VOLUME 9, ISSUE 2
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WINTER 2014
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ALSO IN THIS ISSUE: • Emil Unplugged: Journey to Handel’s London • Porthole Perspectives: Arts@TheCore • Hymns in Caldwell Hall • A “Don’t-Miss” Performance: Compagnie Käfig
CAROLINA PERFORMING ARTS C R E AT E | P R E S E N T | C O N N E C T
Photo by Robert Ascroft
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f you are not ensemble provides familiar with the story of listeners a chance to Handel’s Theodora, don’t experience Theodora as worry. Neither was the it was intended to be London audience when it heard. premiered in 1750. And Kang first heard yet, as Emil Kang points The English Concert out, it became Handel’s when he was executive favorite oratorio. “This director of the Detroit is a true story,” he says, Symphony Orchestra. “a tragedy about self“I equate them to a sacrifice and love.” Its classic car,” he explains, universal themes of love “all original, not and sacrifice continue to anything on it that wasn’t resonate with audiences. there when it rolled Set in 4th century off the assembly line.” A.D., Theodora is about a There is an undeniable Christian martyr and her power in experiencing Roman lover who both a pure mid-eighteenth die for her faith. When century performance. Theodora is ordered “It is a sublime aural “I e quate them [ The Eng li sh C onc er t] to a clas sic c ar, to convert, her lover experience,” Kang says. Didymus helps her escape Alongside The all orig inal, not any thing on i t that wasn’ t there when i t rolle d English Concert will be but is himself imprisoned and faces execution for six soloists and a full choir. of f the as s embl y line. I t i s a sublime aur al ex p erienc e.” saving Theodora. When “Having a cast of singers is Theodora decides she not something we typically cannot allow her lover to sacrifice himself for her, she goes to do,” Kang notes, but they are necessary to telling the story and plead for Didymus’s life. The Roman governor refuses to offer experiencing Theodora. The role of Didymus will be sung by clemency and, in a tragic twist, has them both condemned to David Daniels, one of the world’s most celebrated countertenors. death. “He’s made it one of his signature roles,” Kang says. Performed by The English Concert and boasting a cast of “The music is supposed to be spiritual,” Kang reminds us. world-class soloists, Theodora offers an opportunity to experience “The voices tend to be ethereal sounding, as though coming from an authentic and original piece of music history. The English a higher place.” Concert is one of the leading baroque orchestras in the world For one night this January, you can experience it too—just and uses only period instruments in their performances. The like Londoners did in 1750. —Aaron Shackelford
BELOW: The English Concert is one of the leading baroque orchestras in the world and uses only period instruments in their performances.
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Photo by Richard Haughton PAGE 2
PORTHOLE PERSPECTIVES
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Arts@TheCore
Bringing the Arts to Every Corner of Campus ohn McGowan, director of UNC’s Institute for the Arts and Humanities, scans the crowd of physicists, dancers, and even a few middle school students. “This is not the usual suspects,” he notes. The unlikely gathering of artists and scientists, young and old, had been brought together by an Arts@ do during TheCore event, “Innovation and regular class Discovery in Physics and Dance.” sessions. “The AT RIGHT: Emil Kang, Sarah With a mission of increasing boundaries of Demers, Joy Kasson, Julie academic integration of the arts the classroom Walters, and Emily Coates at across the university, Arts@The dissolved,” “Innovation and Discovery Core enjoys challenging disciplinary Robinson in Physics and Dance.” assumptions by demonstrating wrote after the Lecture attendees and workshop such events is how the arts can inform and illuminate visit. “Students strong. Recently, all fields of inquiry. On this night, Yale could imagine participants came from virtually every Carolina University physicist Sarah Demers and themselves choreographer Emily Coates were sharing Performing Arts, not simply as corner of campus—public health, in collaboration their collaborative research. students but as with the Odum Carolina Performing Arts’ Mellon individuals trying physics, journalism, sociology, Institute for Social Distinguished Scholar Joy Kasson to comprehend Science Research, encountered Demers and Coates last an infinitely music, to just name a few. surveyed Carolina summer during a research trip to Yale complicated faculty about their University’s International Festival of Arts world.” Robinson and Ideas. She invited them to repeat their interest in and use of the performing arts believes the experience with Chorale le in their research and teaching. The survey Chateau will challenge and inspire her presentation and interactive workshop in garnered over 1,000 responses from over Chapel Hill to demonstrate how dance students for years to come. 90 departments—a tremendous outpouring can help express