Mondavi Center Sets 2016-17 Season of Music, Dance, Theatre and More

The Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, UC Davis announces its 15th season of performing arts, filled with the leading artists in music, dance, theater and speakers.

The season, sponsored by Western Health Advantage, begins on September 24 with a live taping of NPR's Science Friday presented in collaboration with Capital Public Radio and concludes May 21, 2017 with a recital by the Alexander String Quartet.

"At the Mondavi Center, we aim to build seasons that present both established and emerging artists," said Don Roth, executive director of the Mondavi Center. "In our 15th season, we take a global journey, welcoming artists from six of the seven continents to one of the finest performance venues in the United States."

A Global Focus

While each Mondavi Center season features artists from around the world, 2016-17 has a distinctly international profile stretching across multiple genres.

Black Arm Band is a multimedia theater and music group from Australia performing dirtsong, a piece that delves into the country's Aboriginal heartland. Joey Alexander is a 12 year-old jazz piano prodigy from Bali, Indonesia. China features prominently this season with traditional Chinese opera from the Sichuan Opera Theater and orchestral music from the China Philharmonic Orchestra. Bassem Youssef, often called the "Jon Stewart of Egypt," brings a spoken word performance entitled The Joke is Mightier than the Sword.

India in the Artist's Eye is a season-long festival presenting a variety of Indian artists. Working in partnership with UC Davis professor Archana Venkatesan, the festival features concerts from Bickram Ghosh's Drums of India and Sikkil Gurucharan and Shujaat Khan, Swang-Nautanki Musical Theatre performing Sultana Daku, and a documentary film festival curated by filmmaker Gargi Sen.

There is also a particularly strong focus on Latin America in this season's offerings. Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Mahler's Ninth Symphony. Harpist Edmar Casteneda merges the musical traditions of his native Colombia with jazz. Brazilian mandolinist Danilo Brito explores the melodic and rhythmic nuances of choro music with a virtuosic touch. The Havana Cuba All-Stars take a big band approach to classic Cuban son, in the spirit of Orquesta Buena Vista Social Club.

Finally, from north of the border, we feature spoken word artist and YouTube sensation Shane Koyczan; and the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia presenting the black light theatrical productions of Margaret Wise Brown's The Runaway Bunny and Goodnight Moon.

Jazz and Dance

The Mondavi Center has a commitment to presenting the best in jazz, modern dance and roots music. This season our two jazz series, sponsored by Capital Public Radio, are filled with some of the finest artists working today. In Jackson Hall we present the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, the SFJAZZ Collective performing the music of Miles Davis alongside its original compositions, Jelly and George, a tribute to Jelly Roll Morton and George Gershwin with Cécile McLorin Salvant and Aaron Diehl, and Aziza, a super group featuring Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Lionel Loueke and Eric Harland. In the Vanderhoef Studio Theatre cabaret we feature piano prodigy Joey Alexander, Colombian harpist Edmar Casteneda and Etienne Charles delving into his Creole roots.

Modern dance is a keystone of any Mondavi Center season. The 2016-17 season features Ronald K. Brown/Evidence with a program inspired by his visits to Cuba; San Francisco's ODC/Dance presenting a masterwork inspired by Andy Goldsworthy's sculpture; and a return from the Dance Theatre of Harlem.

Orchestra, Chamber and Recital

Classical programming is one of the hallmarks of the Mondavi Center, and this season boasts many highlights. In addition to the debut of the Los Angeles Philharmonic on our Orchestra Series, we have two concerts with the Bruckner Orchester Linz, one featuring the west coast premiere of Philip Glass' Symphony No. 11 alongside Duke Ellington's rarely performed Black, Brown and Beige Suite. Audience favorites Itzhak Perlman and Joshua Bell return in individual recitals on the Concert Series. And musical completists should note two special programs: The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center performing the complete Brandenburg Concertos of J.S. Bach and the students of the Curtis Chamber Orchestra tackling the complete Mozart Violin Concertos across two performances in one day.

Speakers

Our Speakers Series, sponsored by Downey Brand, features an updated format, with lectures followed by Question and Answer sessions moderated by KVIE's Studio Sacramento host Scott Syphax. Appearing this year are actor, activist and social media star George Takei, Ira Flatow and a live taping of Science Friday, Bassem Youssef (mentioned above) Campus Community Book Project author Dr. Raj Patel speaking on his book Stuffed and Starved and National Geographic Live presenting photographer Jodi Cobb.

For Families and Children

Each Mondavi Center season features a number of performances geared towards young audiences. In addition to the Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia (listed above), the Children's Stage series, sponsored by the Hallmark Inn, Davis, includes Joseph Cashore and his Cashore Marionettes performing a signature work, Simple Gifts, and the interactive exhibit of oversized instruments, Sound Maze by Paul Dresher. Our Marvels series, sponsored by the UC Davis Health System, is a gateway to movement based art, which this year features juggling wizards The Passing Zone, glow-in-the-dark dinosaurs from Lightwire and the architecturally inspired Diavolo, performing a brand new work entitled L.O.S.T.: Passengers in honor of its 25th anniversary.

Subscription Renewal and New Subscriptions

The deadline for current subscribers to renew their tickets is April 30, 2016. New subscriptions go on sale May 16, 2016 and single tickets go on sale July, 11 2016.

Complete information about the Mondavi Center's 2016-17 season of performances, including dates, times, subscription prices and venues will be available on April 1 at mondaviarts.org.

The 2016-17 Renewing Subscriber brochure is published online.

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