China’s Golden Dragon Acrobats visits Brigham Young University with “Cirque Záva,” a technically innovative show featuring a large athletic cast and spectacular scenic and lighting elements, Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 6-8, in the de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets start at $20 ($7 off with BYU or student ID and $3 off for senior citizens or BYU alumni) and can be purchased at the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-2981, or at byuarts.com/tickets. “Cirque Záva” is part of BYU’s BRAVO! Professional Performing Arts Series. With superb artistic merit, high production values and a solid commitment to cultural exchange, “Cirque Záva” demonstrates why the Golden Dragon Acrobats have been recognized as the preeminent Chinese acrobatic company touring the United States. Filled with contemporary music, impressive acrobatics, theatrical enhancements and Chinese traditional dance, “Cirque Záva” promises to thrill the young and the young at heart. The Golden Dragon Acrobats hail from Cangzhou, Hebei province, in the People’s Republic of China, and have toured the United States continuously since 1978. Its members are athletes, actors and artists who have studied and trained in their craft since early childhood. The group averages 200 performances each year and has toured through all 50 states and in more than 65 countries across the world. In 2005, their Broadway debut and seven-week run at the New Victory Theatre earned two prestigious New York Drama Desk Awards nominations for Best Choreography and Most Unique Theatrical Experience. The performance is produced by Asian Artists Productions, Inc., featuring Danny Chang, artistic director, Randy Williamson, technical director and Tony Tucci, lighting director. For more information contact Ken Crossley at (801) 422-9348 or ken_crossley@byu.edu. Source: BYU News

Will inaugurate the school’s new Fazioli F308 grand piano The Brigham Young University School of Music will present the Philharmonic Orchestra with guest pianist Marc-André Hamelin Thursday, Feb. 13, at 7:30 p.m. in the de Jong Concert Hall. Tickets are $13 for the public, $1 off for alumni and senior citizens and $5 off for students. Tickets can be purchased through the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-2981 or at byuarts.com/tickets. The program will feature a special concert performance of Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 2 to inaugurate the school’s new Fazioli F308 grand piano. A 10-foot-2-inch concert grand piano, the Fazioli F308 is the crown jewel of Fazioli’s pianoforti. Its immense power and extraordinary harmonic richness derive from an increased string length in the bass section. A fourth foot pedal, invented by Fazioli, allows the artist to reduce volume without modifying timbre. The orchestra will also perform Matthew Webb’s “Cornerwise” and Bela Bartok’s “Dance Suite.” The Philharmonic Orchestra, directed by Kory Katseanes, plays compositions from all musical periods, focusing on the romantic period but also including 20th- and 21st-century music. Nearly 100 of the university's finest musicians bring these great symphonic works to life. In addition to the orchestra, Hamelin’s unique blend of musicianship and virtuosity brings forth interpretations remarkable for their freedom, originality and prodigious mastery of the piano’s resources. A musician of broad musical interests and curiosity, Hamelin is renowned in equal measure for his fresh readings of the established repertoire and for his exploration of lesser-known works of the 19th and 20th centuries, both in the recording studio and in the concert hall. For more information, contact Kenneth Crossley, (801) 422-9348, ken_crossley@byu.edu. Source: BYU News

Library of Congress turns to BYU student collaboration to get kids engagedA boom during the holiday season helped Apple sell 14.6 million iPads this past quarter, and it’s no secret that kids are using them. A recent study showed 40 percent use iPads before they can even speak.

The School of Music at Brigham Young University will welcome Utah’s celebrated NOVA Chamber Music Series in a free concert Thursday, Feb. 13, at 5:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall.

Brigham Young University faculty pianist Jeffrey Shumway will perform with guest artist Del Parkinson from Boise State University as the American Piano Duo Saturday, Feb. 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the Madsen Recital Hall. The concert is sponsored by BYU’s School of Music. Admission is free. The performance will feature guest percussionists Ron Brough and Mike Sammons. The concert will include the Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion by Béla BartÁ³k, Fantasy on “Porgy and Bess' by Percy Grainger and Tobin Stokes’s “El Sol del Sur.” Shumway and Parkinson, who have performed together since 1984, met while studying music at the Juilliard School in New York City. They have since performed throughout the United States, Mexico and Europe. For more information, contact Jeffrey Shumway, (801) 422-4922, jeff_shumway@byu.edu. Source: BYU News

Guest performers Trio Southwest will perform a free recital at Brigham Young University Thursday, Feb. 6, at 7:30 p.m. at the Madsen Recital Hall.

