Global Voices Performing Arts Program
Performing Arts Program
The Global Voices Program provides a showcase for all performing arts at the University of Chicago's International House. The International House Global Voices Performing Arts Program has established a vibrant exchange with a wide range of Chicago-area cultural institutions, arts organizations, dance companies, ethnic and folk arts groups, and music and theater groups. Programs showcase individual artists as well as performing arts groups and support educational programs, art exhibitions and cultural celebrations throughout the year. These programs provide substantive interaction between master artists from around the world and the greater community including the University, the City of Chicago and with regional artists throughout Illinois. Programs are also used to raise awareness of important contemporary issues in different regions of the world. Whether it’s a world music, a cultural celebration, visual and performing arts, seminars, dances or recitals International House offers a setting unlike any other in the city.
To view descriptions for past events, please check out our programs listing archives (2010-2011). If you are interested in having the Global Voices program co-sponsor one of your events, please check out our rooms available for reservation and the Co-Sponsorship Application and Terms.
Spring Events 2012
Spring Festival Series Presents the 47th Annual Eastern European Folk Festival of Music and Dance
Friday – Sunday, March 23 – 25, Assembly Hall
One of the largest festivals in the U.S. showcasing the folk music, dance, and culture of the Balkans and Eastern Europe, this festival attracts enthusiasts from all over the country. Guided by master dance teachers and inspired by virtuoso musicians you’ll dance, sing, and jam all weekend long! Be enthralled by splendid performances of music and dance at the Saturday evening concert. Enjoy dancing on a sprung, oak floor to exhilarating live music each evening at the dance parties. Sample mouth-watering delicacies prepared by expert Balkan cooks. Finally, don’t miss the Sunday evening post-festival dinner and party.
Co-sponsored by Balkanske-Igre.
Women and Girls Inspiring Change
Saturday, March 31, 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm, Assembly Hall
“Where are the women,” House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi recently asked in reference to a legislative hearing on contraception. Women and girls who are standing up for women and girls will be honored at Global Girls’ “Women and Girls Inspiring Change” Saturday. It will be an international showcase honoring individuals and organizations empowering voices and impacting people locally and globally. The afternoon will feature culturally diverse performances, awards recognizing twelve individuals/organizations, and presentations by Global Girls’ Everyday People Theatre. Sylvia Ewing of WTTW, channel 11 will host the event. Tickets can be purchased at http://womenandgirlsinspiringchange-auto.eventbrite.com/ or www.globalgirlsinc.org.
Click here to see the poster.
The Newberry Consort Presents Les Caractères de la Danse
Saturday, April 14, 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm, Assembly Hall
Pre-concert lecture begins at 7:00 pm.
Baroque dancers Paige Whitley-Bauguess and Thomas Baird perform a delightful program featuring diverse characters that graced the 18th century stage: shepherds, harlequins, nymphs, and sailors. With accompaniment by The Newberry Consort on violin, harpsichord, and cello along with a few vocal gems, Les Caractères de la Danse promises to be a tantalizing performance. Prepare to be entertained like royalty!
Beguiling and intelligent, provocative and classic, ravishingly beautiful and deliciously edgy, The Newberry Consort has been delighting audiences for nearly three decades. Directed by David Douglass, Newberry Musician-in-Residence, and early music diva Ellen Hargis, the ensemble plumbs the Newberry Library’s vast music collection and assembles a star-studded roster of local and international artists to bring you world-class performances of music from the 13th to the 18th centuries and even beyond!
General admission $35 at the door, students $5 with valid student ID, Free for I-House residents. Tickets can be purchased online at www.newberryconsort.org, via phone at (312)890-2553, or at the door (cash, credit, or personal check accepted).
Click here to view poster.
35th Season Chicago Ensemble 2011-2012 Concert Series
Sunday, April 15, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Assembly Hall
Complimentary reception at 2:30 pm
General admission $25, students $10 with valid student ID, Free for I-House residents
I-Formal 2012
Friday, April 20, 8:00 pm – 12:00 am, Assembly Hall
Dress up in your national attire and come join the International Students Association at their annual Formal. There will be food and music from all around the world.
