Crepuscule with Savion

Tap dance phenom Savion Glover will help Jazz at Lincoln Center to celebrate jazz legend Thelonious Monk's birthday on October 28 and 29 with two performances of Jazz in Motion: Tappin' Into Monk. Glover will tap dance to Monk's music in the two evening performances. At noon and 2pm on the same dates, school age children will get a chance to perform with Glover in a program called Jazz For Young People, Jazz in Motion: Tappin’ Into Monk featuring Savion Glover. All performances will take place at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose Hall.

Savion Glover brings his Classical Savion® program to Symphony Hall on Sunday, October 16. The performance is co-presented by Bank of America Celebrity Series and CRASHarts.

"We must take pleasure in life, which can be short..."

Mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli talks with Bill Richardson of Vancouver's Georgia Strait about her Rolex collection, singing for the new Pope, and digging through archives to unearth the music on her new CD, Opera Proibita:

“The Handel,” she says, “was not so difficult to locate and select, as they were all published. But the others no, and not to be found in Italy. We discovered the Caldara in Vienna, and the Scarlatti in Cambridge. It’s very hard work…"

Read the complete article.

Soprano Deborah Voigt announces Symphony Hall program

Deborah Voigt has announced her November 13 Symphony Hall recital program (her Celebrity Series debut). The renowned soprano will sing works by Amy Beach, Richard Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Charles Ives, Ben Moore, William Bolcom and Stephen Sondheim.



View Ms. Voigt's complete November 13 program.

Tap genius Savion Glover gives Boston its first look at his new program, Classical Savion, on Sunday, October 16 at Symphony Hall.

Village Voice dance critic, Deborah Jowitt, reviewed Classical Savion at New York's Joyce Theater in January:

"Never straining for effect or dazzle, always musical, Glover dances as if he'd been born breathing rhythms."

Read Deborah's complete review.

"Ma Captures Bach's Range of Emotions"

The Boston Globe's Richard Dyer on Yo-Yo Ma's recital on Sunday night:

"This one man in the chair managed to communicate more nuance and passion than do some assemblies of 100 orchestral musicians."

Read the complete text of Richard Dyer's review of Yo-Yo Ma on Boston.com

Yo-Yo Ma Symphony Hall encores

Yo-Yo Ma opened the Celebrity Series season with a splendid solo cello recital for a packed house at Symphony Hall last night. Naturally, we have had many inquiries regarding the encore selections. So, for the record, they were as follows, in order:

1. Mark O'Connor, Appalachia Waltz
(available on the recording Appalachia Waltz)

2. Mongolian Folk Song, Summer in the High Grassland
(available on the recording Silk Road Journeys: Beyond the Horizon)

3. J.S. Bach, Suite No. 1, S. 1007 In G Major: Prelude
(available on the recording Bach: Six Unaccompanied Cello Suites)

"A Most Suite Sound"

Keith Powers of The Boston Herald reviewed Yo-Yo Ma's Bach solo cello suites performance last night at Symphony Hall:

"Just a single chair, empty at center stage, when we enter Symphony Hall yesterday afternoon. Yet when Yo-Yo Ma comes out from the wings to begin the 2005-'06 Celebrity Series season, the room instantly filled.

"Filled with music. Filled with emotion. Filled with the sense that human beings have accomplished great things. And filled with the sense that one great artist can make a difference."

Read the full review

Wynton Marsalis, The Rolling Stone Interview

Wynton Marsalis talks with David Fricke of Rolling Stone about Pigeon Town, poverty, music, and the future of New Orleans. article

Cecilia Bartoli's "Opera Proibita" is No. 1

Opera Proibita, the latest release from mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, debuted on the Billboard Classical Chart this week in the number one position... article

Ms. Bartoli returns to the Celebrity Series on October 23 at Symphony Hall.

New Either/Orchestra CD Released

Ethiopiques 20: The Either/Orchestra Live in Addis, a new 2-CD set on Buda Musique documenting the band's January 2004 concert in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, has just been released. Guests include Ethiopian composer/vibraphonist and percussionist Mulatu Astatke, whose music can be heard in Broken Flowers, the new Jim Jarmusch/Bill Murray film, and Ethiopian saxophonist Getachew Mekurya.

You can buy Live in Addis at Allegro Music.

Listen to a conversation with Mulatu Astatke on Addis Live!

Either/Orchestra leader Russ Gershon is currently taking questions on the Jazz Bulletin Board feature on AllAboutJazz. Log in and drop Russ a line!

