CCO8 [no art]
ANN ARBOR – The University Musical Society announces its 07/08 season, which runs from Friday, September 28 through Tuesday, April 22, 2008. The season features 57 performances of 47 events, ranging from belly dancers to the Cambodian classical dance traditions, from cutting-edge jazz to traditional fare, and from famous artists to emerging talent.
"We are so pleased to announce our 07/08 season, which we've been working on for over a year," said UMS President Kenneth C. Fischer. "We're especially proud of the artistic distinctiveness in this 129th season, which includes 24 debuts and four UMS co-commissions. The season's focus on Asia provides an interesting viewpoint for how art is created across the globe, and we're delighted to be partnering with the University of Michigan in their China Theme Year with our Asia programming."
The 07/08 season features a global focus on music and dance from Asia, with a seven-concert series that spans Tokyo to Karachi and includes a special focus on China. Shen Wei Dance Arts launches the season with three performances of "Second Visit to the Empress," a hybrid of Chinese opera and modern dance that will be performed only at UMS and the Lincoln Center Festival. Though not part of the Asia Series, the UMS season also features several Asian artists performing in Western classical forms, notably the Chinese pianists Lang Lang and Yuja Wang, and cellist Yo-Yo Ma (born in Paris to Chinese parents).
Within the signature Choral Union Series, UMS will present the US debut of the Filarmonica della Scala (the La Scala Opera House Orchestra) with Riccardo Chailly and dramatic tenor Ben Heppner; Yo-Yo Ma's first Ann Arbor recital since 2000; four concerts featuring piano recitalists and duos, including Lang Lang and Krystian Zimerman (returning to UMS for the first time since 1982), as well as the debut of the young pianist who has been making headlines, Yuja Wang; orchestral performances by the San Francisco Symphony and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic; and the only area performance of Bach's "St. Matthew Passion" by the UMS Choral Union and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
The season includes four concerts by the pianist Andras Schiff, who over the course of two years will perform the complete Beethoven piano sonatas.
Jazz Series highlights include a performance by a trio of Bobby McFerrin, Chick Corea, and Jack DeJohnette; the UMS debut of the Ahmad Jamal Trio; and return appearances by the Brad Mehldau Trio and SFJAZZ Collective.
The season also features major Hill Auditorium dates by Madeleine Peyroux, Caetano Veloso, and Youssou N'Dour and The Super Etoile.
Subscriber may purchase any of 11 fixed series packages (organized by genre or theme), and the Monogram Series, UMS's popular "choose-your-own" series, which allows subscribers to become curators of their own season by selecting at least five events.
Subscriber benefits include installment billing, free parking to subscribers of at least eight events, and the opportunity to discuss season programming in depth with members of the UMS Programming Committee to facilitate decision-making. Some benefits are only available when subscriptions are purchased before Friday, June 22.
In addition to the public events, UMS will host a series of daytime youth performances for schoolchildren.
Renewal forms will be mailed to all current subscribers in early May, and brochures will be mailed shortly thereafter to previous UMS ticket buyers. Renewing subscribers and donors have priority for ordering subscriptions until Friday, May 11; subscription packages go on sale to the general public on Monday, May 14. Single tickets go on sale on Monday, August 20, with online orders being accepted beginning Thursday, August 16.
To be added to the mailing list, please contact the UMS Ticket Office at 734-764-2538 or http://www.ums.org. UMS also has an e-mail list that provides up-to-date information about all UMS events; sign-up information is available on the website.
