No concerts in August 2012 – Gone Fishing!

AMERICAN SONGBOOK
Tad Weed
Tad Weed is a powerhouse of a pianist who relocated from Los Angeles to Ann Arbor. Weed has performed with some of the greatest names in jazz including John Patitucci, Mundell Lowe, Carmen McCrae, Charles Lloyd and Woody Herman. His artistically rich and diverse background allows him to bring different influences to his music. He has played concerts, clubs, television and radio around the world, and he is in great demand for his piano clinics, offered in collaboration with other well-known pianists throughout the US.
Gifts of Art Concert
Thursday, Sept. 6, 2012, 12:10 pm
University Hospital Main Lobby, Floor 1
1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

JAZZ STANDARDS
Paul VornHagen Trio
Winner of five Detroit Music Awards, Ann Arborite Paul VornHagen will present a program of choice jazz standards including composers Cole Porter, Thelonius Monk, Horace Silver, Gershwin, Jobim and Duke Ellington. VornHagen and the band have performed at all of the major jazz festivals and  nightclubs  in Michigan and have recorded five critically acclaimed CDs that have been featured on nationally syndicated radio programs. You’ll hear Paul VornHagen on saxophone, flute and vocals; Kurt Krahnke on bass; and Phil Kelly on piano.
Gifts of Art Concert
Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012, 12:10 pm
University Hospital Main Lobby, Floor 1
1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109

PIANO SOLO
Lillian Freedland
Pianist Lillian Freedland attended the Detroit Institute of Musical Art in her youth. She worked for many years with the Detroit Board of Education, accompanying modern dance and choral classes. She loves accompanying singers and has played in many churches. Freedland also plays piano in night clubs in the metro Detroit area. She will present a musical potpourri in the genres of jazz, pop and classical.
Gifts of Art Concert
Thursday, Sept. 20, 2012, 12:10 pm
University Hospital Main Lobby, Floor 1
1500 E. Medical Center Dr., Ann Arbor, MI 48109

CHINESE OPERA DEMONSTRATION & EXCERPTS
Suzhou Kun Opera Theater
Gifts of Art is pleased to present a free demonstration and performance in partnership with UMS and the Confucius Institute. Directed by Cai Shaohua, the Suzhou Kun Opera Theater of Jiangsu Province will conduct an artistic demonstration and plain clothes performance of kunqu — classical Chinese opera — at the U-M Health System, offering a rare glimpse into the inner workings of this 600 year old art form. Kunqu is known for its blending of dramatic literature, soulful singing and elegant dancing. The genre is now enjoying a revival, blending classical stories and performance practices with contemporary staging interpretations and technologies, similar to the Royal Shakespeare Company’s new, yet authentic, interpretations of classical English plays. An exhibit of photographs of kunqu by Xu, Zengquan are on exhibit in the Gifts of Art Gallery — University Hospital Main Lobby, Floor 1 from August 20-October 8, 2012. View video excerpts from a 2008 production by the Suzhou Kun Opera on the UMS webpage under the Media tab. Ticketed performances by the group will be held at the U-M Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre on Sept. 28 and 29, 2012.
Gifts of Art Concert in partnership with UMS & Confucius Institute
Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012, 12:10 pm
University Hospital Main Lobby, Floor 1
1500 E. Medical Center Drive, Ann Arbor, MI 48109