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Pat Metheny, Yo-Yo Ma, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Herbie Hancock, Philip Glass, Shanghai Ballet, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Joshua Bell, Trisha Brown and Youssou N'Dour Highlight Event Schedule

April 30, 2002, Davis, California -- The university community of Davis, California, takes its place as one of the nation's leading performing arts destinations in October 2002, with the dedication and inaugural season of the for the Performing Arts on the campus of the University of California, Davis. Featuring the state-of-the-art 1,800-seat Barbara K. and W. Turrentine Jackson Hall and the 250-seat Studio Theater, Mondavi Center will be the premier performance venue in Northern California upon opening.

Mondavi Center's inaugural season will feature an expansive mix of seasoned masters, emerging artists, and leading cultural figures, offering more than 100 performances and lectures. Highlights include musical performances by the Pat Metheny Group, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and his acclaimed Silk Road Project, jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, the Philip Glass Ensemble, the acclaimed Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Orchestra with violin soloist Joshua Bell, Lorin Maazel conducting the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, acclaimed Senegal vocalist Youssou N'Dour; dance performances by the renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Trinity Irish Dance Company, Shanghai Ballet, Trisha Brown Dance Company and Le Ballet National du Senegal; touring productions of Broadway musicals "Porgy and Bess," "Rent," "Fosse" and "Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk;" and lectures by writer and filmmaker Sherman Alexie and scientist Stephen Hawking.

The new Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts will serve as a resource for the campus and the region, reinforcing �ٺ���Ƶ' status as a comprehensive university of the first order by raising the profile of its arts and humanities programs to that of its top-ranked science programs. In addition to the artists presented as part of its 2002-03 Season of Performing Arts, Mondavi Center will also host productions by the �ٺ���Ƶ music and theatre and dance departments and other campus academic programs, as well as those of regional arts organizations such as the Sacramento Ballet and the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra. The $60.9 million Mondavi Center project -- $53.5 million for construction and $7.4 million for an initial endowment and for program and start-up costs -- has been financed through a combination of campus funds and a $30 million capital fund-raising campaign, including a $10 million naming gift from famed Napa winemakers Robert and Margrit Mondavi.

The most cosmopolitan arts presenter in the Sacramento region, Mondavi Center's inaugural Season of Performing Arts will feature artists who span the globe, both culturally and artistically. International artists coming to Mondavi Center stages represent the artistic traditions of England, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Hungary, Senegal, Mali, Cuba, Argentina, Japan, China, France, Canada, Ireland, Czech Republic, Korea and Brazil. In addition to presenting global traditions in music, theatrical performance, and contemporary and classic dance, Mondavi Center will also celebrate American artistic traditions, including jazz, blues, and hip-hop.

Mondavi Center patrons can select from 17 different series subscription options as well as the popular Choose-Your-Own series. The benefits of subscribing to a series -- which include Merrill Lynch Landmark Classics, AT&T Wireless Landmark Dance, First Northern Bank Concert, First Northern Bank Debut, Pacific Bell Distinguished Speakers, Broadway, SureWest New Stages, Edgewise, AT&T Wireless Arte Latino, KXJZ-FM Improvisations, African Heritage, Asia Pacific, European Odyssey, Early Music, Family, Young Perspectives and a special Shostakovich series -- are numerous, including access to the best available seating, seat retention during future seasons, considerable savings over the cost of tickets to single events, advance notice of special events and opportunities to meet the artists. Series subscriptions are available through the �ٺ���Ƶ Ticket Office at Mondavi Center at (530) 752-1915. Tickets for individual events will go on sale beginning Aug. 19, 2002, at the �ٺ���Ƶ Ticket Office.

Merrill Lynch Landmark Classics Series. With Mondavi Center's opening season, the Merrill Lynch Landmark Classics series -- for many years the flagship performance series of �ٺ���Ƶ Presents -- will feature an outstanding roster of artists. The series will begin in great style on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2002, when the most recorded ensemble in music, the ACADEMY OF ST. MARTIN IN THE FIELDS, will be joined by young Grammy-winning violinist JOSHUA BELL for a performance of works by Bach, Haydn and Mahler. Direct from Budapest, the HUNGARIAN NATIONAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, conducted by renowned pianist Zoltán Kocsis, continues the Merrill Lynch Landmark Classics Series with a performance on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2003.

