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THE OPERA SHOW
Glamour. Romance. Musical Fantasyland…THE OPERA SHOW presents beautiful music exquisitely performed in a spectacular and exuberant 21st century showcase.
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Hairspray
Broadway’s Tony Award-winning musical-comedy phenomenon takes you back to 1962 Baltimore, as 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad sets out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show.
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Soweto Gospel Choir
After an exciting debut at the Phillips Center in 2005 and a sold-out performance in 2006, the Soweto Gospel Choir returns to their “U.S. home” once again. The ensemble’s mix of tribal, traditional and popular African gospel makes for a moving, awe-inspiring and unforgettable evening for the entire family.
Bang on a Can All-Stars & Trio Mediaeval - Julia Wolfe’s Steel Hammer
November 13, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Location: Phillips Center
Genre: Contemporary, World
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Buy tickets online!
Prices: $44.50, Pit, Orchestra Rows A-P and Mezzanine; $34, Orchestra Rows Q-Z; $28.50, Balcony. (Prices include tax. Pit seating is limited and subject to availability.)
To hear an audio sampling of Trio Mediaeval, click play below:
The premiere of Julia Wolfe’s Steel Hammer was commissioned by Bang on a Can with generous support from Maria and Robert A. Skirnick and Carnegie Hall.
There will be a post-performance discussion immediately following the performance with members of the company.
Click here to view Text for Julia Wolfe’s Steel Hammer.
Click here to view an updated biography for Julia Wolfe.
Did you know…“Steel Hammer is inspired by my love for the legends and music of Appalachia. Culling from both the music and oral traditions of the region, the piece focuses on the legend of John Henry, immortalized for his race against ‘the machine.’ Wielding a steel hammer he faces the onslaught of the industrial age as his super human strength is challenged in a contest to out dig an engine. With its over 200 versions and myriad of differing details, the tale has been embraced by a wide variety of American communities in the cause and glorification of the worker.” – Composer, Julia Wolfe
Bang on a Can All-Stars will add a chorus of instruments including mountain dulcimers, wooden bones, banjo, steel hammers and more. Trio Mediaeval, with their pure and direct sound, will tell the timeless tale. The result is a fusion of musical worlds that meld to create a new genre of art balladry.
Since its inception in 1987, the Bang on a Can Festival has been discovering exciting performers who have committed their lives to the music of our time. From the outset of the Festival more than 17 years ago, six players in particular kept coming back. They were among the Festival’s finest artists. With these six players the Festival created the Bang on a Can All-Stars.
Comments?
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Questions about tickets or seat availability should be directed to the Box Office.
November 16th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
This show was disappointing. As I love both Trio Mediaeval and folk music, I was really looking forward to this event….it was NOT AT ALL what I expected. I tend to be moved most by melody and feeling in music. Unfortunately, this show was a bit too ‘avant garde’ for me—repeating the same 2 words over and over (John Henry) with off-key musical accompaniment that could have been provided just as well by a classroom of kindergarteners banging on odd objects for 2 hours straight does not, in my opinion, provide for a deep and moving experience. How unfortunate that Trio Mediaeval is touring over here as part of this show, as they are such a talented group, and this is not the way to make a good first impression to American music enthusiasts.
November 16th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
Also–I do not believe I was the only audience member who felt this way. This was the first show (out of MANY) I have attended at the Phillips Center where large numbers of people were leaving well before the show was finished. Most of us stayed just to be polite.
December 2nd, 2009 at 3:21 pm
As an internationally recognized university presenter, UFPA is committed to fostering cultural awareness by premiering new and unique works. This charge sometimes requires us to take risks in the realm of the performing arts. These risks also fall to our audience members, who may or (regretfully) may not fully connect with the experience.
The world premiere of Julia Wolfe’s Steel Hammer on November 13 was commissioned by Carnegie Hall and Bang on a Can, an organization dedicated to presenting and performing new and genre-defying music.
In telling the timeless tale of Appalachian legend John Henry, Bang On a Can All-Stars weaved a chorus of unconventional instrumentation into Trio Mediaeval’s pure and direct sound, resulting in a fusion of musical worlds that create a new genre of art balladry.
The idea of challenging the listener is no new concept to the founders of Bang on a Can, who saw that among young composers and all around the world there were powerful musical ideas, just starting to flow freely between musical categories – between minimalism and rock, between written and improvised music, between world music and noise, between live performance and electronica.
We share the belief with Bang on a Can that great musicians and great audiences should spend more time together. And without innovation, there can be no art.
As such, UFPA will continue to showcase contemporary artists who are breaking down the barriers between different kinds of music that keep people apart. We invite our audience to take risks along with us, as we make experimental music central to the education and cultivation of future musicians and patrons. Thank you.