fi˚˛˝˝˝˝˝˝˝˝˝˝ Performfi˝˙ · SEASON 2018/19 fi˚˛˝˝˝˝˝˝˝˝˝˝Performfi˝˙ UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY music dance theater Subscriptions OUR 113TH SEASON

S E A S O N2018/19

PerformancesCal U N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , B E R K E L E Y

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Published by the United Nations in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights asserts that “everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community.” Exercising this right opens us to wonderful experiences. We may find ourselves—by chance or choice—next to strangers or people we know. They, in turn, may come from varied backgrounds, beliefs, and income. Together, we may share views or disagree. Yet when the curtain rises, we become part of a vibrant community. Attending a performance remains one of society’s most democratizing acts.

The performing arts encourage us to reflect and imagine in new ways, to explore places and spaces we have never visited, as well as those we would like to recall or reimagine. As we reflect on a performance, we engage in a spirited dialogue with what we see and hear; we accommodate differences in vision and beliefs. We hope for a dialogue between what we witness and the awareness of our own experience. And we aspire to enlightenment.

Cal Performances’ 2018/19 Season offers a wealth of opportunities to consider the richness of the human experience. And our Berkeley RADICAL programming initiative presents concentrated and deeply engaging examinations of two consequential issues in the public eye—the role of women creators in the performing arts, and the complex nature of citizenship.

You will undoubtedly recognize many of the artists, companies, and works described in these pages—and some, we expect, will be new discoveries. What I hope will feel fascinating and welcome are the relationships between one work and another, and the many ways we include the rich and diverse communities that constitute our society.

So please join in and take part in this invigorating community adventure—as together, we celebrate what we share at Cal Performances: the very finest in music, dance, theater, and much more.

Welcome to the 2018/19 Season!

Matías Tarnopolsky Executive and Artistic Director Cal Performances

From the Executive and Artistic Director

HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO

“When the curtain rises, we become part of a vibrant community. Attending a performance remains one of society’s most democratizing acts.” —Matías Tarnopolsky

Dance

Theater

BARBER SHOP CHRONICLES

Music

DANIEL BARENBOIM

calperformances.org

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2018/19 Season Calendar Subscribe now to lock in the best seats at the best prices!

Best Seats We know that seating matters. That’s why our Subscribers and Donors get access to the best seats in the house in advance of single-ticket buyers. And your seats are guaranteed for our most sought-after performances, including two special events at the Greek: Yo-Yo Ma and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and special guest Jon Batiste.

Choice and Flexibility This season, we’re offering more ways than ever before for you to choose the exact events you want with our new Choose-Your-Own By Genre Subscription (see details below). Plus, you still have the flexibility of advance ticket exchanges that are easy and free of service charges.

Savings Save up to 30% on single-ticket prices. Plus, save 10% on additional ticket purchases added to your subscription and throughout the season.

Season Subscription Options

Choose-Your-Own

By Number

Get the full perspective and discover something new or unexpected. Join us for all of the performances on one of our Berkeley RADICAL programming strands and save 30% on single-ticket prices.

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BerkeleyRADICAL

The widest choice of performances. The more you see, the more you save!

Save 10%: Select 4 or 5 events on a single order.

Save 15%: Select 6 or 7 events on a single order.

Save 20%: Select 8 or more events on a single order.

Choose-Your-Own

By Genre

New this season! Immerse yourself in the kinds of performing arts you love! Select four or more performances in the same genre and save 25% (some performance date restrictions apply).

September23 Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and special guest Jon Batiste; Celebrating Duke Ellington

28–30 Mark Morris Dance Group; Pepperland

30 Yo-Yo Ma, cello; Bach Suites

October5 Max Richter with the American Contemporary Music Ensemble

6 Aida Cuevas with Mariachi Juvenil Tecalitlán A Tribute to Juan Gabriel

7 Sandeep Das and the HUM Ensemble; Delhi to Damascus

12–13 Schaubühne; An Enemy of the People

13 Jerusalem Quartet with Pinchas Zukerman and Amanda Forsyth

13 Soweto Gospel Choir; Songs of the Free

20–21 Sasha Waltz & Guests; Körper

25 An Evening with Pat Metheny

26–28 Barber Shop Chronicles

November1 Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Tamara Stefanovich, pianos

3 Jordi Savall; The Routes of Slavery (1444–1888)

10 Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra

16–17 Compagnie Käfig; Pixel

December2 Shai Wosner, piano

7–9 Pavel Zuštiak and Palissimo Company; Custodians of Beauty

8 Charles Lloyd & The Marvels, and Lucinda Williams

13–16 Big Dance Theater; 17c

January 201918–20 Hubbard Street Dance Chicago

20 David Finckel, cello; Wu Han, piano

25 Kronos Quartet; Fifty for the Future

27 Nicola Benedetti, violin; Alexei Grynyuk, piano

February1 Yefim Bronfman, piano

2–3 Kodo; One Earth Tour: Evolution

8 Cantus; Alone Together

17 Danish String Quartet

20 Joyce DiDonato; SONGPLAY

22–24 The 7 Fingers; Reversible

24 Takács Quartet

March2-3 Akram Khan; XENOS

3 Takács Quartet

10 Nicolas Hodges, piano; Jennifer Koh, violin; Anssi Karttunen, cello

15–17 Philharmonia Orchestra, London; Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor

22–24 Quote Unquote Collective; Mouthpiece

23 An Evening with Ira Glass; Seven Things I’ve Learned

31 Zakir Hussain and the Masters of Percussion

April3 Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour 60th Anniversary Celebration Starring Cécile McLorin Salvant

4 The Tallis Scholars; Music Inspired by the Sistine Chapel

7 So– Percussion; Mallet Quartets and the Keyboard Reimagined

9–14 Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

13 Havana Cuba All-Stars

15 Murray Perahia, piano

26–28 Théâtre National de Bretagne; Julius Caesar

29 Gil Shaham, violin; Akira Eguchi, piano

May1 Alisa Weilerstein, cello; The Complete Bach Suites

3 Silkroad Ensemble; Heroes Take Their Stands

5 Michael Barenboim, violin

11–12 Song of the Goat Theatre; Songs of Lear and Hamlet: A Commentary

17 Los Angeles Master Chorale; Lagrime di San Pietro (Tears of Saint Peter)

31–June 2 Eifman Ballet; Pygmalion

Pre- and Post-Performance TalksFor select performances, your ticket includes entry to pre- and post-performance talks with artists and scholars for exclusive insights into the program you are attending. These half-hour talks take place in the performance venue one hour prior to curtain or directly after the performance. Pre- and post-performance talks for the 2018/19 season will be announced in September.

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Yo-Yo Ma, cello

Bach SuitesSun, Sep 30, 7pm, GT

Joy, sorrow, passion, regret, hope—in the hands of a master, the entire range of human experience seems encapsulated in Bach’s stunning cello suites. Yo-Yo Ma has been performing them for decades and lends a wisdom, playfulness, and depth of expression to these seminal works, unmatched by any other living performer. Ma returns to the majestic Greek Theatre for this special performance, his warm, distinctive tone miraculously transforming the open-air amphitheater into the perfect venue for an intimate and unforgettable chamber music concert. As Ma himself noted onstage at his Greek Theatre concert in 2017 (with Edgar Meyer and Chris Thile), “It doesn’t get any better than this.”Major support provided by The Bernard Osher Foundation and Patron Sponsors Nadine Tang and Bruce Smith.

Special Events at the Greek

Secure your seats now for our Special Events! Special Events are likely to sell out. Subscribing now is the best way to lock in your seats before single tickets go on sale to the general public on June 12 for Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and special guest Jon Batiste on Sep 23 and Yo-Yo Ma on Sep 30.

Add these events now to any subscription order and save 10% on single-ticket prices. Include them in a Choose-Your-Own By Number subscription of 6 or more events in a single order and save even more. Single-ticket discounts do not apply.

Want priority for the best seats? Order early and consider a donation with your purchase. Donors and renewing Subscribers are seated first.

YO-YO MA

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Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and special guest Jon BatisteCelebrating Duke EllingtonSun, Sep 23, 5:30pm, GT

As summer turns to fall, celebrate under the stars in the stunning Greek Theatre, with one of the greatest jazz orchestras in the world! International jazz ambassador, nine-time Grammy winner, and Pulitzer Prize recipient Wynton Marsalis and his legendary Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra transform the magnificent outdoor theater into the biggest—and swinging-est—party in town. The orchestra is joined by charismatic pianist and music director of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s house band, Jon Batiste, for a program celebrating the legacy of Duke Ellington. Expect the full panorama of Ellingtonia, from early Cotton Club “jump” classics, to dreamy big-band ballads, to selections from the Duke’s lushly orchestrated suites.Residency and education activities generously underwritten by Maris & Ivan Meyerson.