$5 per ticket, $7 at the door, free for I-House residents, tickets on sale at the Reynolds Club. Co-sponsored by the International Students Association (ISA). Click here to view poster.
Earth Week 2012 Event
Film Screening of Bag It
Wednesday, April 25, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm, Coulter Lounge
Come watch Bag It, an award-winning documentary about plastic bags, the world’s top consumer item. This film explores the far reaching impact of this single-use product on our waterways, oceans, and our bodies. Dinner will be provided from Hannah’s Bretzel. Free reusable totes for the fi¬rst 20 attendees! Co-sponsored by the Plastic Bag Solution.
This event is free and open to the public. Click here to view poster.
Tsukasa Taiko
Asian Pacific American Heritage Celebration with special guest appearance by Grand Master, Shunojo Fujima of Fujima Ryu
Friday, April 27, 6:30 pm, Assembly Hall
Tsukasa Taiko at the Japanese American Service Committee (JASC), one of the leading taiko (Japanese drum) ensembles in the Chicago area, was established as a resident arts program of the JASC in 2004. The organization’s mission is to preserve and pass on the traditional concepts of taiko as a cultural legacy and to utilize these concepts in expanding and evolving the taiko form. Dedicated to strengthening the Chicago Japanese American/Asian American communities and being a leader in the taiko drumming culture of the Midwest, Tsukasa Taiko at JASC maintains an international profile by performing around the world throughout the year while remaining an active, positive presence in the metropolitan Chicago area.
This event is free and open to the public. Co-sponsored by University of Chicago Daiko and the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA).
Click here to view poster.
Spring Festival Series Presents University of Chicago Ballet Spring Performance: Stories from Childhood
Friday – Saturday, May 4 – 5, Assembly Hall
- Friday, May 4: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm
- Saturday, May 5: 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Founded in 2001, the University Ballet of Chicago seeks to provide classical ballet classes and performance opportunities at the University of Chicago. University Ballet strives to create a supportive and inclusive environment, fostering the love and enjoyment of ballet for all of its members. Since its founding, the company has produced more than a dozen classical and contemporary productions, showcasing the talents of undergraduates, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, university employees, and Chicago community members. This year’s performance includes Peter and the Wolf, Paquita, The Beginning of the Armadillos, and The Sky is Falling (Chicken Little).
General admission $10, students $5 with valid UCID, Free for I-House residents. Tickets will also be sold at the door.
No U Turn
Sunday, May 13, 4:00 pm, Assembly Hall
The University of Chicago Chinese Students and Scholars Association Drama Club presents “No U-Turn,” an award-winning play in the fourth annual Beijing Fringe Festival in 2011.
Synopsis: In heaven, God’s office, the camera which God uses to monitor the world unexpectedly went down for a second. At that very moment, six people who just met were all shot dead in a bank. What really happened in that second? To figure out the truth, God called all of them to heaven and intended to let them use the facts to find the truth, but they instead took advantage of the truth to cover up the facts. Come watch a story full of lies that enlightens the truth and brings light!
Click here to view poster.
Middle East Music Ensemble 2011-2012 Concert Season
Saturday, May 19, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm, Assembly Hall
This event is free and open to the public.
Spring Festival Series Presents the Annual Festival of Nations
Sunday, May 20
The International House will be hosting the Festival of Nations on Sunday, May 20. This is an amazing opportunity for residents to share their cultures with the rest of I-House and the surrounding community members. Hundreds of people will flood the I-House doors on this Sunday, excited to be a part of the international festivities. The Festival of Nations is really an “international day” with dancing, singing, and sharing of food. It is a traditional event that dates back to the early years of the International House. Our fellow I-Houses around the world also host annual Festivals. This event is open to the public.
University of Chicago Alumni Weekend
Thursday – Sunday, May 31 – June 3
International House 80th Anniversary Reunion Celebration begins during Alumni Weekend 2012!
35th Season Chicago Ensemble 2011-2012 Concert Series
Sunday, June 3, Assembly Hall
Make Music Chicago
Thursday, June 21
Make Music Chicago is a live, one-day music festival on the first day of summer that celebrates the ability of everyone to make music. People of all ages, music of all genres, and amateurs, professionals, and marquee artists will gather throughout the day in Chicago’s public spaces to engage in spontaneous music-making. The festival is presented by Rush Hour Concerts at St. James Cathedral and is completely free for musicians and audiences alike.
Make Music Chicago is inspired by France’s “Fête de la Musique,” a national musical holiday marking its 30th anniversary this year. Since 1982, “Fête de la Musique” has become an international phenomenon, taking place on June 21 in more than 460 cities in 110 countries, including Germany, Italy, Egypt, Syria, Morocco, Australia, Vietnam, Congo, Cameroon, Fiji, Colombia, Chile, Nepal, and Japan.
This event is free and open to the public.
Winter Quarter 2012
Open House for Recognized Student Organization (RSO) Officers
Tuesday, January 10, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm
Are you a leader of your RSO? Come tour International House and learn more about hosting events at our facilities through the Global Voices co-sponsorship program.
Chinese New Year Celebration
Sunday, January 15, 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm, Assembly Hall
The Chinese Student & Scholar Association (CSSA) and International House invite you to come celebrate the year of the dragon with a Chinese New Year party! This event will include traditional Chinese dumpling making, amazing performances by UChicago students, delicious Chinese food, and fun games.
Tickets are $5 if registered in advance before January 15 and $8 at the door. Free to I-House residents. To register, please visit http://cssa.uchicago.edu. This event is open to the public.
Click here to see the poster.
The Blessing Next to the Wound: Imagination & Social Change Series: Sneak Preview of Beneath the Blindfold
Wednesday, January 18, 8:00 pm – 10:00 pm, Assembly Hall
Join us for a sneak preview of Beneath the Blindfold, a documentary about torture survivors featuring Hector Aristizábal followed by a Q&A with Hector Aristizábal and the Chicago-based filmmakers Ines Sommer and Kathy Berger.
Hector Aristizábal is a psychologist, actor, and human rights activist, whose work has taken him all over the world, including the United States, Afghanistan, Colombia, India, Israel and the Occupied Territories, and Northern Ireland. From January 18th through the 21st, in a series of events titled “The Blessing Next to the Wound: Imagination and Social Change,” members of the campus and wider community will have the chance to see these artists perform, talk to them about their work and the issues which inform it, and learn from them in specially tailored workshops.
This event is free and open to the public. Co-sponsored by the Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies at the University of Chicago.
59th Street Jazz Concert Presents Maggie Brown in Concert — Legacy: Our Wealth of Music
Friday, January 20, Assembly Hall
Youth Concert Presentation: 10:30 am – 12:00 pm
Evening Concert: 7:30 pm (Doors open at 7:00 pm)
Maggie Brown is a tremendously talented singer and performer who uses all of her gifts to not only entertain but to educate as well. In her one-woman show, LEGACY: Our Wealth of Music, Maggie calls what she does “edutainment.” LEGACY tells the history and evolution of black music, and Maggie calls on all of her talents to demonstrate how African Americans courageously and virtuously responded to the horrors of slavery, segregation, and disenfranchisement by creating inspiring and thriving art forms which have become part of our American cultural heritage.
Click on image for more details.
Maggie is the daughter of the late Oscar Brown, Jr., a world renowned composer, social activist, and legendary giant on the Chicago music scene. Mr. Brown passed on his artistic integrity to his daughter who now uses her own voice to create images that we can be proud of. Maggie has toured nationally in concert, released recordings through her own independent label, MagPie Records, and is well known for her appearances at colleges and schools throughout the Midwest. A mother of three young boys, Maggie sees the need to use the arts to make an impact on young lives with a message that fosters care and respect for words, history, music, and life.
General admission $15, VIP seating $30, children and students with valid student ID $7, Free for I-House residents
Concert to Inaugurate the Year of the Dragon, Celebrating the Chinese New Year:
A concert by members of the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing
Saturday, January 21, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm (Doors open at 1:30 pm), Assembly Hall
The Confucius Institute and the International House Global Voices Program at the University of Chicago invite you to a concert to celebrate the coming of the Chinese New Year, year of the dragon. The concert will feature Chinese traditional music to be performed by noted musicians from the Central Conservatory of Music, one of the best of its kind in China.
