Ann Arbor — The University Musical Society (UMS) brings three captivating events to Ann Arbor in February 2024, concentrated in an eight-day window of performances in three different venues on the U-M campus. A new commission and world première by American composer Nkeiru Okoye, When the Caged Bird Sings, is the result of a collaboration between UMS and the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance (Sat, Feb 10, Hill Auditorium).
The following week, two of the most sought-after recitalists on the international stage join forces, as Canadian violinist James Ehnes and his longtime recital partner, American pianist Andrew Armstrong, make their UMS live performance debuts together in a concert that will also include faculty and students from the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance (Fri, Feb 16, Rackham Auditorium).
To close out the month, Martha Graham Dance Company returns to Ann Arbor with a program featuring both classic and new works as the company approaches its 100th anniversary (Sat, Feb 17 and Sun, Feb 18, Power Center). Tickets and additional information are available at ums.org.
WORLD PREMIERE
Nkeiru Okoye’s When the Caged Bird Sings
Saturday, February 10, 2024 // 7:30 pm Hill Auditorium
Tickets from $14 at ums.org or 734.764.2538
This collaboration between UMS and the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance features a new commission and world première by American composer Nkeiru Okoye. When the Caged Bird Sings fuses elements of oratorio, theater, and opera in a multi-movement musical ceremony, which Okoye describes as “a gathering” that invokes the ritual of the concert experience as a ritual of community. The work is narrative in structure and includes a full orchestra, chorus, and EXIGENCE vocal ensemble, as well as four soloists (soprano Angela Brown, mezzo-soprano Christie Dashiell, tenor Issachah Savage, and baritone Jubliant Sykes) and a narrator (Janet Hubert).
Drawing inspiration from the Black church and with a narrative that tells the story of a young girl’s pathway through racial discrimination, painful decisions as a teen, and ultimately personal and professional success, When the Caged Bird Sings celebrates the spirit of rising above expectations and transforming adversity into triumph. Partly in tribute to the activist and poet laureate Maya Angelou, the work celebrates Black women, commemorating those who have paved a path for future generations in many fields of human endeavor.
Composer Nkeiru Okoye will also participate in two public discussions about her work: the Penny Stamps Speaker Series on Thursday, February 8 at 5:30 pm at the Michigan Theater, and a pre-concert conversation with Arts Initiative interim executive director Mark Clague at Hill Auditorium beginning at 6:30 pm.
James Ehnes, violin (MAIN PHOTO)
Andrew Armstrong, piano
with Brandon LePage, flute; Noah Pujol, clarinet; Tianyu Liu, second violin; Zoie Hightower, viola; and Megan Yip, cello
Friday, February 16, 2024 // 7:30 pm
Rackham Auditorium
Tickets from $24 at ums.org or 734.764.2538
Canadian violinist James Ehnes and his longtime recital partner, American pianist Andrew Armstrong, make their UMS live performance debuts together in a concert that will also include faculty and students from the U-M School of Music, Theatre & Dance. During the second half of the concert, the students will join Ehnes and Armstrong for James Newton Howard’s piece for string quartet, flute, and clarinet. A film composer known for his work on The Hunger Games, Pretty Woman, and more than 120 other film scores (including the recent Netflix series All the Light We Cannot See), Howard has been championed by Ehnes since he premiered the composer’s violin concerto in 2015.
PROGRAM Leclair Violin Sonata, Op. 9, No. 3 Shostakovich Violin Sonata in G Major, Op. 134 Howard They Have Just Arrived At This New Level (for string quartet, flute, and clarinet) Sarasate Spanish Dances, Op. 22 Wieniawski Polonaise Brillante, Op. 21
Martha Graham Dance Company
Janet Eilber, artistic director
Saturday, February 17, 2024 // 7:30 pm Sunday, February 18, 2024 // 2 pm Power Center
Tickets from $40 at ums.org or 734.764.2538
As the Martha Graham Dance Company approaches its 100th anniversary, it continues to exemplify its founder’s timeless and uniquely American style of dance, one that has influenced generations of artists and continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
Martha Graham is recognized as a primal artistic force of the 20th century, alongside Pablo Picasso, Virginia Woolf, Igor Stravinsky, and Frank Lloyd Wright. Graham radically expanded the dance vocabulary, rooting it in social, psychological, and sexual ideas and forever altering the scope of the art form. These performances will include a new work choreographed by Jamar Roberts, resident choreographer for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and set to music by Rhiannon Giddens. The dance will be paired with Agnes de Mille’s 1942 classic Rodeo; its iconic score by Aaron Copland has been reorchestrated for a bluegrass ensemble, offering an expanded view of our cultural history and the influence of Black artists on American music and dance forms. Martha Graham’s final complete work, Maple Leaf Rag, rounds out the program.
In addition to the public concert, Martha Graham Dance Company Co will introduce students to its founder’s timeless and uniquely American style of dance in a special School Day Performance on Thursday, February 15. To complement this School Day Performance, a UMS Learning Guide offers context about the rich history of the ensemble and the fresh innovation of artists expanding the landscape of dance. Details at ums.org/k12.
On Tuesday, February 13 at 6 pm, UMS hosts “UMS 101: Reshaping American Movement: The Graham Technique,” a 90-minute workshop led by local dance artist Peter Sparling, who danced in Martha Graham’s company early in his career. Tickets are $15, available at ums.org/ums101. (UMS 101 tickets are sold separately from the Martha Graham performances.) PROGRAM Rodeo — The Courting at Burnt Ranch (Choreography by Agnes de Mille / Music by Aaron Copland in a new bluegrass arrangement by Gabe Witcher) New Work (Jamar Roberts / Rhiannon Giddens) Maple Leaf Rag (Martha Graham / Scott Joplin)
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 based in Ann Arbor and affiliated with the University of Michigan. The organization presents dozens of music, theater, and dance performances by professional touring artists each season, along with many free public and private educational activities throughout Southeast Michigan. Since 1990, the organization has co-commissioned and supported the production of more than 80 new or reimagined works. Matthew VanBesien became the organization’s seventh president in July 2017.
