THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART - 2011-2012 CONCERT SEASON

Photo: Metropolitan Museum

58th Season Features Artists Ranging from Jordi Savall, Thomas Hampson, TENET, and the Pacifica Quartet to Angelique Kidjo, Patti Smith, and Kayhan Kalhor

The 2011-2012 season of Metropolitan Museum Concerts combines the return of acclaimed ensemble series – Pacifica Quartet, New York Philharmonic CONTACT!, and Metropolitan Museum Artists in Concert – with unique programs conceived to complement the Met’s collection and galleries by a distinguished roster of world-renowned artists.

African singer-songwriter-superstar Angelique Kidjo opens the season with an event coordinated to the exhibition Heroic Africans: Legendary Leaders, Iconic Sculptures. The opening of the New Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia occasions performances in the course of the season by artists including Jordi Savall, kamancheh (Persian string instrument) virtuoso Kayhan Kalhor, and famed Moroccan singer/musician Hassan Hakmoun. The great baritone Thomas Hampson and the vocal ensemble Chanticleer perform programs tied to the completed renovation of the American Wing.

The early music ensemble TENET performs a program tied to the exhibition The Renaissance Portrait from Donatello to Bellini; and Patti Smith returns to the Met with a program inspired by Stieglitz and His Artists: Matisse to O’Keeffe. Two of the three programs by the Metropolitan Museum Artists in Concert reflect the artistic influences of gallery openings in 2011-2012. The Pacifica Quartet performs all of the Beethoven string quartets in six concerts; the New York Philharmonic CONTACT! programs feature two world premieres; and holiday concerts will be performed by Paul Winter, Judy Collins, and the Vienna Boys Choir, among others.

The 2011-2012 season was programmed by Concerts & Lectures Senior Manager Lisa Musco Doyle and the Concerts & Lectures staff. The newly appointed Concerts & Lectures General Manager, Limor Tomer, began working at the Museum on May 2. All concerts take place in the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium unless otherwise indicated.

“REMEMBERING SEPTEMBER 11”

“Remembering September 11,” a concert by the Wordless Music Orchestra conducted by Ryan McAdams, will commemorate the tenth anniversary of 9/11 at The Temple of Dendur in The Sackler Wing of The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Sunday, September 11, 2011, at 3:30 p.m. The hour-long program is free with Museum admission.

The event, programmed by Concerts & Lectures General Manager Limor Tomer, is part of a slate of activities on that day at the Museum commemorating the anniversary, including a talk with artist Faith Ringgold about the 9/11 Peace Story Quilt and poetry readings by New York University MFA students of a Poetry Quilt inspired by the Met’s Peace Story Quilt exhibition.  This concert has been made possible by The Metabolic Studio. It is presented by Wordless Music and The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

At the center of the concert program is a world premiere live orchestration (by composer/violinist Maxim Moston) of William Basinski’s ambient masterwork The Disintegration Loops, an elegiac work conceived and created in Basinski’s residence in downtown Brooklyn in the weeks before and after the World Trade Center’s destruction (the full piece, which is an electronic score, will be permanently installed in the Ground Zero Museum). In addition to the premiere of the orchestration, titled Disintegration Loop 1.1, the program will also feature two other works of memory and remembrance: Ingram Marshall’s Fog Tropes II for string quartet and tape, Alfred Schnittke’s Collected Songs Where Every Verse is Filled with Grief (an arrangement by the Kronos Quartet’s David Harrington of music from Schnittke’s Concerto for Mixed Choir), and Osvaldo Golijov’s Tenebrae for string quartet.

THE PACIFICA QUARTET PLAYS BEETHOVEN

In 2009-2010, the Pacifica Quartet, called “one of the fastest rising ensembles today” by The New York Times, became the Metropolitan Museum’s second quartet-in-residence, succeeding the Guarneri String Quartet. After a first season of programs of diverse repertoire and a second season devoted to the complete string quartets of Shostakovich, the quartet will for its third season perform the complete string quartets of Beethoven in six programs, each of which features early and later works: Quartets No. 2 in G Major, Op. 18, “Compliments”; No. 10 in E flat Major, Op. 74, “Harp”; and No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, Op. 131. Saturday, October 22, 2011, at 7:00 p.m.  Quartets No. 3 in D Major, Op. 18; No. 12 in E-flat Major, Op. 127; and No. 9 in C Major, Op. 59, “Hero.” Saturday, November 12, 2011, at 7:00 p.m.

