ArtsKSU Presents
The Kennesaw State University School of Music is proud to present the following performances
of the 2019-20 ArtsKSU Presents series featuring performances by renowned artists
from around the world and our own backyard.
Robert Spano, conductor
Tengku Irfan, piano
Friday, October 4, 2019
Cellist Zuill Bailey
Wednesday, October 9, 2019
Anat Cohen Tentet
Musical Director, Oded Lev-Ari
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Afro-Cuban Jazz Artist
Saturday, March 21, 2020
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Nicholas Carter, conductor
Midori, violin
Friday, April 17, 2020
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– The New York Times
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Robert Spano, conductor
Tengku Irfan, piano
Friday, October 4, 2019 | 8 p.m.
Buy TicketsIn his final season as Music Director of the Atlanta Symphony, Robert Spano leads the orchestra in the Preludes to Acts I and III of Wagner's Lohengrin, two pieces engineered to excite the most exquisite yearning and all-out exhilaration. Then, Malaysian virtuoso Tengku Irfan throws his "sheer incisiveness and power" (The New York Times) into the impish charm and pianistic thunder of Bartók's Piano Concerto No. 2. Closing the performance, Brahms’ First Symphony is a riveting and unforgettable symphonic journey from the stormy opening measures to its triumphant conclusion.
– The Evening Standard
Cellist Zuill Bailey
with Violinist Helen Kim
and KSU Symphony Orchestra
Wednesday, October 9, 2019 | 8 p.m.
Buy TicketsWidely considered one of the premiere cellists in the world, GRAMMY award-winning Zuill Bailey is among the most sought after and active cellists today. With unique and exciting performances ranging from concertos with some of the best orchestras around the world to a recurring role on the HBO series “Oz” and seemingly every in-between, Mr. Bailey is known for his celebrated artistry, technical wizardry, and engaging personality. The program will feature solo works and a special performance of Brahms’ Double Concerto with KSU Professor of Violin Helen Kim and the KSU Symphony Orchestra.
– The Chicago Tribune
Anat Cohen Tentet
Musical Director, Oded Lev-Ari
Saturday, November 9, 2019 | 8 p.m.
Buy TicketsEver charismatic, prolific, and inspired, GRAMMY-nominated clarinetist-saxophonist Anat Cohen has won hearts and minds the world over with her expressive virtuosity and delightful stage presence. Anat has been declared Clarinetist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association every year since 2007 and has also been named the Top Clarinetist, Rising Star, and Jazz Artist of the Year by Downbeat Magazine. The tentet (rhythm section, horns, vibraphone, cello, and accordion) performs tunes from their recent album Happy Song which draws influence from Brazilian music and African grooves to vintage swing and touching ballads.
– Rhythm Planet
Afro-Cuban Jazz Artist
Brenda Navarrete
Saturday, March 21, 2020 | 8 p.m.
Buy TicketsAn emerging flagbearer among the vanguard of female Cuban musicians, Afro-Cuban singer, songwriter, and percussionist Brenda Navarrete combines a foundation of Latin jazz and Afro‐Cuban influences with elements of contemporary world music, originality, and relentless energy to form her unique sound. Touring internationally and frequently collaborating with Cuba’s notable music elite, the award-winning jazzista is perhaps best known for her skill on the batá, a drum traditionally used in Yoruban spiritual practices that women were once forbidden to play. Presented as part of Kennesaw State University’s 2019-20 Year of Cuba.
– The Financial Times
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Nicholas Carter, conductor
Midori, violin
Friday, April 17, 2020 | 8 p.m.
Buy TicketsDazzling audiences and critics alike since her celebrated debut at age 11, superstar violinist Midori performs Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 2. In a concerto peppered by the sounds of a Hungarian folksong, Midori showcases her graceful precision and intimate expression as one of the world's most acclaimed violinists. Making his Atlanta Symphony debut, Australian rising-star Nicholas Carter leads the orchestra in Haydn’s Symphony No. 44 ("Trauersinfonie") before concluding the program with Prokofiev’s wartime piece written in 1944 as Russian troops turned the tables on the German army: the massive and exhilarating Symphony No. 5.
