Mondavi Center Announces 2019-20 Season

The Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts, UC Davis announces its 18th season of performing arts, filled with the leading artists in music, dance and theater alongside an insightful group of speakers. The season begins on Sunday, September 29, with a family-friendly performance from gospel true-believers Trey McLaughlin & The Sounds of Zamar and concludes June 7, 2020 with the Alexander String Quartet finishing a two-year cycle of the complete Shostakovich string quartets.

The Mondavi Center's Orchestra series, sponsored by Western Health Advantage, kicks off January 25, 2020 with Pinchas Zukermanleading the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as both conductor and violin soloist in a program featuring Bruch's violin concerto and Brahms' first symphony. The Academy of St Martin in the Fields, with music director Joshua Bell, returns to the Mondavi Center stage on Leap Day, Saturday February 29, 2020, to perform Beethoven's iconic fifth symphony. Finally, we bid farewell to Michael Tilson Thomas as the music director of the San Francisco Symphony with Mahler's Symphony No. 9 in D Major (March 7, 2020).

Joshua Bell makes his first appearance of the season at the Mondavi Center on November 2, 2019 in recital on the Concert series, sponsored this season by UC Davis Health. Fellow violinist Daniel Hope leads the Zurich Chamber Orchestra (November 19, 2019) in a program pairing Vivaldi's classic Four Seasons with German composer Max Richter's riveting re-interpretation of the piece. PianistVladimir Feltsman (April 3, 2020) concludes a three-year cycle of recitals with an evening of works by Beethoven and Schubert.

Two more classical violinists make compelling appearances in the 2019-20 Season: Itzhak Perlman (January 11, 2020) returns, not in recital, but as a raconteur, telling stories about his remarkable life and career. He will be accompanied by Rohan de Silva, his longtime musical partner, and will illustrate his tales with musical excerpts. Cho-Liang Lin (May 8, 2020) is joined in recital by Jon Kimura Parker, performing a program entitled Inspired by America, with works by Ravel, Dvo?ák and Copland.

The Curtis Institute of Music touring arm, Curtis on Tour, brings its resident string quartet, the Vera Quartet and pianist Meng-Chieh Liu in a free, ticketed event on March 8, 2020, that features Beethoven's Quartet No. 4 in C Minor and the Franck Piano Quintet in F Minor.

The Mondavi Center has been a major presenter of modern dance since it opened in 2002, and a landmark moment in its history as a presenter was the presentation of Merce Cunningham's company in 2008. Honoring what would have been Cunningham's 100th birthday,CNDC d'Angers (November 16, 2019) and Artistic Director Robert Swinston bring together two of Cunningham's landmark works,Beach Birds and BIPED, each with live musical accompaniment. Tania Pérez-Salas Compañía de Danza (April 25, 2020) returns to the Mondavi Center stage for the first time in more than a decade, presenting a repertory program that includes Las Aguas del Olvido, in which dancers move on a gigantic pool of water. Since its establishment in 2012, Cuba's Malpaso Dance Company (May 6, 2020) has become one of the most sought-after dance troupes. Its Mondavi Center debut features Indomitable Waltz by Aszure Barton and Tabula Rasa by Ohed Nahrin.

Classical ballet fans will be thrilled to witness one of the world's preeminent ballet companies, the Shanghai Ballet, in its production of Giselle (February 23, 2020), a romantic ballet masterwork replete with supernatural spirits and heartbreak.

The Studio Jazz series (sponsored by Capital Public Radio) takes place in the Sacramento region's finest jazz cabaret club, the Vanderhoef Studio Theatre. This season features a glimpse at the international flavor of jazz with American drummer, composer and arrangerKendrick Scott leading his forward-thinking Oracle band (October 23-26, 2019), the pensive, elegiac music of the Tord Gustavsen Trio from Norway settling in from January 22-25, 2020, and Chilean saxophonist Melissa Aldana and her Quartet (March 4-7, 2020), whose sets will include Aldana's suite, Visions for Frida Kahlo.

