Harris Theater Presents 2011-2012 Season, Begins With HEAR THE MUSIC

The Harris Theater for Music and Dance today announced its full Harris Theater Presents 2011-2012 season, offering Chicago audiences a ground-breaking collection of innovative, culturally diverse programming by the world's finest musicians and dance companies, as well as Harris' signature collaborations with Chicago's leading dance and music institutions. The Harris Theater Presents 2011-2012 season features 6 artists and ensembles featured in three specialized subscription series.

Hear the Music offers the Harris Theater debuts of the Grammy-award winning Eroica Trio and internationally acclaimed Vienna Symphony Orchestra, performing classical blockbusters, under the leadership of Fabio Luisi, the orchestra's Principal Conductor, who is also the Principal Guest Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera, November 7, 2011; plus, the inaugural season of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's first Chicago-based performance series. The first season of the three year annual series includes three performances: Great Clarinet Trios featuring CMS artistic directors cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han joined by clarinetist David Shifrin on January 27, 2012; Masters of the Keyboard featuring pianists Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Anne-Marie McDermott, André-Michel Schub, and Wu Han on March 20, 2012; and French Virtuosity featuring pianists Inon Barnatan & Juho Pohjonen; violinists Jessica Lee, Kristin Lee & Elmar Oliveira; violist Beth Guterman; and cellist Andreas Brantelid on May 22, 2012.

See the Dance includes the return of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, back by popular demand with their outrageous antics on January 24, 2012; and the Chicago debut of the Paris Opéra Ballet. The world's greatest company kicks off their first American tour in more than a decade with a weeklong engagement, featuring two different programs, accompanied by the Grant Park Orchestra in a first ever collaboration with the Harris Theater, June 26-July 1, 2012. Plus, two very special series add-on performances-the return of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in their last Chicago performances as part of their final Legacy Tour, November 18-19, 2011, only six weeks prior to the company disbanding forever.

French Twist, a special interdisciplinary performance series dedicated to the exquisite French programming of this season, includes the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center's French Virtuosity program on May 22, 2012; and both Paris Opéra Ballet programs, including a performance of Giselle (June 27-28, 2012) and a Mixed Repertoire performance (June 29-July 1, 2012).

The Theater is also pleased to present a special At The Harris performance by the Morehouse College Glee Club, the nation's only African-American, all-male glee club, recognized throughout the world for their impassioned performances at such momentous occasions as Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral; President Jimmy Carter's inauguration; and the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta-one night only, March 6, 2012!

"With the extraordinary programming of the 2011-2012 Harris Theater Presents season, it is clear that the Harris Theater has earned its place as one of the nation's premier destinations for internationally acclaimed music and dance," said Abby McCormick O'Neil, Chairman of the Harris Theater Board of Trustees. "The Theater's mission and continuing commitment to present world-renowned artists and innovative programming is clearly illustrated with three milestone engagements, including a first-ever Chicago-based annual performance series by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, one of our nation's finest and most highly respected chamber ensembles. We are also honored that the legendary Merce Cunningham Dance Company returns to the Harris in its final Chicago engagement before it disbands, and the Paris Opéra Ballet will launch its 2012 American Tour at the Theater next summer in its Chicago debut. These exceptional engagements will continue to develop new audiences and help build support for the thirty-five Chicago emerging and mid-size organizations that call the Harris Theater home."

In addition to the three Harris Theater Presents series, the Theater's affordable and accessible Family Series and hugely popular Eat to the Beat $5 lunchtime performance series both return with programming that exemplifies the Harris' mission of collaboration and partnership.

Perfect for children of all ages and back by popular demand, Hubbard Street 2 returns with their smash hit Harold and the Purple Crayon: A Dance Adventure, December 3 & 4, 2011 at 2 pm; and Fulcrum Point New Music Project celebrates Black History Month with the spirited and engaging Afro-Beats!, February 25, 2012 at 2 pm.

The third season of Eat To The Beat kicks off with a special Chicago Dancing Festival matinee performance; the series also features performances by Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago collaborating with DanceWorks Chicago, the Music Institute of Chicago, ChiArts, and much more. Additional details on this series are forthcoming.

Harris Theater Presents 2011-2012 Season Overview

HEAR THE MUSIC

"Since its opening in 2003, the Harris Theater has cultivated relationships with some of the world's most esteemed artists and ensembles-and this season is no different, featuring many extraordinary artists who are making their Harris Theater debuts," said Michael Tiknis, President and Managing Director of the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. "We are proud to partner with our nation's finest chamber ensemble, the internationally acclaimed Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center to present their first ever Chicago-based performance series in the intimate setting of the Harris Theater. CMS Artistic Directors David Finckel and Wu Han, who were dazzling in their performance at our Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman benefit this past March, will lead this exciting new three year residency."

