Strathmore Presents 2011-2012 Season Brochure by Strathmore

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ST HE T IR T F TS GE A S! E G S N T B E S % S AV I 0 AT 1

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In the 2010–2011 season, Strathmore launched its Stars program—and your response has been amazing! Hundreds of arts lovers have joined to support Strathmore’s unparalleled performances, exhibitions and arts education programs, while enjoying the many benefits of being a Strathmore Star, including first access to the best seats for every Strathmore-presented performance. Stars snapped up all of the orchestra and prime seats for many concerts in the 2010–2011 season. As a Star, your access to the best seats is a privilege extended to you repeatedly throughout the season. Each time a new performance is added, Stars have the first opportunity to order tickets. And that’s just the beginning—your annual, tax-deductible Stars gift gives you access to: h 10% Discount on: All tickets to Strathmore-presented performances* All Strathmore Education Classes and Workshops* Strathmore Afternoon Tea Gift Shop Merchandise Food in the Prelude Café h Free Ticket Exchange h Advance Copy of Strathmore News h Special Invitations to Art Openings in the Mansion h VIP Parking Pass for Free Summer Outdoor Concerts Plus, you get even more benefits as your gift increases! Learn more about the 2, 3, 4 Star levels and benefits online.

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Add Your Star Donation When Ordering Tickets through the Ticket Office Ticket Access and Benefits Begin Immediately!

*Priority ordering period and 10% discount applies to Strathmore-presented performances (any event in this brochure, or any event with “Strathmore Presents” under the show title on www.strathmore.org). Not valid on Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, National Philharmonic, Washington Performing Arts Society, Levine School of Music, Maryland Classic Youth Orchestras, CityDance or rental events.

Where can you see more, experience more, feel more, learn more, get more out of the arts?

Strathmore

MORE variety of arts experiences

MORE ways to involve your family MORE to explore

At Strathmore, there is always something more to experience: performances in the Music Center, Mansion and on the grounds…exhibitions in the galleries… hands-on classes and in-depth explorations of the arts…musical teas, free summer concerts, inspired shopping…and more! More convenience, too, with easy, complimentary parking and a Metro stop just steps from your event.

Want to know more? Explore the array of performances in this brochure and design your own Strathmore experience! Photos: John Pizzarelli by Jimmy Katz; Max Raabe by Frank Eidel; Madeleine Peyroux; Viver Brasil by Jorge Vismara; Joshua Bell by Timothy White Outside cover photos: Rita McKenzie as Ethel Merman by Keith Munyan; Blind Boys of Alabama by Erika Goldring; Indie.Arie; Tommy Tune; Brian Stokes Mitchell Inside cover photos: Linda Ede; Lily Tomlin by Greg Gorman; Ballet Hispanico; Keb’ Mo’; Spirit of Uganda by Dan Ozminkowski; Joshua Bell by Marc Holm

C E L E B R A T IN G A M E RIC A N CO M PO S E R S Creating music as varied and vivid as this land, American composers have enhanced tradition and embraced the new. We’ll present a deep focus on 20th-century composers Duke Ellington and Charles Ives and discover new composers throughout the year during Music Center and intimate Music in the Mansion concerts. Discover genius in superb performances, and explore the composers’ lives and inspirations through thought-provoking education events at Strathmore.

MORE American Composers Strathmore celebrates American composers throughout 2011–2012 on both the Mansion and Music Center stages. Look for this symbol in concert listings

Clara Sipprell MSS 14, The Charles Ives Papers in the Irving S. Gilmore Music Library of Yale University

The Ives Project Charles Ives is regarded by many as one of America’s greatest composers along with Aaron Copland and George Gershwin. In this fascinating weekend, Strathmore brings back the creative forces behind our “Stravinsky Project” to explore the music of that quintessential New Englander, Charles Ives. The story of Ives will be told through his music, readings, lecture/performances and recordings shining a light on this iconic American composer’s work. Ives Project events will feature the “explosive ferocity and fragile delicacy” (The New York Times) of “one of the best pianists of his generation” (Denver Post), Jeremy Denk, known for his engaging explorations of the music of Charles Ives. “The more you dig into a piece of Ives, the more pleasure you get from it,” says Jeremy Denk. “Ives’ music is brilliant, inventive, tender, edgy, wild, original, witty, haunting…so many adjectives.” The Ives Project is presented with support from: Strathmore Artistic Initiatives Fund Charles Ives Society

Charles Ives c. 1947 in New York City

Produced by Strathmore in collaboration with Post-Classical Ensemble Angel Gil-Ordóñez, music director Joseph Horowitz, artistic director

Strathmore Stars Priority Pre-Sale Now! Tickets Available to the General Public July 19, 2011

Ives Plays Ives

Thursday, November 3, 5:30–6:30PM Mansion Jeremy Denk and Joseph Horowitz present and discuss rare recordings of Ives playing and singing his own music. Free

Beethoven and Ives Jeremy Denk, piano William Sharp, reader

Charles Ives: A Life in Music Jeremy Denk, piano William Sharp, baritone Floyd King, actor Post-Classical Ensemble Angel Gil-Ordóñez, conductor Thursday, November 3, 8PM Music Center This theatrical concert traces Ives through his music, weaving performances with readings from the composer’s essays and letters. In a fascinating, guided tour through this American original’s life and work—his passionate courtship, his fierce Transcendentalism and his cranky politics. The evening includes chamber orchestra performances of the mystic The Unanswered Question, the atmospheric In the Inn, and the rambunctious Over the Pavements and one of Ives’ most beautiful hymns, the Largo Cantabile Op. 84. Ives’ songs have come to define the American repertoire; in this program the distinguished baritone (and Ives specialist) William Sharp, a prime exponent of Ives’ songs, sings a survey of Ives’ classics including “The Circus Band,” “Thoreau” and “Cradle Song.” Tickets $15–$25 (Stars Price $13.50–$22.50)

