June Issue 2002
An Appalachian Summer Festival in Boone, NC, Unveils 2002 Season Line-Up
Appalachian State University's month-long whirlwind
of top-notch music, dance, theatre, and visual arts programs -
otherwise known as An Appalachian Summer Festival- has
put the finishing touches on its 2002 season.
The annual arts celebration, slated for June 28 through July 27
on the Appalachian campus in Boone, NC, once again promises the
exciting mix of performing and visual artists that festival audiences
across North Carolina and the southeastern US have come to expect.
Entering its eighteenth season, An Appalachian Summer Festival
has been named for many years as one of the "top twenty events
in the Southeast" (by the Southeast Tourism Society) and
is now regarded as one of the nation's leading regional arts festivals.
What distinguishes An Appalachian Summer Festival from
other summer arts festivals, say many, is the festival's relaxed
mountain setting and scenic beauty (in the heart of western North
Carolina's High Country, about two hours northwest of Charlotte,
NC), combined with the breadth and quality of its artistic programs.
Under the artistic direction of Gil Morgenstern, the festival's
music, dance, theatre and visual arts programs feature world renowned
performers and visual artists, as well as some of the most exciting
"up and coming" artists of tomorrow - all in a casual,
friendly setting. "As close as North Carolina gets to having
its own Spoleto," proclaims the Charlotte Observer.
Music:
Two distinguished symphony orchestras will take the festival stage
this season. The North Carolina Symphony Pops under the baton
of William Henry Curry will return for its traditional concert.
Back by popular demand this season is also the celebrated Eastern
Philharmonic Orchestra, which received rave reviews from festival
audiences last season. The orchestra will feature guest artists
Elmar Oliveira, violin - the first and only American ever to win
the Tchaikovsky Competition, and Sharon Isbin, widely regarded
as one of the world's foremost classical guitarists.
The legendary Glenn Miller Orchestra, the band which ingrained
classics such as In The Mood, Chattanooga Choo Choo, Moonlight
Serenade and Tuxedo Junction into the memories of countless
Americans, is not to be missed.
Popular folksinger Mike Cross is renowned for taking North Carolina
tales and music from the front porch to the main stage. "On
stage, Cross is a one-man tour de force, a high-energy
humorist, folksinger and guitar and fiddling virtuoso," writes
The Advocate & Greenwich Time.
Internationally acclaimed singer Jerry Hadley is regarded as one
of the leading American tenors of his generation, and remains
one of the most sought-after singers of our time. Hadley will
perform a vocal recital featuring selections from opera to operetta
to art songs - as well as an informal evening of "cabaret"
combining glorious standards from the Great American Songbook
(Gershwin, Porter, Sondheim, Rodgers and Hart).
The extraordinary Ford Motor Company Chamber Music Series featuring
the Broyhill Chamber Ensemble, as well as a recital by pianist
(and School of Music faculty member) Bair Shagdaron and a recital
by violinist (and Artistic Director) Gil Morgenstern round out
the festival's exciting recital and chamber offerings.
One of the premier performance artists in the world, Laurie Anderson
has consistently intrigued, entertained, and challenged audiences
with her multi-media presentations. Anderson's artistic career
has cast her in roles as various as visual artist, composer, poet,
photographer, filmmaker, ventriloquist, electronics whiz, vocalist
and instrumentalist.
One of the festival's (and the community's) most anticipated events
is always the Outdoor Fireworks Concert, and this year the popular
band "Diamond Rio" headlines the concert. After ten
years, six "Vocal Group of the Year" awards collectively
from the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association,
and 19 "top ten" country hits Diamond Rio has created
one of the most unique sounds in country music history. The band
has successfully combined stunning bluegrass harmonies with a
driving beat, along with some of the most outstanding solo instrumental
work this side of Chet Atkins. Picnicking and fireworks combine
with great music to make this event a true highlight of the summer
season.
Dance
Two of the nation's stellar contemporary dance companies provide
the basis for another memorable dance program this season. The
proclamation of the San Francisco Chronicle says it all:
"The Paul Taylor Dance Company is quite simply, as good as
modern dance can get." Paul Taylor turns everyday movement
into breathtaking art of heart-wrenching beauty. Although the
dancers of Paul Taylor Dance Company have appeared several times
at the festival, audiences can't get enough of this extraordinary
company and its superior artistry.
Making its festival debut is the critically acclaimed Cleo Parker
Robinson Dance, a Denver-based contemporary dance company known
for its unique brand of African dance, ballet, Afro-Brazilian,
jazz, and modern works. The noted company has been lighting up
stages with its high energy, rhythm, and inventive choreography
for more than 30 years.
Theatre
The festival's "Works in Progress Series" forms the
basis of its innovative theatre program. Built upon cutting-edge
collaborations among some of the country's finest playwrights,
musicians, choreographers, composers, and directors who view the
festival as a "haven" and an ideal setting for developing
new works, these theatre offerings are increasingly drawing national
attention for the festival.