Tiknis continued, "We are also pleased to present one of today's most exciting young ensembles, the Grammy-nominated Eroica Trio, who will perform their signature work-Beethoven's magnificent Triple Concerto-with the exceptional Vienna Symphony Orchestra. The Orchestra's esteemed Chief Conductor Fabio Luisi, who is also the principal guest conductor of the Metropolitan Opera, will lead both ensembles in their Harris Theater debut performance."

Vienna Symphony Orchestra* with the Eroica Trio*
Monday, November 7, 2011 at 7:30 pm

Eroica Trio
Erika Nickrenz, piano
Susie Park, violin
Sara Sant'Ambrogio, cello

Fabio Luisi*, conductor

*Harris Theater debut

Heralded for "the freshest, most daring, drop-dead gorgeous playing you're likely to encounter any time soon" (Fanfare Magazine), the Grammy award-winning Eroica Trio, will kick off the 2011-2012 Hear the Music series with an electrifying performance of Beethoven's beloved "Triple Concerto," Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano in C Major, Op. 56. "Few can rival the sonic beauty of the Vienna Symphony Orchestra," (Chicago Tribune) who will join Eroica Trio in making their Harris Theater debut. The VSO will also perform one of the most popular works in the repertoire today-Brahms' magnificent Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73-led by Fabio Luisi, the orchestra's Principal Conductor, who is also Principal Guest Conductor of New York's famed Metropolitan Opera. Don't miss this blockbuster program!

Beethoven "Triple Concerto"
Concerto for Violin, Cello, and Piano in C Major, Op. 56
Brahms Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 73

Biographies
The most sought-after trio in the world, the Grammy-nominated Eroica Trio thrills audiences with flawless technical virtuosity, irresistible enthusiasm and sensual elegance. The New York Times writes, "They play chamber music for the concert hall. There is an edge of the seat intensity to every note they produce." The Trio won the prestigious Naumburg Award, resulting in a highly successful Lincoln Center debut and has since toured the United States, Europe, and Asia. While maintaining their demanding concert schedule, the Eroica Trio has released eight critically lauded recordings for Angel/EMI Classics Records, garnering multiple Grammy nominations. The Eroica Trio is an American piano trio consisting of Erika Nickrenz, piano; Susie Park, violin; and Sara Sant'Ambrogio, cello. Park joined the trio in September 2006, replacing founding member Adela Peña.

The Vienna Symphony Orchestra is the concert orchestra of the City of Vienna. The Symphony makes approximately 150 appearances each year with concerts and opéra performances as well as 50 chamber concerts and workshops. Under the name Wiener Concert-Verein (Vienna Concert Society), Ferdinand Löwe conducted the orchestra's first performance in October 1900 at the Musikverein. The VSO premiered many of the compositions considered part of today's "standard" repertoire, including Bruckner's Symphony No. 9, Arnold Schöenberg's Gurrelieder, Ravel's Piano Concerto for the Left Hand and Franz Schmidt's The Book with the Seven Seals. Many of the world's leading conductors have served as the orchestra's Principal Conductor, including Herbert von Karajan, Wolfgang Sawallisch, Carlo Maria Giulini and Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos. Fabio Luisi has held the post since his appointment in 2005.

Appointed Chief Conductor of the Vienna Symphony in 2005, Fabio Luisi also serves as Principal Guest Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera and Music Director of the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan. Mr. Luisi maintains an active schedule of guest engagements with international orchestras and opera companies. He has appeared with, among others, the Orchestre de Paris, Vienna Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, NHK Symphony in Tokyo, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam. Additionally, he is a frequent guest at the Vienna Staatsoper, Bayerische Staatsoper, Deutsche Oper and Staatsoper in Berlin. Mr. Luisi made his American debut in 2000 with both the New York Philharmonic and with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, conducting a new production of Rigoletto.

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center*
Great Clarinet Trios
Friday, January 27, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Wu Han, piano
David Shifrin, clarinet
David Finckel, cello

*Harris Theater debut

The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center opens their three-year annual concert series and residency at the Harris Theater with a program featuring CMS Artistic Directors and extraordinary artists, cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han, performing the Clarinet Trios of Beethoven, Bruch and Brahms with renowned clarinetist and former CMS Artistic Director David Shifrin.

Beethoven Trio in B-flat Major for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano, Op. 11 (1797)
Bruch Selections from Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano, Op. 83 (1909)
Brahms Trio in A minor for Clarinet, Cello, and Piano, Op. 114 (1891)

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
Masters of the Keyboard
Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, piano
Anne-Marie McDermott, piano
André-Michel Schub, piano
Wu Han, piano

Four of the world's most spectacular pianists join forces for one dazzling performance! Pianists Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Anne-Marie McDermott, André-Michel Schub, and Wu Han collaborate in an exciting program featuring four-hand piano works including the glittering melodies of Debussy, Bizet's playful "Children's Games," and a show-stopping arrangement of one of iconic American composer George Gershwin most popular works-An American in Paris.

