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The World Science Festival is a nonprofit event that brings together preeminent figures in science and the arts to engage the public. Since 2008, the annual festival has garnered a live audience of over 300,000 and two million on-line views.
It launches this years with an opening-night gala at the Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall in New York City on June 2, 2010. The performance, honoring the renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, begins at 7 p.m. with a star-studded lineup.
For starters, Tiler Peck of the New York City Ballet and David Hallberg of American Ballet Theater will pair up to dance the Adagio section of George Balanchine's "Apollo." Danny Burstein, of the Lincoln Center's South Pacific, will perform Monty Python's "Galaxy Song." Violinist Arturo Delmoni and jazz sensation Eldar Djangirov will also perform. And famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma will play a Persian musical version of the Icarus story, with the Silk Road Ensemble.
The evening will kick start the five-day-long festival, packed with 40 events across the city. Science-related lectures, discussions and performances will take place in museums, theaters, and on the streets.
Other highlights of the festival include:
A program with the artificial intelligence visionary Marvin Minsky at the Hayden Planetarium Space Theater on June 3 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., in which he joins a mathematician, astrobiologist, and philosopher in exploring the edges of human understanding. Minksy will also collaborate with digital composer Tod Machover, the creator of Guitar Hero, for a musical experiment that involves a chorus of robots and an aria from soprano Joélle Harvey.
A mind-altering conversation between Oscar-winning filmmaker Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and neuroscientist Giulio Tononi, one of the world's leading sleep researchers. The discussion, which will be moderated by Alan Alda of M*A*S*H fame, will cast new light on the science of the mind and attempt to explain where consciousness is generated in the brain. This event takes place June 5 at the Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
The unveiling of the James Webb Space Telescope, the world's most powerful future space telescope at Battery Park on June 1, and on public display until Sunday, June 6, from 11 am – 6 pm daily. And don't miss the free stargazing party at the base of the 80-foot telescope on Friday night, June 4.
Tickets to each separate event are $30 for adults and $15 for students and children.
Visit http://www.worldsciencefestival.com for the complete schedule and locations.
World Science Festival
Opening Night Gala
Alice Tully Hall, Lincoln Center
1941 Broadway
New York, NY 10023
Hayden Planetarium Space Theater
American Museum of Natural History
79 St. & Central Park West
New York, NY 10024
Kaye Playhouse, Hunter College
695 Park Ave.
New York, NY 10065
The series features breathtaking performances of key flamenco styles including fandangos, soleá, bulerías, alegrías, taranto, guajira and seguiriya.
Hailing from Córdoba, Merengue de Córdoba is the son of a guitarist and husband to a celebrated flamenco bailaora, Concha Calero. He also founded the Academia de Baile y Guitarra. One of the most experienced performers and flamenco guitar teachers, Rafael Rodríguez-Fernández has brought forth young talents such as Vicente Amigo, Paco Serrano and Jose Antonio Rodriguez to the world stage.
Merengue has been playing guitar around the world for more than 50 years and expresses the joy of flamenco guitar in a comprehensible way. He was the first artist from Córdoba to be awarded the guitar prize at the Córdoba National Flamenco Art Contest in 1968 and has worked with the National Ballet of Spain; he also received numerous honors and gold badges from flamenco clubs and more than a hundred silver plaques in recognition of his work.
Now, for the first time ever, Centerline Talent will debut Merengue de Córdoba in New York, along with an ensemble of his finest dancers including Antonio Alcazar (Premio Nacional "Vicente Escudero" Award), Victoria Placios (Premio Nacional "La Malena" Award), and his two award winning daughters, Desirée Rodriguez Calero “La Merenguita” (Premio Nacional “Pilar López” Award), and Maria Angeles “Coco Calero” -- winner of the Primer Premio De Baile Flamenco “La Estepona Flamenca”.
Guitarist Alberto Lucena, who began playing guitar at the age of 10 and received the Premio Nacional "Manolo de Huelva" award, will also share the Town Hall stage.
This three-night spectacular transmit the emotions and spirit of flamenco that New York has yet to experience.
Tickets raning in prices from $60-$35 are available for purchase directly at Town Hall and via Ticketmaster.
Fpr more info go to: www.the-townhall-nyc.org
Festival Flamenco de Córdoba
June 10th - 12th, 2010
Town Hall
123 W. 43rd St.
New York
The 12th edition of Ultra Music Festival, a leading electronic music festival, runs March 26-28, 2010 at Bicentennial Park in Miami, Fla. With 16 stages featuring over 200 DJs, bands and producers, more than 100,000 international music enthusiasts are expected to attend.
