VOLUME 11, ISSUE 1
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carolina
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ingarts Violinist Gil Shaham Comes to Campus
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE • Emil Unplugged: Championing New Music • Close up on The Core @ Carolina Square • Meet CPA’s New Mellon Distinguished Scholar • A Voice for the Cuban People
PHOTO BY LUKE RATRAY
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Jillian Clark
ow does the collaborating with artists legendary new music in dance, theater, film, group Ensemble and the visual arts. This intercontemporain (EIC) multidisciplinary approach come to perform in Chapel will be front and center Hill, one of only four stops at EIC’s first Chapel on their first American Hill performances this tour in years? Emil Kang November. The program hears some version of this features a stunning question with many of audiovisual work by the artists who appear on Austrian artist Kurt Carolina Performing Arts’ Hentschläger paired with series. The journey to bring new music by American EIC to Memorial Hall composer Edmund Emil Kang discussing EIC’s collaboration with audiovisual artist Kurt Hentschläger. provides a telling example, Campion. he says, of CPA’s unique Audiences who attend approach to programming. It this first evening will be in for “ T hi s i s a c onver s at ion over t ime,” involves what Kang calls “a a completely different experiKang s ay s , “b ot h intent ional convergence of the planned ence the following night. The and c oincident al. I t ’s in t hat inter s e c t ion and unplanned.” second performance provides that the b e s t eng agement s o c cur.” Kang first walked a history of new music with into EIC’s north Paris offices six years ago. “It was the first bold works by Pintscher as well as French pioneers Pierre Boulez conversation we had about a potential concert in Chapel Hill,” and Edgard Varèse. Giving audiences this variety of experiences he recalls. The dialogue continued as time went on. “Whenever was important to Kang. It is common for people to have preconI was in Paris, I would stop by. We would meet about the ceived ideas of genres they aren’t as familiar with—an observation prospect of an American tour, since they so rarely come to he has found to be especially true of new music. Kang hopes to North America.” The conversations ranged across composers, show audiences the full breadth of what new music can sound, the history of music, and how EIC could present a truly look, and feel like with EIC’s performance. “It is not a monolithic immersive experience in Memorial Hall. Discussions also took idea or experience. Each part of the program is exciting and stands place around the globe as Kang ran into ensemble members in on its own,” says Kang. places like London and Florence. New ideas emerged in each This November’s performances will be wholly different from setting. EIC Music Director and Conductor Matthias Pintscher the programs Kang and EIC began dreaming up in 2009. “This would share which artists and composers the group hoped to is a conversation over time,” Kang says, “both intentional and work with, many of whom had strong ties to CPA. coincidental. It’s in that intersection that the best engagements Kang, who served as executive director of the Detroit occur. It’s never entirely what you thought it was going to be. It’s Symphony Orchestra prior to launching CPA, is a long-time a lot of what you never imagined it could be.” That, he believes, advocate for new music. “I was known in Detroit for my is the essence of what makes CPA such a powerful stage for artists penchant for new music,” explains Kang. “Keeping the form and audiences. It provides a space for everyone to open themselves alive is something I believe in.” EIC is perhaps the genre’s best up to new possibilities. “If you don’t do that,” Kang asks, “Where ambassador—the group continually finds ways to innovate is the wonder? Where is the magic of the unplanned?” the audience’s experience. One way they are doing so is by — Aaron Shackelford
En s emble interc ontemp or ain p er form s a mul t ime dia L o ading D o ck p er formanc e on Novemb er 10 and a Memorial Hall audi torium c onc er t on Novemb er 11 . FA L L 2 01 5
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ARTS@THECORE
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Meet Jane F. Thrailkill, CPA’s New Mellon Distinguished Scholar y mother, Jane Pittman Wilkins, was a girl from Sanford, N.C. who married a dashing Yankee. I followed my father’s educational path (luckily! Mom graduated from Duke) and attended Amherst College, where I dreamed of being a doctor. That was before a life swerve my junior year, when I met my future husband, Hawley Truax, and his brainy, creative friends. We camped out at the café in the Visual Arts building, talking about life, music, books, and world events. The arts and the humanities were where the action was. So I decided to be a literature professor with an interest in medicine, rather than a physician with an interest in the arts. It’s fitting that I earned my Ph.D. (in English) from Johns Hopkins—a university practically synonymous with medical education. My dissertation on the figure of the doctor in American literature planted the seed for my first book, Affecting