Miller Theatre 2010-2011 Season Opens with American Premeire of MAA Ballet

Miller Theatre at Columbia University opens its 2010-11 season with Maa: A ballet by Kaija Saariaho, the American Premiere of the composer's only ballet, with original choreography by Luca Veggetti and a performance by International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). The ballet is co-produced by Mary Sharp Cronson and Works & Process at the Guggenheim.

Maa will be performed on Wednesday, September 22 at 8PM, Friday, September 24 at 8PM and Saturday, September 25 at 8PM. Tickets are $40 for general admission, and $25 for students.

Miller Theatre Director Melissa Smey says, "I'm excited to bring contemporary ballet back to Miller as we launch the season with a piece I've had on my wish list for a while, and which has never been done in the United States. This opening night production will bring a tremendous wealth of talent to our stage: Luca Veggetti's striking choreography performed by some of Juilliard's finest young dancers, and paired with an electrifying live performance of Saariaho's score by the incomparable International Contemporary Ensemble."

One of the most original compositional voices of our time, Kaija Saariaho is a prominent member of a group of Finnish composers now making a worldwide impact. Her music is at once opulent and
mysterious, with dense ever-changing textures, often created by a combination of music and electronics. Evocative and dreamlike, Saariaho's Maa-the composer's only ballet, written in 1991-has been staged just once before. The American premiere at Miller pairs this brilliant but little-known score with beautiful new choreography by Luca Veggetti, original artwork by artist Moe Yoshida, and a performance by some of Juilliard's finest young dancers. The International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) returns as the house band, following their "sizzling account" (The New York Times) of Saariaho's music in last year's Composer Portrait.

Columbia University's Miller Theatre is located north of the Main Campus Gate at 116th St. & Broadway on the ground floor of Dodge Hall. For tickets, the public should call the Miller Theatre Box Office at 212/854-7799, Monday through Friday, from 12-6 pm, beginning August 23. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.millertheatre.com.

Special event: WORKS & PROCESS MAA Sneak Peek
Monday, September 20, 7:30PM
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Fifth Avenue at 89th Street

Listen in on an intimate conversation with Maa's composer and choreographer, led by Miller Theatre director Melissa Smey. Featured musicians and dancers will perform excerpts of the program as a
preview. A reception with the artists follows in the rotunda of the museum.
Tickets: $30 (212/423-3587 or www.worksandprocess.org)

Photo Credit: Richard Termine