WYNTON MARSALIS

A BENEFIT FOR CAL PERFORMANCES’ EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY PROGRAMSGala Co-Chairs: Helen Meyer, Maris Meyerson, and Sara E. WilsonGala Committee: Kit Leland, Sylvia Lindsey, Jen Lyons, Laura Perloff, Leigh Teece, Carol Jackson Upshaw

Built around this rousing performance of Duke Ellington classics by a stellar line-up of world-class artists, the Gala at the Greek raises funds in support of Cal Performances’ Education and Community Programs, vital activities that build future audiences for the arts. For the pre-performance cocktail reception, we return to the University Club—with its stunning, panoramic views. And the post-concert backstage dinner with the artists will unfold under the twinkling lights of the iconic Greek Theatre lanterns.

GALA DINNER AND PERFORMANCE$2,500 ($2,190 tax-deductible) $1,500 ($1,190 tax-deductible)Includes pre-performance cocktail reception, premium performance seating, post-performance dinner, and reserved parking for one, as well as recognition in Gala materials.

COCKTAIL RECEPTION AND PERFORMANCE$500 ($270 tax-deductible)Includes pre-performance cocktail reception, preferred performance seating, and reserved parking for one.

For questions, please contact Amanda Wu, Individual Giving and Special Events Manager, at [email protected] or 510.642.7837.

Gala at the Greek is not available as part of a subscription.

atthe

GALAGREEKSpecial Events

at the Greek

JON BATISTE

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BerkeleyRADICALResearch And Development Initiative in Creativity, Arts, and Learning

NICOLA BENEDETTI

17C

AIDA CUEVAS

Women’s WorkWomen’s Work shines a spotlight on remarkable female artists—directors, musicians, and choreographers. While Cal Performances has always presented female artists of the highest caliber and distinction, we take a specific look this season at the extraordinary artistry of five women who are not only principal creators of works on our 2018/19 season, but more broadly, are expanding the definition of what it is to be an artist in the 21st century. In a series of pre-performance talks, we will learn more about the unique process that drives these world-class artists to create, and in doing so, open ourselves to new ways of experiencing these works of art.

Visit calperformances.org in fall 2018 for more details on the events surrounding these core performances.

We realize the importance of our voices only when we are silenced.—Malala Yousafzai

MOUTHPIECE

Cal Performances in OaklandAida Cuevaswith Mariachi Juvenil TecalitlánA Tribute to Juan GabrielOct 6, PT

An icon in her native Mexico, “Queen of Mariachi” Aida Cuevas in 2018 became the first female singer to win a Grammy in the mariachi genre. Cuevas is the only artist authorized by the estate of her dearest friend and mentor, the legendary singer/songwriter Juan Gabriel, to record and tour his music. A master of the mariachi art song, her unique voice and style have left a deep imprint in the history of Mexican music. See p. 41 for event details.

Sasha Waltz & GuestsKörperOct 20–21, ZH

The former director of Berlin’s famed Schaubühne theater and the soon-to-be joint artistic director of the Staatsballett Berlin, Sasha Waltz strips away narrative, characters, and scenery in her signature work, Körper, to take an unflinching look at our bodies—and the ways that medicine, commerce, technology, politics, and reproduction make demands on them.See p. 19 for event details.

Big Dance Theater17cDec 13–16, ZP

American choreographer, dancer, and director Annie-B Parson, the co-founder of Brooklyn’s Big Dance Theater, has collaborated with such renowned artists as Mikhail Baryshnikov, David Byrne, Laurie Anderson, Sarah Ruhl, Wendy Whelan, Esperanza Spalding, Salt-N-Pepa, Nico Muhly, and the Martha Graham Dance Company. She conceived, choreographed, and co-directed 17c, which uses the 17th-century diaries of Samuel Pepys as a springboard to explore the erasure of women’s voices in historical texts. See p. 31 for event details.

Nicola Benedetti, violin Alexei Grynyuk, piano Jan 27, ZH

One of the most accomplished violinists of her generation, Nicola Benedetti is in demand with major orchestras and conductors for her innate musicianship and dynamic stage presence. In addition, she is a high-profile and energetic advocate for classical music. Benedetti was awarded the Queen’s Medal for Music in 2017—the youngest-ever recipient—in recognition of her international career and work with musical charities throughout the United Kingdom.See p. 27 for event details.

Quote Unquote CollectiveMouthpieceMar 22–24, ZP

Norah Sadava and Amy Nostbakken combined their formidable talents to create Mouthpiece, an insightful and profound portrait of a woman struggling to find her voice. The work has since received numerous honors, including the Toronto Theatre Critics Award for Best Canadian Play, as well as a private showing in Los Angeles sponsored by Jodie Foster, and an international tour that began at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Mouthpiece is now being adapted into a feature film by acclaimed Canadian director Patricia Rozema. See p. 33 for event details.

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SASHA WALTZ & GUESTS KÖRPER

Cal Performances’ groundbreaking Berkeley RADICAL initiative explores two important and timely cultural issues: the role of women creators in the arts and beyond, and the nature of citizenship in today’s increasingly polarized world. Explore these themes with us through two series of powerful stage performances and associated discussions and events, all designed to expand and enhance your experience.

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CitizenshipThe diverse series of performances that form the Citizenship theme provide engagement opportunities that spotlight the human side of the current debate on immigration and nationalism. By sharing unique perspectives on the threats to—and responsibilities of—citizenship, the artists included here illustrate the universal need for belonging and home, and invoke the very real sense of urgency and peril that pervades the world today.

Visit calperformances.org in fall 2018 for more details on the events surrounding these core performances.

The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned. —Maya Angelou

SchaubühneAn Enemy of the Peopleby Henrik IbsenOct 12–13, ZH

A whistleblower in a small town is ostracized when he tries to do the right thing, and director Thomas Ostermeier wants us, the audience, to weigh in. Berlin’s famed Schaubühne theater asks us to reconcile our responsibilities to each other as citizens, with our personal moral obligations, calling attention to the contemporary threats and erosion of rights that we experience when the truth is deliberately obfuscated. See p. 31 for event details.

Barber Shop ChroniclesA Fuel, National Theatre, and West Yorkshire Playhouse co-productionby Inua Ellams Oct 26–28, ZH

A playful exploration of male identity and the potential for citizenship to form lasting bonds, Inua Ellams’ poignant play follows the personal stories of African men as they contend with who they are, and where they are from—in barber’s chairs situated throughout the African Diaspora.See p. 31 for event details.

Jordi Savall The Routes of Slavery (1444–1888) Nov 3, ZH

Gathering more than two dozen musicians from 15 countries and three continents, Jordi Savall’s far-ranging program pays tribute to the enormous contributions of enslaved Africans to world culture. Savall contextualizes the celebratory tone of the music with historical readings, illuminating both the cruelest depths and extraordinary resilience of the human spirit.See p. 35 for event details.

Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan OrchestraNov 10, ZH

Nearly 20 years ago, Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim and Palestinian scholar Edward Said founded this orchestra of Israelis and Arabs as a model for cooperation across the brutal divides of the Middle East. In doing so, they hoped to replace ignorance with education, knowledge, and understanding; to humanize the “other”; and to imagine a more hopeful future. Since then, this now-legendary ensemble has bridged deep political and ideological divides, standing today as a shining example of music’s ability to bring us together. See pp. 12–13 for event details.

Esa-Pekka Salonen, principal conductor & artistic advisor

Philharmonia Orchestra, LondonDreamerMar 15–17, ZH

An ambitious new work, co-commissioned by Cal Performances, Dreamer explores the reality of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients—young adults brought to the United States as children by parents seeking refuge or opportunity, who have no legal status as of this writing. Composer Jimmy López (an immigrant from Peru) and playwright/poet Nilo Cruz (a refugee from Cuba) weave a musical story based on interviews with real people from the Bay Area community, revealing how classical music in the 21st century can help us understand the plight of those whose dreams of citizenship are threatened.See pp. 14–15 for event details.

JORDI SAVALL

DANIEL BARENBOIM


AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE

JIMMY LÓPEZ

Research And Development Initiative in Creativity, Arts, and Learning

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BerkeleyRADICAL


Orchestra

DANIEL BARENBOIM AND THE WEST-EASTERN DIVAN ORCHESTRA

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Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan OrchestraDaniel Barenboim, conductor

Sat, Nov 10, 3pm, ZH

R. STRAUSS Don QuixoteTCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No. 5

A not-to-be-missed season highlight! One of the towering figures of classical music leads a stellar international ensemble in its Berkeley debut. Daniel Barenboim, revered pianist, conductor, activist, author, and director of the Berlin State Opera and the Staatskapelle Berlin, has had close ties with the music world’s most august institutions over his 60-year career, from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to Teatro alla Scala. In this rare Bay Area appearance, Barenboim visits with one of his proudest accomplishments, the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, founded nearly 20 years ago with Palestinian scholar Edward Said as a model for cooperation across the political and religious divides of the Middle East. The Arab and Israeli musicians in the orchestra span generations and geopolitical boundaries and have been praised for the vitality of their performances. “Daniel Barenboim may be the biggest figure classical music possesses” (The Telegraph, London).Berkeley RADICAL. See pp. 8–11 for details.

