The Redfern's 2009-10 Visiting Artists Series

KEENE, NH, 8/24/2009 - Keene State College’s Redfern Arts Center’s 2009-10 Visiting Artists Series will feature a number of artists who are new to the region. “We are inviting our audiences to make some new friends this year,” said Bill Menezes, the Redfern’s director.

“With the exception of the Acting Company’s Romeo and Juliet, which we are co-presenting with the Colonial Theatre at the Colonial next spring, our visiting artists have not appeared in the region,” explained Menezes. “That is not to say that they are emerging artists. All of them have been performing for many years and have toured nationally and internationally.”

The series will open at the Redfern with a free preview of the entire season on Thursday, September 17, from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Alumni Recital Hall. The preview will include an introduction by Menezes, a showing of video excerpts from performances, and the playing of CDs by the artists. The Redfern staff will be on hand to answer questions about the season and talk about the artists. Light refreshments will be served. Those wishing to attend should call the Redfern box office at 603-358-2168 to reserve their seat.

Not only will the series present new artists, but it will also feature a wide variety of musical genres, opening on September 30 with the most recent Silver Medal 2009 winner of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, Yeol Eum Son. Son is considered among the most important artists of her generation in South Korea and has appeared with the New York, Israel, and Warsaw philharmonic orchestras. Her performances have been described as dynamic and personal. You can see her prize winning performances at www.cliburn.tv.

Wednesday, October 21, will find the Borealis Wind Quintet visiting the region. The New York Times described a recent concert as “a polished, elegantly turned performance.” The spring 2010 season will open with David Krakauer and His Klezmer Madness! Ensemble on Wednesday, January 27. The internationally acclaimed Krakauer and his ensemble hurl the tradition of Klezmer into the 21st century.

The accomplished classical and world-music artists Ethos Percussion Group will appear on Wednesday, February 24. They marry global instruments and playing styles with the conventions of Western chamber music. The highly acclaimed Ying Quartet will celebrate Robert Schuman’s 200th birthday with an evening of his incomparable music on Wednesday, March 3.

St. Patrick’s Day will be honored when the Celtic vocalist and former lead singer of Cherish the Ladies, Cathie Ryan, will appear on Wednesday, March 10. A recent review by the New York Daily News placed her, “in the upper echelons of Irish music singers.” The series of musical treasures will conclude with Phillip Hamilton’s Voices on Tuesday, April 13. Hamilton, who is the most exciting vocalist on the international scene, brings his nine- voice a cappella ensemble to Keene for a performance ranging from barbershop quartet to blues to miners’ songs.

A first for the region will be the introduction of America’s foremost circus arts company, Cirque Mechanic, in its latest creation, Birdhouse Factory. Come and see how a woeful widget factory becomes a frolicsome fun house, as the Mechanic fly, climb, and contort their way through rotating gears, trampoline walls, and aerial loops. For a preview of the show, go to www.birdhousefactoryshow.com. The performance is on Sunday, November 1, at 3 p.m., with a special school performance on Monday, November 2, at 10 a.m.

Besides the Acting Company’s Romeo and Juliet at the Colonial Theatre Wednesday, April 14, 7:30 p.m. and a school performance on the 14th at 9:30 a.m., Avner the Eccentric will appear at the Redfern, on Thursday, November 12. Noted for his hilarious take-no-prisoners comedy, Avner’s the perfect prescription for comic relief.

No season at the Redfern would be complete without a season of modern dance. It will open on Wednesday, October 7, with Kate Weare Company. A bright star in dance, Weare creates work that sticks in your mind. One of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch,” Kinodance Company employs a passion for kinetic arts and a strong belief in interdisciplinary collaborations. The company will be in residence from February 15 to 18 and will present a public performance on Wednesday, February 17. Dayton Contemporary Dance Company will appear on Tuesday, March 23, and features the largest repertoire from African American choreographers in the world.

The Redfern season is made possible through the generosity of the Kingsbury Foundation, the Keene Sentinel, Markem-Imaje, Northeast Delta Dental, C & S Wholesale Grocers, Peerless Insurance, the New England Foundation for the Arts, and the National Endowment for Arts and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Tickets and information are available at the Redfern Arts Center box office, 603-358-2168, or online at www.keene.edu/racbp where you can also view many video clips from the Visiting Artists repertoire. Special memberships with many benefits, including free tickets, are also available at the Redfern box office or online.