complex ideas in particle Even if none of Robinson’s students go of interest from virtually every building physics. Lecture attendees and workshop on to study religious history, she believes on campus. participants came from virtually every the integration of the performing arts Even now, Arts@TheCore is corner of campus—public health, physics, enhanced and facilitated their understanding journalism, sociology, music, to just name a providing intense and meaningful learning of the subject. The arts helps her students few. Everyone seemed eager to learn how opportunities for students and faculty. understand the world in which they will During their time in town for Abyssinian: dance might explain something like the live and work and nurtures their capacity A Gospel Celebration with the Jazz at Lincoln to be lifelong learners. Such outcomes are Higgs boson, an elementary particle that Center Orchestra, members of Chorale le was only recently confirmed to exist and what makes Arts@TheCore such a vital heralded as a “monumental breakthrough” Chateau visited Dr. Michelle Robinson’s part of Carolina’s academic mission. By in our understanding of the natural world. course, “Radical Communities in 20th creating connections between performances Pairing the latest discovery in particle Century U.S. Religious History.” For in Memorial Hall with groups of faculty the students, the visit was a transforming physics with dance is a perfect example and students, CPA is moving the arts experience (see page 6). For Robinson, it of the cross-disciplinary dialogue and beyond Memorial Hall and right into provided an opportunity to expand her learning Arts@TheCore hopes to spark classrooms. We can’t think of a better place classroom in ways nearly impossible to around campus. The appetite for more for them to be. —Aaron Shackelford
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LEGEND Photo by Dorsay Alavi
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ABOVE: The Wayne Shorter Quartet: Brian Blade, Wayne Shorter, Danilo Pérez, and John Patitucci.
Wayne Shorter: W
hile Wayne Shorter is best known for his contributions as a hard bop and fusion player in the 1960s and 1970s, if we enshrine him as only that, we are making a big mistake. Indeed, there is always a danger when approaching the works of “living legends.” For me, it is the whole “legend” part, because it denotes stories from the past rather than ongoing processes in the present. So, in discussing Shorter, I want to focus on the “living” part, because even now he continues growing and exploring as an artist and making substantial contributions to jazz music as he has for over half a century. To think about how artists change over time, I will share with you the same exercise my “Introduction to Jazz” students are using to prepare for the Wayne Shorter Quartet’s February 21 concert. In class, we’re comparing two performances of “Children of the Night,” one of Shorter’s most famous and influential compositions. The first is from 1963 and the second is from 1995. By using this single composition as our “control,” we can WINTER 2014
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see the significant changes in Shorter’s musical style more clearly. The 1963 performance with Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers is firmly entrenched within the sonic world of Hard Bop. Driven by Blakey’s aggressive drumming, this performance feels like “forward motion” the whole way through. Shorter lays out the tune’s melody supported by the other frontline players before launching into a solo supported by a rhythm section that somehow manages to lay back “in the pocket” and push the tempo simultaneously. Throughout his solo, Shorter continues evoking this sense of acceleration; his rapid scalar playing gets faster and more virtuosic and he begins oscillating on smaller and smaller fragments of melodic material. However, “Children of the Night’s” primary melodic idea—an elongated, stepwise oscillation on a major third—returns periodically to stretch out Shorter’s notes without feeling disruptive. It is almost as though the tune distorts our sense of time by holding and stretching
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articulate the difference between Shorter of the ‘60s and Shorter individual moments, which creates a stirring and thoroughly of the ‘90s, merely a difference between two performances of satisfying sense of elasticity. Even as the band starts in high gear the same composition by the same artist in different times and and keeps accelerating, Shorter’s composition insists on poignant moments of space to allow the rich tone of his tenor saxophone to places and with different bands. As Shorter works both within and against these two soundscapes, we see elements of both stretch out and chill for a bit. contrast and continuity. Somehow, I suspect his current quartet Whereas the laid back nature of “Children of the Night’s” playing at Memorial Hall in 2014 won’t sound like either of these melody provides moments of temporal contrast in the 1963 performances. performance, in Shorter’s rendition 32 years later this relaxation So, as you listen to the permeates and defines S o, a s y o u li