*This performance has been cancelled, we apologize for any inconvenience. Please join us for the Carillon Rededication Recital on October 25 at 3:00 pm.* Jonathan Lehrer performs on the Charles Baird Carillon, an instrument of 53 bronze bells located inside the Burton Memorial Tower, for a rededication recital in celebration of renovations over the summer. The largest bell, which strikes the hour, weighs 12 tons, while the smallest bell, 4½ octaves above, weighs just 15 pounds. GUEST ARTIST BIO JON LEHRER is the sixth University Carillonist of Michigan State University and the second University Carillonist of Grand Valley State University. A laureate of five international competitions for carillon (including the Queen Fabiola, the Nederlandse Klokkenspel Vereniging, and the Alexius Julien Baroque competitions), he is now a prolific soloist on the global stage, with a CV that includes touring overseas on behalf of the Canada Council for the Arts, teaching masterclasses at Universities across the nation, and performing hundreds of shows on the North American renaissance festival circuit. Jon studied carillon with Geert D’Hollander, Eddy Marien, Koen Cosaert, and Ellen Dickenson and holds degrees from Yale University and the Royal Carillon School of Belgium. Having recently retired from data science and cancer research, he is focused on creating moments of beauty for busy university communities, growing the carillon art, and helping to train the next generation of expressive carillon virtuosi. Jon lives in Michigan with his partner Christy and their two cat-café adoptees, Henry and Juliet.

Join us for this annual celebration of singing! This popular concert showcases an array of choral and vocal music performed by the Chamber Choir, Orpheus Singers, University Choir, Men’s Glee Club, Women’s Glee Club, Department of Musical Theatre, and Department of Voice & Opera. Student tickets are not available for this performance. Recommended Ages: 3+ Eugene Rogers, director ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:*

Nathalie Doucet, Director of the Resident Artist Program at Detroit Opera, will lead a master class for students of Voice & Opera and Collaborative Piano, followed by a discussion about the Detroit Opera training program and auditioning for professional young artist programs. Free and open to the public with generous support from the Jessye Norman Master Class Series. GUEST ARTIST BIO NATHALIE DOUCET is an internationally recognized pianist and vocal coach, currently serving as Head of Music and Director of the Resident Artist Program at Detroit Opera. With an illustrious career spanning Europe and North America, she is known for her exceptional artistry, deep musical insight, and dedication to mentoring the next generation of opera talent. Her collaborations include work with leading opera houses and orchestras such as Washington National Opera, Canadian Opera Company, l’Opéra de Montréal, Vancouver Opera, the Dutch National Opera, and the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra. She has also been engaged by renowned institutions including the Bard SummerScape Festival, the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center, and the NTR ZaterdagMatinee series. In Europe, Doucet held prominent positions as Head Coach of the Opera Studio Nederland and Principal Coach at the Dutch National Opera Academy. For over a decade, she was a faculty member at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where she played a pivotal role in shaping young artists. She has also contributed her expertise to the Internationale Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition, Neue Stimmen, and the International Vocal Competition in 's-Hertogenbosch. At Detroit Opera, Doucet brings unmatched experience and vision to the Resident Artist Program, fostering a culture of excellence, growth, and artistic rigor. She is also in demand as a juror, including for the prestigious Metropolitan Opera Laffont Competition, where her discerning ear and artistic integrity continue to make a significant impact on the future of opera.

Born in colonized Ireland just after the turn of the twentieth century, Samuel Beckett wrote about how power works, and how it works on people -- especially the dispossessed and the destitute. His own experience hiding from the Gestapo in the French countryside surfaces in most famous play, *Waiting for Godot* (1953). *Time Passes* presents eight short plays written after Godot, from the late 1950s to the early 1980s. Showcasing Beckett's verbal play and visual precision, as well as his political imagination, they meet our own moment—fierce, funny, uncompromising, and compassionate as ever. +Complimentary tickets are limited to U-M staff members.+ +Register by 10/2+ +Quantities are limited.+ +Register for yourself only.+ +Can't make it? Let us know so your ticket may be released.+ +Tickets may be picked up at Will Call on performance day.+ +To purchase additional tickets, visit the SMTD ticketing link.+ •••••• *This program is part of the Michigan Arts Festival Staff Explorer Pass. In partnership with Voices of the Staff, the U-M Arts Initiative is offering limited complimentary tickets for select campus events and extra special experiences for U-M staff members all throughout October!*

Students from the Department of Voice & Opera perform a recital.

