layla and majnun -...

Rose TheaterJazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall

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This presentation of Mark Morris Dance Group’s Layla and Majnun is made possible in part byendowment support from the American Express Cultural Preservation Fund.

Endowment support for the White Light Festival presentation of Mark Morris Dance Group is provided by Blavatnik Family Foundation Fund for Dance.

These performances are made possible in part by the Josie Robertson Fund for Lincoln Center.

Thursday–Saturday, October 26–28, 2017, at 7:30 pmSunday, October 29, 2017, at 3:00 pm

Layla and Majnun (New York premiere)

Mark Morris Dance GroupMark Morris, Choreographer and DirectorSilk Road EnsembleAlim Qasimov, MajnunFargana Qasimova, LaylaHoward Hodgkin, Scenic and Costume DesignJames F. Ingalls, Lighting Design

Music composed by Uzeyir Hajibeyli and arranged by Alim Qasimov, Johnny Gandelsman, and Colin JacobsenLibretto based on the poem Leyli and Majnun by Muhammad Fuzuli

Dancers: Mica Bernas, Sam Black, Durell R. Comedy, Rita Donahue, Domingo Estrada, Jr., Lesley Garrison, Lauren Grant, Sarah Haarmann, Brian Lawson, Aaron Loux,Laurel Lynch, Dallas McMurray, Brandon Randolph, Nicole Sabella, Christina Sahaida*, Billy Smith, Noah VinsonThis program is approximately 70 minutes long and will be performed without intermission.

Please join the artists for a White Light Lounge following the performances onThursday, Friday, and Saturday.

* apprentice (Program continued)

WhiteLightFestival.org

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Artist Catering provided by Zabar’s and Zabars.com

Layla and Majnun is made possible, in part, throughthe MMDG New Works Fund with support fromthe Friends of MMDG, Doris Duke Foundation forIslamic Art, the Howard Gilman Foundation,Ellsworth Kelly Foundation, Elizabeth Liebman, aspecial grant from The Henry Luce Foundation,PARC Foundation, Poss Family Foundation, theNational Endowment for the Arts, and Trust forMutual Understanding.

Funding has also been provided by the NewEngland Foundation for the Arts’ National DanceProject, with lead funding from the Doris DukeCharitable Foundation and The Andrew W. MellonFoundation, with additional support from theNational Endowment for the Arts.

Layla and Majnun is a Mark Morris DanceGroup/Cal Performances, UC Berkeley, Berkeley,California production in association with LincolnCenter for the Performing Arts, New York, NewYork; Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Chicago,Illinois; Hopkins Center for the Arts, DartmouthCollege, Hanover, New Hampshire; The John F.Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,Washington, D.C.; Krannert Center for thePerforming Arts, College of Fine + Applied Arts,University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; MeanyCenter for the Performing Arts, Seattle,Washington; Melbourne Festival, Victoria, Australia;Sadler’s Wells, London, England; and UniversityMusical Society of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Love and Death, the original painting by the lateHoward Hodgkin on which his scenic design for Layla and Majnun is based, will be on view throughNovember 3 at Gagosian on West 24th Street.

UPCOMING WHITE LIGHT FESTIVAL EVENTS:

Wednesday–Thursday, November 1–2, at 7:30 pmin the Rose TheaterStabat mater (New York premiere)Jessica Lang DanceJessica Lang, director and choreographerOrchestra of St. Luke’sSperanza Scappucci, conductorAndriana Chuchman, sopranoAnthony Roth Costanzo, countertenorMOZART: Divertimento in F majorPERGOLESI: Stabat mater

November 1–11 The Psalms Experience (U.S. premiere)Choir of Trinity Wall StreetNetherlands Chamber ChoirTallis ScholarsNorwegian Soloists’ Choir150 psalms. 150 composers. 4 choirs. 12 concerts.Visit PsalmsExperience.org for full concert schedule.

Thursday, November 9 at 7:30 pm at Church of the AscensionDarkness and Light (U.S. premiere)Bernard Foccroulle, organLynette Wallworth, videoWorks by BACH, BUXTEHUDE, MESSIAEN,GRIGNY, ALAIN, TOSHIO HOSOKAWA, BERNARDFOCCROULLE, and SOFIA GUBAIDULINA

For tickets, call (212) 721-6500 or visitWhiteLightFestival.org. Call the Lincoln Center InfoRequest Line at (212) 875-5766 to learn about program cancellations or to request a White LightFestival brochure.

Visit WhiteLightFestival.org for full festival listings.

Join the conversation: #WhiteLightFestival

We would like to remind you that the sound of coughing and rustling paper might distract the performers and your fellow audience members.

In consideration of the performing artists and members of the audience, those who must leavebefore the end of the performance are asked to do so between pieces. The taking of photographsand the use of recording equipment are not allowed in the building.


MEDLEY OF AZERBAIJANI MUSIC: BAYATI SHIRAZ*Kamila Nabiyeva, Mugham Vocals

Miralam Miralamov, Mugham VocalsRauf Islamov, Kamancheh

Zaki Valiyev, Tar

LAYLA AND MAJNUN Music by Uzeyir Hajibeyli (1885–1948),

arranged by Alim Qasimov, Johnny Gandelsman, Colin JacobsenSung in Azerbaijani with English supertitles

Choreography and Direction: Mark MorrisScenic and Costume Design: Howard Hodgkin

Lighting Design: James F. IngallsSet realized by : Johan Henckens

Costumes realized by : Maile Okamura

CASTLayla: Fargana Qasimova, Mugham VocalsMajnun: Alim Qasimov, Mugham Vocals

Rauf Islamov, Kamancheh; Zaki Valiyev, Tar; Kojiro Umezaki, Shakuhachi;Jin Yang, Pipa; Shane Shanahan, Percussion; Georgy Valtchev, Violin;

Xiaofan Liu, Violin; Max Mandel, Viola; Karen Ouzounian, Cello; Shawn Conley, Bass

Act I: Love and SeparationLayla: Mica Bernas Majnun: Dallas McMurray

Sam Black, Lesley Garrison, Lauren Grant, Sarah Haarmann, Brian Lawson,Aaron Loux, Laurel Lynch, Christina Sahaida, Billy Smith, Noah Vinson

Act II: The Parents’ DisapprovalLayla: Nicole Sabella Majnun: Domingo Estrada, Jr.

Layla’s Parents: Lauren Grant, Noah VinsonMajnun’s Parents: Christina Sahaida, Billy Smith

Mica Bernas, Sam Black, Lesley Garrison, Brian Lawson, Dallas McMurray,Brandon Randolph

Act III: Sorrow and DespairLayla: Laurel Lynch Majnun: Aaron Loux

Mica Bernas, Domingo Estrada, Jr., Lauren Grant, Sarah Haarmann, Brian Lawson, Dallas McMurray, Nicole Sabella, Christina Sahaida, Billy Smith, Noah Vinson

(Program continued)

Act IV: Layla’s Unwanted WeddingLayla: Lesley Garrison Majnun: Sam Black The Husband: Durell R. Comedy

Layla’s Parents: Lauren Grant, Noah Vinson

Domingo Estrada, Jr., Sarah Haarmann, Aaron Loux, Nicole Sabella, Christina Sahaida, Billy Smith

Act V: The Lovers’ DemiseLayla: Mica Bernas, Nicole Sabella, Laurel Lynch, Lesley Garrison

Majnun: Dallas McMurray, Domingo Estrada, Jr., Aaron Loux, Sam BlackLayla’s Parents: Lauren Grant, Noah Vinson

Majnun’s Parents: Christina Sahaida, Billy Smith

These performances are presented in loving memory of Howard Hodgkin, a great artist and friend.

