Matt Haimovitz Pairs Bach with 6 New Solo Pieces at Miller Theatre, Columbia's Campus This Fall

Miller Theatre at Columbia University School of the Arts presents a special event series and artist residency: "Matt Haimovitz Plays Bach In Concert at Miller Theatre" tonight, October 22, 2015, 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 24, 2015, 8:00 p.m., with spontaneous campus performances on Wednesday, October 21, 2015 and Friday, October 23, 2015.

Haimovitz pairs Bach's 6 Suites with 6 new Overtures for solo cello commissioned from Philip Glass, Vijay Iyer, Roberta Sierra, Mohammed Fairouz, Du Yun and Luna Pearl Woolf.

Evening concerts on Oct. 22 & 24 will be held at
Miller Theatre (2960 Broadway at 116th Street). Single Tickets: $35-$50; Students with valid ID: $7-$30; All-Access Pass: $85 (includes tickets to both concerts and notice of campus performances). Campus performances on Oct. 21 & 23 are free of charge; details will be announced on Twitter @MillerTheatre and on Facebook. For more information, visit www.millertheatre.com/event-series/haimovitz-plays-bach.

From Miller Theatre Executive Director Melissa Smey: "Matt Haimovitz and Miller Theatre share a philosophy that classical music is for everyone. We're partnering with Matt this October to bring Bach and the music of contemporary composers into people's daily lives, wherever they are." Bringing Bach to unexpected places is nothing new for Matt Haimovitz. In Manhattan alone, his performances have taken him from the High Line to Carnegie Hall to CBGB. Now, through a special partnership with Miller Theatre, he will animate the Columbia campus with spontaneous performances (20-45 minutes) during a multi-day residency, combining the music of Bach with six new overtures by living composers commissioned by Haimovitz for each suite.

These new works will be presented alongside the complete cello suites of Bach over the course of a two-night concert series at Miller Theatre.

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Cello Suites III, IV & V

Thursday, October 22, 2015, 8pm
Miller Theatre at Columbia University
Bach's Cello Suites III, IV & V are paired with works by jazz luminary Vijay Iyer, Arab-American composer Mohammed Fairouz, and Roberto Sierra, whose works blend Latin influences with European musical traditions spanning several centuries.
Repertoire:
Vijay Iyer (b. 1971) - Overture
J.S. Bach (1685-1760) - Suite III in C Major
Roberto Sierra (b. 1953) - Overture
Bach - Suite IV in E-flat Major
Mohammed Fairouz (b. 1985) - Overture
Bach - Suite V in C minor

Cello Suites I, II & VI

Saturday, October 24, 2015, 8pm
Miller Theatre at Columbia University Bach's Cello Suites III, IV & V are paired with works by minimalist legend Philip Glass, Shanghai-born performance artist Du Yun, and Luna Pearl Woolf, whose "blazingly ardent and softly haunting" compositions garnered praise from The New York Times.
Repertoire:
Philip Glass (b. 1937) - Overture
Bach - Suite I in G Major
Du Yun (b. 1977) - Overture
Bach - Suite II in D minor
Luna Pearl Woolf (b.1973) - Overture
Bach - Suite VI in D Major

CAMPUS PERFORMANCES

Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Friday, October 23, 2015

Locations and times to be announced on Miller Theatre's Twitter and Facebook page.

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Matt Haimovitz and Miller Theatre partner to bring Bach to unexpected spaces throughout Columbia University, filling the campus with music in six surprise concerts. Locations will include student lounges, cafes, and other even more nontraditional campus spaces. The locations and times of these performances will remain a secret until they are announced on Miller Theatre's Twitter @MillerTheatre and Facebook page.

Matt Haimovitz (www.matthaimovitz.com) Renowned as a musical pioneer, cellist Matt Haimovitz has inspired classical music lovers and countless new listeners by bringing his artistry to concert halls and clubs, outdoor festivals and intimate coffee houses, any place where passionate music can be heard.

Haimovitz made his debut in 1984, at the age of 13, as soloist with Zubin Mehta and the Israel Philharmonic and made his first recording at age 17, with James Levine and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, for Deutsche Grammophon. Haimovitz has since gone on to perform on the world's most esteemed stages, with such orchestras as the Berlin Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Haimovitz's recording career encompasses more than 20 years of award-winning work on Deutche Grammophon and his own Oxingale Records, the trailblazing independent label he founded with composer/producer Luna Pearl Woolf.

In 2006, Haimovitz received the Concert Music Award from ASCAP for his advocacy of living composers and pioneering spirit. In 2004, the American Music Center awarded Haimovitz the Trailblazer Award for his far-reaching contributions to American music. Haimovitz has also been honored with the Avery Fisher Career Grant (1986), the Grand Prix du Disque (1991), the Diapason d'Or (1991) and he is the first cellist ever to receive the prestigious Premio Internazionale "Accademia Musicale Chigiana" (1999).

Haimovitz studied at the Collegiate School in New York and at the Juilliard School, in the final class of Leonard Rose, after which he continued his cello studies with Ronald Leonard and Yo-Yo Ma. In 1996, he received a B.A. magna cum laude with highest honors from Harvard University.

Columbia University's Miller Theatre is located north of the Main Campus Gate at 116th St. & Broadway on the ground floor of Dodge Hall. Directions and information is available online at www.millertheatre.com or via the Miller Theatre Box Office, at 212.854.7799.