This popular and family-friendly tradition brings together the University Symphony and University Philharmonia Orchestras for a musical celebration of the spooky season. Kenneth Kiesler, artistic director +Complimentary tickets are limited to U-M staff members.+ +Quantities are limited.+ +Register for yourself only.+ +Can't make it? Let us know so your ticket may be released.+ +Tickets may be picked up at Will Call on performance day.+ +To purchase additional tickets, visit the SMTD ticketing link.+ •••••• *This program is part of the Michigan Arts Festival Staff Explorer Pass. In partnership with Voices of the Staff, the U-M Arts Initiative is offering limited complimentary tickets for select campus events and extra special experiences for U-M staff members all throughout October!*

Step beyond the footlights into a musical world that traverses from magic to masquerades, comedy to romance, and elegance to spectacle. The University Symphony Orchestra presents an evening of music inspired by the stage, featuring 2026 SMTD Concerto Competition winner Grace Ryan (MM ’26, voice), mezzo-soprano, in two very different portrayals of Cinderella: the tender and lyrical *Cendrillon* by Massenet, and the dazzling and playful *La Cenerentola* by Rossini. Mozart’s sparkling *Magic Flute* Overture sets the stage for the evening, which culminates in Richard Strauss’s exuberant *Le Bourgeois gentilhomme*, featuring virtuosic violin, cello, and piano soloists. Witty, energetic, and full of theatrical flair, Strauss’s music brings this journey to a rollicking conclusion. Kenneth Kiesler, conductor Grace Ryan, mezzo-soprano (Massenet and Rossini) PROGRAM Overture to *The Magic Flute*, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart \"Enfin je suis ici\" from *Cendrillon*, Jules Massenet \"Nacqui all'affanno... Non più mesta\" from *La Cenerentola*, Gioachino Rossini *Le bourgeois gentilhomme, op. 60*, Richard Strauss Concert Duration: 1 hour and 15 minutes ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:*

The mazurka, one of Poland’s most distinctive musical dance forms, continues to inspire composers far beyond its traditional origins. While often associated with Frédéric Chopin, this recital explores the broader and evolving story of the mazurka through the voices of both celebrated and lesser-known composers from Poland and around the world. The program presents a diverse collection of works that reveal how composers have transformed this Polish dance into a vehicle for artistic expression, cultural identity, and contemporary creativity. It includes mazurkas by Karol Szymanowski, whose innovative language expanded the genre in the twentieth century, as well as works by composers inspired by Chopin’s legacy, including Zygmunt Stojowski, Julian and Nathalie Janotha. The program also features mazurkas by lesser-known Polish composers such as Wojciech Kilar and Mikołaj Piotr Górecki, whose individual musical voices offer new perspectives on the evolution of the genre. Special attention is given to the contributions of female composers, whose works enrich the mazurka’s continuing legacy. Alongside these historical works, the program features newly commissioned mazurkas created for the international 21st Mazurkas project—a visionary artistic initiative conceived, developed, and realized by pianist Anna Kijanowska. Bringing together composers from Poland, Europe, North America, South America, and New Zealand, the project presents the mazurka as a living international form. These contemporary works demonstrate the remarkable adaptability of the genre, blending elements of folk tradition, personal expression, modern compositional techniques, and diverse cultural influences. Each composer offers a unique perspective, transforming the mazurka into a global musical language while maintaining its connection to its Polish roots. Among the contributors is Matthew Bengtson, Associate Professor of Piano Literature at the University of Michigan, whose commissioned mazurka forms part of this international collection. All of these new works were written especially for pianist Anna Kijanowska and recorded on the award-winning DUX album 21st Mazurkas (DUX 2149). The recording received the Platinum Prize at the Golden European Piano Awards 2025, together with the Special Regional Representative Award (Cieszyn, Poland) and the Artist of the Month distinction. Through a dialogue between historical voices and contemporary creators, *Mazurka: Dance of a Polish Soul, Voice of the World* celebrates the mazurka as a living art form—one that continues to evolve across generations, cultures, and continents, while remaining deeply connected to Poland’s rich musical heritage. *This event is supported in part by the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia, and partially funded by a scholarship from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Republic of Poland.*

