Monet Impressions, Carolina Ballet
January 11-14, 2007, Raleigh Memorial Auditorium
Coinciding with the North Carolina Museum of Art's exhibitionMonet in Normandy, the Carolina Ballet will present an evening of new work inspired by the paintings of Claude Monet. With costumes by David Heuvel, Robert Weiss will choreograph a ballet based on Monet's exquisite Water Lilies. Principal Guest Choreographer Lynne Taylor-Corbett will create a ballet highlighting the French life in Monet's paintings of the mid 1800's and award-winning Broadway designer and North Carolina native William Ivey Long will design the costumes.
About the Carolina Ballet
From its modest roots as the Raleigh Dance Theatre in the early 1980s, Carolina Ballet was launched in 1997 under the direction of artistic director and former NYC Ballet principal dancer Robert Weiss. Carolina Ballet is already recognized as one of the top ten ballet companies in the country. The company is made up of 30 dancers representing nine countries around the world. In addition to public performances, Carolina Ballet offers an outreach program, "Dancers in Schools," for fifth grade students. www.carolinaballet.com
A Transfigured Night, The Charlotte Symphony
February 9-10, 2007, Belk Theater of the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
Music Director Christof Perick conducts this evening featuring two classical composers, Beethoven and Schoenberg, the original musical rebels. Bring along the teenagers and discover the "cool" in classical.
About the Charlotte Symphony
The Charlotte Symphony, which has celebrated more than 75 seasons, is the largest and most active performing arts organization in the central Carolinas, employing more than 100 professional musicians, 62 on full-time contracts for a 40-week season. Throughout its history, the CSO has collaborated with the world's leading soloists, including Andrés Segovia, Alicia de Larrocha, Luciano Pavarotti, Isaac Stern, André Watts, Itzhak Perlman, Emanuel Ax, and Yo-Yo Ma among many others. Committed to performing works by American composers and to expanding the orchestral repertoire through commissioning, the Charlotte Symphony has given the world premiere of 29 compositions. www.charlottesymphony.org
North CarolinaJazz Festival, Cape Fear Jazz Society
February 1-February 3, 2007, the Wilmington Hilton Riverside Hotel
The North Carolina Jazz Festival is a three day festival of traditional jazz, featuring approximately 20 well-known jazz musicians playing in a cabaret style setting. This year's invited musicians include Bucky Pizzarelli, guitar; Ken Peplowski, reeds; Johnny Varro, piano; Tom Fischer, reeds; Mark Shane, piano; Duke Heitger, cornet/ trumpet; Herman Burney, bass; Ed Polcer, cornet/trumpet; Nicki Parrott, bass Dan Barrett, trombone; Joe Ascione, drums; and Chuck Redd, drums/vibes.
About the Cape Fear Jazz Society
The Cape Fear Jazz Society was formed in the spring of 1997 to promote and preserve Jazz and to educate the public about the many diverse styles of Jazz. Projects include an annual free open air concert featuring local jazz musicians; an annual indoor concert featuring international jazz musicians, such Melva Houston, Eve Cornelious & Chip Crawford, Cedar Walton and Houston Person. The society partners with the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, the Chamber Music Society of Wilmington, the Black Arts Alliance, Cape Fear Museum, and Airle Gardens on a variety of programming for the public. http://www.capefearjazz.com
Natural Beauty, North Carolina Dance Theatre
March 8-10, 2007, Belk Theater of the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center
North Carolina Dance Theatre celebrates marvels of Natural Beauty -- from the exotic Amazon rainforest -- to the jewels created deep below the earth's surface. One of the most celebrated choreographers in Europe, Spanish-born Nacho Duato brings his phenomenal success Na Floresta to North Carolina. Smoldering with passionate energy, dancers perform amidst a stunning representation of the Amazon rainforest. The performance features the music of Brazilian-born Heitor Villa-Lobos.
About the NC Dance Theatre
Under the direction of dance visionary Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux, the NC Dance Theatre continues to build upon its national reputation as a significant regional dance company. Performing a mainstage series at the North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center in Charlotte, the NC Dance Theatre offers year-round dance education for ages three to adult. Through open rehearsals and performance opportunities with NC Dance Theatre, students and professional dancers are linked in a close working relationship that offers students an exclusive view of the professional dance world. The School of North Carolina Dance Theatre is the only professional school in North Carolina affiliated with a nationally-known, professional dance company. www.ncdance.org.
Templesand Tombs: Treasures of Egyptian Art from The British Museum
April 15-July 8, 2007, North Carolina Museum of Art
Temples and Tombs will present 85 renowned masterworks and seldom-seen treasures from The British Museum's exceptional collection of ancient Egyptian art. Sculpture, relief, papyri, jewelry and cosmetic implements, as well as funerary items in a variety of media, will provide a glimpse of more than 3,000 years of Egyptian history, from the Old Kingdom's Third Dynasty (ca. 2686 BC) to the Roman occupation of the fourth century AD.