The Either/Orchestra will return to the Celebrity Series on Saturday, January 28 at the Berklee Performance Center with a concert in celebration of the ensemble's 20th anniversary. E/O will be joined by Ethiopian guest musicians to be named.

Scots caricaturist has champion in McCall Smith

Scottish miniature-painter and caricaturist John Kay (1742-1826) has not gotten the recognition he deserves, or so believes Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith. Smith thinks Kay deserves a more prominent place in Edinburgh's historical pantheon and along with a group of like-minded campaigners he has done something about it. Last week, Smith unveiled a memorial stone near Kay's unmarked grave in Greyfriars Kirkyard. A bronze plaque will also be unveiled at Kay's former home on 227 High Street. Tim Cornwell spoke with Alexander McCall Smith for the September 17 edition of The Scotsman.

John Kay's 900 or so engravings are caricatures from all walks of life. Subjects range from beggars and criminals to the founding father of economics, Adam Smith. London's National Portrait Gallery has a searchable database of John Kay's works and some of Kay's work is available for sale.

Alexander McCall Smith makes his Celebrity Series debut at John Hancock Hall on April 20 with a program entitled, "On Being A Serial Novelist." 

Bartoli announces program

Cecilia Bartoli has announced the program for her October 23 recital at Symphony Hall (her 6th for the Celebrity Series). The renowned mezzo-soprano will perform works by Scarlatti, Caldara, Corelli, and Handel accompanied by Orchestra La Scintilla of Zürich Opera. Program.

That's Alessandro Scarlatti on the left, who's “Qui resta…L’alta Roma,” from San Filippo Neri will be performed on the recital.

It's The Opening Night!

What do Yo-Yo Ma playing solo Bach cello suites...




the Boston Red Sox...



the New England Patriots...




The Royal Ballet...




the Metropolitan Opera...




Nine Zero chef Gabriel Frasca...




majestic Jackson Hole, Wyoming...



Santa Barbara's Avocado Ranch...



the postcard perfect hamlet of Camden, Maine...



and chef Amanda Lydon and her radio personality dad Christopher Lydon have in common...?

All are part of this year's Celebrity Series gala, The Opening Night. Yo-Yo Ma provides the scintillating performance, followed by a sumptuous dinner plus dancing at the Fairmont Copley Plaza. The evening also includes a pretty amazing auction and raffle. Take a look at the auction packages here.

Here's how you can be a part of The Opening Night:
The Opening Night, the annual Celebrity Series gala celebration, will take place at The Fairmont Copley Plaza, 138 St. James Avenue, Boston, immediately following the September 25. The festivities will begin with a cocktail reception and will continue with dinner, live auction, raffle and dancing. The Opening Night is a black tie event. Tickets for The Opening Night are $500 per person ($300 of which is tax-deductible) and are available by calling the Bank of America Celebrity Series Office of Special Events at (617) 598-3220.

The Royal Ballet's Monica Mason profiled in The Daily Telegraph

"She may sit there immaculate in Issey Miyake, but underneath the black pleats beats a heart that has given its life to ballet - and specifically to the Royal Ballet, a company that she joined as a green 16-year-old from South Africa 47 years ago and has never left."

Sarah Crompton of The Daily Telegraph talks with The Royal Ballet's Artistic Director, Monica Mason.

The Royal Ballet brings Kenneth MacMillan's "Manon" to The Wang Theatre for 4 performances, June 15-17.

Wynton Marsalis: Author

   
Wynton Marsalis is a busy man. In the last month, the trumpet great has appeared on a nationally televised benefit for victims of Hurricane Katrina on September 2 (he will appear on another scheduled for September 17) and released a new CD (Live at the House of Tribes, on Blue Note). Marsalis also recently penned the foreward to a new book by Tom Piazza (Understanding Jazz: Ways to Listen) to be released September 20.

Somehow he found the time to write a children's book, too, with the help of illustrator Paul Rogers and jazz historian Phil Schaap (Rogers' web site includes illustrations from Jazz ABZ). You can read about Jazz ABZ: An A to Z Collection of Jazz Portraits in this JazzTimes article and you can buy it here. Well, you can reserve it, the book won't actually be released by Candlewick Press until October 25.

And don't forget, Wynton Marsalis returns to the Celebrity Series on October 30. The concert starts at 5pm at Sanders Theatre, Cambridge.

2005-2006 is on sale!