Duo Dolce presents an all-American program celebrating 250 years of American music, featuring works by composers including George Gershwin, Amy Beach, and Aaron Copland, alongside music shaped by immigrant and multicultural experiences. Together, these works create an American mosaic that reflects the country’s diverse cultural heritage, voices, and musical traditions. PROGRAM Antonín Dvorák: *Silent Woods op. 68 no. 5* (1891) Aaron Copland: *Old American Songs* (1952) - *Simple Gifts*, *I Bought Me a Cat*, *At the River* Harry Bulow: *Taegeuk* for solo cello (2024) Allen McCullough: Trilogette for solo cello (2025) - *Homage - J.S.B.*, *Night Song*, *Perpetuum Mobile* Erich Korngold: Romance Impromptu in E-flat major op. posth. (1946) Chen-Yi: Romance of Hsiao and Ch’in (1995) George Gershwin (arr. Ka-Wai Yu): Three Preludes (1926) - *Allegro ben ritmato e deciso*, *Andante con moto e poco rubato*, *Allegro ben ritmato e deciso* William Grant Still: *Summerland* (1935) Elliott Bark: *An-Nyoung: Goodbye/Hello* for cello and piano (2026) Amy Beach: Romance, Op.23 (1893) ABOUT THE GUEST ARTISTS KRISTEN YEON-JI YUN is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Music in the Patti and Rusty Rueff School of Design, Art, and Performance at Purdue University. She is an active soloist, chamber musician, scholar, and clinician. She has toured internationally, performing and giving master classes in countries including Malaysia, Mexico, Spain, France, Germany, and Taiwan. Her CD *Summerland* has received excellent reviews from *New Classics UK* and *American Record Guide* and was broadcast nationwide by major radio stations such as WQXR, WCNY, WBAA, and NPR’s *Sonatas and Soundscapes*. She earned her Doctor of Music degree in cello performance in 2012 from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where she studied with the world-renowned cellist János Starker. Yun plays a 1766 Guersan cello. PHOENIX PARK-KIM, Professor of Piano at Indiana Wesleyan University, has performed throughout the United States and internationally across Asia, Europe, and Latin America. A prizewinner in numerous competitions, she has appeared as a soloist with orchestras including the Korean Philharmonic and Atlantida Orchestra (Spain), performing concertos by Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Hummel, and Florence Price. A passionate advocate for African-American composers, she has received a Lilly Research Grant and special congressional recognition. Dr. Park-Kim is a sought-after clinician and adjudicator whose students have earned regional and national honors, including MTNA National Competition finalist placements.

These ensembles are part of the Michigan Youth Ensembles program, which brings together exceptional high school and middle school students for weekly rehearsals at SMTD. The Michigan Youth Chamber Singers (MYCS) is a select SATB choir composed of outstanding vocalists from across the region. Students interact with U-M SMTD faculty and graduate students to perform challenging standard chamber choir repertoire. MYCS is open to advanced high-school aged singers. Matthew Abernathy, conductor The Michigan Youth Treble Singers (MYTS) is a select treble choir composed of outstanding middle school vocalists from across the region. Students interact with U-M SMTD faculty and students to perform repertoire from a wide variety of styles and time periods. MYTS is open to middle-school aged singers with unchanged voices. Julie Skadsem, conductor PROGRAM (MYCS): *Underneath the Stars*, arr. Clements *The King Shall Rejoice* (movement 1), Handel *Adinu*, Abu-Khader *Look Down, Fair Moon*, Mari Esabel Valverde *Tres Cantos Nativos dos Indios Krao*, Marcos Leite