Debussy Nocturnes for Two Pianos (arr. Ravel) (1897-99)
Debussy Petite Suite for Piano, Four Hands (1886-89)
Debussy Jeux for Two Pianos (arr. Jean-Efflam Bavouzet) (1913)
Bizet Jeux d'enfants for Piano, Four Hands (1871)
Gershwin An American in Paris for Two Pianos (1928)

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
French Virtuosity
Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Inon Barnatan & Juho Pohjonen, piano
Jessica Lee, Kristin Lee, & Elmar Oliveira, violin
Beth Guterman, viola
Andreas Brantelid, cello

The extraordinary Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center concludes the inaugural season of their first Chicago-based performance series with a program featuring two exceptional French composers-and some of their best known works. One of France's most famous musicians, Saint-Saëns was a person of exceptional talent. The timeless quality of Saint-Saëns music is showcased in his First Piano Trio with its syncopated rhythms and enduring melodies. The lyricism, bravura, and virtuosic panache of his First Violin Sonata are so spectacular, the work could, by itself, serve as an encore. Ernest Chausson, with his intensely passionate, even sensuous musical language, was one of the most distinctive voices in French music. The performance concludes with, perhaps, his best known work-the Concerto for Piano, Violin, and String Quartet, Op. 21 (1889-91).

Saint-Saëns Trio No. 1 in F Major for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 18 (1864)
Saint-Saëns Sonata No. 1 in D minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 75 (1885)
Chausson Concerto in D Major for Violin, Piano, and String Quartet, Op. 21 (1889-91)

Biographies
The nation's premier repertory company for chamber music, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center (CMS) is one of twelve constituents of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the largest performing arts complex in the world. Through its performance, education, and recording/broadcast activities, CMS draws more people to chamber music than any other organization of its kind.

CMS presents annual series of concerts and educational events for listeners ranging from connoisseurs to chamber music newcomers of all ages. Performing repertoire from over three centuries, and numerous premieres by living composers, CMS offers programs curated to provide listeners a comprehensive perspective on the art of chamber music. The performing artists of CMS, a multi-generational selection of expert chamber musicians, constitute an evolving repertory company capable of presenting chamber music of every instrumentation, style, and historical period. Its annual activities include a full season of concerts and events, national and international tours, nationally televised broadcasts on Live From Lincoln Center, a radio show broadcast nationwide, and regular appearances on National Public Radio's Performance Today.

CMS is committed to bringing audiences the finest performances of an extraordinary body of repertoire and has commissioned over 150 new works from a formidable array of composers, including Samuel Barber, Leonard Bernstein, John Corigliano, George Crumb, Lukas Foss, Alberto Ginastera, Morton Gould, Oliver Knussen, Darius Milhaud, Peter Schickele, Joan Tower, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich and many more.

In 2004, CMS appointed cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han as the organization's artistic directors. They succeed founding director Charles Wadsworth (1969-89), Fred Sherry (1989-93), and David Shifrin (1993-2004).

Cellist David Finckel and pianist Wu Han rank among the most esteemed and influential classical musicians in the world today. The talent, energy, imagination, and dedication they bring to their multifaceted endeavors as concert performers, recording artists, educators, artistic administrators, and cultural entrepreneurs go unmatched.

The duo has appeared each season at the most prestigious venues and concert series across the United States, Mexico, Canada, the Far East, and Europe to unanimous critical acclaim. London's Musical Opinion said of their Wigmore Hall debut: "They enthralled both myself and the audience with performances whose idiomatic command, technical mastery and unsullied integrity of vision made me think right back to the days of Schnabel and Fournier, Solomon and Piatigorsky." David Finckel also serves as cellist of the Grammy Award-winning Emerson String Quartet.

David Finckel and Wu Han have served as Artistic Directors of The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center since 2004. They are also the founders and Artistic Directors of Music@Menlo, a chamber music festival and institute in Silicon Valley that has garnered international acclaim since its inception in 2003.

SEE THE DANCE

"The Harris Theater's commitment to presenting extraordinary programming that cannot be found elsewhere is exemplified in the 2011-2012 See the Dance series, brimming with artistic milestones and seminal performances that should not be missed," said Michael Tiknis, President and Managing Director of the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. "We are honored to present the Chicago premiere of the Paris Opéra Ballet, considered the world's finest company. Accompanied by the Grant Park Orchestra, in our first ever collaboration, this engagement is certain to be the highlight of the dance season."

