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Widely credited as one of the greatest artistic achievements of the 20th century, Einstein on the Beach is a rarely performed and revolutionary work launched director Robert Wilson and composer Philip Glass to international success when it was first produced in Avignon, France in 1976. Lindsay Kesselman will sing with the Phillip Glass Ensemble for the duration of the opera’s 2012-2012 international tour. She’ll also be guest blogging on umsLOBBY.

Your chance to ask the young British ensemble Stile Antico some questions. Working without a conductor, the 12 members of Stile Antico rehearse and perform as chamber musicians, each contributing artistically to the end result. Their performances have been repeatedly praised for their vitality and commitment, expressive lucidity, and imaginative response to text.

Many of us began our relationship with classical music by participating in band in elementary school, middle school, high school, college and beyond. This week, we’re celebrating this connection with a contest. Submit your best old photos. Winner (selected by a panel of UMS Staff well-versed in band photos) receives a pair of tickets to the legendary Canadian Brass! Three runners up will receive iTunes giftcards.

UMS first presented Handel’s Messiah in December of 1879. We’re kicking off a webisode series of Messiah Memories. In this episode, Jerry Blackstone, long-time Messiah conductor, forgets his jacket on the day of the performance. Comment below with your own Messiah Memories!

Editor’s Note: UMS will present “A Night in Treme:The Musical Majesty of New Orleans,” a night of New Orleans jazz featuring the Rebirth Brass Band, this Friday, November 11 at Hill Auditorium….

UMS is presenting AnDa Union from Inner Mongolia this Wednesday, November 9th. Discover this group’s incredible history, and learn more about Asia Series at UMS in the video below.

Audra McDonald performed at Hill Auditorium on Nov 4. A brief Q&A session with U-M Musical Theatre students preceded the performance. Sarah Bichsel, UMS Social Media Intern, attended and transcribed this session.

George Shirley, U of M Joseph Edgar Maddy Distinguished University Emeritus Professor of Voice, discusses the rise of the countertenor and the history of castrati. UMS presents French countertenor Philippe Jaroussky in with Apollo’s Fire baroque orchestra on November 3rd at Hill Auditorium.

Flamenco is a living art form. Joseph Pratt, a flamenco and classical guitarist of 20 years, guides through this extraordinary music, and introduces Diego el Cigala, one of today’s most exciting flamenco singers and musicians.