Harris Theater Announces 2021-22 Season
While the Theater will resume normal operations this fall, two developments of the last year will continue in the 2021-22 season and beyond.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Jun. 08, 2021
The Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance announced today its Harris Theater Presents (HTP) season for 2021-22. Beginning with a free outdoor event on the Harris Theater Rooftop in August, the Theater will reopen to the public for the first time since March 2020.
The 2021-22 season represents both an extension of the Theater's global approach to programming under Patricia Barretto, who died of breast cancer last year, and the vision of new leadership for an expanded Harris Theater footprint in Millennium Park and deeper connections across the city.
"We are thrilled to see so many long-awaited projects finally come to the Harris this season, some of them years in the making," said Lori Dimun, Alexandra C. and John D. Nichols President and CEO of the Harris. "These works were selected for their relevance, and the themes they engage - isolation and connection, loss and legacy, and the search for belonging - will resonate in new ways because of what our city and our world have been through over the last year. We believe in the power of the arts to reveal common threads in our humanity, and it is our hope that the work we present will play a part in healing and reconnecting with one another."
While the Theater will resume normal operations this fall, two developments of the last year will continue in the 2021-22 season and beyond. In Fall 2020, the Theater established the Creative Future Fund, and began opening its doors to independent Chicago artists for free rehearsal usage and providing expanded support to its Resident Companies, the not-for-profit arts and culture organizations who call the venue home. The Theater also launched the HT Virtual Stage, premiering 46 virtual programs (many created exclusively for the platform) since January 2021 and drawing more than 22,000 unique users to experience free, on-demand content from the Theater's local and international collaborators. The initiatives were critical to maintaining audience engagement and supporting Chicago artists during the pandemic, and will grow and evolve as live performances return.
"While the last year has been difficult in so many ways, it has also allowed us to reimagine what it means to be a home for music and dance, for all of Chicago," Dimun continued. "We've found new ways to make and share art, to support the creation of new work, and to build community, all while our stage is dark and our sector is in crisis. Our responsibility is to take all of that with us and to become a more resilient, accessible, and inclusive cultural venue."
SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR 2021-22 MAINSTAGE, MIX AT SIX, FAMILY SERIES,
AND CHAMBER MUSIC SERIES ON SALE NOW
The season opens with two free, outdoor events in Millennium Park, welcoming audiences back for the Theater's first public performances since closing its doors in March of 2020. Curated in partnership with composer, trumpet player, and multi-instrumentalist Sam Trump, INTERPLAY is an intergenerational mini-festival featuring creative voices from throughout Chicago, coming to the Harris Theater Rooftop in August. In September, the Theater will screen the Films.Dance series - a global collaboration produced by Jacob Jonas The Company, featuring over 150 artists from 25 countries - from the stage of the Pritzker Pavilion. The first 15 films were created entirely during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the project will continue with additional films coming to the HT Virtual Stage this fall. Additional details about summer events will be announced later in June.
A highlight of the 2021-22 HTP Mainstage dance season will be the international premiere and exclusive North American presentation of English National Ballet in Akram Khan's Creature. Khan himself will open the dance season with his solo work XENOS - marking some of his final performances of the Olivier Award-winning piece as a dancer. Ragamala Dance Company will return to Chicago with the company's newest work, Fires of Varanasi: Dance of the Eternal Pilgrim, co-commissioned by the Harris and premiering at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts this fall.
HTP Mainstage music engagements include recitals by Mexican tenor and Bel Canto specialist Javier Camarena, and mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato presenting her newest concept, Eden, which explores the majesty and fragility of nature through music. Cape Town Opera will make its Chicago debut in April 2022 with the powerful Mandela Trilogy, which has been restaged by the company's new artistic director Michael Hunt to appreciate Nelson Mandela's life and the civil rights movement of South Africa alongside today's Black Lives Matter movement.
The Mix at Six series will be anchored by three dynamic female artists, each with unique approaches to storytelling: Chilean jazz guitarist Camila Meza with her band, The Nectar Orchestra; Haitian-American composer and vocalist Nathalie Joachim with Spektral Quartet performing Joachim's GRAMMY-nominated Fanm d'Ayiti; and San Francisco singer-songwriter Meklit, whose music draws on folk, jazz, and her Ethiopian musical roots.
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center will embark on its 11th year of partnership with the Harris with four concerts including the complete Brandenburg Concertos - an annual tradition at the Harris - and a slate of HT Virtual Stage offerings to complement the live concert programs. The popular Family Series will return with three Saturday afternoon events for children and families to experience the arts together in an inviting and accessible atmosphere. Beyond the Aria, produced in association with Lyric Opera of Chicago, will resume in early 2022.
