The Fine Arts Center

Thursday, October 30, 7:30 p.m., Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, Chamber Seating
$35, $30, $20; Five College, GCC and 17 & under $10

Beninese Afro-pop spitfire Angélique Kidjo is a Grammy award-winning music recording artist deemed “Africa’s premier diva” by Time Magazine. She’s collaborated with Carlos Santana, Peter Gabriel, Alicia Keys, Bono, Josh Groban, Branford Marsalis, Joss Stone, and many more. Known for her dynamic and uplifting music, she has translated her distinctive work in the arts to that of philanthropy; by promoting education for girls in Africa through her foundation, Batonga, and as a UNICEF Goodwill ambassador, Kidjo travels the world to inspire and empower.

Audience members are invited to a pre-performance talk by Bode Omojola, Five College Associate Professor of Music, Mount Holyoke College, 6:30 p.m. at the University Club.

Activism through Music
Wednesday, October 29, 6–7 p.m., Bowker Auditorium
Conversation with Angélique Kidjo moderated by Bode Omojola
Angélique Kidjo’s expansive career had been marked as much by extraordinary musical achievement as passionate advocacy and philanthropy for her homeland of Africa. Join us as Ms. Kidjo discusses the importance of her advocacy work and the role her music has played to advance social causes. Presented in conjunction with the Feinberg Family Distinguished Lecture Series.

Funded in part by the Expeditions program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from the six New England state arts agencies.

Thursday, October 23, 8 p.m., Bezanson Recital Hall
General Admission: $10; $5 students

Bridging two generations of distinctly shining lights in the jazz world, veteran pianist Matthew Shipp and the gifted young alto saxophonist Darius Jones have received across-the-board critical acclaim for their 2010 recording, Cosmic Lieder. “They lock into a game of convergence and divergence that succeeds for their forceful individuality and unforced alchemy,” says BBC.

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Websites:
Matthew Shipp 
Darius Jones 

Facebooks:
Matthew Shipp 
Darius Jones 

Twitter:
Darius Jones 

Thursday, October 9, 7:30 p.m., Bowker Auditorium
$30, $15; Five College, GCC and 17 & under $10

Regina Carter is a knockout violinist who creates music that is “wonderfully listenable, probingly intelligent, and, at times, breathtakingly daring…taking the listener into the future of jazz” (Time Magazine). Carter’s Southern Comfort program will uncover the songs and music from her father’s home state of Alabama, celebrating the joyous music that infused her childhood.

Funded in part by the Expeditions program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, with additional support from the six New England state arts agencies.

Tuesday, October 7, 7 p.m., Bowker Auditorium 
General admission advance: $10; At the door: $15. Free to Five College & GCC students.

Perhaps the world’s most distinctive tree, Ginkgo has remained stubbornly unchanged for more than two hundred million years.  A living link to the age of dinosaurs, it survived the great ice ages as a relic in China, but it earned its reprieve when people first found it useful about a thousand years ago. Today Ginkgo is beloved for the elegance of its leaves, prized for its edible nuts, and revered for its longevity. Renowned botanist Peter Crane explores the history of the ginkgo from its mysterious origin through its proliferation, drastic decline, and ultimate resurgence. Crane also highlights the cultural and social significance of the ginkgo: its medicinal and nutritional uses, its power as a source of artistic and religious inspiration, and its importance as one of the world’s most popular street trees.

Tuesday, October 7- Class visits with Students and Faculty 
Dr. Crane will meet with colleagues and student and in his conversation highlight the cultural and social significance of the ginkgo: its medicinal and nutritional uses, its power as a source of artistic and religious inspiration, and its importance as one of the world’s most popular street trees, open to the public by invitation only. 

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Friday, October 3, 8 p.m., Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, Chamber Seating
$30, $25, $15; Five College, GCC and 17 & under $10

Coming this fall, Zakir Hussain, tabla, Kumaresh Rajagopalan, violin, and Jayanthi Kumaresh, veena, will tour North America offering concerts of Indian classical music. Each of these artists, renowned for their own accomplishments, bring a unique contribution and influence to the collaboration. The musical result will be a brilliant, virtuosic performance combining traditional Indian classical music with flavors of Carnatic music hailing specifically from southern India.

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Artists’ Websites:
Zakir Hussain
Kumaresh Rajagopalan
Jayanthi Kumaresh

Facebooks:
Zakir Hussain
Kumaresh Rajagopalan
Jayanthi Kumaresh

Twitters:
Zakir Hussain
Kumaresh Rajagopalan

Tuesday, September 30, Bowker Auditorium 7:30PM
General Admission: $15; $10

 
Yuko Eguchi is a scholar and performer who will perform Japanese traditional music and dance, called kouta (small songs) and koutaburi (dance of small songs), a genre uniquely created by women and primarily preserved in thegeisha artistic culture. The kouta songs describe beautiful scenes of nature, but the true message a geisha’s affection, love and despair are often hidden behind its cleverly composed words. Yuko studied kouta singing and shamisen (three-stringed lute) and koutaburi dance under two former geishas, Toyoseiyoshi Kasuga and Yoshie Asaji. The performance will include Mizu no Debana (As the Water Flows, Harusame (Spring Rain), and Uchimizu (Sprinkling the Garden).   
 