Quartets No. 6 in B flat Major, Op. 18, “La Maliconia”; No. 11 in F Minor, Op. 95, “Serioso”; and No. 13 in B-flat Major, Op. 130, “Liebquartett”; with “Grosse Fuge,” Op.133. Saturday, December 10, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. Quartets No. 1 in F Major, Op. 18; and No. 7 in F Major, Op. 59. Saturday, January 7, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. Quartets No. 5 in A Major, Op. 18; and No. 15 in A Minor, Op. 132. Saturday, February 25, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. Quartets No. 4 in C Minor, Op. 18; No. 8 in E Minor, Op. 59; and No. 16 in F Major, Op. 135. Saturday, March 10, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. This series is supported in part by the Grace Jarcho Ross and Daniel G. Ross Concert Fund.

NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC CONTACT! NEW MUSIC SERIES

The New York Philharmonic’s acclaimed new music series, CONTACT!, returns for a third season of two programs curated and hosted by Philharmonic Composer-in-Residence Magnus Lindberg, with Philharmonic Music Director Alan Gilbert and David Robertson conducting members of the orchestra. This series is made possible by the Xerox Foundation.

Alan Gilbert conducts the world premiere of Alexandre Lunsqui’s Fibres, Yarn and Fabric, a New York Philharmonic commission, as well as Magnus Lindberg’s Gran Duo; and HK Gruber’s Frankenstein!!, for which the composer will perform as chansonnier, his New York Philharmonic debut as a performer. Friday, December 16, 2011, at 7:00 p.m.

David Robertson conducts the world premiere performance of Yann Robin’s Backdraft, as well as the U.S. premiere of a new work by Michael Jarrell; both works are New York Philharmonic co-commissions. Also on the program is the contemporary classic ...explosante/fixe... by Pierre Boulez. Friday, June 8, 2012, at 7:00 p.m.

METROPOLITAN MUSEUM ARTISTS IN CONCERT

“It’s hard to find better chamber-music playing in New York than in the cellist Edward Arron’s series,” said The New Yorker in April 2011 about the Metropolitan Museum Artists in Concert. For the acclaimed ensemble’s ninth season, Edward Arron, its artistic director, has crafted three programs, two inspired by new galleries. This series is generously supported by the Brodsky Family Foundation.

A program inspired by the New Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia: Strauss’s Four Pieces for Piano Quartet; Sulkhan Tsintsadze’s Miniatures for String Quartet; Vache Sharafyan’s Adumbrations of the Peacock for Piano Quartet (2003); the world premiere of a new work by ensemble member and composer Colin Jacobsen; and Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op. 57. The musicians include Colin Jacobsen and Jesse Mills, violins; Nicholas Cords, viola; Edward Arron, cello; and Andrew Armstrong, piano. Saturday, December 17, 2011, at 7:00 p.m.

A program inspired by the Met’s collection of French masterpieces featuring Stravinsky’s Concertino for String Quartet (1920); Germaine Tailleferre’s String Quartet (1917-19); Debussy’s Sonata for Cello and Piano (1915); “Alice Toklas” from Virgil Thomson’s Five Ladies for Violin and Piano (1930); and Fauré’s Piano Quartet in G Minor, Op. 45. The musicians include Colin Jacobsen, violin; Nicholas Cords, viola; Edward Arron, cello; and Jeewon Park, piano. Saturday, March 31, 2012, at 7:00 p.m.

A program inspired by the New American Wing Galleries for Paintings, Sculpture, and Decorative Arts: Amy Beach’s Dreaming for Cello and Piano (1892/1937); Henry Cowell’s Seven Paragraphs for String Trio (1925); John Adams’s Shaker Loops for String Septet (1978); and Dvorák’s String Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 97, “American.” The musicians include Jennifer Frautschi and Laura Frautschi, violins; Colin Jacobsen, violin and viola; Nicholas Cords, viola; Edward Arron and Eric Jacobsen, cello; Kurt Muroki, bass; and Bernard Rose, piano. Saturday, May 12, 2012, at 7:00 p.m.