Subscriptions are on sale now, available online or through the Harris Theater Box Office. Subscribers save 40% on tickets and receive benefits including free exchanges. During the 2021-22 season, subscribers may request a refund at any time prior to the performance if they are unable to attend.
The Harris Theater Box Office is currently operating with limited hours, for phone support only (no walk-up), 12-5 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. To reach the Box Office, call 312.334.7777 or email info@harristheaterchicago.org.
2021-22 AT A GLANCE
Sam Trump + Friends: Interplay - An Intergenerational Mini-Festival
Harris Theater Rooftop
Sunday, August 22, 2021 / 3:00PM
Pritzker Pavilion
Thursday, September 2, 2021
Friday, September 3, 2021
Saturday, September 4, 2021 Nathalie Joachim with Spektral Quartet: Fanm d'Ayiti
Tuesday, October 5, 2021 / 6:00PM
Javier Camarena
Thursday, October 7, 2021 / 7:30PM
Akram Khan: XENOS
Friday, November 12, 2021 / 7:30PM
Saturday, November 13, 2021 / 7:30PM
Akram Khan Company: Memories of the Future
Family Series
Saturday, November 13, 2021 / 2:00PM
Friday, November 19, 2021 / 7:30PM
Ragamala Dance Company: Fires of Varanasi: Dance of the Eternal Pilgrim
Thursday, December 2, 2021 / 7:30PM
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: Brandenburg Concertos
Wednesday, December 8, 2021 / 7:30PM
Friday, January 28, 2022 / 7:30PM Meklit
Thursday, February 10, 2022 / 6:00PM
English National Ballet: Akram Khan's Creature
Thursday, February 24, 2022 / 7:30PM
Friday, February 25, 2022 / 7:30PM
Saturday, February 26, 2022 / 2:00PM
Saturday, February 26, 2022 / 7:30PM
Manual Cinema: The Magic City
Family Series
Saturday, March 19, 2022 / 2:00PM
Thursday, March 24, 2022 / 6:00PM The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: String Masterpieces
Tuesday, March 29, 2022 / 7:30PM
Joyce DiDonato: Eden
Saturday, April 16, 2022 / 7:30PM
Cape Town Opera: Mandela Trilogy
Friday, April 29, 2022 / 7:30PM
Saturday, April 30, 2022 / 7:30PM
Family Series
Saturday, April 30, 2022 / 2:00PM
2021-22 HARRIS THEATER PRESENTS BY SERIES
HTP Mainstage
Javier Camarena
Thursday, October 7, 2021 / 7:30PM
Mexican tenor Javier Camarena, the preeminent Mozart and Bel Canto specialist of his generation, returns to Chicago for the first time since his "sensational" (John von Rhein, Chicago Tribune) debut at the Harris in 2016. Praised for his burnished tone, gleaming high notes, flawless coloratura, and veracious portrayals, he regularly appears in leading roles alongside today's foremost stars at the world's top opera houses and was the face of Opera News's 80th anniversary edition in January 2020. In the 2018-19 season, as Ernesto in Donizetti's Don Pasquale, he became only the second singer in Metropolitan Opera history to perform encores in multiple productions at the house, after the audience demanded a repeat of his aria "E se fia che ad altro oggetto." Camarena went on to repeat the same feat in La fille du régiment at Madrid's Teatro Real, followed by his recent triumph there in his debut as Gualtiero in Bellini's Il Pirata.
This program presents the essence of Bel Canto repertoire and shows Camarena's great agility and expertise. Well-loved arias by Gounod, Donizetti, Verdi, and Bellini are paired with Laló and Flotow, promising another sensational evening in Chicago.
Akram Khan: XENOS
Friday, November 12, 2021 / 7:30PM
Saturday, November 13, 2021 / 7:30PM
XENOS, a solo work created and performed by Akram Khan, gives voice to the shell-shocked dream of a colonial soldier in the First World War, revealing the beauty and horror of the human condition in its portrait of an Indian dancer whose skilled body becomes an instrument of war. Shifting between classical kathak and contemporary dance, XENOS takes place on the border between East and West, past and present, mythology and technology, where humanity still stands in wonder and disarray. The sole dancer in this "triumph of energy, empathy and intelligence" (Telegraph UK), Khan is accompanied onstage by five international musicians: percussionist B C Manjunath, vocalist Aditya Prakash, bass player Nina Harries, violinist Clarice Rarity, and saxophonist Tamar Osborn.