The acclaimed BOYS CHOIR OF HARLEM presents a special bite of the Big Apple on its Mondavi Center debut on Saturday, Feb. 22, 2003. The LONDON CITY OPERA returns to the capital region to perform Puccini's greatest opera, "Madame Butterfly," at Mondavi Center on Thursday, March 27, 2003. The Landmark Classics series concludes on Sunday, May 18, 2003, when famed conductor Lorin Maazel brings the pride of Munich, the BAVARIAN RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, to Mondavi Center for a performance of works by Strauss, Brahms and Debussy.

All performances in the Merrill Lynch Landmark Classics series are presented at 8 p.m. in Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center.

AT&T Wireless Landmark Dance Series. Introduced in 2001-02 by �ٺ���Ƶ Presents, the AT&T Wireless Landmark Dance series offers numerous opportunities to enjoy some of the most important movement artists in the world today. MacArthur "genius" and longtime fixture of New York's avant-garde, TRISHA BROWN will bring her acclaimed 12-member dance company on Friday, Oct. 11, 2002, to open the series. COMPAÑÍA NACIONAL DE DANZA, the national dance company of Spain led by acclaimed choreographer Nacho Duato, continues the AT&T Wireless Landmark Dance series with its "Homage to Bach" program on Tuesday, Nov. 26, 2002.

The New Yorker recently declared: "No troupe in this country is dancing better than the ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER." And Mondavi Center is proud to present this acclaimed company for two performances on Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 18-19, 2003. STUTTGART BALLET -- Germany's oldest dance ensemble, founded in 1609, which gained international prominence in the 1960s under the direction of John Cranko -- takes the stage at Mondavi Center on Tuesday, March 25, 2003. A New York-based company led by one of America's hottest young choreographers, RONALD K. BROWN/EVIDENCE concludes the AT&T Wireless Landmark Dance Series with its high-energy choreographic blend of African dance, ballet, hip-hop and sensuous modern dance on Friday and Saturday, April 25-26, 2003.

All performances in the AT&T Wireless Landmark Dance series are presented at 8 p.m. in Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center.

First Northern Bank Concert Series. Exploring the breadth of the classical music tradition, the First Northern Bank Concert Series will present diverse range of artists for Mondavi Center's inaugural season. Musical America's 2001 Vocalist of the Year, mezzo soprano LORRAINE HUNT LIEBERSON, launches the First Northern Bank Concert Series in grand style on Friday, Oct. 4, 2002. Renowned cellist YO-YO MA comes to Mondavi Center on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2002, to perform with the Silk Road Ensemble, the project he launched in 1998 to explore the ancient and ongoing cultural exchange between Europe and Asia.

On Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2003, the First Northern Bank Concert series presents renowned classical violinist NADJA SALERNO-SONNENBERG with the acclaimed guitar duo SÉRGIO and ODAIR ASSAD in an imaginative collaborative evening of Gypsy-inspired music from Argentina, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Spain and the Middle East. The series concludes on Friday, May 9, 2003, with a performance of Brahms, Shostakovich and Mendelssohn by the ACADEMY OF ST. MARTIN IN THE FIELDS CHAMBER ENSEMBLE featuring violinist Kenneth Sillito.

All performances in the First Northern Bank Concert Series are presented at 8 p.m. in Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center.

Broadway Series. The Big Apple's biggest musicals take the stage in Davis when Mondavi Center launches its Broadway Series. The first series begins with an undeniable American musical masterpiece, George and Ira Gershwin's "PORGY AND BESS," a timeless story of enduring love set in Charleston's Catfish Row. Memorable for its many classic Gershwin songs, including "Summertime," "I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'," and "It Ain't Necessarily So," "Porgy and Bess" will appear at Mondavi Center for two performances on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2002, at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. A vibrant snapshot of starving artists coming of age during the 1990s in New York's East Village, "RENT" is the show that almost single-handedly revitalized Broadway, winning four Tonys, the Pulitzer, an Obie, and a host of other awards in the process. Mondavi Center presents "Rent" at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13, 2002, and at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14, 2002.