Headliners include Tiësto and Deadmau5, along with live headliners Faithless Sound System, Groove Armada and Orbital are LMFAO, Sander Kleinenberg, Josh Wink, Hybrid (DJ set), Tania Vulcano, Afrojack, and more.
Adding to the strong and diverse electronic lineups are Florence from Florence and the Machine, who will perform with Swedish House Mafia on the Ultra Main Stage; and Kelis, who is set to team with Benny Benassi for several songs.
Hybrid will headline with a DJ set the UMF Radio stage in support of its new album Disappear Here, out March 29 on Distinctive Records.
Other artists include:
Baby Anne
Steve Aoki
Crystal Method
Paparazzi
Miss Nine
Green Velvet
Damian Marley & Nas
Fedde Le Grand
Joining them on the new Ultra Main Stage is Vello Virkhaus (VJV2), who is set to pilot both days. Ultra Music Festival will be the only place fans can experience these artists during Winter Music Conference.
This year, four new arenas to the festival grounds are added:
UMF Brasil Tent presented by We Love Brasil & Green Valley
UMF Ibiza Tent presented by Space Ibiza, a 2010 IDMA nominee for Best Global Club. Featuring Eric Prydz (exclusive), Dirty South (exclusive), Will.I.Am (exclusive), Felix Da Housecat (exclusive), Kaskade, Josh Wink and Space Ibiza resident Elio Riso.
Root Society Dome is "the biggest party dome on the planet," according to Root Society founder Captain Jeff Taylor. "I know Ultra is the place to release the Root Society brand after seven years in the desert sanctuary Burning Man."
Another addition to UMF is artist/composer Christopher Janney’s installation Sonic Forest, which provides an interactive, aural and visual component that entice festival goers into a unique environment. Triggered by both public interaction and electronic instruments, Sonic Forest is composed of 16 eight-foot tall aluminum poles that contain audio speakers, lights and photoelectric cells.
As people move closely by these "electronic trees," they trigger both melodic and environmental sounds, in a sense "playing the forest." When no one is moving in the space, the piece generates a series of preprogrammed patterns. During various parts of the installation, independent drummers join the environment, turning the Forest into a dance festival unto itself.
Over the past five years, Sonic Forest has been featured at Bonnaroo, All Points West and Coachella in the US, as well as the Download Festival, Hyde Park Calling, Wireless and Glastonbury Festivals in the U.K., the Lowlands Festival in the Netherlands and the Zaragoza World’s Fair in Zaragoza, Spain.
For further information, visit www.ultramusicfestival.com.
Originally created as a pure EDM (electronic dance music) festival in 1999, Ultra has grown through the years to present not only the World’s hottest, biggest and best headline EDM artists, but also crossover headline bands that incorporate EDM elements in their music and have a history, or new beginning in the EDM community and culture.
Ultra Music Festival
March 26-28, 2010
Bicentennial Park
1075 Biscayne Boulevard
Miami, Florida
Canadian Music Week 2010 is being held March 10-14, 2010 at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Concurrently, these events are also being held:
Digital Music & Media Summit
The DMS discusses the business of content and traditional relationships between the media and end users. Confirmed to speak are some of the biggest names in digital worldwide, including:
Rob Wells - Sr. VP Digital, Universal Music UK Limited
Michael Paull - EVP Global Digital Business, Sony Music Entertainment
Angela Poe - Marketing & Social Media Manager, The Gary Group
Mark Ghuneim - CEO/Founder, WiredSet and Trendrr
Jay Frank - Sr. VP Music Strategy, CMT (An MTV Network)
plus representatives from some of the top digital companies in India - fast becoming the software powerhouse of the world.
Radio Active 2010 - The Canadian Radio Conference
Featuring two days of the finest Radio networking and education, this event is the ultimate venue for connecting with Radio as attendees interact one-on-one with hundreds of radio professionals - from station management and CEOs to program directors.
Panels include:
Executive Music Conference
Targeting Music & Media business professionals, this Conference is the official meeting ground for those who truly shape the music & broadcast industries, this forum of seminars, debates and keynote speakers from around the world focuses on burning issues facing professionals at every level of the entertainment biz. The Executive Music Conference attracts more that 2,000, over 70% VP/Director or higher.
