behind the
CURTAIN Vol. 12, Issue 1, Fall 2016 carolinaperformingarts.org
Connecting Chapel Hill to China Also in This Issue:
Your Support in Action Meet CPA’s Ticket Services Manager Join us for the Winter Arts Luncheon
Photo by Yan Liang
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EMIL UNPLUGGED
A Journey Abroad Emil Kang
Executive and Artistic Director, Carolina Performing Arts Professor of the Practice, Department of Music
by Jessica Stringer
T
hough Emil Kang’s interest in curating a series on Sufism and Muslim identity dates back several years, it was a trip to Morocco that cemented his commitment to the idea.
In June 2014, Kang travelled to Fes to attend the World Festival of Sacred Music. That year, the theme for the festival was based on a 12th-century Persian epic poem called The Conference of The Birds that depicts the journey of all of the universe’s birds to seek enlightenment. When the birds reach their destination, however, what they discover is not a single God-like bird, but a lake where they see their own reflections. “Of course, that was the moral of the story – to attain enlightenment we must find it from within,” Kang says. “That idea that God is within each of us is at the heart of Sufism, as opposed to approaches to faith where you worship from afar.” Kang discussed the festival with UNC professor Carl Ernst, a distinguished professor of religious studies who has been an integral advisor for CPA. The two began to explore how the poem and Sufi artists from around the world, especially from non-Arab countries, could provide a unique lens to understanding Islam and the richness of Muslim cultures.
During the 2016-17 season, CPA will feature artists from four non-Arab, Muslim-majority countries – Iran, Pakistan, Senegal and Indonesia – and host conversations with scholars, artists, and community members who reflect the diversity of the Muslim world. “We want to show the community that Islam is not monolithic, that there is not a single Islam despite how the media simplifies what it means to be Muslim. In fact, the majority of Muslims around the world are not Arab,” Kang says. “The most populated Muslim country is Indonesia of all places. We wanted to emphasize this plurality, the same that exists in most any faith.” The project also looks at the intersection of religion and culture – an idea conveyed in the title Sacred/Secular: A Sufi Journey. As Kang points out, artists who happen to be Muslim make non-religious work just as a violinist in an orchestra who happens to be Catholic is not typically identified as a Catholic musician.
In order to find the right artists to bring to Chapel Hill, Kang found it critical to visit many of them in their home countries. Emil Kang with Pakistani vocalist and CPA artist Sanam Marvi “Much of our success over the past twelve years is tied to the lasting relationships we have built with artists, which we cultivate through meeting them in person and experiencing their work live,” explains Kang. As Kang explains it, Sufism is a spiritual practice within the context of Islam. “There are Sufi orders – in Arabic they are known as tariqah – It is these personal connections that make Chapel Hill an important and each order is led by a Sufi mystic or leader,” Kang says. “There are destination for the world’s best artists rather than another stop on the thousands of these orders around the world and in certain regions, this road. “Because of these relationships, artists are more apt to spend more brotherhood is in all senses of the word, their religious practice and their time on campus,” says Kang. “They engage in deeper, more meaningful belief.” ways with our students and audiences.” continued on page 7 2
behind the curtain
UNC Associate Professor of Music Clara Yang
Connecting Chapel Hill to China by Rachel Ash
L
ike many of her music faculty colleagues, Clara Yang divides her time between the classroom and the stage. The UNC Associate Professor of Music balances the demands of teaching a full piano studio and advising students with her own impressive musical career as a guest artist and soloist. “As a professional musician, I really enjoy doing different things,” says Clara. “It makes your life a lot more interesting.” This fall, Clara is learning a brand new concerto by the renowned Chinese composer Chen Yi that she’ll perform with the China Philharmonic Orchestra both in Beijing and Chapel Hill. Titled Four Spirits, the CPAcommissioned work depicts the four spiritual animals of ancient Chinese legend: the Blue Dragon in the east, the White Tiger in the west, the Red Phoenix in the south, and the Black Xuanwu (a turtle/snake hybrid) in the north. Chen Yi began writing the work for Clara last winter after they met in person at the composer’s Kansas City home. Though the two had communicated over email for some time, Clara admits to being nervous about meeting a composer whom she so admired. However that anxiety dissipated the moment Chen Yi greeted her at the door. “It was as though we knew one another for a long time,” recalls Clara. “Chen Yi is so easy going. I immediately felt comfortable.” The two got to know one another carolinaperformingarts.org