Showered with Tony Awards, acclaimed by critics, sold-out on Broadway for nearly four years, "BRING IN 'DA NOISE, BRING IN 'DA FUNK" is an energetic tap-dancing phenomenon that rivals the theatrical impact of "A Chorus Line" or "West Side Story." Mondavi Center presents "Bring in 'Da Noise" for two performances at 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 11-12, 2003. The Mondavi Center's Broadway series concludes with "FOSSE," a Tony-winning nonstop dance extravaganza featuring the unabashedly sensual work of one of the foremost stage and film choreographers of the 20th century -- the legendary Bob Fosse ("Cabaret," "Chicago," "All That Jazz.") Mondavi Center will present two performances of "Fosse," at 8 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 1-2, 2003.

All Broadway series performances are presented in Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center.

KXJZ-FM Improvisations Series. The KXJZ-FM Improvisations series, a crowd pleaser for the past two years under �ٺ���Ƶ Presents, features some of the country's best jazz artists performing America's music. The 2002-03 series gets off to a robust start when the CHRISTIAN McBRIDE BAND, led by the Philadelphia bassist renowned for his distinctive pop/R&B/jazz fusion, comes to the Studio Theater at Mondavi Center for four nights, Wednesday through Saturday, Oct. 16-19, 2002. The PAT METHENY GROUP, the multiple Grammy-winning ensemble led by the acclaimed guitarist, makes Mondavi Center's Jackson Hall a stop on its "Speaking of Now" Tour on Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2002.

Saxophonist Chris Potter is in great demand these days, having performed on recent Grammy-nominated recordings from Dave Holland, Danilo Perez and Steely Dan. The rising jazz star brings his CHRIS POTTER QUARTET to Mondavi Center's Studio Theater for four nights, Wednesday through Saturday, Jan. 15-18, 2003. The KXJZ-FM Improvisations series continues on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2003, when the MINGUS BIG BAND, voted "Best Big Band" for several years running in both the DownBeat and JazzTimes polls, returns to Davis for its Mondavi Center debut in Jackson Hall.

Jazz giant HERBIE HANCOCK, the pianist for Miles Davis' influential 1960s quintet who went on to form the seminal fusion sextet The Headhunters, makes his Mondavi Center debut on Saturday, March 29, 2003, in Jackson Hall. The KXJZ-FM Improvisations Series concludes on Thursday, April 17, 2003, when another veteran of Miles Davis' group, saxophonist WAYNE SHORTER, brings his acclaimed quartet (pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Brian Blade) to Mondavi Center's Jackson Hall.

All KXJZ-FM Improvisations series performances begin at 8 p.m.

African Heritage Series. Mondavi Center's African Heritage series celebrates the artistic diaspora that began in Africa and has influenced the cultures of three continents. The series begins Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2002, with a performance by the premier dance company of West Africa, LE BALLET NATIONAL DU SENEGAL. Founded by poet and national leader Léopold S. Senghor in 1960 -- the year of Senegal's independence from France -- Le Ballet National du Senegal dazzles with the most exuberant and energetic art forms of the country. The African Heritage series continues on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2002, when vocalist SALIF KEITA returns to Davis. Known around the world as "The Golden Voice of Mali," Salif Keita's unique sound blends the traditional styles of his West African homeland with influences from Cuba, Spain, Portugal and the Middle East.

Another outstanding vocalist from Mali, HABIB KOITÉ & BAMADA, takes the stage at Mondavi Center on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2003. Backed by his band Bamada, which means "from the mouth of the crocodile," Koité creates a sparkling modern sound that draws on several styles, easily swinging from traditional Malian rhythms to African/western reggae beats. The African Heritage series concludes on Wednesday, April 23, 2002, when world music pioneer YOUSSOU N'DOUR comes to Mondavi Center. Leaping to the global stage in the 1980s with his vocals on Paul Simon's "Graceland" and Peter Gabriel's "So," Youssou N'Dour has since become a world music superstar, touring and recording with a range of artists including Peter Gabriel, Sting, Tracy Chapman and Bruce Springsteen.