Ragamala Dance Company: Fires of Varanasi: Dance of the Eternal Pilgrim
Thursday, December 2, 2021 / 7:30PM
Bharatanatyam choreographers Ranee Ramaswamy and Aparna Ramaswamy's Fires of Varanasi: Dance of the Eternal Pilgrim evokes an elaborate ritual where time is suspended and humans merge with the divine. Through images that reflect the cosmic trinity of Varanasi, India - sacred pilgrimage routes, the Ganges River, and the patron deity Shiva, heightened by the chants of Vedic priests - the choreographers imagine a metaphorical crossing place where one may leave the mundane and enter into the world of immortality. In this full-length work for 10 performers with an original, recorded score, French scenic and lighting designer Willy Cessa transforms the stage as the performers traverse the iconic stairways and landings along the river banks, performing ritual ablutions in the sacred river.
English National Ballet: Akram Khan's Creature
Thursday, February 24, 2022 / 7:30PM
Friday, February 25, 2022 / 7:30PM
Saturday, February 26, 2022 / 2:00PM
Saturday, February 26, 2022 / 7:30PM
Following the pivotal impact of his reimagined Giselle, Akram Khan returns to English National Ballet for his third collaboration with the company, alongside a brilliant creative team of Academy Award-winning designer Tim Yip, composer and sound designer Vincenzo Lamagna, lighting designer Michael Hulls, and dramaturg Ruth Little. Creature is an unearthly tale of exploitation and human frontiers inspired by Georg Büchner's expressionist classic Woyzeck, with shadows of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Drawing on themes of abandonment, isolation and the fragility of the mind, Creature is the tale of an outsider and the search for belonging.
A co-production between English National Ballet and Opera Ballet Vlaanderen
Co-Producer: Sadler's Wells, London
Production Partner: The Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater
Joyce DiDonato: Eden
Saturday, April 16, 2022 / 7:30PM
Following her groundbreaking and award-winning global project, In War & Peace: Harmony Through Music which reached over 3 million viewers worldwide, Joyce DiDonato turns her creative vision and artistry to her next great passion: Eden. Exploring the majesty, might, and mystery of Nature through both arresting and evocative music and theatrical effects, DiDonato will take the viewer on an emotional journey to reconnect to the power and fragility of Nature, exploring our place within the kaleidoscopic, wondrous world around us. This will be an industry-defining project that speaks to the heart of humanity's essence, at precisely the most needed moment in time.
Cape Town Opera: Mandela Trilogy
Friday, April 29, 2022 / 7:30PM
Saturday, April 30, 2022 / 7:30PM
Cape Town Opera (CTO) is South Africa's premier opera company, and fosters the expression of a national identity through the creation and performance of new South African works, alongside engaging and relevant productions of classics from the repertoire. CTO's Mandela Trilogy will be presented in Chicago in a specially revised production by the new artistic director, Michael Hunt, with new staging that provides a contemporary context in which to appreciate the civil rights movement of South Africa alongside today's wider Black Lives Matter movement.
Chamber Music Series
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: From Prague to Vienna
Friday, November 19, 2021 / 7:30PM
PROGRAM
Dvořák | Sonatina for Violin and Piano in G major, Op. 100 (1893)
Suk | Quartet in A minor for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 1 (1891)
Brahms | Quartet No. 1 in G minor for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello, Op. 25 (1860-61)
Wu Han, piano; Arnaud Sussmann, violin; Paul Neubauer, viola; David Finckel, cello
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: Brandenburg Concertos
Wednesday, December 8, 2021 / 7:30PM
PROGRAM
J.S. Bach | Complete Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046-1051 (1720)
Kenneth Weiss, harpsichord; Sean Lee, violin; Alexander Sitkovetsky, violin; Arnaud Sussman, violin; Daniel Phillips, violin/viola; Che-Yen Chen, viola; Yura Lee, violin; Dmitri Atapine, cello; Timothy Eddy, cello; Inbal Segev, cello; Joseph Conyers, double bass; Tara Helen O'Connor, flute; Ransom Wilson, flute; Randall Ellis, oboe; James Austin Smith, oboe; Stephen Taylor, oboe; Marc Goldberg, bassoon; David Byrd-Marrow, horn; Stewart Rose, horn; David Washburn, trumpet
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: Romantic Perspectives
Friday, January 28, 2022 / 7:30PM
PROGRAM
Brahms | Scherzo, O 2, from "F-A-E" Sonata for Violin and Piano
Mahler | Quartet in A minor for Piano, Violin, Viola, and Cello
Dvořák | Quintet in A minor for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello, Op. 1
Franck | Quintet in F minor for Piano, Two Violins, Viola, and Cello
Wu Han, piano; Aaron Boyd, violin; Danbi Um, violin; Paul Neubauer, viola; Timothy Ridout, viola; Sihao He, cello
The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center: String Masterpieces
Tuesday, March 29, 2022 / 7:30PM
PROGRAM
Beethoven | Trio in G major for Violin, Viola and Cello, Op. 9, No. 1
Mozart | Quintet for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Cello in C minor, K. 406
Brahms | Sextet for Two Violins, Two Violas, and Two Cellos No. 1 in B-flat major, Op. 18
Stella Chen, violin; Ani Kavafian, violin; Hsin-Yun Huang, viola; Paul Neubauer, viola; Mihai Marica, cello; David Requiro, cello
Mix at Six
Nathalie Joachim with Spektral Quartet: Fanm d'Ayiti
Tuesday, October 5, 2021 / 6:00PM
A celebration of iconic yet under-recognized Haitian female artists, Fanm d'Ayiti ("Women of Haiti") is an evening-length work for voice, flute, string quartet and electronics developed by composer/performer Nathalie Joachim and featuring Chicago's own Spektral Quartet. Equal parts an encounter with Joachim's Haitian heritage and an effort to give voice to marginalized artists, Fanm d'Ayiti is iridescent in its exhibition of powerful women - in revolution, on stage, or in the home. From the deeply personal, including recorded voices of Joachim's grandmother and the girls' choir from her family's farming village of Dantan, to the inspiringly prominent, featuring arrangements of songs by some of the greatest known female voices in Haitian history and recorded interviews with them about their fight for social justice - Fanm d'Ayiti is an uplifting and thought-provoking sonic experience.
