Chan Centre for the Performing Arts Announces 2014-15 Concert Season

The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia (UBC) announces its extraordinary 2014/15 concert series, showcasing the largest ever roster of international icons, returning favourites, legendary titans, and feast-for-the-senses performances on stage in the Chan Shun Concert Hall. The line-up features a wealth of expressions including world music, jazz, new music, and outside-the-box artistic collaborations spanning cultures and genres to combine virtuosic talent in exciting new ways. With a combined total of 45 GRAMMY Awards won by the artists of the 2014/15 series, the Chan Centre is poised to deliver an unforgettable season to Vancouver audiences.

"The Chan Centre continues to be an important place for musically curious audiences to visit and discover exceptional artists," said Joyce Hinton, Co-Managing Director and curator of the Chan Centre Presents series. "It has been a goal of ours to expand the offering of performances each year in order to encourage greater opportunities for artistic exploration - this is why we are so thrilled to offer our largest series of presentations since the Chan Centre opened its doors in the late '90s."

Enhancing the already rich 2014/15 Chan Centre Presents series in the Chan Shun Concert Hall is additional programming for two new series' in the intimate Telus Studio Theatre: Beyond Words and Radius. Beyond Words is presented by the Chan Centre and explores the power of words in performance, both as an agent of change, and as a means of igniting conversation. Radius is presented by musica intima, The Nu:BC Collective and Turning Point Ensemble in partnership with the Chan Centre, and brings together some of the city's top ensembles in a collaborative exploration of the full spectrum of sound.

The 2014/15 Chan Centre Presents series includes:

CHRIS THILE and EDGAR MEYER
Tuesday, September 16, 2014 at 8pm
Two geniuses- literally as both are recipients of MacArthur Foundation "genius grants"-of the mandolin and double bass combine to present a diverse programme of largely original music that crosses traditional boundaries. Vancouver audiences are fortunate to have an opportunity to witness these two long-time collaborators at their remarkable best.

DIEGO EL CIGALA
Saturday, October 25, 2014 at 8pm
Making his Vancouver debut, this Gitano singer from the Lavapiés district of Madrid is one of the great interpreters of classical flamenco song as well as an innovator and bridge-builder to other traditions. The BBC calls him "flamenco royalty," and his richly emotive voice has captured the hearts of millions around the world.

THE GLOAMING
Saturday, November 15, 2014 at 8pm
Contemporary Irish super group, The Gloaming, was formed in 2011 from a collective desire to transcend genres and create music that is haunting and beautiful in equal measure. The group features Irish singer Iarla Ó Lionaird, fiddle master Martin Hayes, guitarist Dennis Cahill, pianist Thomas Bartlett (aka Doveman), and Hardanger fiddle innovator, Caoimhin Ó Raghallaigh.

TERRI LYNE CARRINGTON'S MOSAIC PROJECT and CÉCILE McLORIN SALVANT
Sunday, February 15, 2015 at 7pm
In a dynamic co-bill that celebrates today's phenomenal female jazz artists, the evening begins with songstress Cécile McLorin Salvant who is renowned for her exceptional soul, power, and virtuosity and recently received a GRAMMY nomination for her debut album, WomanChild. The evening continues with drummer/composer/bandleader Terri Lyne Carrington's Mosaic Project, which is a GRAMMY Award winning platform bringing together influential female jazz artists such as vocalist Lizz Wright, saxophonist Tia Fuller, Nanaimo-raised trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, and more.

CHICK COREA and HERBIE HANCOCK
Sunday, March 15, 2015 at 7pm
This concert is an extremely rare duo appearance of two true jazz legends, Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock. Both distinguished pianists and bandleaders in their own right, they first came to the attention of the jazz world through Blue Note sessions in the early '60s, worked extensively with Miles Davis, and were among the architects of jazz, rock, and funk fusion in the '70s.

ZAKIR HUSSAIN'S CELTIC CONNECTIONS
Saturday, March 21, 2015 at 8pm
Tabla master and Chan Centre audience favourite Zakir Hussain returns with another creative East/West musical dialogue - Celtic Connections. The Vancouver performance is part of the ensemble's first tour to North America and features musicians Hussain, Charlie McKerron of Scotland's Capercaillie fame, Rakesh Chaurasia, Ross Ainslie, Patsy Reid, and others.

