the music still speaks the language of swing and improvisation.

Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and special guest Charles McPherson will perform The Music of McCoy and McPherson on Sunday, April 7, 2019 at 5pm at Symphony Hall. The Orchestra will play the music of two elder statesmen of jazz: pianist McCoy Tyner, who began his rise as a member of John Coltrane’s legendary quartet, and alto saxophonist Charles McPherson, best known for his work with Charles Mingus. This concert will feature new big band arrangements plus the fiery alto work of Charles McPherson himself.

The Spring Quartet debuted on the Celebrity Series in 2014 and returns again on Sunday, April 14, 2019 at 7pm at Berklee Performance Center. The quartet is comprised of legendary jazz artists: drummer and composer Jack DeJohnette; saxophonist Joe Lovano; bassist Esperanza Spalding; and pianist Leo Genovese.

Alfredo Rodriguez & the Pedrito Martinez Duo take the Sanders Theatre stage for a double bill performance with the Arturo O'Farrill Quintet on Friday, May 10, 2019 at 8pm. A protégé of Quincy Jones, Mr. Rodriguez was schooled in the rigorous classical conservatories of Havana, while Mr. Martinez’s musical training came directly from the streets of Old Havana. Arturo O’Farrill, son of one of Cuba’s most famous bandleaders, Chico O’Farrill, will be joined by his quintet, featuring his sons Adam on trumpet and Zack on drums, for his third Celebrity Series engagement. Media Partner 89.7 WGBH.

DANCE & MOVEMENT

The Dance Series is sponsored by the Stephanie L. Brown Foundation and the Cynthia and John S. Reed Foundation. The Black Box dance performances are additionally supported by The Barr Foundation.

Ephrat Asherie Dance open the first Celebrity Series performances at the NEC Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre with their Boston debut performance of the Boston premiere of Odeon with live music on October 26 & 27, 2018, both at 8pm. Ephrat Asherie Dance is an urban dance theater company dedicated to creating a new movement language that combines the rawness of underground dance styles such as breaking, house, hip hop and vogue with a contemporary dance aesthetic. Set to the music of Brazilian composer Ernesto Nazareth, Odeon explores connections between various street and club dances.

Sankofa Danzafro will make their Boston debut and perform the Boston premiere of The City of Others with live music on November 3, 2018 at 8pm and November 4 at 3pm at the NEC Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre. Founded by Rafael Palacios in 1997, Sankofa Danzafro hails from Colombia, the country with the second largest Afro-descent population found in Latin America. The City of Others, examines issues of wealth, gender, sexual orientation, and lack of opportunity affecting minority communities in Columbia, and showcases Afro-Colombian and Afro-contemporary dance with live drumming and singing. 

Dance Heginbotham makes their Boston debut on November 10, 2018 at 8pm and November 11 at 3pm at the NEC Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre. Program will feature all Boston premieres accompanied by live music. Known for his 14-year tenure as a dancer with Mark Morris Dance Group, Artistic Director John Heginbotham founded his company in 2011, and it has quickly established itself as one of the most adventurous and exciting new companies on the contemporary dance scene.

Nederlands Dans Theatre 2 returns to the Series on January 26, 2019 at 8pm and January 27 at 3pm to the Boch Center Shubert Theatre. Founded in 1978, NDT2 features some of the best young classically trained dancers from around the world and offers a varied repertoire by established and up and coming choreographers.  

Mark Morris Dance Group returns to Boston with Pepperland, a 50^th Anniversary tribute to The Beatles’ album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, co-commissioned by the Celebrity Series of Boston. The performances will be accompanied live by a chamber music ensemble of voice, soprano saxophone, two keyboards, theremin, and percussion. Ethan Iverson’s original score intermingles arrangements of the songs “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “With a Little Help From My Friends,” “A Day in the Life,” “When I’m Sixty-Four,” “Within You Without You,” and “Penny Lane” with six Pepper-inspired original pieces intended especially for Morris’ profound understanding of classical forms: Allegro, Scherzo, Adagio, and the blues. The performances will take place on February 8, 2019 at 8pm, February 9 at 8pm, and February 10 at 3pm at the Boch Center Shubert Theatre. This performance is sponsored by Susan & Michael Thonis.