Fictions: Mind, Body, and Emotion in American Literary Realism (Harvard 2007). The “heroes” of this study—nineteenthcentury writers such as Kate Chopin, Stephen Crane, and William James— believed that art provides rich perceptual experiences that resonate deeply with human minds and bodies. A quote from John Dewey—philosopher, educator, activist—strikes the keynote of my book: “art keeps alive the power to experience the common world in its fullness.” Fueled by the energy of CPA staff and the support of donors, the priceless performances at Memorial Hall produce a depth of experience that swerves us away from all-too-human ruts of thinking and feeling. For students marching to the steady beat of lectures, labs, and papers, these moments are literally unforgettable. In the words of one senior, after American Studies Professor Michelle Robinson
invited singers from the Abyssinian Baptist Church Choir to her class, “in my four years at UNC, this was one of the greatest, if not the best, class periods I have been able to attend.” This is our goal, and we have our work cut out for us. My term as Mellon Distinguished Scholar began just as CPA went public with The Core @ Carolina Square. Starting this fall, Mellon PostDoctoral Fellow Aaron Shackelford and I will convene a series of universitywide Core Conversations. Our mantra for these comes from Henry David Thoreau: “If you have built castles in the air…that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.” One potential foundation for The Core is an inaugural Arts and Sciences Festival to showcase integrative work being done across the university campus. The Core presents immense possibility for UNC, especially our students. It will also require extraordinary resources. Arts@TheCore is serious about keeping faculty energized. This fall, to accompany Ivo van Hove’s production of Antigone, we will convene the first in a program we’re calling Book/Art: reading groups for faculty and CPA supporters who wish to explore the text that inspired the performance. Poet Anne Carson’s beautiful and strange translation, Antigonick, will be our initial work. Arts@ TheCore will host Post-Performance Convivia after select events at Memorial Hall. A Teaching with the Arts Toolkit will soon to be available on our website. In 2000, I moved my family from Massachusetts to Chapel Hill. In a stunning “coals to Newcastle” moment, I
T O P : Jane F. Thrailkill. B O T T O M : Carl Ernst, Jane Thrailkill, and Emil Kang in Senegal to research potential CPA artists.
was welcomed into UNC’s Department of English by a kissing cousin I’d never met, the incomparable writer Doris Betts. Imagine my surprise when, next to Memorial Hall on a commemorative stepping stone, I saw the words of our shared ancestor Alexander Davis Betts, a southern chaplain during the Civil War. The passage (on the last slate, just before a quote from Look Homeward Angel) expresses Reverend Betts’s willingness to minister to all, including the young men from the north. Small wonder that coming to Carolina—and now directing Arts@TheCore—feels like destiny to this former New Englander! For more information about Arts@TheCore, or to bring a class to a performance, contact us: Jane F. Thrailkill, Mellon Distinguished Scholar: tkill@unc.edu https://www.carolinaperformingarts.org/ artsthecore/
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The Core @ Carolina Square will be a maker’s space where artists, students, and faculty create new work.
his May, Chancellor Carol Folt and CPA announced the creation of The Core @ Carolina Square. An arts innovation lab located in downtown Chapel Hill, The Core will be a physical nexus where the creative process catalyzes research and discovery on our campus and in the community. The Q&A below delves into the latest project details and our vision for the space. Why is the new space called The Core @ Carolina Square?
The space is named to build on the success of our Arts@TheCore program, CPA’s Andrew W. Mellon Foundation-funded initiative that is redefining the role of the performing arts in the academy by increasing direct faculty involvement with the arts. Situated in the “core” of downtown Chapel Hill, the space will be a center for exploring new ideas in the arts and host immersive performances for our students, faculty, and the community. What is the timeline for The Core @ Carolina Square?
As you’ll see driving down Franklin Street, demolition of the FA L L 2 01 5
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former University Square is already under way. CPA expects to begin programming at The Core in the fall of 2017. How big is the new venue and what types of spaces will it have?
The Core will feature a black box theater space (approx. 4,000 sf) that can be configured in many different ways. An intimate environment, the theater is designed to accommodate approximately 200 people. There will be requisite dressing
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rooms, back of house space, and loading dock facilities. In addition to the theater, there will be a second studio space (approx. 3,000 sf).
to established techniques. Labs are places where the goal is not only to create something, but to find new ways to create. At The Core, we will provide the tools and time required for the creative process to unfold.
