Series will include Irish Chamber Orchestra, Indigo Girls, Twyla Tharp—and much more

By Peter Alexander

CU Presents, the series of ticketed events presented by the University of Colorado, Boulder, has announced their broad array of events for the 2016–16 season.

As in years past, the season encompasses a smorgasbord of events, from classical music and opera to popular music, jazz and gospel. Both professional touring attractions and performances by CU-based groups are included in the season. (See the full season listing below.)

Among the musical highlights will be the Irish Chamber Orchestra conducted by their “principal artistic partner” and former Tákacs quartet member Gábor Tákacs-Nagy in November, the Indigo Girls performing with the CU Symphony in March, and of course the world renowned Tákacs Quartet itself through the season. The Takacs series—divided into the Sunday afternoon Chamber Series and the Monday evening Encore Series—will feature one program by the Attacca Quartet, an award-winning ensemble formed at Juilliard in 2003. You can preview the Attacca with their CD recording, “Fellow Traveler: The Complete String Quartets of John Adams.”

Other musical events will include the San Francisco Jazz Collective performing a “Tribute to Michael Jackson” in October and the Soweto Gospel Choir performing a Christmas concert in December. Rising Stars of the Metropolitan Opera will perform in March, and in April composer/pianist Pablo Ziegler and violinist Lara St. John will perform tangos by Ziegler and Astor Piazzolla.

There will be dance performances by Twyla Tharp Dance, celebrating the choreographer’s 50th anniversary and appearing in Boulder for the first time since 1979; the unique Diavolo Dance Co., which bills itself as “architecture in motion”; and LA-based contemporary dance group Bodytraffic.

Next year’s schedule from the CU Eklund Opera Program will feature Macky Auditorium productions of Rossini’s comedy Cenerentola (Cinderella, sung in Italian with English surtitles); and Francis Poulenc’s haunting Dialogues of the Carmelites (sung in French with English subtitles). The spring will also see a Music Theatre production of Aaron Copland’s rarely performed Tender Land.

Series tickets will go on sale Monday (March 30) at cupresents.org.

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CU Presents
2015-16 season

Artist Series

Twyla Tharp Dance
50^th Anniversary Tour
Sunday, Sept. 27, 7:30 p.m.

SF Jazz Collective
Tribute to Michael Jackson
Friday, Oct. 9, 7:30 p.m.

Irish Chamber Orchestra, Gábor Takács-Nagy, conductor
Friday, Nov. 6, 7:30 p.m.

Soweto Gospel Choir
Christmas concert
Friday, Dec. 11, 7:30 p.m.

Diavolo Dance Co.
Thursday, Jan. 21, 7:30 p.m.

Bodytraffic
Sunday, Feb. 14, 7:30 p.m.

Rising Stars of the Metropolitan Opera
Tuesday, March 1, 7:30 p.m.

Indigo Girls with the CU Symphony Orchestra
Thursday, March 31, 7:30 p.m.

Pablo Ziegler and Lara St. John
Piazzolla Central Park Concert Redux
Friday, April 15, 7:30 p.m.

Holiday Festival
7:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4
4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 5
4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6

Eklund Opera Program
La Cenerentola (Cinderella)
By Gioachino Rossini
(Sung in Italian with English surtitles)
Friday, Oct. 23, 4 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 24, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 25, 2 p.m.
Tickets start at $14
Macky Auditorium

Dialogues of the Carmelites
By Francis Poulenc
(Sung in French with English surtitles)
Friday, March 11, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 12, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 13, 2 p.m.
Tickets start at $14
Macky Auditorium

The Tender Land
By Aaron Copland
(Sung in English)
Friday, April 22, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 23, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, April 24, 2 p.m.
Tickets start at $14
Music Theatre

Takács Quartet

Chamber Series
4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20
4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 11 (The Attacca Quartet)
4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8
4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 10
4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28
4 p.m. Sunday, April 24

Encore Series
7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21
7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12 (The Attacca Quartet)
7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 9
7:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 11
7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 29
7:30 p.m. Monday, April 25

Spring Swing
CU-Boulder College of Music jazz bands and ensembles
2 p.m. Sunday, April 17