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Humanities
Taking our cue from the outstanding dance, music and theater artists on our stages — and fulfilling our mission to instill and sustain a lifelong appreciation for the performing arts — Cal Performances presents a rich array of education and humanities programs for audiences of all ages, for a discerning public and for the university community.
Campus and Community Partnerships | Sightlines | Key Notes
Campus and Community Partnerships |
Building on shared interests, Cal Performances works closely with campus departments and Bay Area arts organizations to create distinctive education and humanities programs inspired by the performing arts programs we present. These events are free and open to the public except where noted.
2008/09 Season
The Little Prince Exupéry's timeless tale unfolds in a family-friendly, interactive workshop based on the story and themes of The Little Prince. Through three vignettes, the group will discover how the author reveals his own views about the human folly and the simple truths that people seem to forget as they grow older; explore how the story is transformed on the fantastical operatic stage through scenic design; and feel how perfectly the music illustrates The Little Prince's famous message: "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." As space is limited, we request advance reservations. Please select either 11:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m. for your one hour workshop. Walk ups will be accommodated on a space available basis. RSVP: Nicole Anthony, Cal Performances 510-643-2712
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May 2-11, 2008
Caroline Altman has directed young artists for 17 years at theatres and schools including A.C.T., Marin Theatre Company, New Conservatory Theatre, Peninsula Youth Theatre, Broadway by the Bay, Playhouse West, in the Bay Area, Stagedoor Manor, Impact, TADA! in New York, and El Paso Opera. She is Co-Artistic Director of The Wicked Stage Theatre, and has toured with the Imagination Company and the National Theatre for Children. Caroline has written five musicals for youth, including the critically acclaimed Whiskers! which has charmed audiences for 11 years in Contra Costa County. Caroline is also Director of Education for San Francisco Opera Guild, where she created the Opera Youth Conservatory; Director of Family Programs for San Francisco's 42nd Street Moon; and is an accomplished singer, actor, and director.
2008/09 Season
Merce Cunningham Dance Company
Dates, Times and Venues TBA
Performance: Merce Cunningham Dance Company
For two weeks in November (Nov 3-15), the Merce Cunningham Dance Company (MCDC) will engage in a wide-ranging residency that will include collaborations with some of the most creative minds at UC Berkeley and in the Bay Area community. Known for pushing the boundaries of modern dance over the many decades of his remarkable career, Merce Cunningham's return to Berkeley has sparked a series of interactive, multimedia projects with the Department of Dance Theater and Performance Studies, Center for New Media, Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society (CITRIS), Center for New Music and Audio Technologies (CNMAT), Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive, Mathematical Sciences Research Institute, and the Consortium for the Arts at UC Berkeley. The residency will build upon Cunningham's longtime interest in using dance to explore the interrelationships among diverse disciplines. Anticipated activities include four MCDC repertory performances, a multimedia post-performance Student Happening in Pauley Ballroom, film screenings, DanceForms software seminars, dance and sound master classes, other production-related workshops, public discussions, youth programs, and an MCDC-related visual art exhibition. A full schedule will be announced in summer 2008.
Russian Classical Dance Lecture Series: Don Quixote, Onegin, and La Bayadère The three premier Russian ballet companies performing in Berkeley this season bring story ballets that will be celebrated in a series of talks presented by Cal Performances; the UC Berkeley Slavic Center; and the Department of Dance Theater and Performance Studies. The talks will explore Don Quixote, performed by St. Petersburg's Kirov-Mariinsky Ballet (Oct 14-19); Onegin, premiered by the Eifman Ballet (May 1-3) and La Bayadère, danced by Moscow's Bolshoi Ballet (Jun 4-7). |
Dates, Times and Venues TBA
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Sweet Honey in the Rock
Dates, Times and Venues TBA
Performance: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Sweet Honey in the Rock
Two groups at the forefront of African American cultural expression—Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Sweet Honey in the Rock—make their annual Cal Performances visits together with new choreography, specially commissioned music, and community engagement opportunities.