CONCERTS CELEBRATING THE NEW GALLERIES FOR THE ART OF THE ARAB LANDS, TURKEY, IRAN, CENTRAL ASIA, AND LATER SOUTH ASIA

Throughout the 2011-2012 season, Metropolitan Museum Concerts will present an array of events in which a diverse selection of artists will perform music from, or inspired by, the regions and cultures represented in the New Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia, opening November 1, 2011.

The new galleries will house the Metropolitan Museum’s preeminent collection of its Department of Islamic Art—one of the most comprehensive gatherings of this material in the world—a completely renovated, expanded, and reinstalled suite of 15 galleries. The organization of the galleries by geographical area will emphasize the rich diversity of the Islamic world, over a span of 1,300 years, by underscoring the many distinct cultures within its fold.

Related concerts will include:

 Hassan Hakmoun Ensemble and Qawal Najmuddin Saifuddin & Brothers – Two famed virtuoso artists and their ensembles perform hypnotic praise songs from North Africa and South Asia. Morocco’s Hassan Hakmoun Ensemble, representing the Gnaoua spiritual trance tradition, and Pakistan’s Qawal Najmuddin Saifuddin & Brothers, belonging to the Sufi Qawwali tradition, perform their distinctive music and come together for a specially created finale. Saturday, October 29, 2011, at 7:00 p.m.

This program is generously supported by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art. The appearance of Najmuddin Saifuddin & Brothers is part of Caravanserai: a place where cultures meet. Caravanserai is a groundbreaking initiative designed to open and expand the dialogue between American communities and contemporary Muslim societies using the arts as a point of entry and is managed by Arts Midwest on behalf of the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations.

Hassan Hakmoun Ensemble and Qawal Najmuddin Saifuddin & Brothers – Music for Families The Hassan Hakmoun Ensemble and the Qawal Najmuddin Saifuddin & Brothers perform an hour-long family program highlighting aspects of the Gnaoua and Qawwali traditions, including drumming solos and acrobatic dancing. This program is generously supported by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art. Sunday, October 30, 2011, at 3:00 p.m.

This program is generously supported by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art. The appearance of Najmuddin Saifuddin & Brothers is part of Caravanserai: a place where cultures meet. Caravanserai is a groundbreaking initiative designed to open and expand the dialogue between American communities and contemporary Muslim societies using the arts as a point of entry and is managed by Arts Midwest on behalf of the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations.

Tablaphilia - A symphony for Indian tabla (drum) players and vocalists under the musical direction and conducting of tabla maestro and composer Samir Chatterjee. Tablaphilia interprets the four stages of life (asharamas) of Hindu philosophy— Bramhacharya, Garhastha, Banaprastha, and Sanyasa—through abstract drum language. Monday, October 31, at 6:30 p.m. in The Great Hall

“In the Footsteps of Babur: Musical Encounters from the Lands of the Mughals” – Featuring musicians Homayun Sakhi, Afghan rubab; Rahul Sharma, santur; Salar Nader, tabla and zerbaghali; Sirojiddin Juraev, dutar and tanbur; and Mukhtor Muborakqadomov, Badakhshani setar, this is a program of new music developed from an artistic collaboration supported by the Aga Khan Music Initiative. Inspired by visual images and literary descriptions of exuberant music-making in the Mughal courts, the Music Initiative brings together musicians from Afghanistan, India, and Tajikistan with the aim of merging their talents, traditions, and musical instruments to create new sounds. This event is presented in collaboration with the Aga Khan Music Initiative, a program of the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. Friday, December 9, at 7:00 p.m.