What is an “arts lab”? What does “innovation” mean at The Core?
At The Core, innovation means finding new ways for the arts to contribute to the teaching, research, and service mission of the entire university. CPA has always championed artists who challenge traditional ways of looking at the world and who inspire students to explore new ideas. Through Arts@TheCore, this commitment to innovation
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Any artist will tell you that the arts are about process, not just performances. In this way the arts are like all other research at a university. Even though we only see the final product—a published paper or a new computer program—the focus in the lab is on the process itself rather than the end result. Like a science laboratory, The Core provides a space for artists and our community to engage with new ideas as well as new approaches
extends to supporting faculty who are using the arts to enhance their teaching. The Core will be a physical home for Arts@TheCore where artists and the greater UNC community will come together to generate new insights and discoveries through the arts. What types of artists will come to The Core?
The artists at The Core will be visionaries with unique perspectives from around the world—some of whom will be familiar faces from Memorial Hall. We will partner with artists in all genres who are eager to explore new approaches, collaborate with the CPA community, and invite others to participate in and witness how they make work. C L O C K W I S E F R O M T O P L E F T : Demolition for Carolina Square is underway. • The new space will host conversations with artists about their creative process. • CPA will occupy the first floor of this new building.
This is just the beginning! We are excited to share more with you in the months to come.
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id you know that most CPA artists spend time in buildings other than Memorial Hall? They visit classrooms and talk with faculty, making in-depth connections with the daily academic work of the university. These interactions reflect our belief that the arts contribute to the mission of the entire university, and that CPA artists make unique additions to the education and experience of UNC students. If you’re on campus this October, you may spot one of this year’s Artists-in-Residence, the violin virtuoso Gil Shaham. Shaham will become a fixture in classrooms of all kinds as he shares his skills and insight with students—including the entire UNC Symphony Orchestra. Assistant Professor of Violin Nicholas DiEugenio describes Shaham’s residency as “a great opportunity for all of our music students to learn from a world-renowned artist.” Shaham will participate in vibrant discussions, conduct master classes, and sit in on studio courses, offering a wide range of interactions for UNC students. Shaham will also share his talent with the community this fall with performances of six Bach If you’re on campus this October, you may spot violin solos and Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D one of this year’s Ar tists - in - Residence, Major at Memorial Hall. the violin vir tuoso Gil Shaham. Shaham will become As DiEugenio points out, an important aspect a fixture in clas srooms of all kinds as he shares of Shaham’s residency is the fact that he will return his skills and insight with students — including to campus in February for a third performance and the entire UNC Symphony Orchestra. to further the conversations with students he meets in October. “He will have coachings with the same students and the same chamber group,” DiEugenio explains, which will allow Shaham to observe the students’ progress and give a depth to his teaching that most have established strong ties to Chapel Hill and will visit new and students never receive from a visiting artist. Music students at familiar students each time they come to campus. This April, Carolina often benefit from master classes with professional bluegrass musician Abigail Washburn will begin her first term artists, but Shaham’s multiple visits to campus as our Artist-inas an Artist-in-Residence by building on her exchanges with Residence makes for powerful and long-term connections with students and faculty over the past three years. If all of this talk students. about learning from CPA artists has you itching to become a As the year unfolds, other artists will journey from the stage student again, let us know. We are oftentimes able to open up to the classroom for inspiring learning experiences. The string these special experiences to observers. There is no better way to quartet Brooklyn Rider and singer-songwriter Gabriel Kahane see your support of CPA in action! — Aaron Shackelford
YOUR GUIDE TO GIL SHAHAM • October 20 — Gil Shaham per forms Bach violin solos with original films by David Michalek • October 22 — Gil Shaham with the UNC Symphony Orchestra and Tonu Kalam, conductor • Februar y 25 — Gil Shaham with the trailblazing orchestral collective The Knights
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Luke Ratray
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M E E T Y O U R C PA S TA F F
