Welcome to Ships and Cruises - Cities and Culture

Cultural Briefs
2008 International Art Fairs
2008 International Performing Arts Festivals
The International Museum Calendar

Cultural Briefs

Oslo Welcomes New Museum of Architecture

The new National Museum of Architecture opened this spring in the old Bank of Norway building at Bankplassen 3. The first exhibition— Intuition - Reflection – Construction— features the designs of Norwegian architect Sverre Fehn, winner of the Pritzker Prize in 1997. Among Fehn's projects is the Nordic Pavillion in Venice and projects from Saudi Arabia to the North Cape including the Norwegian Glacier Museum, the Ivar Aasen Centre, the Aukrust Centre and Villa Busk.

Special Van Gogh Exhibition Opens September at MoMA In New York
The Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York are collaborating on a new exhibition on Van Gogh and the colors of the night. It is the first exhibition to be dedicated to Vincent van Gogh’s representations of the evening and night, a theme which recurs throughout his oeuvre. Celebrated works from international collections will include The starry night (MoMA), Eugène Boch (Musée d’Orsay), and The potato eaters (Van Gogh Museum). Van Gogh and the colors of the night is the first collaborative project between these two museums. The exhibition will be on view from September 21 to January 5, 2009 at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. It then travels to the where it will be on display from February 13 to June 7, 2009.

Superb Exhibition on J. M. W. Turner Opens At Metropolitan Museum Of Art

Northam Castle, Sunrise—circa 1845
Joseph Mallord William Turner (1775 to 1851) was a prolific and innovative painter and watercolorist of his time. He explored a wide range of genres—from landscapes to historical subjects and scenes from his imagination. Turner became known for his “varnishing days’’ that preceded the opening of his exhibitions at the Royal Academy in London when he reworked his pictures as they hung on the Academy walls. Critics also mocked his increasingly abstract works consumed by light and color as “the fruits of a diseased eye and a reckless hand.” After a successful but turbulent career in the early 1800s, work produced in his later years took a downslide and the painter died in relative obscurity in 1851. In a posthumous exhibit 55 years after his death, his work appealed to modernist critics and he was reborn as an avant-garde artist. The prestigious Turner Prize awarded annually by London’s Tate Museum was named after the artist.
The retrospective show presents 140 paintings and watercolors from seascapes and topographical views to historical subjects and scenes from the artist’s imaginations. Be prepared to spend at least two hours to absorb the wealth of material presented. The exhibit runs until September 21, 2008.

Film and Salvatore Dali Show At MoMA In New York

A new exhibition—Dalí: Painting and Film—brings together more than 130 paintings, drawings, scenarios, and films by Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) that explores the role that cinema played in the artist's work. Both an inspiration and an outlet for experimentation, film was Dalí's passion from his youth, and cinematic vision became a model for his own work. Collaborations between Dalí and legendary filmmakers are displayed alongside his paintings and other works, illuminating the ways in which ideas, iconography, and pictorial strategies are shared and transformed across mediums. Among the provocative works on display—several of which did not come to fruition—are Un Chien andalou, a film made with Luis Buñuel, which features the notorious, almost unwatchable sequence of an eye being slit by a razor; L'Age d'Or, another collaboration with Buñuel and one of the landmarks of Surrealist film; projects undertaken in Hollywood with Alfred Hitchcock and Walt Disney; and such important paintings as The First Days of Spring and Illumined Pleasures. In conjunction with the gallery exhibition, a series of screenings in the MoMA theaters presents the classic and avant-garde motion pictures Dalí treasured, films on which he collaborated, and examples of his legacy in contemporary cinema. The show closes September 15.

Annual Festival Celebrating French Pop Music Opens July 24 In Montreal
The annual Les FrancoFolies de Montréal, this year celebrating its 20th anniversary, brings artists, musicians, renowned singers, rising stars and promising talent from a dozen countries to celebrate the diversity and rhythms of French music. from around the world. From July 24 to August 3, some 175 free shows over a ten-day period are performed on seven specially-designed outdoor stages at different venues in Montreal with programming that delivers sensational creations and surprise collaborations. More information at http://www.francofolies.com/Francos2008/splash.aspx

Legendary Bob Dylan Performs At Deer Valley Resort On August 31
For over 40 years, Bob Dylan has remained one of the most influential American musician’s rock and roll has ever produced and the most important of the ’60s. His lyrics labeled the first in rock to be seriously regarded as literature. Dylan will appear at Deer Valley Resort for a one-night appearance on August 31, 2008.
General admission tickets now on sale at all Smith’s Tix Outlets, 467-TIXX, 1-800-888-TIXX, www.smithstix.com, in person at Deer Valley Signatures Stores located at 625 Main Street and Silver Lake Village or Deer Valley Etc. in the Snow Park Lodge. Ticket price is $49.50 (plus applicable service fees). Ticket Limit is 8 per customer. Website:
http://www.uconcerts.com/

Where Were You On September 11, 2001 At 8:46 AM?
New York State Museum and Le Caen Memorial in Caen, France have organized a major comprehensive exhibition— September 11, 2001, A Global Moment—exploring the personal and historical significance of September 11, 2001. The exhibition at the Le Caen Memorial, which runs through December 31, 2008, is the largest exhibition about the attacks of September 11, 2001. The exhibition, features rare artifacts from the World Trade Center (WTC) recovered after the collapse, and a timeline that traces events of the day. It includes personal stories and objects, images, interactive programs and films about everyday life at the World Trade Center, and the aftermath of the attack.
About 8,000 square feet in size, the exhibition includes hundreds of photographs, and more than 100 artifacts from the WTC towers, (many never before seen by the public), from the State Museum’s collections, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, and objects loaned by families and survivors of the attacks.
The exhibition is divided into themed sections. The introduction focuses on the World Trade Center before September 11, profiles of the terrorists and a timeline of Al Qaeda attacks. A film of the ABC News John Miller 1998 interview with Bin Laden is included. Visitors will see WTC artifacts, photographs of the WTC, and video/ films from the Power Authority of New York and New Jersey showing everyday life at the WTC. Facts about the site, and WTC construction are included. After the exhibition tour, the recorded responses will be archived at the New York State Museum and at the Caen Memorial Museum. Website: www.memorial-caen.fr

New York City Ballet Performs In Copenhagen This September
The New York City Ballet will be performing ten works form its repertory at Tivoli Gardens Concert Hall in Copenhagen from September 1 to 6, 2008.
The troupe will perform with an all Balanchine program (Program A), featuring three of the choreographer's greatest works—Serenade, Symphony In Three Movements, and Symphony in C. An all Jerome Robbins program is also schedule (Program B) and will feature the energetic Interplay; his ballet masterpiece Dances at a Gathering, set to a chain of piano pieces by Frederic Chopin; and Brahms/Handel, Robbins' 1983 collaboration with choreographer Twyla Tharp. “The summer visit by NYCB is a wonderful and essential part of a 30-year-old Tivoli tradition,” says Peter Bo Bendixen, Tivoli's Ballet Master.

