Month: November 2012

NATALIE MACMASTER

Saturday, December 1, 8PM, Concert Hall

We’re thrilled to welcome the return of virtuoso Cape Breton fiddler Natalie MacMasterto the Fine Arts Center stage to take us on a musical sleigh ride through Nova Scotia at Christmastime with this spirited performance of traditional and contemporary Celtic melodies and Christmas carols. Fiddling fireworks and ferocious step dancing accentuate her lively performances, helping make MacMaster one of Canada’s most captivating performers. This Grammy-nominated artist has captivated audiences around the world with her signature sound that spans genres, combining Celtic, bluegrass, folk, and contemporary acoustic sounds
with jazz, rock, and even classical music.

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$40, $35, $15; FC, GCC, STCC and 17 & under $10

MARY HALVORSON/JESSICA PAVONE

Tuesday, November 27, 8PM, Bezanson Recital Hall

Guitarist Mary Halvorson and violist Jessica Pavone‘s longstanding duo embraces a wide range of musical traditions.  The Village Voice likened them to “an avant-garde Thelma and Louise, blazing a trail across the stylistic horizon like a 1966 Ford Thunderbird jerry-rigged from scraps of Eric Dolphy, Django Reinhardt, Appalachian gothic campfires, Charles Ives, and Hendrix-laced psychedelia.” They have performed at venues ranging from small cafés to major international festivals since 2002, and released their fourth recording, “Departure of Reason” (Thirsty Ear).
General Admission: $10; $5 students

 

Metropolitan Museum New York Bus Trip

Saturday, November 17

Sign up now! Join us for this unique tour to see more than one thousand works from the pre-eminent collection of the Museum’s Department of Islamic Art—one of the most comprehensive gatherings of this material in the world—have returned to view in a completely renovated, expanded, and reinstalled suite of fifteen galleries.

Fore more information please visit our website at https://fac.umass.edu/online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=9BC10224-AFD8-4ECB-AFB6-2E0C254C4043

Thursday, November 15, 7:30PM, Bowker Auditorium
An intoxicating jazz singer with a warm and supple voice and perfect pitch, Jane Monheit has the chops to do just about anything she chooses. Audiences have long responded to her fearless honesty through her performances and over her 10-year recording career. She sings like she knows what the song is about and has lived its story. Jane Monheit is the real deal. She will help us celebrate Women in Jazz on November 15^th and will be in residence for three days as part of the Billy Taylor Jazz Residency.
35, $15; FC, GCC, STCC and 17 & under $10

For more information please visit our website at https://fac.umass.edu/online/default.asp?doWork::WScontent::loadArticle=Load&BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::article_id=E77EEF3C-3975-46C3-964A-2456F2A6139A

KIDD PIVOT “TEMPEST REPLICA”

Sunday, November 18, 7PM, Chamber Concert Hall
Kidd Pivot’s seven-strong company presents the full-length work The Tempest Replica in its North American premiere. Based on motifs from Shakespeare’s epic play, award-winning Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite stages a game of revenge and forgiveness, reality and imagination in this magical narrative retelling. A theatrical sensibility complements the mastery of the dancers – their fluidity heightening the dramatic articulation of the plot. Swathed in white light, shadows abounding, with music composed by longtime collaborator Owen Belton and a film montage by Jamie Nesbitt, Pite’s latest work is a startling innovation.

”One of those rare and wonderful performances that not only delivers an exceptional evening of dance and theater but also offers enough intellectual provocation to fuel spirited dialogue long after the show ends.” – The Star Tribune 

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$35, $30, $15; FC, GCC, STCC and 17 & under $10

DR. JOHN & THE LOWER 911 WITH THE BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA

Thursday, November 8, 7:30PM, Concert Hall
Be ready to be on your feet and making a joyful noise when Dr. John & The Lower 911 with The Blind Boys of Alabama bring a touch of New Orleans to Amherst with a program of “Spirituals to Funk.” Under the direction of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Dr. John, the world premiere of Spirituals to Funk represents the first-ever touring partnership between two icons of American music. Dr. John & The Lower 911 and The Blind Boys of Alabama will build on this legacy synonymous with their “Big Easy” style. Based on the legendary Carnegie Hall concerts produced by John Hammond in the 1930s, this version of Spirituals to Swing features an integrated show that explores the connections between gospel, blues, and jazz. We don’t need to say anything else except get your tickets early!

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$40, $35, $15; FC, GCC, STCC and 17 & under $10