Blues: Cephas & Wiggins

Jazz: Christian McBride Band

Over the course of three albums as a leader and over a hundred as a sideman, Christian McBride has arguably become the most acclaimed acoustic and electric bassist to emerge from the jazz world in the 1990's. He has performed with an impressive array of artists from McCoy Tyner and Sting to Kathleen Battle and Diana Krall. His own recordings encompass a diverse canon of original compositions and imaginatively arranged covers. McBride currently leads a quartet featuring saxophonist Ron Blake, keyboardist Geoffrey Keezer and drummer Terreon Gully.
http://www.christianmcbride.com/

Dance: Inbal Pinto Dance Company

Inbal Pinto Dance Company, the celebrated Israeli contemporary dance company, was founded in 1992 by choreographer and designer Inbal Pinto and actor-director Avshalom Pollak.  Together, they have built an international reputation for creating unique, highly accessible and entertaining dance theatre works. The 12-member company of dancers and actors has toured extensively around the world.  Inbal has received numerous dance awards including Israel’s Ministry of Culture Award for Dance (2000) and a New York Dance and Performance “Bessie” Award for her creation “Wrapped." 
http://www.inbalpinto.com/ 

World Music: Simon Shaheen

Palestinian-American oud/violin maestro and master educator Simon Shaheen, a 1994 NEA National Heritage Award winner, is one of the most significant Arab musicians, performers and composers of his generation. Known for dazzling his listeners as he deftly leaps from traditional Arabic sounds to jazz and Western classical styles, Shaheen’s soaring technique and melodic ingenuity have earned him international acclaim as a virtuoso on his instruments. His work incorporates and reflects a legacy of Arabic music, while it forges new frontiers, embracing many different styles in the process. In 2008-2009 he toured with his world-class ensemble.
http://www.simonshaheen.com/

Theater: The Acting Company

The renowned national-touring classical repertory theater, The Acting Company, was founded in 1972 out of the first graduating class of the Juilliard School’s Drama Division.  Established to tour smaller cities, towns and communities and make the language of theater accessible in performance, classes and educational outreach activities, the company’s alumni include the likes of Frances Conroy, Kevin Kline, Patti LuPone and David Ogden Stiers. For the 2008-2009 season, The Acting Company joined forces with the Tony-Award winning Guthrie Theater to tour a new co-production of Shakespeare’s Henry V and a new adaptation of The Spy by James Fenimore Cooper. 
http://www.theactingcompany.org/

Funding for these tours is made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program. Funding for the Cephas & Wiggins tour is made possible with additional support from the Maryland State Arts Counci

2007/2008 Season

Dance: Taylor 2
Paul Taylor Dance Company, now in its 42nd year, celebrates the artistry of Paul Taylor and performs his dances throughout the world. Taylor 2 was established in 1993 under the direction of Linda Hodges to accommodate the demands on the Paul Taylor Dance Company for increased teaching and community outreach. Like the original Taylor ensemble of 1954, Taylor 2 is comprised of professionals with a particular gift for the choreographer's style who can introduce Paul Taylor's work to audiences in markets not able to accommodate the larger Company. Taylor 2's repertoire includes works that reveal the broad spectrum of Paul Taylor's work. Currently, the Company's repertory includes works such as Airs, Arden Court, Book of Beasts, Company B, Esplanade, Funny Papers, Images, and Runes. Performed in various combinations, they introduce new audiences to the athleticism, humor, and range of emotions found in the work of Paul Taylor. www.ptdc.org

Choral: Morgan State University Choir
Widely recognized as one of the nation's most prestigious university choral ensembles, the Choir's repertoire spans several centuries and includes classical, gospel, and contemporary popular music. The 40-member traveling ensemble is also noted for its emphasis on preserving the heritage of the spiritual, especially in the historic practices of performance. The Choir tours internationally on a regular basis and appears with the finest American and European orchestras. www.msuchoir.org

Folk / Traditional Arts: Mick Moloney
Irish impresario and musician Mick Maloney has been teaching, promoting, and nurturing traditional Irish music and dance in the U.S. for decades. He has recorded and produced over fifty albums of traditional Irish music, written scores of liner notes for assorted recordings and acted as advisor for festivals and concerts all over America during the past thirty years. In 1999 he was awarded the National Heritage Award from the National Endowment for the Arts - the highest official honor a traditional artist can receive in the United States. For this tour, Mick will be joined by an ensemble of four musicians on mandolin, fiddle, button accordion, and uillean pipes. Two dancers performing traditional Irish hard and soft shoe dance will also travel with the group. www.mickmoloney.com

Jazz: Jason Moran and The Bandwagon
ince his formidable emergence on the music scene in the late 90s, Jason Moran has become a leading light and an artist to watch in modern jazz. Moran uses an "impressionistic" approach to playing piano and composing pieces, visible in his critically acclaimed trio/quartet The Bandwagon and in his work with jazz contemporaries such as Cassandra Wilson, Don Byron, Steve Coleman, Greg Osby and Stefon Harris. A deft conceptualist finding inspiration in spoken word, film, jazz, pop and hip-hop, Moran has performed at leading clubs and jazz presenters and festivals worldwide, as well as receiving commissions by several major arts institutions. Beyond his live performances, his recorded works including two Blue Note releases, Same Mother and Artist in Residence have led critics to claim that Moran is becoming one of the most provocative thinkers in current jazz. www.jasonmoran.com

Theatre: Aquila Theatre Company
Aquila is the foremost producer of touring classical theatre in the United States, visiting 60-70 American cities per year. With precision, sensitivity and unity of ensemble, The Aquila Theatre Company articulates the human essence inherent in classical drama. For the 2007-2008 season, the Company toured Julius Caesar, bringing one of Shakespeare's most relevant and timely works to life. The Company also toured a new production of CATCH-22, using Joseph Heller's own stage adaptation of his classic novel. CATCH-22 explores the important and timely questions of the absurdity of war and its impact on American society. www.aquilatheatre.com

Bonnie Rideout "Caledonia"
CALEDONIA! brings to the stage the very best of Scotland's music. On fiddle, bagpipes, harp, flute, rhythm, song, poetry, and dance, this vibrant music emanates from a living tradition that represents over four centuries of Scottish culture and history. Highlights include virtuoso fiddle works by James Oswald and J. Scott Skinner played by world-renowned fiddle champion, Bonnie Rideout. Graceful and dynamic dances take flight with her six-piece band backed by the driving rhythms of cello, guitar and percussion. Legendary harper William Jackson harkens the ancient music of the bards. Rod Cameron narrates with stirring poetry from, Robert Burns, R. L. Stevenson, and James Hogg. Celebrated piper, Jerry O'Sullivan plays three kinds of pipes, wooden flute, and whistles. Multi-generations of singers round out the evening with Gaelic mouth music and highland voices. This stirring presentation is delivered by traditional musicians from Scotland, America, and Canada reflecting the music of all Scots, from the humble crofter's hearth to the grand castle halls.

Don Byron Plays Junior Walker

In December 2005, Don Byron launched a new group dedicated to the music of soul legend, saxophonist and singer Junior Walker.  Byron, who is often classified as one of today’s most significant jazz clarinetists, plays tenor saxophone on this tribute, and the music will result in a CD release on Blue Note Records this October. The touring group also includes Dean Bowman on vocals, guitarist David Gilmore, George Colligan on Hammond B-3 organ, bassist Brad Jones, and drummer Rodney Holmes.  Junior Walker attained worldwide fame as the leader of one of Motown’s biggest acts in the late 60s and early 70s - Junior Walker and the All Stars - and released a number of infectious top 10 Soul hits, including “I’m a Roadrunner,” “Shotgun,” and “How Sweet it Is.”

Los Folkloristas
Celebrating their 40th anniversary season in 2006, Mexico’s “Los Folkloristas” continue their mission set in 1966 "to preserve and record the traditional music of Mexico and Latin America." Carrying more than 100 instruments in their collection, and performing music from up to 15 different countries and pre-Columbian Mexico, a performance with this seven-member ensemble is like taking a musical journey through Latin America. As ambassadors of traditional Latin folk music, "Los Folkloristas" successes include the release of more than 30 albums world-wide, acclaim from the National Association of Independent Record Distributors (NAIRD) and contributions to musical scores for the award-winning film El Norte and recent release Mi Familia (My Family). Repertoire options include an overview of Latin American music, an all-Mexico program exploring the diversity of styles from their home country, or Canto Latino: A concert of traditional Latin American music for choir and folk instruments. Hands-on workshops, outreach and residency activities are available.