Brigitte Lefèvre, Company Director of the Paris Opéra Ballet, explained, "For the first time in more than a decade, the Paris Opéra Ballet will return to America and has chosen to open its 2012 tour at Chicago's magnificent Harris Theater. The company will bring to life grandiose productions of the timeless Giselle, and an all-French program featuring three outstanding choreographies of the 20th century: Suite en blanc, L'Arlésienne, and Boléro. The Theater's intimate feel and outstanding sightlines provide the ideal canvas to stage some of our most beloved and iconic works. We eagerly anticipate our Chicago debut performances and the opportunity to meet the city's extraordinary arts patrons."

Tiknis continued, "We also welcome back, the magnificent Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, who thrilled a sold-out Harris Theater audience with their trademark blend of exceptional performance and outrageous antics. And finally, in collaboration with The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, the Harris Theater will also co-present the bittersweet last Chicago appearances of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company on their Legacy Tour, as the company pays tribute to their iconic founder, just weeks before the company disbands forever."

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 7:30 pm

"They tore up the stage!" -The New York Times

Back by popular demand following their sold-out 2010 engagement, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo returns to the Harris with their playful, entertaining view of classical ballet in parody and in disguise-proving that men, can indeed dance en pointe without falling on their faces! "The Trocks," (as they are affectionately known) are as outrageous as ever, mixing their impressive technique with sublime comedy-vying for attention and upstaging each other as they dance beautifully one moment and stage hilarious slapstick pratfalls the next! Founded in 1974 by a group of San Francisco ballet enthusiasts, this all-male company of professional dancers is certain to delight even the most knowledgeable dance lovers. The Trocks will showcase their incredible discipline and professionalism as they delicately balance on toe, performing as improbable divas, swans, romantic princesses, and angst-ridden Victorian ladies-with faithful renditions of the full range of ballet and modern dance repertoire.

Paris Opéra Ballet*
2012 North American Tour
Seven performances: June 26 - July 1, 2012**

*Chicago debut
**Please note updated repertoire schedule

Considered "one of the world's greatest companies," (Ballet News UK) the Paris Opéra Ballet makes its Chicago debut in a week-long engagement, launching the company's 2012 North American Tour with their first American performances in more than a decade. The full 154-member company will perform two diverse programs-Giselle, and a program of mixed repertoire to include Suite en blanc by Serge Lifar, Roland Petit's L'Arlésienne, and Le Boléro by Maurice Béjart-accompanied by the Grant Park Orchestra in a first-ever collaboration with the Harris Theater.

Paris Opéra Ballet Opening Night Benefit Gala
Tuesday, June 26, 2012 at 6:00 pm

In celebration of the Paris Opéra Ballet's premiere appearance in Chicago, the Harris Theater for Music & Dance will host an opening night benefit gala featuring and honoring the world's nonpareil Ballet company. The Paris Opéra Ballet will perform the iconic Giselle, a cornerstone of the company's repertoire since the work's premiere in 1841. This spectacular performance will be followed by cocktails and an elegant three-course dinner, catered by Blue Plate, in a magnificent tent located in Millennium Park's Chase Promenade. The evening will conclude with dancing. Caryn & King Harris and Alexandra & John Nichols are Co-Chairs for the event. Additional gala details will be announced at a later time.

Program A: Giselle
Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 7:30 pm

Giselle, the archetypal masterpiece of the "ballet blanc," was first performed on the stage of the Royal Academy of Music (the Paris Opéra's original name) on June 28, 1841. It was through this work that ballet master Jean Georges Noverre's dream of enabling ballet to recount a story through dance alone was finally realised. The work marked the apogee of Romantic aesthetics which shook up the intellectual and artistic world from the beginning of the 19th century.

Conceived in only two months, the ballet was the joint creation of numerous artists: Theophile Gautier, writer, art critic and chronicler of ballet; Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges, the dramatist renowned for his vaudeville; Adolphe Adam, composer of ballet music and Opéra; choreographer Jean Coralli, assisted in the wings by Jules Perrot; set designer Pierre Ciceri, a specialist in fantasy forests; and costume designer Paul Lormier. Exceptional performers Carlotta Grisi and Lucien Petipa brought the production to life. The ballet was a major success from its first performance, which in turn ensured its popularity beyond the Parisian stage; it has figured in the repertoire of the great international companies, offering possibilities for reinterpretation to the most contemporary of modern choreographers.

The current production of Giselle was updated in 1991 by Patrice Bart and Eugene Polyakov, who adapted the original choreography of Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa to the Breton-inspired sets of Loic Le Groumellec. Their adaptation combines the English and Russian traditions of Giselle, thanks to Bart's choreographic heritage acquired from Mary Skeaping and Eugene Polyakov's experience as a former student of the Bolshoi. Since 1998, the production has been performed using the sets and costumes of Alexandre Benois - painter for the Ballets Russes - completed in 1924 for the revival of Giselle at the Paris Opéra.