Oslo’s Nobel Peace Centre Offers Free Admission This Summer For Children

Fred the Giraffe is your guide
Throughout the summer, children ages 3 to 12 will be admitted free to the Nobel Peace Centre’sspecial exhibition Nobel Peace Path. Guided by exhibition mascot Fred the Giraffe, young attendees accompanied by adults can take the Nobel Peace Path about peace, poverty and friendship with Fred the Giraffe guiding the way. The Peace Path contains interesting topics about what children should and should not have where they live, as well as looking at several Peace Prize winners and how we can contribute towards peace.
Along the way children can help create a city and contribute towards peace by creating peace cards, beading peace strings and drawing what children should have where they live and win a small prize for their efforts.
The Peace Path signs and posts are in both Norwegian and English and the course takes at least 30 minutes to complete. It starts at the exhibit “The Places We Live” by Jonas Bendiksen.
Children under 16 have free admission to the Nobel Peace Center and the Oslo Pass for visitors to Oslo gives free admission for adults as well.

Kopenhagen Contemporary Showcases World-Class Modern Art
Kopenhagen Contemporary is being presented September 5 to 7, 2008 when
The city’s galleries, museums and exhibition halls show the best of what Copenhagen's modern art scene has to offer. An estimated 50 leading galleries, museums and exhibition spaces will offer receptions, guided tours, artist talks and debate events. The participating venues cover a broad spectrum - from the firmly established to the newly opened galleries and exhibition spaces with an edge. Among the participants are Galleri Nicolai Wallner, V1 Gallery, Galerie Mikael Andersen, Karriere, Nils Stærk Contemporary Art, Arken, Statens Museum for Kunst and the galleries on Carl Jacobsens Vej in Valby. The program for Kopenhagen Contemporary will be available at the beginning of August at: www.kopenhagencontemporary.com

Spend A Night At New York’s American Museum Of Natural History
This summer families are invited to break out their sleeping bags and experience the American Museum of Natural History like never before! This unique after-hours opportunity, which includes a screening of the IMAX film Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure and a spooky dinosaur fossil exploration by flashlight, will thrill youths ages 8–12 and their caregivers. Guests sleep either in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life under the big blue whale, beneath famous dioramas in the Hall of North American Mammals, or among the geological formations in the Hall of Planet Earth. Please note that all participants must register in advance and one adult is required for every one-to-three children attending.
The cost is $129.00 per person, $119.00 for Members. Sleepover dates: July 11, 25, August 8 and 15. To register, the public should call 212-769-5200 or visit www.amnh.org/sleepovers for more information.

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2008 International Art Fairs

London

New York
Affordable Art Fair
June 12 to 15, 2008
Some70 exhibitors will present works of art at reasonable prices—$100to- $10,000— at this annual fair that takes place at the Altman Building/Metropolitan Pavilion located at 135 West 18th Street. Paintings, drawings, sculptures, video, photography and limited edition prints will be on sale from galleries located in the US, Europe, Asia, Canada and South America. Website: http://www.aafnyc.com/index.htm

July

Santa Fe
Art Santa Fe
July 10 to 13, 2008
This increasingly popular annual art fair at El Museo Cultural has become a thriving international contemporary art destination. Galleries from across the US and around the world participate in ART Santa Fe and it has been consistently reported to be a positive experience for them and for their collectors. Website: http://www.artsantafe.com/

September

Atlanta
Atlanta Arts Festival
September 12 to 14, 2008
This autumn Festival in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park is dedicated to bringing together outstanding artists from throughout the country with the large and enthusiastic art buying community of the Atlanta area. For more info: www.AtlantaArtsFestival.com

London
20/21 British Art Fair
September 10 to 14, 2008
This fair is touted as being the only venue specializing exclusively in modern and contemporary art. It takes place at the Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London SW7. Website: http://www.britishartfair.co.uk/

Paris
XXIVe Biennale des Antiquaires
September 11 to 21, 2008
XXIVe Biennale des Antiquaires will be held in the Grand Palais in Paris. Fine Arts dealer Sam Fogg rarely exhibits at international art fairs so this is a splendid opportunity for enthusiasts, curators and collectors to see a group of exquisite works of art of the Medieval period, dating from the 11th to the early 16th centuries. The display will include sculpture, paintings, works of art, stained glass and manuscripts.

Shanghai
ShContemporary 08
September 10 to 13, 2008
Returning for the second year at the Shanghai Exhibition Center, the neophyte event offers an intriguing dialogue between the Orient and Occident art scenes. More than 100 world-class galleries representing over 20 countries will participate in the Asia Pacific Art Fair with the best galleries from the East juxtaposed with the top Western galleries.
"Best of Discovery" a unique curated section featuring over 30 of the most interesting emerging artists from the entire Asia Pacific region will be presented in a unique museum style sales exhibition to the global audience for the first time. ShContemporary is cooperating with 11 specialized curators from the Asia Pacific region which guarantees an in-depth research and strong artistic content of newly discovered talent never presented in an art fair. ShContemporary 08 coincides with the opening of the Shanghai Biennale. Website: http://www.shcontemporary.info/

October

Berlin
Art Forum Berlin
October 29 – November 3
The thirteenth Art Forum Berlin international trade fair for contemporary art will take place at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. With over 120 galleries from more than 25 countries showcasing the works of established artists and newcomers, it is considered one of the most innovative, world-class art shows. Website: http://www1.messe-berlin.de/vip8_1/website/MesseBerlin/htdocs/art-forum-berlin/index_e.html

Cologne
Cologne Fine Art
October 29 – November 2
This annual art and antiques fair offers an impressively broad range of fine and applied art from antiquity to the present day. Website: www.cologne-fine-art.com

London
Frieze Art Fair
October 16 to 19, 2008
The Frieze Art Fair takes place in Regent’s Park. More than 150 galleries from around the world provide a unique opportunity to view and buy art by some of the world’s leading artists. Website: http://www.friezeartfair.com/

New York
The International Art + Design Fair
October 3 to 8, 2008
This international fair at the Park Avenue Armory presents the cream of specialists in 20th century and contemporary furniture, sculpture, jewelry, photography, painting, carpets and textiles, ceramics, glass, Far Eastern art and objects and other areas of design from 1900-2008. Major movements that have fashioned recent aesthetics are represented with pieces on offer from the turn of the 20th century to the beginning of the 21st. For information: Tel: New York 1 212 642 8572 or London
+44 (0)20 7389 6555; Fax: New York 1 212 877 0066 or London +44 (0)20 7389 6556.

Paris
FIAC 2008
October 23 to 26, 2008
The 35th edition of the FIAC will take place from at the Grand Palais, Cour Carrée du Louvre, and Tuileries Gardens. Website: http://www.fiac.com/

Toronto
Toronto International Art Fair
October 2 to 6, 2008
This eclectic event will be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in the North Building. Website: http://www.tiafair.com/

Tulsa (Oklahoma)
Cherokee Art Market
October 10 to 12, 2008
Third annual fair at the Cherokee Casino Resort will offer American Indian objects including paintings, beadworks, pottery and sculptures. Free appraisal offered. Website: www.cherokeeartmarket.com

November

New York
Asian Contemporary Art Fair
November 6 to 10, 2008
After its successful debut in 2007, the ACAF will hold its second fair in November at Pier 92. More information is forthcoming. Website: http://www.acafny.com/

December

Miami
Art Basel Miami 2008
Art Basel Miami 2008 will be held December 4 to 7. It is considered the most important art show in the United States, a cultural and social highlight for the Americas. As the sister event of Switzerland's Art Basel, the most prestigious art show worldwide for the past 38 years, An exclusive selection of more than 220 leading art galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia and Africa will exhibit 20th and 21st century artworks at various sites by over 2,000 artists. The exhibiting galleries are among the world's most respected art dealers, offering exceptional pieces by both renowned artists and cutting-edge newcomers. Special exhibition sections feature young galleries, performance art, public art projects and video art. The show will be a vital source for art lovers, allowing them to both discover new developments in contemporary art and experience rare museum-caliber artworks. Exhibition sites are located in Miami’s Art Deco District. Website: www.artbaselmiamibeach.com/go/id/ss

Concurrent with the Art Basel Miami fair, seven other fairs in and around Miami will also be exhibiting the works of contemporary artists. They are
Aqua Art Miami 08
http://www.aquaartmiami.com/

Art Miami
http://www.art-miami.com/ME2/Audiences/Default.asp?
AudID=851BE093C224409BA852D0240FF17373

Art Now Miami Beach
http://www.artnowfair.com/

Bridge Art Fair Miami 08
http://www.bridgeartfair.com/

Flow (Miami)
http://www.flowfair.com/

PULSE Miami
http://www.pulse-art.com/miami/

NADA Art Fair (Miami)
http://www.newartdealers.org/

NOTE: This listing will be updated as we receive news of other art events/fairs taking place around the world in 2008.