Awarded 2012 Sundance Film Festival Directing Award

The Brigham Young University Theatre Ballet will present “Swan Lake” during “Ballet in Concert” Thursday through Saturday, Jan. 30-Feb. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the de Jong Concert Hall. A matinee will be performed Saturday, Feb. 1, at 2 p.m.

Two years ago, Babetta Kelly and her sister, Brynn Zimmer, never would have expected to be award-winning filmmakers. But now, after winning the Official Selection Award at film festivals in Seattle, Los Angeles and New York for the short film Dante’s Hamlet, their future together as filmmakers looks brighter than ever. “Since it was really my first project, it was kind of crazy,” Kelly said in regard to the film’s critical acclaim. “It’s so nice to get a response from other people and see how they connect with the story.” Dante tells the story of a boy in the Bronx whose brother has been killed. After noticing similarities between the lead in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and himself, Dante wrestles with how to handle his brother’s killer. The nature of revenge and the power of literature are explored in this 15-minute glimpse into Dante’s difficult dilemma. Kelly began writing Dante while she was taking a screenwriting class from Jeff Parkin, the Area Head of BYU’s Media Arts Fiction Production program. Kelly’s initial idea was simply to write a story that took place where she grew up, 10 minutes outside of the Bronx. Through many edits, long hours, late nights and several re-writes, Kelly began to see that Dante was rooted deep within her. “The people that I grew up with started emerging within the script, which was something I totally wasn’t expecting,” Kelly shared. The more she wrote, the more invested she and her sister became in the story and its characters. The two decided that they would make the film for their senior capstone project. Zimmer would produce and Kelly would direct the film. Kelly’s connection with the characters kept her motivated on through the end. “It was amazing that they were their own people. They’re kind of based on people I know and grew up with, but I also found that they had their own voice and started speaking for themselves,” Kelly said. “I’d never experienced that before. It was pretty magical.” Zimmer, six years Kelly’s senior, worked alongside her sister in bringing the script to life. Zimmer contributed not only to the film’s creative aspects, but also to its logistical side–making sure that everything was ready for a particular shot, helping with casting, ensuring that equipment was available, and other behind-the-scenes tasks. “Everything I learned about producing I learned from Courtney Russell,” Zimmer said, referring to her professor and mentor. “On top of that, she just believed in me. It extended way beyond anything I deserved. I would think, ‘Why do you think I can do this?’ She just infused us with confidence the whole time.” In addition to the strength she gained from her academic mentor, Zimmer relished the opportunity to collaborate with her sister. Zimmer had been warned by a friend to tread lightly when working with loved ones, but she soon found that the two are a filmmaking dream team. “Babetta and I were on the same page 100 percent of the time. She’s a total team player,” Zimmer said enthusiastically. “I hope we get to do it again someday because it was a blast.” Though Dante would not have been possible without help from the college, Kelly and Zimmer were required to raise 50 percent of the film’s cost through their own efforts. With so many things that needed to be accomplished, both Kelly and Zimmer are thankful for their faculty mentors, whose constant support gave them the confidence to complete this ambitious project. “Jeff Parkin was so wonderful. He just really believes in students and is willing to take time to work with them,” Kelly explained. “He would make sure that what we wanted to say happened in the film. He spent countless hours with us in the writing of it.” With the success of Dante, Kelly and Zimmer look to the future with confidence, hoping again that they will be able to work together as sisters on new projects. But they do hope to revisit Dante and to portray their characters and message in a full-length feature film. National: - Official Selection–Seattle True Independent Film Festival - Official Selection–Los Angeles Women’s International Film Festival - Official Selection–New Filmmakers New York - Redemptive Story Teller Award–Redemptive Film Festival (Virginia, 2012) Local: - Best of Fest and Audience Choice Award–BYU Final Cut Film Festival - Audience Choice Award and Third Place in Shorts Competition–LDS Film Festival - Awards in Writing, Talent, Photography and Editing–College Student Production Awards, National Academy of Television and Science, Rocky Mountain Southwest Chapter

