Meany Center For The Performing Arts Announces 2018/19 Season

Meany Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Washington announces its 2018/19 Season, presenting 24 visionary artists and ensembles that are pushing artistic boundaries, blending genres and redefining the meaning of creative mastery. The lineup includes International Artists and ensembles from thirteen countries and cultures, including India, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Italy, France, Mexico, South Korea, Ukraine, Canada, Taiwan, Colombia, Spain and the USA.

Five artists and ensembles will make their Seattle debuts as part of the 2018/19 Season-the Taiwan Philharmonic, French contemporary dance troupe Compagnie Käfig, the 2017 Van Cliburn winner, Yekwon Sunwoo, Italian pianist Filippo Gorini and Ukrainian vocal trio Kurbasy.

Meany Center, together with the UW School of Music, is pleased to announce the world premiere of a new work by Seattle native and internationally acclaimed choreographer Mark Morris, set to the music of 20th century iconoclast Harry Partch. This collaborative work will be performed by the Mark Morris Dance Group to live music by the MMDG Music Ensemble and the UW School of Music. Partch's original one-of-a-kind instruments are in the School's collection.

In continued support of innovation in the arts, Meany Center will continue its Creative Process Series to investigate where artists find inspiration and how they develop their work, as exemplified by ongoing and open-ended creative research. Collaborative work across the University of Washington, as well as with other Seattle-based partners, will be highlighted. Participating artists will include third-year Fellows of the UW's Creative Fellowships Initiative. Artists, dates and event times will be announced at a later date.

WORLD DANCE SERIES The 2018/19 World Dance Series combines cultural and artistic influences from around the globe for an international showcase of the best of contemporary dance. The six-concert series includes:

NRITYAGRAM DANCE ENSEMBLE
Thurs-Sat, October 4-6, 2018 at 8 P.M.

One of the premier Indian Classical dance ensembles performing today, Nrityagram has the unprecedented distinction of making The New York Times' "Best Dance of the Year" list two consecutive years in a row (2015, 2016). The all-female ensemble's daily life of intensive training and meditation brings to the stage compelling performances that are at once sensual and lyrical. the company makes its Meany Center debut with special guest artists from Sri Lanka's Chitrasena Dance Company, touring their critically acclaimed collaborative work, Samh?ra, performed with both Indian and Sri Lankan musicians.

COMPAGNIE KÄFIG
Thursday-Saturday, November 8-10, 2018 at 8 P.M.

"One of the most innovative troupes on the experimental dance scene," (The New York Times) Compagnie Käfig performs a dazzling fusion of circus acrobatics, martial arts and virtuoso street dancing. Founded by renowned hip-hop artist Mourad Merzouki, the Lyon-based company makes its Seattle debut with Pixel, a stunning contemporary dance that explores the intersection of virtual and living environments. Combining energy and poetry, fiction and technology, Pixel melds dance and video art into a startling duet between the real and digital worlds.

Alonzo King LINES BALLET
Thursday-Saturday, January 10-12, 2019 at 8 P.M.

Choreographer Alonzo King is renowned for creating work that infuses classical ballet with new expression and expansive histories. With his latest work, Figures of Speech, he explores the power of lost languages, collaborating with slam poet Bob Holman, a leading advocate of linguistic preservation. Set to a collection of native peoples' poetry and music played live on traditional instruments, this evening-length ballet is a poignant journey through the sound, movement, meaning and shape of indigenous languages on the verge of extinction.

Mark Morris DANCE GROUP
Thursday-Saturday, February 21-23, 2019 at 8 P.M.

Choreographer Mark Morris has been hailed as the "the most successful and influential choreographer alive, and indisputably the most musical" (The New York Times). He returns to Meany Center with a world premiere set to the music of 20th century iconoclast Harry Partch. Partch built visionary one-of-a-kind instruments, currently in the collection of the UW School of Music, with tuning systems and original structures representative of both ancient and non-Western music. Morris' choreography displays a deep understanding of the composer's work, and will be performed to live music by the MMDG Music Ensemble and the UW School of Music.

BALLET PRELJOCAJ
Thursday-Saturday, April 4-6, 2019 at 8 P.M.