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Esa-Pekka Salonen, principal conductor & artistic advisor

Philharmonia Orchestra, London Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor

Fri–Sun, Mar 15–17, ZH

FRI, MAR 15, 8PM

SIBELIUS The OceanidesESA-PEKKA SALONEN Cello Concerto Truls Mørk, celloBARTÓK Concerto for Orchestra

SAT, MAR 16, 8PM

SCHOENBERG Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night)BRUCKNER Symphony No. 7

SUN, MAR 17, 3PM

JIMMY LÓPEZ Dreamer (Cal Performances Co-commission) Libretto by Nilo Cruz Ana María Martínez, sopranoSTRAVINSKY The Firebird (complete)

Dreamer Engaging with an issue that speaks uniquely to our times, acclaimed Peruvian composer Jimmy López, who earned his doctorate at UC Berkeley, will compose Dreamer, a new oratorio informed by interactions with Bay Area and campus immigrant communities, telling deeply personal stories through music and opening his process to audiences through a series of public programs. A rising star on the international scene, López has been called “one of the most interesting young composers anywhere today” (Chicago Sun Times). For Dreamer, he teams up with a frequent collaborator as librettist—the Pulitzer Prize-winning, Cuban American playwright Nilo Cruz.

Additional Residency HighlightsFollowing on the success of the orchestra’s Stravinsky programs two seasons ago—praised as “musically thrilling and dramatically potent” (The Mercury News)—Salonen conducts the rarely performed complete score for The Firebird. Bartók’s virtuosic Concerto for Orchestra, his last completed work, is paired with Salonen’s dazzling 2017 Cello Concerto, featuring Norwegian cellist Truls Mørk, and Sibelius’ evocative The Oceanides. And Bruckner’s magnificent Seventh Symphony shares a program with Schoenberg’s moody tone poem for strings, Verklärte Nacht.

Berkeley RADICAL. See pp. 8–11 for details.Major support provided by The Bernard Osher Foundation and Patron Sponsors Gail and Dan Rubinfeld, and Annette Campbell-White and Ruediger Naumann-Etienne. Dreamer was created with funding from a Hewlett 50 Arts Commission, and by Patron Sponsors Liz and Greg Lutz.

ESA-PEKKA SALONEN

OrchestraIn Cal Performances’ annual major orchestral residency, Esa-Pekka Salonen and London’s Philharmonia Orchestra return with three ambitious programs that include a recent cello concerto by Salonen himself and the West Coast premiere of a Cal Performances co-commission exploring the lives of Bay Area immigrants.

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Jerusalem Quartet with Pinchas Zukerman and Amanda ForsythSat, Oct 13, 8pm, FCC

R. STRAUSS String Sextet from CapriccioSCHOENBERG Verklärte Nacht (Transfigured Night), Op. 4TCHAIKOVSKY String Sextet in D minor, Op. 70, Souvenir de Florence

The Jerusalem Quartet, known for stirring and passionate renditions of the most beloved repertoire, is joined by the star husband-and-wife duo of Pinchas Zukerman and Amanda Forsyth, for a special program of rarely heard string sextets. Each work here is bursting with dramatic power and evocative imagery, from the searingly intense opening of Strauss’ last opera, Capriccio; to Schoenberg’s richly chromatic symphonic poem Verklärte Nacht; to Tchaikovsky’s sunny reminiscences of the Italian countryside, Souvenir de Florence. “Tonally, Forsyth’s bronze is a perfect match for Zukerman’s gold, while the nature of their personal relationship spills over in communicative music-making of enormous intimacy” (Limelight Magazine).Support for the presentation of Israeli artists is provided by the Sir Jack Lyons Charitable Trust.

CantusAlone TogetherFri, Feb 8, 8pm, FCC

In a marvelously diverse program that connects Beethoven, Bernstein, the Beatles, and contemporary works by Libby Larsen, David Lang, and Gabriel Kahane, the stellar men’s vocal ensemble Cantus sings of the challenges of connecting in our modern age. Beloved for its sumptuous tone and exquisite blend, the choir charmed the Cal Performances audience at its spectacular performance in the 2014/15 season, commemorating the Christmas Truce of 1914. “For sheer vocal finesse and sophistication, the men of the Cantus vocal ensemble are nearly unrivaled” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis).

Danish String Quartet Sun, Feb 17, 3pm, HH

HAYDN Quartet in C Major, Op. 20, No. 2WEBERN Quartet (1905)BEETHOVEN Quartet No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135

That rare ensemble that comes along perhaps once in a generation, the Danish String Quartet has the power to make centuries-old music come alive with a modern sense of urgency and dynamism. The quartet made its Cal Performances debut in the 2013/14 season and quickly became an audience favorite—admired in Berkeley and beyond for finely wrought interpretations that balance precision and subtlety with youthful vigor. Here, they perform Beethoven’s playful, congenial final quartet; an early quartet composed by Webern while he was still a student of Schoenberg; and the second of Haydn’s influential Op. 20 quartets. “The group is in full artistic flower…this is one of the best quartets before the public today” (The Washington Post).Major support provided by The Bernard Osher Foundation.

Takács QuartetSun, Feb 24, 3pm Sun, Mar 3, 3pm, HH

The peerless Takács Quartet welcomes its newest member, second violinist Harumi Rhodes—the players’ distinguished colleague at the University of Colorado—following the May 2018 retirement of founding member Károly Schranz after a career spanning more than 40 years. “We are thrilled that Harumi has accepted our invitation,” members of the group said. “She is a wonderfully versatile violinist and chamber musician.”From the complete Bartók cycle (2013/14), to the heroic Beethoven cycle (2016/17), to quintets with pianist Garrick Ohlsson (2017/18), the Takács ensemble seems to raise the bar with each visit, inviting us on their journey through centuries of repertoire and “revealing the familiar as unfamiliar, making the most traditional of works feel radical once more” (The New York Times). The quartet returns with two diverse programs that showcase this ensemble’s vast expressive range and ability to bring us to the edge of our seats in both rapt contemplation and delight.

SUN, FEB 24, 3PM

HAYDN Quartet in D Major, Op. 20, No. 4BARTÓK Quartet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 7, Sz. 40, BB 52GRIEG Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Op. 27

Grieg’s daring, dense Quartet No. 1 is a rarely performed gem, and Bartók’s Quartet No. 1 was his first major work to employ folk rhythms and melodies encountered during his excursions to the Hungarian countryside. The fourth of Haydn’s imaginative Op. 20 quartets finds the composer at the height of his powers.

SUN, MAR 3, 3PM

HAYDN Quartet in G Major, Op. 76, No. 1BARTÓK Quartet No. 6, Sz. 114, BB 119MENDELSSOHN Quartet No. 6 in F minor, Op. 80

For its second program, the quartet performs Bartók’s fiery final quartet, and the last major work Mendelssohn composed before his death, an eloquent eulogy to his beloved sister Fanny. The first of Haydn’s Op. 76 quartets is grand in vision, and full of surprises.

PINCHAS ZUKERMAN

CANTUS

TAKÁCS QUARTET

DANISH STRING QUARTET

Chamber Music


Mark Morris Dance GroupPepperland Sgt. Pepper at 50Choreography by Mark Morris Ethan Iverson, composer

A Cal Performances Co-commissionFri, Sep 28, 8pm Sat, Sep 29, 2pm & 8pm Sun, Sep 30, 3pm, ZH

Mark Morris celebrates the 50th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band with an exuberant new dance work that revels in the eccentric charm and joyful optimism of the Beatles’ groundbreaking album. The production, a smash hit with audiences at its Liverpool premiere last season, features a score by longtime Morris collaborator Ethan Iverson, who leads a unique chamber ensemble through arrangements of iconic songs from the record mixed with imaginative original compositions. “A truly joyous, celebratory work of art… a brilliant homage to one of the great rock albums” (The Telegraph, London).Patron Sponsors: Helen and John Meyer Corporate Sponsor: U.S. Bank

Sasha Waltz & GuestsKörperSat, Oct 20, 8pm Sun, Oct 21, 3pm, ZH

In her signature work, Körper (Bodies), groundbreaking Berlin choreographer Sasha Waltz explores the visceral tangle of humanity from the perspectives of history, science, and architecture. Waltz premiered Körper in her first season as artistic director of the Schaubühne theater in 2000 and now revives the work as she is poised to take on the co-directorship of the Berlin State Ballet next year. Set on 13 male and female dancers, the movement evokes a staggering range of embodied experience through a series of living tableaux, both epic and intimate—the dancers morph and converge, meld and squirm, join and are torn apart, creating a powerful and unforgettable emotional landscape.Please note: this performance includes nudity.

Berkeley RADICAL. See pp. 8–11 for details.