Metropolitan Museum Artists in Concert – The Museum’s acclaimed ensemble performs a program inspired by the galleries: Strauss’s Four Pieces for Piano Quartet; Sulkhan Tsintsadze’s Miniatures for String Quartet; Vache Sharafyan’s Adumbrations of the Peacock for Piano Quartet (2003); the world premiere of a work by ensemble member and composer Colin Jacobsen; and Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet in G Minor, Op. 57. The musicians include Colin Jacobsen and Jesse Mills, violins; Nicholas Cords, viola; Edward Arron, cello; and Andrew Armstrong, piano. This concert is generously supported by the Brodsky Family Foundation. Saturday, December 17, 2011, at 7:00 p.m.

Kayhan Kalhor – The internationally acclaimed virtuoso on the kamancheh (Persian bowed string instrument), known for his collaboration with Yo-Yo Ma’s Silk Road Project, is a three-time Grammy nominee. For his only solo New York performance of the season, he performs an evening of traditional Persian music. Saturday, January 28, 2012, at 7:00 p.m.

Fazil Say – The acclaimed Turkish pianist and composer, known for his work with jazz as well as classical repertoire, performs a program featuring, in addition to Janáček’s Piano Sonata and Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata No. 7, a number of his own works: Black Earth, Three Ballades, Paganini Jazz Variations, Inside Serail, Alla Turca Jazz, and Summertime Variations. Friday, April 20, 2012, at 7:00 p.m.

Jordi Savall – The “early music superstar” (The New York Times) returns to the Metropolitan Museum with “La Lira D’Espéria,” a program of dances, lamentos, and stampitte in the Mediterranean cultures. Jordi Savall performs on the rebab, vielle, and lira, and is joined by Dimitri Psonis playing santur, morisca, and percussion. Tuesday, June 12, 2012, at 7:00 p.m.

Cirène – An ensemble of some of New York’s best young artists – led by violinist Colin Jacobsen (Metropolitan Museum Artists in Concert, The Knights, Brooklyn Rider) – Cirène reimagines timeless tales from around the world and crafts them into presentations of dance, music, and live painting and animation. For this family concert inspired by the new galleries, folktales of the region will be set to original music, dance, and live animation. Saturday, June 16, 2012, at 3:00 p.m.

CONCERTS COMPLEMENTING EXHIBITIONS & COLLECTION

Angélique Kidjo – Saturday, October 1, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. Exhibition: Heroic Africans: Legendary Leaders, Iconic Sculptures. Called “Africa’s premier diva” by Time magazine, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Angélique Kidjo performs traditional folk songs from her native Benin with her fellow countryman Lionel Loueke, guitar. The rich multicultural heritage of Benin (formerly Dahomey) is brought to life with Kidjo’s unique blend of Zilin vocal technique and jazz vocalese.

The exhibition, on view September 20, 2011 – January 29, 2012, will consider eight landmark sculptural traditions from West and Central Africa created between the 13th and early 20th century in terms of the individuals who inspired their creation. The exhibition is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Arts and The Ceil & Michael E. Pulitzer Foundation, Inc. The exhibition was organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, in collaboration with the Museum Rietberg, Zurich.

Vince Giordano – Friday, October 21, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. Exhibition: Stieglitz and His Artists: Matisse to O'Keeffe. Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks will rediscover musical gems of Scott Joplin, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, and others who, with New York City as their backdrop, wrote ragtime, pop, Broadway, jazz, and early film music. The exhibition, on view October 13, 2011 – June 2, 2012, is the first large-scale presentation of paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints from Alfred Stieglitz's collection, acquired by the Metropolitan in 1949.

Patti Smith – Friday, December 2, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. Exhibition: Stieglitz and His Artists: Matisse to O'Keeffe Patti Smith, Jesse Smith, and friends will salute Alfred Stieglitz and his circle, focusing on his collaborative relationship with Georgia O’Keeffe. The rock icon performs her ninth concert at the Metropolitan Museum in a program devoted to the role of artist and muse. The exhibition, on view October 13, 2011 – June 2, 2012, is the first large-scale presentation of paintings, sculptures, drawings, and prints from Alfred Stieglitz's collection, acquired by the Metropolitan in 1949.

