From Russia via The Lied

The Lied Center opens its 2002-03 season with a free outdoor concert Aug. 23 by fiddle player Natalie McMaster, known for her spirited Celtic music. The center is administered through the KU School of Fine Arts.

During its 2002-03 season, The Lied Center of Kansas at KU will join in the international celebration of the St. Petersburg Tercentenary, offering several performances that honor Russian culture:

— The Moscow Boys Choir, Nov. 23
— The St. Petersburg String Quartet, Nov. 24
— Puccini's "Tosca," performed by The Russian State Opera, Feb. 22, 2003
— David Finckel and Wu Han, cello/piano, March 9
— Pianist Olga Kern, winner of the 11th Van Cliburn international competition, March 27

Trio Voronezh Feb. 28, 2003

Other season highlights include performances of the contemporary Urban Tap dance company Oct. 24 at Liberty Hall in downtown Lawrence and Oct. 25 at the Lied; The National Symphony of Mexico, Nov. 1; Broadway's "Rent," Nov. 4-5, and "Cabaret," Feb. 19, 2003; dance legend Twyla Tharp, April 5; and gospel group Sweet Honey in the Rock, April 13.

Ragamala Music and Dance Theater Oct. 12, 2002

The center, which opened in September 1993 on KU's West Campus, is administered through the KU School of Fine Arts. The $14.5 million performance hall was built thanks to the generosity of the Lied Foundation Trust, which provided a historic $10 million gift to KU Endowment in 1988. It honors the memory of Ernst M. and Ida K. Lied, parents of the late Ernst F. Lied, '27, who attended KU for two years before graduating from the University of Nebraska and going on to a successful real estate and investment career in Las Vegas. Trustee Christina Hixson administers the foundation, which continues to support the Lied through grants for educational and performance programs that reach throughout the state.

For more information on the 2002-03 season, ticket purchases or The Friends of the Lied, visit The Lied Center.

"Rent" Nov. 4-5, 2002 Winner of a Tony Award for Best Musical and a Pulitzer Prize, this stunning production follows young artists through their modern struggles in New York City.

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