Internationally acclaimed for its virtuosic choreography and dance, Ballet Preljocaj presents narrative performances with an exceptionally physical and sculptural style. the company will perform La Fresque (The Painting on the Wall), based on a traditional Chinese legend about a traveler who falls in love with a girl in a fresco and steps through the painting to join her. A gorgeous reverie of time and space, the dance tells a fantastical tale of a painting come to life within a visually stunning, mesmerizing choreographic journey.

MOMIX
Thursday-Saturday, April 25-27, 2019 at 8 P.M.
Saturday, April 27, 2019 at 2 P.M.

Celebrated around the world for performances of astounding inventiveness and physical beauty, MOMIX takes audiences into surreal and fantastic worlds. Seamlessly blending illusion, physicality, magic and whimsy, these dancer-illusionists, under the direction of Moses Pendleton, conjure "beguiling, eye-filling and often impressive visual and movement theatrics" (The Wall Street Journal). For their return to Meany Center, the company performs a compilation of new works and beloved favorites that will delight both young and old alike.

PRESIDENT'S PIANO SERIESThe Series features five intimate solo recitals by some of the world's most acclaimed pianists.

MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN
Wednesday, October 17, 2018 at 7:30 P.M.

Marc-André Hamelin's unrivaled combination of musicianship and technique has earned him legendary status as a pianist and myriad accolades for his ability to shine both in the exploration of unfamiliar music as well as beloved classic repertoire. Hear why Alex Ross, long-time music critic for The New Yorker, counts Mr. Hamelin's hands ''among the wonders of the musical world" when he performs favorites by Chopin alongside lyrical works by Bach, Feinberg, Weissenberg and Castelnuovo-Tedesco.

PROGRAM
J.S. BACH: Chaconne from Violin Partita No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1004
FEINBERG: Piano Sonata No. 3
WEISSENBERG: Six arrangements of songs sung by Charles Trenet
CASTELNUOVO-TEDESCO: Cipressi (Cypresses), Op. 17
CHOPIN: Polonaise-fantaisie in A-flat Major, Op. 6
CHOPIN: Scherzo No. 4 in E Major, Op. 54

Jeremy Denk
Tuesday, January 15, 2019 at 7:30 P.M.

Hailed as one of his generation's foremost pianists, this MacArthur "genius" is also celebrated for his original and insightful writing on music, with articles published in The Guardian and The New Yorker. His unique blend of virtuosic dexterity and colorful imagination has earned him praise as "an artist you want to hear no matter what he performs" (The New York Times). This season, he explores popular themes, homages to great masters and a variety of "variations."

PROGRAM
BEETHOVEN: Five Variations on "Rule Britannia" in D Major
John Adams: Pocket Variations
BIZET: Variations chromatiques
MENDELSSOHN: Variations sérieuses in D Minor, Op. 54

FILIPPO GORINI
Friday, February 15, 2019 at 7:30 P.M.

Italian pianist Filippo Gorini is praised for his "rare intellect, temperament...and vivid imagination." In 2015, he received first prize at the Telekom-Beethoven Competition Bonn. After hearing his performance of Beethoven's Diabelli Variations, Alfred Brendel invited Gorini to work with him, a rare and distinctive honor. For his Seattle debut, Gorini takes the listener on a journey from Beethoven's harmonious Sonata, Op. 110 through the folk-like melodies of Bartók's Sonata, across the cerebral landscape of Stockhausen's Klavierstück IX, and ultimately to the heights of Beethoven's last piano sonata. This is "brave, original playing for a musician of any age" (The Guardian).

PROGRAM
BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No. 31 in A-flat Major, Op. 110
BARTÓK: Piano Sonata BB 88 (Sz. 80)
STOCKHAUSEN: Klavierstück IX
BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata No. 32 in C Minor, Op. 111

EMANUEL AX
Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 7:30 P.M.

There are few pianists as universally beloved as Emanuel Ax. In constant demand since his 1974 win at the first-ever Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Competition, Ax has earned a reputation for top-notch performances that "seem to enfold every listener in a metaphorical embrace" (Seattle Times). In a very special Meany Center concert, Ax recreates his New York recital debut program, observing its 40th anniversary from the vantage point of profound musical maturity, depth and understanding.

PROGRAM
BACH: Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major, BWV 825
SCHOENBERG: Piano Pieces, Op. 79
SCHUMANN: Fantasiestücke, Op. 12
RAVEL: Valses nobles et sentimentales
CHOPIN: Three Mazurkas and Andante spianato

YEKWON SUNWOO
Saturday, May 4, 2019 at 7:30 P.M.