Presented in collaboration with the Five College Center for East Asian Studies.

Monday, September 29- Japanese tea Ceremony 
D’Amour Library, Clark Reading Room at Western New England University, Springfield
In conjunction with The Arts of the Geisha presentation at UMass Amherst, Ms. Eguchi will present a short talk on the philosophy and symbols of the Japanese Tea followed by the Tea ceremony.

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Website 

Tuesday, September 23, 7:30 p.m., Bowker Auditorium
General Admission: $15; Five College, GCC, Seniors and 17 & under $10

A multi-faceted musician and singer Makiko Sakurai will present her adaptations of the Shomyo Buddhist chants from the Heian period (701-1192 AD) as well as ancient songs known as Shirabyoshi. Though a Tendai “outsider,” Makiko Sakurai has become famous in Japan as a chanter of Tendai shomyo.  A music graduate of Osaka University of Arts, she majored in piano and composition receiving her masters from the Tokyo College of Music. She has adapted shomyo for contemporary settings in collaboration with Japanese composers Mamoru Fujieda and Ayuo. She appears on two CDs of Ayuo and Mamoru Fujieda: “The Night Chant” and “Izutsu,” both released on the Tzadik label. She has also performed works for American composers, Peter Garland and Carl Stone. Ms. Sakurai has written the scripts for her original collaborative pieces with Noh theatre including “Bamboo Princess” (2006), “Manhattan Okina” (2007-2013), “Pirate Princess” (2009, 2013) and “Sword Mound” (2010). She has also written for a collaborative piece with the puppet theatre, Kokeshi Joruri “The Bridegroom of Hanako” (2011, 2013).

Presented in collaboration with the UMass Japanese Studies program.

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Monday, September 21- 2 Workshops
Ms. Sakurai will present workshops at Smith and Hampshire CollegesSongwriter and vocalist of the Tendai Buddhist chanting as well as a singer of Shirabyoshi ancient songs, Ms. Sakurai will present a lecture demonstration of her work derived from study of the Tendai sect of Buddhism, music of the Ryu-teki (a flute used in Gagaku orchestra) from Master Sukeyasu Shiba and ancient songs, closed to public.

Saturday, September 20, 8 p.m., Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, Chamber Seating
$55, $50, $25; Five College, GCC and 17 & under $20, $15, $10

Eclectic, romantic and worldly, Pink Martini has become an international phenomenon performing its retro-hip, multilingual repertoire throughout Europe, Asia and the Americas. Featuring a dozen musicians, the ‘little orchestra’ from Portland, Oregon, finds inspiration in virtually every musical genre, from Baroque to disco.

“Classy, charming, sexy, elegant, sophisticated – take your pick to describe the globe-trotting eclectic mix that is Pink Martini.” – The Sun. Buy your tickets early, this concert will sell out!

Join us as we celebrate the new season @ the FAC! Enjoy a pre-show dessert party on the plaza with free desserts, live entertainment, and a cash bar featuring the signature drink, a pink martini of course. Tent opens at 6:30 p.m.

https://fac.umass.edu/online/shengdong

Wednesday, September 17, 7:30 p.m., Bowker Auditorium
General Admission: $15; Five College, GCC, Seniors and 17 & under $10

The world music of Sheng Dong (A Moving Sound) makes use of both Western and Chinese instruments to create songs inspired by traditional Chinese music, Taiwanese aboriginal and folk songs, and the music of Central Asia. Catching the attention of World Music critics around the globe, the modern sound is at once authentic, beautiful, and intense.

Sheng Dong a performance company based in Taipei, Taiwan and creates a new musical expression using traditional Chinese instruments such as the bowed fiddle Erhu , the Chinese guitar Zhong ruan, as well as a blend of Western instruments. Transcendent vocals and dance by lead singer Mia Hsieh, transport listeners to and beyond the Far East. Sheng Dong has attracted international attention for opening a door to this unexplored territory with a music that is both ethnic and intensely passionate and creative.

Spotlight Taiwan events are funded in part by the Ministry of Culture, Republic of China (Taiwan) and Special patron Dr. Samuel Yin, with additional support from Five Colleges, Incorporated.

Sunday, April 27, 7:30 p.m., Fine Arts Center Concert Hall
$42, $38, $15; Five College/GCC/STCC Students and Youth 17 & under: $15, $12, $10

Described by The New Yorker as “hyper kinetic” and “exceptional,” the celebrated LINES Ballet of San Francisco performs exhilarating works that meld classical Western ballet with a diverse set of cultural traditions. The dancers’ flawless technique, mixed with King’s expressive choreography, creates a performance that is like no other. “Alonzo King is one of the few bona fide visionaries in the ballet world today.” –San Francisco Chronicle

Pre-Concert Fireside Chat with Mt. Holyoke Ballet Professor and Director of Mass Academy of Ballet Charles Flachs at 6:30 p.m. at the University Club.

Website

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Artist’s website
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AlonzoKingLINESBallet
Twitter: @LinesBallet