Yesterday TITAS announced that they will be teaming with the AT&T Performing Arts Center to present Daniel Bernard Roumain in a special concert supporting earthquake relief in Haiti. Roumain is a Haitian-American. Here’s the release:
TITAS to Present Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) in Concert Feb. 25 at the AT&T Performing Arts Center
AT&T Performing Arts Center, TITAS Partner with Dallas Area Chapter of the American Red Cross to Raise Funds to Support Earthquake Relief Efforts in Haiti
DALLAS (February 8, 2010) – On Thursday, February 25, TITAS, in association with the AT&T Performing Arts Center, will present Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) in Concert. DBR, a Haitian-American artist, will perform Darwin’s Meditation for the People of Lincoln, a musical setting that explores an imagined conversation between Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln, and the political relationship between England, North America and Haiti. This performance will benefit earthquake relief efforts in Haiti through the Dallas Area Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Because of the artist’s close ties to Haiti, a portion of ticket sales will be donated to the American Red Cross International Response Fund. Patrons purchasing tickets to the performance will also have the option of adding a donation to support earthquake relief efforts. Both DBR and solo vocalist, Emeline Michel, known as the “Joni Mitchell of Haiti,” have been strong advocates for the people of Haiti. Ms. Michel recently performed in “Hope for Haiti Now” telethon organized by actor George Clooney.
“We feel that it is our responsibility to aid in the relief efforts in whatever small ways we can,” said Charles Santos, executive director of TITAS. “Working with DBR and Emeline has brought this tragedy even closer to home, and we want to support them in their efforts to help their families and friends in Haiti. DBR’s piece, Darwin’s Mediation for The People of Lincoln, which is about the struggle for freedom and the power of people to transform the world, seen through the perspective of the people of Haiti, is all the more powerful and relevant in light of current events.”
An innovative composer, performer, violinist, and band leader, DBR melds his classical music roots with his own cultural references and vibrant musical imagination. Darwin’s Mediation for The People of Lincoln was inspired by the fact that two of the most extraordinary men in history, Charles Darwin and Abraham Lincoln, were born within hours of one another on the same auspicious day of February 12, 1809. If one traced the origin of the human species, the other set its destination in motion. In this work, DBR brings the two men face-to-face for a lush, orchestral event of historic proportions—an imagined conversation between them.
The work features a chamber orchestra composed of 20 students from the Meadows School of the Arts at SMU conducted by Jack Delaney, together with four soloists—DBR (violin), Yayoi Ikawa (piano), D.J. Mendel (actor/playwright), and Emeline Michel (singer). Darwin’s Meditation for The People of Lincoln sculpts the sound of liberation, survival, and legacy in the image of two of its most tireless proponents. The composition of the work is inspired and guided by a musical and historical exploration of the island nation of Haiti. This unusual perspective illuminates new relationships between Darwin, Lincoln and Haiti and is thoughtfully and provocatively infused into all aspects seen and heard in this work.
Using original video by Yuki Nakajima, lights by Matthew Richards, and texts drawn from both Darwin and Lincoln, plus those of Obie Award-winning playwright Daniel Beaty, DBR creates an imagined conversation between two historical giants—and a scintillating, spiritual, sonic vision of what it means to be free.
Tickets for the February 25th performance range from $19 to $127. Ten percent of every full-price ticket will be donated to the Haiti Relief and Development Fund of the American Red Cross. Tickets can be purchased via phone at 214.880.0202, or in person at the AT&T Performing Arts Center Box Office at the Winspear Opera House, 2403 Flora Street (Monday through Saturday, 10 am – 6 pm; Sunday 11 am – 4 pm), at which time patrons can make an additional donation to the Red Cross. DBR tickets only can be purchased online at www.attpac.org <http://www.attpac.org> . For more information about the American Red Cross, please call 800.797.8022 or email [email protected]. The American Red Cross name is used with its permission, which in no way constitutes an endorsement, express or implied, of any product, service, company or individual.
On February 23 and 24, the Meadows orchestra will rehearse with DBR at SMU. Students from local music programs will be invited to observe the rehearsal and attend the performance on Friday, February 25.