Thomas Hampson, Baritone – Sunday, January 22, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. in The Charles Engelhard Court, The American Wing. New American Wing Galleries for Paintings, Sculpture, and Decorative Arts Great American baritone Thomas Hampson and pianist Craig Rutenberg present “Song of America,” a panorama of American song, with music by Copland, Barber, Ives, Hopkinson, Griffes, Thomson, and others. This is Hampson’s only New York recital of the season. The new galleries, the final stage of the renovation of the American Wing, open January 16, 2012.

TENET – Friday, February 3, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. Exhibition: The Renaissance Portrait from Donatello to Bellini. One of New York’s preeminent early music ensembles, TENET performs “Portraits in Song: Renaissance Italy from Ciconia to Petrucci,” a program of songs and instrumental music from 15th-century Italian composers, featuring lyric poetry on themes of love, desire, and more. Jolle Greenleaf, soprano and the ensemble’s artistic director, is joined by Ryland Angel, countertenor; Jason McStoots and Aaron Sheehan, tenors; Jesse Blumberg, baritone; Grant Herreid, plectrum lute; Scott Metcalfe, vielle and harp; and Debra Nagy, recorder, douçaine, and harp. The exhibition, on view December 21, 2011 – March 18, 2012, brings together paintings, medals, drawings, and sculpture that testify to the new vogue for and uses of portraiture in 15th-century Italy.

Cappella Romana – Friday, March 30, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. Exhibition: Byzantium and Islam: Age of Transition (7th-9th Century). Cappella Romana, the vocal chamber ensemble devoted to exploration of the early and contemporary musical traditions of the Christian East and West, performs “Desert and City: Medieval Byzantine Music of the Holy Land,” a program of music of the Easter season composed in and around Jerusalem during the seventh to ninth centuries by the city’s great church fathers of the period. It also features excerpts of the Great Vespers for the Feast of St. Catherine of Alexandria as it might have been celebrated in the Sinai, Egypt, during the 15th century. The exhibition is on view March 14 – July 8, 2012. The exhibition is made possible by the Stavros S. Niarchos Foundation and The Hagop Kevorkian Fund.

Chanticleer – Thursday, May 3, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. in The Charles Engelhard Court, The American Wing. New American Wing Galleries for Paintings, Sculpture, and Decorative Arts. The acclaimed vocal ensemble’s annual program at the Metropolitan Museum features new works by living American composers in honor of the recently completed American Wing renovation. The new galleries, the final stage of the renovation of the American Wing, open January 16, 2012.

Metropolitan Museum Artists in Concert – Saturday, May 12, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. New American Wing Galleries for Paintings, Sculpture, and Decorative Arts. The Museum’s acclaimed ensemble performs a program of American works: Amy Beach’s Dreaming for Cello and Piano (1892/1937); Henry Cowell’s Seven Paragraphs for String Trio (1925); John Adams’s Shaker Loops for String Septet (1978); and Dvorák’s String Quintet in E-flat Major, Op. 97, “American.” The musicians include Jennifer Frautschi and Laura Frautschi, violins; Colin Jacobsen, violin and viola; Nicholas Cords, viola; Edward Arron and Eric Jacobsen, cello; Kurt Muroki, bass; and Bernard Rose, piano. This concert is generously supported by the Brodsky Family Foundation. The new galleries, the final stage of the renovation of the American Wing, open January 16, 2012.

HOLIDAY CONCERTS

“Hearing a concert in the historic intimacy of the Medieval Sculpture Hall is an essential New York experience,” wrote The New Yorker. This season’s holiday music offerings include the return of the Vienna Boys Choir and the Metropolitan Museum debut of Paul Winter.

The concerts in the Medieval Sculpture Hall are presented in front of the Museum’s Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche. The exhibit of the crèche is made possible by gifts to The Christmas Tree Fund and the Loretta Hines Howard Fund.