Speakers and panels include:
TuneUP Conference
Right brain... meet your left brain. This conference is designed to help the creative talent - artists and recording professionals - hone their business skills and mesh them with their artistic muse. It’s a total-biz jam session as TuneUP 2010 offers the chance to interact with the pros from all sectors of the industry.
Songwriters' Summit 2010
Held on Saturday, this event puts attendees up close and personal with some of the world's most successful songwriters, composers, producers, publishers and international music business leaders, all who willingly share their knowledge and expertise and give the know-how to take your music to the next level.
Panels and speakers include:
Plus Keynote by Paul Williams, and Panel: The Kings Of Songwriting. Fellow panelists are:
Cindy Gomez - Singer/Songwriter
Dan Hill - Artist/Songwriter/Author
Don Schlitz - Songwriter, Nashville
Dave Stewart - Musician/Producer/Entrepreneur, First Artists Bank
CMW Film Festival
Several music-related films have their premieres at this event:
When You’re Strange, directed by Tom DiCillo, Canadian Premiere
Narrated by Johnny Depp, DiCillo’s film is an intimate look into the life and career of The Doors. Fresh interviews, vintage newsreels and hundreds of hours of rare, personal footage – much of which has never been seen before – brings viewers into the inner circle of one of rock’s most enigmatic and influential bands.
"Tom DiCillo's 'When You're Strange' is a meticulously crafted ode to one of music's greatest ensembles, The Doors. Watching the unreleased footage of Jim, John, Ray and Robby, I felt like I experienced it all through their eyes. Here, Jim has been resurrected to remind us that he remains one of the most significant poets to ever grace a stage, while the band behind him kept the music alive, adding fuel to an already raging ride into history.” - Johnny Depp
Michelle Gun Elephant Thee Movie - Last Heaven 031011, directed by Shuichi Banba, North American Premiere
Thee Michelle Gun Elephant was one of the greatest bands, massive stars in their native Japan with their brand of punk blues. They filmed their final performance in 2003. Six years later, guitarist Futoshi Abe died suddenly, thus ending any possibility of a reunion. That final concert footage has been dusted off, remastered and cut into a touring film experience. It is the last chance for fans to see the band in action, and a final tribute to Abe.
Nowhere Boy, directed by Sam Taylor-Wood, a Canadian Premiere.
Acclaimed photographer Sam Taylor-Wood could not have chosen a bigger subject for her feature film debut. Nowhere Boy depicts the early story of Beatles founder John Lennon, abandoned by his mother and struggling to find his place in the world. The film depicts key events that led this creative young man to pick up the guitar and form the world’s most beloved band.
Seperado!, directed by Dyl Jones and Gruff Rhys, International Premiere
The directorial debut from Super Furry Animals front man Gruff Rhys is a blend of concert film, family history and anthropological study. Rhys tours the Welsh communities of South America to find a distant cousin.
Le Donk and Scor-Zay-Zee, directed by Shane Meadows, North American Premiere
BAFTA-winning director Meadows indulges his lighter side with his latest film, heavily improvised and shot as a mock-doc. Aspiring musician Le Donk is a sub-par roadie and expectant father whose former girlfriend wants nothing to do with him. His last ticket to the big time may be aspiring English rapper Scor-Zay-Zee, but only if Donk can get Scorze on the bill of the big Arctic Monkeys show.
Plus some vintage rock films:
Streets of Fire, directed by Walter Hill, depicts a world where rock stars are worshipped like gods and the streets are controlled by vicious gangs. A mercenary (Michael Pare) must act to free his rock star ex-girlfriend (Diane Lane) from the clutches of The Bombers, a motorcycle gang led by Willem Dafoe in one of the most charismatic roles of his career. Soundtrack includes original songs from Jim Steinman – he wrote Meat Loaf’s Bat Out Of Hell – and featuring The Blasters, Maria McKee, Ry Cooder and members of Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band.
Phantom of the Paradise, directed by Brian De Palma, is De Palma’s take on Phantom of the Opera as filtered through the lens of the 1970’s rock-opera, all coked up and full of 1970s glam swagger. Paul Williams, who plays the villainous Swan, composed and produced the entire soundtrack.
Naturally, the week includes the Music Fest, featuring hundreds of artists, among them:
Fucked Up
Tropics
Bastard Child Death Cult
Black Swan Effect
Lifestory Monologue
Electric Six
Sweet Thing
Canadian Music Week is a feast of riches in all things music.
For more information, visit www.cmw.net.
Canadian Music Week
March 10-14, 2010
The Fairmont Royal York Hotel
100 Front Street W
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
416.368.2511