Yekwon Sunwoo burst onto the world stage last year, winning the coveted Gold Medal at the 2017 Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. Not yet 30, the South Korean pianist is lauded as a powerful performer with a comprehensive technical arsenal as he strives to reach for truth and pure beauty in music. Meany Center is pleased to present him in his Seattle debut, performing notably mature works by Schumann, Liszt, Beethoven and Schubert with "total command over the instrument and its expressiveness" (San Francisco Examiner).

PROGRAM
SCHUMANN: Variations on an Original Theme in E-flat Major "Geistervariationen," WoO 24
SCHUMANN: Waldszenen, Op.82
LISZT: Three Concert Études, S.144
BEETHOVEN: 32 Variations on an Original Theme in C Minor, WoO 80
SCHUBERT: Four Impromptus, D.935 (Op. posth. 142)

INTERNATIONAL CHAMBER MUSIC SERIESThis season showcases North American voices, with thematic programs from six top ensembles.

ST. LAWRENCE STRING QUARTET
Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 7:30 P.M.

The superb St. Lawrence String Quartet showcases two iconic masters of quartet writing, Haydn and his student Beethoven, as well as John Adams' first string quartet, inspired by both composers. Haydn single-handedly created the genre of the string quartet, and through the SLSQ's "Discovery" presentation, you will experience an informed, enthusiastic and entertaining breakdown of Haydn's Quartet filled with historical and musical guidance. "Haydn Discovery" is followed by selections from Adams' John's Book of Alleged Dances, a collection inspired by Haydn's wit and by Beethoven's late period works. They'll end the evening with Beethoven's last completed work.

PROGRAM
HAYDN: "Haydn Discovery," String Quartet in F Minor, Op. 20, No. 5
John Adams: Selections from John's Book of Alleged Dances
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet in F Major, Op. 135

BROOKLYN RIDER
Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 7:30 P.M.

Hailed as "the future of chamber music" (Strings), Brooklyn Rider explores the healing properties of music, recognized from ancient Greek civilization to today's modern neuroscience, and expressed in countless global traditions. The slow movement of Beethoven's Opus 132 is among the most profound expressions of healing in the string quartet repertoire. This autumnal masterwork is presented in its entirety alongside five new commissions that look at the subject of healing from historical and cultural perspectives.

PROGRAM
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 15 in A Minor, Op. 132
Five new commissions by Reena Esmail, Gabriela Lena Frank, Matana Roberts and recent Pulitzer Prize winners Caroline Shaw and Du Yun

TURTLE ISLAND QUARTET WITH LIZ CARROLL
Saturday, December 8, 2018 at 7:30 P.M.

Two-time Grammy Award-winning Turtle Island Quartet joins forces with renowned Irish fiddler and composer Liz Carroll for Winter's Eve, a concert of winter music and year-end celebrations from around the globe. From songs of the Celtic winter solstice and Irish yuletide reels, to Hannukah tunes, a Hindu spiritual and a Miles Davis holiday classic, Liz Carroll and Turtle Island delve into the timeless music that has been an integral part of wintertime festivities for centuries.

PROGRAM
To be announced.

EMERSON STRING QUARTET
Wednesday, March 6, 2019 at 7:30 P.M.

The Emerson String Quartet has amassed an unparalleled list of achievements over four decades. In this new program, the Emerson explores three famous quartets written as elegies: Barber's Adagio, probably the most famous elegy ever written; Britten's third quartet and final work, completed on his death bed; and Beethoven's Opus 59, No.1, on whose last sketch he wrote, "A weeping willow or acadia tree on my brother's grave," a reference to the Freemasons and their philosophies of mourning and resurrection.

PROGRAM
BARBER: Adagio for Strings
BRITTEN: String Quartet No. 3 in G Major, Op. 94
BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59, No. 1, "Rasumovsky"

TIME FOR THREE
Thursday, April 18, 2019 at 7:30 P.M.

Groundbreaking and category-shattering, this string trio transcends traditional classification, mixing elements of pop, rock and classical forms. With an infectious energy, virtuosity and showmanship, Time for Three performs everything from Bach and Brahms to ingenious mash-up arrangements of hits by the Beatles, The Verve, Britney Spears and Guns N' Roses, along with the group's own original songs. Their debut album, Time for Three, spent seven consecutive weeks in the Top 10 of Billboard's Classical Crossover Chart.