Chanticleer - The renowned vocal ensemble’s annual holiday program – of which there are six performances – celebrates the mystery and wonder of Christmas with traditional carols, medieval and Renaissance sacred works, and new holiday music. Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday, November 29 & 30 and December 1, 2011, at 6:30 & 8:30 p.m., in the Medieval Sculpture Hall

Ebony Ecumenical Ensemble, formed to preserve, promote, and perform the music of the African-American religious experience, celebrates the holiday season with gospel music, spirituals, anthems, and carols. Saturday, December 3, 2011, at 7:00 p.m., in Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium

Paul Winter’s musical realm has long embraced the traditions of the world's cultures. For his first performance at the Metropolitan Museum, Winter will perform an intimate seasonal acoustic program with long-time colleague, pianist Paul Sullivan. Tuesday, December 6, 2011. at 6:30 & 8:30 p.m., in the Medieval Sculpture Hall

The Vienna Boys Choir, in its first performances at the Metropolitan Museum since 1953, performs a program of Austrian folk songs and waltzes, popular songs, and holiday favorites. Sunday, December 11, 2011, at 6:30 & 8:45 p.m. in the Medieval Sculpture Hall

Anonymous 4, the acclaimed early music vocal quartet that is marking 25 years together, returns to the Metropolitan Museum with a program combining favorite ancient, traditional, and modern works on themes of love, and music from their many Christmas and Marian programs. Thursday, December 15, 2011, at 6:30 & 8:30 p.m. in the Medieval Sculpture Hall

Voices of Ascension performs Christmas music for unaccompanied voices including Renaissance nativity motets, classical favorites, and modern arrangements of carols. Sunday, December 18, 2011, at 6:30 & 8:30 p.m. in the Medieval Sculpture Hall

Burning River Brass performs a holiday program of time-honored carols and its own Burning River Nutcracker. Tuesday, December 20, 2011, at 6:30 & 8:30 p.m. in the Medieval Sculpture Hall

Judy Collins, one of folk music’s most celebrated icons, returns to the Metropolitan Museum after a performance at The Temple of Dendur in The Sackler Wing in 2010, with a holiday program of seasonal favorites and classic hits. Friday, December 23, 2011, at 7:00 p.m., in Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium

FAMILY CONCERTS AND DANCE

The 2011-2012 season features five events geared to families, and an evening of flamenco:

Nayibe La Gitana – The salsa singer performs a family concert in commemoration of Latino Heritage Month, joined by La Tribu Orchestra and legendary salsero Rafael de Jesus. Sunday, October 9, 2011, at 3:00 p.m.

“Ecstatic Music!” Family Concert – The Hassan Hakmoun Ensemble and Qawal Najmuddin Saifuddin & Brothers perform an hour-long family program highlighting aspects of the Gnaoua and Qawwali traditions, including drumming solos and acrobatic dancing. Sunday, October 30, 2011, at 3:00 p.m. This event is presented in conjunction with the opening of the New Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia on November 1, 2011. This program is generously supported by the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art. The appearance of Qawal Najmuddin Saifuddin & Brothers is part of Caravanserai: a place where cultures meet. Caravanserai is a groundbreaking initiative designed to open and expand the dialogue between American communities and contemporary Muslim societies using the arts as a point of entry and is managed by Arts Midwest on behalf of the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations.

Compañia Flamenca Jose Porcel – This celebrated company of dancers, musicians, and a vocal soloist perform a program focusing on the oldest form of flamenco from Andalusia – gypsy (roma) flamenco. Friday, November 4, 2011, at 7:00 p.m.

“The Garden of Rikki Tikki Tavi”- The Rudyard Kipling tale of a mongoose who teams up with a self-involved bird and a gentle muskrat to rid their garden of a cobra is adapted for the stage by Y York and performed by Mile Square Theatre. Saturday, November 19, 2011, at 3:00 p.m.

Dan Zanes – New York’s celebrated family performer invites the audience to sing and dance to drums, upright bass, mandolin, electric guitar, trumpet, fiddle, and spoons. Sunday, April 1, 2012, at 3:00 p.m.

Cirène is an ensemble of some of New York’s best young artists – led by violinist Colin Jacobsen (Metropolitan Museum Artists in Concert, The Knights, Brooklyn Rider) – that reimagines timeless tales from around the world and crafts them into presentations of dance, music, and live painting and animation. Saturday, June 16, 2012, at 3:00 p.m.

This event is presented in conjunction with the opening of the New Galleries for the Art of the Arab Lands, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, and Later South Asia on November 1, 2011.