* Medley of Azerbaijani Music: Bayati ShirazAll pieces in this medley are based on the melodic patterns of Bayati Shiraz, whichis one of the major mughams of Azerbaijani music. The composition proceeds fromthe melancholic and sad music expressions toward the upbeat and playful closingpiece; such development is highly typical for Azerbaijani traditional music. The med-ley opens with the famous Azerbaijani folk song “I have watered the street,” whichis about a girl who is waiting for her beloved and wishing that they never be sepa-rated. The second part of this composition features the actual mugham Bayati Shirazwhere both singers and instrumentalists demonstrate their ability to improvise. Thesong “You have been apart from me” is a closing part of the medley. AlibabaMammadov (b. 1929), Azerbaijani mugham singer, composed this song following allthe rules and stylistic features of the traditional songs known as tasnifs. Tasnif is aromance-like lyrical song that is usually performed within mugham composition. Thismedley, therefore, features three vocal genres of traditional music of Azerbaijan,such as mugham, folk song, and tasnif.

Synopsis

Layla and Qays are in love from childhood but are not allowed to unite. Qays (calledMajnun, which means “possessed”) is perceived to be mad in his obsession with Layla.Layla is married off to another and Majnun becomes a hermit, devoting himself to writingverses about his profound love of Layla. Although they attempt to meet, they die withoutever realizing a relationship.

Please turn to page 9 for the full libretto and to page 68 for an article on the love story ofLayla and Majnun.


Into the Divine: The Music of Laylaand MajnunBy Aida Huseynova

At the age of 23, the composer UzeyirHajibeyli (1885–1948) put Azerbaijan—andhimself—on the map of music history withhis Leyli and Majnun. This opera was thefirst piece of composed music created inAzerbaijan, premiering in 1908 in Baku(then part of the Russian Empire, now thecapital of the Republic of Azerbaijan).Azerbaijanis have revered their first nationalcomposer and his work ever since. Fordecades, every season at the AzerbaijanState Opera and Ballet Theater has openedwith Leyli and Majnun. Each Azerbaijanisinger appreciates the honor and responsi-bility of participating in these productions,and audiences throughout the countryenjoy broadcasts of the performances.

Nearly a century after the Baku premiere,Hajibeyli’s opera found a new life half aworld away thanks to the Silk RoadEnsemble under the artistic direction of Yo-Yo Ma. In 2007, the group created a cham-ber arrangement of Hajibeyli’s work thatwas entitled Layla and Majnun, followingthe pronunciation of the heroine’s name inArabic culture, in which this ancient legendhad originated. From 2007 to 2009, thearrangement was a highlight of the ensem-ble’s repertoire, delighting large audiencesaround the world.

The rich multicultural potential of Hajibeyli’sopera perfectly resonates with Silkroad, thecultural organization Yo-Yo Ma founded tohouse the Silk Road Ensemble. Silkroadenvisions music as a global phenomenon,with musical forms, genres, and stylesserving as bridges across time andbetween cultures. Azerbaijani opera offersmany possibilities for such musical and cul-tural synthesis. In Leyli and Majnun,Hajibeyli combined Western opera with

two artistic treasures of Central Asia andthe Middle East: the story of Layla andMajnun and the genre of mugham.

The ill-fated lovers Layla and Majnun areoften compared to Romeo and Juliet,although their story in oral tradition pre-dates Shakespeare’s play by more than athousand years. Layla and Majnun havebeen celebrated in tales by Turks, Arabs,Persians, Indians, Pakistanis, and Afghans.Known in many poetic renditions, theirstory also has inspired works of visual art,literature, cinema, and music. It is not acci-dental that Hajibeyli chose the poetic set-ting of the Azerbaijani poet and philoso-pher Muhammad Fuzuli (1483–1556).Written in the Azerbaijani language,Fuzuli’s work is one of the most famousversions of this ancient legend.

Musical interpretations of the legend ofLayla and Majnun appear in diverse genresand national traditions, attesting to thetale’s enduring popularity. Hajibeyli’sopera—the first piece of composed musicto set this ancient story—was based onmugham, the quintessential genre of tradi-tional Azerbaijani music. Mugham is abranch of the large maqam tradition culti-vated in the Middle East and Central Asia.An improvised modal music, mugham his-torically has been performed by a mughamtrio that consists of a singer playing gaval(frame drum) and two instrumentalistsplaying tar (lute) and kamancheh (spike fid-dle). Mugham remains a precious part ofthe traditional music heritage of Azerbaijan.Since the early 20th century, mugham alsohas become the main source of creativeinspiration and experimentation forAzerbaijani composers. In 1977, Azerbaijanimugham was one of the 27 musical selec-tions put in Voyagers I and II. Sent beyondour solar system, these American space-craft carried this music as a testament tothe emotional life of human beings. In2003, UNESCO recognized Azerbaijanimugham as a Masterpiece of the Oral andIntangible Heritage of Humanity.

Throughout its long history, the mughamgenre has attracted many outstanding per-formers in Azerbaijan. Among them is AlimQasimov, who occupies a unique and hon-orable place in Azerbaijan’s national musichistory. Qasimov is revered as a NationalTreasure of Azerbaijan, and he also hasenjoyed substantial acclaim abroad. In1999, Qasimov won the International IMC-UNESCO Music Prize—a highly re -spected award that previously had beenbestowed on Dmitry Shostakovich,Leonard Bernstein, Olivier Messiaen,Daniel Barenboim, Munir Bashir, and RaviShankar, among others. Qasimov pos-sesses an in-depth knowledge of mugham.At the same time, he is renowned for hisinnovative approach to tradition and hisopenness to experimentation. This is whyit is no surprise that Qasimov initiated theidea of a new embodiment of Hajibeyli’sold “mugham opera.”

Qasimov shared his vision with membersof the Silk Road Ensemble and received apositive response. He was intimately famil-iar with Hajibeyli’s Leyli and Majnun, as hehad been involved in its productions in theAzerbaijan State Opera and Ballet Theaterin the 1980s. For his Silkroad work,Qasimov selected the portions ofHajibeyli’s score that focus on Majnun’ssolo and duet scenes with Layla, the hero-ine, whose role was performed by FarganaQasimova, Qasimov’s daughter and stu-dent, now a highly reputed mugham singeron her own. Qasimov also included choraland ensemble episodes, along with instru-mental interludes. Based on these selec-tions, Silk Road Ensemble membersJohnny Gandelsman and Colin Jacobsen,both violinists, created a score.

In the interpretation of the Silk RoadEnsemble, the story of Layla and Majnun ispresented in a condensed version: thethree-and-a-half-hour-long opera is com-pressed into an hour-long chamber piece.Hajibeyli’s five acts are rearranged into six

parts. These changes have resulted in areordering and even an omission of manyoperatic episodes. Ultimately, the Silk RoadEnsemble’s alterations highlight the story’stime-honored messages. The legend ofLayla and Majnun has a strong Sufi compo-nent, with the love between a man and awoman being seen as a reflection of lovefor God. The death resulting from separa-tion from one’s beloved is a supreme fulfill-ment, as it takes the individual into thedivine. In Hajibeyli’s opera, this idea wasconveyed through the chorus “Night ofSeparation,” which opens and concludesthe work. These episodes can be com-pared to the Chorus in Greek tragedies,which comments on events before theyoccur in the narrative. Reconstituting theChorus as a cello solo, both at the begin-ning and at the end of the piece, is one ofthe new arrangement’s most insightfulinterpretations: the lonely melody of thecello sounds as the voice of eternity.

