Date:	September 3, 2008
	Subject:	Dennos Museum Center Announces 2008-2009 Milliken Auditorium Concert Season
	Contact:	Eugene A. Jenneman, Director, (231) 995-1572 Diana Bolander, Curator of Education 231-995-1029 Wesley Jacobs, Chamber Music North 231-228-2172

Dennos Museum Center Announces 2008-2009 Milliken Auditorium Concert Season

TRAVERSE CITY - From acoustic to zydeco, the 2008-09 Milliken Auditorium concert series is a multi-genre musical feast drawn from around the globe, featuring a dose of audience favorites plus newcomers whose talents promise to resound long after the applause ends.

"The 2008-2009 concert season is filled with a diverse array of performers who will provide outstanding performances for our audiences," says Gene Jenneman, Director of the Dennos Museum Center, "there is something for everyone and I am excited about each and every offering."

The 14 performances showcase musicians from the Czech Republic, Quebec, Africa, Inner Mongolia, Japan, Louisiana, Los Angeles, Detroit and Traverse City. The series also reflects the many community partnerships the Dennos has forged. Various performances benefit community non-profit groups or are presented in collaboration with others, like a January 16, 2009 gospel concert in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, presented with NMC Diversity Services and Traverse City Human Rights Commission.

In addition to offering public performances many of the concerts will have educational offerings including special concert/workshops for schools some with extended residencies. Educators wanting information on these performances should contact Diana Bolander, Curator of Education at 231-995-1029 or dbolander@nmc.edu.

The Dennos Museum Center is further pleased to be collaborating with Chamber Music North to bring and outstanding series of six planned chamber music concerts to the season as well, in a series of Sundays at 3 Concerts.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.dennosmuseum.org. Tickets are also available at the Milliken box office, 995-1553.

The 2008-2009 concert schedule is as follows: All concerts are at 8 PM

Jay Ungar and Molly Mason Family Band - Wednesday, Sept. 24

One of the most celebrated duos in American acoustic music, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason achieved international acclaim in 1990 when their performance of Jay's composition, Ashokan Farewell, became the musical hallmark of Ken Burns' The Civil War on PBS. Their Milliken appearance features Jay and Molly with Michael and Ruth Ungar Merenda. Double fiddles, sweet vocal harmonies and rhythmic energy abound as two generations collaborate to entertain you with music from the heart and soul of America.

Bob James - Saturday, Oct. 4

With a 9-foot Steinway, a Yamaha Disklavier, a digital keyboard and a computer, the legendary Bob James will take you from Bach to Beethoven to Bop and Blues. The human confronts the digital in what is sure to be a memorable performance unlike any other at Milliken. Who is the robot and who is real in this duel between the digits and the digital? Presented as a benefit for Michael's Place.

Jitro - Saturday, Oct. 25

One of the best children's choirs in the world, Jitro has been charming audiences for 35 years with its youthful energy and vocal mastery. Jitro is the Czech word for "daybreak," a time that holds promise for moments of beauty and inspiration to come. That's the spirit in which Jitro performs. Presented by the NMC Music Department.

Mauvais Sort - Saturday, Nov. 1

Celebrate the 400th anniversary of Quebec with Mauvais Sort. Accordion, violin, guitar, bass, mandolin, drums, percussion, feet and voice come together in energetic fashion with this French-Canadian ensemble. Using bygone tunes and lyrics, anecdotes of their own making, contemporary melodies, and legends or stories of yesteryear, Mauvais Sort presents a blissful mixture of rhythms from around the globe. Presented by Arts Midwest World Fest with a weeklong residency program for schools.

Saffire - The Uppity Blues Women - Saturday, Nov. 15

Saffire is a dynamic, audacious, fun-loving trio with a saucy, bawdy roadhouse-style! Mixing first-rate musicianship with equal parts of sass, soul and humor, Saffire unleashes tough-as-nails originals alongside forceful versions of classic blues songs. People magazine declared, "Contagious boogie-woogie rhythms and lyrics with enough brass to stock a knuckle factory." Ladies, while the men are at deer camp, mark your own calendar for a memorable girls' night out.

Jeff Haas Little Big Band with Betty Joplin - Saturday, Nov. 29

Enjoy an evening of jazz and soul classics and original compositions with Grammy-nominated vocalist Betty Joplin as special guest. Haas' 10-piece ensemble includes legendary Motown saxman George Benson, trumpeter Rob Smith, bassist Marion Hayden, drummer & percussionist Alex Trajano and a host of horn players. Made possible with a grant from Chamber Music America and presented as a benefit for WNMC Community Public Radio.