This event is free and open to the public. Co-sponsored by the Confucius Institute.
Haiti: Culturally, Part I
Wednesday, February 1, 2:00 pm – 7:00 pm, Assembly Hall
The week of the second anniversary of the earthquake that devastated Port-au-Prince is a time to highlight the promise that is rising out of that destruction. Haiti: Culturally is a two-day event (the second day’s events will be held on the following Wednesday, February 8). The first day will begin with an exhibition by two visual artists from Jacmel, Haiti and finish with a performance by Tamboula Ethnic Dance Company, a Chicago-based Haitian folkloric dance troupe.
The two artists who will be featured are Prince Luc and Rose-Marie Lamour. Prince Luc’s work has been shown throughout Haiti and in exhibitions in the U.S. and France. His work communicates a vision of Haiti that is at once chaotic and monstrous yet arresting in its brightness. Luc’s world is one of beauty in the midst of dysfunction and his art stands as a poignant response to the forces that have wrought so much suffering on his small Caribbean homeland. Luc also volunteers at the Art Creation Foundation for Children, a local foundation that provides Jacmel’s youth an opportunity to not only express themselves but to do so astutely and creatively with skill and training.
A treasure to her hometown, Rose Marie represents a growing class of self-empowered women in a country that has suffered a long history of sexism and oppression. Her work provides a panoramic view of Haitian life. She reveals the magic of Haitian culture from the pastoral beauty and tranquility of the countryside to the spiritual depths of Haitian Vodou.
This event is free and open to the public. Co-sponsored by the University of Chicago Center for Latin American Studies.
Indonesian Cultural Night
Saturday, February 11, Doors open at 5:30 pm, Assembly Hall
A celebration of cultural journey! Free food and cultural performances!
This event is free and open to the public. Co-sponsored by the Indonesian Consulate General in Chicago and PERMIAS Chicago (Indonesian Students Association in the United States).
35th Season Chicago Ensemble 2011-2012 Concert Series
Sunday, February 12, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Assembly Hall
Complimentary reception at 2:30 pm
Join the Chicago Ensemble for its third concert of the 2011-2012 season. This performance will feature works by Ingolf Dahl, Johannes Brahms, Alexandra Gardner, and Béla Bartók.
General admission $25, students $10 with valid student ID, Free for I-House residents.
Annual Law School Musical
Friday – Saturday, February 17 – 18, 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm, Assembly Hall
The best show you’ll see during your law school career is right under your nose. Even law students can have a good time, and the Law School Musical proves that. Original lyrics to familiar tunes supply the structure for a satirical take on life in the Law School. No one is immune from parody, and no one leaves without a roll in the aisles. In past years, the musical has proved to be the humorous highlight of winter quarter, drawing sold out crowds on opening night. Titles like “Romie and Julio, everything you wanted to know about love in the law school but were afraid to ask,” “Law School: Impossible,” “Bigelow Nights,” and “Lawyers in Love” set the tone, and the students and faculty in the audience bring the show to life as they laugh and applaud the hard work of the students in the cast and crew. The musical is written by students during autumn quarter, then rehearsed and performed in winter quarter. It is a chance for members of all three classes to interact and form lasting friendships. Believe it or not, law students do have time to engage in creative frivolity.
General admission $10, Free for I-House residents
59th Street Jazz Series Presents WHPK Black History Month Celebration of Jazz
Saturday, February 25, 8:00 pm (Doors open at 7:30 pm), Assembly Hall
Celebrate JAZZ during Black History Month, America’s Gift to the World! WHPK’s JAZZ presents Ken Chaney’s Awakening. This is the second annual WHPK Jazz Format Black History Month Celebration of Jazz. The program will include jazz music, songs, spoken word, and an element on the history of jazz woven in as well. We will also acknowledge the actual piece of legislation that was adopted by the U.S. Congress in the late 1980’s when it declared jazz a “national treasure.”
Co-sponsored by WHPK Jazz Format.