The new arrangement of Hajibeyli’s operahas created a different balance betweenWestern and Eastern traits. In Hajibeyli’sopera, these two components mostly arekept separate: the symphony orchestraplays all episodes of composed music andremains silent during the mughams. Onlythe tar and kamancheh accompany singersduring mugham episodes. In the new ver-sion, however, the role of the ensemble—with tar and kamancheh included—is cru-cial throughout the entire piece, and boththe improvised and written parts of thecomposition are firmly integrated.

Layla and Majnun is a constantly changingand developing project. Every performanceis unique, and it is impossible to take asnapshot of this work. Yo-Yo Ma called thisa “part of the thrill” and described the pro-ject as “perhaps the finest example ofgroup intelligence at work” (New YorkTimes, March 1, 2009). A reviewer of a per-formance by the Silk Road Ensemblenoted, “Layla and Majnun was the apex of


the program. Classical music making rarelyachieves this combination of spontaneityand superb craftsmanship” (WashingtonPost, March 14, 2009).

Indeed, this composition is a result of col-lective effort and is imbued with the spiritof improvisation. Hajibeyli was aware of thelarge cultural span of his project, in terms ofits musical and literary contents. However,Hajibeyli limited the cultural, aesthetic, andstylistic scope of the opera to the contextof his native culture. In so doing, hereflected the social and cultural expecta-tions of early 20th-century Azerbaijan aswell as his own professional experience (orrather, its absence, as Leyli and Majnunwas Hajibeyli’s first work). The Silk RoadEnsemble has expanded the cultural reachof Azerbaijani opera deep into the MiddleEast and Central Asia. No less importantly,they have increased the Western elementsin Hajibeyli’s score, creating a work of

global East-West significance. The newmusical arrangement of Layla and Majnunis a respectful and highly artistic transfor-mation of Hajibeyli’s “mugham” opera,now shaped by creative energies comingfrom diverse cultural, stylistic, and tempo-ral sources.

Aida Huseynova has a PhD in musicologyand teaches at the Indiana UniversityJacobs School of Music. Her publicationsinclude Music of Azerbaijan: FromMugham to Opera (Indiana UniversityPress, 2016). Huseynova also serves as aresearch advisor for Silkroad under theartistic direction of Yo-Yo Ma. Her numer-ous awards include an Andrew W. MellonFoundation grant (2016) and a Fulbrightscholarship (2007–08).

—Copyright © by Aida Huseynova. Reprintedwith kind permission.


Libretto

Layla and MajnunLibretto by Uzeyir Hajibeyli (based on the poem by Muhammad Fuzuli)Translation by Aida Huseynova and Isabelle Hunter

1. LOVE AND SEPARATION

Majnun:My soul is on fire because we are apartI want to join my belovedMy heart is heavy because I am aloneI want to see my belovedI feel like a nightingale that cries in pain,trapped in a cageI want a flower garden.

Layla:My heart has been breaking since I was overcome by loveWhat kind of sorrow is this?I do not have the strength to describe the sorrow in my heartI cannot bear being apart from you

Majnun:Seeing your face—as lovely as the sun—has made me weakI cannot be still My only wish is to perish in the world of loveI thank God that my wish is grantedI have no more desire

Layla:My true love knows my heart is breakingHe knows what sadness lives in my heartThere is no need for me to explain my griefHe knows every sliver of sorrow in my heart

Majnun: Yes, I know

Layla: Yes, he knows

Majnun: Yes, I know

Layla and Majnun:Your movements tantalize meYour smile—like a flower—makes me weepYour sweet scent renders me motionlessYour tousled hair drives me mad

2. THE PARENTS’ DISAPPROVAL

Both:You fell in love, desperately in loveAnd your love is mixed with sadness and grief

Majnun:Father and Mother—my soul, my spiritFather and Mother—my heartHow could I know that falling in love with Laylawould turn out this way?What could I say, what could I do?I cannot control this loveI’m powerless—I have no strengthI can only worship this one idoluntil the very end of my life

Layla:Mother, Father—it’s not my fault that I went to schoolI’ve never done anything to disobey youI swear this was not my intentionI just wanted to be a carefree schoolgirlDon’t say any moreHave mercy and stop tormenting me

Majnun:Father, Mother, my love will drive me mad.

3. SORROW AND DESPAIR

Majnun:Dear God, let me be at peace with my troublesLet me feel the despair of my loveHave mercy on me in my griefLet me feel even more despair for my love

Layla:Your eyes are closed, your heart is brokenYour mind tortured, and your legs are bound You are burning from head to toeAnd your heart smolders

Majnun:I yearn to feel this sorrow as long as I liveI need this sorrow because this sorrow needs meI will not surrenderI will not be called unfaithful

Layla:I am as faithful as you areMaybe even more so

You are on fire only at nightWhile I am on fire night and day

Both:Like Fuzuli, I am inspired. Please, God, let me be.

4. LAYLA’S UNWANTED WEDDING

Majnun:Why are you in the garden with a strangerEnjoying yourself, bestowing favors on him?How could you break your word?Did you forget about our vows? How cruel!

Layla:No, no, my soul mate, please listen to meIf this were up to me I would never want anyone but youFate has dealt me a cruel blowI don’t know how this happened

Majnun:What did I do to make you turn away from me?How could you choose a stranger to share your grief and happiness?Is this what you call love?You are cruel! You broke our vows!

Layla:God, what torture! What agony!I was burning with love for you. Now I know the torture of being apart.

Majnun:So this is your loyalty, Layla?Can someone who is unfaithful be loved?

5. THE LOVERS’ DEMISE

Layla:The wheel of fate has not turned the way I wantedIt has not cured the pain of separationMy beloved gave me so much painMy heart is filled with suffering that has no remedyMy beloved promised to love me forever,But he forgot about his vows and about our love.

Majnun:True love means sacrificing one’s life for his belovedA soul that has not been given to a beloved is a wasted soulLovers want to be togetherBut separation brings them joy forever.


Meet the Artists

Mark Morris was born on August 29, 1956,in Seattle, where he studied with VerlaFlowers and Perry Brunson. In the earlyyears of his career, he performed with thecompanies of Lar Lubovitch, Hannah Kahn,Laura Dean, and Eliot Feld, as well as theKoleda Balkan Dance Ensemble. He formedthe Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) in1980, and has since created over 150 worksfor the company. From 1988 to 1991 hewas director of La Monnaie, and in 1990 hefounded the White Oak Dance Project withMikhail Baryshnikov. Mr. Morris has created22 ballets since 1986, and his work hasbeen performed by companies worldwide,including American Ballet Theatre, Ballet duGrand Théâtre de Genève, and the RoyalNew Zealand and San Francisco Ballets. Hebegan conducting performances forMMDG in 2006 and has since conducted atTanglewood Music Center, Lincoln Center,and BAM. He served as music director forthe 2013 Ojai Music Festival. He also worksextensively in opera, directing and choreo-graphing productions for the MetropolitanOpera, New York City Opera, EnglishNational Opera, and the Royal OperaHouse, Covent Garden, among others.

Mr. Morris was named a MacArthur Fellowin 1991 and has received 11 honorary doc-torates to date. He has taught at theUniversity of Washington, PrincetonUniversity, and Tanglewood Music Center.He is a member of the American Academyof Arts and Sciences and the AmericanPhilosophical Society, and has served as anadvisory board member for the RolexMentor and Protégé Arts Initiative. Mr.Morris has received the Samuel H.

