2001–2002 Festival Series
Click here to see past festival series events!
Peter Sparling Dance Company
Thursday, October 18, 2001
“Sparling has distinctive gifts—he moves with spectacular ease and flair…a sure touch, indelible, every gesture evocative.” – Village Voice
The Peter Sparling Dance Company, founded in 1993, is Michigan’s premiere modern dance company. Under artistic director Peter Sparling’s leadership, the company has established an extensive repertory featuring works by Sparling and select guest choreographers. The company presents a vast dancescape expressing human experience rom the comic, tragic, and sublime to the ecstatic, ethereal and extraordinary. The seven-member troupe is a diverse mix of highly skilled dancers who excel in a variety of dance styles such as modern, ballet and jazz, and have national and international performance experience.
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra
Yuri Simonov, music director
Saturday, December 8, 2001
The Beverly Doellinger Memorial Concert
“This is not simply a great Russian orchestra, but a great orchestra by any standard.” – The Washington Post
The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, regarded as one of the world’s finest symphonic ensembles, was founded in 1951 by Samuel Samosud, a distinguished conductor of the Bolshoi Opera. Originally part of the All-Union Radio Committee, it was established primarily for the broadcasting of operatic music and was given its current title in 1953. Under the direction of its founder, the ensemble performed the works of many new Russian composers and also gave concert performances of operas seldom heard by Russian audiences.
The ensemble’s repertoire encompasses the complete works of Russian classical composers and the contemporary Russian School, as well as the music of Mahler, the Second Viennese School and such American composers as Copland, Bernstein and Gershwin. In addition, the orchestra performs numerous works of the Western avant-garde.
Sérgio and Odair Assad, guitar
Friday, February 1, 2002
The Louise F. Rees Memorial Concert
“Believe the adulatory praise you read about this pair of performers.” – The Columbus Dispatch
The Brazilian-born brothers Sérgio and Odair Assad are today’s preeminent guitar duo. Their exceptional artistry and uncanny ensemble playing are the result of the unique closeness of hteir musical upbringning. In addition ot setting new performance sandards, the Assads have also played a major role in reviving contemporary music for guitar duo. Their virtuosity has inspired a wide range of composers to write works for them: Astor Piazzolla, Terry Riley, Radamés Gnatalli, Marlos Nobre, Nikita Koshin, Roland Dyens, Dusan Bogdanovic, Jorge Morel, Edino Kreiger and Francisco Mignone. They have also been sought after as collaborators by such artists as Gidon Kremer, Yo-Yo Ma, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and Dawn Upshaw.
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, baritone
Wednesday, February 23, 2002
“Hvorostovsky possesses charisma with a captial C!” – Cleveland Plain Dealer
From the moment he won the 1988 Cardiff Singer of the World Competition (triumphing over the formidable Bryn Terfel), the internationally acclaimed Russian singer Dmitri Hvorostovsky has been likened by critics to the great voices of the century. Hvorostovsky’s deep baritone, combined with his dramatic stage presence and smoldering good looks, makes him the hottest presence on the opera scene today. He has given acclaimed performances at Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera and La Scala. Pianist Mikhail Arkadiev, a regular recital partner of the singer since 1990, studied at the Russian Academy of Music and is a professor of piano at the Moscow Academy of Choral Music.
The Regina Carter Quintet
Saturday, April 13, 2002
“A revelatory appearance by an artist whose talent reaches well beyond her chosen instrument.” – The Los Angeles Times
Regina Carter’s career has been a veritable crescendo of success that shows no sign of letting up. She is on a mission: to make a meaningful musical contribution and do it on her own terms. Indeed, she tours with relentless purpose and a seemingly endless supply of energy. Over the past three years, Carter and her quintet have brought audiences to their feet with exhilarating performances worldwide.