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2008 International Performing Arts Festivals

Wynton Marsalis. Website: www.caramoor.org

July

Italy’s popular 86th Opera Festival in Verona opened in June and concludes August 31 2008. The program comprises five operas, with a total of 49 performances, involving all the artistic groups of the Arena di Verona: the Orchestra, Chorus, Corps de Ballet and technical support.
Opera presentations scheduled are Aida, Nabucco, Tosca, Carmen and Rigoletto.
Since 1913 the Arena di Verona has been presenting opera outdoors at the ancient amphitheater dating back to Roman times. Website: http://www.arena.it/eng/arenaeng.urd/portal.show?c=14

Munich’s Summer Tollwood Festival takes place this year from June 26 to July 20.
A unique cultural event in Germany, the festival is known for its theater productions from all over the world and for its concerts with national and international stars of the Rock and Jazz scene. More information at the German-language website www.tollwood.de.

There’s still time to catch the 2008 Aspen Music Festival which concludes August 17, 2008. This year, the festival, under the musical directorship of David Zinman, explores music that weaves together folklore, legends, mythology and fairytales through the theme Once Upon a Time…. Among the works to be performed that will reflect this theme are Bartok's Romanian Dances and Kodaly's Marosszek Dances, travelogues like de Falla's Nights in the Garden of Spain, Schoenberg's epic song cycle for voices and amassed choruses Gurre-Lieder, the beloved music of Schubert, and the great tone poems of Strauss including Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks and Don Juan.
This summer will also include a wide array of repertoire, from standards by Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Mahler, Sibelius, Smetana, Strauss, and Tchaikovsky, to a selection of contemporary works by composers like Christopher Rouse, John Harbison, Marc-Andre Dalbavie, Osvaldo Golijov, Sydney Hodkinson, and Augusta Read Thomas. The Aspen Opera Theater Center will present three fully-staged operas: Rossini's La Cenerentola, Massenet's Cendrillon, and Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel.
Lectures and enrichment events with organizations such as the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, the Aspen Institute, and Jazz Aspen round out the roster of scheduled events.
2008 guest performing artists and conductors include Joshua Bell, Harry Bicket, Andrey Boreyko, Yefim Bronfman, Sarah Chang, James Conlon, James DePreist, Vladimir Feltsman, Julia Fischer, Alan Gilbert, Richard Goode, Helene Grimaud, Andreas Haefliger, Cho-Liang Lin, Ingo Metzmacher, Robert McDuffie, Nicholas McGegan, Peter Oundjian, David Robertson, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Gil Shaham, Orli Shaham, and Joyce Yang among many others; ensembles include the American String Quartet, the Cavani String Quartet, the Emerson String Quartet, the Takacs Quartet, and the Ying Quartet. Christopher Rouse will be the composer-in-residence.
Website: www.aspenmusicfestival.com/

The 63rd Caramoor International Music Festival is running for seven weeks through Sunday, August 3, 2008. The Festival located in Katonah, New York, features renowned musicians and ensembles; the acclaimed Bel Canto at Caramoor opera program; year two of the vibrant Latin American music initiative, Sonidos Latinos; two world premieres commissioned by Caramoor; cabaret performances; and a three-day Jazz Festival.
Caramoor's 63rd season opens with Americans in Paris, a gala evening on June 21 with Michael Barrett conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke's and guest artists Alisa Weilerstein, cello; Igor Begelman, clarinet; and Jon Kimura Parker, piano, playing works by composers who found creative inspiration in the City of Lights. Under the leadership of Will Crutchfield, Director of Opera, the 12th season of Bel Canto at Caramoor will feature three performances of two classics: Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Verdi's La Forza del Destino, the latter heard in its rare original version, composed for the Imperial Theatre of St. Petersburg at the height of Verdi's career. Both operas will be heard in new critical editions supervised by Philip Gossett, who will also be on hand at Caramoor to assist in their preparation and give public lectures introducing them.
Sonidos Latinos, Caramoor's adventurous two-year Latin American music initiative, enters its second year with events ranging from Tango programs to 20th-century concert music.
The Festival concludes with three consecutive days of jazz featuring legends, young lions, and the rich traditions of Latin jazz, all under the leadership of Producer of Jazz, Jim Luce.

One of the most revered musical events is the Salzburg Festival which will be held from July 26 to August 31. This year, the festival will pursue the phrase "for love is as strong as death" from the Song of Solomon in its operas, concerts and theater performances in 2008.
Seven opera premieres are on the schedule with Don Giovanni, conducted by Bertrand de Billy in a production by Claus Guth at the House for Mozart. Othello, Verdi’s last dramatic opera, and a repeat performance of the Magic Flute from the 2006 Mozart Year will be conducted by Riccardo Muti. Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón will perform in Charles Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. The opera stage will also feature: Rusalka by Antonin Dvorák at the House for Mozart, Béla Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle at the Large Festival Hall and the debut of Irmingard or the Power of Fate by the Austrian brass band, Mnozil Brass and Bernd Jeschek at the republic.
The concert program will focus on the Continent Sciarrino concert series and Schubert Scenes, particularly accommodating this year's motto. The Continents series will focus on the works of the Sicilian composer, Salvatore Sciarrino.
The Salzburg Festival commissioned Dimitré Dinev to adapt Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, which will be one of the four new productions on this year's theater program: the Sad Face / Happy Face trilogy by the Belgian Need company is another commissioned work, Friedrich Friedrich Schiller's The Robbers will be performed on Perner Island, followed by the German premiere of Simon Stephen's Harper Regan.
For the entire opera, concert and theater program, visit www.salzburgfestival.com.

