Miller Theatre presents a Portrait of BRIGHT SHENG, 12/5 11/4/19, 1259 PM

VIEW THIS EMAIL IN YOUR BROWSER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PRESS CONTACTS November 4, 2019 Aleba Gartner, 212/206-1450 Tickets & Information: 212/854-7799 [email protected] millertheatre.com Lauren Bailey Cognetti, 212/854-1633 [email protected]

"Miller’s utterly indispensable Composer Portraits series reaches its 20th season this year, two decades in which these concerts have made or cemented the reputations of dozens of .“ — The New York Times 9/20/19

Miller Theatre at School of the Arts

continues its 20th season of Composer Portraits with Bright Sheng

featuring Curtis 20/21 Ensemble

Bright Sheng, piano and conductor

https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?e=[UNIQID]&u=66054b08c1ee0e0c37aa02c16&id=0e9149f6cf Page 1 of 6 Miller Theatre presents a Composer Portrait of BRIGHT SHENG, 12/5 11/4/19, 1259 PM

Thursday, December 5, 2019, 8:00 P.M. Miller Theatre (2960 Broadway at 116th Street)

Tickets: starting at $20; Students with valid ID: starting at $7

Photo by Angelo Merendino for Miller Theatre.

Composer Portraits Thursday, December 5, 2019, 8:00 P.M. Miller Theatre (2960 Broadway at 116th Street)

Bright Sheng (b. 1955)

LISTEN

Bright Sheng is one of the foremost composers of our time. His emotionally-driven music ranges from dramatic to lyrical, with strong influences of the folk and of Eastern and Central Asia. The MacArthur Fellow returns to Columbia—where he received his DMA in composition—for this Portrait of recent works. The program features the composer as pianist and conductor, as well as the marimba concerto Deep Red, performed by the talented Curtis 20/21 Ensemble.

https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?e=[UNIQID]&u=66054b08c1ee0e0c37aa02c16&id=0e9149f6cf Page 2 of 6 Miller Theatre presents a Composer Portrait of BRIGHT SHENG, 12/5 11/4/19, 1259 PM

PROGRAM: Clearwater Rhapsody (2018) Deep Red (2014) Dance Capriccio (2011) String Quartet No. 4 “Silent Temple” (2000)

ARTISTS: Curtis 20/21 Ensemble Bright Sheng, piano and conductor

Read a Q&A with Melissa Smey and Lara Pellegrinelli about this Portrait: Bridging Traditions with Bright Sheng

Composer Portraits at 20

With this new season, Miller Theatre proudly celebrates the 20th season of its influential Composer Portraits series, called "indispensable" earlier this year by Alex Ross in The New Yorker. For twenty years, Miller Theatre’s flagship series has fostered the creation of new work, served as an incubator for emerging artists and a champion of those not yet well known, and created a community of adventurous listeners.

Upcoming Portraits

CAROLINE SHAW: Attacca Quartet and Sō Percussion perform the Pulitzer-winning star composer's chamber music from the last decade (2/6)

OSCAR BETTISON: Alarm Will Sound returns to Miller to perform two of the British- American composer's recent chamber concertos (2/20)

DAI FUJIKURA: Champions of Fujikura's music, ICE performs a high-octane program, including a world premiere Miller commission (3/5)

https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?e=[UNIQID]&u=66054b08c1ee0e0c37aa02c16&id=0e9149f6cf Page 3 of 6 Miller Theatre presents a Composer Portrait of BRIGHT SHENG, 12/5 11/4/19, 1259 PM