About the NC Museum of Art
The North Carolina Museum of Art houses the art collections of the State of North Carolina. These collections had their beginnings in 1947 when the General Assembly appropriated $1 million in state funds for the purchase of works of art, making North Carolina the first state in the nation to use public funds to buy a collection of art. The initial $1 million appropriation was used to purchase 139 European and American paintings and sculpture. The Samuel H. Kress Foundation matched the appropriation with the gift of 75 works of art in 1960, adding the Museum to its program of endowing regional museums throughout the United States. The Kress gift to the Museum became the largest and most important of any except that given to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. www.ncartmuseum.org.
Blue Grass Brown Earth, African American Dance Ensemble
April 19-22, 2007
This premier performance of Blue Grass Brown Earth is a collaboration of African American banjo players featuring The Shady Grove Band, a traditional blue grass band and the Carolina Chocolate Drops, an African American traditional banjo music groups. The performance combines the best of indigenous banjo talent with the best of African traditional dance.
About the African American Dance Ensemble
With their motto, "peace, love, respect for everybody," the African American Dance Ensemble preserves and shares the finest traditions of African and African American dance and music through national touring, performances of traditional African dance as well as contemporary choreography. Chuck Davis (who is also the Artistic Director of Dance Africa) is the foremost teacher and choreographer of traditional African dance in America. Davis was recently honored as a National Dance Treasure by the National Dance Coalition. Through his instruction, inspiration and performance, thousands of Americans have come to understand and appreciate this significant part of our culture. www.africanamericandanceensemble.org
MerleFest
April 26-29, 2007 Wilkesboro
The 20th anniversary year of celebration of the music of the late Merle Watson and his father Doc Watson is held on the campus of Wilkes Community College. Musicians on tap for the 2007 festival include Doc Watson, Merle's son Richard Watson, Blue Highway, Elvis Costello, John Cowan Band, Donna The Buffalo, Jerry Douglas, The Duhks, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Peter Rowan & Tony Rice Quartet; Darrell Scott, the Legendary Earl Scruggs with Family & Friends, Marty Stuart & His Fabulous Superlatives, just to name a few.
About MerleFest
MerleFest started in the spring of 1988 and has grown from two flat-bed trailers and 4,000 attendees to 13 stages with more than 81,500 festival participants and an annual economic impact for the region in excess of $12 million. Through the years, MerleFest has grown into one of the country's premier showcases of American roots music, and features both yet-to-be-discovered talent as well as legends of the music industry. The three day festival brings artists into the Wilkes County School in an extensive outreach program, and donates much of the festival proceeds to local charities, which reciprocate by providing volunteer manpower for the festival. www.merlefest.org
The Commedia Robin Hood, Children's Theatre of Charlotte
May 4-20, 2007
The beloved Tarradiddle Players bring you the classic legend of Robin Hood and his merry men, The Commedia Robin Hood by Lane Riosley. The actors find plenty of ways to turn the story into farcical, slapstick fun, from Robin Hood's unforgettable battle on the bridge with Little John to his outwitting the bumbling Sheriff of Nottingham as he pursues the lovely Maid Marion. A delightfully silly introduction to the timeless story of the English outlaw who "robs from the rich to give to the poor." There will be special appearances by musicians from the Charlotte Symphony before the 2 p.m. performances on May 6 and May 20. F or ages 5 and up.
About Children's Theatre
Children's Theatre has opened young minds to the wonders of live theater for over half a century. Today, it continues to be one of the most technically imaginative and resourceful theatres in the country. Annually, it reaches more than 294,000 children and families from preschool to late teens. Children's Theatre of Charlotte has now entered an exciting new stage, moving to ImaginOn: The Joe & Joan Martin Center, an innovative new shared facility with the Public Library of Charlotte. www.ctcharlotte.org
American Dance Festival, Duke University, Durham
June 7 - July 22, 2007
Six-week international festival of modern dance performances by both established and emerging choreographers. During each summer season in North Carolina, ADF serves an international audience of more than 30,000 and more than 500 artists and students in residence.