PROGRAM
To be announced.

ALEXANDER STRING QUARTET WITH JOYCE YANG
Wednesday, May 22, 2019 at 7:30 P.M.

In a new project by the Alexander String Quartet and pianist Joyce Yang, Samuel Adams-composer in residence with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra- explores the resonance of the classical forms of Mozart with his own unique musical voice. As a composer whose coming of age occurred at the moment when recorded music became immediately accessible through digital media, Adams is curious to know what is rhetorically kept (or lost) when a classical form comes forth "into the flesh" out of context.

PROGRAM
MOZART: Piano Quartet in G Minor, K. 478
Samuel Adams: Quintet
MOZART: Piano Quartet in E-flat Major, K. 493

WORLD MUSIC & THEATER SERIESThe World Music & Theater Series features global superstars and newcomers to the international stage.

VICENTE AMIGO
Friday, October 19, 2018 at 8 P.M.

One of the most dazzling flamenco guitarists of his generation, Vicente Amigo has been heralded as the "Sultan of Duende." Winner of a 2017 Latin Grammy, the Spanish-born composer and virtuoso possesses an ethereal, otherworldly quality, and music seems to flow from his guitar without effort. Amigo's shows are famed for their transporting power. Get ready for an introspective exploration of flamenco with all its passion, grace and fire.

KURBASY
Friday, November 16, 2018 at 8 P.M.

From the Carpathian mountains, Kurbasy traces contemporary connections to an archaic past. Making their first ever U.S. tour, the actress-singers are a beautifully blended vocal trio intermixing multi-faceted music, folk-influenced costumes and phantasmagoric images to explore Ukraine's rich trove of calendar song cycles, lullabies and legends. With tight vocal harmonies and resonant lyrics, Kurbasy's sonic-theatrical performances conjure the natural world, beliefs and rituals. It's Ukrainian magical realism in rich, gorgeous sight and sound.

TANYA TAGAQ
Friday, February 8, 2019 at 8 P.M.

Celebrated Inuk throat singer Tanya Tagaq employs exquisite, unnerving vocal improvisations that bridge traditional roots with contemporary culture. Her music is like nothing you've heard before: a contortion of punk, metal and electronica into a complex and contemporary sound. A tour-de-force vocalist, she is the winner of a Polaris Music Prize and has been named to the Order of Canada, one of the country's highest honors. Prepare to experience a boundary-pushing exploration of tone, timbre, texture, and the powerful outer limits of human expression. Tagaq will be joined by a local choir (to be announced) to create an improvisational soundscape for the performance.

MONSIEUR PERINÉ
Saturday, March 16, 2019 at 8 P.M.

Enchanting Colombia and the world, Monsieur Periné catapulted to the global stage when they were named "Best New Artist" at the Latin Grammys. Since then this red hot trio has earned a Grammy Award nomination for their most recent album, Caja de Música, and garnered millions of YouTube views. Inspired by the gypsy jazz of Django Rheinhard, the band mixes it up with Latin American genres and instruments to create their own infectious sound connecting 1930s Paris with the youthful spirit of modern Bogotá for a "swing a la Colombiana" style.

ALSARAH & THE NUBATONES
Saturday, April 13, 2019 at 8 P.M.

Called "the new princess of Nubian pop" by The Guardian, Sudanese singer, songwriter and ethnomusicologist Alsarah is passionate about the intersection of culture, music and migration. With a spellbinding voice, she blends East African tunes with Arabic sounds and traditions for a one-of-a-kind style she describes as "East African Retro-Pop." As NPR recently raved, Alsarah and her band The Nubatones create "a lavish, joyful, era-spanning sound full of Arabic-language reflections on identity and survival. It's modern and nostalgic, timeless and new."

LILA DOWNS
Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at 8 P.M.

Iconic Grammy and Latin Grammy Award-winning singer Lila Downs is one of the world's most singular and powerful voices, whose compelling stage presence and poignant storytelling transcend all language barriers. Raised in Minnesota and Oaxaca, this global superstar's exquisite artistry bridges traditions from across the Americas, with influences ranging from the folk and ranchera music of Mexico and South America to North American jazz, blues and hip-hop. As a passionate human-rights activist, Lila's lyrics often highlight issues and share stories that too often go untold.