All of the more than 50 engagements in the Bank of America Celebrity Series 2005-2006 Season went on sale this morning at 9:00 a.m. - Call (617) 482-6661 until 5:00p.m. today (10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.starting tomorrow) or visit www.celebrityseries.org 24 hours a day!

The top five selling performances as of 1:00 p.m. today are
David Sedaris (May 3, Symphony Hall)
Cecilia Bartoli (October 23, Symphony Hall)
Arlo Guthrie (November 16, Symphony Hall)
Sweet Honey in the Rock (November 5, Symphony Hall)
Wynton Marsalis (October 30, Sanders Theatre, Cambridge).

They are selling well, but none of these five performances has sold out, yet!

Ailey at Sadler's Wells, London

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's European tour brings the company to London's Sadler's Wells Theatre through tomorrow. Zoë Anderson reviews for The Independent.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater makes its annual Celebrity Series appearance April 25-30, 2006 at The Wang Theatre. Individual tickets for Ailey Week 2006 and all other Celebrity Series go on sale this Sunday, September 11 at 9:00 am (Note: Individual tickets are already on sale online and by phone for Yo-Yo Ma's September 25 solo cello recital.)

Jazz at Lincoln Center Announces Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Benefit Concert and Auction September 17

The list of musicians and other celebrities that have committed to appear as part of Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Benefit Concert and Auction, the Jazz at Lincoln Center produced benefit for victims of Hurricane Katrina, is amazingly rich. Slated to appear at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Rose Hall on September 17 are Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Ken Burns, Cyrus Chestnut, Peter Cincotti, Bill Cosby, Elvis Costello, Robert De Niro, Paquito D'Rivera, Jon Hendricks, Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Abbey Lincoln, Bette Midler, Dianne Reeves, Marcus Roberts, Paul Simon, Meryl Streep, James Taylor, McCoy Tyner, Cassandra Wilson, Buckwheat Zydeco and many more. Higher Ground will be hosted by Laurence Fishburne.

Read the Jazz at Lincoln Center press release on Higher Ground and scroll down for statement from Wynton Marsalis about the devastation in his hometown of New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina.

Wynton Marsalis will return to the Celebrity Series on October 30 at Sanders Theatre.

Arlo Guthrie to play Farm Aid 2005

Massachusetts' own Arlo Guthrie will play Farm Aid's 20th Anniversary concert Sunday, September 18 in Chicago, IL. The concert, organized by Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp in 1985 helps raise awareness about the loss of family farms and raises funds to keep farm families on their land. In addition to Arlo, this year's lineup includes Widespread Panic, Kenny Chesney, Los Lonely Boys, Buddy Guy and Emmylou Harris.

Arlo Guthrie makes his Celebrity Series debut when he brings his 40th anniversary Alice's Restaurant Massacree Tour to Symphony Hall on November 16, 2005.

Ricola is back!

For the comfort and convenience of our patrons, complimentary Ricola cough drops will again be available at all Celebrity Series performances in the 2005-2006 season. Ricola!

Individual tickets go on sale September 11

Individual tickets for all Bank of America Celebrity Series 2005-2006 performances will go on sale Sunday, September 11 via CelebrityCharge, (617) 482-6661 during the special extended hours of 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (regular box office hours: Mon-Fri, 10:00am to 4:00pm) and www.celebrityseries.org (starting at 9:00am). Subscription sales for the 2005-2006 Celebrity Series season began in mid-April.

Ticket buyers purchasing tickets for 3 or more performances are eligible to become subscribers and receive special savings and ticket-exchange privileges.

Tickets for the following events may be purchased starting September 11 at 9:00 am by contacting www.Telecharge.com, 800-447-7400 or by visiting the venue box office:

- Martha Graham Dance Company, December 2-4 (The Shubert Theatre)
- Mark Morris Dance Group, January 20-22 (The Wang Theatre)
- Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, March 3-5 (The Shubert Theatre)
- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, April 25-30 (The Wang Theatre)
- The Royal Ballet in Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon, June 15-17 (The Wang Theatre)

Wynton Marsalis to perform with Harry Connick and Tim McGraw in hurricane relief benefit

NBC Universal will stage "A Concert for Hurricane Relief" on Friday (Sept. 2) to raise funds for those suffering in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Trumpter Wynton Marsalis, a New Orleans native, is set to perform in the live concert along with pianist/vocalist Harry Connick and country singer Tim McGraw, who is a member of the American Red Cross National Celebrity Cabinet. "Today" co-anchor Matt Lauer will host the event.

Throughout the broadcast, viewers will be encouraged to donate to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund (RedCross.org or 800-HELP NOW).