Funding for these tours is made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program.

2005/2006 Season

Andes Manta
Andes Manta, an ensemble of five musicians performing traditional folk music from the Andes, toured the mid-Atlantic region in 2005/06. As natives of the Ecuadorian Andes, they perform music from that region in its most authentic form. In addition to providing performances, they also offered lecture demonstrations on their instruments and a workshop on building pan pipes.

Tour Stops:
Class Acts Arts, Silver Spring, MD
Frostburg State University, Frostburg, MD
Shenandoah Valley Music Festival, Woodstock, VA
West Virginia University, Parkersburg, WV

Aquila Theatre Company
Aquila Theatre Company toured throughout the mid-Atlantic region during 2005/06 with their productions of Hamlet and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The Company, whose performances of classical drama have been popular with audiences and schools, offer productions with minimal props and sets, using contemporary stagecraft. Their educational offerings include master classes, shortened plays for young children, and lecture/demonstrations.

Tours Stops:
Clay Center for Arts & Sciences of WV, Charleston, WV
CSI Center for the Arts, Staten Island, NY
Delaware State University, Dover, DE
Frostburg State University, Frostburg, MD
Gettysburg Majestic Theater, Gettysburg, PA
Hampton Arts, Hampton, VA
Harford Community College, Bel Air, MD
Harrisburg Area Community College, Harrisburg, PA
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA
New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, NJ
Paramount Center for the Arts, Peekskill, NY
Piedmont Valley Community College, Charlottesville, VA
Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, VA
West Virginia Wesleyan College, Buckhannon, WV
Westchester Community College, Valhalla, NY
William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ

Grandchildren of the Buffalo Soldiers
Grandchildren of the Buffalo Soldiers, a new play by William S. Yellow Robe, toured the mid-Atlantic region in the winter of 2006. Co-produced by Trinity Repertory Company and Penumbria Theatre Company, the work asks audiences to consider their racial and cultural identity, while maintaining a compassionate and open-minded view of the complexity of mixed-race heritage in America, and in the Native community. The playwright travelled with the production to participate in activities including pre/post-performance discussion and workshops.

National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

Masters of Caribbean Music
Co-produced with the National Council for the Traditional Arts, Masters of Caribbean Music featured the legendary calyopsonian The Mighty Sparrow, the exquisite jibaro ensemble Ecos de Borinquén and, from Port-au-Prince, the engaging and rarely heard Ti-Coca et Wanga-Nègès making it's US touring debut. Educational offerings included workshops, master classes, community activities and specially designed K-12 programs. The tour visited the mid-Atlantic region in October/November 2005.

Tour Stops:
Alden Theatre, McLean, VA
Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia, PA
College Community Service, New York, NY
Geneva Concerts, Geneva, NY
Goucher College, Towson, MD
Great Valley Community Education Foundation, Malvern, PA
Harrisburg Area Community College, Harrisburg, PA
Juniata College, Huntingdon, PA
Lafayette College, Easton, PA
The Egg, Albany, NY
State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ
Strathmore Hall, Bethesda, MD
Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA
Virginia Arts Festival, Norfolk, VA

John McCutcheon
John McCutcheon has "the charisma of Pete Seeger, the eloquence of a poet, the repertoire of a library, and the virtuosity of an orchestra." His performances are legendary events that reach into human doings and find strings that tie all of us together. Numerous reviewers have called him one of the most versatile and powerful songwriters of the 1990's, and his more than twenty record albums have been greeted with critical and popular acclaim. John also performs with symphony orchestras to audiences of all ages. A multi-instrumentalist wonder, John is a master at leading into a song with a story.

Tour Stops:
Bramwell Theatre, Bramwell, WV
Gordon Center for the Performing Arts, Owings Mills, MD
Hampshire County Arts Council, Romney, WV
Morgan Arts Council, Berkeley Springs, WV
Randolph County Community Arts Council, Elkins, WV
Saint Mark Presbyterian Church, Rockville, MD

Seán Curran Company
Known for his wit, intelligence, ingenuity, and uncanny physical humor, Seán Curran successfully blends a myriad of influences into purely original style. Dance repertoire includes pieces for young & family audiences, solo work and ensemble pieces. The company offers an array of educational activities in addition to public performances.