All African Heritage series performances begin at 8 p.m. in Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center.

AT&T Wireless Arte Latino Series. Offering an exuberant celebration of dance and music from Spain to the Caribbean and the Americas, the AT&T Wireless Arte Latino series gets off to a rousing start on Friday, Nov. 22, 2002, when the AFRO-CUBAN ALL STARS return to Davis. Led by trumpeter and Buena Vista Social Club organizer Juan De Marcos González, the high-spirited Afro-Cuban All Stars evoke the red-hot music and glittering nightlife of Cuba's pre-Revolutionary "golden age." The series continues with a passionately beautiful traditional Mexican celebration of Christmas -- featuring the joyous music of Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano with the vivid pageantry of Ballet Folklórico Ollin -- FIESTA NAVIDAD, which returns to the Sacramento area for a third time on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2002.

Led by one of Cuba's most talented young choreographers, LIZT ALFONSO DANCE CUBA has been a sensation in its island home over the past decade, continually developing and exploring the folkloric dance traditions of Spain and the Caribbean. Making its debut tour of the U.S., Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba arrives at Mondavi Center for a performance on Friday, March 7, 2003. Bringing the entire history of the steamy movement genre of tango to the performance stage, TANGO BUENOS AIRES traces the dance's evolution from its 19th century origins in the bordellos of Buenos Aires to the ballrooms of today. The AT&T Wireless Arte Latino series concludes on Friday, April 4, 2003, with the 25-member Tango Buenos Aires.

All AT&T Wireless Arte Latino series performances begin at 8 p.m. in Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center.

Asia Pacific Series. Exploring California's links to its Pacific neighbors, this series presents a sampling of the diversity and beauty of Asian cultural traditions. The series begins with the greatest masterwork of the Chinese ballet repertoire, "The White-Haired Girl," which was first performed by the SHANGHAI BALLET in 1965. The renowned Shanghai Ballet makes its Mondavi Center debut on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2002, to perform "The White-Haired Girl," the moving story of a young peasant woman sold to an abusive wealthy landlord. The Asia Pacific series continues on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2003, with the acclaimed Taiko drumming group KODO, an energetic group of "percussionist kamikazes" who have collaborated with a range of artists from the Drummers of Burundi to jazz star Max Roach to the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart.

Revolutionary New York saxophonist and composer Fred Ho brings his new production "VOICE OF THE DRAGON" -- a pioneering multicultural work combining kung fu, hip-hop, capoeira, jazz and an ancient Chinese fable -- to Mondavi Center on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2003. The Asia Pacific series concludes on Saturday, March 15, 2003, when the 50-member PEKING OPERA performs its legendary program of unbelievable acrobatics, explosive martial arts, dexterous juggling and musical virtuosity, each in a vibrant array of costume and make-up.

All Asia Pacific series performances begin at 8 p.m. in Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center.

European Odyssey Series. This series presents a variety of traditional European folk arts, including a Gaelic holiday celebration, innovative Celtic-fusion, martial music from Great Britain and two outstanding interpretations of traditional Irish dancing. With a sound acclaimed by Billboard as "the cutting edge of progressive Gaelic-language music," KÍLA pushes the boundaries of traditional Celtic song to fashion a distinctively Irish approach to world music. The bold and talented septet from Dublin will launch the European Odyssey series with a performance on Friday, Nov. 8, 2002. World music chart-topper ALTAN returns to Davis on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2002, to present "The Year's Turning," a different approach to the holiday season, hearkening back to Ireland's pre-Christian Gaelic traditions, such as mumming and "wrenboy" dancing.

With a proud 350-year history, the BAND OF THE GRENADIER GUARDS is a beloved U.K. institution, performing at a range of state and military ceremonies, including the annual Queen's Birthday Parade. The 49-member group joins with the pipes, drums and dancers of THE SCOTS HIGHLANDERS for a rousing evening of martial music on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2003. The European Odyssey series continues on Thursday, March 13, 2003, with the return to Davis of the TRINITY IRISH DANCE COMPANY, the troupe that launched the Celtic dance phenomenon, winning the World Championships of Irish Dance in Dublin a record 12 times.