Guest artist Johannes Moser will perform a cello recital at Brigham Young University Friday, Jan. 31, at 5 p.m. at the Madsen Recital Hall. Moser will also present a master class Thursday, Jan. 30, at the Madsen Recital Hall. Both events are free and the public is welcome to attend. The recital will include Bach’s Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007, Suite No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1008 and Suite No. 3 in C major, BWV 1009. Praised for his rich, gorgeous tone and playing that can range from lovely and elegant, to vigorous with head-banging, rock star energy, German-Canadian cellist Johannes Moser has been hailed by Gramophone Magazine as “one of the finest among the astonishing gallery of young virtuoso cellists.” Moser has performed with the world’s leading orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, London Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Munich philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony and Israel Philharmonic. He works regularly with conductors of the highest level including Riccardo Muti, Christian Thielemann, Pierre Boulez, Paavo Jarvi and Semyon Bychkov. For more information about this recital, contact Ken Crossley at (801) 422-9348 or ken_crossley@byu.edu. For more information about Johannes Moser, visit www.johannes-moser.com. Source: BYU News

Celebrates purchase of School of Music's new Fazioli grand piano

Will run Jan. 31 through Feb. 8 in Margetts Theatre Brigham Young University’s Department of Theatre and Media Arts will present a lighthearted adaptation of William Shakespeare’s “Cymbeline” in the Margetts Theatre Friday, Jan. 31 through Saturday, Feb. 8, with matinee performances on Saturdays. Tickets are $6, with $2 discounts available to children ages 2-11. For tickets, visit the Fine Arts Ticket Office, (801) 422-2981 or byuarts.com/tickets. Shakespeare’s adventurous romance gets the double treatment – and a happy ending – in two special adaptations: as a fairy tale suited for young people and as a noir mystery perfect for the young-at-heart. The performance schedule for the fairy tale adaptation includes Friday, Jan. 31; Tuesday, Feb. 4; Thursday, Feb. 6; Friday, Feb 7 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 1 at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m.; and Saturday, Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. The Thursday, Feb. 6 performance will be ASL interpreted. The performance schedule for the noir mystery adaptation includes Friday, Jan. 31 and Feb. 7 at 9 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 1 at 2 p.m.; Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m.; and Saturday Feb. 8 at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. There will be no performances Sundays or Mondays. Directed and adapted by Teresa Dayley Love, “Cymbeline” tells the story of a princess in a pickle, her banished husband, a villainous queen and lots of mayhem in Britain, all while exploring Shakespeare’s themes of mistaken identity, innocence wronged and jealousy. “I knew young audiences would like the twisty story as long as we told it clearly,” said Love. “After all, detail-heavy Pokémon, Harry Potter and Doctor Who have plenty of devoted young fans. And the humor would help, too. But which style to choose? Fairy tale or film noir? I liked them both!” After working with the text, her team made a welcome discovery: “We didn’t have to choose! With the talent of two fearless casts and our imaginative design team, we were able do both. If you come see both versions, you’ll see that the plot, stage movement and language are almost identical. But costumes, scenery, props, lighting, music, sound effects and the way characters are portrayed are very different,” she said. The film noir cast features Michael Comp as Phyllis; Charles Beckh as Chimo, Tony and Pa; Danny Brown as Leo; Jasmine Fullmer as the Queen and Big Luca; and Averill Corkin as Imogene. The fairy tale cast features Mary Beth Bosen as Philaria; Clyde Northrup as Iachimo, Pisanio and Papa; Bryson Alley as Leonatus; Amberly Plourde as the Queen and Lucius; and Lisa Moncur as Imogene. The design and technical crew features Julia Ashworth as the artistic director of Young Company, Michael Kraczek as design advisor, Jennifer Reed as production manager, Spencer Johnson and Heather Richardson as production stage managers, Ward Wright as technical director, Mckenzie Ottley as scenic designer, Amelia Dunlap as lighting designer, Julie Adams as costume designer, James Lyon as prop designer, Chelsi Hunsaker as makeup designer, Nicholas E. Sheets as dramaturg, Janine Sobeck as dramaturg advisor and Rebecca Wallin as theatre outreach coordinator. For more information, contact Ken Crossley at (801) 422-9348 or ken_crossley@byu.edu. Source: BYU News