GILBERTO GIL
Sunday, April 12, 2015 at 7pm
Living legend and extraordinary singer, songwriter and guitar player Gilberto Gil has made over 50 albums and received countless honours and awards. As a key participant in the '60s Brazilian Tropicália movement, he was exiled by the ruling military dictatorship. Ever since, his career has developed side-by-side with a political life that has seen him acting as UNESCO Artist for Peace and Brazilian Minister of Culture.

LILA DOWNS
Sunday, April 26, 2015 at 7pm
GRAMMY Award winning vocalist Lila Downs celebrates her indigenous Mixtec heritage with her passion for art by melding traditional Mexican music with blues, jazz, and rock into an utterly unique and spellbinding sound. This highly anticipated return to the Chan Centre sees Downs celebrating the release of her forthcoming eleventh studio album.

WU MAN and the SHANGHAI QUARTET: A Night in Ancient and New China
Saturday, May 9, 2015 at 8pm
Pipa virtuoso Wu Man joins forces with one of the world's leading chamber music ensembles, The Shanghai Quartet, for a special concert exploring the great music of China. The performance features a chamber version of Tan Dun's Ghost Opera, music from some of Zhao Jiping's famous film scores, a suite of traditional Chinese folk songs, and solo works by Wu Man.

The Chan Centre will once again present its illuminating outreach series, Chan Centre Connects, in conjunction with the concert season. This series provides opportunities for audiences to engage on a deeper level with the season programming through viewing documentary films in downtown Vancouver at The Cinematheque, and attending talks by artists and experts, panel discussions, and workshops. Chan Centre Connects events are updated online throughout the year.

This year's Beyond Words series features environmentalist Severn Cullis-Suzuki and Inuit throat-singer Tanya Tagaq in a captivating joint performance on October 16 and 17, 2014 that reflects on their respect for the land that forged them. On February 26, 2015 multi-award winning author Steven Galloway, will be joined by a master magician to examine reality and illusion in conjunction with the release of his newest book, The Confabulist, which uses the life and sudden death of Harry Houdini to weave a tale of intrigue, love, and illusion.

This year's Radius series features performances by instrumental ensembles The Nu:BC Collective (April 9, 2015) and Turning Point Ensemble (April 17 and 19, 2015), as well as vocal ensemble musica intima (April 24 and 25). Each group will incorporate elements of medieval courtly entertainment with the theme Masque.

Subscription packages for the 2014/15 concert season are on sale now, and include complete eight concert series subscriptions as well as three-concert and six-concert packages. They can be purchased online at www.chancentre.com, or in person at the Chan Centre ticket office, 6265 Crescent Road, UBC (Tuesday to Saturday), 12 noon to 5pm. For more information call 604-822-6219, or visit www.chancentre.com. The Chan Centre ticket office is closed on Sundays, Mondays, and statutory holidays. Tickets can also be purchased by mail; please call 604.822.6219 or email chan.centre@ubc.ca to request a copy of the printed brochure with mail-in order form.

Since opening in the spring of 1997, the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia (UBC) has earned an international reputation for its striking design, stellar acoustics and exceptional programming. Artists, critics, and patrons alike are unanimous in their praise of the multi-faceted facility, winning it a place among North America's premier performing arts venues.

Inside, the Chan Centre boasts three unique venues: the superb Chan Shun Concert Hall, the dramatic Telus Studio Theatre, and the intimate Royal Bank Cinema. All share a spectacular glass lobby that faces a mature evergreen forest and small outdoor patio.

From classical, jazz, theatre, and new music to opera, folk, and world music, the Chan Centre is a vital part of UBC campus life - a place where the artistic and academic disciplines integrate with one another to inspire new perspectives on life and culture. As such, the programming at the Chan Centre strives to enhance the values of the UBC community through its annual roster of dynamic artists and musical traditions. Past performers and guest speakers have included Yo-Yo Ma, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Renée Fleming, Zakir Hussain, Wynton Marsalis, Al Gore, Sigur Rós, Rick Mercer, Meredith Monk, Muhammad Yunus, Mavis Staples, Ornette Coleman, Noche Flamenca, Mariza, and Shirin Ebadi.

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