Friday, November 4, 8PM Music Center Hailed at its 1939 premiere as “exceptionally great music—the greatest music composed by an American, and the most deeply and essentially American in impulse and implication,” (New York Herald-Tribune, 1939), the four movements of Ives’ landmark Concord Sonata are dedicated to iconic New England literary figures—Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau and the Alcotts. This performance of the work incorporates readings by these great voices of American literature. In tribute to Ives’ lifelong admiration for Beethoven— whose symphonies he called “perfect truths” and whose Fifth Symphony is quoted in the Concord Sonata—the concert concludes with Beethoven’s “Hammerklavier” Sonata. Rediscover two of the great works in the piano repertoire, revealed by an artist of “intelligence, lyricism and breadth of color” (Wall Street Journal). Tickets $15–$45 (Stars Price $13.50–$40.50) Join a post-concert discussion with artists and scholars.

Interpreting Ives

Saturday, November 5, 3:30-6:30PM Music Center, Room 402 Immerse yourself in the multi-faceted music and explore the life and letters of this great American composer in an afternoon of lectures and performances. 3:30-4:30PM: Joseph Horowitz on Ives and the 21st Century; Jeremy Denk on Ives and Beethoven (lecture/performance) 4:30-5:15PM: Mingle with artists and music lovers 5:15-6:30PM: Tom Owens on Ives’ letters; William Sharp performs and dicusses the parlor sources of Ives’ songs Tickets $15 (Stars Price $13.50)

Stephen Poff

Post-Classical Ensemble

JACK Quartet

Ives and Other Innovators JACK Quartet Saturday, November 5, 7:30PM Mansion The JACK Quartet, an ensemble dedicated to performing new music, is breaking ground with “viscerally exciting performances” (New York Times) of “explosive virtuosity” (Boston Globe). Hear this intrepid young ensemble perform the music of Ives juxtaposed with works by such contemporary composers as Philip Glass, Julia Wolfe and Caleb Burhans. Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27)

Join a post-concert discussion with artists and scholars.

Ives Masterclass with Jeremy Denk

Thursday, November 3, 4PM Mansion Observe as talented music students are guided in the intricacies of performing Ives’ music. Free

Join a post-concert discussion with the artists.

Jeremy Denk

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C E L E B R A T IN G ame r i c a n c o m p o se r s

Image adapted from Meditation, a black and white linoleum print by Peter Bodge, 1987. From the History of Jazz Collection, National Museum of American History.

Discover Ellington

Strathmore heralds the incomparable artistry of Duke Ellington with these events.

Peter Bodge

Edward “Duke” Ellington wrote over 1,000 compositions and changed the face of American music. A prominent figure in the history of jazz, Ellington was a native son of Washington D.C., who returned again and again to the city of his birth to perform and create. Ellington’s music erased boundaries, embracing blues, gospel, film scores, popular and classical music. His big band made indelible hits of his songs, including “Take the A Train,” “Mood Indigo,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” and his classical compositions have become standards of the orchestral repertoire.

Discover Ellington is presented with support from: The National Endowment for the Arts.

Brian Stokes Mitchell Sings Ellington American Songbook Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra Manzari Brothers, tap dancers Friday, February 17, 8PM Music Center An Ellington celebration! Rediscover the classics and forgotten jewels of the Ellington songbook as performed by Broadway leading man Brian Stokes Mitchell (Man of La Mancha, Kiss Me Kate, Ragtime). You’ll hear romantic standards like “Mood Indigo” and “Solitude” along with favorites from the hit musical revue Sophisticated Ladies, and selections from Ellington’s last, unfinished musical, Queenie Pie—backed by the Ellington specialists of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra and embellished by the dazzling footwork of D.C.’s own tap phenoms, the Manzari Brothers. Tickets $39–$79 (Stars Price $35.10–$71.10) Brian Stokes Mitchell

Education Event 6

American Composers Performance

Strathmore Stars Priority Pre-Sale Now! Tickets Available to the General Public July 19, 2011

Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra

Big Band Ellington: Duke Goes Latin

Saturday, February 18, 8PM Music Center Fresh from their regular gig at New York’s famed Birdland and appearances on NPR’s JazzSet, the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra led by Arturo O’Farrill, joined by soloist Paquito D’Rivera, recreate the sound of the fabled Duke Ellington big band in such classics as “Caravan” and “In a Sentimental Mood,” and perform new pieces inspired by Ellington, including Erika Von Kreist’s Ellington Overture and Michael Philip Mossman’s Ellington AfroLatin Suite. Don’t miss this Grammy-winning band’s take on the Duke! Tickets $29–$69 (Stars Price $26.10–$62.10)

Ellington: A Sacred Concert Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra Morgan State University Choir Eric Conway, director Sunday, February 19, 4PM Music Center In the last decade of his life, Ellington wrote three “sacred concerts,” performed live in New York City with a hand-picked group of masterful musicians. Recorded for posterity, the compositions and performances remain some of the most revered in American music, and Ellington himself called them “the most important thing I have ever done.” Now Strathmore recreates historical moments from these legendary concerts including “Come Sunday,” “David Danced Before the Lord” and “Something ‘bout Believing.” Tickets $30–$59 (Stars Price $27–$53.10)

Arturo O’Farrill

Mostly Ellington Robert Glasper, piano Thursday, February 16, 7:30PM Mansion An artist who “unfailingly gets the feeling right” (New York Magazine), Glasper has been making waves throughout the music world as leader of both the acoustic Robert Glasper Trio and the electric, hip-hoporiented Robert Glasper Experiment. Hear this uniquely gifted pianist perform the music of Duke Ellington, Glasper’s own original works and music by Thelonious Monk and other jazz legends in this intimate concert in the Mansion. Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27) Join a pre-concert lecture at 6:30PM

