VOLUME 9, ISSUE 1
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ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: • Emil Unplugged: A Journey of Reinvention • Moeser Leads CPA Board • Porthole Perspectives: Marketing Team in Action • A “Don’t-Miss” Performance: The Manganiyar Seduction
CAROLINA PERFORMING ARTS C R E AT E | P R E S E N T | C O N N E C T
Photo by Danny Clinch
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mil Kang on his mandolin he recently reflected upon shows us how these what he calls “the genres are much closer 21st-century virtuoso.” than we believe. “I These are musicians like to think musicians who not only have like Chris have such achieved technical deep command of mastery of their their instrument,” instrument but who are Kang muses, “that pushing the boundaries they’re able to reach of the type of music a new level of artistic they play. “I think of interpretation. They people like Yo-Yo Ma, don’t think about Chris Thile, Béla Fleck, playing notes…they Herbie Hancock, and are in a world of higher Wynton Marsalis,” ideas.” Kang says, listing a few Kang draws “I’m a big b eliever that the mu sicians who are mo s t of the genre-pushing comparisons between musicians who have Thile and another suc c e s s ful are tho s e that are unafr aid to reinvent thems elve s . performed in Memorial familiar face at Memorial Hall in recent years. Hall, Yo-Yo Ma. T hat i s the hallmark of the true vir tuo s o.” “I’m a big believer that “Both artists are never the musicians who are satisfied. They have an most successful are those that are unafraid to reinvent themselves. inner motivation to seek answers to new questions, a curiosity That is the hallmark of the true virtuoso.” that is never quenched. They are always exploring some other, One of those 21st-century virtuosos, Chris Thile, will be uncharted water through their instruments.” returning to Memorial Hall on October 29. Widely considered Kang thinks back to one of Yo-Yo Ma’s early explorations as one of the great mandolin players of our time, Thile drew away from classical music, the album Appalachia Waltz. “It felt acclaim for his work with bluegrass bands Nickel Creek and right. There are certain artists who can bring people together the Punch Brothers. This fall, he brings a solo performance with new experiences like no one else can. It just felt right.” And to Chapel Hill in which he uses the mandolin to play—of all just as Yo-Yo Ma used his cello to explore genres outside classical things—Bach. For Kang, this makes perfect sense. “These music, Chris Thile is now embarking on a similar path, moving artists all have an inner drive that makes them want to explore beyond bluegrass to rediscover his artistry in new types of music new musical terrains,” he observes. In the case of Chris Thile, and performance. that journey led to Bach. The result is a performance that is both These artists take risks and refuse to remain content in their beautiful and thought-provoking. traditional genres, Kang says. “It’s not that they’re not afraid— Although many people assume there are tremendous they’re incredibly afraid. That’s what makes them real. But they differences between attending a bluegrass concert and a classical do it anyway.” Those risks bring tremendous rewards, and Kang recital, Thile believes that many of those distinctions are believes the audiences always win when our best musicians set artificial. From the perspective of a musician, there is very out on new adventures. “All artists should be striving towards little difference between the excitement and energy of playing this place of continuous journey; virtuosity is always a journey of a Bach cantata and a traditional folk tune. It’s the audience that reinvention. I think it’s a lesson we can all learn from.” is more reserved, Thile says, and by playing both side by side —Aaron Shackelford
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university’s academic mission. Efforts to deepen CPA’s academic engagement with students and faculty are central to the strategic plan Moeser and the Advisory Board are currently developing. “I think now we have this even greater vision of being more than just a presenter,” Moeser says. The next frontier for CPA will be connecting in a consistent and deliberate way what is on stage at Memorial Hall to what is happening in classrooms and research laboratories across campus. Every CPA performance, Moeser believes, should be an opportunity for greater learning. Moeser is looking forward to the new season, but his drive to Memorial Hall will be a bit longer than normal. On August 1, he became the interim chancellor of WinstonSalem’s UNC School of the Arts (UNCSA), a place he describes as “an incredible gem in this state.” Not surprisingly, he sees enormous potential for closer collaboration between Carolina and UNCSA. Students and faculty from all disciplines could benefit from a deeper partnership—from departments like dance and music, to computer science, engineering, and beyond. As Moeser explains, “Understanding the world requires understanding the cultures that make up the world...It is through art that we understand what it means to be human.” Now nine years since the reopening of Memorial Hall, it is hard for even the man who helped start it all to believe how far CPA has come. “In my wildest dreams I never conceived that the program would be as transformative as it has been and as it continues to be. It has exceeded my initial vision.” —Rachel Ash Photo by KPO Photo