Compagnie KäfigPixelFri–Sat, Nov 16–17, 8pm, ZH

Precision, energy, speed, power—Compagnie Käfig merges elements of Brazilian urban dance and capoeira with hip-hop, modern dance, and circus arts in its breakneck productions. Pixel was created by founder Mourad Merzouki in collaboration with the French digital production studio Adrien M & Claire B and features the company’s 11 outstanding dancers navigating a sophisticated interactive environment of light and lasers that confounds our perceptions of what is virtual and what is real. “They’re animated by waves of energy, as if volts of electricity were traveling from muscle to muscle and limb to limb. Then that tightly controlled power explodes into fireworks” (Times Union, Albany, NY).

MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP

SASHA WALTZ & GUESTS

COMPAGNIE KÄFIG


Dance

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Dance

PAVEL ZUŠTIAK AND PALISSIMO COMPANY


AKRAM KHAN

Pavel Zuštiak and Palissimo CompanyCustodians of BeautyFri–Sat, Dec 7–8, 8pm Sun, Dec 9, 3pm, ZP

In this richly multisensory work, choreographer Pavel Zuštiak and his brilliant Palissimo Company ask: Where do we find beauty today, and does it need our defense? Zuštiak creates an immersive visual experience for Custodians of Beauty, combining movement with imagery, light, and sound in response to a 2009 speech by Pope Benedict XVI, reminding artists of their responsibilities as “custodians of beauty in the world.” Through formal abstraction and restrained, minimalist gesture, Zuštiak explores the human body as sculpture, emotional trigger, and political symbol.

Hubbard Street Dance ChicagoFri–Sat, Jan 18–19, 8pm Sun, Jan 20, 3pm ZH

PROGRAM A (1/18, 1/20)

ALEJANDRO CERRUDO Silent GhostWILLIAM FORSYTHE N.N.N.N.NACHO DUATO Jardi TancatCRYSTAL PITE Grace Engine

PROGRAM B (1/19)

EMMA PORTNER and LIL BUCK New Piece (music: Dev Hynes, with Third Coast Percussion) (Bay Area Premiere)

Over its 40-year-history, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago has tackled a thrilling range of repertoire, working with both veteran choreographers and fresh voices reimagining contemporary dance for new generations. For Program A, the company’s “brisk and hot-blooded” (The Washington Post) dancers perform Nacho Duato’s first work, Jardi Tancat; Crystal Pite’s fierce Grace Engine; Alejandro Cerrudo’s slow, tender Silent Ghost; and William Forsythe’s quartet N.N.N.N. Program B features the Bay Area premiere of a new collaboration by two twentysomethings redefining what it means to make dances today—Emma Portner, who has become a sensation for her imaginative viral dance videos; and Lil Buck, who brings the street to the stage as the foremost practitioner of jookin, a vibrant urban dance form that originated in Memphis during the 1990s. The music is by producer Dev Hynes (aka Blood Orange) and features Chicago’s new-music sensation Third Coast Percussion performing live.Major support provided by The Bernard Osher Foundation.

Akram KhanXENOSA Cal Performances Co-commissionSat, Mar 2, 8pm Sun, Mar 3, 3pm, ZH

Revered dancer, choreographer, and theater artist Akram Khan is a genre unto himself—known for physically demanding, visually spellbinding solo productions that combine Indian kathak with modern dance, and mine personal and cultural histories in works of sublime storytelling. Seen here in an exclusive West Coast engagement, XENOS is Khan’s final solo creation before his planned retirement as a performer. A powerful work that reveals the beauty and horrors of the human condition through the myth of Prometheus, it is told from the perspective of an Indian soldier recruited to fight in the trenches of World War I for the British Crown. “Xenos” means “stranger” or “alien” in Greek, and Khan’s work bravely explores the soldier’s alienation as he is trapped between two cultures in the colonial system.


26 27Subscribe today! calperformances.org

Dance

Eifman BalletPygmalionFri–Sat, May 31–Jun 1, 8pm Sun, Jun 2, 3pm, ZH

For 40 years, across a shifting political climate for artists in his native Russia, the defiantly controversial choreographer Boris Eifman has created “works that hinge on extreme theatricality, acrobatic pas de deux, and spectacular effects” (The New Yorker) for his Saint Petersburg company. In Eifman’s productions, the costumes are sumptuous, the dancing is exquisite, and the drama is riveting. Here, the company performs a brand new ballet, Pygmalion, set to a score by Johann Strauss Jr. “...this Russian dancemaker and his dancers are among the most fascinating artists before the public today” (San Francisco Chronicle).

ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER

EIFMAN BALLET

Robert Battle, artistic director Masazumi Chaya, associate artistic director

Tue–Fri, Apr 9–12, 8pm Sat, Apr 13, 2pm & 8pm Sun, Apr 14, 3pm, ZH

The revered Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater—which first visited Cal Performances a full 50 years ago in 1968—returns to Berkeley for its annual residency. Under the direction of Robert Battle, the company looks forward with provocative and stirring works by living choreographers, while remaining firmly rooted in the enduring legacy of its founder. The Ailey dancers, many of whom have worked with the company for more than a decade, deliver Ailey’s classic Revelations with arresting authority: “The texture of their dancing is powerful and juicy, brilliant in speed and marvelous in slowness. You feel as if you’ve always known them” (The New York Times).

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater


Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Tamara Stefanovich, pianosThu, Nov 1, 8pm, ZH

BARTÓK Seven pieces from MikrokosmosRAVEL Sites auriculairesHARRISON BIRTWISTLE Keyboard Engine, construction for two pianos (Cal Performances Co-commission)MESSIAEN Visions de l’Amen

Consummate French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard and brilliant Yugoslav-born pianist Tamara Stefanovich—partners off-stage as well as on—return with a program of exquisite contemporary works for one and two pianos. British iconoclast Harrison Birtwistle contributes a new work composed especially for the duo, co-commissioned by Cal Performances. Messiaen’s sparkling and sensual Visions de l’Amen was written as a vehicle for the composer himself along with his muse and future wife, the pianist Yvonne Loriod (who would later become Aimard’s teacher). “Both pianists bring impeccable precision and clarity to Messiaen…quite simply impossible to imagine it better done” (The Guardian, London).

Shai Wosner, pianoSun, Dec 2, 3pm, HH

SCHUBERT Sonata No. 16 in A minor, D. 845SCHUBERT Sonata No. 17 in D Major, D. 850, GasteinerSCHUBERT Sonata No. 18 in G Major, D. 894, Fantasie

Born in Israel and educated at Juilliard, pianist Shai Wosner is internationally acclaimed for his insightful and probing interpretations of the music of Schubert. In Wosner’s hands, complex works speak with pristine clarity, and here he explores the crystalline textures and emotional urgency of three of the composer’s mercurial middle-period sonatas—the emotionally expansive Sonata No. 16, the sprightly Gasteiner, and the serene Fantasie—the only three published during the composer’s lifetime. Of his most recent Cal Performances recital in 2013, the San Francisco Chronicle praised, “Superb…Wosner gave full voice to the Schubertian world.”Patron Sponsor: Bernice Greene

David Finckel, cello Wu Han, piano Sun, Jan 20, 3pm, HH

BEETHOVEN Sonata No. 3 in A Major, Op. 69BRAHMS Sonata No. 1 in E minor, Op. 38MENDELSSOHN Sonata No. 2 in D Major, Op. 58

American chamber music royalty, pianist Wu Han and cellist David Finckel continue to inspire with their tireless advocacy work, stunning musicianship, and boundless creative energy. The husband-and-wife duo, co-artistic directors of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Music@Menlo, visit with a program of three cello sonatas that highlight the towering mastery of the German Classical and Romantic traditions. Beethoven’s lyrical Op. 69 sonata is matched with Brahms’ emotive Sonata in E minor, and Mendelssohn’s exhilarating, ebullient Sonata in D Major.