The 62nd Festival d’Avignon will be held in 2008 from July 4 to 26. Know for its innovative theater and dance programs. Some 30 artists will e on hand to present works that include experimental stage director Romeo Castellucci’s three works based on Dante’s The Divine Comedy. Other productions include Hamlet directed by Thomas Ostermeier and Las Pesca, a performance piece by Buenos Aires artist Ricardo Bartis.
Website: www.festival-avignon.com

In its 15th season, The Verbier Festival runs from July 18 to August 3, 2008.
In over 200 events and 70 concerts in 17 days many of the world’s greatest artists will perform symphony concerts, recitals and chamber music and the Festival’s resident orchestra, the UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra will be at the center of the Festival. Guests artists include violinists Renaud Capuçon and Leila Josefowicz; pianists Alfred Brendel, Martha Argerich, and Radu Lapu; and the Sweet Honey In The Rock A Cappella Ensemble. Website: www.verbierfestival.com

Boston Symphony’s 2008 Tanglewood Season is now in full swing. Tanglewood, located in the Berkshires of western Massachusetts, is the orchestra’s summer music festival, attracting more than 300,000 music lovers from around the world for 10 weeks of concerts and recitals by the BSO, visiting orchestras, preeminent guest musicians, and popular artists.
In his fourth summer as its music director, Maestro James Levine leads the Boston Symphony Orchestra in six performances, highlights of which include an all-Brahms program featuring the Piano Concerto No. 1, with pianist Yefim Bronfman, and the Third Symphony; a program pairing Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 with the Tanglewood premiere of John Harbison’s Symphony No. 5, and a concert featuring pianist Peter Serkin performing music of Bach and Mozart on a program with symphonies of Haydn and Schubert. Maestro Levine also conducts a fully-staged TMC production of Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht’s satirical opera Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, and he is Director of the 2008 Festival of Contemporary Music, which honors the centenary of Elliott Carter with five days of concerts dedicated to this influential and prolific American composer.
Tickets for the 2008 Tanglewood season can be ordered online at www.tanglewood.org.

The 2008 Jazz Festival at Tanglewood will run from August 29 to August 31, 2008.
Opening the festival Friday, August 29, at 8 p.m. will be Colombian harpist, Edmar Castaneda, and his trio featuring vibraphonist, Joe Locke. Pianist Eliane Elias will follow performing material from her highly acclaimed CD, “Something For You,” a tribute to Bill Evans.
On Saturday, August 30, at 2 pm, Marian McPartland celebrates her 90th birthday in the seventh annual live taping of “Piano Jazz” for NPR. Joining Marian McParland will be Nnenna Freelon and Spencer Day, and pianist, Mulgrew Miller.
Saturday, August 30, at 8 p.m., pianist and composer, Donal Fox, will perform his Scarlatti Jazz Suite Project with special guest, trumpeter, Christian Scott. Renown vocalist Dianne Reeves takes the stage in the second half of the concert.
The Sunday afternoon concert on August 31 will open at 2 p.m. with clarinetist and saxophonist, Eddie Daniels, and his quartet. The concert continues with violinist, Mark O’Connor, with special guest jazz vocalist Jane Monheit in a show titled “Hot Swing.”
Closing the festival on Sunday, August 31, at 8 p.m. will be a Tanglewood exclusive—a very special concert by trumpeter and composer, Terence Blanchard, with a 30-piece orchestra performing the material from this year’s Grammy winning CD, “A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina).” Website: www.tanglewood.org

The 20th Annual Dour Music Festival will be held from July 17 to 20, 2008 in the French-speaking village in Belgium, situated in the country’s Walloon region. Over 200 bands from around the world will be strutting their stuff on Dour’s stages. Looking for Alternative rock, Ambiant, Electro Dumb, Eurocrunk. Glam Punk, New Wave, Psychobilly, Tekstep and UK Garage? Dour has it all and much more. Website: www.dourfestival.be

The annual Wagner Opera Festival in Bayreuth, Germany will take place from July 2 5 to August 28, 2008. The festival is devoted to the operas of composer Richard Wagner. Tickets to this always sold out event are hard to get. Website:

The 2008 Mostly Mozart Festival will run from July 29 to August 23. The 42nd annual festival will feature 60 events, including orchestral and chamber concerts, recitals, period- instrument performances, opera in concert, dance, film, lectures and discussions, and video art installations. Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho has been named composer-in-residence for Mostly Mozart 2008 and the festival will feature a number of her works, including the US premiere of her oratorio La Passion de Simone, directed by Peter Sellars, with Dawn Upshaw in the title role. Maestro Louis Langrée, the Renée and Robert Belfer Music Director, conducts eight performances of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra with four different programs highlighted by works of Mozart, Mahler, Fauré, Ravel, Strauss and Webern. Website: www.lincolncenter.org

Lincoln Center Festival 08 opens on July 2 with The National Theatre of
Scotland’s acclaimed production of Euripides’ The Bacchae starring Alan Cumming as Dionysus and ends July 27 with the Gate | Beckett marathon of Beckett dramas performed by Ralph Fiennes, Barry McGovern, and Liam Neeson. In all, there will be 57 festival performances and events by artists and ensembles from nine countries,
with two production premieres performed at venues in and around Lincoln Center.
The festival centerpiece is the North American premiere of the Ruhr Triennale production of Die Soldaten, Bernd Alois Zimmermann’s 1960 complex opera. A modern classic and one of the most important German operas of the last 50 years, Die Soldaten is a seminal musical expression of the horrors of war and society’s collapse, as reflected in a young woman’s slide from innocence to desperation. The opera will be presented at the Park Avenue Armory July 5, 7, 9, 11, and 12. Website: www.lincolncenter.com

From July 4 to 13, Denmark's capital becomes Europe's jazz capital during the Copenhagen Jazz Festival. Now in its 30th season, the festival fills the air with jazz in all its forms, from bebop to fusion, swing and free jazz, at venues large and small throughout the city. From Tivoli Gardens, to the Royal Theatre, the Opera House, the famed Copenhagen Jazz House and countless small, intimate performance spaces, jazz fans can catch performances by headliners including Ornette Coleman, Wayne Shorter, Cassandra Wilson, Denmark's New Jungle Orchestra and many more for a total of 900 concerts at 100 venues, with something for everyone and many free for all.

Rome Italy’s famed Baths of Caracalla are the setting for the city’s annual open-air opera festival. This year the season begins July 2 and closes August 3. Three operas—Aida, Lucia de Lammermoor and Madama Butterfly—will be presented at this ancient architectural marvel. Ballet presentations are also scheduled.

Jazz à Juan is entering its 48th season as a premier festival for jazz. It runs in 2008 from July 10 to 20 in the coastal town of Juan les Pins in the heart of the French Riviera. Performers include Keith Jarrett, Ruthie Foster / James Blunt, James Morrisson, Yaron Herman, Roy Hargrove, and Nicole Slack Jones & The Soul Sisters. Website: http://www.antibesjuanlespins.com/actualites/act_dtl~modid~1~actid~348~rubid~0.htm

The 57th Festival Pablo Casals de Prades will be held from July 26 to August 13 in the French town of Prades. Here leading chamber groups will perform in 38th scheduled concerts. Website: http://www.prades-festival-casals.com/

The 2008 Stockholm Jazz Festival will celebrate its 25th anniversary in style on the island Skeppsholmen in the heart of downtown Stockholm from July 16 to 19. During the four-day-long festival, more than thirty artists on five different stages will perform from early afternoon until midnight on the island of Skeppsholmen. Website: http://www.stockholmjazz.com/?option=switch_language

Italy’s famous 2008 Umbria Jazz Festival takes place in Perugia from July 11 to 20. The event brings hundreds of artists to the "green heart" of Italy, and offers street parades and midnight clubs celebrating excellent jazz, opo and salsa. Performers include Mario Biondi and Duke Orchestra, Caetano Veloso, Steffano Bolani and saxaphonist Sonny Rollins. Website: http://www.umbriajazz.com/

The 36th International Festival of Jazz in Pescara, Italy will be held from July 15 to 20. Performers include Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeNonette, the Chet Mood ensemble and the Maria Schneider Orchestra. Website: http://www.pescarajazz.com/

The 2008 Deer Valley Music Festival will run from July 19 to August 16, 2008 in the picturesque setting of Park City, Utah. The Festival includes performances by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Gladys Knight, The Muir Quartet and a concert with the Classical Mystery Tour performing 30 Beatles tunes sung and played exactly as they were written. Utah Opera will also present Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic-opera HMS Pinafore.
This summer will mark Keith Lockhart’s last festival as Music Director of the Utah Symphony; he will officially step down from his post at the end of the 2008-2009 regular season. Website: www.deervalleymusicfestival.org.