hen you trace the evolution of Carolina Performing Arts (CPA), you eventually come to the one question that started it all: How can Carolina be a truly great university without a great performing arts program? For James Moeser, UNC chancellor from 2000 to 2008, the answer is clear—it can’t. The arts are integral to a thriving university community, especially one that aspires to lead on the national and international stage. After helping to strengthen the performing arts programs at the University of Kansas and Pennsylvania State University, Moeser had seen firsthand how the arts could be a catalyst for innovation and creativity across a campus. He quickly recognized the need for such a program at UNC-Chapel Hill when he became chancellor. “This university cried out for it,” explains Moeser. One of his first steps was to engage a consultant who confirmed that Triangle-area audiences would support a world-class performing arts series and in fact were eager for more cultural experiences. From the beginning, he says, “I think everybody realized this was a good idea.” While interest and financial support from the broader community was (and remains) critical, the audience Moeser cared most about was UNC’s students. Over the years, his favorite CPA memories are the student-artist interactions he has witnessed, many while teaching a firstyear seminar with CPA Director Emil Kang. “Yo-Yo Ma literally sat down on the floor with our students,” he recalls. “For me, that’s the highlight of the season—when we can have those kinds of experiences. And I think the extent to which this program really impacts students
James Moeser Leads CPA International Advisory Board “ U n d e r s t an ding t h e wo r l d r e quire s un d e r s t an ding t h e c ul tur e s t h a t m ake up t h e wo r l d. . . I t i s t hr o u g h ar t t h a t we un d e r s t an d w h a t i t m e an s t o b e hum an .”
is still the pinnacle of what we’re about.” As the new chair of CPA’s International Advisory Board, Moeser is committed to creating even more transformative opportunities for Carolina students. The Rite of Spring at 100 represented a huge step in this direction. Twenty-one courses in such diverse fields as social work and literature were taught in connection with CPA’s celebration of the 1913 ballet, a remarkable testament to how the arts can become central to the
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PORTHOLE PERSPECTIVES
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Photo by KPO Photo
Where CPA staff reveal what really happens behind the curtain at Memorial Hall
ABOVE: The CPA Marketing Team: Mark Nelson, Becca Brenner, Elizabeth Joyner, and Joe Florence.
“ y three-year-old thinks I’m a firefighter who rides dinosaurs,” jokes Joe Florence, marketing and communications manager for Carolina Performing Arts (CPA). Although there have been neither fire nor raptor sightings at Memorial Hall this year, the metaphor is apt for a marketing team constantly in motion. While they are responsible for getting audiences to Memorial Hall via public relations, websites, e-marketing and advertising, the group takes on enough additional challenges on any given day that riding a dinosaur to fight fires might seem relaxing. “It’s making sure all the pieces are moving in sync together,” says Mark Nelson, the director of marketing and communications, “making sure information is easily accessible and that our audiences know everything that is going on at CPA.” The marketing team shares a common space on the second floor of the Porthole Building. To get a peek into what happens there, consider a two-week span last spring during The Rite of Spring at 100. CPA hosted the world premiere of a documentary on the Indian rite of Holi accompanied by a new piece of contemporary orchestral music by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), and the world premiere of three Basil Twist puppet performances based on Igor Stravinsky’s music. “How do you market Basil Twist?” Florence asks. “It’s a puppet show without puppets, and it’s brand new. But we had over 1,000 people there.” He believes that part of the reason was that by April, audiences had come to trust the project and knew that whatever CPA included in the celebration would be worthwhile. “The goal FALL 2013
