Kyoto - Articles Page 14

Boston Ballet kicks off its 52nd season with Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler: A Ballet by John Neumeier. Captivating audiences with intensity and passion, Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler has been critically acclaimed as “a work of genius” (Clive Barnes, New York Post). Boston Ballet becomes only the fourth company in the world—after Hamburg Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet and Royal Swedish Ballet—to present Neumeier's iconic work. Boston Ballet is also the first North American company to perform it. A musical tour-de-force, Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler: A Ballet by John Neumeier will feature the Boston Ballet Orchestra along with New World Chorale, Greater Boston's premiere choral ensemble, as well as accomplished American soprano and international opera singer Sarah Pelletier. Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler will run from October 22 to November 1, 2015 at the Boston Opera House.

Journeyman relief pitcher Jonathan 'Ditch' Klein was all set to be a replacement player during the 1994-1995 baseball strike...until the strike ended. Offered a contract in the minor leagues, playing at the same Upstate NY ballpark he once found success in high school, Ditch has one last chance to prove his worth. But to whom? A manager with an axe to grind, a father second-guessing his pitching decisions, a local sportswriter hailing him as a hometown hero, a decade older than his teammates and trying to resurrect an injury-ridden career...Ditch thinks he may have a possible back-up plan: become a sportswriter himself. The only question is whether he is a pitcher who aspires to be a writer, or the other way around... Praise for Approaching Twi-Night: 'It's been some time since I sat and watched a baseball game, and longer still since I played, but despite that, the story of this pitcher and his teammates totally drew me in; it was just so compelling and real...' - Readers' Favorite 'This is baseball as personal quest, without an emphasis on glamour or personal wealth.' - IndieReader 'Approaching Twi-Night is literary fiction at its best...Apple is an elegant and understated writer, and Approaching Twi-Night isn't just a fine literary baseball novel, it's a lyrically rich novel about life, work, and family by a writer in command of his craft.' - Self-Publishing Review '...effectively conveys not only the mechanics of play, but also the psychology of pitching..An overall solid effort; readers will find that it's worth sticking around for the last pitch.' - Kirkus Reviews 'Approaching Twi-Night really touched home, brought back so many great memories of my own experience as an owner and manager in minor league baseball. Most major league players will definitely be able to relate, from cramped bus rides to not having a lot of meal money, but just enjoying the game of baseball.' - Ben Bernard, President & General Manager, Glens Falls Dragons (PGCBL), Former manager, Glens Falls White Sox and Albany-Colonie Yankees Approaching Twi-Night is available in both print and ebook formats. Book Details: Approaching Twi-Night By M. Thomas Apple Publisher: Kinoshita Kijitsu Press Published: February 2015 ISBN: 978-4905426660 ASIN: B00TI3WVJ8 Pages: 243 Genre: Literary Fiction, Sports Fiction About The Author: Originally from Troy, New York, M. Thomas Apple spent part of his childhood in the hamlet of Berne, in the Helderberg escarpment, and his teenage years in the village of Warrensburg, in the Adirondack Mountains. He studied languages and literature as an undergraduate student at Bard College, creative writing in the University of Notre Dame Creative Writing MFA Program, and language education in a Temple University interdisciplinary doctoral program. He now teaches global issues and English as a second language at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan. Approaching Twi-Night is his first novel. A non-fiction book of essays about parenting and childcare (Taking Leave: An American on Paternity Leave in Japan, Perceptia Press), is scheduled for publication in late 2015, followed by a collection of short fiction and poetry (Notes from the Nineties) in early 2016. The lead editor of the bestselling Language Learning Motivation in Japan (Multilingual Matters, 2013), he is currently co-editing a non-fiction educational research book, writing a science fiction novel, and outlining a baseball story set in the Japanese corporate leagues. For review copies, author interviews, or more information please contact: M. Thomas Apple Email: manzano0627 (at) @gmail.com Website: http://mthomasapple.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/manzano0627 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ApproachingTwiNight

Part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts (NYSE:HOT), The Luxury Collection today unveiled 'Hotels that Define the Destination,' a new global advertising campaign that launches the first phase of an identity overhaul for one of the world's fastest growing luxury hospitality brands. The multi-million dollar campaign is the first comprehensive advertising effort for The Luxury Collection since 2011 and features an updated emphasis on experiential luxury, which has also informed the brand's refreshed visual identity and new logo. This announcement coincides with a $700 million effort led by Starwood and its owner partners to expand and improve the brand's hotel portfolio around the world, including the renovation of landmark hotels like The Palace Hotel in San Francisco, the conversion of iconic properties including the Augustine in Prague and the grand opening of new hotels such as Suiran in Kyoto.