and forge a real connection that continued to grow as they corresponded in the months to come. Fast forward to the start of the school year this September when Clara received the finished work. One of the things that first struck her about the music is how descriptive and intuitive it is. “When you hear the dragon, you’ll immediately know it,” explains Clara. “Right off the bat you can imagine the dragon swirling in the sky…It makes this grand appearance and the piano makes that clear with these perfectly crafted passages.” Each movement brings out the meaning and character of the spirit animal it honors. Clara is excited to hear the work with a full orchestra for the first time when she travels to Beijing in November. Her parents and husband will join her at the Forbidden City Concert Hall for the piece’s world premiere with the China Philharmonic. Then she will reunite with the orchestra on December 8 for the U.S. premiere of Four Spirits in Memorial Hall. You can bet Clara’s UNC students will be in the audience cheering her on as will composer Chen Yi. “To have a concerto written for me by such a renowned composer is a great honor,” reflects Clara. “I love this piece and I can’t wait to share it with others.” – Rachel Ash, Director of Annual Giving 3
Your Support in Action T
hanks to your commitment to Carolina Performing Arts, artists from around the world and our esteemed faculty partners continue to have a tremendous impact on the campus and community. As we begin a new season, we wanted to take this opportunity to share the transformative programming and educational experiences made possible by you and your fellow supporters. This map reflects the global perspectives CPA artists will bring to Chapel Hill in the year ahead.
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behind the curtain
2016-17 Season by the Numbers Total performances
47
Number of countries represented
19
Returning artists
16
New artist relationships
51
Exclusive engagements
4
Commissions/co-commissions
3
U.S. premieres
1
Learning from the Best
Campus-wide Reach
Student Access
CPA hosted 20 free masterclasses in 2015-16 where students learned directly from renowned artists including members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Oscar-winning actress Juliette Binoche.
In 2015-16, UNC faculty teaching 48 courses in 17 departments and 5 colleges attended CPA performances with their students.
Last season, CPA provided 10,492 tickets to students for just $10 each, including 1,565 tickets for students who attended as part of their coursework.
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A Story to Tell
W
e were honored and flattered to be featured in the inaugural edition of Carolina Stories, UNC’s online donor magazine. Publications Editor Hope Baptiste went behind the scenes to capture what happens from the time artists arrive in Chapel Hill to when the curtain goes up at Memorial Hall. We especially enjoyed her interactions with three students – and one retired professor – who are also members of the CPA family. Read the full story at stories.unc.edu/magazine.
“Memorial Hall is beautiful and has its own flavor that I think rivals even the greatest concert locations around the country. I think the combination that it is on campus and features many world premieres of new works gives it an energy and spark that you don’t see in many other places.”
“I have so many friends at places like Juilliard and other prestigious conservatories that don’t have this kind of access to someone like Gil Shaham. When I told them I was going to work with him in a classroom setting one-on-one [when he was CPA’s 2015 artist-in-residence], they couldn’t believe it.”
Nishanth Shah, class of 2018, Apex, NC
Elizabeth Eason, class of 2017, Durham, NC
“CPA has helped me break out of my shell, learn great skills and work with an amazing group of students. And I get to see some incredible artists that I know I couldn’t afford to see elsewhere.”
