HARRIS THEATER FOR MUSIC AND DANCE PRESENTS AN EXTRAORDINARY FALL 2009 SEASON PACKED WITH INNOVATIVE, ARTISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT PERFORMANCES BY THE CITY’S MOST ACCLAIMED MUSIC AND DANCE ORGANIZATIONS AND WORLD-RENOWNED ARTISTS AND ENSEMBLES FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

Highlights of the Harris’ sixth season include the Chicago premiere of Mikhail Baryshnikov’s “Three solos and a duet;” a unique holiday spirituals performance by legendary Soprano Kathleen Battle with Chicago Children’s Choir; the 10th Anniversary celebration of Luna Negra Dance Theater; the Chicago Human Rhythm Project featuring Step Afrika; the return of Grammy Award-winning eighth blackbird; and Eat to the Beat, a new $5 lunchtime performance series

The Harris Theater is pleased to announce that UBS is serving as the 2009-2010 Season Sponsor

Continuing the momentum and building on the critical success of its Fifth Anniversary season, the Harris Theater for Music and Dance in Millennium Park will commence its sixth season this fall 2009 with an impressive and diverse selection of performances by the city’s most acclaimed music and dance institutions as well as world-renowned national and international artists and ensembles through its Harris Theater Presents series.

The schedule for the Harris Theater fall 2009 season includes a variety of acclaimed Chicago favorites, Chicago premieres and performances by individuals and organizations that are seldom seen in Chicago. Joining such popular and acclaimed Chicago institutions as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Music of the Baroque, Luna Negra Dance Theater, Fulcrum Point New Music Project and Chicago Jazz Ensemble is highly anticipated return of ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov, performing the Chicago premiere of Three solos and a duet with his long-time dance partner and collaborator Ana Laguna; a distinctive holiday engagement with the great American soprano Kathleen Battle and the Chicago Children’s Choir; and an exciting new program by the acclaimed all-male ballet company Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Additionally, the Harris recently announced an exciting new lunchtime performance series, Eat to the Beat, which will feature midday dance performances by DanceWorks Chicago and tickets priced at just $5.00 each.

This fall the Harris Theater will introduce Tix @ Six, a new discounted ticket program for audience members. As part of the program, a set number of $10.00 Tix @ 6 performance tickets will be available to the public while supplies last 90 minutes prior to the start of a performance at the Harris; tickets must be purchased with cash and in person only. Tix @ 6 tickets will be applicable for all performances at the Harris – both Harris Theater Presents events as well as performances by the resident companies.

“The Harris Theater’s Fifth Anniversary Season was a resounding success and we are eager to begin our sixth season and continue to collaborate with our resident companies and present such a unique and artistically significant array of music and dance offerings to Chicago audiences,” said Michael Tiknis, President and Managing Director. “Through our Harris Theater Presents series we always seek to emphasize aspects of artists or their repertoire that accent the work of our resident companies and performances that delve further into the exploration of contemporary artistic innovation, as well as those which enlighten and delight audiences in what is becoming regarded as a unique and ‘Harris’ way,” noted Tiknis. “We believe our offerings during the 2009-2010 season accomplish even more of this and are proud to present some of the most intelligent, imaginative programming our stage has seen yet.”

The Harris Theater is pleased to announce that UBS is serving as the 2009-2010 Season Sponsor. The Harris Theater’s 2009-2010 season has been made possible with support from United Airlines, the Harris Theater’s Official Airline. Ariel Investments is a Presenting Corporate Sponsor for the Baryshnikov engagement at the Harris Theater, and Chicago Carriage Cab is a Lead Corporate Sponsor for the Baryshnikov engagement at the Harris Theater. The Harris Theater gratefully acknowledges the Irving Harris Foundation for its leadership support of the Presenting Fund. Rental subsidies for select user groups have been provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Lead Underwriter of the Harris Theater’s Rental Subsidy Program. Additionally, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has provided support for collaborative partnerships with the Harris Theater to the following arts and cultural organizations: Alianza de las Artes Puertorriquenas, Chicago Opera Theater, eighth blackbird, Fulcrum Point New Music Project, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Luna Negra Dance Theater, Music of the Baroque and Urban Gateways. All performances are on The Elizabeth Morse Genius Stage.

“Partnership is the foundation of UBS and we are pleased to support the Harris Theater for Music and Dance, founded with a mission to partner with Chicago’s own spectacularly-diverse music and dance organizations,” said Patrick Sheahan, Executive Director Public Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility at UBS. “UBS works diligently to build long-lasting relationships with our community partners in the same spirit that the Harris Theater works to build lasting collaborations with its resident companies. It has been both exciting and rewarding to watch the Harris grow and present such diverse, significant programming in its first five years – we are eager to further our commitment to the Harris during its ‘star-studded’ sixth season,” added Sheahan.

Subscriptions to the Harris Theater Presents performances are on sale now; single tickets to Harris Theater Presents performances will go on sale August 1, 2009 at 10:00 a.m.; and tickets to all Harris Theater performances will be on sale by August 15, 2009 at noon. Tickets are available at the Harris Theater box office located in Millennium Park at 205 E. Randolph Dr., by calling 312-334-7777 or by visiting www.harristheaterchicago.org.

Program information for the Harris Theater’s 2009 fall season is as follows: