Contact: Stephanie Janes PR, (617) 419-0445, stephanie@stephaniejanespr.com
CELEBRITY SERIES OF BOSTON
ANNOUNCES 81st SEASON | 2019-2020
Highlights of the 2019-2020 Season include:
- Concert for One: 1 Musician. 1 Listener. 1 Minute of Live Music. In Boston and Cambridge, September 20-29, 2019
- Stave Sessions and Kronos Quartet, Music For Change - The Banned Countries, the music of composers from the seven banned nations, March 17-21, 2019
- Artists celebrate the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth: Lyon Opera Ballet, pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Danish String Quartet, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Calidore String Quartet, and Rob Kapilow’s What Makes it Great? all include works of Beethoven on their programs
- Emerging dance ensembles and classical music debuts at NEC’s Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre: Caleb Teicher and Company with Conrad Tao, Bereishit Dance Company, and pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard
- Gewandhausorchester Leipzig with conductor Andris Nelsons; violin soloist Leonidas Kavakos; and cello soloist Gautier Capuçon October 27, 2019 at Symphony Hall. Co-presented with the Boston Symphony Orchestra
- Triptych (Eyes of One on Another) Featuring Roomful of Teeth with Alicia Hall Moran & Isaiah Robinson Oct 30–Nov 3, 2019 at Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre. Triptych is presented by ArtsEmerson in association with Celebrity Series of Boston
- Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who performed at the Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Windsor Castle, December 13, 2019 at NEC's Jordan Hall
- More than 150 Neighborhood Arts concerts, workshops, and classes across Boston neighborhoods and schools including broader community events with gospel artist Trey McLaughlin and The Sounds of Zamar; Camille A. Brown & Dancers; and an “Homage to Pablo Casals” weekend with a recital of six prominent Boston cellists and an ensemble event of 50 celli from area schools
- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, April 30-May 3, 2020 at the Boch Center Wang Theatre
(Boston— For Immediate Release) The Celebrity Series of Boston announced its 2019-2020 season today, marking 81 years of bringing the world’s greatest performing artists to Boston. In total, the 2019-2020 season will include 53 music, dance, and entertainment mainstage engagements. The season will begin with a new public performance project September 20-29, 2019, called Concert for One: 1 Musician, 1 Listener, 1 Minute of Live Music. Neighborhood Arts will feature more than 150 workshops, classes, and concerts in schools and community venues performances across Boston.
The 2019-2020 season is sponsored by Amy and Joshua Boger.
Gary Dunning, President and Executive Director of the Celebrity Series of Boston, says, “I am delighted to announce the Celebrity Series’ 81st season. Audiences will find an array of performance experiences that will allow them to reconnect with “old friends” and satisfy their curiosity for something new and different. We are especially excited to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth, and Lyon Opera Ballet, pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Danish String Quartet, the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Calidore String Quartet, and Rob Kapilow’s What Makes it Great? all include works by Beethoven on their programs. Our dedication to presenting contemporary music and dance continues with Stave Sessions and performances at the NEC Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre. I encourage you to browse our full array of performances and be excited by the artistry and diversity of the 2019-2020 season.”
The 2019-2020 season offers eleven ensembles; five piano recitals; five instrumental recitals; eleven human voice or vocal performances; eight jazz and popular song performances; seven dance companies, six contemporary music ensembles, and one public performance project.
Celebrity Series events will take place in NEC’s Jordan Hall (30 Gainsborough Street, Boston), NEC’s Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre (Student Life & Performance Center 255 St. Botolph Street, Boston), Symphony Hall (301 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston), Longy’s Pickman Hall (27 Garden Street, Cambridge), Berklee Performance Center (136 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston), Sanders Theatre (Memorial Hall, 45 Quincy Street, Cambridge), Boch Center Shubert Theatre (265 Tremont Street, Boston), Boch Center Wang Theatre (270 Tremont Street, Boston), and Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre (219 Tremont Street, Boston).
SUBSCRIPTION AND SINGLE TICKET SALES
Subscription sales (any order with three or more events), both online and by mail, will begin on April 10, 2019. Online subscriptions will be available beginning at 9am on April 10 at www.celebrityseries.org. Subscription brochures will be mailed the week of April 10. Subscription sales include half-price child ticket pricing for most events.
The Priority Seating deadline is May 31, 2019 and subscription orders by phone will begin on Monday, June 3, 2019. Single ticket sales for most events will begin on Monday, September 9, 2019. The deadline for subscription orders is October 17, 2019.
Persons who wish to receive a copy of the new brochure or paper order form in the mail should email brochures@celebrityseries.org with their full name and mailing address or write to Celebrity Series of Boston, 20 Park Plaza, Suite 1032, Boston, MA 02116.
BOSTON DEBUTS
The 2019-2020 season will feature the Boston debuts of Bereishit Dance Company; Calidore Quartet; Dakh Daughters; soprano Angela Gheorghiu; cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason; pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason; contemporary gospel artists Trey McLaughlin and The Sounds of Zamar; Caleb Teicher & Company; Matthew Whitaker; and pianist Joyce Yang.
CELEBRITY SERIES DEBUTS
Making their Celebrity Series debuts during the 2019-2020 season are pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard; Camille A. Brown & Dancers; cellist Jay Campbell; Kinan Azmeh's CityBand; soprano Ying Fang; actress and vocalist Sutton Foster; mandolinist Sierra Hull; Bossa Nova vocalist Bebel Gilberto; mandolin player Sierra Hull, violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja; Lyon Opera Ballet; santour virtuoso Ehsan Matoori; composer and musician Sérgio Mendes; Ethio-Jazz artist Meklit; conductor Andris Nelsons; pianist Steve Osborne; singer-songwriter Sid Sriram; jazz vocalist Veronica Swift; pianist Conrad Tao; and bass-baritone Davóne Tines.
THE DEBUT SERIES
The Debut Series continues for the eighth year at Longy’s Pickman Hall with pianist Joyce Yang, violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and cellist Jay Campbell; soprano Ying Fang; Calidore String Quartet; and bass-baritone Davóne Tines and pianist Adam Nielsen. The Debut Series is sponsored by Harriet and David Griesinger and the Longy School of Music of Bard College.
DANCE AND MUSIC AT NEC’S PLIMPTON SHATTUCK BLACK BOX THEATRE
Celebrity Series’ new programming initiative at New England Conservatory’s Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre enters its second phase in 2019-2020. Four presentations of dance and music will take place in this intimate, flexible space in the Student Life & Performance Center at 255 St. Botolph Street during the 2019-2020 season. Programs will continue the Celebrity Series tradition of artist debuts and premieres of new works.
Caleb Teicher & Company with Conrad Tao and Bereishit Dance Company both make their Boston debuts with these performances, and both feature live music. The performance by pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard features two programs with a unique slant on the worldwide Beethoven 250 celebrations.
STAVE SESSIONS
Celebrity Series will present its signature contemporary music series Stave Sessions March
17-21, 2020 at 160 Mass. Ave. With four nights of discovery, four nights of experimentation, four nights of thrilling and path-breaking music, this season’s Stave Sessions, entering its sixth season, is designed to amplify the message of the Kronos Quartet’s Music For Change - The Banned Countries, which features the music of composers from the seven banned nations of EO 13769 and EO 13780. The four evenings of Stave Sessions and the culminating concert by Kronos Quartet provide evidence of the contributions of international and immigrant musicians and of what we stand to lose in restricting their access to our nation. Full concert listings for Stave Sessions and Kronos Quartet below.
Stave Sessions and Kronos Quartet are sponsored by Susan & Michael Thonis and the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified Initiative. Additional support provided by Michael & Debra Raizman, Yukiko Ueno & Eran Egozy, Randolph Hawthorne & Carliss Baldwin, and Marylen Sternweiler.
PUBLIC PROJECT: CONCERT FOR ONE:
Over ten days September 20-29, 2019, Celebrity Series of Boston will give powerful, free music experiences to an estimated 5,000 people: one listener and one musician at a time. Concert For One is a groundbreaking public art event, developed by violist and New England Conservatory graduate Rayna Yun Chou, that distills live performance to its most basic elements.
Concert For One joins listeners and local musicians – one at a time – for an unforgettable experience that lasts only sixty seconds, but has the potential to make someone’s day better, or to change a life forever. Concert For One is about discovery, allowing oneself to be taken on a journey where music-making and active listening are the only goals—without phones, distractions, or expectations. Performances during the Concert For One take place inside two specially outfitted shipping containers at Harvard Science Center Plaza in Cambridge and Chinatown Park on The Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston.
Concert For One is sponsored by Leslie & Howard Appleby, Amy & Joshua Boger, Donna & Michael Egan, Stephanie L. Brown Foundation, and the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified initiative.
ORCHESTRAS AND ENSEMBLES
Celebrity Series will present the Jerusalem Quartet on Saturday, October 26, 2019 at 8pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. They will perform Haydn’s Quartet in D minor, Opus 76, no. 2, “Fifths;” Bartók’s Quartet Number 4; and Brahms’ Quartet in C-minor, Opus 51, no. 1. An Aaron Richmond Recital, endowed by Nancy Richmond Winsten and the late Dr. Joseph Winsten. Additional support provided by the Consulate General of Israel to New England and Sharon & Howard Rich; Media Partner is 99.5 WCRB.
The Gewandhausorchester Leipzig made its Boston debut with conductor Kurt Masur on the Celebrity Series in 1974, and the orchestra has been a favorite of Boston audiences ever since. The third year of a five-year alliance between the Gewndhausorchester and the Boston Symphony Orchestra brings Maestro Andris Nelsons to the podium in a program that pairs Brahms’s Double Concerto for violin and orchestra, featuring violinist Leonidas Kavakos and cellist Gautier Capuçon, with Schubert’s Great C major symphony. The performance, presented in association with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, will take place on Sunday, October 27, 2019 at 3pm at Symphony Hall.
Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center brings an all-star lineup featuring co-Artistic Directors and Celebrity Series favorites pianist Wu Han and cellist David Finckel, along with their close musical colleagues violist Paul Neubauer and violinist Arnaud Sussmann. The recital will take place on Sunday, November 17, 2019 at 3pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. The ensemble will perform Beethoven’s Trio in E-flat major for Piano, Violin, and Cello, Opus 1, no. 1; Dohnányi’s Serenade in C major for Violin, Viola, and Cello, Opus 10; and Brahms’ Quartet No. 1 in G minor, Opus 25. Sponsored by Sally S. Seaver, PhD.
Virtuosic banjoist Noam Pikelny & multi-instrumentalist Stuart Duncan and mandolinist Sierra Hull perform a double bill concert on Friday, November 22, 2019 at 8pm at Sanders Theatre.
Los Angeles Philharmonic and conductor Gustavo Dudamel and Yuja Wang, piano soloist, perform the Boston premiere of John Adams’ 2019 piano concerto Why Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes. The Philharmonic also performs Ginastera’s Variaciones Concertantes and Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring. The performance takes place on Saturday, November 23, 2019 at 2pm at Symphony Hall. Sponsored by Foley & Lardner LLP.
Rob Kapilow’s What Makes It Great? brings his latest holiday program, Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas, to NEC’s Jordan Hall on Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 3pm. Some of the most popular Christmas songs were written by Jewish composers, and this concert tells the story of how immigrant outsiders who rejected their parents’ European pasts, embraced Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, and Hollywood, and began to write the soundtrack to America’s dreams. What Makes It Great? is sponsored by Amy & Joshua Boger; Media Partner is WCRB.
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields with Joshua Bell, music director and soloist, perform a program which will include Paganini’s Violin Concerto No.1 and Brahms Symphony No. 4 on Sunday, February 23, 2020 at 3pm at Symphony Hall. Media Partner WCRB.
Calidore String Quartet performs as part of the Debut Series on Wednesday, March 4, 2020 at 8pm at Longy’s Pickman Hall. Winners of the inaugural M-Prize International Chamber Music Competition, the Borletti-Buitoni Trust Fellowship, Lincoln Center Emerging Artist Award, and named BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists, the quartet will perform Beethoven’s Grosse Fuge in B-Flat Major, Opus 133; a new work by Anna Clyne, co-commissioned by Celebrity Series and inspired by Beethoven’s Grosse Fuge; and Beethoven’s Quartet in F Major, Opus 59 no. 1. The Debut Series is sponsored by Harriet & David Griesinger and the Longy School of Music of Bard College. Media Partner WCRB.
The Chieftains embark on a special tour on St. Patrick’s weekend in The Irish Goodbye on Friday, March 13, 2020 at 8pm at Symphony Hall.
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones return to Boston on Friday, March 27, 2020 at 8pm at the Berklee Performance Center. The groundbreaking band consists of banjoist/composer/bandleader Béla Fleck; pianist/harmonica player Howard Levy; bassist Victor Wooten; and percussionist/Drumitarist Roy “Futureman” Wooten.
Danish String Quartet brings as its program part of its Prism project, the title referring to “a beam of music being split through Beethoven’s prism,” in honor of the Beethoven 250 anniversary. The program is Bach’s Fugue No. 18: Fuga a 3 Soggetti, Contrapunctus XIV from Kunst der Fuge, BWV 1080; Webern’s String Quartet; Bach’s Vor deinen Thron tret' ich, BWV 668; Schnittke’s String Quartet No. 3; and Beethoven’s Quartet in B-Flat Major, Opus 130/ Grosse Fuge, Opus 133. The concert takes place on Sunday, May 3, 2020 at 3pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. An Aaron Richmond Recital; Media Partner WCRB.
PIANISTS
The 2019-2020 Celebrity Series season will feature five piano recitals, beginning with Richard Goode on Saturday, November 9, 2019 at 8pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. In his 13th Celebrity Series appearance, Goode will perform Bach, Bartók, Debussy, and Chopin. An Aaron Richmond Recital; Media Partner WCRB.
Pianist Joyce Yang makes her Boston debut as part of the Debut Series on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 at 8pm at Longy’s Pickman Hall. The Grammy-nominated pianist and Cliburn award winner will perform Grieg’s Lyric Pieces (selections); Schumann’s Carnaval, Opus 9; Carl Vine’s Anne Landa Preludes (selections); and Liszt’s B minor Sonata. The Debut Series is sponsored by Harriet and David Griesinger and the Longy School of Music of Bard College.
Steve Osborne and Paul Lewis will perform a four-hands-one-piano recital on Friday, February 21, 2020 at 8pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. They will perform Fauré’s Dolly Suite, op. 56; Poulenc’s Sonata for Piano Duet; Debussy’s Six Épigraphes antiques and Petite suite; Stravinsky’s Trois Pièces faciles; and Ravel’s Mother Goose suite. An Aaron Richmond Recital; Media Partner is WCRB.
Pianist Daniil Trifonov returns to the Celebrity Series in his first Symphony Hall solo recital on Sunday, March 15, 2020 at 3pm. He will perform Bach/Brahms Chaconne; Bach/Rachmaninov Prelude, Gavotte, and Gigue; Bach/Liszt Fantasie & Fugue in G minor; and Bach “The Art of Fugue.” An Aaron Richmond Recital; Sponsored by Melinda & James Rabb; Media Partner WCRB.
Pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard will present two recitals focusing on the music of Beethoven in response to the Beethoven 250 anniversary year. His programs, Beethoven the Avant-gardist will take place on March 28, 2020 at 8pm and March 29, 2020 at 3pm at NEC’s Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre. The March 28 program is Schoenberg’s Five Piano Pieces, Opus 23; Beethoven’s Sonata for Piano no. 7 in D major, Opus 10, no. 3; Beethoven’s Sonata for Piano no. 23 in F minor, Opus 57, “Appassionata”; and Stockhausen’s Klavierstück IX. The March 29 program is Sweelinck’s Fantasia d3 - à 4: Echo, SwWV 260; George Benjamin’s Shadowlines; Berg’s Sonata for piano, Opus 1; Beethoven’s Sonata in A-Flat major, Opus 110.
INSTRUMENTALISTS
Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason became a household name worldwide in May 2018 after performing at the Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex at Windsor Castle. He will perform his Boston debut with his sister, pianist Isata Kanneh-Mason on Friday December 13, 2019 at 8pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. They will perform Beethoven’s Variations in F Major, Opus 66; Lutosławski’s Grave; Barber’s Sonata for Cello and Piano, Opus 6; and Rachmaninov’s Sonata for Cello and Piano, Opus 19. An Aaron Richmond Recital; Media Partner WCRB.
Violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja and cellist Jay Campbell will make their Celebrity Series debuts on Thursday, January 23, 2020 at 8pm and Friday, January 24, 2020 at 8pm at Longy’s Pickman Hall. The program will feature works by Ravel, Kodaly, Widmann, Xenakis, Ligeti and more. The Debut Series is sponsored by Harriet & David Griesinger and the Longy School of Music of Bard College.
Guitarist Sérgio Assad, pianist and vocalist Clarice Assad, and Third Coast Percussion perform Archetypes on Saturday, January 25, 2020 at 8pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. The program explores the universal symbolic archetypes that appear in stories, legends, and myths throughout the world—great floods, creation, paradise, apocalypses—as well as characters that appear in stories across cultures. Media Partner is WCRB.
Guitarist Miloš will perform The Voice of the Guitar on Friday, March 6, 2020 at 8pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. For this program, Miloš plays a wide-ranging program from J.S. Bach and Granados to Piazzolla and the Beatles in a chamber music setting with string quartet. Media Partner is WCRB.
An Evening with Chris Thile will present the virtuoso mandolin player, radio host, composer, and vocalist in a solo concert on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at 8pm at Sanders Theatre. Sponsored by Susan & Michael Thonis.
THE HUMAN VOICE
Trey McLaughlin and The Sounds of Zamar will bring an inspiring program of contemporary gospel, musical theater, and rich original compositions in their Boston debut at Sanders Theatre on Friday, January 31, 2020 at 8pm. As part of the Celebrity Series Arts for All program, McLaughlin will take part in an Artist Connections workshop with local choirs and musicians.
An Evening with Sutton Foster will see the two-time Tony winner in her Celebrity Series concert debut on Saturday, February 1, 2020 at 8pm at Sanders Theatre. Sponsored by Reuben Reynolds & Bill Casey.
Soprano Ying Fang will make her Boston debut as part of the Debut Series on Wednesday, February 12, 2020 at 8pm at Longy’s Pickman Hall. A former member of the Lindemann Young Artist Program, she has been praised for the purity of her voice and her persuasive acting. The Debut Series is sponsored by Harriet & David Griesinger and the Longy School of Music of Bard College. Media Partner is WCRB.
Grammy winning vocalist Bobby McFerrin takes the Symphony Hall stage on Sunday, March 1, 2020 at 3pm. Sponsored by Julia Byers & Steven Holtzman; Media Partner is WCRB.
Aoife O’Donovan headlines Songs and Strings which sees the Boston-native vocalist and songwriter headline a concert with a string quartet. The performance will take place on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 8pm at Sanders Theatre.
Bass-baritone Davóne Tines makes his Celebrity Series debut with pianist Adam Nielsen as part of the Debut Series on Wednesday, April 1, 2020 at 8pm at Longy’s Pickman Hall. A graduate of Harvard University and The Juilliard School, a 2018 Lincoln Center Emerging Artists Award honoree and American Modern Opera Company founding member, Tines has made his mark in opera and concert performances. Program to include the songs of Johannes Brahms, Julius Eastman, Franz Schubert, and Caroline Shaw. The Debut Series is sponsored by Harriet & David Griesinger and the Longy School of Music of Bard College. Media Partner is WCRB.
Soprano Angela Gheorghiu makes her Boston debut in recital with pianist Alexandra Dariescu on Friday, April 17, 2020 at 8pm at NEC’s Jordan Hall. Program to include music by Pergolesi, Rameau, Bellini, Tosti and Brediceanu. Media Partner is WCRB.
Dakh Daughters make their Boston debut on Friday, April 24, 2020 at 8pm at the Berklee Performance Center. The seven actresses who happen to be fantastic singers and multi-instrumentalists create an atmosphere of a French salon.
Soprano Renée Fleming and pianist Evgeny Kissin join powerful forces in a recital on Sunday, April 26, 2020 at 5pm at Symphony Hall. Sponsored by Eleanor & Frank Pao; Media Partner is WCRB.