Ellington Standards Chris Vidala Trio Friday, February 3, 11AM Mansion Former Artist in Residence mentor Chris Vidala performs instrumental Ellington standards in this daytime event. Tickets $15 (Stars Price $13.50)

Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra

Robert Glasper

“The Duke” Lecture/Demonstration by Rusty Hassan Monday, February 13, 7:30-9:00PM Mansion Duke Ellington disliked the term jazz, but reveled in the African American musical forms that were the basis for the genre that he explored his entire life. Jazz musician, historian and educator Rusty Hassan will demonstrate how blues, spirituals, work songs, ragtime and indeed, New Orleans “jazz” were incorporated into Ellington’s compositions. The film short Symphony In Black will be shown as a part of Mr. Hassan’s examination of the Duke’s music. Tickets $15 (Stars Price $13.50)

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b r o adway and c aba r et

Keith Munyan

Linda Eder

Rita McKenzie as Ethel Merman

An Evening with Linda Eder

Thursday, October 6, 8PM Music Center From her triumphant debut on Broadway (Jekyll & Hyde) to a concert career that has taken her to Carnegie Hall, the Kennedy Center and other temples of American music, Linda Eder has entranced audiences. Savor one of the great voices of our time backed by her 7-piece band in a show that celebrates song, from Broadway to standards to some quirky favorites of her own. “A perfect performance. Her voice—a rangy, flexible throb…topped with high notes that grow larger and fuller as she moves up the scale—leaves you openmouthed” (The New York Times). Tickets $35–$76 (Stars Price $31.50–$68.40)

Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway Boom! and Broadway

Sunday, November 13, 7PM Music Center These Tony-nominated singing sisters have wowed audiences on Broadway, in cabarets, in concert for television, in film and on recordings. For Strathmore, they’ve specially designed a concert that combines the best moments of their popular revue Boom! (songs of the ‘60s and ‘70s) and their favorite Broadway melodies. Tickets $25–$55 (Stars Price $22.50–$49.50) Sponsored by Shugoll Research

Ann Hampton Callaway

Jenny Lin

Jenny Lin, piano

Thursday, December 1, 7:30PM Mansion This “exceptionally sensitive pianist” (Gramophone) has become a favorite of Strathmore audiences. This performance is sure to please both her fans and fans of the American Songbook, with piano versions of favorite classic jazz and show tunes, including transcriptions of Gershwin, Rodgers and Hammerstein and more. Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27)

Liz Callaway

Strathmore Stars Priority Pre-Sale Now! Tickets Available to the General Public July 19, 2011

Ethel Merman’s Broadway starring Rita McKenzie

Saturday, January 21, 8PM Music Center The legendary Ethel Merman was the Queen of Broadway during its Golden Age, singing—as no one else could— unforgettable showstoppers in the great musicals, including Annie Get Your Gun, Gypsy and Hello, Dolly. Relive the glory days of Ethel Merman’s Broadway in this engaging tribute show starring the bold and brassy singer/actress Rita McKenzie. “McKenzie steals the scene and wins our hearts, making the legend Ethel Merman ‘...still crowing, still going strong’” (BroadwayWorld.com). Tickets $25–$65 (Stars Price $22.50–$58.50) Join a pre-concert lecture at 6:30PM

Max Raabe und das Palast Orchester Thursday, March 1, 8PM Music Center

Co-Presented with Maestro Artist Management

Mesmerizing adoring audiences around the world, Max Raabe embodies the high style and musical glory of the Cabaret era during the turbulent Weimar Republic, performing favorites like “Night and Day,” “Cheek to Cheek,” “I Got Rhythm” along with lost songs from the period. “Exhilarating... spotlessly urbane virtuosity… polishing their act to a razor’s edge, a scalpel dashingly, lethally sharp” (Boston Globe). Tickets $28–$58 (Stars Price $25.20–$52.20)

Joan Morris and William Bolcom

William Bolcom and Joan Morris

Thursday, April 19, 7:30PM Mansion Traversing Broadway, vaudeville and concert hall, performing music from the ragtime era to the end of the 20th century, composer/ pianist William Bolcom and singer Joan Morris delight audiences with engaging banter and seemingly effortless artistry. You’ll come away from this beguiling concert with a new appreciation of songs you know, and newly in love with musical treasures revealed by this charming duo. These Strathmore favorites have sold out every previous appearance—order early to guarantee your seats! Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27) Join a post-concert lecture with the artists hosted by Washington Post theater critic Peter Marks.

Tommy Tune

Tommy Tune Steps In Time: A Broadway Biography in Song and Dance

Saturday, June 2, 2PM & 8PM Music Center Broadway’s legendary song and dance man, Tommy Tune, celebrates 50 years on the Great White Way with this high-stepping show that traces his nine-time Tony Awardwinning career. Backed by a band and the singing and dancing titans of the Manhattan Rhythm Kings, Tune sings, dances and laughs his way through his life in the footlights. “Ninety minutes you fervently wish would never end…as big as anything on Broadway” (New York Magazine). Tickets $28–$58 (Stars Price $25.20–$52.20)

Max Raabe und das Palast Orchester

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jazz

b l ues Keb’ Mo’

Keb’ Mo’

Thursday, September 15, 8PM Music Center A living link to the legendary Delta bluesmen, Keb’ Mo’ has made the blues his life work, and audiences flock to hear this multiple Grammywinning singer-songwriter and guitarist. In the great Delta tradition, Keb’ Mo’ spins tales of pain and glory from blues classics and his own original songs, weaving that muddy water sound through eras and genres, including pop, rock, folk and jazz. Don’t miss this landmark artist in his Strathmore debut as he embarks on tour for his new album The Reflection! Tickets $38–$58 (Stars Price $34.20–$52.20)

Brad Linde Tentet and Lee Konitz Featuring new music by Dan Tepfer Thursday, September 22, 7:30PM Mansion D.C.’s own Brad Linde is joined by the legendary saxophonist Lee Konitz, one of originators of 1940s and ‘50s cool jazz. Groove on music written for Konitz and tentet, and discover new works by New York-based pianist/composer Dan Tepfer, hailed as “brilliant” by the Boston Globe. Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27) Join a post-concert discussion with the artists.