The Jackson Hall Jazz series takes place on our larger stage, every inch of which will be put to use with the Metropole Orkest (March 27, 2020), a 40+ piece jazz orchestra from the Netherlands that will pay tribute to the iconic career of Quincy Jones in its Mondavi Center debut. Earlier that week, pianist Alfredo Rodríguez and percussionist Pedrito Martinez (March 21, 2020) will perform a duo concert that will not want for virtuosity or fireworks. Finally, MONK + MONK'estra (May 9, 2020) is a cinematic experience that pairs vintage footage of Thelonious Monk with John Beasley's ingenious arrangements, in a perfectly synced performance that is the closest most people will get to seeing the late jazz master perform.

In her fourth appearance at the Mondavi Center, Cécile McLorin Salvant (March 9, 2020) displays yet another facet of her brilliant talent, leading a large ensemble in Ogresse, a song cycle she created with arranger and conductor Darcy James Argue. A work both musical and narrative, Ogresse is a fairytale-like musical journey about a female ogre who falls in love with a man and, in the end, devours him.

The writer of countless classic tunes including "Angel from Montgomery," "Sam Stone" and "Hello in There," American treasureJohn Prine makes his Mondavi Center debut as the first show in the Hallmark Inn, Davis-sponsored American Heritage series on October 4, 2019. Featuring the music of Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith and Ethel Waters, as well as a nine-piece band (fronted by Mike Mwenso of Mwenso and the Shakes) with three dancers, Harlem 100 (November 22, 2019) celebrates one of the most influential artistic movements of our country and gives insight into Harlem then and now. An Acoustic Evening with Mary Chapin Carpenter & Shawn Colvin (December 8, 2019) is a pairing of folk legends, multi-Grammy winners, exceptional songwriters and singers and long-time friends sharing the stage.

Barbara K. Jackson's legacy lives on in the Barbara K. Jackson Rising Stars of Opera annual concert (October 5, 2019). Still free to the public thanks to Barbara's generosity, the concert this year features three singers from the San Francisco Opera's Adler Fellows program (Ashley Dixon, mezzo-soprano; Christopher Colmenero and Christopher Oglesby, tenors) performing in recital and with the support of the UC Davis Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Mark Morash.

Luca Pisaroni (October 17, 2019) is an Italian bass-baritone whose charisma and versatility have made him in demand across the globe. His recital will draw from his signature interpretations of works by Beethoven, Schönberg, Rossini, Brahms and Bach to name just a few.

Visions events bring innovative artists to spaces that encourage engagement and discovery. Musica Nuda (November 13-16, 2019) is an Italian duo of double bass and voice that fuse elements of jazz, rock and classical in a stripped-down show that playfully explores the meanings of familiar songs. The Spektral Quartet (January 31-February 1, 2020) is a Chicago-based ensemble that draws listeners in with charismatic deliveries and interactive concert formats; the quartet appears in partnership with the UC Davis Department of Music as part of its Taproot Composition Festival.

Rosie Kay Dance Company's 5 Soldiers (February 26-28, 2020) is a thrilling and humane portrait of army life. The dance-theater piece tells the story of five men and women serving on the front line and is based on Kay's experience observing and working with the British military.

Traditional folk music gets a moderntwist, when members of the Danish String Quartet reinterpret Nordic roots music in Dreamer's Circus (March 13-14, 2020). Sandbox Percussion (April 17 & 19, 2020) revitalizes contemporary music with performances that are visceral, inventive and joyfully collaborative.

Pianist Lara Downes & Friends (May 7, 2020) pay tribute to singerJudy Collins' remarkable 50-year musical legacy, with Collins appearing as a special guest on this celebratory evening.