NEW MUSIC
Triptych (Eyes of One on Another) featuring Roomful of Teeth with Alicia Hall Moran and Isaiah Robinson, is a new performance piece which combines music, poetry, and photography in a theatrical context. The piece explores the impact of Robert Mapplethorpe’s work on the lives of composer and Cincinnati native Bryce Dessner (The National) and librettist Korde Arrington Tuttle. Performances are October 30–November 3, 2019 at the Emerson Cutler Majestic Theatre. Triptych is presented by ArtsEmerson in association with Celebrity Series of Boston.
Kinan Azmeh’s CityBand, founded by Grammy-award winning clarinetist Kinan Azmeh, brings a balance between classical music, jazz, and the music of his homeland, Syria. Azmeh, guitarist Kyle Sanna, percussionist John Hadfield, and double bassist Josh Myers perform as part of Stave Sessions on Tuesday, March 17, 2020 at 8pm at 160 Mass. Ave., Boston. Sponsored by Susan & Michael Thonis and the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified Initiative.
Meklit is an Ethio-American vocalist, songwriter, composer and cultural activist, making music that sways between cultures and continents. Meklit is a National Geographic Explorer, a TED Senior Fellow and a 2019 Artist-in Residence at both Harvard University and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. She will perform as part of Stave Sessions on Wednesday, March 18, 2020 at 8pm at 160 Mass. Ave., Boston. Sponsored by Susan & Michael Thonis and the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified Initiative.
Singer/songwriter/producer Sid Sriram has built a musical style where Tamil, R&B, blues, gospel, pop, and Carnatic music clash and blend. Sriram’s music is built on a hybrid of South Indian Classical (Carnatic) music, with influences from Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Jeff Buckley, The Beatles, and Luther Vandross. He will perform as part of Stave Sessions on Thursday, March 19, 2020 at 8pm at 160 Mass. Ave., Boston. Sponsored by Susan & Michael Thonis and the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified Initiative.
Sybarite5, a quintet of talented, diverse musicians and Iranian santour virtuoso Ehsan Matoori join forces for evening of new Persian inspired compositions. They will perform as part of Stave Sessions on Friday, March 20, 2020 at 8pm at 160 Mass. Ave., Boston. Sponsored by Susan & Michael Thonis and the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified Initiative.
Kronos Quartet’s project Music For Change–The Banned Countries, is a direct protest to the 2017 Executive Orders limiting travel to the United States by people from largely Muslim-majority countries. Kronos Quartet and Persian vocalist Mahsa Vahdat bring a Boston premiere program featuring music from the original seven “banned” countries—Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. This concert caps a week of new music following Stave Sessions. The performance will take place on Saturday, March 21, 2020 at 8pm at Sanders Theatre. Sponsored by Susan & Michael Thonis and the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified Initiative.
JAZZ
Sérgio Mendes & Bebel Gilberto perform their show, the 60th Anniversary of Bossa Nova on Friday, October 18, 2019 at 8pm at the Berklee Performance Center. Multi-Grammy-winning producer, composer, keyboardist and vocalist, Sérgio Mendes is joined by Bebel Gilberto, the Bossa Nova vocalist and daughter of João Gilberto who is steeped in Bossa Nova music, having made her Carnegie Hall debut at age 9 on a Bossa Nova program with her mother, the singer Miúcha, and saxophonist Stan Getz. The Jazz Series is sponsored by Donna & Michael Egan.
Chick Corea brings together bass powerhouse Christian McBride and drum master Brian Blade in a trio that earned two Grammy Awards for their first outing, 2014's 3-CD set, Trilogy. The performance will take place on Sunday, October 20, 2019 at 7pm at Symphony Hall. Sponsored by Leslie & Howard Appleby; Media Partner is WGBH.
The Wynton Marsalis Quintet will perform at Symphony Hall on Sunday, November 10, 2019 at 8pm. Media Partner WGBH.
Jazz Batá, the new project of pianist, composer and arranger Chucho Valdés, is comprised of piano, acoustic bass and batá, the hourglass shaped drum that is essential in the ritual music of Yoruba religion, best known as Santeria. Jazz Batá is comprised by Valdés on piano; Yelsy Heredia, acoustic bass and Dreiser Durruthy Bombalé on percussion and voice. The performance will take place on Friday, December 6, 2019 at 8pm at the Berklee Performance Center. The Jazz Series is sponsored by Donna & Michael Egan.