Brad Linde Tentet

Lee Konitz and the Tristano School Lecture/Demonstration by Brad Linde Thursday, October 13, 7:30PM Mansion Jazz artist and band leader Brad Linde looks at the progressive philosophies of one of the first jazz pedagogues, Lennie Tristano. Musical examples, video, interviews and more will create and illuminate the Tristano school and its pupils, including Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh and Ted Brown. Tickets $15 (Stars Price $13.50) Lee Konitz

Education Event 10

American Composers Performance

Strathmore Stars Priority Pre-Sale Now! Tickets Available to the General Public July 19, 2011

Madeleine Peyroux Nellie McKay opens

Pat Metheny

Jimmy katz

Nellie McKay

rick gonzalez

Friday, September 30, 8PM Music Center Two genre-bending singer-songwriters— one incredible night! One of a kind singer/ actress Nellie McKay beguiles audiences with her inspired song choices and deliciously otherworldly worldview: “Nellie McKay is all over the place—wonderfully so. Whether she’s delivering social commentary while strumming a ukulele…or exorcising the spirit of a devilish former lover over a festive bed of New Orleans jazz…this mercurial New York singer-songwriter brings both ample wit and equally generous melodies” (Rolling Stone). Singer-songwriter Madeleine Peyroux packs a double wallop: a compelling ability to reinvent familiar tunes through her intricately nuanced vocal shadings, and a poet’s gift for creating memorable new work. “Peyroux has the gift of totally inhabiting a song, whatever the mood” (The Telegraph, UK). Tickets $35–$58 (Stars Price $31.50–$53.10)

An Evening with Pat Metheny w/ Larry Grenadier Tuesday, October 4, 8PM Music Center Co-Presented with Blues Alley

Over the years, Pat Metheny has won countless critic and fan polls as “Best Jazz Guitarist,” collected 18 Grammy Awards, pioneered new forms of music and created new instruments, as transfixed audiences at his sold out 2010 “Orchestrion” concert at Strathmore can attest. Now hear this jazz prince and pioneer at his best, “playing jazz, the genuine article, with marvelous concentration in his playing and an orchestral fullness to his sound” (The New York Times). He is joined by a musician’s musician, double bassist Larry Grenadier, whose rhythms have driven sets with the greats, from Metheny to Gary Burton, John Scofield, Brad Mehldau and many more. Tickets $38–$78 (Stars Price $34.20–$70.20)

Madeleine Peyroux

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Ja z z / B l ues

Blind Boys of Alabama Jim Lauderdale opens

Friday, October 21, 8PM Music Center They’ve won five Grammy Awards (and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award), performed for Presidents, and gigged with legends like Prince, Lou Reed, and Bonnie Raitt—now hear them live at Strathmore as they hit the road on tour for their new country-gospel album Take The High Road. “The fusion of the Blind Boys’ Deep South gospel with New Orleans funk, R&B and jazz creates a superweapon of roots-music uplift [and] will raise goosebumps even on the tatted-up arms of resolutely futurist hipsters” (Rolling Stone). Nashville country and bluegrass performer/songwriter, Jim Lauderdale, whose songs have been recorded by artists from the Dixie Chicks to George Jones to Blake Shelton, opens. Tickets $25-$48 (Stars Price $22.50–$43.20)

Béla Fleck and the Original Flecktones

Monday, November 7, 8PM Music Center Béla Fleck picked up a banjo at age 15 and never looked back. Exploring worlds of music from bluegrass to bebop, creating mind-blowing sets beyond the range of even the wildest iPod shuffle, this virtuosic player has won passionate fans around the globe (and 11 Grammys along the way). Enter a “limitless musical universe” (NPR.org) when fan favorite Béla Fleck returns with the Original Flecktones—Roy “Futureman” Wooten, Victor Wooten and Howard Levy! Tickets $28–$68 (Stars Price $25.20–$61.20)

Bruce Swaim Quartet

Erika Goldring

Bruce Swaim Quartet

Thursday, January 12, 7:30PM Mansion “Long one of D.C.’s best-kept secrets” (Cadence Magazine), tenor saxophonist Bruce Swaim has performed with such artists as Keter Betts, Carl Allen, Rosemary Clooney, Martha Reeves and Millie Jackson. If you want to hear straight ahead American jazz standards, “alive and passionately delivered” (Cadence Magazine) along with new works composed by Swaim and the group’s pianist Jay “Seamus” Cooley, this is the concert—and Strathmore is the place. Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27) Blind Boys of Alabama

Education Event 12

American Composers Performance

Strathmore Stars Priority Pre-Sale Now! Tickets Available to the General Public July 19, 2011

Dallas Brass

Michael Thomas Quintet

Thursday, March 8, 7:30PM Mansion If you’re looking for elevator music, stay home—there’s nothing laid-back about this power-packed swinging hard-bop and blues quintet, who bring some of the most exciting musical news in years to D.C.’s jazz scene. “The first moments proclaim something special…[Thomas] is a dynamic force, rolling along, bopping and weaving. He can be aggressive…rollicking…soulful— you name it” (Cadence Magazine). Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27)

John Pizzarelli

John Pizzarelli Kurt Elling

Friday, February 10, 8PM Music Center “Never miss a chance to see John Pizzarelli” (New York Magazine)—particularly when you can see him with Kurt Elling, “one of the preeminent jazz singers of our time” (JazzTimes). These virtuosic vocalists have brought new audiences to jazz, through Pizzarelli’s tributes to Sinatra, Ellington, and Broadway, and Elling’s compelling take on the standards of the American songbook. Performing separately and then taking the stage together, these two legends deliver a show you’ll long remember. Book early, this one’s gonna fly away! Tickets $28–$68 (Stars Price $25.20–$61.20)

Dallas Brass Michael Thomas Quintet

Strathmore Jazz Society Strathmore continues to feature great jazz, thanks to the support of the Strathmore Jazz Society. Founded with a generous contribution from Alban Inspections, Inc., patrons interested in supporting the Strathmore Jazz Society can do so by designating their Stars or Circles donation to the Society. Look for events throughout this brochure, with more to be announced as the season continues!