About American Dance Festival
With more than 70 years of creating dance history, the American Dance Festival continues to be on the forefront of the American dance scene. ADF offers community programs and residencies throughout the year. ADF and The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, in association with Thirteen/WNET New York, recently produced the Emmy Award-winning documentary, Free to Dance: The African American Presence in Modern Dance. The three-hour documentary, chronicles the crucial role African-American dancers and choreographers have played in the development of modern dance as an American art form. www.americandancefestival.org
Eastern Music Festival, Greensboro
July, various Triad locations
Projected 2007 season visiting artists include Russian pianist Vladimir Feltsman, incomparable cellist and teacher Lynn Harrell, the incredible young violinist Sarah Chang, Tchaikovsky Competition Gold Medal winner Barry Douglas, and the return to the Festival, favorite violinist Julia Fischer. Principal Conductor Gerard Schwarz will be with EMF for three weeks in 2007, and among the guest conductors will be another Festival favorite, JoAnn Falletta.
About the Eastern Music Festival
Greensboro 's Eastern Music Festival is becoming one of the hottest places to be in this country for young musicians and professional performers. The world's greatest artists, many of them Grammy winners, participate in the Eastern Music Festival to work and refresh themselves. Performances recorded at EMF are featured regularly on National Public Radio's popular Performance Today program -- broadcast on 264 stations nationwide. Over the last 40 years, Eastern Music Festival has also become one of the country's foremost training programs for aspiring young musicians between the ages of 14 and 20, with award-winning programs in orchestra and piano and studies. www.easternmusicfestival.com/
Tobacco Road, Triad Stage at the Pyrle Theater
June 10-July 1, 2007
Tobacco Road by Jack Kirkland, is based on the controversial novel by Erskine Caldwell, and remains the second longest running play in the history of Broadway. Tobacco Road is rarely performed now but it gives Triad Stage the opportunity to rediscover a great American play.
About Triad Stage
Triad Stage started as the dream of co-founders Preston Lane and Richard Whittington, who wanted to create a professional not-for-profit regional theatre to serve the communities of the Triad area -- Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point. In September 1999, Triad Stage purchased the former Montgomery Ward building, which had been built in 1936 and was vacant for almost 40 years. The five story building was transformed in the spring of 2001 into a world class theatre center complete with a 300 seat live performance space, rehearsal hall, offices, two spacious lobbies, special events areas and other audience amenities. The Grand Opening of the theatre was in January 2002 with Tennessee Williams' modern classic Suddenly Last Summer. Since then, Triad Stage has produced over 30 mainstage productions, plus holiday shows. The theatre has received accolades on the national, state and local level, including being named "One of the Best Regional Theaters in America" by New York's Drama League. www.triadstage.org
BrevardMusic Center
June 20-August 5, 2007
Guest artist include Joshua Bell, violin; Andre Watts, piano; Midori, violin; Lynn Harrell, cello; Carol Wincenc, flute; William Preucil, violin; The Diaz Trio (Andres Cardenes, Roberto Diaz, Andres Diaz)
About Brevard Music Center
Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, the Brevard Music Center has provided young musicians with the opportunity to develop their talents for 68 years. Each summer more than 400 students, ages 14 through post-college, join professional musicians for seven weeks. In addition to a rigorous schedule of instruction, students collaborate with faculty and guest artists in more than eighty public performances. www.brevardmusic.org
Bull Durham Blues Festival, Durham
September 2007
The annual Bull Durham Blues Festival celebrates Durham's rich musical heritage as an important center of Carolina and Piedmont blues. Since 1988, St. Joseph's Historic Foundation, Inc. has presented the festival at the historic Durham Athletic Park, former home of the Durham Bulls Baseball team. Today, the event has become North Carolina's largest celebration of the blues, attracting fans from more than 175 North Carolina cities, 25 states, and five countries. The distinctive blues of the Carolinas is featured each year by traditional artists such as Moses Rascoe, John D. Holeman, Lightnin' Wells, Big Boy Henry, John Jackson, Algia Mae Hinton, and the harmonicas / guitar duo of John Cephas and Phil Wiggins.
About St. Joseph's Historic Foundation
The historic St. Joseph's Performance Hall, housed at the Hayti Heritage Center provides a dynamic environment for art lovers to immerse themselves in a rich cultural experience. The original structure of St. Joseph's AME Church, with its grand steeple and elegant stained glass windows, was constructed in 1891 through the efforts of a proud and determined African American congregation and the support of local white philanthropists. St. Joseph's AME Church has long symbolized the dignity and resolve of a people once known as the most prosperous African American community in the United States. Today, the Hayti Heritage Center's Performance Series includes a diversy array of jazz, blues, and gospel performances in that facility's rich historical context. www.hayti.org
BOOKMARKS, Winston-Salem Festival of Books
September 8, 2007, Historic Bethabara Park, Winston-Salem
The third edition of a one-day free book festival, BOOKMARKS features national, regional and local authors spanning nearly every topic. Events include readings, panel discussions, book signings and demonstrations. A special children's area with activities is also planed.