Latin Music Series Jazz radio host and Latin music specialist Jesse "Chuy" Varela leads a series of lectures to complement performances by Ballet Flamenco José Porcel (Dec 5); Noche Flamenca (Jan 23); Afro-Cuban All Stars (Feb 25); and Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, and Christian McBride (Mar 21). With extensive background information, guest interviews, and musical illustration, these lively talks take place at 5-6:30 pm in the Zellerbach Hall Lobby Mezzanine prior to the performances. |
5-6:30 pm prior to the performances belowSightlines |
Jordi SavallThe Tallis ScholarsTakács Quartet
Prior to or immediately following many Cal Performances events you are invited to explore the fascinating details of history, practice, and biography that shape the extraordinary programs on our stages. The acclaimed artists and scholars presenting this season's Sightlines events promise enlightening forums to enrich your experience in the theater or concert hall. Sightlines talks take place on stage in the performance venue and are free to event ticket holders.
2008/09 Sightlines
Rudolf Buchbinder, piano
Sun, Sept 21, 2-2:30 pm
Pre-performance talk by musicologist Paul M. Ellison, San Francisco State University
Richard Goode, piano
Sun, Oct 5, 2-2:30 pm
Pre-performance talk to be announced
Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra
Sun, Oct 26, 6-6:30 pm
Pre-performance talk by Professor Beth Levy, UC Davis Department of Music
Kronos Quartet
Sun, Feb 1
Post-performance discussion with the artists
Academy of St. Martin in the Fields with Julia Fischer, violin & leader
Sat, Feb 14, 7-7:30 pm
Pre-performance talk by musicologist John Prescott
Takács Quartet with Richard Stoltzman, clarinet
Sun, Feb 15, 2-2:30 pm
Pre-performance talk to be announced
Le Concert des Nations, Jordi Savall, viola da gamba & director
Sat, Feb 28, 7-7:30 pm
Pre-performance discussion with Jordi Savall and Professor Kate van Orden, UC Berkeley Department of Music
Takács Quartet with Peter Wyrick, cello
Sun, Mar 8, 2-2:30 pm
Pre-performance talk by musicologist John Prescott
Brentano String Quartet with Peter Serkin, piano & Richard Lalli, baritone
Fri, Mar 13, 7-7:30 pm
Pre-performance talk by musicologist Camille Peters, UC Berkeley Department of Music
The Tallis Scholars
Sat, Mar 28, 7-7:30 pm
Pre-performance talk by Artistic Director Peter Phillips and musicologist Paul M. Ellison, San Francisco State University
American String Quartet
Sun, Apr 5, 2-2:30 pm
Pre-performance talk by Professor Beth Levy, UC Davis Department of Music
Quatuor Mosaïques
Wed, Apr 22, 7-7:30 pm
Pre-performance talk by Professor Nicholas Mathew, UC Berkeley Department of Music
Cypress String Quartet
Sun, May 3, 2-2:30 pm
Pre-performance talk by the artists
Key Notes |
Our annual Key Notes Our annual series of lecture/receptions takes in a wide range of music written for staged productions. Join us for inspiring commentary, light refreshments, and insightful conversation at these free talks. Key Notes lectures are presented by Cal Performances in association with the UC Berkeley Department of Music.
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2008/09 Key Notes Series
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Key Notes: Mark Morris Dance Group, Romeo & Juliet, On Motifs of Shakespeare
Fri, Sept 26, 5-6:30 pm, Zellerbach Hall Lobby Mezzanine
Concert: Mark Morris Dance Group, Romeo & Juliet, On Motifs of Shakespeare
Robert Cole and Professor Richard Taruskin discuss Morris's new work based on Prokofiev's original music and the original story concept by Soviet dramatist Sergei Radlov.
Key Notes: Peter Sellars's production of Kurtág's Kafka Fragments
Sun, Nov 23, 4-5:30 pm Venue TBA
Concert: Peter Sellars's production of Kafka Fragments with Dawn Upshaw
Director Peter Sellars shares his approach to the music of György Kurtág, performed by soprano Dawn Upshaw and violinist Geoff Nuttall.
Key Notes: Jake Heggie & Gene Scheer's Three Decembers (Last Acts)
Fri, Dec 12, 5-6:30 pm, Zellerbach Hall Lobby Mezzanine
Concert: Jake Heggie's Three Decembers (Last Acts) starring Frederica von Stade
Composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer talk about their new opera, presented in association with San Francisco Opera and Houston Grand Opera.
Education and Community programs are added throughout the year. Check this website regularly for updates.
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