With The Art of the Fugitive, Nine Circles Chamber Theatre
creates an evening of words and music, incorporating actors, singers,
works by Bach, Bartók and Messiaen, and newly-commissioned
composers and instrumentalists - all focused on the words and
life of the European Jewish writer Paul Celan. Through a remarkable
interplay of music and words among the four, a fascinating story
is revealed: a story of a poet and composers who witnessed a changed
world following the Holocaust, and who created a new language
- through art - to share their vision of this new world.
A second theatre reading, Henry and Company is an exciting
and touching new musical theatre piece being developed for and
in collaboration with the renowned Metropolitan Opera tenor, Jerry
Hadley. Henry Smith, portrayed by Jerry Hadley, is a successful
novelist who has returned to his hometown of Centerville in the
1980s to deliver a dedication speech for the new university gymnasium.
By re-entering the world of his youth, however, Henry is unwittingly
forced to confront the demons of the past.
Visual Arts
The visual arts, a prominent, and dynamic part of every festival
season, will be represented by the national 16th Rosen Outdoor
Sculpture Competition & Exhibition, offering festival
audiences a fascinating journey into the world of contemporary
sculpture. The popular Sculpture Walk (led by the juror) is scheduled
for the morning of July 27, and at that time, the Rosen Award
Winner will be announced.
An exciting exhibition program entitled The Fantastic Four
will showcase works by four celebrated visual artists: Warren
Dennis, Bill Dunlap, Larry Edwards, and Noyes Capehart Long. An
Appalachian Summer Festival proudly reunites these former
colleagues from Appalachian's Department of Art, in a show not
to be missed. Over the years, each of these accomplished artists
has garnered praise for his work, both locally and nationally.
Shown together, works by these four artists constitute a powerful
and memorable experience for all of those who have followed their
distinguished careers, as well as for those just now being introduced
to their works.
A series of exciting Visual Arts Workshops (for both adults and
children) will also be offered during the course of the festival.
Topics include "Book-Making for Kids" (for ages 5-8)
with workshop leader Sigrid Hice, and four workshops for adults,
including: "What If? An In-Depth Adventure into Creativity"
with Vae Hamilton; "Discover Your Self-Portrait" and
"Let's Go Landscape!" with Nancy Sokolove; and "Jewelry-Making
for Adults" with Margaret Yaukey.
Another aspect of the visual arts program consists of two public
lectures offered at no charge. A "Visual Arts Workshop Preview"
will be presented by Vae Hamilton, Nancy Sokolove and Margaret
Yaukey - three of the artists and workshop leaders for this season's
dynamic Visual Arts Workshop Series. Their presentation will cover
topics ranging from landscape painting to introducing digital
images into collage, to contemporary metals and jewelry work.
The presentation corresponds to the festival's workshop series
and provides a wonderful "introduction" for anyone interested
in joining a visual arts workshop - or simply interested in learning
more about art.
A second lecture will provide a fascinating overview of Appalachian
State University's new regional visual arts center, the Turchin
Center for the Visual Arts. Housed in the former Boone United
Methodist Church building on West King Street in Boone, the new
facility is slated to open in the spring of 2003. In a dynamic
Turchin Center Preview and Slide Presentation, the center's director
and curator Hank Foreman will discuss the center's dynamic programming,
as well as its exciting inaugural season exhibits by internationally
renowned artists, featuring figurative art, Dadaism, Surrealism,
collage and performance art.
The Carol Grotnes Belk Distinguished Lecture, also offered to
the public at no charge, will present writer Sharyn McCrumb, whose
lecture is entitled "Keepers of the Legend." Sharyn
McCrumb is a New York Times best-selling author whose award-winning
novels celebrating the history and folklore of Appalachia have
received both scholarly and popular acclaim.
Last but certainly not least, the festival's annual "Gala
Celebration", scheduled for June 29 at Appalachian House,
the Chancellor's new residence, will serve as an important (and
fun) benefit fundraiser for An Appalachian Summer Festival. Two
additional events, a wine tasting & auction, and a silent
auction and champagne reception, provide an equal measure of enjoyment,
while raising funds for a good cause.
The festival now offers "Mountain Festival Getaway"
packages for overnight visitors to the High Country, consisting
of lodging, festival tickets, and discount coupons for area attractions.
Packages are available through both Blowing Rock's Chetola Resort
and by the Broyhill Inn & Conference Center in Boone.
The festival's 2002 corporate sponsors include Blue Ridge Electric
Membership Corporation, SkyBest Communications (a subsidiary of
Skyline Telephone Membership Corporation), Ford Motor Company,
DeWoolfson Down Products, Cheap Joe's Art Stuff, Charter Communications,
Best Western-Blue Ridge Plaza, Mast General Store and Footsloggers.
For tickets, or to request a season brochure, call the Festival
Box Office at 800/841-ARTS or 828/262-4046 in the Boone area.
The festival's web address is (www.appsummer.org).
For more info check our NC Institutional Gallery listings or call
ASU at 828/262-4046.
Mailing Address: Carolina Arts, P.O. Drawer
427, Bonneau, SC 29431
Telephone, Answering Machine and FAX: 843/825-3408
E-Mail: carolinart@aol.com
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