Tour Stops:
Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA
Nazareth College Arts Center, Nazareth, NY

Tlen-Huicani
Tlen-Huicani remains one of the most faithful interpreters of the traditional folk music of Veracruz, Mexico and most of Latin America. For over 30 years, their music and international achievements have earned them the honor of "Best Folk Group in Mexico" by the Union of Music and Theatre Critics.

Tour Stops:
Butler County Community College, Butler, PA
Delaware Valley Arts Consortium, Malvern, PA
Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA
Great Valley Community Education Foundation, Malvern, PA
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
Roanoke College, Salem, VA
University of Pittsburgh, Greensburg, PA
Virginia Arts Festival, Norfolk, VA
Westchester Community College, Valhalla, NY
World Music Institute, New York, NY

2004/2005 Season

Aquila Theatre Company
Aquila Theatre Company toured throughout the mid-Atlantic region during 2004/05 with their productions of Twelfth Night and The Invisible Man. The Company, whose performances of classical drama have been popular with audiences and schools, offer productions with minimal props and sets, using contemporary stagecraft. Their educational offerings include master classes, shortened plays for young children, and lecture/demonstrations.

Tour Stops:
Alden Theatre, McLean, VA
Butler County Community College Education Foundation, Butler, PA
Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences, Charleston, WV
College of Staten Island, Staten Island, NY
Frostburg State University, Frostburg, MD
Hampton Arts Foundation, Hampton, VA
Harford Community College, Bel Air, MD
Harrisburg Area Community College, Harrisburg, PA
New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark, NJ
SUNY-Purchase, Purchase, NY
Piedmont Arts Association, Martinsville, VA
Piedmont Virginia Community College, Charlottesville, VA
Staller Center for the Arts, Stony Brook, NY
State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ
Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA
University of Richmond, Richmond, VA
Washington and Jefferson College, Washington, PA
West Virginia Wesleyan University, Buckhannon, WV

Ballet Folklorico "Quetzalli" de Veracruz
Ballet Folklorico "Quetzalli" de Veracruz is a company of 12 dancers and 5 musicians that perform traditional music and dance from Veracruz in Mexico. The music is lively, the dances are meticulous and the costumes are colorful in their performances. Company members are experienced teachers and will offer educational activities in addition to public performances on the tour.

Tour Stops:
Artswego, Oswego, NY
Chenango County Council of the Arts, Norwich, NY
Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ
Delaware Valley Arts Consortium, Malvern, PA
Great Valley Community Education Foundation, Malvern, PA
Helen Hayes Theatre Company, Nyack, NY
John Drew Theatre at Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY
Nazareth College Arts Center, Rochester, NY
The Egg, Albany, NY
Quetzales Mexican Dance Ensemble, Falls Church, VA
Shepherd University, Shepherdstown, WV
South Street Theatre Company, Morristown, NJ
Virginia Arts Festival, Norfolk, VA
Westchester Community College, Valhalla, NY
White Plains Performing Arts Center, White Plains, NY
World Music Institute, New York, NY

Cephas & Wiggins
The guitar and harmonica duo from Virginia, John Cephas and Phil Wiggins, perform the Piedmont-style of blues, which has won them acclaim in the mid-Atlantic region and around the country. In 1989, John Cephas won the prestigious National Heritage Fellowship Award from the National Endowment for the Arts, which honors master folk and traditional artists for their contributions to this country's national cultural heritage.

Tour Stops:
Delaware Institute for Arts in Education, Wilmington, DE
Hampshire County Arts Council, Romney, WV
Morgan Arts Council, Berkeley Springs, WV
Randolph County Community Arts Council, Elkins, WV
Shepherdstown Music and Dance, Shepherd, WV

Robin & Linda Williams and Their Fine Group
Robin & Linda Williams and Their Fine Group are four musicians that perform bluegrass, country and gospel music. For over twenty years, the Williams have toured in this country and also have made appearances on A Prairie Home Companion, Austin City Limits, and The Grand Ole Opry. In addition to public performances, they can offer workshops on song-writing.