August

The annual 2008 Beethovenfest Bonn occurs in the German city and this year will run from August 29 to September 28. Sixty concerts at 24 locations will focus on this year’s theme—Macht Musik—which seeks to explore Beethoven’s legacy in ideological movements and the misappropriation and marginalization of composers and their works in the 20th century Kurt Masur, one of the pioneers of the peaceful revolution in communist East Germany, is conducting the Symphony No. 9 at the finale of his cycle of Beethoven symphonies at the Beethovenfest Bonn. Orchestras performing include the New York Philharmonic, under Lorin Maazel, the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig is
performing with its 19th Gewandhaus Kapellmeister, Riccardo Chailly; the London Symphony Orchestra under Daniel Harding is performing with pianist Hélène Grimaud. András Schiff is giving concerts with his chamber orchestra Cappella Andrea Barca, and the final concert is being given, as in 2007, by the Bamberger Symphoniker under Jonathan Nott. Website: http://www.beethovenfest.de/

The annual Lucerne Festival takes place from August 13 to September 21 in the picturesque town on Lake Lucerne, Switzerland. The theme for 2008 is TanzMusik (dance music) and this summer the festival will present the entire spectrum of dance music—from classic to folk. At one end of the historical timeline stands the dance theatre of the Grand Siècle; at the other, artiste étoile Joachim Schloemer’s premieres. Orchestras and ensembles of all shapes and sizes will perform classic masterpieces from the ballet repertoire – Igor Stravinsky’s historic Sacre du Printemps will even feature in two concerts (under Lorin Maazel and Pierre Boulez) and will also be explored from many angles in an exhibition, a conducting master class and an exquisite film program. Website: http://e.lucernefestival.ch

The 15th Festival Berlioz will explore the inevitable theme of Love. The most magical and romantic pieces will be played by famous orchestras and young talents in Berlioz's native town of La Côte-Saint-André near Lyons from August 19 to September 1. Website: http://www.festivalberlioz.com/

For the sixth straight year, SR Berwaldhallen is hosting the Baltic Sea Festival in Stockholm. The festival will take place between August.21 and 30, 2008. Guest conductors include Krzysztof Penderecki, Daniel Barenboim, Valery Gergiev, and Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting the works of the great classicist composers that include Shostakovich, Richard Strauss, Brahms and Schumann, Dvorck and Schoenberg.

September
The annual Roma Europa Festival takes place this year from September 23 to 30, 2008 in Rome. This exciting event brings together music, dance, theater and visual arts with performances by over 300 artists from 20 countries in various locations throughout the city. Website: www.romaeuropa.net

*The performing arts calendar will be updated monthly

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Cultural Briefs
2008 International Art Fairs
2008 International Performing Arts Festivals
The International Museum Calendar

Cultural Briefs

Dox-Center For Contemporary Arts To Open Fall 2008

A new Museum of Modern Art, Architecture and Design will open in Prague this fall. The museum, located in a renovated factory complex in the Holešovice district of Prague will present eight to ten exhibitions a year with themes that connect different art forms and contexts, questioning the traditional roles of the artist, the curator, and the viewer in order to boost their creative cooperation.
The museum hopes to encourage the growth of the local artistic community by facilitating collaborations and partnerships among regional and international artists and institutions and to examine critical issues that cross the boundaries between different fields such as architecture, design, sculpture, painting, photography, film, and new media. Besides exhibitions, DOX's programs will include lectures, readings, performances, discussions, conferences, screenings and concerts.
The DOX center will also include a sculpture garden, and an auditorium for special events. Website: www.doxprague.cz

2008 Bermuda Music Festival Opens October 1
The annual 2008 Bermuda Music Festival will run four days from October 1 to 4, 2008 at various venues on the island. Kicking off the 13th annual event on October 1 at the Fairmont Southampton Beach Club will be the soulful sounds of R&B legends, The Whispers. On day two of the festival, world-renowned megastar and music icon, Beyonce will light up the stage of the National Sports Centre. On October 3rd, British reggae band, UB40 is sure to bring fans to their feet. Finally, on Saturday, October 4th, the Bermuda Music Festival will come to a close with an evening full of sounds from international superstar Alicia Keys.
Tickets for the 2008 Bermuda Music Festival are now on sale at www.bermudamusicfestival.com or call 1-888-909-8881. There is an eight ticket purchase limit per person, per performance.

New Free-Admission Program For French National Museums In June
The French Ministry of Culture and Communications has launched a new free-admission program for the national museums in order to make culture more accessible. Through June 30, 2008, the following 14 National Museums will offer free-admission to their permanent collections:
Paris and Ile-de-France
Musée Guimet—Musée de Cluny—Musée des Arts et Métiers—Musée des Antiquites Nationals in Saint-Germain-en-Laye (website in French only—Musée National de la Renaissance in Ecouen—Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace in Le Bourget
Other regions
Musée de la Marine in Toulon—Musée National Adrien Dubouche in Limoges—Musée Magnin in Dijon—Palais de Tau in Reims—Palais Jacques Coeur in Bourges—Chateau d’Oiron—Musée National du Chateau de Pau—Chateau de Pierrefonds
If the free-admission program is successful, the program could eventually lead to permanent free-entry to several museums chosen with regard to their location or collections.

A New Portrait Exhibit Opens At Lincoln Center’s Gallery Met

Voight portrait with Clemente in background
Lincoln Center’s Gallery Met in New York is presenting The Sopranos, an exhibition of artist Francesco Clemente’s portraits of eight Metropolitan Opera divas who will be performing in the Met’s 2008/09 season. The oil-on-linen portraits depict Diana Damrau, Natalie Dessay, Renée Fleming, Angela Gheorghiu, Susan Gram, Karita Mattila, Anna Netrebko and Deborah Voight in their forthcoming roles. Each of the sopranos was posed by Clemente on the same brown velvet sofa, in character dress, while he painted from a scaffold constructed just for these sittings. The show at Gallery Met, which is located in the Metropolitan Opera House, runs until July 13 and then reopens September 2 until September 26, 2008.