Friday, May 18, 8PM Music Center “Amazing, life-changing experience.” That’s how one young player described his encounter with this lively ensemble that travels the country playing and teaching middle and high school players music from classical to Dixieland, swing, Broadway and more. In this Strathmore collaboration, Dallas Brass will work with area schools and then perform with 100 student musicians—a powerhouse finish to this inspiring program! A great show to share with family, perfect for all ages. Tickets $25–$35 (Stars Price $22.50–$31.50)

Kurt Elling

www.strathmore.org | (301) 581-5100 Groups (301) 581-5199

world da n c e

folk

India.Arie and Idan Raichel Open Door

Idan Raichel

Ballet Hispanico

Spirit of Uganda

Nitzan Treystman

India.Arie

Saturday, October 22, 8PM Music Center Featuring songs from the just-released recording Open Door, this concert showcases the inspired collaboration of Grammy awardwinning singer/songwriter India.Arie and triple-platinum Israeli artist Idan Raichel, a driving force in contemporary world music. With its themes of acceptance and unity, effortless mix of contemporary soul and exotic influences and multilingual lyrics sung in Hebrew and English, this concert forges new frontiers in music. Tickets $35–$55 (Stars Price $31.50–$49.50)

Friday, March 9, 8PM Music Center This irresistible troupe of “young, proud and marvelously spirited musicians and dancers… send a message of courage and hope” (Village Voice). Gather friends and family for an inspiring celebration, full of life with bright, layered rhythms, dramatic choreography and gorgeous call-andresponse vocals. Ambassadors for Uganda’s 2.4 million orphans, these children personify the promise of Africa’s next generation and raise funds to support themselves and others displaced in their homeland. Tickets $28–$48 (Stars Price $25.20–$43.20)

Friday, October 28, 8PM Music Center This vibrant company blends Latin dance, ballet and modern dance with “elegance and lyricism” (The Washington Post), embodying an energy and moving grace that is grounded in the rich heritage it represents. For its Strathmore debut, Ballet Hispanico brings a new work created especially for the troupe, Espiritu Vivo, by Ronald K. Brown. The piece explores the intersection of the African and Latino diasporas in the Caribbean and Latin America. Brown is an artist who “has emerged in recent years as one of the strongest, most distinctive choreographers around” (The New York Times). The performance also features Ballet Hispanico pieces Tres Cantos, Club Havana and Mad’moiselle. Tickets $25–$55 (Stars Price $22.50–$49.50) Ballet Hispanico

Strathmore Stars Priority Pre-Sale Now! Tickets Available to the General Public July 19, 2011

Dan Ozminkowski

Viver Brasil

Jorge Vismara

Viver Brasil Feet on the Ground

Thursday, April 12, 8PM Music Center In the Brazilian state of Bahia, Carnaval turns society on its head in a joyful celebration of a utopian world where all are equal and class distinctions disappear. Carnaval is just one of the customs brought vividly to life on stage by this award-winning company, rooted in the traditional forms of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. You’ll be swept away by spirits in ancient Afro-Brazilian ceremonial dances and (figuratively) knocked out by the martial artsstyled capoeira. Experience a “breathless and colorful” performance—a “vibrant swirl of motion and music” (LA Weekly). Tickets $25–$55 (Stars Price $22.50–$49.50)

Paco de Lucia

Wednesday, April 18, 8PM Music Center Co-Presented with Blues Alley

The greatest living master of the flamenco guitar, Paco de Lucia is credited with creating a “fusion” style of flamenco influenced by jazz, stretching and embellishing flamenco’s strict structure while remaining faithful to its soul. Innovative and influential, his flamenco recordings have had a revolutionary impact, infusing new life into the art form and bringing it worldwide attention. “Breathtaking...a masterful, gemlike performance. The hall erupted in yelping applause“ (The New York Times). Tickets $35–$85 (Stars Price $31.50–$76.50)

Red Star Red Army Chorus and Dance Ensemble

Abraham Inc.

Thursday, May 3, 8PM Music Center A masterly mash-up of klezmer, funk and hip-hop, this unique ensemble heralds a time when boundaries are eroding, mutual respect is presumed, and musical traditions co-exist without concession or appropriation. The result? An all-out klezmer-funk dance party! Abraham Inc. is “connected with something deep, mysterious, and timeless… as ancient as the sound of the Shofar...yet as modern as the…young hipsters at downtown venues“ (Jazziz). Tickets $37 (Stars Price $33.30) PLEASE NOTE: For this show, Orchestra and Orchestra Tier will be unassigned General Admission tickets for standing and dancing. The Promenade, Grand Tier and Upper Tier levels will be assigned seating for those who prefer to remain seated.

Jon Wasserman

Wednesday, March 28, 8PM Music Center Seventy performers strong, this spectacular company of singers, dancers and musicians dazzles crowds wherever they perform. Journey to old Russia with this kaleidoscopic performance of folk tunes and military music and dance—“a colorful mixture to both eye and ear. Songs of love and melancholy alternate with ones of mischief and comedy, interspersed with wonderful dances of amazing vitality...great leaps and furious, squalling turns, the perfect symphony of the male and female dancers” (Seattle Post). Tickets $25–$65 (Stars Price $22.50–$58.50)

Abraham Inc.