Bob Seeley and Bob Baldori - Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009

Prepare for an amazing blues piano concert by this duo. Bob Seeley is considered one of the greatest living boogie-woogie piano players. A friend of Meade Lux Lewis and an accompanist to Sippie Wallace, he has had a distinguished solo career. "Boogie" Bob Baldori has been a mainstay in the music world since the 1960s. He was the founding member of The Woolies, with an extensive performing career playing harmonica and piano with Chuck Berry for the past 40 years.

The Whitfield Company - Friday, Jan. 16, 2009

Celebrate the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King in a concert of gospel music with Detroit's The Whitfield Company. With eight albums to its credit, the group introduced "Praise & Worship" to the gospel community long before it became the popular. The Whitfield Company has traveled extensively in the United States, Canada and Europe and was inducted into the International Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1999. Presented in collaboration with NMC Diversity Services and the Traverse City Human Rights Commission.

Adam Solomon and Tikisa -- Saturday, Feb. 7, 2009

You'll be dancing in the aisles when Kenyan-born guitarist Adam Solomon, who performed here in 2007 with the Juno-award winning African Guitar Summit, returns with his band for a concert of high-energy Afro-beat and blues. Comprised of African rhythms sung in six languages, Solomon creates a sumptuous sound that is an exuberant celebration of African music, exploding with sheer joy and vitality. Adam will also offer a school concert/workshop on African Music for schools.

An Da Union -- Saturday, Feb. 21, 2009

Consisting of ten young and dynamic musicians from Inner Mongolia, An Da Union brings power, excitement and the haunting beauty of their homeland and culture to every performance. This award-winning group will be joined on tour by two of Inner Mongolia's most important performers of the traditional long song. The names of An Da Union's members translate to words like "beauty," "pure," "peace" and "forever." The truth of their names is evident in their music. Presented by Arts Midwest World Fest with a weeklong residency program for schools.

Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience Band -- Friday, March 6, 2009

Prepare to party Louisiana-style with one of the most sought-after artists in roots music today, Grammy award winner Terrance Simien. Leading his Zydeco Experience Band, Simien has become a highly respected, internationally-recognized artist and cultural ambassador for Louisiana. He has established himself as a formidable songwriter and an absolutely astonishing singer, who evokes comparisons to Sam Cooke and Aaron Neville.

Street Drum Corps - Friday, March 13, 2009

High-octane, adrenaline pumping Street Drum Corps formed in Los Angeles in 2004. Using both conventional and unusual instruments, SDC offers a blistering percussion show often described as "Punk Rock Stomp." SDC has toured with Linkin Park and 30 Seconds to Mars and appeared on Conan O'Brien. Expect something different! Presented with NMC Student Government. Street Drum Corps will also offer a school concert/percussion workshop for schools.

Sophie Milman - Saturday, March 21, 2009

At age 24, Sophie Milman has already seen and done more than many people twice her age. Since her self-titled debut was released in 2004, Milman has become one of sultriest singers in jazz, touring clubs worldwide. Her latest release, Make Someone Happy, won the 2008 Juno Award. Born in Russia, she lived in Israel before moving to Toronto. Presented in collaboration with the Wharton Center at MSU.

Nagata Shachu (formerly Kiyoshi Nagata Ensemble) - Friday, April 24, 2009

While firmly rooted in the folk drumming traditions found throughout Japan, Nagata Shachu aims to rejuvenate and redefine this ancient art form. Under the direction of Kiyoshi Nagata, the ensemble has earned a reputation for its straight-forward yet exciting approach to playing the taiko. With their vast array of Japanese taiko, gongs, bells, wooden clappers, shakers and bamboo flutes, Nagata Shachu will take you on a musical journey beyond all borders. Kiyoshi Nagata will also offer a school concert/workshop on Japanese drummingfor schools.

Chamber Music North Concerts

All concerts on Sundays at 3 PM.

October 5, 2008 — Jeweled Sounds of Fall

Regional artists join forces to perform two of the most beloved works in D Major ever written for string quartet. Felix Mendelssohn composed his Quartet No. 3, Op. 44 for the Crown Prince Gustav of Sweden and Alexander Borodin based his Quartet No. 2, containing the lyrical and popular Nocturne, on those of Mendelssohn in thematic structure and texture.

A rich palette of color and sound comes to life with performers Annie Chalex Boyle, Gabriel Bolkosky violin, David Holland, viola and Debra Fayroian, cello in these beautiful string quartet classics!

November 2, 2008 — Prima Trio

Three friends-pianist Anastasia Dedik (Russia), clarinetist Boris Allakhverdyan (Armenia/Russia) and violinist-violist David Bogorad (Denmark)-came together while students at the Oberlin Conservatory in Ohio to create the Prima Trio. They soon triumphed at the 2007 Fischoff Chamber Music Competition, winning the coveted Grand Prize as well as the Gold Medal in the Senior Division.

Unique in the trio world, Prima Trio actually performs on four instruments (Mr. Bogorad performs on both violin and viola). Their repertoire ranges from beloved chamber music standards such as Mozart´s Kegelstatt Trio to exotic gems of Aram Khatchaturian´s soulful Trio for Violin, Clarinet and Piano. The grand finale of their programs includes Serenade for Three by American composer Peter Schickele (aka P.D.Q. Bach)-its uproarious, hoedown like finale never fails to draw a "laughing ovation"!

With performances throughout the USA includes the Kennedy Center and Dumbarton Oaks series in Washington DC, Cleveland Chamber Music Society and a Los Angeles début with three performances for the prestigious Da Camera Society; Chamber Music North is proud to receive this young and very accomplished ensemble to Michigan!

January 11, 2009 — In Recital — Winston Choi, Pianist

One of today's most dynamic young concert artists, Canadian pianist Winston Choi is acclaimed for bringing a fresh approach and masterful understanding to his performances. Choi performs a program of elegance and beauty including Frédéric Chopin's Polonaise-Fantasy, Claude Debussy's Images and Maurice Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit.

Winner of the 2002 Orléans Concours International and Laureate of the 2003 Honens International Piano Competition, Winston Choi has appeared in recital at the National Arts Centre of Canada, the Glenn Gould Studio (Toronto), Carnegie?Weill Recital Hall (New York), Merkin Recital Hall, Kennedy Center (Washington D.C) and the Kravis Center in Florida. Frequently in demand throughout his native Canada, he has been awarded numerous grants from the Canada Council for the Arts.

February 22, 2009 — Euclid Quartet

Praised by the Denver Post for their "electric" performances, the Euclid Quartet is a dynamic ensemble known for performances filled with personality and vibrant color. At appearances ranging from Carnegie Hall to school classrooms to radio and television broadcasts, this quartet has received high acclaim across the country. Recipients of prizes at major competitions around the world, Euclid holds the prestigious Quartet Residency at Indiana University South Bend.

Euclid's program is classic and stalwart featuring Beethoven's String Quartet No. 10 in E flat Major "Harp, Franz Schubert's C Major Quintet and String Quartet No.1 Industrial Night Music by Australian composer Matthew Hindson; a hardy program for the winter time lull.

May 10, 2009 — The Chicago String Quartet

Founded in 1995 as the quartet-in-residence of the acclaimed Chicago Chamber Musicians, the Chicago String Quartet is known for passionate performances of daunting masterpieces from the classical, romantic and modern eras. Combining "experience with understated virtuosity" (Chicago Tribune), the CSQ is that rare ensemble that can play as idiomatically and convincingly in one style of music as the next, shifting interpretive gears with an astounding nimbleness and precision.

Hear this remarkable quartet demonstrate their skills in a diverse program featuring George Crumb's haunting Black Angels and the profoundly beautiful String Quartet No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Opus 131 by Ludwig van Beethoven. This work was Beethoven's favorite from his late quartets and goes beyond anything he had previously written. It is said that upon listening to a performance of this quartet, Schubert remarked, "After this, what is left for us to write?"

June 28, 2009— Siegfried Idyll

Members of the Chicago based Prairie Winds team up with regional performers to render one of the most exquisite works written as a gift of love. Wagner composed Siegfried Idyll as a birthday present to his wife, Cosima, after the birth of their son Siegfried in 1869. It was first performed on the morning of Christmas Eve in 1870 by a small ensemble on the stairs of their villa (Tribschen) in Lucerne, Switzerland; Cosima awoke to its opening melody.

It is this chamber version that Chamber Music North's musicians play for Milliken audiences. Also included on the program are chamber works for strings and winds.

The Dennos Museum Center is open daily 10 AM to 5 PM and Sundays 1-5 PM. Admission is $4.00 adults, $2.00 for children and free to museum members. For more information on the Museum and it programs, go to www.dennosmuseum.org or call 231-995-1055. The Dennos Museum Center is located at 1701 East Front Street, Traverse City, MI 49686, at the entrance to the campus of Northwestern Michigan College.