MUSIC LECTURES

“Anna Bolena and Hans Holbein: Met Meets Met” with Maryan Ainsworth, Jenny Tiramani, and Angela Meade. In celebration of the Metropolitan Opera’s season opening premiere of Anna Bolena this fall, curator Maryan Ainsworth and costume designer Jenny Tiramani discuss how portraits of the court of Henry VIII inspired Tiramani’s work on the new stage production of Donizetti’s tragic opera. Tiramani interpreted the evidence in paintings by Hans Holbein the Younger to create her extraordinary designs. Rising star soprano Angela Meade, who sings the role of Anna Bolena in the Metropolitan Opera production, will perform two arias from the Donizetti masterpiece. Wednesday, September 21, 2011, at 6:00 p.m.

“On Imprisoning Violins” with Jayson Kerr Dobney and Sean Carpenter. Jayson Kerr Dobney, Associate Curator and Administrator in the Department of Musical Instruments, and Sean Carpenter, violinist and co-founder of the Salomé Chamber Orchestra, will address the ongoing controversy about whether examples of fine instruments should be kept in museums or used by performers. This lecture will examine the context of violin collection in the United States, and the tension between preservation and performance. Wednesday, October 12, 2011, at 6:00 p.m.

“Musical Conversations with June LeBell and Friends” Broadcaster, lecturer, and American musical theater aficionada June LeBell presents two lectures focusing on the music of the first half of the 20th century, when Alfred Stieglitz was a dominant figure in New York cultural life. October 18: “George Gershwin’s New York City” features performances by special guests. October 25: “Irving Berlin’s New York City” – June is joined by Mary Ellin Barrett, author of Irving Berlin: A Daughter’s Memoir, as well as special guest performers. Tuesdays, October 18 & 25, 2011, at 2:30 p.m.

“Piano Fever” with J. Kenneth Moore and Stuart Isacoff. J. Kenneth Moore, the Frederick P. Rose Curator in Charge of the Department of Musical Instruments, and Stuart Isacoff, the author of A Natural History of the Piano: From Mozart to Modern Jazz and Everything In Between, will explore the fascinating story of the piano in two lectures that will include displays of instruments from the Museum’s collection and live performances. January 11

“The Birth of the Piano” January 18: “How Composers and Performers Changed the Sound of the Piano” Wednesdays, January 11 & 18, 2012, at 2:30 p.m.

“The Arab Contribution to Western Music” with Nimet Habachy Without the brilliant and sophisticated music that informed the courts of Cairo, Baghdad, and Damascus, European music, as we know it today, would be very different. Arabic music traveled west with Jewish troubadours and took root in Moorish Spain. With musical examples from both worlds performed live by Simon Shaheen, the renowned violinist and oudist, we can trace the influence of music of the Arab World to Mozart’s Magic Flute and The Abduction from the Seraglio. Nimet Habachy is a lecturer and writer on music. Wednesday, February 1, 2012, at 6:00

“La Belle Epoque” with David Dubal In a lecture series inspired by the exhibition The Steins Collect: Matisse, Picasso, and the Parisian Avant-Garde, pianist, teacher, writer, and broadcaster David Dubal synthesizes the artistic activity in Paris during the early decades of the 20th century in four lectures that will feature performances by students of The Juilliard School.

February 8: “Impressionism, Gabriel Fauré, Claude Debussy, and Maurice Ravel

February 15: “Isaac Albéniz, Manuel de Falla, and Igor Stravinsky in Picasso’s Paris”

February 22: “Dadaism, Eric Satie, and Les Six”

February 29: “The Franco-American Years: Nadia Boulanger, Aaron Copland, Virgil Thomson”

Wednesdays, February 8, 15, 22 & 29, 2012, at 2:30 p.m.

The Steins Collect: Matisse, Picasso, and the Parisian Avant-Garde is on view February 28 – June 3, 2012. The exhibition is made possible by The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation and the Janice H. Levin Fund. Additional support provided by The Daniel and Estrellita Brodsky Foundation. It was organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Réunion des Musées Nationaux-Grand Palais, Paris. It is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.