Film Screening: Fukushima: Memories of a Lost Landscape
Friday, March 9, 7:30 pm, Coulter Lounge
FUKUSHIMA: MEMORIES OF A LOST LANDSCAPE (Japanese with English subtitles) is a passionate and heartrending film about the human cost of the nuclear disaster that smolders on in the wake of last year’s 3/11 earthquake. While the vast majority of independent filmmakers focussed on the spectacle of the tsunami, Yojyu Matsubayashi went straight to the exclusion zone surrounding the damaged plant. On the invitation of a local politician, he entered the liminal world of the refugees living in centers and occasionally following them to visit their ghostly, irradiated homes. Over 30 independent documentaries have been made about the earthquake, but this is by far the most impressive and moving. Professor Abé Markus Nornes of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor will introduce the film, and a Q&A with Director Yojyu Matsubayashi will follow the screening (translation provided).
Born in 1979 in Fukuoka, Director Matsubayashi grew up watching films in local theaters. After graduating from the Japan Academy of Moving Images, Matsubayashi joined the Fukuoka-based NGO Peshawar-kai and was involved with the construction of an irrigation canal in Afghanistan. Besides Afghanistan, he has been involved in the gathering of film footage around the world. His directorial debut Flowers and Troops (2009), an homage sequel to Imamura Shohei’s TV documentary In Search of Unreturned Soldiers (1971), is a documentary about former Japanese soldiers who did not return to their home country and continued to live in Japan’s former territorial holdings in various parts of Asia. The film has won the prize for Young Artists in the Division of Moving Pictures of the First Soichiro Tahara Nonfiction Awards as well as the 33rd Yamaji Fumiko Social Welfare Award.
This event is free and open to the public.
Middle East Music Ensemble 2011-2012 Concert Season
Sunday, March 11, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm (Doors open at 6:00 pm), Assembly Hall
This event is free and open to the public.
Autumn Quarter 2011
World Music Festival Chicago featuring music from Sudan, Egypt, and Pakistan
Saturday, September 17, 7:00 pm (Doors open at 6:30 pm), Assembly Hall
An internationally acclaimed Sufi musician, vocalist, and songwriter from Pakistan, ARROJ AFTAB pays homage to classical Sufi legends such as Abida Parveen and Reshma, neo-soul and jazz icons such as Sade and Ella Fitzgerald, and contemporary world musicians such as Marisa Monte.
Inspired by the love for Nubian music and a belief that Soul transcends all cultural and linguistic barriers, ALSARAH AND THE NUBATONES blend a selection of Nubian "songs of return" from the 1970's with original material and traditional music of central Sudan.
Making their music accessible beyond the borders of Egypt, WUST EL BALAD's blend of sound combines traditional Arabic music with a modern yet Western twist. These eight talented musicians from across the country joined together in downtown Cairo, forming one of the most successful bands in Egypt today. Coming from different musical backgrounds, each musician has brought his own flavor to the group.
Click here to see flier.
General admission $8, students $5 with valid student ID, Free for I-House residents
World Music Festival Chicago featuring music from Taiwan and Nepal
Sunday, September 18, 6:00 pm (Doors open at 5:30 pm), Assembly Hall
Chai Found Music Workshop is one of the foremost ensembles of Chinese chamber music in the world. Founded in 1991, this Taiwanese group is dedicated to a style of traditional music strongly rooted in improvisation. The group has performed traditional and contemporary Taiwanese and Chinese Sizhu music in concert in major venues throughout Asia, Europe, and the United States.
Kutumba is a folk instrumental ensemble of six professionals from Kathmandu. Having come together for the preservation of their culture and art, Kutumba wishes to spread love and joy of Nepali folk music throughout the world. The six members have come from different backgrounds in music. Kutumba is the harmony of traditional roots, culture, and new sounds.
Click here to see flier.
General admission $5, Free for I-House residents
Fifth Annual Hyde Park Jazz Festival
Saturday, September 24, 3:00 pm - 10:00 pm, Assembly Hall
The 5th annual Hyde Park Jazz Festival presents a full day of FREE, nonstop jazz by some of Chicago's greatest musicians performing in venues across Chicago's Culture Coast. Come join us for the biggest night of jazz music in the city!
Admission is free to the public.
Click here to see flier.