Program B: Mixed Repertoire
Lifar's Suite en blanc / Petit's L'Arlésienne / Béjart's Le Boléro
Friday, June 29, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, June 30, 2012 at 2:00 pm
Saturday, June 30, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, July 1, 2012 at 2:00 pm

Undeniably, the three ballets in this program underline the diversity of the paths followed by 20th century neoclassicism and the wealth of the dialogue they weave at the heart of the Paris Opéra Ballet's repertoire. Having been performed by several generations of dancers at the Paris Opéra, these ballets continue to bring forth new talent and stand out for their singular modernity.

Opening the program is Serge Lifar's Suite en blanc (1943), choreographed to Suite en blanc by Edouard Lalo. Created in 1943 at the height of his fame, Serge Lifar had already long been observing the evolution of academic technique in choreographic creation. Seeking to sum up his own research started in 1929, his ballet was conceived as a work of "pure dance," its ambition being "to present the innovations of our times." Composed of a series of variations d'école, pas de trois, pas de cinq, adages and ensembles, it is a synthesis of the choreographer's neoclassical art. As one of his rare abstract ballets, Suite en blanc was an immediate and long-lived success, performed for the 300th time as early as 1961, and more than 400 times today.

The second featured work is Roland Petit's L'Arlésienne, choreographed to Georges Bizet's L'Arlésienne. A grand master of narrative with a deft hand at creating pictorial and literary atmospheres, Roland Petit fills his ballets with contemporary force and pace, offering the dancers the opportunity to also showcase their acting talents in perfectly tailored roles. His lively and polished writing, supported by the melodic flow of Bizet's score, captures the dramatic tension of Daudet's tale and reproduces in Fauvist-tinted images the tragic passion of the handsome "Frederi" for his unfaithful "Arlésienne."

First set to dance in Bronislava Nijinska's choreography in 1928, Boléro, Maurice Ravel's powerful and haunting score, has caught the imagination of the world's finest choreographers, including Harald Lander, Michel Fokine, Serge Lifar, Aurel Milloss, and also, more recently, Odile Duboc and Roland Petit. In Maurice Béjart's version of Boléro -the first work created for the Ballet du XXe siècle founded in 1961-the choreographer returns to the initial idea of a work danced on a large table and symbolising an erotic rite. However, he refines its Spanish style and concentrates on a single soloist surrounded by a group whose respective movements perfectly interpret the music. Danced in turn by a woman surrounded by men, a man surrounded by women or simply by men, his Boléro takes on mystic and sensual colours.

Biographies
The Paris Opéra Ballet was the birthplace of classical dance. It was here that the fundamental principles of ballet technique, imported from Italy by Catherine de Medici in the 16th century, were painstakingly developed and perfected by the court ballets in a process that continued under the reign of Louis XIV. In 1669, the Royal Academy of Music (the Paris Opéra's original name) was created and became home to Europe's first professional dance troupe.

Since then the Paris Opéra Ballet has, without interruption, pursued its dual vocation as both a repository for the repertoire and a centre for creation. From as early on as the 18th century, French dancers and choreographers would perform all over Europe and return to Paris with foreign influences. Among the illustrious initiators of these exchanges were Jean-Georges Noverre, August Bournonville, Charles-Louis Didelot, Jules Perrot, Arthur Saint-Léon, Marius Petipa and the Vigano and Taglioni families. This process reached a pinnacle in the 19th century with the creation of La Sylphide by Philippe Taglioni (1832), the first ballet to be danced in white tutus, and Giselle by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot (1841), which marked the peak of the romantic period.

In the 20th century, the Company explored new realms of dance under the guidance of several great ballet masters and choreographers, in particular Serge Lifar and Rudolf Nureyev, who would considerably extend the repertoire. The Company's vast repertoire now includes references both romantic and classical; works from Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes; modern choreographies; neoclassical ballets; contemporary works; and newly-commissioned works by guest choreographers.

Today, the Ballet, whose future development is carefully watched over by Brigitte Lefèvre, remains a vital centre for the living arts alternating revivals and new works and playing host to the greatest contemporary choreographers and numerous foreign dance companies. The Paris Opéra Ballet is composed of 154 dancers, drawn, for the most part, from the Paris Opéra Ballet School directed by Elisabeth Platel.