The Mondavi Center offers families the opportunity to share the joy of the performing arts with a number of unique performances aimed at kids and their adults. The season opening Trey McLaughlin & The Sounds of Zamar (September 29, 2019) will take the audience "to church" with their rich harmonies, soulful arrangements and original compositions. Another group of singers who are not strangers to lifting up an audience is Ladysmith Black Mambazo (February 15, 2020). The group invites generations to celebrate its a cappella harmonies in a family matinee. Australia's Circa (February 6-9, 2020) continues to push the human body to its limits, and its new performance, Humans, takes its storytelling and acrobatic prowess to new heights. Momix(October 13, 2019) has surprised and delighted multiple generations with its iconic movement and transfixing visual effects. Its latest show,VIVA Momix features a collection of Momix's greatest creations.Yamato (April 5, 2020) has energized and transformed the world of Taiko drumming with a young, male and female cast and high-octane production values. An alumni of kid-rock pioneer Dan Zanes' band,Sonia De Los Santos sings in English and Spanish, uniting people from different cultural backgrounds through music (May 31, 2020).

When artists are seriously good, but do not take themselves too seriously, they are a perfect fit for the With A Twist series, sponsored by Hyatt Place UC Davis. Pink Martini (December 17, 2019) has made multiple sold-out appearances at the Mondavi Center. This year they land in December with singer China Forbes and are sure to bring some holiday cheer along with their cosmopolitan sounds. Another favorite is Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (March 13, 2020), an all-male ballet troupe celebrating more than 40 years of dancing en pointe and on all the conventions of the dance world. Austria's Mnozil Brass (March 20, 2020) merges high-level musicianship and tomfoolery, with physical comedy and inspired song choices conspiring for a night of hilarity.

The only group to appear on every Mondavi Center season, theAlexander String Quartet enters the second and final year of its complete Shostakovich String Quartets cycle. The four performances take place October 13, 2019, December 8, 2019, January 5, 2020 and June 7, 2020, with musicologist Robert Greenberg providing commentary during the 2 p.m. performances and the Alexander String Quartet hosting a Q&A session following the 7 p.m. performances.

There's no place like home for the holidays, especially if home isIreland. Danú brings An Emerald Isle Christmas to Davis on December 14, 2019, with music, song and colorful Irish step dancers evoking Ireland during the holiday season. And for that other Irish holiday, St. Patrick's Day, two young Irish groups, The High Kingsand Socks in the Frying Pan, will lead the annual festivities on March 17, 2020.

Celebrating the music, dance and rituals of Mexico's Día de losMuertos, Lila Downs (October 10, 2019) launches the large-scale production Calavera at the Mondavi Center, with appearances by Grandeza Mexicana Folk Ballet Company and Mariachi Femenil Flores Mexicana. Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain (October 18, 2019) have merged genres, styles and techniques as a virtuosic power-trio for more than 10 years. Bokante (May 1, 2020) is a world music supergroup with a deep social conscience headed by vocalist Malika Tirolien from Guadeloupe and Michael League of Snarky Puppy.

A more intimate form of worlds colliding will happen in the Vanderhoef Studio Theatre May 1-2, 2020 when koto master Yumi Kurosawateams up with tabla virtuoso Anubrata Chatterjee for a series of musical conversations.

This year's UC Davis Campus Community Book Project is Gary Younge's Another Day in the Death of America, a powerful non-fiction work that looks at the short lives of 10 minors who were victims of gun violence on one day in America. To accompany Younge's talk on March 2, 2020, the Focus on Film series will feature three free screenings of films that have gun violence at their narrative core:Bonnie and Clyde (November 3, 2019); Badlands (January 12, 2020); and Hell or High Water (May 3, 2020).

Complete information about the Mondavi Center's 2019-20 season of performances, including dates, times, subscription prices and venues will be available online April 8 at mondaviarts.org/subscribe. High-resolution press images, brochures and a season information sheet are available at http://bit.ly/2VkoB3T.