Feb. 10, 2011
Contact: Frank Provenzano, (734) 647-4411, fproven@umich.edu


Montage: U-M composer nominated for Grammys, future of car design to be discussed


ANN ARBOR, Mich.---The University of Michigan website Montage highlights the latest news and features about the arts, creative endeavors, collaborative projects and upcoming events on campus.

This week's top features on Montage include:

--Spotlight Composer: Since emerging in the late 1980s, Michael Daugherty, professor of music at U-M's School of Music, Theatre and Dance, has risen to the top of the list of American contemporary composers. Daugherty's album for piano and orchestra, "Deus Ex Machina," is nominated in five Grammy award categories. The 53rd annual award ceremony is Feb. 13.

--Future of Car Design: J Mays, global vice president of design and chief creative officer at Ford Motor Co., will address the topics of brand loyalty, iconic design and the future of transportation in a talk at 5 p.m. March 11 at the Michigan Theater. His presentation, part of the Penny Stamps Lecture Series presented by the U-M School of Art & Design, includes a display of Ford's newest concept car, the Start.

--Elevating Role of Arts in Higher Ed: Provosts, deans, directors and other faculty and administrative leaders from top-tier research universities across the United States will convene in Ann Arbor May 4-6 to discuss "The Role of Art-Making and the Arts in the Research University." This first-of-its-kind meeting will focus on and advance an emerging national conversation about better incorporating art-making and the arts into the research university.

--Wit and Wonder: The U-M Department of Theatre & Drama presents George Bernard Shaw's "Arms and the Man," a play of social criticism wrapped in an entertaining confection. The drama plays Feb. 17-20 at the Mendelssohn Theatre.

--A Journey East: The U-M symphony band will tour China in May. A student band of 80 musicians has been selected to perform and participate in an unprecedented cultural exchange. The trip is the result of U-M President Mary Sue Coleman's initiative to develop a "cultural and economic dialogue" with China.

The trip will be a homecoming for violinist Xiang Gao, an alum, who will join the U-M symphony band on the China tour. Four U-M composers have created new works for the tour, including Bright Sheng, Kristin Kuster, William Bocom and Michael Daugherty.


Other features on Montage include:

--Made in Ann Arbor: A short, compelling video made by U-M film students highlights the advantages of filming in Ann Arbor. The aim is to attract filmmakers from around the world---and to create jobs for film students.

--Searching for a New Key: U-M's Mark Clague analyzes the reasons why American orchestras are struggling financially and offers a glimpse of the road ahead, including insightful analysis of the contract dispute at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

--Wonders of Digitization: U-M Library scanning 1,100 Islamic manuscripts; scholars around the world gain access to collection.

--Lifetime of Creativity: U-M's Nicholas Delbanco's new book explores the art of old age.

--Architectural Jewel: The U-M Museum of Art has been recognized as one of 10 projects worldwide with the 2011 American Institute of Architects Honor Award for Architecture, the profession's highest recognition of works that exemplify excellence.

--Mining Modernism: The U-M Museum of Art's latest exhibit offers an imaginative alternative history of 20th-century art. "Mai-Thu Perret: An Ideal for Living" runs through March 13 in the A. Alfred Taubman Gallery.

--Colossal Fossil: A new whale skeleton exhibit at U-M's Exhibit Museum of Natural History represents decades of research.

--The Wonder of H2O: A long list of events, concerts, exhibits and lectures are among the highlights as U-M's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts explores an array of water issues. For more information on the Water Theme Semester, visit: http://watersemester.com

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