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is not to make money selling tickets,” Florence notes, “but to share the performances that we are bringing to Chapel Hill, to make people think ‘I’m going to Memorial Hall to have an experience’ and to bring along a friend.” Becca Brenner, marketing and communications coordinator, shares that vision: “A lot of times you’ll see a big pick-up on the second night of our performances because the buzz builds as people tell their friends and they’ll end up wanting to go.” Brenner remembers watching Basil Twist’s work evolve and finding opportunities early on to invite the community to witness his creative process. “Being able to invite people into that conversation was really rewarding,” she explains. “At the end of the day, we want people to know not only the breadth and depth of events at Memorial Hall but to also get them in the door and experience it for themselves.” Or even outside the doors. Brenner recalls a guerilla puppet show put on by Basil and his crew on Polk Place one afternoon. “That was fun to see everyone just going ‘What is that on the quad?’ and then turning that question into an opportunity to talk about Basil Twist’s ‘ballet without dancers.’” “We want our audiences to trust what we do,” says Elizabeth Joyner, audience development and engagement coordinator. “We want to let the community know that we care about them and that we want to learn from them.” Joyner thinks of her job as curating audiences, identifying who will value each performance and making sure that nobody is left out. “We don’t want to overlook
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the little church around the corner that could benefit from seeing last flight to leave New York), and, true to their dinosaur and firefighting spirit, the marketing team jumped in with the rest of the Jazz at Lincoln Center, for instance” she says. Like the rest of the staff to make the orchestra feel at home. “Emil sends everyone an marketing team, Joyner emphasizes the personal conversations that allow her to make sure campus and community groups know email saying they’ve landed, they’re safe, and we have a room and a hot dinner waiting for them at Top of of the opportunities presented by CPA. the Hill,” Florence recalls. “Come now.” For the spring premiere of ICE’s new Rite “ I t ’s m ak in g s ur e all t h e p i e c e s Florence recalls how happy (and relieved) of Spring piece alongside the documentary ar e m ov in g t o g e t h e r, m ak in g s ur e the orchestra and CPA staff members Radhe Radhe, the team reached out to in fo r m a t i o n i s a c c e s s ib l e were to see each other when they finally local South Asian community and student an d t h a t o ur au di e n c e s k n ow arrived. “The conductor offered a toast, groups. “I go to people first,” says Joyner, e v e r y t hin g t h a t i s g o in g o n a t C PA .” and there was this wonderful camaraderie who received her Ph.D. in musicology — MARK NELSON around escaping the hurricane…we’re all from Duke University. “There’s always here…we’re all safe…we’re all together.” going to be one or two people who point me in a direction I Mark Nelson, the director of the marketing team, sees can’t miss.” himself as a sort of hurricane-dodging conductor as well. “I For Florence, the process of building these community always think I’m a bandleader, because there are so many connections begins long before the first ticket is even sold. “We different specialties or instruments that our team plays—from reach out to faculty members, local artists, and others even six months in advance to help us build a story around a performance, media relations to graphic design to social media. I try to keep everything choreographed and moving in the right direction.” to try to connect the community to what we are doing.” Thinking back to the spring confluence of ICE and Basil Twist, That sense of extended community includes the performers Mark recalls, “it took a huge amount of energy to build those as well. Having joined CPA last year, Florence remembers one audiences, but it’s all worth it when you feel the anticipation and particularly memorable October evening. “I got a text at 10:45 on a Sunday night, the day before the Mariinsky Orchestra was to excitement in the lobby before the performance and then you get to see the audience’s reaction—it’s very satisfying.” arrive in Chapel Hill.” Because of the threat of Hurricane Sandy, —Aaron Shackelford CPA arranged for the entire orchestra to arrive a day early (on the
NOVEMBER 18
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C A R O L I N A P E R FO R M I N G A R T S • M O N DAY, N OV E M B E R 1 8 • 1 2 : 0 0 P. M .–2 : 0 0 P. M . • T H E F R A N K L I N H O T E L
EMIL KA N G Directo r, C ar o l i n a P er fo r mi n g Ar ts
E MILY KASS D i re ctor, Ackl an d Ar t M u seu m
JOE HAJ P r odu cing Ar tis tic Dir ector, P layMaker s
FALL AR TS LUNCH EON
Wh at ’ s nex t fo r t he ar ts at C aro l i na? To find out, join us this fall for lunc h and a special co nve r s at i o n wi th t he Ac kl and’ s Emily Kass, PlayMaker s’ Joe Haj, and CPA’ s own E m i l Kang. Fo r m o r e i nfo r mation, please contact us at 919- 8 43- 1 869 or rac hel_as h @unc. e du .