Andrea Orengo, class of 2017, Matthews, NC
“A great performance is like the ultimate soul food for me. There’s just no price tag I can put on that, but it doesn’t take a fortune to make a big difference. I think the arts are crucial to everybody; they make a human being complete.”
Dr. Jesse L. White, Jr., CPA supporter whose named fund underwrites student and academic engagement All Photo Credits: DDC International 6
behind the curtain
meet your cpa staff
Ryan Griffin
Have a question about your seats? Need to change your tickets? Get to know our Ticket Services Manager Ryan Griffin who supervises our fantastic team of student employees at the box office.
What drew you to your role as ticket services manager? My role brings together two of my favorite things – people and the arts. CPA provides the community with the world’s best and most innovative artists, all while building meaningful relationships with its patrons. I feel lucky to be able to give back to my alma mater in my own way, facilitating meaningful arts experiences for our patrons.
What was your first experience with CPA?
Why do you think the arts are important? The arts bring people together. Performance after performance, I’m amazed by the diverse audience that fills our theater. While an audience member may have absolutely nothing in common with the patron in the next seat, they are now bonded by the performance they just experienced.
What performance are you most looking forward to this fall?
In my first semester at Carolina, I was a member of the Carolina Choir and had the incredible opportunity to perform Phillip Glass’ Symphony No. 7 with the Bruckner Orchestra Linz at Memorial Hall. I’m thrilled the orchestra will be back here in February.
I’m most looking forward to the return of Michelle Dorrance and Dorrance Dance. I was introduced to Dorrance Dance during our 10th anniversary season and was absolutely floored by their talent and vigor.
What led you to Carolina?
I’m the owner of the world’s cutest Jack Russell Terrier, named Emma. She is a regular at the Memorial Hall Box Office, and has had the pleasure of helping many patrons with their ticket orders.
Entering college, I wanted to pursue a music major in an intimate, hands-on environment. After touring UNC’s Department of Music with Dr. Terry Rhodes and sitting in on rehearsals and lessons, I knew that this was the place for me.
What’s something people might not know about you?
A Journey Abroad cont’d During their research, Kang travelled to Senegal with Ernst and fellow UNC professor Jane Thrailkill, associate professor of English and comparative literature. There they met with scholars from Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar as well as music icon Youssou N’Dour and visited the shrines of the four major Sufi brotherhoods.
ambassador to the United Nations in New York. Kang says he had no idea how much he would treasure the process of discovery from his travels and hopes that CPA patrons experience that same appetite for exploration this season.
“I hope that our audiences feel that they want to learn more about these artists or about a particular branch of Islam or artistic tradition,” Kang says. “We want audiences to Emil Kang and Carl Ernst in Aceh learning Rapa’i Pasee from village elders. come into this season with a generosity of spirit and an In Pakistan, Kang met up openness to understanding, with colleagues from the U.S. and made stops in Islamabad and Karachi, resisting the urge we all have to label that which may be unfamiliar.” calling it “an incredibly magical experience.” The one place Kang didn’t visit himself was Iran, though he and Ernst did meet with the Iranian – Jessica Stringer is Executive Editor at Chapel Hill Magazine. Later that summer, Ernst and Kang found their way to Indonesia, traveling throughout Aceh and Java as they immersed themselves in different traditions.
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The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Campus Box 3233 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3233
JOIN US FOR CPA’S WINTER ARTS LUNCHEON
PHOTO BY ALISON SHEEHY
COURTESY UNC OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS
A Conversation with UNC’s Arts Leaders
EMIL KANG
DIRECTOR OF CAROLINA PERFORMING ARTS
VIVIENNE BENESCH
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF PLAYMAKERS
KATIE ZIGLAR
DIRECTOR OF THE ACKLAND ART MUSEUM
Saturday, December 3
12PM-2PM at Glasshalfull in Carrboro | $45 event registration includes lunch
CONTACT US AT 919.843.1869 TO RESERVE YOUR SEAT. 8
behind the curtain