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Rock pop

Ethan Bortnick and His Musical Time Machine

Jay Blakesburg

Friday, March 23, 8PM Music Center He learned to play the piano at the age of three, and now—at the ripe old age of ten— Ethan Bortnick is the toast of the music world, astonishing audiences from major concert halls to The Oprah Winfrey Show and Good Morning America. Marvel as this matter-offact musical prodigy performs classics from Bach to The Beatles, Billy Joel, Little Richard, and more—and shares showbiz stories from his own unique pre-teen perspective. You may even be asked to join the musical fun with this inspiring, interactive show! Tickets $18–$38 (Stars Price $16.20–$34.20) Ethan Bortnick

Turtle Island Quartet

Turtle Island Quartet “Have You Ever Been…?”: The Music of Jimi Hendrix and David Balakrishnan Friday, November 18, 7:30 & 9:30PM Mansion Through their exploration of jazz, classical and world music styles, the Turtle Island Quartet has taken its audiences on a journey through many musical genres, eras and locales. Now the two-time Grammy-winning quartet ventures to Electric Ladyland, revealing works by the legendary Jimi Hendrix, as well as other compositions inspired by Hendrix’s music by Quartet founder David Balakrishnan, including the new composition “Tree of Life.” Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27)

Classic Albums Live

Classic Albums Live: The Beatles Abbey Road

Friday, November 25, 8PM Music Center For anyone who ever wore out a vinyl record by playing it over and over again, this show is a magical immersion in memory. Classic Albums Live gathers gifted musicians for live performances of classic rock albums—note for note, cut for cut. In their Strathmore debut, this “thrilling” show (Toronto Star) rockets you back to 1969, when The Beatles made their last recording together, Abbey Road. Come together—and time-travel to a landmark moment in rock history! Tickets $28–$38 (Stars Price $25.20–$34.20)

Education Event 16

American Composers Performance

Strathmore Stars Priority Pre-Sale Now! Tickets Available to the General Public July 19, 2011

I n te r se c t i o n s : E n te r ta i n me n t f o r T h i n k i n g A ud i e n c es

Michael Pollan

In Defense of Food: The Omnivore’s Solution Wednesday, October 26, 8PM Music Center “If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.” This is the kind of common-sense thinking that has made Michael Pollan the most widely read food writer on the scene today. His books In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, and his most recent volume, Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual have all reached the top of The New York Times bestseller list. Join the conversation as this compelling writer and thinker explores issues like the industrialization of food and agriculture and its impact on our health, and the growing national movement to reform the food system. Tickets $35–$60 (Stars Price $31.50–$54)

Terry Gross

Masters of Illusion Live!

Lily Tomlin

Greg gorman

Michael Pollan

Friday, February 3, 8PM Music Center NPR Fresh Air host Terry Gross’s interviews are heard by more than 4.5 million people daily. Her guests have included celebrated artists, writers, actors and musicians as varied as Philip Roth, James Brown, John Travolta and Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. Get a peek behind the mic at some of the most fascinating conversations ever recorded as this popular journalist plays sound bites and dicusses interviews that went especially well (or especially badly), and then answers your questions. Tickets $35–$55 (Stars Price $31.50–$49.50)

Will Ryan

Alia Malley

All I Did Was Ask: An Evening with NPR’s Terry Gross

Lily Tomlin

Sunday, February 26, 7PM Music Center Join us for an evening with the incomparable Lily Tomlin as she takes her audience on what The Washington Post calls a “wise and howlingly funny” trip, revisiting more than a dozen of her timeless characters, from Ernestine and Sister Boogie Woman to Mrs. Beasley and Edith Ann. It’s no wonder Newsweek says Tomlin has “made the oneperson show the daring, irreverent art form it is today.” Don’t miss this warm and uniquely affecting experience packed with comical insights and wildly witty observations about the human condition—performed by one of the world’s consummate talents. Tickets $35–$75 (Stars Price $31.50–$67.50)

Masters of Illusion Live!

Saturday, November 19, 8PM Sunday, November 20, 2PM Music Center Right before your eyes, the hit television show Masters of Illusion: Impossible Magic breaks out of the box and onto the stage at Strathmore. You’ll marvel again and again as you witness dazzling displays of magic, featuring exotic animals, beautiful dancers, escapologists, comedy, quick-change artists, sleight of hand—all live, no camera tricks, just amazing illusions in real time. Order early, before these tickets disappear! Tickets $25–$65 (Stars Price $22.50–$58.50)

www.strathmore.org | (301) 581-5100 Groups (301) 581-5199

c l ass i c s Soheil Nasseri, Broadwood piano

Jenny Cohen

Thursday, October 6, 7:30PM Mansion A Gerald M. Woofter Memorial Concert

Noted by Time Out London as “one of New York’s most acclaimed young musicians,” pianist Soheil Nasseri performs regularly in the world’s most prestigious concert halls, from New York to Washington, Berlin, London, Tokyo and beyond. In this Strathmore return engagement, the electrifying young artist takes on one of the most difficult and richly rewarding classics in the piano repertoire, Beethoven’s “Hammerklavier” Sonata. Join a pre-concert lecture at 6:30PM. Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27)

Amstel Saxophone Quartet

New Century Saxophone Quartet

Amstel Saxophone Quartet and New Century Saxophone Quartet

Sunday, November 20, 4PM & 7:30PM Mansion Forget everything you know about the saxophone! These two ground-breaking ensembles reveal new depths of beauty and versatility in the instrument, performing music that spans from Baroque to contemporary. The Dutch Amstel Quartet is “nothing short of astounding” (Fanfare Magazine) and the New Century Saxophone Quartet tackles “brave new territory” with “a finely honed musicality” (Los Angeles Times). This fascinating program includes works by contemporary composers John Cage, Otto Ketting, Jorrit Dijkstra, David Lang, Jan Pieterszoon Sweeklinck, David Cutler and Michael Torke. Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27) Soheil Nasseri