Copenhagen Holds Festival on Cooking In August
The city of Copenhagen is presenting a food festival, Copenhagen Cooking, from August22 to 31, 2008.
Copenhagen Cooking is considered a people's festival with something for every taste—gourmet restaurants, family activities, cooking school classes and wine tastings on the program. The focus is on quality whether it is sampling local dishes or international ones. During the festival's ten days, a wealth of temptation is on offer around the city. Visit Øksnehallen exhibition center's food and lifestyle event is presenting delectable foods and gourmet delicacies. Or, take a trip out to the vineyard in Avedøre to taste select wines. Tivoli also has events on its program that includes a cooking competition, Dish of the Year, during their Gastronomy Days.
Last year, an event called Black Box featured dining in complete darkness that was a visitor-magnet. So expect more surprises this year. More about the food festival can be found at: www.copenhagencooking.com

New Biopark Valencia Zoo Complements Valencia’s Marine & Animal Themes
Spain’s third largest city has welcomed a new state-of-the-art zoo—the $94 million Bioparc Valencia. At the 25-acre park – home to 4000 animals from 250 species – visitors can watch antelope and zebras gallop over the African savannah and gorillas and leopards roam through lush equatorial forest. Entry is $25.60 for seniors and $23.25 for children between 4 to 12 years old. Website: www.bioparcvalencia.es
Other new sights in Valencia include The City of Arts and Science. The stunning “city of the future,” contains a dramatic 60-foot-high entranceway with 55 arches, an aquarium, planetarium, science museum and a performing arts center. Then there’s Europe’s largest marine park, the Oceanographic, a series of parabolic buildings – virtually an underwater city – providing a hi-tech tour of the world’s marine habitats.
The vast roof of the Prince Felipe Museum of Science resembles a dinosaur’s spine and the 130-foot transparent north façade allows plenty of natural light to enter this kid-friendly place full of holograms, lasers and interactive displays. The Hemispheric, a state-of-the-art planetarium has an IMAX theatre currently screening “The Alps, “Coral Reefs,” and “Mysteries of the Nile.” A combined ticket for up to three days is around $36 for seniors and children (4-12 years old). Children under 4 years old are free. Website: www.cac.es or www.turisvalencia.es

Annual Oktoberfest Munich Opens September 18
Oktoberfest is one great big international celebration. This year it takes place from September 18 to October 3. While it is celebrated around the world in October, Oktoberfest Munich is the granddaddy of this fall rite where today some 6 million visitors take over Munich to participate in this annual 16-day party held for almost 200 years. Oktoberfest started as a wedding celebration party when Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, who was later crowned King Ludwig I, wanted the people of Munich to share in the celebration of his marriage to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on October 12, 1810. He organized a horserace, offered copious amounts of beer and food, invited all the people of Munich and voila! Oktoberfest was born. The festival was so successful that over time, the length of the festival was increased and the date moved backward because of more favorable weather at the end of September in Bavaria. Six Munich breweries—Löwenbräu, Spaten, Augustiner, Hofbräu, Paulaner and Hacker-Pschorr— brew a special beer just for the Oktoberfest. The beer, Wiesnbier, is slightly darker and stronger than a normal Pils and is served in a one-liter-tankard at a cost of 7.50 euros in the 28 to 30 tents set up for the event. Most importantly, visitors should make book hotel reservations early to avoid having to spend the night(s) in the rail station or even a convent. Website: http://www.oktoberfest.de/en/02/content/faq1/

New Maritime Greenwich Observation Wheel Opens This Summer
Visitors to London this summer who visit suburban Greenwich will see a new addition to the landscape—a 180ft (55m) observation wheel. The wheel offers panoramic views past St Paul's Cathedral, Canary Wharf and, of course, a fantastic view of the Maritime Greenwich World Heritage Site. The wheel will be situated within the grounds of the Old Royal Naval College in front of the Pepy’s Building Visitor Centre and will be open to the public from Saturday June 21 to Sunday September 28. Ticket prices: adult £7, child £4.50

The Last Debutantes Exhibition Opens At Kensington Palace
This summer visitors to Kensington Palace will be transported back to the last sumptuous, sophisticated and glamorous debutante season of 1958 in a new exhibition marking the 50th anniversary of the last presentations of debutantes to the Queen.
The Last Debutantes exhibition will draw visitors into the world of the debutante and the detailed preparations required for ‘coming out’ and The Season. Visitors will experience the bewildering rules of etiquette and dizzying schedule of presentations, cocktail parties and dances against a backdrop of original items lent by former debutantes complemented by atmospheric audiovisual material.
The exhibition will feature accessories and stunning examples of couture dresses by Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain, Jacques Heim and Worth worn by the debutantes for evening engagements and their official court presentations at Buckingham Palace. A former debutante from the famous Vacani School of Dancing will teach the art of the perfect curtsey. Other debutantes and ‘debs delights’ will share personal reminiscences of The Season alongside non-debutantes who talk about their memories of being teenagers that year.
The exhibition will capture the spirit of a world in transition in which the status of the upper classes became a subject of fierce debate. With the diminishing specter of world war, independence in the colonies and cultural revolution around the corner, the debutantes’ days were numbered. Against a mix of ceremony and indulgence, the exhibition sets the scene for change that would see social unrest, political activism and teenage culture make headlines in Britain during the summer of 1958: the year of the last debutantes.
To book advanced tickets to Kensington Palace please call 0844 482 7799 or book online at www.hrp.org.uk. Kensington Palace admission prices: adults £12.30, students/seniors £10.75, under 16s £6.15, under 5s FREE, family ticket (up to 2 adults and 3 children) £34.00

BP Summer Screens Present Opera & Ballet In The UK
The Royal Opera House presents this summer’s free BP Summer Big Screen performances of Romeo and Juliet, Don Carlo and The Marriage of Figaro, three contrasting masterpieces in the ballet and opera repertory. Performances began with Romeo and Juliet on June 1, which was broadcast live from Covent Garden to Trafalgar Square and Canary Wharf in London, as well as other destinations in the UK.

Ancient Fossils On Display In New $6.8 Million Center
The $6.8 million heritage site at the Joggins Fossil Cliffs, overlooking the Bay of Fundy in Nova Scotia opened in May. The Joggins Fossil Centre features the world’s largest collection of 300-million-year old fossils and is the finest example of terrestrial tropical ecosystems from the Earth’s “Coal Age.” The Centre’s architecture mimics the natural beauty of the cliffs with sandstone cladding from a nearby quarry, while the wooden siding evokes the area’s coal mines. The Joggins Fossil Cliffs are located about 2 ½ hours from Halifax. More information at www.jogginsfossilcliffs.net

Nova Scotia Commemorates 250th Anniversary of Louisbourg’s Second Siege
From June to August, Nova Scotia will also commemorate the 250th anniversary of Louisbourg’s second siege through a unique summer-long celebration. The siege of 1758 shaped the history of Canada and will be commemorated at the Fortress of Louisbourg. A series of encampments – with North America’s first nighttime siege re-enactment – and military displays (July 25-27), complete with fireworks, parades, chowder cook-offs, street dances, concerts and quilt displays will take place at the historic fortress. Website: http://www.louisbourg2008.com/index.asp

New York’s Shakespeare In The Park Opens With A Production of Hamlet
New York’s annual Shakespeare in the Park drama productions at the open-air Delacourt Theater in Central Park opened in late May with Hamlet. Directed by Oskar Eustis, the production will run until June 29. The musical Hair follows and will run from July 22 to August 17. The tribal love-rock musical will be directed by Diane Paulus with music by Galt MacDermont.
Performances of Shakespeare in the Park will be Tuesday through Sunday at 8PM. Admission is free and while the majority of free tickets for Shakespeare in the Park are distributed via the Free line at the Delacorte Theater, a limited number of tickets will be available the day of each performance online. Specific locations for senior and handicapped accessible seats are not available through the virtual ticket line. Register anytime at www.publictheater.org and then log on between midnight and 1PM on the day of the performance you want to see to submit a request for up to two tickets. You must log-on again between 1PM to 6PM to see if you have been selected to receive a pair of tickets. People are chosen at random, not in the order requests are received.
Tickets will be held at The Delacorte Theater Box Office under the name that you used for registration. Pick-up will begin one hour prior to curtain. Tickets not picked up by 1/2 hour prior to curtain will be released to the stand-by line. A valid photo ID of person who registered/signed in is required.