PIERRE-LAURENT AIMARD AND TAMARA STEFANOVICH

SHAI WOSNER

DAVID FINCKEL AND WU HAN

SHAI WOSNER

Recital


Nicola Benedetti, violin

Alexei Grynyuk, piano Sun, Jan 27, 3pm, ZH

BACH Chaconne from Partita No. 2 PROKOFIEV Sonata No. 2 in D Major, Op. 94aWYNTON MARSALIS New Work (West Coast Premiere)R. STRAUSS Sonata in E-flat Major, Op. 18

Scottish violin star Nicola Benedetti lends her sumptuous, gleaming tone to Bach’s glorious Chaconne from Partita No. 2, and is joined by longtime accompanist Alexei Grynyuk for richly Romantic sonatas by Prokofiev and Richard Strauss. She also performs the West Coast premiere of a new solo violin work by Wynton Marsalis.Berkeley RADICAL. See pp. 8–11 for details.Patron Sponsors: Will and Linda Schieber

Yefim Bronfman, pianoFri, Feb 1, 8pm, ZH

SCHUMANN Humoreske in B-flat Major, Op. 20DEBUSSY Suite bergamasqueSCHUBERT Sonata No. 19 in C minor, D. 958

Yefim Bronfman last graced the stages of Cal Performances with a heroic cycle of the complete Prokofiev piano sonatas. Here, he further reveals the emotional breadth of his musical temperament, in works ranging from Schumann’s mercurial Humoreske, to Debussy’s richly impressionistic Suite bergamasque, and Schubert’s late-period gem the Sonata in C minor. “Bronfman combined fire and poetry…his fingers have always burned up the keyboard, but his lyricism has become more remarkable with age” (Seattle Post-Intelligencer).Patron Sponsors: Annette Campbell-White and Ruediger Naumann-Etienne

Joyce DiDonato, mezzo-soprano

SONGPLAYWed, Feb 20, 8pm, ZH

Returning after her captivatingly theatrical War and Peace program in 2016, radiant mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato showcases her more playful side with SONGPLAY. The lighthearted recital program mixes Italian Baroque arias with jazz ballads and songs from the Great American Songbook, and features a versatile ensemble of piano, drums, bass, and trumpet seamlessly connecting the improvisational spirit of Baroque ornamentation with the free-spirited charm of American popular music. “The perfect 21st-century diva—an effortless combination of glamour, charisma, intelligence, grace and remarkable talent” (The New York Times).Patron Sponsors: Michael A. Harrison and Susan Graham Harrison

Nicolas Hodges, piano Jennifer Koh, violin

Anssi Karttunen, celloMusic by Kaija Saariaho and Magnus Lindberg Sun, Mar 10, 3pm, HH

Three new-music virtuosos convene to explore the creative output of a pair of Finland’s most influential musical minds. Cellist Anssi Karttunen has long enjoyed collaborations with composers Kaija Saariaho and Magnus Lindberg, who have each written demanding works specially for him. Here he is joined by two gifted partners, pianist Nicolas Hodges and violinist Jennifer Koh, for a program of contemporary music.

YEFIM BRONFMAN

NICOLA BENEDETTI

JENNIFER KOH

JOYCE DIDONATO

Recital


Murray Perahia, pianoMon, Apr 15, 8pm, ZH

A revered elder statesman who plumbs the depths of Classical and Romantic repertoire with exquisite refinement and magisterial grace, Murray Perahia is among the most exalted pianists of his generation. His recitals are often transformative experiences, as the reviews for a recent Bay Area performance attest: “powerful and revelatory, as astounding a concert as I’ve attended in recent memory…it appeared as though the entire history of music was being unraveled right before us” (The Mercury News).

Gil Shaham, violin

Akira Eguchi, pianoMon, Apr 29, 8pm, ZH

His lustrous tone matched by masterful phrasing and supremely elegant technique, Gil Shaham is among the world’s preeminent violinists. He dazzled audiences at his last Berkeley visit in the 2015/16 season, when he performed Bach’s complete solo violin works accompanied by mesmerizing slow-motion video projections: “Joyousness, above all, characterized Shaham’s performance…his sound was sustained and powerful…a Bach experience like no other” (San Francisco Classical Voice). Shaham is joined here by longtime collaborator, pianist Akira Eguchi.

Alisa Weilerstein, cello

The Complete Bach SuitesWed, May 1, 8pm, FCC

Perhaps the leading cellist of her generation and a commanding, nuanced interpreter of a range of repertoire, Alisa Weilerstein performs a marathon three-hour concert of Bach’s complete cello suites in her Cal Performances debut recital. Weilerstein was a MacArthur Fellow before age 30, is a recipient of the Leonard Bernstein Prize, and has been honored with an Avery Fisher Career Grant from Lincoln Center. As she told the New York Times, the Bach cycle “demands everything of you emotionally, cerebrally, instrumentally… At the very end, I am emotionally exhausted, physically exhausted, and my brain is turned to mush—and it’s the most wonderful feeling, a cathartic feeling. I love it.”

Michael Barenboim, violinSun, May 5, 3pm, ZH

BOULEZ Anthèmes IBARTÓK Sonata for Solo ViolinBACH Violin Sonata No. 3 in C MajorBOULEZ Anthèmes II

Violinist Michael Barenboim enjoys a robust career as concertmaster with the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra (see pages 12–13) and frequent soloist with symphonic ensembles across the globe. But it is the solo recital that best reveals his mastery of a staggeringly wide range of fiendishly challenging violin music: from Bach’s inventive Sonata in C Major, to Bartók’s meaty, folk-tinged solo sonata, to Boulez’ demanding Anthèmes I and II, the second performed with live interactive electronics.

MURRAY PERAHIA

GIL SHAHAM

MICHAEL BARENBOIM

ALISA WEILERSTEIN

Recital


SchaubühneAn Enemy of the Peopleby Henrik Ibsen Directed by Thomas Ostermeier In a version by Florian BorchmeyerFri–Sat, Oct 12–13, 8pm, ZHBerlin’s esteemed Schaubühne theater presents a radically revised adaptation of An Enemy of the People, Ibsen’s potent 1882 drama about individual and social responsibility. The story of a whistleblower in a small town whose efforts to speak truth to power are shut down by his self-interested neighbors, the play both implicates and exhilarates its audience in a conversation about the perils of democratic capitalism. Directed by Thomas Ostermeier, for decades a leading creative voice and provocateur in European theater, the production has received strong reactions from audiences and critics alike, largely because of its controversial handling of the play’s climactic scene (no spoilers here!). Please note: this program is performed in German, with English supertitles.

Berkeley RADICAL. See pp. 8–11 for details.

Barber Shop ChroniclesA Fuel, National Theatre, and West Yorkshire Playhouse co-productionby Inua Ellams Directed by Bijan Sheibani Designed by Rae SmithFri–Sat, Oct 26–27, 8pm Sun, Oct 28, 2pm, ZH

A work the Times of London called a “joyous, surprising, moving production,” Barber Shop Chronicles explores the diversity of black male identity through the rituals and verbal banter of the urban barbershop. The cast riffs on topics both personal and political—from family to race relations to views about fatherhood and masculinity—as we eavesdrop on conversations in six different barbershops in London, Lagos, Johannesburg, Accra, Kampala, and Harare over the course of a single day. Created by Nigerian-born, UK-based poet and playwright Inua Ellams, the play has been a sold-out sensation in multiple London runs, resonating with audiences and critics alike for its deeply engaging sense of humor and humanity.Berkeley RADICAL. See pp. 8–11 for details.

Big Dance Theater17cConceived and directed by Annie-B Parson Co-directed by Paul Lazar Choreographed by Annie-B Parson and the company Thu–Fri, Dec 13–14, 8pm Sat, Dec 15, 2pm & 8pm Sun, Dec 16, 3pm, ZP

For more than two decades, the Obie Award-winning Big Dance Theater has been making uncategorizable, galvanizing work that gleefully undermines genre boundaries. The company’s latest effort is a portrait of Samuel Pepys, the outlandish 17th-century politician whose obsessive, tell-all diaries are a startling precursor to our own social media culture. The ensemble weaves music, dance, video, and text in an exploration—part celebration, part inquisition—of the moral murkiness of Pepys’ legacy as statesman and notorious philanderer, juxtaposing his own writings with the radical feminism of his contemporary, the playwright Margaret Cavendish, and the cult of online annotators at pepysdiary.com. Berkeley RADICAL. See pp. 8–11 for details.


AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE

17C

Theater

SCHAUBÜHNEAN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE


Quote Unquote CollectiveMouthpieceCreated and performed by Amy Nostbakken and Norah Sadava Directed by Amy NostbakkenFri–Sat, Mar 22–23, 8pm Sun, Mar 24, 3pm, ZP

A two-woman show acclaimed for its raw honesty and insightful portrayal of womanhood, Mouthpiece follows a woman over the course of a day, as she struggles to find her voice and contend with the formidable shadow cast by her mother. The engrossing work is co-created and performed by the Toronto-based Quote Unquote Collective, the performers seamlessly integrating sung a cappella passages with spoken text and moments of extraordinary physicality. “A smart show, beautifully put together and performed, and one that speaks up for all the women who daily bite their tongues” (The Guardian, London).Berkeley RADICAL. See pp. 8–11 for details.

An Evening with Ira GlassSeven Things I’ve LearnedSat, Mar 23, 8pm, ZH

Ira Glass began working in public radio at age 19 and never looked back. The beloved host of NPR’s hit weekly radio show This American Life invites us into his creative process, mixing audio clips, music, and video to tell captivating stories live onstage, and sharing lessons and insights gathered over his career. “A storyteller who filters his interviews and impressions through a distinctive literary imagination, an eccentric intelligence, and a sympathetic heart” (The New York Times).

Théâtre National de BretagneJulius Caesarby William Shakespeare Directed by Arthur Nauzyciel Fri–Sat, Apr 26–27, 8pm Sun, Apr 28, 7pm, ZH

French director Arthur Nauzyciel revives his “visually stunning, musically moody, and unceasingly stylish” (The Boston Globe) production of Julius Caesar, first created for Boston’s influential American Repertory Theater in a US election year, 10 years ago. Now artistic director of the Théâtre National de Bretagne, Nauzyciel highlights the continuing relevance of Shakespeare’s great political tragedy—with costumes and design that evoke the era of JFK, a live jazz trio, and provocative staging that refocuses the action so that the tyranny unfolds as the dream of a minor character, Brutus’ slave Lucius.