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f you are ever curious to know what renovated hall. He moved to the area from is happening in Memorial Hall on a given Washington, D.C. where he worked at the day, Mark Steffen is the person to ask. In International Spy Museum. A history and fact, he can also tell you what’s on tap for political science major, Mark has always every Carolina Performing Arts (CPA) venue, been interested in international intelligence. including neighboring Gerrard Hall and Though the day-to-day activities at CPA Historic Playmakers Theatre. As CPA’s events don’t usually involve matters of national manager, Mark oversees the scheduling security, he has overseen high profile for each space we operate. This involves events including a visit by President Obama working with diverse student and community in 2012. The president was the special groups as well as UNC departments to guest for a taping of “Late Night with Jimmy ensure the success of more than 100 rental Fallon” at Memorial Hall. “It was exciting events each year. to be a part of such a huge undertaking,” During periods of high demand each fall recalls Mark. “I was amazed by how the and spring, there is rarely a day when CPA’s “Late Night” team transformed the Hall.” venues are empty. “In the six weeks between When it comes to his favorite CPA spring break and the last day of classes, performances, Mark gravitates towards there were only eleven dates when Memorial theater. His interest in the arts developed Mark Steffen Hall was not in use,” Mark says recalling in college at Colgate University, which is last semester. Though finding dates for close to his hometown of Syracuse, NY. every request can seem like an impossible jigsaw puzzle, Mark has Mark spent a semester abroad in London and a highlight of his time mastered the challenge of putting the pieces together. The majority there was soaking in the incredible theater scene. During CPA’s of his work is with campus groups, including the Department of second season, Mark had a chance to take to the stage himself for Music and student organizations like the Clef Hangers and UNC’s a production called “The End of Cinematics.” The director was in the many dance ensembles. “I especially enjoy when the student performance and needed a stand-in to play his part so he could see performances go well,” says Mark. “They’re really appreciative of our what things looked like during rehearsal. “There were cameras on me help.” and my image was projected on a twenty foot screen,” remembers One of CPA’s first staff members, Mark joined the team in Mark. Thankfully for CPA, he was happy to return to his day job after October 2005 just months after the first performances in the newly rehearsals ended. — Rachel Ash
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“I’ve been exposed to different styles of
Make it possible for CPA to offer FREE tickets to all Carolina Covenant and Achieve Scholars this year with your gift to The Student Ticket Angel Fund.
music I would never have experienced if it weren’t for the free tickets through the Covenant. CPA has enhanced my education and made me a more well-rounded person.” — K a t e N a k h l e , C l a s s o f 2 01 8
Your Angel Fund gift will go twice as far this year thanks to a generous challenge grant.
w w w.c a ro li n a p e r fo r m i n ga r ts .o rg /a n ge l CAROLINAPERFORMINGARTS.ORG
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carolina
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ingarts
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Campus Box 3233 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3233
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Thursday, October 29 at 7:30 p.m.
Danay Suárez
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DANAY SUÁREZ
Jillian Clark
mil Kang first met Danay Suárez some 4,500 miles from Chapel Hill in the bustling metropolis of Rio de Janeiro. They were both there for the 2014 TEDGlobal conference, an annual gathering that celebrates human ingenuity around the world. “As soon as I heard Danay perform I knew she would add a lot to our series,” remembers Kang. “She’s rooted in hip-hop, but has a soulful style that’s truly her own.” Suárez will share her unique sound with CPA audiences this October, exactly a year since her first meeting with Kang. An important voice in Cuba’s underground rap scene, Suárez grew up in Havana and tells the stories of her fellow Cubans through her socially-conscious and poetic lyrics. Although she first made a name for herself in hip-hop, Suárez’s sultry, powerful vocals have drawn comparisons to Lauryn Hill and Erykah Badu. The New York Times called her “a voice of resilience and passionate self-invention.” In her latest album Polvo de la humedad, you can hear elements of hip-hop alongside jazz, reggae, soul, R&B, as well as traditional Cuban music. When asked how she started singing and rapping, Suárez explains that she has always been musical, but never had formal training (she went to school for computer programming). As a teenager, she began writing about the issues that mattered to her and making up rhymes. “I was sure of myself, sure I had something to say and I wanted people to hear me,” says Suárez. “A rapper needs to have that kind of confidence.” Now based in Miami, Suárez has a growing audience of U.S. fans and supporters. As she travels throughout the country, she remains focused on the reasons that first led her to pick up a mic. “The most important thing is for people to hear my music, which is not only about my life but also about the lives of millions of Cubans.” 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