Paint in Italy…2008
Two creative workshops for aspiring artists take place annually in Italy at Lake Como and on the Italian Riviera in late summer.
The first workshop takes place in Bellagio on Lake Como from August 23 to 30.
The second workshop from September 6 to 19 is in the city of Bordighera at the Italian/French border. The course will “follow in the footsteps of Claude Monet” (he painted in the Bordighera area in1884), and also paint on location in nearby Dolceaqua, a fantastic medieval village (look for a Monet painting titled “The Castle in Dolceacqua”). From there travel by private coach to a hotel in the beautiful Savona region where you’ll work in enchanting Santa Margarita, Camogli, have a visit to Cinque Terra, and sketch & paint Portofino and Rapallo. More details on www.paintinitaly.com.

Prado Presents First-Ever Show Of Renaissance Portraiture
All the great names in Renaissance portraiture—Botticelli, Jan van Eyck, Dürer, Piero della Francesca, El Greco, Holbein, Lorenzo Lotto, Anthonis Mor, Pisanello, Raphael and Titian—will be on display in Madrid this summer. Now open and running through September 7, 2008, The Renaissance Portrait: From Pisanello to Rubens, will present 126 works—paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings and medals—the majority never before shown in Spain.
Organized with the National Gallery of London, where a different version will be presented in October, 2008, this marks the first exhibition of Renaissance portraits ever staged. Tracing the development of portraiture throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, the exhibition reflects the achievements of the art scenes in both Northern and Southern Europe. The show marks the first time such a large selection of Renaissance portraits have been gathered together by such a range of different artists (70) and with so many works of a different nature over a two-century span. “

Month-Long Festival Of Late-Night Cultural Events Returns To London
For example, the National Portrait Gallery will be attempting to break a world record for the most people sketched in an hour, to mark the opening of the BP Portrait Award 2008 - and the BFI IMAX will be screening a Matrix trilogy all-nighter...!
The Mayor of London brings together major galleries and museums across the city once again in a specially programmed season of after-hours events to celebrate the late night cultural economy in London this month. The enormously successful festival of late night openings referred to as The Lates is designed to offer a cultural alternative to pubs, bars and restaurants. It's one of the few examples of major institutions in London such as the National Portrait Gallery, the Hayward, ICA, Royal Academy, National Gallery, and British Museum coming together under one banner to program special events relating to major exhibitions, and some of the events are really inspired.
The Lates events have all been inspired by the current exhibitions and collections open to the public at each institution, with The ICA opening their private garden until 1 am for a moonlight solstice, and The British Museum inviting visitors to swing dance and lindy hop their way to an American Independence Day celebration.
To mark the opening of the BP Portrait Award 2008, the National Portrait Gallery’s Fresh Faced Friday aims to set the world record for the most people sketched in an hour, to the soundtrack of up and coming performers from the BRIT school.
On the South Bank, even the most avid film fan will struggle to keep their eyes open during an exclusive all-night screening of The Matrix trilogy at the BFI, whilst the Victoria & Albert Museum hosts French Connection Friday Late Beijing, bringing
the vibrancy of China’s youth and popular culture into the galleries.
Alongside the special events, the Lates taps into the burgeoning appetite for around-the-clock entertainment, with longer opening hours for flagship exhibitions. Schedule of events at http://www.lates.org/calendar.

Comprehensive Show Of Dale Chihuly’s Work Opens In San Francisco

An exhibition of glass artist Dale Chihuly will be on display at the De Young Museum in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park June 14 to September 28, 2008. Chihuly at de Young will be the largest showing of the artist’s work, spanning 11 galleries including a room filled with five chandeliers, and a 56-foot-long Mille Fiori garden of glass composed of bold forms in vibrant colors. The show takes a comprehensive view of the artist’s dramatic, colorful, and textured works that generate instant international recognition, representing all the creative periods of the artist’s career, from drawings to single vessels to architectural installations. More information at 415-750-3600 or http://www.famsf.org/deyoung.

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June

Basel
Art 39 Basel
June 4 to 8, 2008
The world's premier international art show for Modern and contemporary works, Art Basel features nearly 300 leading galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia, Australia and Africa. More than 2,000 artists, ranging from the great masters of Modern art to the latest generation of emerging stars, are represented in the show's multiple sections. The exhibition includes the highest-quality paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, photographs, video and editioned works. Art Basel takes place in Halls 1 and 2 of Messe Basel, the Swiss Exhibition Center, in Basel, Switzerland.
Website: www.artbasel.com

Scope Basel
June 3 to 8, 2008
SCOPE, the cutting-edge contemporary art fair, returns for the second year to
Basel in a new venue, a 60,000 square foot glass pavilion situated on the Rhine.
Within walking distance of Art Basel 39, SCOPE will
showcase 85 galleries from all over the world. Website: http://www.scope-art.com/

London
Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair
June 12 to 18, 2008
The Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair, one of the leading art and antiques fairs in the world, showcases the best examples of an extraordinary range of artifacts from the past 5000 years. Jewelry, furniture, paintings, silver, textiles, glass, contemporary art and antiquities are just some of the disciplines on sale at this prestigious fair, which takes place at Grosvenor House on London’s Park Lane. For further information call +44 (0)20 7399 8100.

July

September

October

Berlin
Art Forum Berlin
October 29 – November 3
The thirteenth Art Forum Berlin international trade fair for contemporary art will take place at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds. With over 120 galleries from more than 25 countries showcasing the works of established artists and newcomers, it is considered one of the most innovative, world-class art shows. Website: http://www1.messe-berlin.de/vip8_
1/website/MesseBerlin/htdocs/art-forum-berlin/index_e.html

Paris
FIAC 2008
October 23 to 26, 2008
The 35th edition of the FIAC will take place from at the Grand Palais, Cour Carrée du Louvre, and Tuileries Gardens. Website: http://www.fiac.com/

Toronto
Toronto International Art Fair
October 2 to 6, 2008
This eclectic event will be held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in the North Building. Website: http://www.tiafair.com/

November

December

Art Miami
http://www.art-miami.com/ME2/Audiences/D
efault.asp?AudID=851BE093C224409BA852D0240FF17373

Art Now Miami Beach
http://www.artnowfair.com/

Bridge Art Fair Miami 08
http://www.bridgeartfair.com/

Flow (Miami)
http://www.flowfair.com/

PULSE Miami
http://www.pulse-art.com/miami/

NADA Art Fair (Miami)
http://www.newartdealers.org/

NOTE: This listing will be updated as we receive news of other art events/fairs taking place around the world in 2008.

