STRING LOVERS REJOICE: TWO BACK-TO-BACK EVENINGS OF
INSPIRED CELLO IN ANN ARBOR
3/15: ANN ARBOR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PRESENTS
SCHEHERAZADE IN THE MICHIGAN THEATRE
3/16: UMS PRESENTS YO-YO MA AND THE SILK ROAD
ENSEMBLE IN HILL AUDITORIUM
ANN ARBOR, MI (February 22, 2013) – This March, the University Musical Society and the Ann Arbor
Symphony Orchestra present two back-to-back cello concerts that celebrate multiculturalism,
collaboration, and the beautiful artistry that is created when heritage-based musical traditions meet.
The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra presents Scheherazade on Friday, March 15th at 8:00 pm in the
Michigan Theater (603 East Liberty Street). This exotic program is inspired by Arabian Nights and Sulfi
Romantic poetry and features work by Ann Arbor composer Evan Chambers and internationally
acclaimed cellist Amit Peled.
The University Musical Society (UMS) presents Yo-Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble in a program
that will explore, expand, and celebrate contemporary musical crossroads on Saturday, March 16, at
8:00 pm in Hill Auditorium (825 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor).
For information about the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra performance:
Stephanie Roose at 734.994.4801 or stephanie@a2so.com.
For information about Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble performance:
Truly Render at 734.647.4020 or trender@umich.edu.
SCHEHERAZADE
Friday, March 15, 8:00 pm
Michigan Theater (603 East Liberty Street, Ann Arbor)
Tickets start at $10.
Tickets on sale now:
Order by phone (734- 994-4801); online (a2so.com); or by email
(tickets@a2so.com)
The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra presents Scheherazade on Friday, March 15, at 8 p.m. The
evening’s music warms Ann Arbor’s historic Michigan Theater with three orchestral gems that each tell
a story: Ann Arbor composer Evan Chamber’s Crazed for the Flame, England’s Edward Elgar’s noble Cello
Concerto performed by internationally acclaimed cellist Amit Peled, and Nickolay Rimsky-Korsakov’s
giant, Scheherazade.
“I look forward to playing Evan’s piece,” stated Music Director and Conductor Arie Lipsky. The orchestra
commissioned him to write Watershed several years ago and it was tremendous – the audience and
orchestra alike loved it. I can hardly wait for the audience to hear the mystery and intrigue of the Sufi
mystic poetry that is part of the music.” Mr. Chambers will be at the 7 -7:30 p.m. preconcert talk along
with Lipsky to describe the imagery the audience will want to listen for during the piece.
Amit Peled, featured on NPR’s Performance Today and frequent guest artist at the Seattle, Marlboro and
Newport Chamber Music Festivals will be performing Elgar’s concerto which the composer claimed was
“a man’s attitude toward life.” Mr. Peled will also be at the preconcert talk to describe the concerto and
to answer questions from the audience.
The players of the A2SO take center stage with Scheheradzade. Each movement of the tone poem offers
a musical portrayal of its title. According to Ed Yadzinsky, author of the A2SO program notes, “The
iridescent score features brilliant work among the woodwinds (especially the cadenzas in the bassoon
and the clarinet), brazen flares from the trumpets, a stormy depth from the lower brass and percussion,
and an abundance of ‘Hollywood lush’ from the orchestral strings and harp.”
The A2SO has moved from its usual Saturday night schedule to Friday evening to accommodate the
weekend’s “Cellobration,” with two world-famous cellists – Amit Peled and Yo-Yo Ma – performing backto-back concerts in Ann Arbor; Peled performing the Elgar Concerto and Ma performing with the Silk
Road Project.
To order tickets call (734) 994-4801, email tickets@a2so.com, or purchase online at www.a2so.com.
Single tickets range from $10 to $58. Subscriptions start at just $40. First time subscribers buy one
season subscription and get one FREE! Students receive 50% off ticket price in Sections A-D. Senior,
group, and community orchestra discounts are also available.
The Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra is a premier regional orchestra offering live symphonic music for
audiences of all ages. The A2SO touches the lives of over 80,000 people every year, from tiny tots to
seasoned citizens in venues ranging from the historic Michigan Theater to Hill Auditorium as well as
schools, daycares, libraries, and various senior citizen centers in the five-county area. For concert or
educational programming information, contact the A2SO at (734) 994-4801 or e-mail at info@a2so.com.
YO-YO MA AND THE SILK ROAD ENSEMBLE
Saturday, March 16, 8:00 pm
Hill Auditorium (825 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor)
Tickets start at $20
Tickets:
Order by phone (734- 764-2538); online (ums.org); or in-person at the Michigan
League Ticket Office
Ford Honors Gala: The Ford Honors Gala raises funds to support UMS education programs. For information about
the gala dinner and post-concert afterglow, please call734.764.8489.
Sponsored by: Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services
Virtuoso Sponsors: Bank of Ann Arbor; MOSAIC Foundation; Miller, Canfield, Paddock and Stone, P.L.C; and the
University of Michigan Health System
Media Partners: Ann Arbor’s 107one FM, WEMU 89.1 FM, and WDET 101.9 FM
The DTE Energy Foundation Educator and School of the Year Awards are made possible by DTE Energy Foundation
The University Musical Society (UMS) presents Yo-Yo Ma and The Silk Road Ensemble in a program that
will explore, expand, and celebrate contemporary musical crossroads on Saturday, March 16, at 8:00 pm
in Hill Auditorium (825 North University Avenue, Ann Arbor). In a brief ceremony at the concert, Yo-Yo
Ma and The Silk Road Project will be presented with the 2013 UMS Distinguished Artist Award. The
concert is presented as part of the Ford Honors Program, which raises funds for UMS education and
community engagement programs.
The many-faceted career of cellist Yo-Yo Ma is testament to his continual search for new ways to
communicate with audiences and to his personal desire for artistic growth and renewal. Mr. Ma
maintains a balance between his engagements as a soloist with orchestras worldwide and his recital and
chamber music activities. His discography includes over 75 albums, including more than 15 Grammy
Award winners. He is a UN Messenger of Peace and a member of the President’s Committee on the Arts
& the Humanities. The Silk Road Project was started in 1998 by Yo-Yo Ma to encourage deeper
understanding of other cultures and beliefs. His hope was that we might better address our cultural
differences if we had a greater appreciation for what we share in common.
Artist Info: www.silkroadproject.org and www.yo-yoma.com
Media Inquiries / Further Information:
Truly Render, University Musical Society
734.647.4020
trender@umich.edu / www.ums.org/news
Stephanie Roose, Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra
734.994.4801
stephanie@a2so.com / www.a2so.com