Song of the Goat TheatreSongs of Lear and Hamlet: A CommentaryDirected by Grzegorz Bral Music by Jean-Claude Acquaviva and Maciej RychlySongs of Lear Sat, May 11, 8pm, Venue TBA

Hamet: A Commentary Sun, May 12, 3pm, Venue TBA

An audience favorite at Edinburgh’s Fringe Festival, Warsaw-based troupe Song of the Goat Theatre integrates movement, song, and text to mine historical works for fresh insights. The award-winning Songs of Lear retells the tragic king’s story as a dramatic oratorio blending Corsican folk music and Gregorian chant—a production the New York Times called “viscerally awe inspiring.” Hamlet: A Commentary is a prequel to Shakespeare’s Hamlet, set two months before the actual play begins, and features 14 actors interpreting the characters, events, and emotions of the Hamlet story through polyphonic song.

IRA GLASS

JULIUS CAESAR

QUOTE UNQUOTE COLLECTIVE MOUTHPIECE

HAMLET: A COMMENTARY

Theater


Early Music


Jordi SavallThe Routes of Slavery (1444–1888)Directed by Jordi Savall Sat, Nov 3, 8pm, ZH

Jordi Savall returns with an ambitious new program characteristic of his expansive, inclusive musical imagination. The Routes of Slavery unites more than two dozen musicians from 15 countries on three continents, in a reverent and uplifting celebration of the influence of enslaved Africans on the culture of the Americas and Europe. Vocalists from the United States, Mali, Colombia, and Catalonia blend with instrumentalists from Madagascar, Morocco, Europe, and West Africa, with historic readings intertwined throughout. Sponsored by UNESCO, this massive cross-cultural musical reconciliation serves as an extraordinary tribute to the resilience of the human spirit.Please note: this program is performed with English supertitles.

Berkeley RADICAL. See pp. 8–11 for details.Patron Sponsors: Charles and Helene Linker

The Tallis ScholarsMusic Inspired by the Sistine ChapelThu, Apr 4, 8pm, FCC“One of the UK’s greatest cultural exports” (BBC Radio 3), the Tallis Scholars return with a magnificent selection of Renaissance choral works composed for and inspired by the choir of the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. At the center of the program is a composite mass by Palestrina, the Missa Papae Marcelli, as well as Alexander Campkin’s Miserere Mei for double choir, a new setting commissioned by the ensemble as a response to Gregorio Allegri’s strikingly moving Miserere. The Tallis Scholars are no strangers to this refined repertoire: they were invited to perform in the Sistine Chapel to celebrate the final restoration of the Michelangelo frescoes in 1994.

Los Angeles Master ChoraleLagrime di San Pietro (Tears of Saint Peter)Orlando di Lasso, composer Grant Gershon, conductor Peter Sellars, director

Fri, May 17, 8pm, ZH

Visionary director Peter Sellars returns to Cal Performances with a profound and stirring a cappella work by one of the Renaissance’s most revered composers. Orlando di Lasso’s Lagrime di San Pietro (Tears of Saint Peter) depicts the grief and remorse of the Apostle Peter, as he reflects on his fateful denial of Jesus on the day of his arrest. The work is sung by the 21 voices of the formidable Los Angeles Master Chorale, with Sellars’ stark staging illuminating the biblical story’s striking connections to the concerns of our modern world. Lagrime was praised by the Los Angeles Times in its Disney Hall premiere as, “a major accomplishment for the Master Chorale, which sang and acted brilliantly. It is also a major accomplishment for music history.”

JORDI SAVALL

THE TALLIS SCHOLARS

LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE

LOS ANGELES MASTER CHORALE

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Cal Performances in OaklandAn Evening with Pat Metheny with Antonio Sánchez, Linda May Han Oh, and Gwilym Simcock Thu, Oct 25, 8pm, FT

With scores of original compositions and dozens of award-winning albums to his credit, 20-time Grammy winner and 2018 NEA Jazz Master Pat Metheny is a force of nature. The dazzling guitarist with an unmistakable sound is known for his broad and expressive range across a variety of guitars, from Gibson “archtop” and nylon-string to guitar synthesizer and the unique 42-string Pikasso. Metheny’s fans also prize his uncanny ability to assemble a fantastic band—his latest all-star quartet finds him with longtime drummer Antonio Sánchez, rising star bassist Linda Oh, and versatile British pianist Gwilym Simcock.

Charles Lloyd & The Marvels, and Lucinda Williamsfeaturing Bill Frisell, Reuben Rogers, Eric Harland, and Greg LeiszSat, Dec 8, 8pm, ZH

Iconoclast saxophonist and NEA Jazz Master Charles Lloyd celebrates his 80th year with a new project that finds his fiery revolutionary spirit intact. In response to the presidential inauguration of 2017, Lloyd and his band The Marvels joined with folk-rock pioneer Lucinda Williams to release a rendition of Bob Dylan’s protest song “Masters of War.” The success of that single has led to a new collaboration and Blue Note album—to be released in June 2018—that adds Williams’ distinctive voice to an all-star lineup that already includes jazz-Americana heroes Bill Frisell on guitar, Reuben Rogers on bass, Eric Harland on drums, and Greg Leisz on pedal steel. “The group speaks directly to the current national predicament. While riding on a groove of hope and joy, this music dares to challenge the darker side of authority” (Santa Barbara Independent).

Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour – 60th Anniversary Celebration Starring Cécile McLorin Salvant Wed, Apr 3, 8pm, ZH

Jazz vocal sensation Cécile McLorin Salvant returns to Berkeley after her smash debut in February 2018, this time backed by the extraordinary musicians of the Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour. Salvant, who is not yet 30 but sings with a presence and poise that far belies her years, just won her second Grammy this year and has been charming critics and audiences alike with her gorgeous tone and a beguiling repertoire that traverses blues, folk music, and lesser-known jazz standards. As Bay Area jazz critic Andy Gilbert wrote, “Salvant delivered a tour-de-force…more than satisfying, the concert was buzz-inducing” (San Francisco Classical Voice).

PAT METHENY

LUCINDA WILLIAMS

CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT

CHARLES LLOYD

Jazz


Max Richterwith the American Contemporary Music Ensemble performing Infra and music from The LeftoversFri, Oct 5, 8pm, ZH

Admirers of Max Richter’s music use words like “exquisite,” “ravishing,” and “bewitching” to describe his singular compositional voice. The electro-acoustic composer-pianist, whose work is a ubiquitous presence in dance, film, and television, creates seductively moody scores that reveal themselves with a slow, aching beauty. Here, with the American Contemporary Music Ensemble, a group of “contemporary music dynamos” (NPR), he performs selections from his work Infra, inspired by T.S. Eliot’s The Waste Land, and from his score for the dystopian HBO drama The Leftovers.

Kronos QuartetFifty for the Future Fri, Jan 25, 8pm, ZH

When Haydn wrote his first string quartets in the 1700s, he could never have imagined what the form would become, centuries later, in the hands of an imaginative ensemble like Kronos. After 45 years spent re-inventing the string quartet, Kronos is committing itself to the next generation of musical innovators, with Fifty for the Future. The ambitious and much-lauded commissioning initiative returns to Berkeley, where Cal Performances is among the project’s partners, with a program of new works by a diverse international cohort of stellar composers. “Kronos remains as geographically, politically and spiritually feisty as ever” (Los Angeles Times).

Silkroad EnsembleHeroes Take Their StandsA Cal Performances Co-commissionFri, May 3, 8pm, ZH

PAUCHI SASAKI Elektra (working title)COLIN JACOBSEN Arjuna at Kuru: Discourse with Lord KrishnaJASON MORAN Martin Luther King, Jr. (working title)KAYHAN KALHOR Siavosh in Touran: Farewell to his Wife and Horse ZHAO LIN Dou E at Chuzhou

With the bold new project Heroes Take Their Stands, the Grammy-winning Silkroad Ensemble engages with the social and political turmoil of our time, asking us: What does it mean to take a stand in a moment of moral uncertainty? What does an everyday hero look like? And how can an ordinary person make a difference? The program tells the stories of five heroic figures from diverse cultures—from the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., to Elektra from Greek mythology, to Arjuna from Hindu epic poetry—through five new works commissioned from members and friends of the ensemble, each composer working with artists in other media. Collaborating partners include Bharatanatyam dancer Aparna Ramaswamy (working with Colin Jacobsen) and puppeteer/filmmaker Hamid Rahmanian (working with Kayhan Kalhor).

