The University of Texas Performing Arts Center

Coming in March to the UT Performing Arts Center

Gypsy Spirit
Tuesday, March 2 @ 8 PM
Hogg Auditorium
$20, $35, $42

Walk the roads of history and retrace the Gypsy (Roma) tradition, journeying from Turkey and west for a taste of Spanish Flamenco, fiery Bulgarian footwork, Romanian tunes performed at breathtaking speed, and hypnotic songs from Hungary and Transylvania.

The homeland of the Gypsy can be traced back to Northern India. Their migration to the West started about a thousand years ago. Today they are found in almost every country in Eastern, Western and Central Europe and also in America. These musicians and dancers have become known for their fierce spirits and friendly smiles, and their artistry will penetrate your heart and soul. See why they continue to thrill audiences around the world.

The last Gypsy performance in Austin inspired so much excitement that the audience and musicians spilled out onto the streets for an impromptu concert. So show some spirit, buy a new pair of dancing shoes and join the caravan!

UT Opera Presents: The American Premiere of La Tentación de San Antonio
by Luis Jaime Cortez
February 27 & March 5 @ 8pm
February 29 & March 7 @ 7pm
McCullough Theatre
$16

Known as the quintessential hermit monk, St. Anthony's struggle for perfect asceticism grows into doubt and frustration as he becomes torn between material sacrifice and worldly desires. Based on Gustave Flaubert's 1874 novel, St. Anthony discovers that the fountain of divine mercy has run dry and he becomes drawn into a complex dialogue with the devil. This stirring opera was set to music by Luis Jaime Cortez, one of Mexico's foremost contemporary composers, who will be in attendance for the auspicious premiere.

Guarneri String Quartet
40th Anniversary
Saturday, March 27 @ 8 PM
Bates Recital Hall
$35

Founded in 1964, this celebrated American quartet has circled the globe countless times, playing in the world's most prestigious halls on five continents. The subject of numerous books and featured on many television and radio specials, Charles Kuralt interviewed the members for his CBS television program, Sunday Morning, and a full-length film entitled High Fidelity - The Guarneri String Quartet was released nationally, to great critical and public acclaim, in the fall of 1989.

New York City Mayor Ed Koch even presented the Guarneri with the first New York Seal of Recognition. The acclaim only continued in 1992, as the Guarneri became the only string quartet to ever receive the prestigious Award of Merit from the Association of Performing Arts Presenters. Don't miss this triumph of individual voices blending seamlessly into one luminous whole.

Julio Bocca and Ballet Argentino:
The Man In The Red Tie
Wednesday, March 31 @ 8 PM
Bass Concert Hall
$20, $30, $40, $45

With technical brilliance and dramatic flair, this company has entertained outdoor crowds of 80,000 people. A whirlwind tour in 1996 sent the thirteen-member troupe to the legendary Mariynsky Theatre (the former Kirov), and soon after they became the first foreign artists to ever perform at the Hermitage Palace Theatre. Agile and athletic, Ballet Argentino has earned a reputation for sultry, romantic dances that blend elements of Broadway, Tango and Balanchine.

Julio Bocca began dancing at age four, eventually winning the Gold Medal at the 5th International Competition in Moscow in 1985. An invitation to perform as principle dancer for the American Ballet Theatre soon followed and an international superstar was born. Today audiences around the world gaze with awe and wonder at Mr. Bocca's phenomenal dancing. An Argentine hero, he is widely considered one of the greatest dancers in history. His company's new evening-length work tells the hauntingly beautiful tale of a woman and her evermore-lifelike painting of The Man In The Red Tie.

Tickets to all of these outstanding performances are available by calling 477-6060, or online at www.utpac.org