The Play Company (PlayCo), led by Founding Producer Kate Loewald and Executive Producer Lauren Weigel celebrates its 15th Anniversary season with programming that exemplifies its unique commitment to premiering plays from around the world, including the U.S., to advance a dynamic, international experience of contemporary theater as part of the American repertoire.

Quasimondo Milwaukee Physical Theatre makes its New York debut at FringeNYC! The company will premier its original cosplay epic, 'Kamikaze Cutesauce Cosplay Club,' at the New York International Fringe Festival, Aug. 27 - 30.

Ten outstanding Music Academy of the West musicians have been selected to travel to New York in January 2016 to participate in the second year of the New York Philharmonic Global Academy Fellowship Program, which offers opportunities to train and play with Philharmonic musicians, representing a new approach to training the next generation of world-class musicians for successful careers.

If you have a hankering for romance and you love the old-fashioned musicals of a by-gone era, Waterfall is a perfect fit. Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire have created a beautiful glimpse of passionate love that develops amidst the turmoil of divergent cultures, east and west before WWII. Currently onstage at the Pasadena Playhouse, Waterfall is sumptuously breathtaking with an extraordinary director and ensemble.

NBC announced today it is taking five CELEBRATED men from across different genres on an epic adventure throughout Asia with its new alternative comedy series 'Better Late Than Never.'

From July 9-19 Japan Society's renowned summer film festival presents 28 features never before seen in New York

In advance of the 37th Annual NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT) today announced it has achieved its strongest first five months of the year for deal signings since 2008. Starwood continues to see balanced growth across its brands and around the world, with North America leading the charge, accounting for nearly 40% of new signings so far in 2015. Development highlights include a 30% increase in deal signings for Starwood's Specialty Select brands, Aloft, Element and Four Points by Sheraton, which together account for more than three-quarters of North America signings year-to-date; a new developer-friendly vision for the Sheraton brand to be unveiled on June 1; and the launch of its 10th brand, Tribute Portfolio.

The five-time Grammy Award-winning San Francisco Girls Chorus will give a free public performance tonight, May 28, in the rotunda of San Francisco City Hall to celebrate the legacy of Elizabeth 'Beth' Avakian, who will retire after 32 years as a beloved teacher and SF Girls Chorus School Director in June.

Sundance Institute today announced the 13 projects selected for its annual June Directors and Screenwriters Labs, taking place at the Sundance Resort in Utah from May 25 through June 25.

Now, over 40 years later, Yoko Ono: One Woman Show, 1960-1971 surveys the decisive decade that led up to that unauthorized exhibition at MoMA, bringing together approximately 125 of her early objects, works on paper, installations, performances, audio recordings, and films, alongside rarely seen archival materials. On view from May 17 to September 7, 2015, this is the first exhibition at MoMA dedicated exclusively to the artist's work.

Mercury closes out the 2014-15 season with an all-Beethoven concert led by Artistic Director Antoine Plante featuring the composer's beloved Eighth Symphony and Triple Concerto on Friday, May 16 at 8 PM at the Wortham Center's Cullen Theater.  The rarely heard Triple Concerto will feature Mercury concertmaster Jonathan Godfrey, principal cellist Kevin Downs and guest pianist, Wendy Chen, playing on an 1832 Bosendorfer 80-key fortepiano, on loan from the Moores School of Music.  The Eighth Symphony is the penultimate performance in Mercury's cycle of Beethoven symphonies, which started in 2009 and will conclude next May in Mercury's 15th Anniversary Season finale with Symphony No. 9, "Choral".  This concert is sponsored in part by Haynes and Boone with underwriting support from Hans and Lili Kirchner, Vey and Brigid Spin, and Stephen and Kristine Wallace.  Tickets start at $18, to purchase or for more information visit www.mercuryhouston.org or call 713.533.0080.  