The European Odyssey series concludes on Tuesday, April 8, 2003, with a performance of MICHAEL FLATLEY'S LORD OF THE DANCE, a lively retelling of Irish folk legend created by the former star of "Riverdance" and "Feet of Flames," which has delighted millions of fans around the world, including 21 consecutive sell-outs at England's Wembley Arena.

All European Odyssey series performances begin at 8 p.m. in Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center.

SureWest New Stages Series. The Mondavi Center's SureWest New Stages series presents six provocative and ambitious theater performances. A veteran actor with the Royal Shakespeare Company, GARETH ARMSTRONG has in recent years enlivened some of Shakespeare's least understood characters to the delight of audiences around the world. Two seasons ago, Armstrong appeared in Davis with "Shylock," his daring, dynamic one-person play exploring the strange, turbulent life of literature's most famous Jewish character. Armstrong returns to Davis to perform "SHYLOCK" on Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 23-24, 2002. Armstrong will also perform "DR. PROSPERO," a new solo work by Stephen Davis looking at Shakespeare's great magician from "The Tempest," on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 25-26, 2002.

Described by the New York Times as "an American loner-eccentric with touches of Bertolt Brecht, Samuel Beckett and Tom Waits," RINDE ECKERT is the performer and co-creator of the acclaimed opera-play "Ravenshead," which he performed in Davis in spring 2001. Eckert returns to present "AND GOD CREATED GREAT WHALES," an extraordinary and haunting musical adventure into the psyche of a composer trying to create an opera based on Herman Melville's "Moby Dick," for five performances, Wednesday through Sunday, Dec. 4-8, 2002 (Sunday performance at 2 p.m.).

Innovative and dynamic, the prize-winning London-based AQUILA THEATRE COMPANY has gained a well-earned international reputation as one of the foremost producers of touring classical theater. Aquila Theatre Company makes its Davis debut to perform classics by two of the greatest playwrights in the English language: Shakespeare's "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM" on Thursday, March 20, 2003; and Oscar Wilde's "THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST" on Saturday, March 22, 2003. Both performances are presented in Mondavi Center's Jackson Hall.

On Friday and Saturday, May 16-17, 2003, Canadian theater wizard ROBERT LEPAGE brings Frida Kahlo's life to Mondavi Center's Jackson Hall with "APASIONADA," Sophie Faucher's new play about the Mexican painter, featuring a three-person cast and Lepage's trademark technical brilliance. Renowned as one of the world's foremost theater artists, Robert Lepage's solo show "the far side of the moon" was named top theater work of 2001 by San Francisco Chronicle critics, and the show also earned Lepage the best director award from the London Critics' Circle.

All SureWest New Stages performances begin at 8 p.m. in Mondavi Center's Studio Theater, unless otherwise indicated.

Edgewise Series. Dedicated to presenting new performance works by the world's most innovative artists, Mondavi Center's Edgewise series will offer four outstanding productions for 2002-03. The series will begin with the Philip Glass Ensemble, who will return to Davis to present two evenings of "PHILIP ON FILM," an exploration the role of music as it relates to the moving image on film. "Philip on Film" will feature the ensemble performing live accompaniment for "SHORTS" (featuring Glass' scores for several short works by acclaimed filmmakers) on Friday, Oct. 18, 2002; and the modern film classic "KOYAANISQATSI" on Saturday, Oct. 19, 2002.

Esteemed French choreographer Angelin Preljocaj brings his 22-member BALLET PRELJOCAJ to Mondavi Center on Friday, Nov. 1, 2002, to present its acclaimed and resolutely contemporary approach to dance. Herbin "Tamango" Van Cayseele -- a native of French Guiana acclaimed by the New York Times as "the best dancer of any kind around" -- leads his improvisational troupe URBAN TAP onto the stage at Mondavi Center's Jackson Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2002, for a performance of its sensational fusion of free-style tap, African stilt dancing, Brazilian capoeira, hip-hop, video projections and jazz and funk music.