s t e n t o t h e Way n e S h o r t e r Q u ar t e t p l ay li ve, Wayne Shorter Quartet the sonic space. Here, play live, know that you “Children of the Night” k n ow t h a t y o u ar e h e ar ing a l e g e n d w h o i s s t ill ve r y mu c h are hearing a legend who doesn’t stretch time in is still very much living, contrast to the rhythm li v ing , g r ow ing , ex p l o r ing , an d c h ang ing . growing, exploring, and section, rather it creates changing. Taking our the more relaxed sense of queue from the melody of “Children of the Night,” we might “we’ll get there when we get there” that defines this rendition’s thus think about jazz performances as poignant, revelatory effect. Here, Shorter’s playing locks in with the rhythm section disruptions in time. This is the importance of hearing jazz in as he takes advantage of space and silence, effectively saying as live performance as you see musicians grow with each other and much as he had in the ‘60s, but in far fewer words. And yet, challenge themselves as they create something completely new when Shorter introduces the tune’s theme, he holds the first that is still firmly grounded in tradition, in history, and in legend. note even longer than the already relaxed tempo seems to want —Christopher J. Wells, Ph.D. candidate, musicology to accommodate. Even in this musical world, he still offers this Graduate Instructor, Departments of Music and African, African slight distortion of time. American, & Diaspora Studies These brief observations are certainly not meant to • Hear the Wayne Shor ter Quar tet live at Memorial Hall on Friday, Februar y 21 . •
“ I still remember how Joshua’s Bell’s performance
made me feel. His energy and passion were inspiring. It’s amazing that students are able to enjoy experiences like this FOR ONLY TEN DOLLARS.
”
– Matt Farley, Class of 2014
BE AN ANGEL. SUPPORT STUDENTS’ ACCESS TO THE ARTS. Make a gift to the Student Ticket Angel Fund today.
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ARTS@THECORE
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Photo by Frank Stewart
HYMNS IN CALDWELL
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n a sunny October afternoon, a group of students gathered in Lenoir Hall to enjoy a Chik-fil-A sandwich and take a break from their busy schedule. It felt like a typical Friday afternoon as they packed up and walked together to Dr. Michelle Robinson’s course on religious communities in the United States. As they settled into their chairs in Caldwell Hall, it became clear that something quite extraordinary was about to happen. In the words of one of the seniors there, it was “one of the greatest, if not the best, class periods I have been able to attend.” What made for such a memorial experience was a visit from eleven members of Chorale le Chateau, a critically-acclaimed choir led by Damien Sneed. The ensemble was in Chapel Hill performing Abyssinian: A Gospel Celebration with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Over the course of the 50-minute class, the choir members engaged the students in a riveting dialogue about the meaning of music and religion in their lives. It was a powerful synthesis of artists connecting with students and faculty—and a wonderful example of the purpose behind Arts@TheCore, a new Carolina Performing Arts (CPA) program that seeks to fully integrate the arts into the academy. The students had attended Abyssinian the night before and came to class ready to discuss their experience in Memorial Hall. Robinson’s previous discussions of Pentecostal and other religious traditions in America empowered the students to talk with the choir members. As one student commented, “the visit created personal connections with the choir members and brought the things we’ve been talking about in class to life. Equally important, it allowed us to see those who participated in the performance as individuals rather than as one entity.” Although students appreciated both the performance and the classroom WINTER 2014
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visit, it was the combination of these two encounters that made a dramatic impact on their learning experience. During the classroom visit, the artists shared their views on the importance of gospel music and how it impacts their own lives. After discussing how their faith informs their music, the choir spontaneously broke into a hymn. There, in the middle of Caldwell Hall, the power and beauty of the voices moved first the choir members and then the students to tears. The impact of this experience echoes back to the students’ memories of the performance itself. “Their visit caused the performance to have a much deeper and longer-lasting effect in my mind,” one student reflected. “I wish I had similar artists-in-the-classroom experiences for other performances.” The students left the class in a deeply reflective mood. “Often the issue with going to a performance is that the audience is reduced to a one-way dialogue,” another student in the class said. “By talking to the performers and listening to them interact with each other I began to develop a more personal connection to what they were doing in place of my detached role as an observer.” For another student, the impact of the choir was even more direct. Thinking back on the power of the choir’s song and the coursework on religious revivalism, the student admitted, “If I was ever to believe in the significance of the Azusa Street revival [a historic revival meeting that marked the beginning of the Pentecostal movement] for its followers, it would be today.” For all of the students in the class, a visit from a group of artists put in perspective their entire semester. “It was not until we met the members of the choral group and listened to their experiences and mindsets that we truly began to understand gospel music.” —Aaron Shackelford