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June

The 2008 Glyndebourne Festival Opera runs from May 18 to August 31, 2008. This year there is a major new commission from the Hungarian composer Peter Eötvös, together with new productions of Monteverdi’s L’incoronazione di Poppea and Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel and Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and a new commissioned opera . Love and Other Demons by Hungarian composer Peter Eötvös is based on the novel of the same name by celebrated author Gabriel García Márquez.
Other operas to be presented are Britten’s Albert Herring, and Bizet’s Carmen.
Glyndebourne’s resident orchestra is the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

New York’s 2008 JVC Jazz Festival takes place from June 16 to 28 at Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium and at other venues around the city. Performers include bossa nova pioneer Joao Gilberto, Herbis Hancock’s new band, the pop jazz trumpeter Chris Botti and the Mos Def Big Band with Gil Scott Heron. Four concerts are scheduled for Carnegie’s Zankel Hall: pianists Brad Mehldau and Dick Hyman, singer Tierney Sutton, and French accordion virtuoso Richard Galliano with his Tangaria Quartet. Website: www.festivalnetwork.com

The 51st Annual Spoletto Festival takes place from June 27 to July 13 in the idyllic town of Spoletto. Opera, dance, theater, and musical performances highlight the 16-day event. Special this year is a musical tribute to Gian Carlo Menotti, the founder of the festival on July 7, his birthday. The Savinio Quartet will play two of the composer’s favorite pieces Barber’s Adagio and Ravel’s Quartet. Other festival highlights include Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmàvati; US director Bob Wilson’s new version of the Three Penny Opera together with the Berliner Ensemble and his Voom Portraits; and the London Symphony plays under the stars in the town square on July 13. Website: http://www.festivaldispoleto.com/sommario.asp?langi=eng

The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts takes place in 2008 from June 27 to 29. The concerts are held at different venues in and around Glastonbury. Artists performing include Leonard Cohen, Massive Attack and Pete Doherty, Jay-Z, Kate Nash, and The Subways. Website: www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

The annual Bach Festival 2008 takes place in Leipzig, Germany from June 13 to 22, 2008. The concerts take place in locations where Bach once lived and worked. Concerts by the famous St. Thomas Church’s' boys' choir are also a truly memorable experience. Highlights include the Casals Quartet performing works by Beethoven, Schubert and Mendelssohn; Sir Roger Norrington and the German Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Bremen performing Mozart’s great Symphony in E Flat; and a premiere performance with a contemporary slant when Friedrich Goldmann will be joining the ranks of Bach’s “sons.” Website: http://www.bach-leipzig.de/index.php?id=212&L=1

Montreal’s 29th International Festival of Jazz will run from June 26 to July 6, 2008 at different venues throughout the city. More than 3000 musicians, including Aretha Franklin, Woody Allen, Abby Lincoln, Dianne Reeves, Ravi Coltrane and James Taylor will perform. A special series dedicated to former jazz musician Oscar Petersen, who was born in Montreal and who died in 2007, will feature the pianists Hank Jones, McCoy Tyner and Dave Brubeck among others. At the opening concert popular British singer Katie Melua will perform. Among this year’s special events, don’t miss two shows running the duration of the Festival: a revamped version of Houdini, The Musical, presenting 20 artists onstage under the musical direction of John Roney; and Belly of a Drunken Piano: A Celebration of Tom Waits, starring Australian Stewart D’Arrietta.
Website: http://www.montrealjazzfest.com/Fijm2008/accueil_en.aspx

The 2008 Aspen Music Festival runs from June 19 to August 17, 2008. This year, the festival, under the musical directorship of David Zinman, explores music that weaves together folklore, legends, mythology and fairytales through the theme Once Upon a Time…. Among the works to be performed that will reflect this theme are Bartok's Romanian Dances and Kodaly's Marosszek Dances, travelogues like de Falla's Nights in the Garden of Spain, Schoenberg's epic song cycle for voices and amassed choruses Gurre-Lieder, the beloved music of Schubert, and the great tone poems of Strauss including Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks and Don Juan.
This summer will also include a wide array of repertoire, from standards by Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Mahler, Sibelius, Smetana, Strauss, and Tchaikovsky, to a selection of contemporary works by composers like Christopher Rouse, John Harbison, Marc-Andre Dalbavie, Osvaldo Golijov, Sydney Hodkinson, and Augusta Read Thomas. The Aspen Opera Theater Center will present three fully-staged operas: Rossini's La Cenerentola, Massenet's Cendrillon, and Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel.
Lectures and enrichment events with organizations such as the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, the Aspen Institute, and Jazz Aspen round out the roster of scheduled events.
2008 guest performing artists and conductors include Joshua Bell, Harry Bicket, Andrey Boreyko, Yefim Bronfman, Sarah Chang, James Conlon, James DePreist, Vladimir Feltsman, Julia Fischer, Alan Gilbert, Richard Goode, Helene Grimaud, Andreas Haefliger, Cho-Liang Lin, Ingo Metzmacher, Robert McDuffie, Nicholas McGegan, Peter Oundjian, David Robertson, Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg, Gil Shaham, Orli Shaham, and Joyce Yang among many others; ensembles include the American String Quartet, the Cavani String Quartet, the Emerson String Quartet, the Takacs Quartet, and the Ying Quartet. Christopher Rouse will be the composer-in-residence.
Website: www.aspenmusicfestival.com/

The 63rd Caramoor International Music Festival will run for seven weeks, opening Saturday, June 21 and continuing through Sunday, August 3. The Festival located in Katonah, New York, features renowned musicians and ensembles; the acclaimed Bel Canto at Caramoor opera program; year two of the vibrant Latin American music initiative, Sonidos Latinos; two world premieres commissioned by Caramoor; cabaret performances; and a three-day Jazz Festival.
Caramoor's 63rd season opens with Americans in Paris, a gala evening on June 21 with Michael Barrett conducting the Orchestra of St. Luke's and guest artists Alisa Weilerstein, cello; Igor Begelman, clarinet; and Jon Kimura Parker, piano, playing works by composers who found creative inspiration in the City of Lights. Under the leadership of Will Crutchfield, Director of Opera, the 12th season of Bel Canto at Caramoor will feature three performances of two classics: Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia and Verdi's La Forza del Destino, the latter heard in its rare original version, composed for the Imperial Theatre of St. Petersburg at the height of Verdi's career. Both operas will be heard in new critical editions supervised by Philip Gossett, who will also be on hand at Caramoor to assist in their preparation and give public lectures introducing them.
Sonidos Latinos, Caramoor's adventurous two-year Latin American music initiative, enters its second year with events ranging from Tango programs to 20th-century concert music.
The Festival concludes with three consecutive days of jazz featuring legends, young lions, and the rich traditions of Latin jazz, all under the leadership of Producer of Jazz, Jim Luce.
Other guest artists include Sarah Chang, Peter Serkin, the Daedalus and Emerson String Quartets, and Wynton Marsalis. Website: www.caramoor.org

Belgium’s 18th International Festival of Jazz will be held June 6 to 7, 2008 in Liege.
Performers include Yaran Hermon, Mélanie De Biasio Quintet, Abdullah Ibrahim, Ronald Baker, Geraldine Crozier, and Musica Nuda group. Concerts take place at the Palais des Congres. Website: http://www.jazzaliege.be/programme.php?langue=uk&annee=2008

Italy’s popular 86th Opera Festival in Verona will take place from June 20 to August 31 2008. The program comprises five operas, with a total of 49 performances, involving all the artistic groups of the Arena di Verona: the Orchestra, Chorus, Corps de Ballet and technical support.
The festival opens with the Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida on June 20 with a new production inspired to the first stage design of Aida in 1913, designed by Ettore Fagiuoli. Other opera presentations scheduled are Nabucco, Tosca, Carmen and Rigoletto.
Since 1913 the Arena di Verona has been presenting opera outdoors at the ancient amphitheater dating back to Roman times. Website: http://www.arena.it/eng/arenaeng.urd/portal.show?c=14

Germany’s Kissinger Sommer Festival takes place in Bad Kissingen from June 12 to July 13, 2008. Bad Kissingen, located in northern Bavaria, is the home of the unique Regentenbau, with its five splendid concert halls, built by the Royal House of Wittelsbach. For more than four weeks, these beautiful concert halls come alive with international musicians during the Kissinger Sommer Festival. Famous stars join young artists to perform symphony concerts, chamber music, literary readings, and theater evenings as well as open air jazz sessions. More information at www.kissingersommer.de (German language only)

July

One of the most revered musical events is the Salzburg Festival whi