About BOOKMARKS
BOOKMARKS is designed to share literary experiences to engage families and individuals of all ages and from diverse cultures, through a rich mixture of authors, books, readings, panels, storytelling, demonstrations, writing workshops and other interactive activities. The Junior League of Winston-Salem produces the festival through the work of volunteer planning committees, which began the project in 2001. www.bookmarksbookfestival.org
Happy Valley Heritage Old-Time Fiddlers' Convention, Caldwell County
September 1, 2007
The 3rd Annual Old-time Fiddlers' Convention will take place on the Jones Farm in Happy Valley. The farm, located on Highway 268, is the historic property of Tony Jones and his family, and home to Laura Foster's resting place. Laura Foster was Tom "Dooley" Dula's lover and her murder is still an unsolved mystery. The event brings together remarkable traditional musicians from across North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee and South Carolina.
About Happy Valley
Happy Valley is a scenic twenty-eight mile mountain valley along the Yadkin River that includes parts of Caldwell and Wilkes counties. Early settlers may have named it for the prodigious amounts of whiskey and brandy that were distilled from corn, rye and fruit cultivated there. Many farmers in the valley today are descendants of these early families and some have deep knowledge of agricultural traditions such as training and working draft animals, constructing traditional pole and log barns, and canning and preserving vegetables and fruits. Because cultivating crops like corn and hay are becoming less profitable, several Happy Valley farmers are diversifying their land use in order to stay in business and are planning and presenting programs that feature local traditions, such as Plow Day and Mow day. www.caldwellarts.com
COLUMBINUS, Raleigh Ensemble Players
October 11-27, 2007, Artspace Gallery 2
Celebrating its 25th anniversary season, the Raleigh Ensemble Players presents this riveting docu-drama that pulls excerpts from discussions with parents, survivors and community leaders in Littleton, Colorado, as well as diaries and home video footage. Written by Stephen Karam and P.J. Paparelli and created by the United States Theatre Project.
About Raleigh Ensemble Players
The Raleigh Ensemble Players Theatre Company was originally established in 1982 as a summer community theatre. The Ensemble Players quickly blossomed from a gypsy troupe of volunteers into an emerging professional company with a permanent home in Artspace. The group garnered along the way the praise and admiration of critics and audiences alike. Today, the "granddaddy of alternative theatre in the Triangle" is a professional company employing local and regional artists. REP provides adventurous patrons with powerful, penetrating, and provocative theatrical experiences.www.realtheatre.org
13th Annual Cucalorus Film Festival
November 2007, Wilmington
The feisty filmmakers in eastern North Carolina announce the 13th Annual Cucalorus Film Festival, taking place in downtown Wilmington in Fall 2007. With humble beginnings as an intimate gathering of filmmakers in 1994, Cucalorus has developed an international reputation as a festival with sincerity and integrity, exploring the art form without the awards and prizes so prevalent at other festivals. Films are shown in the historic Thalian Hall and in the underground, micro-cinema, Jengo's Playhouse. Cucalorus celebrates the pure love of filmmaking. The festival showcases more than 100 films for four days. www.cucalorus.org
26th Annual Seagrove Pottery Festival
Third weekend in November, Seagrove Elementary School
Seagrove is regarded as the "Pottery Capital of the United States" and is home to more than 100 potters. This annual festival provides the opportunity to meet most of the potters, along with other local artisans, all at one location. Each year the festival features a specific potter with rich roots to the tradition and the area.
About the Annual Seagrove Festival
This is the only time of the year that most of the Seagrove area potters sell their pots at one location. The festival emphasizes hand-made pottery and traditional crafts. On the last day of the Festival at 4:00 p.m., a limited edition pottery auction is held, with pieces signed and dated for this event by local potters.www.seagrovepotteryheritage.com
18th Annual Holiday Concert, Winston-Salem Symphony
Third Saturday in December
The Winston-Salem Symphony annual holiday concert is held at the LJVM Coliseum and is a wonderful and eclectic blend of holiday music with guest appearances by area choral groups and ensembles. Admission is free with a donation of canned and non-perishable food. In 2006, the holiday concert generated 503,000 cans of foods for the Salvation Army Food Bank.
About the Winston-Salem Symphony
Robery Moody is electrifying the Triad as the Winston-Salem Symphony's Music Director. He started his tenure as Music Director of the Winston-Salem Symphony in September 2005 and has been "Conducting Electricity" at Classical Series and Saturday Nights, Live! Series concerts ever since. He is the fourth Music Director in the orchestra's history, which will celebrate its 60th Anniversary during the 2006-2007 Season. In addition to its Classical and Pops programming, the Symphony maintains a strong commitment to music education in the Winston-Salem-Forsyth County School system. www.WSsymphony.org