In 1943, the Chicago Park District assembled a single resident orchestra, the Grant Park Orchestra, under the direction of Principal Conductor Nicolai Malko. Since then, other prestigious conductors have held the position, including Irwin Hoffman, Leonard Slatkin, David Zinman, Zdnek Macal and Hugh Wolff. In 2000, Carlos Kalmar was named the Festival's Principal Conductor. The Grammy-nominaTed Grant Park Orchestra draws its musicians from different orchestras and musical institutions based throughout the United States. Each summer, all of the orchestra members gather in Millennium Park for a 10 week long season consisting of intensive rehearsals and performances. During the year, the musicians can be found across the country performing with major orchestras, teaching at numerous universities and appearing frequently in concert stages across the country.

Special See the Dance series add-on performances:
Merce Cunningham Dance Company
Co-presented with The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago
Legacy Tour-final performances before the company disbands
Friday, November 18, 2011 at 8:00 pm - Program A
Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 8:00 pm - Program B
In partnership with The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, the Harris Theater for Music and Dance is proud to co-present this return and final Chicago engagement of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company on their Legacy Tour, only six weeks before the company disbands on December 31, 2011.
Showcasing several seminal works by Cunningham, these performances are sure to be a testament to the choreographer's enduring genius and a celebration of his artistic achievement.
Program A - Friday, November 18, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Squaregame (1976)
Quartet (1982)
Antic Meet (1958)
Squaregame (1976)
Music - Takehisa Kosugi
Décor - Mark Lancaster
Merce Cunningham described his Squaregame as a work in which "the situations are very playful, on what seems to be an athletic court where there are participants who can also stop and watch." Featuring a recurring motif of dancers hanging onto others and being carried or dragged along by them, Squaregame truly is a game of sorts for 13 dancers, choreographed to the music of MCDC Music Director Takehisa Kosugi. An early collaborator with the group, the work represents Kosugi's first commission with MCDC.
Last performed in 1980, Squaregame (1976) was revived and reconstructed for the Legacy Tour through the use of performance video and coaching by dancers who were part of the original production. With costumes comprising slightly formalized rehearsal clothes-sweatpants and ankle socks-the work takes place on Mark Lancaster's set of a white floor cloth surrounded by bands of green Astroturf and "squared" by the placement of four duffel bags that also serve as props throughout the piece. Although Cunningham's use of props in his choreography diminished over time, their use in the work illuminates an important aspect of his artistic career.
Quartet (1982)
Music - David Tudor
Costumes - Mark Lancaster
Described by The New York Times as "an implicitly dramatic dance evoking isolation and loneliness," Quartet, despite its title, is a dance for five. Cast as an outsider, a single male dancer (originally played by Cunningham) portrays emotional and tangible dependencies and restrictions, as the others move independently throughout, occasionally mirroring and constricting his movements. After a small paroxysm, he passes unnoticed from the scene, but in the few remaining moments the other dancers' movements revert to the restricted, almost robotic shifts of weight with which they began, as though their existence still depended on his presence. Performed to Tudor's score "Sextet for Seven," the chilling music is a live electronic composition for "six homogenous voices and one wandering voice," complemented by Mark Lancaster's costumes designed in hues of crimson, blue and green.
Antic Meet (1958)
Music - John Cage
Décor, costumes, lighting - Robert Rauschenberg
Consisting of ten playful and comedic numbers performed by six dancers, Antic Meet, as described by Merce Cunningham, is "a series of vaudeville scenes which overlap." Last performed in 1969 and revived for the Legacy Tour, this "deadpan comedy" (The New York Times) has been captured in some of Cunningham's most recognizable images, as he famously performed with a chair strapped to his back. Set to John Cage's Concert for Piano and Orchestra, Antic Meet captures the exuberant and collaborative spirit that existed between Cunningham and Robert Rauschenberg for nearly seventy years, featuring Rauschenberg's witty costumes including fur coats, parachute dresses and that famous chair.

Program B - Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Roaratorio (1983)

Roaratorio (1983)
Music - John Cage
Costumes - Mark Lancaster
Described by Los Angeles Times critic Mark Swed as "my most joyous, exhilarating, uplifting and sensory-intensive hour in the theater," Roaratorio, an ambitious work for 15 dancers, is performed to an original recording of composer John Cage's 1979 composition, "Roaratorio, an Irish Circus on Finnegans Wake." Inspired by James Joyce's comic novel Finnegans Wake, Cage developed this immersive score around sounds he recorded at each of the 2,462 places mentioned throughout the book. These sounds, including street traffic, chirping birds and running water, are layered upon traditional Irish music and several speaking voices, including Cage's. Merce Cunningham's choreography incorporates the layering of multiple elements, which happen simultaneously around the stage, including Irish jigs and reels, a "hopping" dance, promenades and strolls and folk dances that suddenly expand into huge communal circles. The interaction of these sights and sounds and sheer vastness of material create an all-encompassing and inspiring experience.
Biographies
Merce Cunningham (1919-2009) was a leader of the American avant-garde throughout his 70-year career and is considered one of the most important choreographers of our time. Through much of his life, he was also one of the greatest American dancers. With an artistic career distinguished by constant innovation, Cunningham expanded the frontiers not only of dance, but also of contemporary visual and performing arts. His collaborations with artistic innovators from every creative discipline have yielded an unparalleled body of American dance, music, and visual art.
Of all his collaborations, Cunningham's work with John Cage, his life partner from the 1940s until Cage's death in 1992, had the greatest influence on his practice. Together, Cunningham and Cage proposed a number of radical innovations. The most famous and controversial of these concerned the relationship between dance and music, which they concluded may occur in the same time and space, but should be created independently of one another. Cunningham also worked regularly with fellow artistic visionaries such as Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, and Andy Warhol.
Cunningham passed away in his New York City home on July 26, 2009. Always forward-thinking, Cunningham developed the precedent-setting Legacy Plan prior to his death, to guide his Company and ensure the preservation of his artistic legacy.
The Legacy Tour is a celebration of Cunningham's lifetime of artistic achievement and a testament to the choreographer's enduring genius. Launched in February 2010, the two-year, 40 city world-wide tour offers audiences a final opportunity to see Cunningham's choreography performed by the company he personally trained. The Tour will showcase 18 seminal works from throughout Cunningham's career-including the revival of seven dances from past Company repertory-and will highlight the collaborations with artistic innovators such John Cage, Jasper Johns, Radiohead, and Robert Rauschenberg that characterized Cunningham's creative life. The Tour will culminate with a New Year's Eve performance in New York City-MCDC's home since it was founded in 1953-on December 31, 2011, with tickets priced at $10. As outlined in the Legacy Plan, the Company will disband following this final performance.

FRENCH TWIST
Three performances feature Paris at the Harris

"With the momentous Paris Opéra Ballet engagement as the cornerstone of the Harris Theater's 2011-2012 season, we've created a special interdisciplinary series to celebrate the tremendous French influence throughout our season programming," said Michael Tiknis, President and Managing Director of the Harris Theater for Music and Dance. The French Twist series includes both Paris Opéra Ballet performances, allowing patrons to experience the iconic Giselle by the company who created it more than 170 years ago, and a program of three French mixed repertoire masterpieces, as well as the extraordinary musicians of the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, performing an all-French program with works by Saint-Saëns and Chausson."

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center
French Virtuosity
Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at 7:30 pm

Inon Barnatan & Juho Pohjonen, piano
Jessica Lee, Kristin Lee, & Elmar Oliveira, violin
Beth Guterman, viola
Andreas Brantelid, cello

Saint-Saëns Trio No. 1 in F Major for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Op. 18 (1864)
Saint-Saëns Sonata No. 1 in D minor for Violin and Piano, Op. 75 (1885)
Chausson Concerto in D Major for Violin, Piano, and String Quartet, Op. 21 (1889-91)

Paris Opéra Ballet: Giselle
Wednesday, June 27, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Thursday, June 28, 2012 at 7:30 pm

Paris Opéra Ballet: Lifar's Suite en blanc / Petit's L'Arlésienne / Béjart's Le Boléro
Friday, June 29, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, June 30, 2012 at 2:00 pm
Saturday, June 30, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, July 1, 2012 at 2:00 pm

AT THE HARRIS

Morehouse College Glee Club*
Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 7:30 pm

Celebrating their 100th anniversary, the Morehouse College Glee Club is recognized throughout the world for their impassioned performances at such momentous occasions as Martin Luther King, Jr.'s funeral; President Jimmy Carter's inauguration; Super Bowl XXVIII; the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta with Stevie Wonder, Gloria Estefan and Trisha Yearwood; and as part of the soundtrack for the movie School Daze, directed by Morehouse alumni Spike Lee. Under the direction of Dr. David Morrow since 1987, the nation's only African-American, all-male glee club will make their Harris Theater debut with their stirring and soulful spirituals that have earned them a reputation for excellence. Joined by the renowned Morehouse College Glee Club Quartet, the College's first official singing organization, don't miss this inspiring performance by one of our nation's most revered vocal ensembles!

*Harris Theater debut

FAMILY SERIES

"The Harris Theater's Family Series was developed to provide high-quality, engaging programming that is designed to cultivate Chicago's next generation of arts lovers," said Michael Tiknis, President and Managing Director of the Harris Theater. "Each season, we strive to create a family experience that is interactive and educational for the young and young at heart-all at an affordable price which allows the whole family to enrich their lives with the joy of live performance."