Israel’s acclaimed Batsheva Dance Company makes their Boston debut in two performances of Venezuela, choreographed by Ohad Naharin on April 5-6, 2019 at 8pm at the Boch Center Shubert Theatre. Based in Tel Aviv and led by Naharin for the past 27 years, Batsheva is known for its innovative and distinctive style. Set to a wide range of music from Gregorian chant to tango to hip-hop, Naharin’s newest work, Venezuela, explores the relationship between movement and the content it represents. Additional support for this performance provided by the Consulate General of Israel to New England.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater made its Celebrity Series debut in 1968, which has led to a brilliant 51-year relationship between this iconic dance company and the Celebrity Series. They’ll return to the Boch Center Wang Theatre May 2-5, 2019. Performances will take place on Thursday, May 2 at 8pm; Friday, May 3 at 8pm; Saturday, May 4 at 2pm and 8pm; and Sunday, May 5 at 3pm.

ARTS FOR ALL!

Alongside the main stage performances, Celebrity Series’ Arts for All! community engagement programs reach over 10,000 individuals annually, through master classes with main stage artists in public schools and conservatories; hands-on, interactive workshops for youth led by a core group of Boston area artists; free community concerts in Boston neighborhoods; free and discounted tickets to main stage performances; and large-scale, public performance projects. These programs connect Celebrity Series with community collaborators and root the organization more deeply in local neighborhoods.

Celebrity Series’ cornerstone community program, Neighborhood Arts, will offer more than 150 workshops, classes, and concerts in schools and community venues in Dorchester, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Roslindale, Roxbury, and the South End. New collaborations in 2018-19 include events with Jorge Arce and Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) and Jean Appolon Expressions with the Dudley Square Neighborhood Initiative (DSNI) at summer festivals. Trumpeter Jason Palmer’s jazz ensemble and Veronica Robles’ mariachi band will also join the Neighborhood Arts roster next fall. Local Stringfests will expand to three events with Soul Yatra Trio (Mike Block, cello, Shaw Pong Liu, erhu-violin, Sandeep Das, tabla), Castle of Our Skins (classical and folk music of Black American composers), and Voci Angelica (world music) with Dorchester, Roxbury and South End youth ensembles. Neighborhood Arts will co-sponsor a performance of Code Listen with Shaw Pong Liu in Dorchester; this civic arts project uses music to support healing and dialogue on gun violence, race, and law enforcement practices for Boston residents.

Original composition, percussion, and dance residencies will continue with musicians Ryan Edwards and Maria Finkelmeier, and choreographers Jean Appolon and Yo-El Cassell. Guy Mendilow Ensemble will return with the Heart of the Holidays choral concert with Boston City Singers, poet Regie Gibson, and a residency featuring songwriting and an animation video. Castle of Our Skins, Guy Mendilow Ensemble, Soul Yatra Trio and Voci Angelica will also present workshops and performances at schools, libraries and community centers.

CELEBRITY SERIES GALA

The 2019 Gala will be held on April 27, 2019 at The Cyclorama. Join the Celebrity Series for a spectacular evening that will recognize the Celebrity Series’ history and its impact on Boston’s cultural community. Supporters, patrons, and community leaders will come together to celebrate the future of the Celebrity Series of Boston during this black-tie event. We invite you to experience this innovative event that delights guests with dramatic surprises. Proceeds from the Gala will benefit the education, programming, and outreach efforts of the Celebrity Series.

ABOUT CELEBRITY SERIES OF BOSTON

Celebrity Series of Boston was founded in 1938 by pianist and impresario Aaron Richmond. 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 80 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.

The Celebrity Series of Boston, Inc. receives generous support from Amy & Joshua Boger, the Barr Foundation, Leslie & Howard Appleby, Boston Cultural Council, The Boston Foundation, Stephanie L. Brown Foundation, Amy & Ethan d’Ablemont Burnes, Susanne Marcus Collins Foundation, Deloitte LLP, Timothy W. Diggins & Deborah Coleman Diggins, Donna & Michael Egan, Foley & Lardner LLP, Gabor Garai & Susan Pravda, Harriet & David Griesinger, Zachary R. Haroutunian and the Garbis & Arminé Barsoumian Charitable Foundation, a gift in memory of Blanche and George Jones, Paul L. King, Peter & Anna Kolchinsky, Liberty Mutual Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, National Endowment for the Arts, New England Foundation for the Arts, Eleanor & Frank Pao, Bessie Pappas Charitable Foundation, The Peabody Foundation, Melinda & James Rabb, Cynthia & John S. Reed Foundation, Royal Little Family Foundation, Stifler Family Foundation, Belinda Termeer, Susan & Michael Thonis, Tufts Health Plan, Nancy Richmond Winsten, Anonymous, and many others.

celebrityseries.org

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