Ann Arbor — The University Musical Society (UMS) brings three captivating performances to Ann Arbor and launches a new season of events at the Ypsilanti Freighthouse in September 2023.
Returning to kick off UMS’s 23/24 season is the genre-defying super-band Snarky Puppy, performing songs from their 2023 Grammy-winning album Empire Central (Sunday, September 10 at 4 pm, Hill Auditorium). The same week, UMS is thrilled to present the 50th-anniversary tour of Shakti, featuring John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, Shankar Mahadevan, Ganesh Rajagopalan, and Selvaganesh Vinayakram (Thursday, September 14 at 7:30 pm, Hill Auditorium). To cap off the month, Renée Fleming brings her stunning voice to Hill Auditorium for the first time since 2011 in a recital with pianist Inon Barnatan (Thursday, September 28 at 7:30 pm, Hill Auditorium)).
Tickets and additional information are available at ums.org. Details about the Ypsilanti Freighthouse Fall Residency can be found in a separate press release, or at ums.org/YpsiFreighthouse.
Snarky Puppy
Sunday, September 10, 2023 // 4 pm Hill Auditorium
Tickets from $14 at ums.org or 734.764.2538
A 21st-century orchestra, Snarky Puppy is composed of guitars, keyboards, brass, reeds, a violin, multiple percussionists, and the accomplished Michael League keeping it all together with his bass. The group will perform songs from their 2023 Grammy-winning Empire Central, an homage to Dallas with many of its songs inspired by the collective’s time in the city. Like the city, the eclectic 19-piece electric ensemble is big and bold, chill and laid back, rooted in its native culture while reaching forward.
Title Sponsor: Matt and Nicole Lester
Presenting Sponsors: Bank of Ann Arbor and Max Wicha and Sheila Crowley Media Partners: WEMU 89.1, WDET 101.9, and Ann Arbor’s 107one
Shakti: 50th Anniversary Tour
Feat. John McLaughlin, Zakir Hussain, & Shankar Mahadevan with very special guest Béla Fleck
Thursday, September 14, 2023 // 7:30 pm
Hill Auditorium
Tickets from $25 at ums.org or 734.764.2538
The revolutionary ensemble Shakti will continue to discover and explore the musical common ground bridging East and West on an exclusive US tour marking the 50th anniversary since their first concerts. Alongside McLaughlin and Hussain, today’s Shakti features vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, violinist Ganesh Rajagopalan, and percussionist Selvaganesh Vinayakram (son of original Shakti ghatam player T.H. “Vikku” Vinayakram). Joining Shakti will be another performer dedicated to intermingling and transcending genres: banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck, who will open the performances with a solo set. This concert is Shakti’s only Michigan appearance.
Title Sponsor: Michigan Medicine
Supporting Sponsor: Retirement Income Solutions
Media Partners: WEMU 89.1, Michigan Radio 91.7, WDET 101.9, Ann Arbor’s 107one
Renée Fleming, soprano
Inon Barnatan, piano
Thursday, September 28, 2023 // 7:30 pm Hill Auditorium
Tickets from $20 at ums.org or 734.764.2538
Renée Fleming’s interests and accomplishments are so wide-ranging that her biography reads like a mashup of several different overachievers all rolled into one. At the center of it all is her stunning voice, on display in Hill Auditorium for the first time since 2011 in a recital with pianist Inon Barnatan, who will also perform at UMS with the Jerusalem Quartet a week later. Program to be announced.
Free Panel Discussion:
Renée Fleming: Music and the Mind
Wednesday, September 27 // 6 pm
Kahn Auditorium (Biomedical Sciences Research Building)
Renée Fleming will be joined by local researchers and medical practitioners for a public conversation exploring the intersection of arts and medicine. Visit ums.org/renee for more details and to register for this free event.
Title Sponsor: Michigan Medicine
Residency Sponsor: Inon Barnatan’s residency is sponsored by Elaine and Peter Schweitzer.
Supporting Sponsors: Sharon and Dallas Dort, Anne and Paul Glendon, Norman and Debbie Herbert, Nancy and James Stanley, and Jay and Christine Zelenock and the Zelenock Family
Patron Sponsors: Dan and Rachel Feder
Media Partners: WRCJ 90.9, WGTE 91.3 FM, and Michigan Radio 91.7
About UMS
A recipient of the 2014 National Medal of Arts, UMS (also known as the University Musical Society) contributes to a vibrant cultural community by connecting audiences with performing artists from around the world in uncommon and engaging experiences. One of the oldest performing arts presenters in the country, UMS is an independent non-profit organization affiliated with the University of Michigan, presenting up to 70 music, theater, and dance performances by professional touring artists each season, along with over 100 free educational activities. UMS is committed to bold artistic leadership, engaged learning through the arts, and access and inclusiveness. Since 1990, the organization has co-commissioned and supported the production of nearly 80 new or reimagined works. Matthew VanBesien became the organization’s seventh president in July 2017.