RECO MM EN D ED L I S T EN I N G
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Selected Recordings
’ve always thought you could judge a performance of Bach’s Goldberg Variations by the way the performer treated the opening Aria. If the Aria is played too fast or mechanically, then the overall piece tends to be showy, a display of virtuosity at the expense of emotional honesty. If the Aria is played too slowly or deliberately, I often find the performance sentimental and sluggish. The Goldberg Variations as a whole requires a deeply personal interpretation, a challenge that can be as daunting to performers as the technical passages themselves. In my listening, the Aria, one of the most difficult keyboard movements over which to have expressive ownership, is the ultimate litmus test. Take Angela Hewitt’s 1999 recording, for example. Her Aria soars with grace and life, yet the lilting soprano voice does not lose its charm. Similarly, her Variations are technically brilliant but remain grounded in Baroque dance style. On the other hand, I don’t feel as much beauty present in Roslyn Tureck’s 1995 recording. I find her Aria wooden and too deliberate and the Variations of the same style—measured, cut, and mechanical. Harpsichord recordings of Goldberg were especially popular from the 1940s to the early 1980s. Wanda Landowska’s 1945 recording was the first of its kind. Her Aria? Sensitive, if a little on the heavy side, and the Variations that follow are too slow and dry for my taste. Perhaps
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Claudio Arrau, Piano, 1942 Wanda Landowska, Harpsichord, 1945 Rosalyn Tureck, Piano, 1957 Gustav Leonhardt, Harpsichord, 1976 Trevor Pinnock, Harpsichord, 1980 Glenn Gould, Piano, 1981 Angela Hewitt, Piano, 1999 Andras Schiff, Piano, 2002 Simone Dinnerstein, Piano, 2007
Listening to Bach’s Goldberg Variations the angularity I sense from Landowska’s interpretation comes from the limitations of the harpsichord itself; still, this seminal recording is an important precursor to the many other recordings and interpretations of Goldberg that followed. In listening to recordings by Hewitt, Tureck, Landowska, and others, not to mention the famous two by Glenn Gould (1955 and 1981), I’ve come to understand performances of Goldberg as something intensely individual and even experimental. Each interpretation reflects the artist’s own creative sensibilities and personality. Gould’s 1981 recording always struck me as unabashedly human. Hearing Gould hum along to certain passages while he is playing gives the recording a
deeply personal quality. It was in listening to Gould’s 1981 Goldberg that I formed my Aria “litmus test.” Gould’s interpretation of the Aria is lovely, perfect, and soulful— everything that Bach’s jewel-like opening requires. Finally, there is András Schiff, the Hungarian-born pianist famous for his interpretations of Beethoven, Schubert, and Bach. The Aria from his 2002 recording reminds me of Gould’s: balanced, lilting, and light, like a soprano aria from a Baroque opera. Throughout the recording, Schiff allows us to experience music for music’s sake rather than for the sake of the performer’s technical skill. As a keyboardist myself, I recognize that this kind of sensitive performance is the result of countless hours of practice; I can’t help but be moved by Schiff’s nuanced reading. Schiff allows Bach to be enjoyed—not as a technical marvel, but as a deep, human expression. Maybe there is something to my Aria “theory” and maybe not, but there remains an ongoing mystery to the opening of the Goldberg Variations. The Aria draws the audience into the music like a prologue in a Greek play, the solo soprano line transforming the keyboard into a singing, human voice. Combined with the 30 Variations that follow, Bach has created a musical universe that, even after three centuries, continues to move listeners and performers alike. —Elizabeth Joyner
H e ar A n dr á s S c hi f f p e r fo r m t h e G o l d b e r g Var i at i o n s li ve a t M e m o r i al H all o n O c t o b e r 23 . FALL 2013
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Photo by KPO Photo
he Development staff at Carolina program, Jennifer received her MFA in Performing Arts is thrilled to welcome stage management in 2006. Jennifer Cox to the team. Jennifer While her time in NYC was life accepted the position of development changing, North Carolina was calling and stewardship coordinator in June, Jennifer home. Prior to joining CPA, but she is no newcomer to Carolina she worked as the personal assistant to Performing Arts. She joined CPA in high school friend and local celebrity 2008 as the administrative assistant and Clay Aiken. Keen to use her new her job quickly expanded to include degree, Jennifer also stage-managed assisting Executive Director Emil Kang several local theater productions. Her and the business office. In her new favorite experience by far was working role, she is responsible for a variety of on Burning Coal Theater Company’s duties, including gift processing, donor 2007 production of Hamlet. stewardship, and event planning. A Raleigh native, Jennifer Jennifer’s roots with UNC run deep. participated in the performing arts A Tar Heel born and bred, she followed in throughout most of her childhood. She her father’s footsteps, attending university is grateful for the opportunities CPA in the “southern part of heaven.” As provides to enjoy a variety of artists ABOVE: Jennifer Cox an undergraduate, she was a member of and broaden her cultural horizons. An the co-ed service fraternity APO, which kept her very active ethical vegan, Jennifer’s passion is animals. She serves on the on campus and in the community. She graduated from UNCeducation committee for the Piedmont Farm Animal Refuge Chapel Hill in 2000 with a B.A. in communications and then and volunteers with local animal shelters. In her free time moved to New York City to pursue graduate studies at Columbia you are likely to find her snuggling her rescue kitty, flipping University’s School of the Arts. One of three students chosen through cookbooks, and searching for the best vegan food in the to participate in the first year of the new stage management Triangle!