Blurring the lines between sport and movement theater, AEROS is a high-flight dance collaboration between three innovative, internationally renowned choreographers -- David Parsons, Moses Pendleton (Pilobolus, Momix) and Daniel Ezralow (Momix, ISO Dance) -- and 20 members of the Romanian national gymnastics team. Described as "a challenge to both gravity and dance," AEROS returns to the region on Thursday, Jan. 23, 2003, for a performance at Mondavi Center's Jackson Hall.

The Edgewise Series concludes on Friday and Saturday, April 11-12, 2003, with a performance of SOUNDSTAGE, the newest production from iconoclastic composer Paul Dresher. Examining the means and meaning of music -- literally from the ground up -- the virtuoso musical pranksters of the Paul Dresher Ensemble and Zeitgeist explore the possibilities of a metronome sound sculpture nearly 18 feet high, creating music from a range of plucked and bowed strings, percussion and wind.

All Edgewise series performances begin at 8 p.m. in Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center.

Shostakovich Series. During his lifetime, Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-75) was considered the Soviet Union's greatest composer. His 15 string quartets, written between 1938 and 1975, are now among the acknowledged masterpieces of 20th century music, thanks to their accessible musical language and powerful emotional appeal. This year Mondavi Center launches a new three-year series exploring the string quartets of the renowned composer, introduced by music scholar Robert Greenberg and performed by the Alexander String Quartet. The Shostakovich series begins on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2002, with a lecture/performance of quartets no. 1 and no. 2. The series continues on Sunday, March 16, 2003, with a lecture/performance of the third and fourth quartets. The Shostakovich series of lecture/performances concludes its first year on Sunday, June 1, 2003, with quartets no. 5 and no. 6.

All Shostakovich series performance are presented at 2 p.m. in the Studio Theater, Mondavi Center.

Early Music Series. One of the most exciting trends in classical music in recent years has been the growth of ensembles that use period instruments or replicas in their performance. With its 2002-03 Early Music Series, Mondavi Center will showcase some of the most esteemed period ensembles active in the world today. The series opens on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2002, with Handel's beloved holiday favorite, "Messiah," performed by the AMERICAN BACH SOLOISTS. Hailed by the press as "period style all-stars" who are "setting a new international standard," the ABS -- led by musical director Jeffrey Thomas -- bring together a veritable "who's who" of early music specialists.

Under the direction of violin soloist Andrew Manze -- acclaimed as "the Grapelli of the baroque" -- THE ACADEMY OF ANCIENT MUSIC will present a superlative evening of music by Vivaldi, Telemann, Biber and Handel on Saturday, April 5, 2003. Noted for his extraordinary skill and improvisatory panache, Manze is widely considered one of the most creative lights in baroque music today. The Early Music series concludes on Monday, April 28, 2003, when the AMERICAN BACH SOLOISTS return to Mondavi Center to perform one of the most frequently mentioned "favorite" works of J.S. Bach: the Mass in B Minor.

All 2002-03 Early Music Series events begin at 8 p.m. in Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center.

Family Series. Among Mondavi Center's most popular offerings -- particularly for youngsters and the young at heart -- the Family series presents an outstanding array of shows, from children's classics to energetic, cutting-edge performances suited for all audiences. The Family series opens with CIRQUE ÉLOIZE at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2002. Founded by young and talented performers from the acclaimed Cirque du Soleil, this daredevil circus troupe foregoes traditional animal acts to weave a breathtaking tapestry of enchantment, humor and wonder. Visible Fictions Theatre Company -- the first Scottish company ever to appear on Broadway -- performs THE RED BALLOON, an adaptation from Albert Lamorisse's beloved children's book on Sunday, Nov. 3, 2002, at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. With inventive dialogue, mime, dance, puppetry and music from pop to classical, "The Red Balloon" relates the enchanting journey of Pascal, a small boy who pursues the floating sphere across Paris.