Scripps/American Dance Festival Awardfor Lifetime Achievement, the LeonardBernstein Lifetime Achievement Award forthe Elevation of Music in Society, theCreativity Foundation’s Laureate Prize, theInternational Society for the PerformingArts’s Distinguished Artist Award, the CalPerformances Award of Distinction in thePerforming Arts, the Orchestra of St.Luke’s Gift of Music award, and a 2016Doris Duke Artist Award. In 2015 Mr.Morris was inducted into the Mr. and Mrs.Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Hall of Fameat the National Museum of Dance. Heopened the Mark Morris Dance Center inBrooklyn in 2001.

Alim Qasimov (Majnun, mugham vocals) isa prominent mugham singer who has beennamed a Living National Treasure ofAzerbaijan. He has been passionate aboutmugham since his early childhood, but onlystarted pursuing a career in music at age 19,after various jobs as an agricultural workerand driver. Mr. Qasimov studied at the AsafZeynalli Music College and the AzerbaijanUniversity of Arts. His teacher was well-known mugham singer AghakhanAbdullayev. Mr. Qasimov perceives and pre-sents mugham not only as an ancient artand a part of Azerbaijan’s musical and cul-tural heritage but also as a constantly devel-oping tradition. His performing style isunique, combining deep knowledge of cen-turies-old rules of mugham with challenginginnovations, willingly juxtaposing mughamwith other music styles, such as jazz andcontemporary composition. He wasawarded the IMC-UNESCO InternationalMusic Prize in 1999 in recognition of hismusical contributions to world peace. Pastwinners of this prize have included YehudiMenuhin, Ravi Shankar, Olivier Messiaen,

Mark Morris

Alim Qasimov

BEOWULF

SHEEHAN


and Daniel Barenboim. Mr. Qasimov’snumerous awards also include the title ofthe People’s Artist of Azerbaijan, the highestartistic rank in the country. On his 50th birth-day in 2007, the president of Azerbaijanawarded Mr. Qasimov the Medal of Glory.

Fargana Qasimova (Layla, mugham vocals),Alim Qasimov’s daughter and protégée, isan accomplished mugham singer. Herfather has been the major influence in herlife and career. Ms. Qasimova grew up withsounds of mugham and verses from theclassical poetry of Azerbaijan and from theage of four, often performed along with herfather at home and first joined him on tourat age 16. She studied mugham at theAzerbaijan National Conservatory and hasearned recognition as a master ofmugham, performing frequently withQasimov in both Azerbaijan and abroad. In1999, Love’s Deep Ocean, a CD featuringQasimov and Ms. Qasimova, was releasedby Network Medien in Frankfurt, Germany.Ms. Qasimova made her first appearanceas a soloist in 2002 at the Women’s VoicesFestival in Belgium.

Mark Morris Dance GroupThe Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG)was formed in 1980 and gave its first per-formance that year in New York City. Thecompany’s touring schedule steadilyexpanded to include cities around theworld, and in 1986 it made its first nationaltelevision program for the PBS series GreatPerformances: Dance in America. In 1988,MMDG was invited to become the nationaldance company of Belgium and spentthree years in residence at La Monnaie,returning to the U.S. in 1991 as one of theworld’s leading dance companies. Based inBrooklyn, MMDG maintains strong ties to

presenters in several cities, most notablyits West Coast home, Cal Performances inBerkeley, California, and its Midwesthome, the Krannert Center for the Per -forming Arts at the University of Illinois atUrbana-Champaign. MMDG also appearsregularly in New York, Boston, Seattle, andFairfax. The company has performed atNew York City Center’s Fall for DanceFestival, regularly performs at LincolnCenter’s Mostly Mozart and White LightFestivals, and collaborates yearly withBAM on performances and master classes.From the company’s many London sea-sons, it has received two Laurence OlivierAwards and a Critics’ Circle National DanceAward for Best Foreign Dance Company.

MMDG regularly collaborates withrenowned musicians, including Yo-Yo Ma,Emanuel Ax, Stephanie Blythe, and jazz trioThe Bad Plus, as well as leading orchestrasand opera companies, including the LondonSymphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Opera,and English National Opera. The companyalso frequently works with distinguishedartists and designers, including costumedesigners Martin Pakledinaz and IsaacMizrahi, painters Robert Bordo and the lateHoward Hodgkin, and set designersAdrianne Lobel and Allen Moyer. MMDG’sfilm and television projects include Dido andAeneas, The Hard Nut, Falling Down Stairs,two documentaries for the U.K.’s SouthBank Show, and PBS’s Live from LincolnCenter. In 2015 Morris’s signature work,L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, hadits national television premiere on PBS’sGreat Performances.

Silk Road EnsembleFounded by cellist Yo-Yo Ma in 1998,Silkroad creates music that engages differ-ence, sparking radical cultural collaborationand passion-driven learning to build a morehopeful world. The musicians of theGrammy Award–winning Silk Road En -semble represent dozens of artistic tradi-tions and countries, from Spain and Japanto Syria and the U.S.

FarganaQasimova

The ensemble is a musical collective thatappears in many configurations and set-tings, from intimate groups of two andthree in museum galleries to rousing com-plements of 18 in concert halls, publicsquares, and amphitheaters. Silkroadmusicians are also teachers, producers,and advocates. Off stage, they lead profes-sional development and musician trainingworkshops, create residency programs inschools, museums, and communities of allsizes, and experiment with new media andgenres to share Silkroad’s model of radicalcultural collaboration.

Mica Bernas Mica Bernas, originally from Manila,Philippines, received her training at theCultural Center of the Ballet PhilippinesDance School. She later joined BalletPhilippines as member of the corps de bal-let, performing as a soloist from 2001 to2006. Since moving to New York in 2006,Ms. Bernas has worked with Marta Renzi’sProject Company, Armitage Gone! Dance,Gallim Dance, Barkin/Selissen Project, andCarolyn Dorfman Dance (2007–13). Shewas a guest artist with the Limón DanceCompany, performing at the 2013 BienalInternacional de Danza de Cali in Bogota,Lincoln Center’s David H. Koch Theater,and at the Joyce Theater for the com-pany’s 70th anniversary in 2015. Ms.Bernas also teaches at the Limón Instituteand has been on the faculty of BIMA atBrandeis University since 2011. She joinedthe Mark Morris Dance Group as anapprentice in January 2017 and became acompany member in August 2017.

Sam Black Sam Black is originally from Berkeley,California, where he began studying tap atage nine with Katie Maltsberger. Hereceived his bachelor of fine arts degree indance from Purchase College, and cur-rently teaches Mark Morris Dance Groupmaster classes and Dance for PD. He firstappeared with MMDG in 2005 andbecame a company member in 2007.

Durell R. ComedyDurell R. Comedy, a native of PrinceGeorge’s County, Maryland, began dancingat age six with Spirit Wings DanceCompany. He graduated magna cum laudefrom George Mason University, receivinghis bachelor of fine arts degree in danceperformance in 2008. Since then, he hasperformed at the Metropolitan Opera andworked with Troy Powell and KyleAbraham, among others. Mr. Comedy wasa member of the Limón Dance Companyfrom 2009 to 2015, performing principaland soloist roles. He has also worked as asoloist dancer with the Baltimore Operaand was a principal dancer and dance cap-tain with Washington National Opera from2013 to 2014. He was a former fellowshipstudent at the Ailey School and an adjunctfaculty member at George MasonUniversity’s School of Dance in 2014. Mr.Comedy began working as an apprenticewith the Mark Morris Dance Group in 2015and became a company member in 2016.