SPECIAL EVENT

TAIWAN PHILHARMONIC WITH STEPHEN HOUGH
Saturday, November 3, 2018 at 7:30 P.M

Hailed as "one of Asia's best" by The Los Angeles Times, the Taiwan Philharmonic (known as the National Symphony Orchestra in Taiwan) is an affiliate of the National Chiang Kai-Shek Cultural Center, Taiwan's leading center for the performing arts. Led by Shao-Chia Lü, the orchestra has increased the country's cultural stature at home and on the international stage. For its Seattle debut, the orchestra performs Brahm's pastoral Symphony No. 2 and "Dancing Song" by Gordon Chin, one of Taiwan's most prolific and sought-after composers. The orchestra is joined by acclaimed pianist Stephen Hough for Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1. The principal members of the orchestra will perform on instruments from the Chi Mei Cultural Foundation of Taiwan, which houses one of the world's greatest stringed-instrument collections.

PROGRAM
GORDON CHIN: "Dancing Song" from Three Aboriginal Songs for Orchestra
LISZT: Piano Concerto No. 1
BRAHMS: Symphony No. 2 in E-flat major, S. 124 in C Minor, Op. 68

TICKET INFORMATION

Discounted full-series subscriptions and Choose Your Own subscriptions are on sale now. Prices for full-series subscriptions begin at $197; Choose Your Own subscription prices vary according to selection. Subscriber benefits include priority seating, free ticket exchanges (upgrade charges may apply), discounts off additional single ticket purchases and lost ticket replacement. Subscribers also have the opportunity to purchase pre-paid parking passes.

This season, subscribers get first access and discount prices for the special event, Taiwan Philharmonic with Stephen Hough.

Single tickets go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, August 1.

Subscriptions may be purchased through the ArtsUW Ticket Office:

Phone: (206) 543-4880
In Person: 1313 NE 41st Street, Seattle, WA 98105
Online: MeanyCenter.org

Meany Center offers subscription discounts for seniors, youth, students, UW employees, UW retirees, and members of the UW Alumni Association. Two free youth subscriptions are available with every adult subscription purchased to the President's Piano or International Chamber Music Series, ages 5-17 only. For more information about prices and benefits, visit MeanyCenter.org.

Meany Center also offers a variety of lectures, master classes, workshops, pre-and post-show conversations, free campus concerts and community events in tandem with visiting artist engagements. These events for the 2018-2019 Season will be added at a later date. Check back on our website for updates throughout the season.

ABOUT MEANY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Meany Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Washington fosters innovative performances that advance public engagement, cultural exchange, creative research and learning through the arts. Meany Center provides opportunities for diverse artists, community, students and faculty to connect in the discovery and exploration of the boundless power of the arts to create positive change in the world.

2018/19 SEASON (CHRONOLOGICAL)

Nrityagram Dance Ensemble
World Dance Series
Thursday-Saturday, October 4-6, 2018 at 8 P.M.

Marc-André Hamelin
President's Piano Series
Wednesday, October 17, 2018 at 7:30 P.M.

Vicente Amigo
World Music & Theater Series
Friday, October 19, 2018 at 8 P.M.

St. Lawrence String Quartet
International Chamber Music Series
Thursday, October 25, 2018 at 7:30 P.M.

Taiwan Philharmonic with Stephen Hough
Special Event
Saturday, November 3, 2018 at 7:30 P.M

Compagnie Käfig
World Dance Series
Thursday-Saturday, November 8-10, 2018 at 8 P.M.

Brooklyn Rider
International Chamber Music Series
Tuesday, November 13, 2018 at 7:30 P.M.

Kurbasy
World Music & Theater Series
Friday, November 16, 2018 at 8 P.M.

Turtle Island Quartet with Liz Carroll
International Chamber Music Series
Saturday, December 8, 2018 at 7:30 P.M.

Alonzo King LINES Ballet
World Dance Series
Thursday-Saturday, January 10-12, 2019 at 8 P.M.

Jeremy Denk
President's Piano Series
Tuesday, January 15, 2019 at 7:30 P.M.

Tanya Tagaq
World Music & Theater Series
Friday, February 8, 2019 at 8 P.M.

Filippo Gorini
President's Piano Series
Friday, February 15, 2019 at 7:30 P.M.

Mark Morris Dance Group
World Dance Series
Thursday-Saturday, February 21-23, 2019 at 8 P.M.

Emerson String Quartet
International Chamber Music Series

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