MAX RICHTER

KRONOS QUARTET

SILKROAD ENSEMBLE

So– PERCUSSION

New Music

So– PercussionMallet Quartets and the Keyboard ReimaginedSun, Apr 7, 3pm, HH

VIJAY IYER Torque (working title, West Coast Premiere)CAROLINE SHAW TaxidermyJASON TREUTING Nine Numbers 4 (West Coast Premiere)SUZANNE FARRIN New WorkDAN TRUEMAN Song, from Nostalgic Synchronic, Etudes for BitKlavier (West Coast Premiere)DONNACHA DENNEHY Broken Unison (West Coast Premiere)

With innovative multi-genre original productions, sensational interpretations of modern classics, and an “exhilarating blend of precision and anarchy, rigor and bedlam,” (The New Yorker), So

_ Percussion has redefined

the scope and vital role of the modern percussion ensemble. The group—comprised of Eric Cha-Beach, Josh Quillen, Adam Sliwinski, and Jason Treuting—visits Berkeley with four West Coast premieres, including a new work by Vijay Iyer, music director of the Ojai at Berkeley 2016 music festival. “Through a mix of consummate skill and quirky charm, this mercurial quartet has helped to ignite an explosive new enthusiasm for percussion music old and new” (The New York Times).


AIDA CUEVAS

SANDEEP DAS

KODO

SOWETO GOSPEL CHOIR

World Stage Cal Performances in Oakland Aida Cuevaswith Mariachi Juvenil Tecalitlán A Tribute to Juan Gabriel Sat, Oct 6, 8pm, PT

The “Queen of Ranchera Music,” Aida Cuevas pays tribute to one of Mexico’s most prolific and beloved songwriters in this spirited tribute to Juan Gabriel. Over her 40-year music career, Cuevas has sung many hits composed by Gabriel, and here she revisits audience favorites such as “Te Lo Pido Por Favor,” “Te Sigo Amando,” and “La Diferencia.” She is joined by Mexico City-based Mariachi Juvenil Tecalitlán, with special guests on requinto, accordion, percussion, and keyboards. “Cuevas is to Mexico what Aretha Franklin is to the United States: a powerful voice that encapsulates the essence of her nation’s spirit” (Kansas City Star).Berkeley RADICAL. See pp. 8–11 for details.

Sandeep Das and the HUM EnsembleDelhi to DamascusSun, Oct 7, 3pm, HH

Tabla virtuoso and Grammy Award-winning member of the Silkroad Ensemble, Sandeep Das celebrates the vibrant cultural heritage shared by India and Syria in his latest project with the thrilling HUM Ensemble. Driving strummed strings, pulsating drums, hypnotic bowed drones, and soaring raga and maqam melodies rooted in Sufi poetry come together to connect ancient civilizations with modern virtuosity in Delhi to Damascus. Das is joined by Syrian oud master Issam Rafea, Indian vocalist and sarangi player Suhail Yusuf Khan, and sitar player Rajib Karmakar to explore centuries of classical and folk music that emerged along the winding trade road from Jaisalmer in India to Damascus in Syria.

Cal Performances in Oakland Soweto Gospel ChoirSongs of the Free Sat, Oct 13, 8pm, PT

Worldwide ambassadors of South African culture, the Soweto Gospel Choir routinely brings audiences to their feet—clapping, stomping, singing, and being transported by the choir’s exuberant performances. Clad in their famously vibrant robes, and swaying with deft ensemble choreography, the two-time Grammy winners perform renditions of Zulu, Xhosa, and Sotho folk and gospel music, American spirituals, and African pop, in a dozen different languages. “Absolutely thrilling singers…dazzling music” (Billboard).Patron Sponsors: Annette Campbell-White and Ruediger Naumann-Etienne

KodoOne Earth Tour: EvolutionSat, Feb 2, 8pm Sun, Feb 3, 3pm, ZH

One of the most beloved and influential taiko ensembles in the world, Kodo returns with Evolution, a breathtaking retrospective that traces the group’s history by presenting signature works created from the 1970s to the present. Kodo harnesses the raw power and thunderous energy of traditional Japanese taiko drumming in sleek theatrical productions, its athletic drummers coaxing both delicate sounds and pounding fury from a whole family of drums, including the gigantic o-daiko, weighing in at 660 lbs. “Its music is a matter of flesh and blood, wood and stretched skin. Kodo can raise the roof, but the group can also show extraordinary finesse” (The New York Times).


THE 7 FINGERS

ZAKIR HUSSAIN

HAVANA CUBA ALL-STARS

HAVANA CUBA ALL-STARS

World Stage

The 7 FingersReversibleDirected by Gypsy SniderFri–Sat, Feb 22–23, 8pm Sun, Feb 24, 3pm, ZH

Montreal’s award-winning contemporary circus troupe presents its latest creation, a playful and poignant exploration of the role ancestors play in the shaping of modern identities. For Reversible, each of the company’s cast members researched generations of family history, interviewing grandparents and great-grandparents about their aspirations, struggles, and secrets. Through astonishing acrobatics, aerial stunts, and dynamic dance movement, the artists build an intergenerational bridge between past and present, then and now. “The collective virtuosity of this troupe is something to see—and, crucially, to feel” (The Boston Globe).

Zakir Hussain and the Masters of PercussionSun, Mar 31, 7pm, ZH

Tabla wizard and master improviser Zakir Hussain is a natural collaborator—and there are perhaps no artists he enjoys working with more than his fellow percussionists. For his popular Masters of Percussion program, Hussain is joined by an international cast of accomplished fellow drummers, and together they explore traditional North Indian drumming, along with the layered, animated rhythms of popular and folk music from around the world. Expect virtuosic solos, playfully competitive duets, and thrilling ensemble jams.

Cal Performances in Oakland Havana Cuba All-StarsSat, Apr 13, 8pm, PT

The swish of a sequined skirt, a warm tropical breeze, the faint scent of cigar smoke on a starched shirt collar: travel back in time to the golden era of Cuba’s posh ballrooms and sultry dance halls with the Havana Cuba All-Stars. Returning this season after its warmly received Berkeley debut two years ago, the ensemble specializes in the evocative vintage sound of Cuban son, with layered percussion, guitars, trumpets, and strings playing the infectious rhythms of rhumba, chachacha, habanera, and guaguanco. For this special “Asere” (friendship) tour, the musicians are accompanied by a troupe of expert dancers from the island.

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With ThanksCal Performances thanks the following foundations and corporations for their lead support of the 2018/19 season.

Foundation Support:THE ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATIONFunding for large-scale artist residencies and Cal Performances’ suite of student life and learning programs, including innovative semester-long courses that bring together campus academic programs with Cal Performances’ programs and artists for unique student engagement opportunities, is provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

THE WALLACE FOUNDATIONA multi-year grant supporting programs designed to deepen and increase participation among UC Berkeley students is provided by The Wallace Foundation as part of their Building Audiences for Sustainability initiative.

KORET FOUNDATIONFunding for K-12 education programs, new-audience development initiatives, and co-presentations with Stanford Live is provided by the Koret Foundation.

WILLIAM AND FLORA HEWLETT FOUNDATION, ANN AND GORDON GETTY FOUNDATION, and THE ZELLERBACH FAMILY FOUNDATIONGeneral operating support is provided by these lead funders.

Corporate Support:

Season Sponsor

Zellerbach Hall’s state-of-the-art sound system is generously provided by Meyer Sound.

Major support for public programs is provided by Bank of America.

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Make great art happen! Include a gift with your ticket order.

Give today!calperformances.org/give

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Ticket sales provide less than half of what it takes to bring unparalleled arts experiences to our community.

When you make your gift, not only will you share in the pride of joining our family of Donors, but you’ll also receive benefits based on your level of giving. This is our way of saying “thank you” and can include:

• Priority subscription seating• Early access to purchase single tickets and added events• Waived ticket fees• Reserved parking• Special Donor-only events• And more!

1-60200-15689-62-*-KK1900-KK970

PerformancesCal U N I V E R S I T Y O F C A L I F O R N I A , B E R K E L E Y

music dance theater

S E A S O N2018/19

Season Sponsor:

To request a brochure by mail, please email us at [email protected].