Great Noise Ensemble

Great Noise Ensemble Chris Carroll

Friday, October 14, 7:30PM Mansion The Great Noise Ensemble is on a mission: to fight for the performance of new works and promote emerging talent in contemporary music. Since its first concert in January 2006, Great Noise Ensemble has become one of the most important players in D.C.’s bourgeoning new music scene, winning the Washington Area Music Association’s “WAMMIE” Award. In this concert, the Ensemble explores American music from the turn of the 21st century, including works by Armando Bayolo, David Lang, Carlos Carillo, Angelica Negron, Eve Beglarian and Pierre Jalber. Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27)

Strathmore Stars Priority Pre-Sale Now! Tickets Available to the General Public July 19, 2011

Imani Winds

Wendy Richman, viola World premiere by Stephen Gorbos

Narek Hakhnazaryan

Thursday, December 8, 7:30PM Mansion Hailed by The New York Times and The Washington Post for her “absorbing,” “fresh and idiomatic” performances, violist Wendy Richman has won fans in performances as a soloist and chamber musician across the U.S. and Europe. Hear this gifted artist in a rich program including a world premiere by award-winning composer and Catholic University professor Stephen Gorbos; the premiere of “Extraordinary Rendition” by Baltimore composer David Smooke and Giacinto Scelsi’s “Manto III.” Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27)

Clancy Newman, cello Noreen Cassidy-Polera, piano Sunday, January 29, 4PM Mansion Winner of the first prize in the prestigious Naumburg International Competition, this acclaimed young cellist has entranced audiences and critics alike. “In a class of his own” (Philadelphia Inquirer), this “entirely dazzling” cellist (San Francisco Chronicle) plays with “exhilarating energy” (The New York Times), “his technique brilliant but not showy…playing with impeccable intonation and great speed…his tone dark, warm and intense” (New York Concert Review). In this performance, Newman reveals the beauty of Ernest Bloch’s From Jewish Life, performs his own work From Method to Madness and works by Mendelssohn and Brahms. Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27)

Thursday, February 23, 7:30PM Mansion This 23-year-old virtuoso has critics reaching for new superlatives to describe his “commanding…gorgeous” performances of “daredevil verve,” “intense focus and expressive artistry” (The New York Times). “He produces a powerful and colorful sound in all registers, nails every big shift and flashes all the virtuoso’s tricks with insolent ease” (The Washington Post). Witness musical magic in his performance of works by Stravinsky, Grieg and Franck. Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27)

Ben Beilman, violin

Sunday, March 4, 4PM Mansion After winning the top prize at the eminent 2010 Montréal International Musical Competition at the age of 20, Benjamin Beilman has set about beguiling critics and audiences with his extraordinary artistry. “Sleek, elegant…a performance brimming with imaginative touches and exquisite control… pure poetry” (The Strad). Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27)

j. henry fair

Wendy Richman

Christian steiner

Narek Hakhnazaryan, cello

Clancy Newman

Noreen Cassidy-Polera

Imani Winds

Thursday, January 26, 7:30PM Mansion North America’s premier wind quintet, this Grammy-nominated ensemble has carved out a distinct presence in the classical music world with its dynamic playing, poignant programming, genre-blurring collaborations and inspirational outreach programs. As part of a multi-day residency at Strathmore, Imani Winds brings one of its signature programs to the Mansion performing Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Piazzolla’s Contrabajassimo and modern compositions by Paquito D’Rivera, Bill Douglas, Gamal Abdel-Rahim and the quintet’s Valerie Coleman. Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27) Ben Beilman

www.strathmore.org | (301) 581-5100 Groups (301) 581-5199

c l ass i c s Katie Mahan

Katie Mahan, piano All Debussy

Joshua Bell and Academy of St. Martin in the Fields All Beethoven

Brasil Guitar Duo

Join a pre-concert lecture at 6:30PM. Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27)

National Philharmonic and Friends All Debussy Thursday, May 17, 7:30PM Mansion As part of its festival celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Debussy, the National Philharmonic gathers like-minded fans and virtuoso partners for this intimate performance of the composer’s Piano Trio, Cello Sonata, Violin Sonata and String Quartet. Join a pre-concert lecture at 6:30PM. Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27)

Joshua Bell

Marc Holm

Thursday, March 22, 7:30PM Mansion This extraordinary duo has won international acclaim for its illuminating renditions of the classical repertoire as well as the traditions of their native Brazil, with its rich history and links to ancient Europe, Africa and the Americas. “It would be hard to imagine a better performance…This is wonderful music played at the highest interpretive level” (Classical Guitar Magazine). Don’t miss this program of works by Rameau, CastelnuovoTedesco, Piazzolla and Gismonti. Tickets $30 (Stars Price $27)

Friday, April 13, 8PM Music Center What can one say about an artist of the flawless technique and seemingly limitless virtuosity of violinist Joshua Bell? Gramophone Magazine puts it simply: “Bell is dazzling”—and never more so than in his appearances with the beloved Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, who just named him as its new Music Director to replace founder Sir Neville Marriner. Savor the artistry of these world-renowned musicians in this all-Beethoven program, which juxtaposes three works written around the same time but in vividly different moods: the dramatic Coriolan Overture, the monumental Violin Concerto in D Major, Op. 61, and the buoyant Symphony No. 4 in B Flat Major, Op. 60. Tickets $45–$125 (Stars Price $40.50–$112.50)

Thursday, May 10, 7:30PM Mansion Praised for her extraordinary musical sensitivity, American pianist Katie Mahan is quickly establishing herself as an artist of rare appeal. She has won international admiration for her interpretation of Debussy’s multi-layered, complex and beautiful music. “Numerous nuances of sound...sometimes strong, sometimes astoundingly tender and intimate, surrounded and seduced the audience” (Neue Ruhr Zeitung). The program includes Debussy’s Deux Arabesques, Estampes, L’isle joyeuse and Préludes Livre II.