Meklit
Thursday, February 10, 2022 / 6:00PM
Meklit is an Ethiopian-American vocalist, singer-songwriter, and composer, making music that sways between cultures and continents. Known for her electric stage presence, innovative take on Ethio-Jazz, and her fiery, emotive live shows, Meklit has rocked stages from Addis Ababa (where she is a household name) to San Francisco (her beloved home-base). She is a National Geographic Explorer, a 2019 Artist-in-Residence at Harvard University, a TED Senior Fellow, a cultural instigator, and an in-demand performer and speaker. Her TED Talk, "The unexpected beauty of everyday sounds," has been watched by more than 1.2 million people.
Camila Meza and The Nectar Orchestra
Thursday, March 24, 2022 / 6:00PM
Equally prized as a vocalist, guitarist and composer, Meza has uplifted audiences worldwide with her assured and beautiful singing, highly advanced guitar (both self-accompaniment and blistering solo work), and vivid, melodic songwriting that reveals complex layers with every listen. She has been hailed by The New York Times as "a bright young singer and guitarist with an ear for music of both folkloric and pop intention." Along with her band The Nectar Orchestra, Meza will perform music from her 2019 album Ambar, which "elevates Camila's musical storytelling to another level" (Paste Magazine).
Family Series
Akram Khan Company: Memories of the Future
Saturday, November 13, 2021 / 2:00PM
The 2021-22 Family Series opens with Akram Khan Company (AKC) in Memories of the Future, an open house event in which the lobbies of the Harris Theater will become an interactive, intergenerational gathering place and audiences will become the creators and storytellers. Drawing on the themes of AKC's work, the event will allow participants of all ages to share their stories through movement, poetry, artmaking, and oral storytelling, fostering connection with AKC company members, local artists, and fellow audiences. Memories of the Future is a playful and creative invitation to explore the memories of our elders and to inspire children's stories of tomorrow.
Manual Cinema: The Magic City
Saturday, March 19, 2022 / 2:00PM
A modern retelling of Edith Nesbit's 1910 novel, The Magic City is a live, cinematic shadow puppet show using overhead projectors, paper puppets, actors, and live music to tell the story of nine-year-old Philomena. Philomena's great love is building miniature structures out of books, toys, and other found objects from around her house. One day, her older sister (and only legal guardian) Helen announces that she is engaged to marry, and the two go to live at the mansion of Helen's fiancé, Brandon. Left alone in her vast new home, forced to make friends with her annoying stepbrother Lucas, Philomena secludes herself in the attic where she builds the biggest miniature city she's ever made. Later that night, Philomena wakes up to discover that his city has come alive. As she steps through the city gates, her adventure begins.
This performance will be a sensory-friendly presentation, designed to offer a safe and welcoming environment for individuals on the autism spectrum or with other sensory sensitivities. ASL interpretation will be offered for all spoken portions of the program.
Cape Town Opera: Freedom in Our Time
Saturday, April 30, 2022 / 2:00PM
Featuring narration from the Mandela Trilogy cast, this performance introduces children and families to the legacy of former South African president Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela. This special program presents Mandela's upbringing in rural South Africa, the influence of music and dance from the townships of Soweto and the key family and political role models that shaped the life of this iconic world leader.
This performance will include ASL interpretation for all spoken portions of the program.
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