The Fine Arts Center

Saturday, February 28, 8 p.m., Fine Arts Center Concert Hall, Chamber Seating
$40, $35, $20; Five College, GCC and 17 & under $10

Eddie Palmieri, known for his charismatic power and bold innovative drive, has a musical career that spans over 50 years as a bandleader of Salsa and Latin Jazz orchestras. With a discography that includes 36 titles, Palmieri has been awarded Nine Grammy Awards. A true powerhouse of brilliance, known for his astute arranging skills and historic compositions, Palmieri has shown that time is infinite with respect to his repertoire as he continues to thrill audiences throughout the world with his legendary style.

Audience members are invited to a pre-performance Q&A with Eddie Palmieri at 4:30 p.m. in the Concert Hall. 

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Thursday, February 26 at 8pm in the Bezanson Recital Hall
General Admission: $12; Students: $7

Six-time Grammy nominee Fred Hersch balances his internationally recognized piano skills with significant achievements as a composer and bandleader.  “If you want a working definition of the jazz piano trio, circa early 21st century, start here,” writes Neil Tesser, “Alive at the Vanguard is audacious and extravagant… “ writes JazzTimes. “The title of this album, and the vital music it contains, must be understood as his ringing, joyous, belligerent celebration of the miraculous fact that he is, in every sense, alive.”

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Tuesday, February 24, 7:30 p.m., Fine Arts Center Concert Hall
$42, $38, $15; Five College, GCC and 17 & under $15, $12, $10

The electrifying Brazilian contemporary dance company Grupo Corpo combines the sensuality of Afro-Brazilian dance forms, the liquid swing of jazz, and the technical prowess of ballet, with energy to burn. The company is renowned for its stunning physicality, dynamic ability, and rich visual finesse. The program will include one of the company’s most celebrated works, Sem Mim, inspired by the sea and the songs of medieval Galician-Portuguese troubadours.

Audience members are invited to stay for a post-performance talk with the company, moderated by Amherst College Spanish Professor Lucia Saurez, immediately following the performance.

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Thursday, February 5, 7:30 p.m., Bowker Auditorium
$25, $15; Five College, GCC and 17 & under $10
Part of the 16th annual Billy Taylor Jazz Residency

A multi-instrumental talent, Warren Wolf has an impressive background playing the vibraphone, marimba, drums and piano. He has performed with some of the best in the business, including Wynton Marsalis, Nicholas Payton and Christian McBride. His CD Wolfgang, released on Mack Avenue Records in 2013, prompted a JazzTimes review that stated, “Warren Wolf appears to be on a path to stardom as arguably the most exciting bop vibraphonist since Bobby Hutcherson.” Catch this rising young talent in the jazz genre.

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Sunday, December 7, 4 p.m., Fine Arts Center Concert Hall
$40, $30, $15; Five College, GCC and 17 & under $10

In the wordless universe of Mummenschanz, the ordinary becomes extraordinary when common materials, everyday objects (like toilet paper) and colorful abstract shapes and forms spring to life. By creating a playful yet compelling experience, Mummenschanz offers timeless insight on the human condition. The result is a visually stunning spectacle that transcends cultural barriers and sparks the imagination.

JUST FOR FUN! Join us for a Family Fest celebration in the lobby at 3 p.m.

 

Thursday, December 4 at 8pm in the Bezanson Recital Hall
General Admission: $10 Students: $5 

Percussionist Chad Taylor and cornetist Rob Mazurek have logged 17 years as the Chicago Underground Duo. “Mazurek is a player of great poise and elegance,” writes The Wire, “while Taylor’s deftness, imagination and formidable technical skill always make his playing a joy to listen to… from the densest meshes to the sparsest near silent passage, each sonic cypher, beat and note seem to be leading somewhere, to have been made with a purpose.”  

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Featuring Ravi Coltrane and Matt Garrison
Friday, November 21, 8 p.m., Bowker Auditorium
$40, $20; Five College, GCC and 17 & under $10

In a career that spans five decades and includes collaborations with some of the most iconic figures in modern jazz, NEA Jazz Master and Grammy winner Jack DeJohnette has established an unchallenged reputation as one of the greatest drummers in the history of the genre. It was twenty years ago when DeJohnette brought saxophonist Ravi Coltrane and bassist Matthew Garrison together for the first time to perform the music of John Coltrane at The Brooklyn Museum. Representing the prestigious lineage of today’s great jazz families, the trio explores open improvisation, as well as their own compositions.

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Tuesday, November 18, 7:30 p.m., Fine Arts Center Concert Hall
$50, $45, $15; Five College, GCC and 17 & under $15, $12, $10

Described by The Washington Post as “one of the seven wonders of the artistic universe,” and by The New York Times as “one of the great companies of the world,” Martha Graham Dance Company is one of the oldest and most celebrated contemporary dance companies on the planet. The repertoire for the evening will include the newly commissioned work Echo by choreographer Andonis Foniadakis, based on the myth of Narcissus. Additional works to include Graham classics.

Audience members are invited to a pre-performance talk by UMass Dance Professor BillBob Brown at 6:30 p.m. at the University Club. 
 
The presentation of the Martha Graham Dance Company was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with additional support from the National Endowment for the Arts. 

                

Thursday, November 13, 7:30 p.m., Bowker Auditorium
$30, $15; Five College, GCC and 17 & under $10

One of America’s most thought-provoking, multi-faceted, and compelling artists, pianist Jeremy Denk is a 2013 MacArthur Fellow, was named Musical America’s 2014 Instrumentalist of the Year and is the recipient of the 2014 Avery Fisher Prize for musicianship and contributions to the musical world. Hailed as the “humorist-intellectual of the classical-music world,” Denk exceeds all expectations of a brilliant 21st century musician with his compelling and intense style.

Audience members are invited to a conversation with Jeremy Denk moderated by Nadine Shank, UMass Professor of Music at 5 p.m. in the Amherst Room, UMass Campus Center.

The evenings program will include (not listed in order of performance for the first half of the program): 
 

HAYDN:	Sonata in C major, H.XVI:50
JANÁ?EK:	No. 1 in E-flat major (Andante) from On the Overgrown Path, Book 2
	No. 2. A blown-away leaf (Andante) from On the Overgrown Path, Book 1
	No. 3. Come with us! (Andante) from On the Overgrown Path, Book 1
	No. 4 in E-flat major (Vivo) from On the Overgrown Path, Book 2
	No. 6. Words fail! (Andante) from On the Overgrown Path, Book 1
	No. 5 in C minor (Allegro) from On the Overgrown Path, Book 2
SCHUBERT:	Selections from Ländler, D. 366, No.s 12, 10, 11
	No. 4 in C-sharp minor from Moments musicaux, D. 780
	No. 5 in F minor from Moments musicaux, D. 780
	No. 3 in D major from Ländler, D. 790
	No. 10 in C major from Ländler & Écossaises, D. 734
	Grazer Galopp, D. 925
	Intermission
MOZART:	Rondo in A minor, K. 511
SCHUMANN:	Carnaval, Op. 9

 

 

Thursday, November 6 7:30PM Fine Arts Center Concert Hall
$40, $35, $15; $10

The National Acrobats of the People’s Republic of China is one of the longest running and most distinguished circus troupes in China. As one of the world’s most thrilling and influential acrobatic troupes, the National Acrobats of the PRC astound audiences with acts ranging from skillful to daring, set to a beautiful combination of traditional and modern music. The troupe is renowned for their super-human physical feats and nail-biting stunts. Everything they do is striking, and beautifully embellished with bright, imaginative props and sets, and creative choreography.

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