Tour Stops:
Bergen Community College, Paramus, NJ
Carnegie Hall, Lewisburg, WV
Common Ground on the Hill, Westminster, MD
Garrett Lakes Arts Festival, McHenry, MD
Maryland-National Capital Parks, Riverdale, MD
Morgan Arts Council, Berkeley Springs, WV
Philadelphia Folk Song Society, Philadelphia, PA
Randolph County Community Arts Council, Elkins, WV
St. Mark Presbyterian Church, Rockville, MD

Sean Curran Dance Company
The Sean Curran Company is a modern dance company whose choreographer, Sean Curran, blends humor, intelligence and ingenuity into his work. Dance repertoire includes pieces for young & family audiences, dances to the music of Janacek (performed with live music that can be provided by local musicians), solo work and ensemble pieces. The company offers an array of educational activities in addition to public performances.

Tour Stops:
Oneonta Concert Association, Oneonta, NY

2003/2004 Season

Aquila Theatre Company
Aquila Theatre Company toured throughout the mid-Atlantic region during 2003/04 with their production of Othello. The Company, whose productions of Shakespeare plays and Greek tragedies have been a popular draw for audiences and schools in the region, is the Professional Company in Residence at the Center for Ancient Studies at New York University. Aquila Theatre Company brings to life classical drama for audiences by performing inventive productions with minimal props and sets, using masks and other contemporary stagecraft. The Company's education program encompasses a variety of formats for introducing students to classical drama, including master classes on the skill of acting, and techniques for using masks, music and movement in a production, shortened performances of plays for younger children, teacher training, and seminars on Shakespeare or Greek drama and comedy. In the past, tours of the Company in the region have been supported by the Foundation through the ArtsCONNECT Program. In 2004, Aquila Theatre will join five other theater companies to participate in Arts Midwest's "Shakespeare in American Communities," a project that supports tours of theater companies performing Shakespeare.

Tour stops:
Bloomsburg University, Bloomsburg, PA
Carnegie Hall, Lewisburg, WV
Clay Center, Charleston, WV
Hampton Arts Commission, Hampton, VA
Harrisburg Area Community College, Harrisburg, PA
Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA
McLean Community Center, McLean, VA
Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center, Johnstown, PA
State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ
SUNY/Purchase College, Purchase, NY
SUNY/Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY
Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, PA
Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, VA
University of Delaware, Newark, DE
University of Richmond, Richmond, VA
Weinberg Center, Frederick, MD

Masters of Mexican Music
"Masters of Mexican Music" explored four regional musical traditions from Mexico: the marimba of southern Mexico, the accordion conjunto of the Texas-Mexico border area, the Veracruz harp ensemble, and the mariachi of Jalisco. A tour of musicians representing these musical traditions developed by the National Council for Traditional Arts (NCTA) and the Foundation traveled throughout the mid-Atlantic region during March/April 2004. Educational workshops, master classes, community activities, and specially designed K-12 programs were offered to presenters in addition to the public performances. The Masters of Mexican Music tour was made possible through generous support from the Metlife Foundation.

Tour Stops:
Adams County Arts Council, Gettysburg, PA
ArtsEnter, Cape Charles, VA
Augusta Heritage Center, Elkins, WV
City of Galax Division of Tourism, Galax, VA
Class Acts Arts, Silver Spring, MD
Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA
Gordon Center, Owings Mills, MD
Ivy & Stone Council for the Arts, Summersville, WV
Library of Congress, Washington, DC
Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell, PA
State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ
Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, NY
University of Delaware, Newark, DE
University of Maryland, College Park, MD
West Virginia University, Parkersburg, WV
World Music Institute, New York, NY

QuinTango
The Virginia-based musical ensemble, QuinTango, is a quintet (two violinists, a cellist, a bassist and a pianist), dedicated to the musical performance of tango. Their tour brought a diverse range of tango music to venues throughout the region (excluding Virginia) during the 2003/04 season. QuinTango's repertoire spans the tango music literature, and includes some of the earliest tangos to enter the repertoire, classic tangos from the Golden Age, tango waltzes, the "nuevo tango" music of Astor Piazzola, and original compositions by Uruguayan composer and bandoneonist, Alejandro Muzio. QuinTango has developed educational programs for elementary schools and students in grades 7-12 schools that were available for presenters participating in the tour in addition to public performances.

Tour Stops:
Allegheny College, Meadville, PA
Butler County Community College, Butler, PA
Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, Washington, DC
Mercyhurst College, Erie, PA
Weinberg Center for the Arts, Frederick, MD
West Virginia Wesleyan College, Buckhannon, WV

Funding for these tours is made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Arts Regional Touring Program.