February & March Digital Events

By UMS

All of our digital presentations are free-of-charge to audiences everywhere, and we hope that you will share them with friends and family near and far. Please join us for these upcoming programs, and sign up to receive email notifications of new presentations and live streams.

February —

Sphinx Virtuosi: This Is America

Streaming through Feb 8

The Sphinx Virtuosi draws inspiration from the most promising voices of today, seeking to lift the many voices within our communities. This program includes works by Michael Abels, a versatile composer of both cinema scores and symphonies; Jessie Montgomery, whose Source Code redefines the classical music canon; and a new work by Xavier Foley. These works, both archival and newly recorded, lift the voices of black and brown communities through the lens of the Sphinx Virtuosi, composed of black and brown musicians.

Exclusive Presenting Sponsor: Helmet F. and Candice J. Stern Endowment Fund

This Digital Arts Adventure is made possible by the University of Michigan Credit Union

Additional Activity

Sphinx Virtuosi Artists in Conversation

Watch Live Mon Feb 8 at 5:30 pm ET

Join Sphinx Virtuosi artists Gabriel Cabezas, Bill Neri, and Melissa White to discuss the UMS Digital Presentation This Is America, which streams January 29 – February 8. Hosted by UMS’s Vice President of Education and Community Engagement, Cayenne Harris, this live, wide-ranging discussion will explore the music featured on the presentation, classical music as a tool for social impact, and the personal experiences of these three accomplished artists.

Grow Glow Go: The Sankofa of Black Dance

In Dialogue with Cleo Parker Robinson and Neil Barclay

Wed Feb 10 at 5:30 pm ET

Choreographer, dance pioneer and visionary Cleo Parker Robinson joins her friend Neil Barclay, President and CEO of the Charles H. Wright Museum, for a wide-ranging conversation about the complexities of Black identity in dance. Those tuning in are invited to ask questions and participate in the discussion.

Part of Cleo Parker Robinson’s Digital Artist Residency with UMS, this special event is part of Open Space, an artist connectivity series devoted to addressing pressing issues in the field of dance, and is presented in partnership with the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD), the Charles H. Wright Museum, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, Sheffield Global Arts Management, and KMP Artists.

Presented in partnership with the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD), the Charles H. Wright Museum, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, Sheffield Global Arts Management, and KMP Artists.

Lead Presenting Sponsors: Linh and Dug Song
Funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts

James Ehnes, violin, and Orion Weiss, piano

On Demand Feb 14 – 24

Two of today’s most sought-after recitalists on the international stage join forces for a special concert filmed in Florida for UMS audiences. The program features Schubert’s Sonatina in g minor and Saint-Saëns’ Sonata No. 1 in d minor, both for violin and piano.

Presenting Sponsors: Gil Omenn and Martha Darling

Supporting Sponsor:

Patron Sponsors: Joel Howell and Linda Samuelson

Additional Activity

Virtual Master Class with James Ehnes

Fri Feb 12 at 4:30 pm ET

Join renowned violin soloist James Ehnes for a free Zoom masterclass with students from the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre & Dance.

March —

Some Old Black Man

Encore Presentation! On Demand Mar 1 – 12

After the three-day premiere screening of Some Old Black Man in January, we received hundreds of messages from audiences in all 50 states and 32 countries, with many writing that seeing “live” theater again, and this production in particular, was a highlight of the pandemic.

As we approach the one-year mark with no live performances, we are delighted to announce that we’re able to make the play available again. If you missed it in January, don’t miss it again!

Lead Presenting Sponsors:
Tim and Sally Petersen

Presenting Sponsors:

Newmarket LLC

Funded in part by
UMS Sustaining Directors
Jerry and Dale Kolins Endowment Fund

Playing with Fire: Jeannette Sorrell and the Mysteries of Conducting

On Demand Mar 12 – 21

Two-time Oscar-winning director Allan Miller takes us behind the scenes to explore the mysterious art of conducting. The documentary film follows GRAMMY®-winning conductor Jeannette Sorrell, one of today’s most interesting conductors and a vivid interpreter of baroque and classical music. Sorrell, who was told by The Juilliard School and The Cleveland Orchestra that no one would hire a woman conductor, formed her own Baroque orchestra, Apollo’s Fire, to immediate acclaim.

National Arab Orchestra

Arab Women in Music: The Works of Asmahan and Umm Kulthum

Michael Ibrahim, artistic director and conductor
Lubana Al Quntar and Mai Farouk, singers

On Demand Mar 26 – Apr 5

This digital offering celebrating the contributions of Arab women to the arts was filmed at the Ithra Theatre in Saudia Arabia last year by the National Arab Orchestra and features music made famous by two outstanding female singers, Asmahan and Umm Kulthum, who catalyzed a period of creative vibrancy in Egypt during the middle of the 20th century. Lubana Al Quntar, a descendent of Asmahan’s family, and Mai Farouk, a specialist in Tarab who has sung the works of Umm Kulthum in major venues around the world, bring their striking voices and unique artistry to this special program.

Supporting Sponsor: Louise Taylor

This Digital Arts Adventures is made possible in part by the University of Michigan Credit Union