Bright Sheng brightsheng.com

MacArthur Fellow Bright Sheng was born in , , and moved to New York in l982. He is currently the Distinguished University Professor at the , and Y. K. Pao Distinguished Visiting Professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Sheng has collaborated with such distinguished musicians as Leonard Bernstein, Kurt Masur, Christoph Eschenbach, Charles Dutoit, Michael Tilson Thomas, Leonard Slatkin, Gerard Schwarz, David Robertson, David Zinman, Neeme Järvi, Robert Spano, Hugh Wolff, Yo-Yo Ma, , Gil Shaham, Yefim Bronfman, Lynn Harrell, Peter Serkin, Cho-Liang Lin, Evelyn Glennie, among others. He has been widely commissioned and performed by the top musical institutions in North America, Europe, and Asia, including the White House, the 2008 Beijing International Olympic Games, New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, , LA Philharmonic, Minnesota Symphony, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Orchestra de Paris, BBC Symphony, Hamburg Radio Symphony, Danish National Symphony, San Francisco Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Santa Fe Opera, New York City Opera, New York City Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet.

Sheng’s music ranges from dramatic to lyrical, and is strongly influenced by the folk and classical music tradition from eastern and central Asia. Since 2000, he has been studying and researching the music phenomenon of the Silk Road culture, and has served as the Artistic Advisor to Yo-Yo Ma's Silk Road Project Inc.

As a conductor, Sheng has worked with such orchestras as the San Francisco Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Seattle Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Shanghai Symphony, St. Petersburg Philharmonic in Russia, Dortmund Philharmonic in Germany, China National Symphony, and has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center, among others.

Since 2011, Sheng has been the Founder and Artistic Director of The Intimacy of Creativity —The Bright Sheng Partnership: Composers Meet Performers in Hong Kong, an annual two-week workshop with a new approach to creativity.

Curtis 20/21

https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?e=[UNIQID]&u=66054b08c1ee0e0c37aa02c16&id=0e9149f6cf Page 4 of 6 Miller Theatre presents a Composer Portrait of BRIGHT SHENG, 12/5 11/4/19, 1259 PM

Curtis 20/21 is the contemporary music ensemble of the Curtis Institute of Music. Flexible in size and scope, the group performs a wide range of music of contemporary composers and composers from the recent past, and often collaborates with guest artists in residence at Curtis. Recent offerings have included centenary programs for Samuel Barber, , and Olivier Messiaen; a collaborative performance with eighth blackbird; and a tribute concert for resident composer John Corigliano. Curtis 20/21 is committed to performing and commissioning works from Curtis students and alumni.​

Miller Theatre millertheatre.com

Miller Theatre at Columbia University is the leading presenter of new music in New York City and one of the most vital forces nationwide for innovative programming. In partnership with Columbia University School of the Arts, Miller is dedicated to producing and presenting unique events, with a focus on contemporary and early music, jazz, opera, and multimedia performances. Founded in 1988, Miller Theatre has helped launch the careers of myriad composers and ensembles over the years, serving as an incubator for emerging artists and a champion of those not yet well known in the . A four- time recipient of the ASCAP/Chamber Music America Award for Adventurous Programming, Miller Theatre continues to meet the high expectations set forth by its founders—to present innovative programs, support the development of new work, and connect creative artists with adventurous audiences.

Major support for Miller Theatre’s 2019-20 Season is provided by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature

Major support for Composer Portraits is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?e=[UNIQID]&u=66054b08c1ee0e0c37aa02c16&id=0e9149f6cf Page 5 of 6 Miller Theatre presents a Composer Portrait of BRIGHT SHENG, 12/5 11/4/19, 1259 PM

Columbia University’s Miller Theatre is located north of the Main Campus Gate at 116th St. & Broadway on the ground floor of Dodge Hall.

Directions and information are available online at millertheatre.com or via the Miller Theatre Box Office at 212.854.7799.

For further information, press tickets, photos, and to arrange interviews, please contact Aleba & Co. at 212/206-1450 or [email protected].

For photos, please contact Lauren Bailey Cognetti, 212/854-1633; [email protected].

Copyright © 2019 Aleba & Co., All rights reserved.

subscribe to this list unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences

https://us2.campaign-archive.com/?e=[UNIQID]&u=66054b08c1ee0e0c37aa02c16&id=0e9149f6cf Page 6 of 6