?The Philly POPS' Music Director Michael Krajewski is internationally known as a masterful maestro. What his audience members may not know is that he is also an accomplished travel photographer who has turned his hobby into a skill that is worthy of attention. During its April concert series, The Philly POPS will display his portfolio for public viewing in a POP-up travel photography exhibit entitled, 'On the Road: Photos by Philly POPS' Music Director Michael Krajewski' in Commonwealth Plaza at The Kimmel Center.

The Broadway transfer of The Royal Shakespeare Company's Wolf Hall: Parts 1 & 2 began previews on March 20, 2015 at the Winter Garden Theatre, with an opening set for tonight, April 9, 2015. Scroll down to learn more about the cast, plus watch interviews with the company!

Bonded by a tree rooted in culture and tradition, the Washington, D.C. Ritz-Carlton hotels and the luxury brand's properties throughout Japan have collaborated on an exclusive guide to celebrating Sakura, the iconic Cherry Blossom season.

Free Flow Wines, the pioneer of premium wine on tap, today announced two new innovations in the beverage market: sparkling wine and sake are now available on tap. The two new brands available in a keg include Eufloria sparkling wines from Banfi Vintners and the new Bushido 'Way of the Warrior' sake. Bushido is a Junmai Genshu, or premium, undiluted sake produced by Vine Connections, a leading premium sake and wine importer, and Kizakura, an established Japanese brewery in Kyoto.

Now in its eleventh year of assisting exceptional young U.S. conductors to further develop their talent and careers, The Solti Foundation U.S. is pleased to announce that it is awarding its sixth $25,000 grant, The Solti Conducting Fellow, and a groundbreaking nine Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Awards, resulting in over $90,200 in grants (including funding for the organization's new Opera Residency program this 2014-15 season, which awarded two residencies). Since 2004, the Foundation has awarded 45 grants to promising musicians at the start of their professional careers.

Heartbeat Opera is a new company intent upon re-imagining opera in intimate spaces for a new generation. Employing a minimalism that allows the emotional integrity of the music to shine through, the company's work focuses on the body of the singer and the visceral power of the music. Co-Artistic Directors Louisa Proske and Ethan Heard, who trained together in the Directing program at the Yale School of Drama, are committed to nurturing the actor in every singer they work with. The company creates productions of classics and new pieces that are daring and visceral—productions that manifest the emotional grandeur and theatrical power of opera with minimal means. Heartbeat's one-act festival presentation of György Kurtág's Kafka-Fragments, directed by Heard, and the New York premiere of Jacques Offenbach's Daphnis & Chloé, in a new English translation directed by Proske, marks this young company's debut. Heartbeat Opera's resident music ensemble Cantata Profana, described by The New York Times as “a stylish early music ensemble,” will provide musical accompaniment.

In the coming months, Broadway will welcome a fresh crop of productions- many of which will mark the Broadway debuts for a slew of talented actors. Whether they are fresh faces or established stars, these Broadway babies will soon take their very first bows on some of the grandest stages in the world.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) announced jointly today that they are both recipients of transformative bequests of masterworks of Japanese art from the Mary Griggs Burke Collection. With objects spanning more than five millennia, the collection is widely regarded as the finest and most encompassing private collection of Japanese art outside Japan.

?The Philly POPS' Music Director Michael Krajewski is internationally known as a masterful maestro. What his audience members may not know is that he is also an accomplished travel photographer who has turned his hobby into a skill that is worthy of attention. During its April concert series, The Philly POPS will display his portfolio for public viewing in a POP-up travel photography exhibit entitled, "On the Road: Photos by Philly POPS' Music Director Michael Krajewski" in Commonwealth Plaza at The Kimmel Center.

San Francisco, CA March 16, 2015 - The five-time Grammy Award-winning San Francisco Girls Chorus will give a free public performance Thursday, May 28, in the rotunda of San Francisco City Hall to celebrate the legacy of Elizabeth "Beth" Avakian, who will retire after 32 years as a beloved teacher and SF Girls Chorus School Director in June. During the course of more than three decades, Avakian has been responsible for the music education of thousands of girls and young women. The dedication, inspiration, professional values and joy of music she has inspired in them and their families and friends have influenced their careers in music and other fields and the community. The 40+ voices of the San Francisco Girls Chorus will be conducted by Music Director Valerie Sainte-Agathe. For more information, visit www.sfgirlschorus.org

Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, announced today that the Museum has received four landmark gifts of art and funding from long-time donors and supporters, in celebration of the centennial of its Department of Asian Art.