Terence Blanchard Featuring The E-Collective performs at the Berklee Performance Center on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at 8pm. The ensemble is Blanchard on trumpet, guitarist Charles Altura, pianist Fabian Almazan, bassist David ‘DJ’ Ginyard Jr., and drummer Oscar Seaton. The Jazz Series is sponsored by Donna & Michael Egan.
Jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant and pianist Aaron Diehl perform in NEC’s Jordan Hall on Friday, February 7, 2020 at 8pm. The Jazz Series is sponsored by Donna & Michael Egan.
John Pizzarelli Trio's Nat King Cole Centennial appears on a double-bill with jazz vocalist Veronica Swift and her band on Friday, February 14, 2020 at 8pm at Sanders Theatre. Media Partner is WGBH. The Jazz Series is sponsored by Donna & Michael Egan.
Vocalist, composer, and arranger Alicia Olatuja performs Intuition: From the Minds of Women, which celebrating the artistic output of a wide range of noted female composers to a double-bill performance with the Matthew Whitaker Quartet on Saturday, April 25, 2020 at 8pm at the Berklee Performance Center. The Jazz Series is sponsored by Donna & Michael Egan.
DANCE & MOVEMENT
Black Grace performs innovative dance works that reach across social, cultural and generational barriers and draws from its founder’s Samoan and New Zealand roots. The performances will take place on October 26, 2019 at 8pm and October 27, 2019 at 3pm at the Boch Center Shubert Theatre.
Caleb Teicher & Company will perform with pianist Conrad Tao in More Forever on Thursday, January 30, 2020 at 8pm; Friday, Janury 31, 2020 at 8pm; and February 1, 2020 at 8pm at NEC’s Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre. In the new evening-length work, More Forever, Teicher and his dancers explore American dance forms such as tap, vernacular jazz, and Lindy Hop, set to Tao’s new contemporary score for piano and electronics performed live by the composer. Support provided by the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified initiative.
Bereishit Dance Company will make their Boston debut on February 8, 2020 at 8pm and February 9, 2020 at 3pm at NEC’s Plimpton Shattuck Black Box Theatre. Bereishit Dance Company brings a modern take on traditional Korean culture, preserving fundamental elements in new contemporary forms. Program will include two works, Balance & Imbalance (2010), with live music performed by traditional Korean drummers, and Judo (2014), a piece which views sports as a way to control, mediate, traverse, and transcend the violent, churning urges within. Support provided by the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified initiative.
Camille A. Brown & Dancers perform at the Boch Center Shubert Theatre on March 7, 2020 at 8pm and March 8, 2020 at 3pm. The Bessie Award-winning, New York City-based dance company creates stories and dialogues about race, culture, and identity, blending elements of Modern, Hip hop, African, Ballet, and Tap dance to tell stories that connect history with contemporary culture. The company’s Celebrity Series debut will feature excerpts from Brown’s critically acclaimed works including Mr. TOL E. RAncE, Black Girl: Linguistic Play, Ink, and one of the company’s signature pieces New Second Line. As part of the Celebrity Series Arts for All program, Camille A. Brown will take part in an Artist Connections workshop with local dancers.
Lyon Opera Ballet will perform “Trois Grandes Fugues” on a triple bill program featuring works by three female choreographers–Lucinda Childs, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, and Maguy Marin–all set to Beethoven’s beloved masterpiece “Grosse Fuge.” The performances will take place on March 27, 2020 at 8pm; March 28, 2020 at 8pm; and March 29, 2020 at 3pm at the Boch Center Shubert Theatre.
Paul Taylor Dance Company returns as part of the company’s global tour honoring the legacy of Taylor and under its new Artistic Director Michael Novak. Performances take place on April 17, 2020 at 8pm; April 18, 2020 at 8pm; and April 19, 2020 at 3pm at the Boch Center Shubert Theatre.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater made its Celebrity Series debut in 1968, which has led to a brilliant 52-year relationship between this iconic dance company and the Celebrity Series. They’ll return to the Boch Center Wang Theatre April 30 – May 3, 2020. Performances will take place on Thursday, April 30 at 8pm; Friday, May 1 at 8pm; Saturday, May 2 at 2pm and 8pm; and Sunday, May 3 at 3pm.