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Photo by KPO Photo
f you’ve bought a ticket to an annual performances, Mary also event at Memorial Hall in the last six manages the sales for the approximately years, chances are you’ve met Mary 50 ticketed rental events at Memorial Dahlsten. A UNC alumna, Mary Hall each year. Whether it’s an N.C. began working in the box office as a Opera performance or a student sophomore and brought three years of production like the annual fall Step experience to the job when she joined Show, the Memorial Hall box office the CPA staff full-time as our box office takes care of everyone’s ticket needs. manager in May 2010. Though juggling so many Mary grew up in Hickory, North performances has its challenges, Mary Carolina, but was born in Chapel Hill explains that her team has a strong and always knew she wanted to attend connection that contributes to their ABOVE: Mary Dahlsten Carolina. A flute player, she was a success. “Once people start working member of the UNC Symphony Band here, they don’t want to leave,” says and University Band as a student and received a minor in music in Mary. “It’s like a small family.” Many of her student staffers join addition to a B.A. in psychology. the box office early on in their time at Carolina, just like she did, Her background in both music and psychology are valuable and stay until their graduation. They come to know all the ins resources in her role at CPA. Mary oversees a staff of 13 student and outs of the Hall and learn to field all the diverse questions that employees in the box office, each of whom she trains to provide come their way, from “Where’s the best place to park?” to “How excellent customer service in all of their interactions. On any does my son apply to UNC?” given day, Mary and her team help patrons with dozens of issues Mary will be relying on her team even more in the coming from finding the best seat for a near sold-out performance to months. She and her fiancé Patrick are expecting their first child reprinting lost tickets to helping faculty members secure a block of in May. “2013 has been a really big year for us,” she says with a seats for their students. smile. CPA can’t wait to welcome the newest addition to the box In addition to overseeing the ticket sales for CPA’s 34+ office family! —Rachel Ash
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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 • 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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February 25 and 26 at 7:30 p.m. COMPAGNIE KÄFIG Rio de Janeiro Comes to Chapel Hill
Photo by Michel Cavalca
ince artistic director Mourad Merzouki founded Compagnie Käfig in 1996, dance critics and audience members alike have searched for the best way to categorize the company’s electrifying movement style. Within a few minutes of the dancers taking the stage, one will encounter hip-hop mixed with elements of capoeira, samba, acrobatics, modern dance, and even performance art. As Merzouki explains, this fusion of diverse traditions is by design: “I try not to put myself in a box. I like to develop the points where different styles meet and intersect to create shows that are eclectic.” Merzouki, who is French-Algerian, began learning martial and circus arts when he was seven years old in his hometown of Lyon. He later encountered hiphop culture as a teenager and joined his first dance company at age 18. All of these influences, from circus arts to hip-hop, are apparent in the thrilling program Käfig brings to Memorial Hall this February. The performance features 11 male dancers from Rio de Janeiro who Merzouki first met at the Lyon Dance Biennial in 2006. Inspired by their stories of life in the favelas—Brazilian shantytowns—Merzouki created two works in collaboration with the young men that showcase their incredible virtuosity and spirit. Correria, which means “running” in Portuguese, is the first work of the evening. Embodying the frenetic pace of everyday life, the dancers transition from running to jumping to barely touching the ground in gravity-defying acrobatics. For the second work, Aqwa, the stage is covered in dozens of clear plastic cups, many filled with water, which become a dramatic obstacle course and convey the significance of this essential resource. The dancers display agility, strength, and a boundless energy that will leave you breathless. You’ll never look at hip-hop—or a glass of water—quite the same way again. —Rachel Ash 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