As part of its Family Enrichment Initiative, the celebrated multi-disciplinary Family Series returns with two engaging and family friendly performances, featuring Harris Theater resident companies. Hubbard Street 2 returns with their imaginative and engaging Harold and the Purple Crayon: A Dance Adventure, and Fulcrum Point New Music Project celebrates Black History Month with Afro-Beats!, a festive, interactive performance that includes drumming circles, and traditional African dances and songs.

Hubbard Street 2
Harold and the Purple Crayon: A Dance Adventure
Saturday, December 3, 2011 at 2:00 pm
Sunday, December 4, 2011 at 2:00 pm

Harold and the Purple Crayon: A Dance Adventure is back by popular demand! Last performed to a sold out audience in 2010, Hubbard Street 2 will revive this critically acclaimed family program inspired by a classic children's book; Crockett Johnson's Harold and the Purple Crayon tells the story of a young boy named Harold, who, equipped with his purple crayon and an infinite imagination, choreographs his own adventures.

Children (ages 4+) and their families can help create Harold's next adventure through their own exploration of movement in this hour-long interactive dance experience. Premiered in November 2010, this celebrated piece was choreographed by Hubbard Street Artistic Associate Terence Marling and Hubbard Street dancer Robyn Mineko Williams, directed by HS2 Director Taryn Kashock Russell, and features music by Chicago Indie rocker Andrew Bird.

Fulcrum Point New Music Project
Afro-Beats!
Fela, Monk, and the Roots of American Music
Saturday, February 25, 2012 at 2:00 pm

Idy Ciss, dancer
Thierno Dioubate, balofon
Jim Gailloreto, saxophone
Morikeba Kouyate, kora
Fulcrum Point Sound Tracks Students

Celebrate Black History Month with Afro-Beats!, a festive and interactive performance perfect for the whole family!
Join the Fulcrum Point New Music as they explore the rich rhythms, sounds and images of West Africa in this 75-minute multimedia performance, featuring works by Fela Kuti, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Steve Reich, and traditional music from Mandingo and African-American cultures. Children of all ages are invited to participate in drumming circles, traditional African dances, and soulful songs in this spirited performance!

Access Tickets Program
The Harris Theater's Access Tickets Program strives to ensure that ALL individuals and families are able to experience the benefits of music and dance to enrich their lives. Launched at the height of the recession in January 2009, the Access Tickets Program offers a minimum of 10% of Family Series and Harris Theater Presents performance tickets free of charge to children and families that do not have the financial means or access to attend live performances.

Through partnerships with more than 20 arts education, local social service and health agencies, the Theater offers in-depth and diverse arts experiences providing arts-based programming to underserved constituencies, and makes it possible for individuals focusing in the performing arts to attend performances by world class artists. The Theater has developEd Strong relationships with Access Living, Better Boys Foundation, Center on Halsted, Chicago Academy for the Arts, Children's Memorial Hospital, Celestial Ministries, HSDC Parkinson's Project, Music Institute of Chicago, Merit School of Music, and USO of IL, to name just a few.

To date, the program has provided complimentary tickets to over 2,500 participants from more than 20 partner organizations. The Theater's goal for the 2011-2012 season is to reach a minimum of 1,300 children and families.

EAT TO THE BEAT
The popular $5 lunchtime series returns for a third season!

"Since the 2009 launch of the $5 lunchtime Eat To The Beat series, the Harris Theater has introduced thousands of new people to live dance and music through this unique program in the middle of their workday," said Michael Tiknis, President and Managing Director of the Harris Theater. "We are encouraged by the program's overwhelming success and remain committed to providing accessible and affordable arts programming to the community." He continued, "As always, we continue to collaborate with the Theater's renowned resident companies and arts education partners and will kick off the third season of Eat To The Beat with a very special Chicago Dancing Festival matinee performance; the season will also feature performances by Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago with DanceWorks Chicago, the Music Institute of Chicago, ChiArts, and much more."

Geared towards those who live, work, attend school, or find themselves in the vicinity of the Harris during the workday lunch hour, the Eat To The Beat series features unique music and dance programs, each one hour in length. Audience members are encouraged to enjoy their brown bag or purchased lunches while watching these spectacular performances. (Park Grill box lunches are available for advance purchase.) A trademark of this acclaimed program is accessibility; with individual tickets priced at only $5 each, anyone can experience live dance and break up the monotony of a work day. Additional series details are forthcoming.

Tickets for all Harris Theater Presents 2011-2012 season, including Hear the Music, See the Dance, Paris at the Harris, and Morehouse College Glee Club, will go on sale via series subscription on Tuesday, July 5, 2011 at the Harris Theater Box Office located in Millennium Park at 205 E. Randolph Dr., by calling 312-334-7777 or by visiting www.harristheaterchicago.org. Tickets for the Harris Theater's Family Series and Eat to the Beat performances will go on sale at a later date.

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