Education Event 20

American Composers Performance

Strathmore Stars Priority Pre-Sale Now! Tickets Available to the General Public July 19, 2011

summe r 2 0 11

at st r athm o r e Brian McKnight: Just Me Tour With Special Guests Brkn Rbtz & Claude McKnight

Best of Serenade! Washington D.C. Choral Festival Sunday, June 26, 5PM Music Center

Co-Presented with Classical Movements, Inc.

Travel the world in song! This spectacular celebration features extraordinary choirs from around the world who have come to participate in the inaugural Serenade! Washington D.C. Choral Festival. Experience jazzy blues and brilliant a cappella arrangements from Cadence, a quartet of innovative young men from Canada; South African sounds from Wits Choir; authentic Russian folk and sacred songs with Konevets Quartet; and the pure artistry of young voices in the Grammywinning Pacific Boychoir and the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus. FREE. No Tickets Required. Doors open at 4:15PM. General Admission.

Friday, July 22, 8PM Music Center Co-Presented with Blues Alley

Brian McKnight

This soulful crooner makes audiences swoon, whether he’s singing his chart-topping R&B hits or starring on Broadway (where he made headlines as Billy Flynn in Chicago). In his newest touring show, McKnight makes it a family affair, singing solo and then sharing the stage with his sons Brian Jr. and Niko (aka Brkn Rbtz), both accomplished musicians in their own right, and his brother Claude McKnight, founder of the hit-making ensemble Take 6. Tickets $28–$68 (Stars Price $25.20–$61.20)

Deep River

LEA

Tribute to Simon & Garfunkel and Paul Simon Thursday, August 25, 7:30PM Music Center Youth Choir Cordana

Cadence Quartet

Produced by Bandhouse Gigs

This Strathmore summer tradition gathers some of the Washington area’s best musicians to pay tribute to rock icons annually—and this year the honor goes to Simon & Garfunkel and Paul Simon’s solo work. Hear more than 60 of your favorite performers put their own spin on classics by the legendary folk duo! Performers will include Deanna Bogart, Julia Nixon, Chopteeth Afro-Funk Big Band, Deep River, Margot MacDonald, The Sweater Set, LEA, Esther Haynes, Ed O’Connell and more. Tickets $25 (Stars Price $22.50)

Strathmore Backyard Theater Backyard Theater Stage This summer, Strathmore’s popular Backyard Theater program—dedicated to music and fun for little ones and their families—goes around the world! Thursday mornings at 9:30AM and 11:30AM in Strathmore’s cozy outdoor “Backyard Theater.” July 7 Sin Miedo Latin band July 14 Taikoza Japanese drums and dance July 21 CityDance Indian dance July 28 Barynya Russian music and dance Tickets $8 (Stars Price $7.20) for ages 3 and up. Ages 2 and under are free

Strathmore Free Summer Outdoor Concerts Gudelsky Concert Gazebo Sponsored in part by

Take a musical trip around the world with these free outdoor concerts, a summer tradition at Strathmore! June 22 LaBrassBanda (Germany) June 29 Rafi Malkiel Quintet (Israel) July 6 Chopteeth Afrofunk Big Band (USA/West Africa) July 13 Armand Ntep (Cameroon) July 20 Andes Manta (Ecuador) July 27 Oli Brown Band (UK) August 3 Edwin Ortiz y su Orquesta La Romana (Cuba/Puerto Rico) August 10 Red Baraat (India) August 24 UkeFest 2011 (USA–Hawaii) All concerts begin at 7PM Free. Parking for $4.75 at the GrosvenorStrathmore Metro station. No dogs, please. Learn more at www.strathmore.org.

www.strathmore.org | (301) 581-5100 Groups (301) 581-5199

st r athm o r e Fine art

See and celebrate art of every description, displayed in the welcoming galleries of the Mansion at Strathmore and along winding paths of the beautiful sculpture garden and grounds—available to enjoy free and open to the public all year long.

Brittany Sims, The Americas

Fine Artist in Residence Exhibition

July 16–August 20 For the second year, Strathmore brings together new artists and seasoned mentors. Explore the results in this fascinating exhibition, as Minna Philips (drawing/ installation), Brittany Sims (painting), Solomon Slyce (photography) and Wilmer Wilson IV (mixed media installation) debut new works created under the mentorship of area artists Lenny Campello, Tim Tate and Susana Raab during a six month visual arts residency at Strathmore. Bruce Barnbaum

Building Bridges, Not Fences

September 24–November 5 This photography exhibition explores the technical and conceptual journey from traditional to digital media, as well as the aesthetic bridge that exquisite photojournalism builds between cultures. The first floor galleries feature Bruce Barnbaum, one of the finest masters of traditional techniques, whose work making images with today’s digital technology redefines the medium. In the Gudelsky Gallery Suite, photojournalists and photographers go beyond traditional family, town and city scenes, connecting cultures through a depth of understanding and visual communication that goes beyond borders.

21st Annual Strathmore Artists Exhibition

Charlie Tweed, Future Jack-O-Lanterns Best in Show, 2010 Exhibit

78th Annual International Exhibition of Fine Art in Miniature

March 24–April 21 This annual juried exhibition features artwork created by Strathmore Artists including painters, sculptors, printmakers, photographers, mixed media artists and countless other artisans in the region. Become a Strathmore Artist to receive a call for entries to this exclusive exhibition.

November 19–December 30 Each of the intricately detailed works of art on display is painstakingly produced in miniature. Behold the immaculate intricacy of each artist’s technique and marvel at every breathtaking brush or pencil stroke. Bigger is definitely not better in this exhibition!

June 16–July 28 Explore the art of puppetry, the creation of characters and storytelling as an art form. Puppetry has been intriguing and enchanting audiences for centuries. This exhibit moves through the history of marionettes and puppetry arts and its Hungarian, German, Italian and Indonesian cultural interpretations. Follow the threads that connect puppetry to its influences on other art forms.