Shawn ConleyShawn Conley (bass), born in Honolulu, wona position with the Honolulu SymphonyOrchestra (now known as the HawaiiSymphony Orchestra) while in high schoolbefore going on to earn degrees in musicperformance from Rice University. Mr.Conley won the Jazz Division of the 2009International Society of Bassists’ DoubleBass Performance Competition, was a semi-finalist in the Thelonious Monk Institute ofJazz International Bass Competition, andreceived a Wagoner Scholarship. He hasperformed with Sting, Peter Gabriel, Yo-YoMa, and Emanuel Ax, among others. Heteaches at the Hawaii Contrabass Festivaland regularly performs with Hot Club ofDetroit, NOW Ensemble, and The Knights.

Rita DonahueRita Donahue was born and raised inFairfax, Virginia and attended GeorgeMason University. She graduated magnacum laude in 2002, receiving a bachelor ofarts degree in English and a bachelor of


fine arts degree in dance. Ms. Donahuedanced with Kraig Patterson’s Bopi’s BlackSheep and joined the Mark Morris DanceGroup in 2003.

Domingo Estrada, Jr.Domingo Estrada, Jr., a native of Victoria,Texas, danced ballet folklórico through hischurch for 11 years. He earned his bache-lor of fine arts degree in ballet and moderndance from Texas Christian University andworked with the late Fernando Bujones.During his undergraduate studies, heattended the American Dance Festival andperformed Sky Light, a classic work bychoreographer Laura Dean. He debutedwith the Mark Morris Dance Group in 2007and became a company member in 2009.

Lesley GarrisonLesley Garrison grew up in Swansea,Illinois and received her early dance train-ing at the Center of Creative Arts inMissouri and Interlochen Arts Academy inMichigan. She studied at the CodartsRotterdam in the Netherlands and holds abachelor of fine arts degree from PurchaseCollege. She first performed with the MarkMorris Dance Group in 2007 and became acompany member in 2011. Ms. Garrisonteaches at The School at the Mark MorrisDance Center and Dance for PD.

Lauren GrantLauren Grant, honored with a New YorkDance and Performance “Bessie” awardfor her career with the Mark Morris DanceGroup, has danced with MMDG since 1996,appearing in over 60 of Morris’s works. Shestages Morris’s repertory on his company,at universities and conservatories, andteaches ballet and modern technique forthe Dance Group, The School at the MarkMorris Dance Center, Jessica Lang Dance,Liz Gerring Dance Company, Ballet Preljo -caj, and at schools and universities aroundthe globe. Her writing has been published inthe journal Dance Education in Practice andin Dance Magazine and InfiniteBody. She

also serves as a panelist for the New YorkState Council on the Arts. Ms. Grant holds abachelor of fine arts degree in dance fromNYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and is cur-rently pursuing her master of fine artsdegree in dance at Montclair StateUniversity, where she is also an adjunct pro-fessor and a member of the National HonorSociety for graduate and professional stu-dents. She is a recipient of the prestigiousAmerican Association of University WomenCareer Development Grant, the Sono OsatoScholarship for Graduate Studies, and theCaroline Newhouse Grant—all in support ofher academic pursuits.

Sarah Haarmann Sarah Haarmann grew up in Macungie,Pennsylvania and received training at theLehigh Valley Charter High School for theArts under the direction of KimberlyManiscalco. She graduated magna cumlaude with a bachelor of fine arts degree indance from Marymount ManhattanCollege in 2012. Ms. Haarmann has hadthe pleasure of performing with PamTanowitz Dance, Jessica Lang Dance,Dylan Crossman Dans(c)e, Pat Catterson,Denisa Musilova, and Bill Young. Shejoined the Mark Morris Dance Group as anapprentice in January 2017 and became acompany member in August 2017.

Rauf IslamovRauf Islamov (kamancheh) was born inBaku, Azerbaijan and studied kamanchehat the Asaf Zeynally Music College, theAzerbaijan National Conservatory, andreceived his master’s degree from theAzerbaijan State University of Culture andArts. He has toured widely with the AlimQasimov Ensemble.

Brian Lawson Brian Lawson began his dance training inToronto at Canadian Children’s DanceTheatre. There he worked with choreogra-phers David Earle, Carol Anderson, andMichael Trent. Mr. Lawson spent a year

studying at Codarts Rotterdam in TheNetherlands and graduated summa cumlaude in 2010 from Purchase College,where he was also granted the President’sAward for his contributions to the danceprogram. Mr. Lawson has had the pleasureof performing with Pam Tanowitz Dance,Dance Heginbotham, and Nelly vanBommel’s NØA Dance, among others. Hejoined the Mark Morris Dance Group as anapprentice in 2011 and became a companymember in 2013.

Xiaofan LiuXiaofan Liu (violin) has established himselfas an exciting and highly sought-after youngmusician. Mr. Liu received the Jules C.Reiner Violin prize at the Tanglewood MusicCenter, and has performed under the batonof such conductors as Christoph vonDohnányi, Charles Dutoit, and AndrisNelsons, among others. As an avid cham-ber musician and soloist, Mr. Liu hasappeared at venues such as Carnegie Hall,Walt Disney Concert Hall, Jordan Hall(Boston), Seiji Ozawa Hall and KoussevitzkyMusic Shed (Lenox, Massachusetts),National Theater & Concert Hall (Taiwan),and at the Kennedy Center in 2015, wherehe performed alongside Yo-Yo Ma in cele-bration of Seiji Ozawa’s lifetime achieve-ments. He began his violin studies at theCentral Conservatory of Music in Beijingbefore moving to California to attendIdyllwild Arts Academy. Mr. Liu received hisbachelor’s degree from the New EnglandConservatory as the last student of the lateMasuko Ushioda. Mr. Liu is currently pursu-ing his master of music degree at the NewEngland Conservatory under the tutelage ofBoston Symphony Orchestra concertmas-ter Malcolm Lowe.

Aaron LouxAaron Loux grew up in Seattle,Washington, and began dancing at theCreative Dance Center as a member ofKaleidoscope Dance Company, a youthmodern dance ensemble. He began hisclassical training at the Cornish Preparatory

Dance Program and received his bachelorof fine arts degree from The Juilliard Schoolin 2009. He danced at the MetropolitanOpera and with ARC Dance Companybefore joining the Mark Morris DanceGroup in 2010.

Laurel LynchLaurel Lynch began her dance training atCalifornia’s Petaluma School of Ballet. Shemoved to New York to attend The JuilliardSchool, where she performed works byRobert Battle, Margie Gillis, José Limón,and Ohad Naharin. After graduation, Ms.Lynch danced for Dušan Týnek DanceTheatre, Sue Bernhard Danceworks, andPat Catterson. She joined the Mark MorrisDance Group as an apprentice in 2006 andbecame a company member in 2007.

Max MandelMax Mandel (viola) is an acclaimed cham-ber musician. Comfortable in many stylesand genres, the Canadian violist’s currentgroup affiliations include the Silk RoadEnsemble, FLUX Quartet, The Knights,Metropolitan Museum Artists in Concert,Jupiter Symphony Chamber Players,Smithsonian Chamber Players, CaramoorVirtuosi, Blarvuster, Class Notes, and IFURIOSI Baroque Ensemble. Havingfounded the string quartet Metro Strings,Mr. Mandel has forged his dedication tochamber music through his collaborationswith colleagues and teachers such asLorand Fenyves at the Royal Conservatoryof Music in Toronto and at the Banff Centrefor Arts and Creativity. Mr. Mandel hasbeen guest principal of the ChamberOrchestra of Europe, Camerata Bern(Switzerland), Camerata Nordica (Sweden),and the Canadian Opera CompanyOrchestra. He is also a frequent guest ofTafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.

Dallas McMurrayDallas McMurray is from El Cerrito,California and began dancing at age four,studying jazz, tap, and acrobatics with KatieMaltsberger and ballet with Yukiko


Sakakura. He received a bachelor of finearts degree in dance from the CaliforniaInstitute of the Arts. He has performedwith the Limón Dance Company, in additionto appearing in works by Jiří Kylián, AlonzoKing, Robert Moses, and Colin Connor. Mr.McMurray performed with the Mark MorrisDance Group as an apprentice in 2006 andbecame a company member in 2007.

Miralam MiralamovMiralam Miralamov (mugham vocals,understudy) was born in the Shamakhi dis-trict of Azerbaijan. He studied at the AsafZeynally Music College in Baku, Azerbaijanand in 2012 joined the Azerbaijan NationalConservatory, where he is a member of the graduate program. Mr. Miralamov stud-ied with such outstanding masters ofAzerbaijani mugham as Alim Qasimov andZabit Nabizade. In 2011 he was awardedfirst prize at the Mugham competition heldby the Azerbaijan State Television companyand the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. In 2013Mr. Miralamov won both the National andInternational Mugham Competition and fre-quently appears as a soloist on AzerbaijanNational Television. He has introducedAzerbaijani mugham to audiences inCanada, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Norway,Romania, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine, andthe U.S., among other countries.

Kamila NabiyevaKamila Nabiyeva (mugham vocals, under-study) was born in the Khanagah village inthe Ismayilli district of Azerbaijan. In 2004Ms. Nabiyeva became a winner at theInternational Children’s Mugham Festivalheld by the Kainat Youth Center. She stud-ied at the Baku Humanitarian College andin 2014 began attending the AzerbaijanState University of Culture and Arts, whereshe studies with renowned Azerbaijanifemale mugham performer GulyanagMamma dova. In 2011 she was awarded atthe Mugham competition held by the Azer -baijan State Television company and the

Heydar Aliyev Foundation and frequentlyappears as a soloist on Azerbaijani NationalTelevision. Ms. Nabiyeva has introducedAzerbaijani mugham to audiences inAustria, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway,Macedonia, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine, andthe U.S., among other countries.

Karen OuzounianKaren Ouzounian (cello) approaches music-making with a deeply communicative andpassionate spirit. She is a founding mem-ber of the Aizuri Quartet, currently thequartet-in-residence at the MetropolitanMuseum of Art, and former quartet-in-resi-dence at the Curtis Institute of Music,Caramoor Center for Music and the Arts,and the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia.Ms. Ouzounian’s commitment to adventur-ous repertoire and the collaborativeprocess has led to her membership in theGrammy-nominated, self-conducted cham-ber orchestra A Far Cry, and the critically-acclaimed new music collectivecounter)induction. Additionally, she hasperformed with such ensembles as TheKnights, Trio Cavatina, IRIS Orchestra, andas guest principal of the Saint PaulChamber Orchestra and of the ChamberOrchestra of Philadelphia.

Brandon RandolphBrandon Randolph began his training withCarolina Ballet Theater in Greenville, SouthCarolina, under the direction of HernanJusto. At age 14, he was accepted into theSouth Carolina Governor’s School for theArts and Humanities, where he studiedwith Stanislav Issaev and Robert Barnett.Mr. Randolph received his bachelor of finearts degree in dance from PurchaseCollege in 2012. There he had the opportu-nity to perform with Dance Heginbotham,as well as repertory by Stephen Petronio,Lar Lubovitch, Paul Taylor, and GeorgeBalanchine. Mr. Randolph began workingwith the Mark Morris Dance Group in 2013and became a company member in 2014.

Nicole SabellaNicole Sabella is from Clearwater, Florida,where she studied at the Academy ofBallet Arts and the Pinellas County Centerfor the Arts at Gibbs High School underSuzanne B. Pomerantzeff. In 2009 shegraduated from Philadelphia’s University ofthe Arts, earning her bachelor of fine artsdegree in dance and the OutstandingPerformance in Modern Dance Award. Shewas a performer with Zane Booker’sSmoke, Lilies and Jade Arts Initiative. Ms.Sabella first performed with the MarkMorris Dance Group in 2013 and became acompany member in 2015.

Christina SahaidaChristina Sahaida grew up in Pittsburgh andbegan her early dance training at thePittsburgh Ballet Theatre School. In 2012she graduated with honors from ButlerUniversity, receiving a bachelor of fine artsdegree in dance performance. She hasworked with Ballet Quad Cities, TextureContemporary Ballet, and most recentlythe Big Muddy Dance Company in St.Louis. Ms. Sahaida joined the Mark MorrisDance Group as an apprentice in July 2017.

Billy SmithBilly Smith grew up in Fredericksburg,Virginia and attended George MasonUniversity under a full academic and dancetalent scholarship. He graduated magnacum laude in 2007 and received achieve-ment awards in performance, choreogra-phy, and academic endeavors. While atGeorge Mason, he performed the works ofMark Morris, Paul Taylor, Lar Lubovitch,Doug Varone, Daniel Ezralow, LarryKeigwin, Susan Marshall, and SusanShields. Mr. Smith’s own piece 3-Way Stopwas selected to open the 2006 AmericanCollege Dance Festival Association Gala atOhio State University, and his original chore-ography for a production of Bye Bye Birdiegarnered critical praise. He is an actor aswell; regional theater credits include Tulsa inGypsy, Mistoffelees in Cats, and DreamCurly in Oklahoma! Mr. Smith danced with

Parsons Dance from 2007 to 2010. Hejoined the Mark Morris Dance Group as acompany member in 2010.

Shane ShanahanShane Shanahan (percussion) is a percus-sionist, composer, and arranger who hascombined his studies of drumming traditionsfrom around the world with his backgroundin jazz, rock, and Western art music to createa unique and highly sought-after style. Inaddition to being an original member of theSilk Road Ensemble, he has performed withBobby McFerrin, James Taylor, ArethaFranklin, Philip Glass, Alison Krauss, ChakaKhan, and Deep Purple, among others, andhas appeared multiple times at the WhiteHouse playing for former President and Mrs.Obama. He frequently hosts workshops andclinics at the world’s leading universities andmuseums and serves as one of the SilkRoad Ensemble’s learning advisors to helpdesign and implement residencies, work-shops, and education programs.

Kojiro UmezakiKojiro Umezaki (shakuhachi) is a Japanese-Danish performer and composer originallyfrom Tokyo. He is renowned as a virtuosoof the shakuhachi, but his work alsoencompasses traditional and technology-based music mediated by various forms ofelectronics. His recent commissionedworks and producer credits include thosefor Brooklyn Rider, Joseph Gramley, Huun-Huur-Tu, and the Silk Road Ensemble. Mr.Umezaki is currently associate professor ofmusic at the University of California, Irvine,where he is a core faculty member of theIntegrated Composition, Improvisation,and Technology (ICIT) group.

Zaki ValiyevZaki Valiyev (tar) was born in Ganja,Azerbaijan. He studied at the Ganja MusicCollege and received a bachelor’s degreefrom the Azerbaijan National Conservatory.He is a member of the Alim QasimovEnsemble, with whom he has touredextensively.

Georgy ValtchevGeorgy Valtchev (violin) has appeared assoloist, recitalist, and chamber musicianthroughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia.Originally from Bulgaria, he came to the U.S.in 1992 as a scholarship student of DorothyDelay and Masao Kawasaki at The JuilliardSchool, where he earned his bachelor’s andmaster’s degrees. As a soloist, he has beenheard with orchestras in Boston, Chicago,Dallas, Miami, and New York, and in Bangor,Bulgaria, and Japan. Since 2011, Mr.Valtchev has been a guest concertmaster ofthe London Philharmonic Orchestra. As achamber musician he has appeared at suchvenues as Carnegie Hall, Alice Tully Hall,Kennedy Center, London’s Barbican Centre,and the Guangzhou Opera House in China,among others. He has been featured in suchfestivals as Lincoln Center’s Mostly MozartFestival, Sofia Music Weeks, Varna SummerInternational Music Festival in Bulgaria, andBåstad Chamber Music Festival in Sweden.He is a founding member of BulgarianConcert Evenings in New York.

Noah VinsonNoah Vinson is originally from Springfield,Illinois, and received his bachelor of artsdegree in dance from Columbia CollegeChicago. He was recognized by DanceMagazine as an upcoming talent in 2009and assisted Mark Morris in the creation ofhis most recent work for Houston Ballet,The Letter V, which premiered in May2015. He began dancing with the MarkMorris Dance Group in 2002 and became acompany member in 2004.

Jin YangJin Yang (pipa) was born in Datong, China,and began studying pipa at age nine. In1995 she was admitted to the CentralConservatory of Music in Beijing, where shereceived both her bachelor and master ofarts degrees. Before relocating to the U.S.,she served as a pipa instructor at the WuhanConservatory of Music. Ms. Yang hasreceived many awards, including first prizein the TianHua Cup national youth traditional

music competition (1997), and the silveraward at the Chinese Golden Bell Awardsfor music. She has performed in mainlandChina, Hong Kong, Taiwan, France, theU.S., Britain, Japan, and the Philippines. In2010 she was the only mainland Chinesepipa performer selected (by Wu Man) toparticipate in a workshop led by the KronosQuartet and Wu Man at Carnegie Hall. Ms.Yang served as visiting scholar at Kent StateUniversity from 2013 to 2014 and currentlylives in Pittsburgh.

Howard HodgkinHoward Hodgkin (1932–2017, scenic andcostume design) studied at theCamberwell College of Arts and the BathSchool of Art and Design in the U.K. In1984 he represented Britain at the VeniceBiennale and won the Turner Prize the fol-lowing year. He was knighted in 1992 andmade a Companion of Honour in 2003. Anexhibition of his work, Paintings 1975—1995, organized by the Modern ArtMuseum of Fort Worth, opened in 1995 atthe Metropolitan Museum of Art andtoured to museums in Fort Worth andDüsseldorf, and to London’s HaywardGallery. In 2006 a retrospective opened atthe Irish Museum of Modern Art, travelingto the Tate Britain and Museo NacionalCentro de Arte Reina Sofía.

Born in London and evacuated to the U.S.during the second World War, Hodgkin firstworked in the theater in 1981, when hedesigned the set and costumes for RichardAlston’s Night Music with the BalletRambert. They later collaborated onPulcinella, which was filmed by the BBCand released on DVD. For the Mark MorrisDance Group, he designed the sets forRhymes with Silver (1997), Kolam (2002),and Mozart Dances (2006). His artwork isrepresented by Gagosian Gallery and hasbeen exhibited in New York, Los Angeles,Paris, Rome, and London. Hodgkin waspassionate about India and Indian art formost of his life. Toronto’s Aga KhanMuseum exhibited Hodgkin’s paintings in


the exhibition Inspired by India along withIndian miniatures from his collection in2015. After All, an exhibition of his prints,was featured at the Alan Cristea Gallery inLondon in 2016. Hodgkin died March 9,2017 in London.

James F. IngallsJames F. Ingalls (lighting design) hasdesigned several productions for the MarkMorris Dance Group, including MozartDances, Romeo and Juliet: On Motifs ofShakespeare, L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed ilModerato, and Dido and Aeneas. For MarkMorris, he has designed Orfeo ed Euridiceat the Metropolitan Opera; King Arthur atEnglish National Opera; Sylvia, SandpaperBallet, Maelstrom, and Pacific at SanFrancisco Ballet; and Platée at the RoyalOpera House, Covent Garden, and NewYork City Opera. Mr. Ingalls’s designs fordance include The Nutcracker for PacificNorthwest Ballet; The Sleeping Beauty,choreographed by Alexei Ratmansky, forBallet Company of Teatro alla Scala andAmerican Ballet Theatre; Twyla Tharp’s 50thanniversary tour; Celts, choreographed byLila York for Boston Ballet; and Sea Lark andDeath and the Maiden for Paul Taylor DanceCompany. Mr. Ingalls’s work in theaterincludes Desdemona, directed by PeterSellars at UCLA’s Center for the Art ofPerformance and at the Melbourne andSydney Festivals; DruidShakespeare,directed by Garry Hynes on tour in Galwayand at the Lincoln Center Festival. He oftencollaborates with Melanie Ríos Glaser andThe Wooden Floor in California.

Uzeyir Hajibeyli Uzeyir Hajibeyli (1885–1948) was anAzerbaijani and Soviet composer, conduc-tor, scientist, publicist, playwright, teacher,translator, and social figure. He is recog-nized as the founder of Azerbaijani notatedmusic and composer of its first opera.Hajibeyli was born into an educated familyin a village near Shusha in mountainousKarabagh. The town’s rich traditions in theperforming arts played a special role in his

musical education. Hajibeyli was educatedat an Azerbaijani-Russian school. He thenstudied at the Gori Teachers Seminary inGeorgia in 1899–1904. At the seminary, hemastered the major works of classicalmusic and learned to play the violin. Hearranged folk music for the student choirand performed in the choir himself. In 1908Leyli and Majnun, the first of seven operasand three musical comedies, premiered inBaku. He based the libretto on the poemLeyli and Majnun by the 16th-centuryAzerbaijani poet Muhammad Fuzuli. Themusic fused traditional Azerbaijani musicand European classical opera, creating anew musical genre that merged easternand western culture and set a new direc-tion for Azerbaijani music.

White Light Festival I could compare my music to white light,which contains all colors. Only a prism candivide the colors and make them appear;this prism could be the spirit of the lis-tener. —Arvo Pärt. Now in its eighth year,the White Light Festival is LincolnCenter’s annual exploration of music andart’s power to reveal the many dimensionsof our interior lives. International in scope,the multidisciplinary festival offers a broadspectrum of the world’s leading instru-mentalists, vocalists, ensembles, choreo-graphers, dance companies, and directors,complemented by conversations withartists and scholars and post-performanceWhite Light Lounges.

Lincoln Center for the PerformingArts, Inc.Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts(LCPA) serves three primary roles: presen-ter of artistic programming, national leaderin arts and education and community rela-tions, and manager of the Lincoln Centercampus. A presenter of more than 3,000free and ticketed events, performances,tours, and educational activities annually,LCPA offers 15 programs, series, and festi-vals including American Songbook, GreatPerformers, Lincoln Center Festival, Lincoln


Lincoln Center Programming DepartmentJane Moss, Ehrenkranz Artistic DirectorHanako Yamaguchi, Director, Music ProgrammingJon Nakagawa, Director, Contemporary ProgrammingJill Sternheimer, Director, Public ProgrammingLisa Takemoto, Production ManagerCharles Cermele, Producer, Contemporary ProgrammingMauricio Lomelin, Producer, Contemporary ProgrammingAndrew C. Elsesser, Associate Director, ProgrammingLuna Shyr, Senior EditorRegina Grande Rivera, Associate ProducerDaniel Soto, Associate Producer, Public ProgrammingWalker Beard, Production CoordinatorNana Asase, Assistant to the Artistic DirectorOlivia Fortunato, Programming AssistantDorian Mueller, House Program CoordinatorJanet Rucker, Company Manager

For the White Light FestivalAndrew Hill, Production ElectricianAmy Page, Wardrobe

For Layla and MajnunAndy Barker, Assistant to Howard HodgkinAida Huseynova, Consultant

Backdrop painted by Scenic Art Studios. Special thanks to Joe Forbes, Susan Jackson,and Richard Prouse. Stools built by Matthew Eggleton. Costumes built by Eric Winterling,Inc. Costume fabrics digitally printed by Dyenamix, Inc.