The Dance Series is sponsored by Stephanie L. Brown Foundation; Jann E. Leeming & Arthur D. Little, Senior Trustees, Royal Little Family Foundation; and Cynthia & John S. Reed Foundation.
ARTS FOR ALL!
Alongside the main stage performances, Celebrity Series’ Arts for All! community engagement programs reach over 10,000 individuals annually, through master classes with main stage artists in public schools and conservatories; hands-on, interactive workshops for youth led by a core group of Boston area artists; free community concerts in Boston neighborhoods; free and discounted tickets to main stage performances; and large-scale, public performance projects. These programs connect Celebrity Series with community collaborators and root the organization more deeply in local neighborhoods.
Celebrity Series’ cornerstone community program, Neighborhood Arts, will offer more than 150 workshops, classes, and concerts in schools and community venues in Dorchester, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Roslindale, Roxbury, and the South End.
New collaborations in 2019-2020 include an “Homage to Pablo Casals” weekend with a solo recital of six prominent Boston cellists and an ensemble event of 50 celli from area music schools honoring Casals’ legacy in Boston and Puerto Rico. The Fabiola Mendez trio (cuatro, string bass, drums) and Christian Figueroa (tenor) highlight music of Puerto Rico in live performances with Sol y Canto and Jorge Arce. Chamber quartet Hub New Music joins Neighborhood Arts for a presentation with Urbanity Dance and composition residencies. Sandeep Das will present an intergenerational tabla camp for February school break.
Other composition, percussion, and dance residencies continue with musicians Ryan Edwards, Devin Ferreira, Maria Finkelmeier, and choreographers Jean Appolon and Yo-El Cassell. Castle of our Skins, Soul Yatra Trio, and Voci Angelica will present workshops and performances at schools, libraries, churches, and community centers.
The three annual Stringfests in Dorchester, Roxbury and South End will be led by Castle of our Skins (classical and folk music of Black American composers), and Voci Angelica (world music) in residence with community youth ensembles.
Summer festivals will include Jorge Arce and Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) for Festival Betances and Jean Appolon Expressions on BAMS Fest day at Franklin Park. Trumpeter Jason Palmer’s jazz ensemble and Veronica Robles’ female mariachi band return for special holiday performances.
CELEBRITY SERIES GALA
The 2020 Gala will be held on Saturday, April 4, 2020. Join the Celebrity Series for a spectacular evening that will recognize the Celebrity Series’ history and its impact on Boston’s cultural community. Supporters, patrons, and community leaders will come together to celebrate the future of the Celebrity Series of Boston during this black-tie event. We invite you to experience this innovative event that delights guests with dramatic surprises. Proceeds from the Gala will benefit the education, programming, and outreach efforts of the Celebrity Series.
ABOUT CELEBRITY SERIES OF BOSTON
Celebrity Series of Boston was founded in 1938 by pianist and impresario Aaron Richmond. The Celebrity Series has been bringing the very best performers–from orchestras and chamber ensembles, vocal and piano music, to dance companies, jazz, and more–to Boston’s major concert halls for 81 years. The Celebrity Series of Boston believes in the power of excellence and innovation in the performing arts to enrich life experiences, transform lives and build better communities. Through its education initiatives, the Celebrity Series seeks to build a community of Greater Boston where the performing arts are a valued, lifelong, shared experience—on stages, on streets, in neighborhoods–everywhere.
Celebrity Series of Boston is grateful to our 2019-20 Season Sponsors Amy & Joshua Boger, and to the many individuals, corporations, foundations, and government agencies whose support helps fulfil our mission to present performing artists who inspire and enrich our community. Institutional supporters include the Barr Foundation through its ArtsAmplified initiative, Garbis and Arminé Barsoumian Charitable Foundation, Boston Cultural Council, The Boston Foundation, Stephanie L. Brown Foundation, The Catered Affair, Susanne Marcus Collins Foundation, Deloitte LLP, D.L. Saunders Real Estate Corp., Foley & Lardner LLP, Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals, Liberty Mutual Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, National Endowment for the Arts, Outside the Box: A Production of the Boston Arts Summer Institute, The Peabody Foundation, Cynthia and John S. Reed Foundation, Royal Little Family Foundation, Stifler Family Foundation, and many others. celebrityseries.org