Abounding with imaginative imagery, acrobatic brilliance and artistic foolishness, FRED GARBO INFLATABLE THEATER CO. bounces into Jackson Hall on Sunday, Feb. 2, 2003, at 2 p.m. The fast-paced, energetic, innovative and universally engaging company has captivated audiences with its gigantic inflatable props from Broadway to Brazil to "The Late Show With David Letterman." LANDIS & COMPANY -- the creators of the magical "Cinderella" in Davis last season -- presents a beautiful and inspiring retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's "Snow Queen" on Sunday, March 16, 2003, at 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Weaving together original music, masks, puppetry, shadow play and illusion, Landis & Company re-examines this imaginative tale of devotion, bravery and growth. The Family series concludes on Sunday, April 27, 2003, at 2 p.m. with the quintessential variety troupe, THE FLAMING IDIOTS, who excel at such diverse skills as juggling, whipcracking, knife-throwing, balloon-eating and barefoot baloney-sandwich-making.

All Family series events will be presented in Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center.

First Northern Bank Debut Series. The 2002-03 First Northern Bank Debut Series introduces some of the most promising emerging performers in classical music. The series opens at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2003, with THE CLAREMONT TRIO, featuring three Julliard trained artists (pianist Donna Kwong, with twin sisters Emily Bruskin on violin and Julia Bruskin on cello). Recently praised for her "keen insight and astonishing skill" by the Washington Post, Korean-born violinist JU-YOUNG BAEK will performs on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003. A student of Ivan Klansky at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, Czech pianist MARTIN KASÍK concludes the 2002-03 First Northern Bank Debut Series on Sunday, March 30, 2003.

All 2002-03 First Northern Bank Debut Series Events will begin at 2 p.m. at the Studio Theater, Mondavi Center.

SBC Pacific Bell Distinguished Speakers Series. One of the most popular offerings of �ٺ���Ƶ Presents for more than 12 years, the SBC Pacific Bell Distinguished Speakers Series will resume at Mondavi Center for 2002-03 with some of the most important thinkers of our time. The series opens on Monday, Dec. 2, 2002, with ANNE FADIMAN's discussion of her acclaimed first book, "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" (1997), an award-winning account of Hmong refugees in Merced and their interaction with the modern medical establishment. Prolific novelist, poet and screenwriter SHERMAN ALEXIE speaks on "Killing Indians: Myths, Lies, and Exaggerations" on Monday, Feb. 3, 2003. Named by The New Yorker as one of the top 20 writers for the 21st century, Alexie wrote the screenplay for the acclaimed "Smoke Signals," based on his story collection "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven."

STEPHEN HAWKING, eminent Cambridge mathematician and physicist and author of the international bestseller "A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes" (1988), arrives on Sunday, March 23, 2003, to discuss some of the most brain-bending ideas ever conceived. The SBC Pacific Bell Distinguished Speakers Series continues on Monday, April 14, 2003, with author and scholar JEHAN SADAT, widow of the late Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat and a devoted activist for women and peace. The series concludes on Monday, May 5, 2003, with EDWARD O. WILSON, the naturalist, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and the founder of the controversial field of sociobiology.

All 2002-03 Distinguished Speakers series events begin at 8 p.m. in Jackson Hall.

Subscriptions to all Mondavi Center series are available through the �ٺ���Ƶ Ticket Office at (530) 752-1915. The deadline for current subscribers to submit renewals is June 8, 2001; after that date, seating arrangements from previous seasons cannot be guaranteed. Tickets for individual events will go on sale beginning Aug. 19, 2001, at the �ٺ���Ƶ Ticket Office.

Several of the artists appearing during Mondavi Center's 2002-03 Season of Performing Arts will participate in a broad range of educational outreach activities while in the capital region. Coordinated by the Mondavi Center Community Outreach Program, these activities include school matinees, master classes, lecture-demonstrations, open rehearsals, workshops and in-school artist residencies. These outreach activities, which benefited more than 20,000 area students last season as part of �ٺ���Ƶ Presents, constitute a major commitment to the arts education of students in the region and underscore �ٺ���Ƶ' commitment to the artists and audiences of the future.

If you would like to receive a free season brochure, please contact the Mondavi Center office at (530) 757-3199. Media requesting a formal presentation of Mondavi Center's 2002-03 Season of Performing Arts should call Dave Webb at (530) 757-3481 to make arrangements. If you would like to receive this press release via e-mail, please contact Paul Dorn at pcdorn@ucdavis.edu.