Silkroad StaffEduardo A. Braniff, Executive Director Liz Keller-Tripp, Artistic AdministratorYo-Yo Ma, Founder and Artistic DirectorBen Mandelkern, Director of CommunicationsPatrick McGuire, Communications AssociateJessica Shuttleworth, Digital Content ManagerEd Sweeney, ComptrollerLori Taylor, Education Specialist

Center Out of Doors, Midsummer NightSwing, the Mostly Mozart Festival, and theWhite Light Festival, as well as the EmmyAward–winning Live From Lincoln Center,which airs nationally on PBS. As manager of

the Lincoln Center campus, LCPA providessupport and services for the Lincoln Centercomplex and the 11 resident organizations.In addition, LCPA led a $1.2 billion campusrenovation, completed in October 2012.

Mica Bernas Sam Black Durell R.Comedy

Shawn Conley Rita Donahue

Mark Morris Dance Group/Silk Road Ensemble

DomingoEstrada, Jr.

LesleyGarrison

Lauren Grant SarahHaarmann

Rauf Islamov

Brian Lawson Xiaofan Liu Aaron Loux Laurel Lynch Max Mandel

DallasMcMurray

MiralamMiralamov

KamilaNabiyeva

KarenOuzounian

BrandonRandolph

NicoleSabella

ChristinaSahaida

Billy Smith ShaneShanahan

KojiroUmezaki

Zaki Valiyev GeorgyValtchev

Noah Vinson Jin Yang

Mark Morris Dance GroupMark Morris, Artistic DirectorNancy Umanoff, Executive Director

ProductionJohan Henckens, Director of Technical ProductionColin Fowler, Music DirectorNick Kolin, Lighting SupervisorRory Murphy, Sound SupervisorStephanie Sleeper, Costume Coordinator

AdministrationElizabeth Fox, Chief Financial OfficerNatalia Kurylak, Finance ManagerRebecca Hunt, Human Resources ManagerJen Rossi, Company ManagerGeoff Chang, Associate General ManagerJulia Weber, Management AssistantStephanie Neel, Archive Project ManagerSandra Aberkalns, Archive Project AssociateRegina Carra, Archive Project AssistantMarianny Loveras, Retail Store Manager/Administrative AssistantCarmel St. Hilaire, Intern

DevelopmentMichelle Amador, Director of DevelopmentSophie Mintz, Manager of Institutional GivingTyler Mercer, Individual Giving OfficerMakayla Santiago, Development AssociateSarah Branch, Development FellowYuanhao Zhang, Intern

MarketingKaryn LeSuer, Director of MarketingJulie Dietel, Marketing and Communications AssociateAlexa Smithwrick, Marketing Fellow

EducationSarah Marcus, Director of EducationKelsey Ley, School DirectorRachel Merry, Education Programs CoordinatorAlexandra Rose, Community Education Programs ManagerJessica Pearson, Education Programs AssistantMyko Campbell, Education InternEva Nichols, Outreach DirectorDavid Leventhal, Dance for PD Program DirectorMaria Portman Kelly, Dance for PD Programs and Engagement ManagerAmy Bauman, Dance for PD Programs AssistantClaudia Hanna, Jilian Pesce, Rachel Stanislawczyk, Dance for PD Interns

Dance Center OperationsElise Gaugert, Operations ManagerMark Sacks, Facilities ManagerAnnie Woller, Rental Programs ManagerAria Roach, Operations CoordinatorMario Flores, Jr., Liz Law, Roxie Maisel, Tiffany McCue, Dominique Terrell, Zoe Walders, KareemWoods, Front Desk AssociatesJose Fuentes, Hector Mazariegos, Orlando Rivera, Justin Sierra, Arturo Velazquez, Maintenance

Michael Mushalla (Double M Arts & Events), Booking RepresentationWilliam Murray (Better Attitude, Inc.), Media and General Consultation ServicesMark Selinger (McDermott, Will & Emery), Legal CounselO’Connor Davies Munns & Dobbins, LLP, AccountantDavid S. Weiss, M.D.(NYU Langone Medical Center), OrthopedistMarshall Hagins, PT, PhD, Physical TherapistJeffrey Cohen, Hilot Therapist


Thanks to Maxine Morris.

Sincerest thanks to all the dancers for their dedication, commitment, and incalculable contribution tothe work.

Major support for the Mark Morris Dance Group is provided by American Express, Anonymous,Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners, LLP, Morley and Frederick Bland, Booth Ferris Foundation,Allan and Rhea Bufferd, Suzy Kellems Dominik, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Doris DukeFoundation for Islamic Art, Judith R. and Alan H. Fishman, Shelby and Frederick Gans Fund, IsaacMizrahi and Arnold Germer, Howard Gilman Foundation, Sandy Hill, Ellsworth Kelly Foundation,Elizabeth Liebman, The Pierre and Tana Matisse Foundation, Suzanne Berman and Timothy J.McClimon, McDermott, Will & Emery, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Meyer Sound/Helen andJohn Meyer, Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Ellen and Arnold Offner, Sarabeth Berman and EvanOsnos, PARC Foundation, Poss-Kapor Foundation, Diane Solway and David Resnicow, Resnicow +Associates, Jennifer P. Goodale and Mark Russell, Margaret Conklin and David Sabel, The Fan Foxand Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Iris Cohen and Mark Selinger, The SHS Foundation, The ShubertFoundation, Jane Stine and R.L. Stine, The White Cedar Fund, and Friends of MMDG.

Additional support provided by The Amphion Foundation, Inc., Arnow Family Fund, Lily AuchinclossFoundation, Inc., Bossak/Heilbron Charitable Foundation, Joseph and Joan Cullman Foundation forthe Arts, Inc., The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, Estée Lauder Companies, ExxonMobileCorporate Matching Gift Program, Google Matching Gift Program, The Charles and Joan Gross FamilyFoundation, Guggenheim Partners Matching Gifts, The Harkness Foundation for Dance, Marta HeflinFoundation, IBM Corporation Matching Gifts Program, JP Morgan Chase, Kinder Morgan Foundation,Leatherwood Foundation, The Henry Luce Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthurFoundation, Materials for the Arts, Megara Foundation, Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, Harris A.Berman and Ruth Nemzoff Family Foundation, New England Foundation for the Arts, New MusicUSA, New York Life Foundation, Wilhelmina Parris, FLP, The L. E. Phillips Family Foundation, JeromeRobbins Foundation, Rolex, Billy Rose Foundation, Inc., San Antonio Area Foundation, SchneerFoundation, SingerXenos Wealth Management, Trust for Mutual Understanding, and Viad Corp.

The Mark Morris Dance Group is supported in part by public funds from the New York CityDepartment of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, Mayor Bill de Blasio, BrooklynBorough President Eric L. Adams, Council Member Helen Rosenthal, the New York City Departmentfor the Aging, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomoand the New York State Legislature, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

The Mark Morris Dance Group is a member of Dance/USA and the Downtown Brooklyn Arts Alliance.

Layla and Majnun ©2016 Discalced, Inc.

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