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CAROLINA PERFORMING ARTS STAFF • Emil J. Kang Executive Director • Mike Johnson Associate Director
Development & Strategic Initiatives
Marketing & Communications
• Raymond B. Farrow III Director of Development and Strategic Initiatives • Rachel Ash Development and Stewardship Manager • Jennifer Cox Development and Stewardship Coordinator • Marnie Karmelita, Director of Programming • Christine Tully, Artist Services Manager • Stephanie Bullins, Artistic Coordinator
• Mark Nelson Director of Marketing and Communications • Joe Florence Marketing and Communications Manager • Rebecca Brenner Marketing and Communications Coordinator • Mary Dahlsten Box Office Manager • Elizabeth Joyner Audience Development & Engagement Coordinator
Production
Arts@TheCore
• Butch Garris, Director of Production • Matt Johnson, Production Manager • Aaron Yontz, Production Manager • Angela Brickley, Assistant Production Manager • David Hahn, Assistant Production Manager
• Joy Kasson Mellon Distinguished Scholar • Aaron Shackelford Post-Doctoral Fellow
Administration
• Barbara Call Finance and Human Resources Manager • Nic Caceres Business IT Coordinator • Dan McLamb Systems Administrator • Mari O’Donnell Executive Assistant • Mark Steffen Events Manager • Sarah Mixter Audience Services Manager
Programming & Artistic
Listing includes full and part-time staff
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YO U R C O N T R I B U T I O N S T O C A R O L I N A PE R FO R M I N G A R T S A R E A PPR EC I AT E D CAROLINAPERFORMINGARTS.ORG
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NONPROFIT ORG.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Campus Box 3233 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3233
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Monday, November 4 at 7:30 p.m. The Manganiyar Seduction A Divine Musical Journey Photo by Wolfgang Krichner
his November, 43 of the world’s most talented musicians from northwest India will transform the stage at Memorial Hall into an exuberant multimedia spectacle. From the Thar desert of Rajasthan, the Manganiyars are a group of Sufi Muslims known for their rich tradition of classical folk music. Director Roysten Abel was inspired to create the production while working with Manganiyar musicians on a performance in Spain. “Two of them would catch hold of me wherever I went and start singing,” explains Abel. “They would come outside my hotel room in the morning and sing and wake me. And post-show they would take me back to my hotel and sing and put me to sleep…They seduced me.” Abel’s production captures this same feeling of seduction, which first attracted him to the music. The piece opens with the haunting sound of a single stringed instrument, the khamacha. Then one by one, each musician joins in as the music slowly builds, culminating in an infectious symphony of rhythm and voice. Adding to the effect is the piece’s elaborate set—four tiers of rectangular boxes reminiscent of the game show Hollywood Squares. Glowing lights frame each box and reveal the musicians as they begin to play. By the end of the piece, the audience is transported by the joyous music. “You really don’t know if it’s a sound or light show actually because you’re in another world,” says Abel. One thing we do know—this stunning theatrical experience is one you don’t want to miss. CALL THE BOX OFFICE TODAY (919/843-3333) TO RESERVE YOUR SEATS FOR THIS “DON’T-MISS” PERFORMANCE.
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Carolina Performing Arts / The Porthole Building / 134 East Franklin St. / CB 3233 / Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3233 / carolinaperformingarts.org