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Emam and Friends to Open Fall Artists Series
at UW-Eau Claire
RELEASED: Aug. 31, 2005
EAU CLAIRE — Emam and Friends, an eclectic ensemble dedicated to bringing original and traditional World Music to audiences of all ages, will open the Artists Series at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire with a performance at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22, in Zorn Arena.
"This virtual United Nations of an ensemble has created some of the freshest, most entertaining and accessible World Fusion music ever," wrote nationally syndicated reviewer P.J. Birosik. "Simply put, when truly gifted performers gather together in the spirit of total creative freedom, magic happens."
Spreading a message of world peace through world music, the deliberately eclectic amalgam of people and musical heritages brought together by Emam combines elements from Indian, Turkish, Macedonian, Spanish and Eastern European folk idioms with jazz, rock and new age music. Emam performs with great artists from around the world (the Artists Series concert features artists from Iran, Kazakhstan, India, Hungary and the U.S.), creating a style of world music that crosses the troubled boundaries of the 21st century.
The concert is the first of 11 Artists Series presentations comprising the 2005-06 season.
- Artaria String Quartet; Monday, Oct. 10, Gantner Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m. Winner of the 2004 McKnight Artist Fellowship, St. Paul's Artaria String Quartet is acclaimed in Europe and throughout the United States for its warm, rich sound and its refined and thoughtful playing. The program includes Shostakovich's Quartet No. 1.
- Taylor 2; Thursday, Oct. 20, Zorn Arena, 7:30 p.m. The outreach company of the Paul Taylor Dance Company performs the broad spectrum of work by "the reigning master of modern dance" (Time), introducing audiences around the world to the athleticism, humor and range of emotions found in Taylor's work.
- Chu-Fang Huang, piano; Tuesday, Nov. 15, Gantner Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m. A finalist in the 12th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in June, Huang will perform music by Scarlatti, Debussy, Scriabin and Ravel and will be joined by the Artaria String Quartet in a performance of Schumann's Piano Quintet, Op. 44.
- Break! The Urban Funk Spectacular; Thursday, Feb. 2, Zorn Arena, 7:30 p.m. Break! presents a distinctive American art form — cutting-edge dance, defined by dazzling leaps, spectacular spins, and amazing acrobatics.
- Nancy Zeltsman, marimba; Tuesday, Feb. 21, Gantner Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m. Her virtuosity in recital performances and at festivals in France, Belgium, and Japan has made Zeltsman a household name among percussionists and a force to be reckoned with on the international scene. Her Artists Series recital will include works by Thomas Oboe Lee and Steven Mackey as well as her own compositions.
- Kahurangi, Maori Dance of New Zealand; Monday, March 6, Zorn Arena, 7:30 p.m. This company embodies the life force of the Maori through the songs and dances that are part of the history and fabric of their culture.
- Battlefield Band; Thursday, April 6, Schofield Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. Angry, joyful, raucous, contemplative, the music of the Battlefield Band (named for a Glasgow suburb) is inspired by the rich heritage of Celtic music and fired by the strength of today's Scottish cultural scene.
- National Players, "Dracula" (Wednesday, April 26) and "The Taming of the Shrew" (Thursday, April 27); Zorn Arena, 7:30 p.m. The longest-running classical touring company in the United States will present Bram Stoker's tale of peculiar power and twisted passion, and Shakespeare's classic battle of the sexes.
- Ekaterinburg Classical Trio; Wednesday, May 10, Gantner Concert Hall, 7:30 p.m. The Russian trio's energetic and audience-friendly show will feature classical trios for violin, clarinet and piano, and American pop standards including Peter Schickele's "Serenade for Three."
Season subscription information is available at the Service Center in the east lobby of Davies Center, (715) 836-3727. A range of subscription packages is available, and this year, for the first time, patrons are invited to build their own season, combining six or more Artists Series and Forum events at a 20 percent discount.
Tickets for individual Artists Series events are $15 for the public, $13 for those 62 and older and UW System or Chippewa Valley Technical College faculty and staff, and $5 for those 17 and younger and UW System or CVTC students. Window sales begin Tuesday, Sept. 6.
Patrons may also charge their tickets to MasterCard or Visa when they order by phone. Call (715) 836-3727 — or, outside the immediate Eau Claire area, call toll-free (800) 949-UWEC. A $3 handling fee will be added to all telephone charge orders.
The Artists Series is supported in part by a grant from the Wisconsin Arts Board with funds from the State of Wisconsin. The Artists Series presentation of Break! is cosponsored by the University Activities Commission of the Student Senate and is supported by the Heartland Arts Fund, a program of Arts Midwest funded by the National Endowment for the Arts with additional contributions from General Mills Foundation, Land O' Lakes Foundation, Sprint Corporation and the Wisconsin Arts Board. Wisconsin Public Radio and Community Television have contributed generous promotional support. Best Western Trail Lodge Hotel & Suites (715-838-9989) at 3340 Mondovi Road is the exclusive accommodations partner for the Artists Series.
Funded by the students of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, the Artists Series is administered by the Activities and Programs office.
-30-
JS/NW
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