WORLD PREMIERE Composer Theodore Wiprud and librettist Richard Wesley have created an oratorio examining a widespread expression of racism in America, documented in the landmark book *Sundown Towns* by the late sociologist and historian James Loewen. Conducted by Director of University Choirs Eugene Rogers, *Don’t Let the Sun*, for chorus, vocal soloists, and orchestra, will run approximately 90 minutes (plus intermission). It tells the story of “sundown towns” where residents drove out or actively excluded specific groups from residing there (from being in a town after sunset) through ordinances, signs, and acts of violence. Sundown towns excluded Black people, and in some cases, Chinese Americans, Jewish people, Native Americans, Latinas/os and other racialized groups. Since the 19th century these towns have been prevalent throughout the U.S. and especially in the Midwest, West, and East. These policies did not completely disappear over time. The attitudes that drove them morphed into housing “covenants,” redlining, discrimination within the post-war FHA and discrimination in the granting of bank loans. The results of these decisions and policies haunt our country to this very day. *Don’t Let the Sun* will shine a light on this difficult chapter in America’s ever-expanding history, and help audiences engage productively with “hard” histories. Mr. Loewen’s *Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism* is the definitive history of these phenomena. Another source is the “History and Social Justice” website launched by Dr. Loewen, which has had nearly one million visitors over the last three years, and continues to amass cases and first-hand accounts. Librettist Richard Wesley’s text is inspired by the voices of individuals impacted by sundown towns and more recent policies, examining the harm experienced by both the excluded and the excluders; and recent efforts by many sundown towns to reckon with their past and shape a better future. ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:* ABOUT THE GUEST ARTISTS THEODORE WIPRUD is a composer, an educator, and a researcher on the musical community’s work toward equity and inclusion. Many of his works address social issues, including vocal works like *American Journal* (Robert Hayden) and *A Georgia Song* (Maya Angelou); and orchestral works like his Violin Concerto *“Katrina”; Wind of Many Voices*, responding to the troubled history of South Dakota; and a second Violin Concerto *“on the brink”* exploring climate grief and climate action. RICHARD WESLEY is a playwright and screenwriter whose many plays deal with social-historical moments. He wrote the libretto for Anthony Davis’ Pulitzer Prize-winning opera *Central Park Five*. Mr. Wesley has received numerous awards including the NAACP Image Award for Best Picture (for *Uptown Saturday Night*) and the National Black Theater Festival’s August Wilson Playwright Award. He teaches at New York University.

In recognition of the end of our 250th year as a free nation, the University of Michigan Symphony Band presents an All-American program from the diverse voices that permeate our country. From the overtly patriotic to the fiercely democratic, the collection of works on this program tell the story of a resilient and undaunted nation that embraces both a turbulent past and a hopeful future. Jason Fettig, conductor Celina Kintscher, guest composer John Mange, graduate student conductor PROGRAM *Fanfare for the Common Man*, Aaron Copland *Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman No. 2*, Joan Tower \"Decoration Day\" from *A Symphony: New England Holidays*, Charles Ives, trans. Jonathan Elkus *Amen!*, Carlos Simon *250 Voices*, Celina Kintscher (U-M Commission and Premiere) *American Symphony*, Adam Schoenberg, trans. Donald Patterson ––– *Parking / Traffic alert for attendees:*

Students from the Department of Voice & Opera perform a recital.

The Department of Voice & Opera presents *The Medium*, with music and libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti. Sung in English. Conductor: Timothy Cheek Stage Director: Chía Patiño

The Department of Voice & Opera presents *The Medium*, with music and libretto by Gian Carlo Menotti. Sung in English. Conductor: Timothy Cheek Stage Director: Chía Patiño

Students from the Department of Voice & Opera perform a recital.

Students from the Department of Voice & Opera perform a recital.