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September 2018Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis and special guest Jon Batiste; Celebrating Duke Ellington [SE]

Sun 9/23 5:30pm GT $50/$76/$84/$96/$125/$150

Gala at the Greek $2500/$1500/$500

Mark Morris Dance Group; Pepperland

Fri 9/28 8pm ZH $36/$48/$72/$92/$120/$135Sat 9/29 2pm ZH $36/$48/$72/$92/$120/$135Sat 9/29 8pm ZH $36/$48/$72/$92/$120/$135Sun 9/30 3pm ZH $36/$48/$72/$92/$120/$135

Yo-Yo Ma, cello; Bach Suites [SE]

Sun 9/30 7pm GT $58/$78/$95/$125/$175/$250

October 2018Max Richter with the American Contemporary Music Ensemble

Fri 10/5 8pm ZH $42/$48/$58

Aida Cuevas with Mariachi Juvenil Tecalitlán; A Tribute to Juan Gabriel

Sat 10/6 8pm PT $30/$44/$56/$68/$85

Sandeep Das and the HUM Ensemble; Delhi to Damascus

Sun 10/7 3pm HH $54

Schaubühne; An Enemy of the People

Fri 10/12 8pm ZH $30/$48/$62/$82/$98Sat 10/13 8pm ZH $30/$48/$62/$82/$98

Jerusalem Quartet with Pinchas Zukerman and Amanda Forsyth

Sat 10/13 8pm FCC $58/$72/$86

Soweto Gospel Choir; Songs of the Free

Sat 10/13 8pm PT $34/$46/$58/$68/$80

Sasha Waltz & Guests; Körper

Sat 10/20 8pm ZH $30/$38/$48/$58/$68/$78Sun 10/21 3pm ZH $30/$38/$48/$58/$68/$78

An Evening with Pat Metheny

Thu 10/25 8pm FT $36/$48/$62/$74/$86/$98

Barber Shop Chronicles

Fri 10/26 8pm ZH $30/$36/$48/$56/$68/$78Sat 10/27 8pm ZH $30/$36/$48/$56/$68/$78Sun 10/28 2pm ZH $30/$36/$48/$56/$68/$78

November 2018Pierre-Laurent Aimard and Tamara Stefanovich, pianos

Thu 11/1 8pm ZH $68/$72/$86

Jordi Savall; The Routes of Slavery (1444–1888)

Sat 11/3 8pm ZH $56/$68/$82/$96

Daniel Barenboim and the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra

Sat 11/10 3pm ZH $50/$85/$105/$150/$200/$275

Compagnie Käfig; Pixel

Fri 11/16 8pm ZH $30/$36/$40/$48/$58/$68Sat 11/17 8pm ZH $30/$36/$40/$48/$58/$68

Event Date Time Venue Single-Ticket Prices Event Date Time Venue Single-Ticket Prices

December 2018Shai Wosner, piano

Sun 12/2 3pm HH $46

Pavel Zuštiak and Palissimo Company; Custodians of Beauty

Fri 12/7 8pm ZP $42Sat 12/8 8pm ZP $42Sun 12/9 3pm ZP $42

Charles Lloyd & The Marvels, and Lucinda Williams

Sat 12/8 8pm ZH $34/$46/$56/$66/$76/$88

Big Dance Theater; 17c

Thu 12/13 8pm ZP $54Fri 12/14 8pm ZP $54Sat 12/15 2pm ZP $54Sat 12/15 8pm ZP $54Sun 12/16 3pm ZP $54

January 2019Hubbard Street Dance Chicago


David Finckel, cello; Wu Han, piano

Sun 1/20 3pm HH $68

Kronos Quartet; Fifty for the Future

Fri 1/25 8pm ZH $48/$58/$68

Nicola Benedetti, violin; Alexei Grynyuk, piano

Sun 1/27 3pm ZH $48/$56/$68/$72/$86

February 2019Yefim Bronfman, piano

Fri 2/1 8pm ZH $68/$72/$86

Kodo; One Earth Tour: Evolution

Sat 2/2 8pm ZH $30/$36/$48/$56/$68/$76Sun 2/3 3pm ZH $30/$36/$48/$56/$68/$76

Cantus; Alone Together

Fri 2/8 8pm FCC $42/$52/$64

Danish String Quartet

Sun 2/17 3pm HH $58

Joyce DiDonato; SONGPLAY

Wed 2/20 8pm ZH $50/$75/$95/$120/$150

The 7 Fingers; Reversible


Takács Quartet

Sun 2/24 3pm HH $86

Price LevelsP6/P5/P4/P3/P2/P1


2018/19 Season Calendar

March 2019Akram Khan; XENOS

Sat 3/2 8pm ZH $30/$38/$48/$58/$68/$78Sun 3/3 3pm ZH $30/$38/$48/$58/$68/$78

Takács Quartet

Sun 3/3 3pm HH $86

Nicolas Hodges, piano; Jennifer Koh, violin; Anssi Karttunen, cello

Sun 3/10 3pm HH $58

Philharmonia Orchestra, London; Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor


Quote Unquote Collective; Mouthpiece

Fri 3/22 8pm ZP $35Sat 3/23 8pm ZP $35Sun 3/24 3pm ZP $35

An Evening with Ira Glass; Seven Things I’ve Learned

Sat 3/23 8pm ZH $36/$48/$56/$68/$76/$92

Zakir Hussain and the Masters of Percussion

Sun 3/31 7pm ZH $30/$36/$48/$56/$64/$72

April 2019Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour; 60th Anniversary Celebration Starring Cécile McLorin Salvant

Wed 4/3 8pm ZH $36/$44/$56/$76/$82/$92

The Tallis Scholars; Music Inspired by the Sistine Chapel

Thu 4/4 8pm FCC $42/$68/$76

So– Percussion; Mallet Quartets and the Keyboard Reimagined

Sun 4/7 3pm HH $42

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Tue 4/9 8pm ZH $38/$48/$62/$82/$95/$110Wed 4/10 8pm ZH $38/$48/$62/$82/$95/$110Thu 4/11 8pm ZH $38/$48/$62/$82/$95/$110Fri 4/12 8pm ZH $38/$48/$62/$82/$95/$110Sat* 4/13 2pm ZH $40/$50/$75/$98/$125/$145Sat* 4/13 8pm ZH $40/$50/$75/$98/$125/$145Sun* 4/14 3pm ZH $40/$50/$75/$98/$125/$145*Select Ailey performances not available on subscription.

Havana Cuba All-Stars

Sat 4/13 8pm PT $36/$42/$48/$56/$68

Murray Perahia, piano

Mon 4/15 8pm ZH $68/$72/$86

Théâtre National de Bretagne; Julius Caesar

Fri 4/26 8pm ZH $30/$48/$62/$82/$98Sat 4/27 8pm ZH $30/$48/$62/$82/$98Sun 4/28 3pm ZH $30/$48/$62/$82/$98

Gil Shaham, violin; Akira Eguchi, piano

Mon 4/29 8pm ZH $68/$72/$86

May 2019Alisa Weilerstein, cello; The Complete Bach Suites

Wed 5/1 8pm FCC $42/$58/$78

Silkroad Ensemble; Heroes Take Their Stands

Fri 5/3 8pm ZH $48/$56/$68

Michael Barenboim, violin

Sun 5/5 3pm ZH $46

Song of the Goat Theatre; Songs of Lear and Hamlet: A Commentary

Sat 5/11 8pm TBA $35 Songs of LearSun 5/12 3pm TBA $35 Hamlet: A Commentary

Los Angeles Master Chorale; Lagrime di San Pietro (Tears of Saint Peter)

Fri 5/17 8pm ZH $58/$72/$86

Eifman Ballet; Pygmalion


All ticket sales are final. Programs, artists, and prices are subject to change without notice.

KeyZH Zellerbach Hall ZP Zellerbach PlayhouseFCC First Congregational ChurchHH Hertz HallGT Greek TheatreFT Fox Theater, OaklandPT Paramount Theatre, OaklandSE Special Event

Event Date Time Venue Single-Ticket Price Event Date Time Venue Single-Ticket Price



Mark Your Calendars!

Here are a few important dates for Donors and Subscribers:

June 5 Single tickets for Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at the Greek and Yo-Yo Ma at the Greek on sale to Donors of $100+ July 24 Single tickets for the rest of the 2018/19 season on sale to Donors of $100+ Please note: 2018/19 Season Subscribers and Donors of $1,500+ may order single tickets now using Section C of this order form.

Sep 23 Gala at the Greek

Important dates for Email Club and the general public:

June 8 Single tickets for Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at the Greek and Yo-Yo Ma at the Greek on sale to Email Club June 12 Single tickets for Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at the Greek and Yo-Yo Ma at the Greek on sale to the general public July 31 Single tickets for the rest of the 2018/19 season on sale to Email Club August 7 Single tickets for the rest of the 2018/19 season on sale to the general public

2018/19 Season Calendar – continued

Thank you for your order!

❏ Please charge my tickets to: ❏ VISA ❏ MasterCard ❏ Discover ❏ American Express

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❏ Enclosed is my check payable to: U.C. Regents

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❏ If my first two seating choices are unavailable, the Ticket Office should call me before choosing the next best available seats in the same price category.

❏ I do not wish to receive mailings from selected nonprofit organizations with which Cal Performances sometimes exchanges mailing lists.

Do you have any special seating needs? Please explain.

Event Date Time Seating Section† Price, 1st choice 2nd choice Each

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CYO Total = $

x (number of seats per CYO event) = $

Subtotal = $

4 & 5 CYO By Number Subscription: less 10% = $

6 & 7 CYO By Number Subscription: less 15% = $

8+ CYO By Number Subscription: less 20% = $ or CYO By Genre Subscription: less 25% = $

Subtotal A = $

Documents

fi˚˛˝˝˝˝˝˝˝˝˝˝ Performfi˝˙ · SEASON 2018/19 fi˚˛˝˝˝˝˝˝˝˝˝˝Performfi˝˙ UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY music dance theater Subscriptions OUR 113TH SEASON