Commissioning Partners

Harris Theater

with the Roosevelt University Chicago College of Performing Arts Symphony Orchestra
Stefan Asbury, conductor

The Harris Theater for Music and Dance is located in the internationally acclaimed Millennium Park in Chicago, IL. It opened in November 2003, creating a superlative performance home for emerging and mid-size music and dance companies in the Chicago area. Since its opening, the Harris Theater has garnered considerable media and public attention as a superior, contemporary venue for music and dance, with the Wall Street Journal noting "…the Harris puts Chicago ahead [of New York] as a venue for dance."

The mission of the Harris Theater is to provide a nurturing environment that allows for artistic growth, the development of new audiences and the institutional stability of its partners. Additionally, the Theater presents artistically significant national and international artists and ensembles, including the New York City Ballet and Mikhail Baryshnikov's Hell's Kitchen Dance.

The Harris Theater is the home to over 35 of Chicago's most exciting music and dance companies, including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Chicago Opera Theater, Music of the Baroque, MusicNOW with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago. The Theater allows these remarkable organizations to focus on what they do bes --bringing the finest music and dance to the public. The Harris serves as a national model of collaboration between the philanthropic community and performing arts organizations. As a result of these partnerships, more than 56 diverse companies have presented more than 400 performances on the Harris Theater's stage since the theater opened.

The Harris Theater's Presenting Series, which was launched during the 2006-2007 season, was created with the purpose of presenting extraordinary artists, ensembles and performances that would otherwise not be seen by Chicago audiences. Additionally, the Presenting Series serves to complement the works of the Theater's resident companies and further build audiences. To date, the Harris Theater's Presenting Series has succeeded in attracting some of the world's most acclaimed artists and ensembles including Joan Baez, Daniel Barenboim and his West-Eastern Divan Orchestra, Lang Lang, Les Ballets Africans, Mariza, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, San Francisco Ballet, Stephen Sondheim and the UBS Verbier Festival Orchestra with legendary pianist Martha Argerich among others.

"Since it opened in 2003, the Harris has cultivated relationships with the country's leading contemporary dance choreographers, dancers and dance institutions, ensuring that our audiences get to experience the most provocative, world class new works first.  This coming season brings the much anticipated Chicago Premiere of Mark Morris’ groundbreaking new rendition of the classic Romeo & Juliet, in an important co-commission by the Harris. This full length dance has been the center of great debate in dance circles since its premiere and perhaps the New York Times said it best, 'as a pledge of love, it is as outspoken as Mr. Morris can be and wholly triumphant.' The work will be accompanied here by Harris resident company Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts Symphony Orchestra, contributing to our mission of local partnership and collaboration."
-Michael Tiknis, President and Managing Director

The Harris Theater hosted the Mark Morris Dance Group with the Ravinia Festival in the summers of 2005 and 2007. In conjunction with the San Francisco Ballet's 75th Anniversary New Works Festival, the Theater eagerly anticipates the Chicago premiere of a new work by Mark Morris in September 2008. The New Works Festival premieres in San Francisco in April 2008 and the Harris Theater engagement will mark its first stop on a four-city national tour.

Website: http://www.harristheaterchicago.org