UMS Announces Exciting November Events Lineup
The University Musical Society (UMS) brings two captivating international groups to Ann Arbor November 2022.
UMS proudly welcomes the voice, charisma and talent of the “Queen of Ranchera Music,” Aida Cuevas to Hill Auditorium. With one of the most important careers in traditional Mexican and Latin American music, Cuevas exhibits her stunning vocals and her unwavering devotion to traditional mariachi music and its demanding vocal forms, live in concert with the collegiate powerhouse Mariachi Aztlán.
Appointed chief conductor in 2019, Maestro Kirill Petrenko marks the next chapter of the Berlin Philharmonic’s magnificent legacy as one of the world’s great orchestras. In this limited tour — the orchestra will only visit five US cities — Petrenko leads two programs that showcase the ensemble’s mastery across classical, Romantic, and contemporary repertoire.
Tickets and additional information are available at ums.org.
Aida Cuevas with Mariachi Aztlán
Friday, November 4 at 8 pm in Hill Auditorium
Tickets from $12 at ums.org or 734.764.2538
The legendary singer Aida Cuevas returns to Ann Arbor after her 2018 UMS debut with a program celebrating her 45th anniversary as a major force in Mexican and Latin American music. Cuevas is a master of the mariachi art song, with over 40 albums selling more than 10 million copies worldwide.
The first female mariachi singer to win a Grammy, she is beloved for her unwavering devotion to traditional mariachi music and her mastery of its demanding vocal forms. An international icon since her teens, she was the only singer given permission to record and tour the music of the late songwriter Juan Gabriel, whose hits include “Te Doy Las Gracias,” “Te Vas a Quedar Con Las Ganas,” and “Quizás Mañana.” With her unique voice and style, she has left a remarkable imprint in the history of Mexican music. Aida Cuevas is joined by Mariachi
Aztlán, one of the top collegiate mariachi bands in the country.
In addition to the public performance, Aida Cuevas and Mariachi Aztlán will give a special performance for K-12 classes.
Principal Sponsor: Michigan Medicine
Supporting Sponsors: Anne and Paul Glendon and Sally Kennedy
Media Partner: WDET 101.9 FM
Related Event:
UMS 101: Mariachi Aida Cuevas with Mariachi Aztlán
Wednesday, November 2 at 6 pm
Cahoots (Ann Arbor)
Tickets from $49 for workshop and performance, or $15 for the workshop only
Register at https://myumi.ch/48qXM
Attendees are invited to explore the world of the mariachi art song and learn about the history, traditions, and interpretations of artists in traditional Mexican and Latin American music. This 90-minute workshop will familiarize audiences with mariachi music and complements UMS’s presentation of Aida Cuevas with Mariachi Aztlán on Friday, November 4. Facilitated by professional, community-based practicing artists/educators, UMS 101 workshops offer background and contextual learning, live demonstrations, and participatory activities in a fun,
casual environment. This workshop will be led by Karina Lambaren and Rosa Lina Morales-orozco.
Berlin Philharmonic Residency
Friday, November 18 at 8 pm
& Saturday, November 19 at 8:30 pm
Hill Auditorium
Tickets from $25 at ums.org or 734.764.2538
Friday, November 18 Program
Andrew Norman Unstuck
W.A. Mozart Violin Concerto No. 1 in B-Flat Major, K. 207
Erich Korngold Symphony in F-Sharp Major, Op. 40
Saturday, November 19 Program
Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 7
Berlin Philharmonic chief conductor Kirill Petrenko, appointed in 2019, makes his UMS debut with two different programs by the Berlin Philharmonic. The orchestra comes to Ann Arbor’s Hill Auditorium as part of a five-city tour; Ann Arbor is the only place where they will also conduct a series of masterclasses and coachings, for students at the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance. Several of these events will be livestreamed (specific details to be announced).
On Friday, November 18, Petrenko opens the residency with Andrew Norman’s 10-minute orchestra joyride, Unstuck, which brims with invention and energy. The orchestra’s first concertmaster, American Noah Bendix-Balgley, takes the stage for Mozart’s first violin concerto before the orchestra concludes its program with Erich Korngold’s only symphony. A huge success in Hollywood as a film composer in the first half of the 20th century, Korngold is known for his sweeping orchestrations and brilliant orchestral color.
The second program, on Saturday, November 19, features Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 7, the least known and most rarely performed of all of Mahler’s symphonies.
Permanently Endowed Support for Conductor Kirill Petrenko: The Menakka & Essel Bailey Endowment Fund for International Artistic Brilliance
Presenting Sponsors: Philip and Kathy Power
Principal Sponsors: Michigan Medicine, Wacker Chemical Corporation, Tim and Sally Petersen and Shaomeng Wang and Ju-Yun Li
Funded in Part by: Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation
Media Partners: WRCJ 90.9 FM and WGTE 91.3 FM
Free / Related Learning & Engagement Event:
The Society for Disobedient Listeners with Doyle Armbrust
Friday, November 18 at 7 pm
Hill Auditorium Lower Lobby
Music writer and Spektral Quartet violist Doyle Armbrust hosts an interactive pre-concert experience exploring the subversive, visceral, and revolutionary elements of the evening’s program. Conceived as an “anti-lecture,” The Society for Disobedient Listeners draws the great music of the past into proximity with the felicities and calamities of modern life.
About UMS
A recipient of the 2014 National Medal of Arts, UMS (also known as the University Musical Society) contributes to a vibrant cultural community by connecting audiences with performing artists from around the world in uncommon and engaging experiences. One of the oldest performing arts presenters in the country, UMS is an independent non-profit organization affiliated with the University of Michigan, presenting dozens of music, theater, and dance performances by professional touring artists each season, along with many free public and private educational activities. Since 1990, the organization has co-commissioned and supported the production of nearly 80 new or reimagined works. Matthew VanBesien became the organization’s seventh president in July 2017.
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