Windy City Lindy Exchange Swing Dance with Glenn Crytzer and his Syncopators
Saturday, October 1, 8:00 pm - 12:00 am, Assembly Hall
For the past thirteen years, Windy City Lindy Exchange (WCLX) has brought dancers from all over the world to Chicago to enjoy the local venues, food, attractions, and music. Although the experience may not reflect Chicago's scene like in the early days of the exchange, the WCLX Committee still strives to focus mainly on the great and diverse talent that we have here in Chicago. Join us for an exciting night of dancing with music by Glenn Crytzer and his Syncopators, the premiere swing-era band in the country dedicated to popular music from the 1920's, 1930's, and early 1940's.
Click here to see flier.
General admission $20, students $10 with valid student ID, Free for I-House residents
35th Season Chicago Ensemble Concert Series
Sunday, October 9, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Assembly Hall
Complimentary reception at 2:30 pm
Chicago Ensemble presents Chamber Music with Friends Concert. Come and listen to Gerald Rizzer (piano), Mathias Tacke (violin), and Andrew Snow (cello) play selections from Mozart, Beethoven, Copland, and Wheeler.
Click here to see flier.
General admission $25, students $10 with valid student ID, Free for I-House residents
Global Voices Film Screening of Inshallah, Football and discussion with director Ashwin Kumar
Wednesday, October 19, 10:00 am - 9:00 pm, Assembly Hall
Click here to see flier.
Fast-a-thon
Friday, November 4, 5:15 pm - 7:00 pm, Assembly Hall
The Muslim Students Association (MSA) invites you to fast according to the Muslim tradition (no food or drink from dawn to sunset) in order to learn more about Islam, raise hunger awareness, and support the MSA's efforts to donate to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. For every faster, local business will donate money to the Food Depository. At sunset, everyone will break their fast and enjoy a delicious, free dinner together, as well as share their fasting experience with each other.
This event is open to the public.
Click here to see flier.
The Middle East Music Ensemble
Sunday, November 20, 6:30 pm, Assembly Hall
First of a series of three concerts.
This event is free and open to the public.
Annual Thanksgiving Homestay Program
Wednesday - Sunday, November 23 - 27
The Thanksgiving Homestay Program is an annual event that allows international students and scholars to become guests of a host American family for the four-day Thanksgiving holiday. This four-day Thanksgiving holiday trip is administered through International House at the University of Chicago. Buses leave from International House on Wednesday afternoon to take you to your host family and return on Sunday at approximately 6:00 pm. For more information, please visit http://ihouse.uchicago.edu/programs/thanksgiving.html. Applications are due Friday, November 4.
Voices in Your Head Concert
Wednesday, November 30, 8:00 pm, Assembly Hall
Voices In Your Head is a co-ed a cappella group consisting of both undergraduate and graduate students. Founded in 1998, the group has recently gained ground in the national collegiate a cappella scene and has released several albums. Voices in Your Head is completely student-run, featuring musical spanning many genres. Its unique repertoire includes original pieces as well as an eclectic mix of pop, R&B, rock, and alternative music. The group competes annually in the International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella (ICCA) and travels nationally to perform at a cappella festivals and tours.
International Spouse & Partners Program Holiday Cookie Baking Demonstration
Friday, December 2, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm, National Room
Film Screening of Black Power Mixtape
Saturday, December 3, 8:00 am - 8:00 pm, Assembly Hall
Black Power Mixtape combines audio interviews with contemporary figures with 16 mm archival footage documenting the Black Power movement in America, shot by Swedish journalists between 1967 and 1975 and only recently unearthed. Commentary provided by notables including Talib Kweli, Harry Belafonte, Sonia Sanchez, and Erykah Badu. The film features music by Badu, The Roots, and Michael Jackson. Co-produced by Danny Glover.
35th Season Chicago Ensemble Concert Series
Sunday, December 4, 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm, Assembly Hall
Complimentary reception at 2:30 pm
Join the Chicago Ensemble for its 35th season of eclectic classical chamber music performances, featuring Gerald Rizzer, artistic director/piano, and leading Chicago artists. Every concert includes an intimate setting, complimentary reception, and informal spoken program notes, providing the perfect chamber music experience.
Click here to see flier.
General admission $25, students $10 with valid student ID, Free for I-House residents